Offaly women perform heroics at national senior cross country

OFFALY athletes certainly made their mark when they occupied two of the podium places at the national Senior Cross Country Championships in Castle Irvine Estate in Fermanagh on Sunday.

Mucklagh woman, Ann Marie McGlynn, nee Larkin, continued her rich vein of form by racing to a hugely impressive win in the senior ladies race. It was her first time to win this race and it comes just a couple of weeks after she won the national senior title at the Dublin marathon.

Tullamore woman Danielle Donegan was third for the second consecutive year with Niamh Allen of Leevale splitting them in a competitive race. A member of Tullamore Harriers, Danielle was followed home by older sister Nadine in tenth place.

Living in Strabane in Tyrone and racing for Letterkenny AC, McGlynn got clear of the lead pack just over the half way mark and opened up a gap that could not be bridged, finishing ten seconds clear of Allen. The fast improving Donegan, a member of a renowned Tullamore running family, chased Allen over the closing metres but couldn't get up for silver.

McGlynn became the first woman to win the national senior cross country and marathon titles in the one year and she said afterwards:

“I can’t believe it. I’m not even going to lie, this wasn’t in the plan. I went to the Dublin Marathon, I didn’t have to go to the well and I came off it in great knick, I wasn’t sore. I took a full week off running.”

“I didn’t do anything apart from staying in contact and all of a sudden then I landed at the front. I kept that same momentum, I didn’t do anything stupid or crazy, my strength paid off in the end. It was a tough, honest course. There was no real let-up, it suited me. It was just my day, I’ll take it.”

McGlynn's winning time was 27.05 with Allen in 27.16 and Donegan a few seconds behind in 27.23.

The duo will now focus on the European Cross Country Championships in Turkey on December 8.