County cross country titles are down for decision in Tipperary

Fethard is the venue on this Sunday for the County Under 23 and Masters Cross Country Championships for both women and men.

The Eircode is E91D868.

Eligibility for these championships is that athletes must be registered for 2026.

To compete at Under 23 level, athletes have to be 20 years of age and under 23 on the December 31 2026. Eligibility for the Masters races is that athletes must be over 35 years of age.

The programme gets underway at 11am with the under 23 women, Masters women and Masters men over 65 4k race. Then at approximately 11.20am, the under 23 men and Masters men over 35 7k race will commence.

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Competition will be keen at these championships as there are many titles on the line.

Medals will be awarded to the first three in the following categories - over 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 and over 60, so we can expect very competitive races.

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In the Masters women’s there are two team categories, over 35 and over 45, with three athletes to score on club teams in both events.

In the men over 65 team event it is three athletes to score while in the men’s over 35 team event it is four athletes to count and for the over 50 team event, it is three athletes to count.

In the women’s race, the warm favourite will be Dymphna Ryan of Dundrum AC, the current County Senior Cross Country champion.

She will face good competition from athletes including Eileen McCullough of Moyne and Catherine Fogarty of Dundrum AC.

Both the over 35 team and over 45 team events will be competitive as clubs such as Dundrum, Moyne, Clonmel, Fethard, Thurles Crokes and Mooreabbey Milers are all capable of podium placings in both team events

In the Masters’ men over 35 event, the above-mentioned clubs along with Carrick-on-Suir and Templemore AC are all capable of podium placings.

At individual level athletes such as Emmet McNamara Fethard AC, Dermot Gorman Carrick-on-Suir and Stuart Moloney of Mooreabbey Milers will be to the fore.

County Tipperary Athletics AGM

This very important meeting takes place in the Horse and Jockey Inn on Friday January 23 at 7pm. All clubs are encouraged to have representatives at this important meeting.