As a famous Irish sportsman likes to say, timing can sometimes beat speed. That was the case yesterday at the Irish Life Health National Cross Country Championships in Abbotstown as Raheny’s Kevin Dooney upset favourite Sean Tobin in the senior men’s race with a performance of impressive precision.

Kevin Dooney is one of Ireland’s leading distance runners and goes into the national cross country championships aiming for selection for the European Championships in Tilburg, Netherlands next month. He finished second last year and will be looking to lead his club, Raheny Shamrock, to a third successive team title. Dooney, 25, struck a chord with the running community since opening up on his mental health battles in the summer.