At her lowest moment, Stephanie Cotter decided to aim high.

For the Irish, this was their best-ever medal haul at the European Cross Country, but it was also so much more. For so many years, they had come to this event with hopes rested squarely on the shoulders of Fionnuala McCormack alone.

This was peak Fionnuala McCormack – fast, fluent and fighting to the bitter end.