Christie running into form

MARK CHRISTIE is not among the medal favourites for the U23 men’s race at the SPAR European cross-country championships in San Giorgio su Legnano, but that won’t bother the 21 year-old Mullingar man on Sunday.

This is the first time the U23 runners will have an exclusive championship and Ireland contest the men’s and women’s races with strong contenders in Christie and Fionnuala Britton — who both attend DCU where they are scholarship students.

Christie competed three times as a junior in the Europeans, finished sixth in Edinburgh in 2003 and fifth two years ago in Germany.