Confident Cullen targets top-five finish in Milan

MARY CULLEN is ready to challenge for a medal in the senior women’s race at the SPAR European cross-country championships at San Giorgio su Legnana, near Milan, tomorrow but would be happy with a place in the top five or six.

“That would be the target,” said the 25-year-old North Sligo athlete, recalling how she just missed out on a top-10 spot last year in Tilburg after falling shortly after the race began.

“In the end I was happy to finish 11th. Before the race myself and my coach, Ray Treacy, had talked about it and thought maybe I could make the top 15. But when the race went off I was thinking of top 10, then I fell and I think that threw me off a little bit.”