Top-five finishes for returning Irish duo in Belfast

DEIRDRE BYRNE and Linda Byrne, who were among Ireland’s top finishers at the European cross-country championships in Spain, returned to action in the muddy Belfast international at the Stormont Estate on Saturday where they finished third and fifth, respectively.

The world 5000m bronze medallist, Moses Kipsiro, became the third man to successfully defend the title with a blistering performance with Irish champion, Gary Murray, seventh.

The women’s race was a contest between the British and Irish athletes following the withdrawal of Kenya’s world junior champion, Linet Masai, who could not travel because of the ongoing crisis in her homeland.

Former European cross country champion Hayley Yelling drew on her vast experience with an front-running performance for a six-second win over Scot, Kathy Butler.

Yelling, who celebrated her 34th birthday on Thursday, had won practically every other cross-country title in Britain but this was her first success at Stormont.

She opened up a 15m lead on Butler and European junior cross country champion, Stephanie Twell, after the first of three laps in the 5.6km race and continued to pile on the pressure on lap two to double her advantage over Butler.

The long-time leader’s victory was never in doubt, although Butler pushed hard on the last lap and significantly reduced her advantage.

Byrne, who was 18th in the European cross country championships last month, secured third spot with the 18-year-old Twell ending up in sixth having been overtaken by Linda Byrne.

Yelling was delighted to hang on to the win, adding: “Thank God it wasn’t any further! It was good. I had ‘flu over Christmas and felt a bit stuffy today.”

Maria McCambridge finished 11th with Cork-born Mary Margaret Meade, who runs for North Belfast Harriers, 13th, 11 seconds behind.

On a churned up course it was no great surprise Kipsiro and the Kenyan duo of Kosgei and Patrick Makau were quickly to the fore in the men’s race and the threesome opened up a 10-metre gap on Mike Skinner of Britain after lap one.

The champion looked comfortable and at the bell led from Makau, the IAAF world road running silver medallist, with Kosgei a few metres adrift.

Makau, the road running specialist, was the first to lose contact in the early stages of the final lap as Kipsiro forged ahead.

In the final 500m the outcome of the race was decided as Kipsiro unleashed the same trademark kick finish which took him to victory 12 months ago shattering Kosgei’s resolve.

Kipsiro, 21, who matched Great Britain’s Roger Hackney and Ismael Kirui of Kenya as successive Belfast Cross Country International winners, admitted he was relieved to win.

“I am very happy to win, it was my first time in the snow,” said Kipsiro who won on the roads over 8km in Trier, Germany on New Year’s Eve. “It was very slippery. I didn’t like the conditions. It was the worst I have ever ran in.”

Kosgei, who was 34th in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa last year, echoed Kipsiro’s opinion.

“It was very hard and the first time I have competed in snow,” he added. “I have come from temperatures of 30c in Kenya and I had problems with my chest and head.”