Hanrahan eyeing Irish spot with Cork title defence

MARK HANRAHAN (Leevale) will be targeting a place on the Irish team for the SPAR European cross-country championships when he lines up in defence of his Cork senior crown at Clonakilty Showgrounds on Sunday.

Hanrahan, who has represented Ireland at all levels in the European cross-country championships, will be hoping to take his improving track form into this year’s event. He missed the Gerry Farnan race in the Phoenix Park due to illness two weeks ago but he can secure his place in the Irish team when he leads the Cork challenge at the national inter-county championships at Kilbeggan Racecourse next month.

On Sunday he will be hoping to reproduce the form that saw him win so impressively last year when he lines up in one of the most prestigious titles in Irish cross-country running.

Leevale, who have been nominated for Club of the Year at the National Athletics Awards could also lift the senior women’s title through Lizzy Lee, an experienced triathlete who has dominated the running scene down south in recent months.

Her senior cross-country debut has been eagerly awaited since she won both the county and Munster novice titles in her first two races.

She can expect strong opposition from defending champion, Rhona Lynch (Eagle AC), who won so impressively last year and her clubmate, Niamh Roe, who will be anxious to atone for a disappointing run in 2008.

The junior men’s could also go Leevale’s way as Ryan Creech steps up from the underage ranks in an assault on the men’s title after winning the county U-19 title so impressively a few weeks ago.

East Cork’s dominance of the senior men’s team contest over the years will see them bidding for a sensational seventh successive title.

The programme, hosted by Bandon Athletic Club, gets under way at 1 pm with the junior women’s race followed by junior men, senior women and senior men.

Andrew Ledwith (Fr. Murphy’s AC) got his cross-country season off to an impressive start when he finished third, just three seconds behind the winner, Sean Quigley, in the 8km Mayor’s Cup in Boston last weekend. Now training with Martin Fagan in Flagstaff, the Meathman will return to Ireland for the inter-counties championships and then remain on for the European championships in Dublin in December.

Three Irish runners finished in the top 10 in the women’s race at the Birmingham Cross Challenge, with Sara Treacy (Moynalvey AC) third, Ava Hutchinson (DSD) fourth and Rose Anne Galligan in eighth.