Veale in Irish junior team for UK Cross Challenge

WORLD youth race walking champion Kate Veale has been named on the Irish junior cross-country team for the McCain UK Cross Challenge in Bristol on Sunday.

The West Waterford athlete will be joined on the team for the Bristol race by Mary Mulhare (North Laois) and Emma Mitchell (Banbridge).

Fionnuala Britton (Kicoole AC) competes in the VIII Cross de Atapuerca in Burgos, Spain, on Sunday.

Britton has qualified for the women’s steeplechase at next year’s Olympic Games along with Stephanie Reilly (Sli Cualann AC) and she got the new cross-country season off to the perfect start by winning the Gerry Farnham cross-country in the Phoenix Park last month.

She will be joined in Spain by the Mulhare brothers from North Laois, Dan and Michael, and Leevale athlete Mark Hanrahan, who will complete a youthful men’s team while ClaireGibbons-McCarthy, runner-up in the recent Evening Echo Cork women’s mini-marathon, will compete in the senior women’s race in Bristol.