Britton pays for sluggish start

Fionnuala Britton had that familiar fourth feeling akin to the European cross country championships at a windswept Phoenix Park yesterday where Poland’s Iwona Lewandowska was a surprise winner at the Spar Great Ireland Run 10k in 33:39.

“It felt like the European cross again,” said Britton who had a sluggish start but managed to get herself back up to finish fourth in 33:54. Her French rival, Sophie Duarte, was second in 33:48 with Spain’s Alessandra Aguilar third in 33:49.

“I just didn’t feel good,” said the Kilcoole AC athlete, who ran 33:54 off her slow start where she dropped off the pace within the first six minutes. “I don’t know whether it was hanging around at the start. In the back of my mind, I knew it was going to be tough in the second half with the hills but I couldn’t leave that much of a gap.”