McCarthy defends title as McKiernan returns

THE distance runners will reclaim the limelight from the sprinters at the national inter-club cross-country championships on Sunday in Roscommon where Catherina McKiernan makes an overdue return to domestic competition.

While she will ensure huge interest in the senior women’s race, the men’s race promises to be a thriller with last year’s winner, Martin McCarthy, defending his title against Seamus Power and Peter Matthews, both three-time winners of the title.

McCarthy, Power and Matthews are in the midst of their preparations for the London Marathon where the now realistic Olympic qualifying standard will be the target.

Seamus Power’s name is synonymous with cross-country for he has become a legend of the discipline. Early in the season he won his ninth consecutive national inter-club title and when the chips are down on Sunday everybody will be looking around to see just where he is.

There have been some remarkable contests involving himself and Peter Matthews and both were absent when McCarthy won the title for the first time last year over one of the toughest courses in the history of the event.

This time the title will be decided in the manicured surroundings of Roscommon Racecourse and that, along with the excellent weather, should ensure a fast race.

With all the attention focused on the top three there could be a dark horse in the shape of Cillian Lonergan who is just back from training in South Africa, and Vinny Mulvey also returned from the US.

“From my own point of view I am looking forward to racing,” Power said. “Both myself and Peter (Matthews) have been doing very big mileage - I certainly have never done anything like it before - so, in that respect, I am keen to see what the results will be. I have approached training differently and would never have done this amount of mileage before. I have surprised myself.”

Martin McCarthy admitted he is focused on the London Marathon and would not be competing at all if he was not defending the title.

“Last year I was definitely more prepared. I had just returned from South Africa specifically to win the race and it worked out. This year London is the priority.”

When Catherina McKiernan was forced to miss the inter-county championships in Mullingar there was nobody more disappointed than Rosemary Ryan, who went on to win the title and then finished 13th in the European championships.

“I am looking forward to racing against Catherina on Sunday. It should be a good race and I feel I am ready for a good run.

“We will be meeting again in Rás na hÉireann the following week so it will be good.

“I have been very lucky this year. The weather has been good and I have been injury free.”

Mark Christie (Mullingar Harriers) will be the odds-on favourite to win the junior men’s title and equal Paul Logan’s record of three successive national junior men’s cross-country titles.

He also won the inter-counties on his native turf this season and finished sixth in the European championships in Edinburgh.