Christie’s bid for success scales heights

MARK CHRISTIE is looking for a big performance at this year’s European cross-country championships in Tilburg, Holland, and has taken his preparations to a new level by travelling to Kenya to train at altitude.

A few weeks ago he became the 40th Irishman to break four minutes for the mile at a meet in Britain. It was a spectacular finish to the track season and his foray into the shorter distance.

Up to that point cross-country had been his forte. He was three times national junior champion and made the top six at the European junior championships on two occasions. Last season he ran the national senior inter-club championships to explore the distance but came through for a place in the top six with a storming finish.