Michelle Finn and Hiko Tonosa take major National Cross Country titles

It made it a double on the day for coach Feidhlim Kelly, who guides Tonosa and Finn

Michelle Finn of Leevale AC, Cork, on her way to winning the Senior Women's event during the Irish Life Health National Cross Country Championships at Santry Demense in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

For Hiko Tonosa and Michelle Finn, this was the kind of day to define a career, the pair producing performances replete with class and courage to claim the National Cross Country titles in Dublin.

On a splendid, sunny afternoon at Santry Demesne, Finn stamped her class over the senior women’s field from the outset, setting off alone on the first lap of the 8000m race and coming home in splendid isolation, 12 seconds clear of Sarah Healy, with Roisin Flanagan third and Aoibhe Richardson fourth.