Fionnuala Britton wins Antrim IAAF Cross Country - Sat 21st Jan 2012

Just in...Fionnuala Britton has won the Antrim IAAF Cross Country competition. This was her 4th race in as many weeks. Running neck and neck with Gemma Steel of the UK until the last lap, Fionnuala pulled away for a convincing victory!

Is this woman ever going to rest??? ;o)

Senior Women                  
1    37    Fionnuala Britton        IRL    00:19:32
2    35    Gemma Steel        GBR    00:19:39
3    30    Birtuken Adamu        ETH    00:19:54
4    33    Mekdes Bekele        ETH    00:20:11
5    32    Mekasha Waganesh        ETH    00:20:28
6    40    Purity Kirui        KEN    00:20:39
7    34    Annabel Gummow        GBR    00:20:44
8    42    Jane Potter    Charnwood AC    Midlands Athletics    00:21:02
9    49    Rosemary Smith        SCO    00:21:03
10    493    Aoife Culhane    Dundrum South Dublin        00:21:14
11    41    Clare Martin    Telford AC    Midlands Athletics    00:21:21
12    43    Rebekah Randell    Bristol & West    Midlands Athletics    00:21:44
13    44    Breege Connolly    North Belfast Harriers    NIR    00:21:54
14    38    Lizzie Lee        IRL    00:22:00
15    50    Laura Shaughessey        IRL    00:22:03
16    46    Julie Turley    Dromore AC    NIR    00:22:18
17    47    Lauren Scott    North Down AC    NIR    00:22:23
18    45    Cathy McCourt    North Belfast Harriers    NIR    00:22:35
19    508    Patricia O'Hagan    St Peters        00:22:44
20    48    Sharon Bird    North Belfast Harriers    NIR    00:23:00

From Northern Ireland Athletics...
Prizes...For each IAAF Senior Race, the organisers will provide a minimum financial awards structure of USD 7,500.

1st place       $2500        4th place    $1000
2nd place      $1500        5th place    $750
3rd place       $1250        6th place    $500

Race Report from NI Athletics...European Cross Country Champion logged another victory over arch rival Gemma Steel of Charnwood in the Antrim IAAF International Cross Country at Greenmount. However it was closely fought head to head contest which was only decided in the last 600 metres.

Up to that point Steel was determined not to make the same mistake as in Edinburgh where she let her Irish rival open an unbeatable gap midway through the race. In Antrim a proverbial handkerchief covered both women for much of the race with Steel taking the lead for a short period. It was only in the closing stages where the energy sapping mud enabled the stronger Britton to secure victory by 7 seconds.

Afterwards Steel said “I tried different tactics today by taking the race by the scruff of the neck. I gave it much more today from the start as there was no jogging in the early stages”. For her part Britton said the race was tougher than Edinburgh because of the heavy conditions. She said she was pleased with her performance especially after the race in Seville where she admitted she struggled.

In another interview, Fionnuala said....."It was tough, a lot tougher than Edinburgh I think. It was similar in one way because it was the two of us together, but that muck made it tough. There was a lot more running on the course in Edinburgh. Here there was a lot of ploughing through it. In Edinburgh I gradually pulled away (from Gemma), where this time we ran together for a lot more of it, so it was tougher I suppose, mentally as much as anything. Both of us are aware of the fact that there are people behind us. I suppose both of us are similar in a way, so if we get away we know we only have each other to battle against, where if we sit back and let others run the race we don't know what is going to happen. I struggled in Seville last week, so I needed it this week. I suppose after one good race you forget about it quickly. One not so good race plays on your mind for a lot longer. This would get rid of last week."