The cross-country season continues and this week it was Annadale Striders who hosted the Malcolm Cup races at Queen’s Dub playing fields.

The course comprised one-mile loops increasing in number for different races. U13 kids ran one loop and the combined U15 / U17 two loops with the top six in every junior age category getting prizes. The loops started with a fairly flat section along the side of the lower playing field before a sharp muddy incline to the upper field. It continued around the top fields before dropping down an increasing muddy slope to run the perimeter of the lower fields. The end of the lap was a flat straight run to the finish line or to the start of the same second lap.

The first junior race, after the Masters race which started proceedings, was the combined girl and boy U13 race and had 75 runners from across various clubs. Jarlath Price ran a steady race holding onto his sixth place throughout the race and receiving the first EDAC trophy of the day covering the 1-mile course in 6.09. Luke Napier and Oscar Keown completed the race strongly finishing in 27th and 39th respectively. In the girls race Amber Keown, who is only 9, completed the course in 7.48 finishing in a great 14th place with Aoife Gilchrist on her heels in 16th. Amber’s sister Willow was the star of the day finishing in 25th place in the girls’ race. She is only 8 but was not in any way intimidated by the older runners. A great quality to have for Cross country racing.

The U15/17 race was again a combined boys & girls’ race. Alex Robinson, who was sporting a new pair of white spikes, made his intentions known from the start. He completed the first lap in the front pack with the lead switching between himself and two other runners, Luke O Doherty from Mid Ulster and Tiernan McManus from St. Micheal’s College Enniskillen. Tiernan had won the Comber Cup the week before when Alex placed second. The second hill close to the start of the second lap zapped Alex’s legs and he fell back into third but kept this position until the end. It was only as he crossed the finish line in 11.30, with a well christened pair of now dirty spikes, that he realised the two runners in front of him were in the U17 category and so he had won the U15 race. Caelan Morgan, another new recruit, was the only other EDAC boy and placed in 22nd in 14.02. Cara Napier was hot on Caelan’s heels in 14.15 which placed her 3rd in the U15 girls’ race, her second podium in a week. Charlotte Barr finished strongly in 8th in 16.05. Next prize position was Sarah Gilchrist who placed 2nd in the U17 race. A well deserved second place or Sarah who trains consistently hard every week.

Next race for the juniors who qualified from the Ulster races a few weeks ago is the All-Irelands Uneven Age groups at Navan Racecourse next Sunday. Good luck to all.