Cullen returns to form with victory in Tullamore

ATHLETICS:Any doubts that Mary Cullen might never rediscover her best cross country form – cruelly lost in recent seasons through injury – have been answered in beautiful style, the Sligo runner simply coasting to victory in the National Inter-club Cross Country at Charleville Estate in Tullamore.

More significantly perhaps is the fact Cullen is now a powerful addition to the Irish women’s team for the World Cross Country – set for Bydgoszcz in Poland, in four weeks’ time: Cullen’s win ensures her selection alongside the four Irish woman that won team gold at the European Cross Country back in December, including individual champion Fionnuala Britton, plus Linda Byrne, Ava Hutchinson and Lizzie Lee.

Indeed Byrne was the only athlete capable of presenting any sort of challenge here, although it didn’t last long. Cullen put herself in front practically from the start, and although Byrne shadowed her for the opening lap of the hilly yet dry course, Cullen soon put the boot down and that was race over – her margin of victory in the end, over the 8km course, a very comfortable 36 seconds.

Inter-club crown

It was actually a first senior’s women Inter-club crown for the Sligo athlete, although Cullen previously won the Inter-counties title, back in 2009. Byrne, the defending champion from Dundrum-South Dublin, thus had to be content with the silver medal, yet she was always safe in second, finishing in 28:16, to Cullen’s 27.40.

“I am just delighted to be back competing at this level, after struggling with so many injuries in recent years,” said Cullen, and there’s no doubt the Sligo runner, although now aged 30, still has the potential to rival Britton on the international stage. Indeed she now shares the same coach, Chris Jones, and still holds the national indoor 3,000m record, which Britton herself has been chasing in recent weeks.

The battle for the third spot was exciting with Sarah McCormack, running for Clonliffe Harriers, leading the chase, along with Breege Connolly from North Belfast Harriers. Connolly’s marathon strength possibly made the difference in rewarding her with third place, and with that she’ll almost certainly be the sixth member of that Irish team for the World Cross Country.

Raheny Shamrock – looking for their first women’s team title in 42 years – packed brilliantly to score 34 points (Eilish Kelly their best finisher in fifth) and with that out-score Dundrum (48) and Clonliffe (68).

Speculation that London Olympians Alistair Cragg and Mark Kenneally would toe the line in the senior men’s race proved disappointingly untrue, and indeed the race lacked the quality of other years. Not that Sergio Cibanu is bothered, as the Moldovan native, resident in Ireland for the last eight years, won his first senior crown in the colours of adopted club Clonliffe.

Work hard

Cibanu, the previous winner of several Irish marathon titles, was made work hard for it, as Joe McAlister from St Malachy’s in Belfast stuck with him every step of the way. Cibanu eventually made the decisive break with just 600m remaining, completing the 12km course in 38.26, with McAlister 13 seconds adrift. Eoin Flynn, from Rathfarnham, took third in 38.56, with Cibanu also leading Clonliffe to the team title, their 36 points enough to hold off Raheny (57) with Rathfarnham third (80 points).

Both junior races went to form. Sean Tobin from Clonmel was well fancied to win the junior men’s title, and did exactly that. Sarah Fitzpatrick from Dundrum won the junior women’s title, but only after a tight battle with another team-mate Isabelle Odlum.

Athletics Ireland will today announce their team selection for the European Indoor Championships, which get underway in Gothenburg on Friday, and one late addition is likely to be Roseanne Galligan, who dipped under the 800m qualifying standard at a “last chance” meeting in Athlone on Saturday night, with her 2:03.39.

It means 12 athletes have now qualified.