Africans simply a class apart

Athletics/ Cross country: It's probably widely known that the World Cross Country championships are being staged in Kenya at the end of March, the first time the event takes place in one of the East African countries that rule the sport. But if any reminder were needed, it came at the Belfast International Cross Country.

Over the past 30 years the Belfast race has produced some memorable Irish performances from the likes of John Treacy and Catherina McKiernan, yet on Saturday there were effectively two races on show - one up front, which the African presence dominated, and one further back where the Irish interest ended up.

That's a simple reflection of the way the sport has gone, and the fact is no European nation expects to make an impact next March. The Kenyans and Ethiopians, and also Uganda, Eritrea and Tanzania, have opened a gap on the rest of world that, if anything, continues to increase.

"You just cannot hide from them and the only way you will get better is by taking them on in races like this," said Dublin's Mark Kenneally - the second-best Irish finisher in the men's race in ninth position, seven seconds behind Donegal's Gary Murray, but almost two minutes behind the winner, Moses Kipriso of Uganda.

The pace set by the leading Africans was so relentless that the rest of the field was dropped shortly into the first lap around Stormont Estate, with Fabiano Joseph from Tanzania later taking second and Kenya's Patrick Makau third.

It was a similar scenario in the women's race, although at least Sligo's Mary Cullen managed to stay in touch for the first two laps. However, once the two Ethiopians put the boot down it was a different race, with Etalemehu Kidane and Teyiba Erkesso soon looking a class apart, yet finishing as if on a training run.

On the line Kidane completed a hat-trick of Belfast victories, beating Erkesso by four seconds in 19 minutes and 29 seconds. Kenya's Mary Wacera was a further 11 seconds back in third, with Cullen fading over the last lap to take sixth in 20:02.

Cullen is still one of the main contenders for the national cross country title, to be staged next month in her native Sligo, and the winning of which guarantees a place in the World Cross Country. At least now she'll have an even clearer picture of what to expect there.