Festival crown is Keelan’s on good day for the locals

Moy Valley runner Keelan Kilrehill was among the star performers at Sunday’s 7th edition of the Autumn Open International Cross-Country Festival. The World Athletics Cross Country Tour event welcomed a bumper crowd to the Sport Ireland Campus and those in attendance were not left disappointed with the leading favourites delivering winning performances in glorious October sunshine.

The senior men’s race signed off the day’s proceedings with Keelan Kilrehill looking very much at home in his first year in the senior ranks. Kilrehill built on last year’s second place finish to storm away from a chasing pack at the midway point to ultimately cross in a winning time of 24.27.

Speaking after the race, the Easkey native said: “I did what I wanted to do. I wanted to sit in for the opening 2km and then go to the front and wind it up from there in the hope people would drop off so I’m happy how it went.

“I didn’t take too much of a break since the national 5k but it’s the best block I’ve put in and probably the fittest I’ve been so I’m happy I could show it today. I don’t have a race now until nationals so the plan is to get a good block of training in over the next few weeks. Nationals will be even harder this year with the depth that’s there so hopefully I can improve on last year. It’s a big step up to senior this year but I’m looking forward to it and hopefully try to get my first senior Irish vest.” The Moy Valley athlete was followed home by Pierre Murchan of DCH (24.44) while steeplechase specialist Finley Daly (Sligo AC) completed the podium in third in 24:51.

The junior men’s race was dominated by Ennis Track Club’s Niall Murphy who crossed in isolation in a winning time of 18:30. The Moy Valley pair of Darragh Mulrooney and Sean Nolan finished in 11th and 31st places respectively.

The junior women’s title was won by Belgium’s Charlotte Penneman (15:36) in a race that included no fewer than four Moy Valley runners. Clodagh Gill was an impressive fifth overall in a time of 16:19, with Kirsty Maher just eight seconds behind in sixth. Aoife Blewitt and Gracie O’Brien saw the team home in 18th and 20th positions.

There was a gold medal-winning performance by Mayo AC’s Pauline Moran in the over-65s women’s cross country race while her clubmate Norah Newcombe Pieterse from Ballina crossed the line in 22:58 to take seventh place in the women’s masters. Fellow Mayo AC entrants Angela O’Connor and Paula Donnellan Walsh finished 28th and 38th in the same even while Westport AC’s Paddy O’Toole raced to 27th place in the men’s masters.

There were also thrills aplenty in the battle for honours in the Juvenile Inter-Club Cross Country Relays. Moy Valley claimed silver medals in the U13 boys relay and finished fourth in the U11 boys relay with Claremorris AC just one place further back.

Swinford AC were also strongly represented and their best results came in the U13 girls relay where their ‘A’ team finished in fourth position overall. Claremorris AC also ran strongly in the U12 mixed cross country relay where they were placed fourth.