Fiona Everard pushes Olympian Lizzie Lee all the way at county cross-country championships

BY JOHN WALSHE

DESPITE the heavy rain of the previous week, conditions were ideal for the Cork county cross-country championships that took place at Carrigadrohid near Macroom.

In the 100th anniversary year of the first Cork cross-country championships held back in 1923, two exciting senior races saw victories going to two 43-year-olds, Michael Harty of East Cork and Lizzie Lee of Leevale.

A thrilling women’s race saw 2016 Olympian Lee and last year’s national novice champion, Fiona Everard from Bandon AC, battling it out neck-and-neck for most of the 6km. Going out on the second of the four laps, Lee forced the pace with Everard trying to hold on.

But half-way around the final lap, Lee’s strength proved decisive and at the finish she had 10 seconds to spare over Everard in a repeat of last year’s decider at the same venue.

While Lee was coming off 16 straight victories in Cork road races this summer, for Enniskeane native Everard it was her first competitive outing since the national track championships back in July and she wasn’t too disappointed to take the silver medal for the second year.

First three in the combined junior/U18 race at the Cork County Championships: Caoimhe Flannery (Skibbereen), second; Nicole Dinan (Leevale), first; Ella Collins (Bandon), third (first junior).
Photo: John Walshe

‘It was a good race, but fair play to Lizzie she had me well and truly beat. I’m trying to play catch-up a little bit at the moment but at least I have a longer build-up to the national seniors in November,’ said the NUIG (University of Galway) student who celebrated her 25 birthday the day before.

This year the national race will be over 9km to bring it into line with the European championships in early December. However, the extra distance shouldn’t pose a problem for Fiona who made an impressive 10,000m track debut this summer in 35:16.38, two weeks before recording a personal best of 16:49.93 over the 5000m distance.

Sean Lawton of Durrus and Robert Troy from Liscarroll had their customary battle in the junior race before the West Cork man powered away after halfway of the 5km to win by 27 seconds.

‘Robert always takes it out hard but I tried to stay with him and I pushed it on the second lap, so I’m happy with that,’ said Lawton, who now focuses on the Autumn International in two weeks’ time and then the national juniors in November. Caoimhe Flannery of Skibbereen was second in the combined junior/U18 race behind Nicole Dinan (Leevale) with Ella Collins of Bandon in third place taking the junior title.