FIONA Everard opened her cross-country season in style.

The Enniskeane athlete, in her Bandon AC colours, powered to victory in the senior women’s 6,000m race at the Autumn Open Cross Country Festival on Sunday.

Showing her class on the course at the Sport Ireland Campus, Everard made it back-to-back titles at this event, following on from her success here last year.

With Everard set to put her Irish senior title on the line at next month’s national cross country championships, this was the perfect warm-up.

‘This time of the year it’s hard to know where you’re at, so I just wanted to blow off the cobwebs and shock the body, which I think I did,’ she said.

‘More so, to know what to work on going forward and have an idea of where we’re at.’

Fiona Everard produced an impressive display to defend her title. (Photo: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile)

Just back in Ireland the previous Wednesday after a training camp in Font-Romeu in France, she described the run as the most ideal preparation she could get before the nationals.

The West Cork woman was made to work for her break on the field, but showed her class over the second half of the race, stretching clear with 2000 metres remaining and never looking back.

Everard crossed the line in 20:22, finishing 13 seconds ahead of Roise Roberts (CNDR Track AC), who secured second place in 20:35. Roberts’ clubmate Kirsti Charlotte Foster completed the podium with a superb run to cross in 20:42.

The victory represents another encouraging performance for Everard as she builds towards the national championships, having enjoyed an outstanding cross country campaign last season which included a top-ten individual finish at the European Cross Country Championships.