'I’m still trying to let it sink in, I’m so thrilled with the win', says Everard after racing to national cross-country glory

ENNISKEANE'S Fiona Everard raced to glory at the 123.ie National Cross-Country Championships in Gowran, Co Kilkenny on Sunday afternoon.

The Bandon AC athlete won her first national senior title with a commanding victory, by almost 40 seconds, in the senior women's race.

She was involved in the leading quartet that included Mary Mulhare (Portlaoise AC), Danielle Donegan (Tullamore AC), and Fionnula Ross (Armagh AC), but Everard made her move to stretch clear of the chasing pack.

'I’m still trying to let it sink in, I’m so thrilled with the win. I knew I could be competitive and hoped to make the plane to Euro Cross which I thought would be my ultimate goal in a best-case scenario, but I never thought I’d win it,' Everard told Athletics Ireland after her win.

'It was pretty tough out there but I do tend to run well when it's like that so I told myself that I should like the mud and I was prepared. I couldn’t really enjoy the run in because I was waiting for someone to come past me, so I was just willing myself to get to the line.'