Ireland dominate British & Irish Masters Cross Country International in Belfast

This year it was Northern Ireland’s turn to organise and they did a superb job at the Billy Neill MBE Country Park on the outskirts of Belfast. It was held with a good atmosphere helped by knowledgeable announcing on a spectator-friendly course.

M65

Ifan Lloyd, who set a British M65 marathon best of 2:49:14 in Bucharest in October, dominated to gain Wales’ only gold medal of the day.

Ireland led by second-placer Tommy Payne, a former winner of the M50s in 2009 and the M55s in 2015, were winners from the host nation who had their best event of the day with their Lawrence Johnston also taking bronze.

M70

David Butler, who won the M55s three years running between 2010 and 2012, returned to the top of the podium after a twelve year gap by running away from last year’s winner multi track champion Joe Gough over the second half.

M75

Former Herne Hill Harrier Martin McEvilly who had won a M60 and two M65 titles in the colours of Ireland, gained his fourth overall win but it was close.

M80

It was also down to a second here as Martin Ford gained his eighth age group title but first in a decade.

He first won back in 2004 and pushing him all the way was defending champion Robert Young who had succeeded Ford as M60 champion in 2005.

W65

Ireland’s Pauline Moran gained her third successive title in this age group and fifth in the last six overall events.

W70

English women generally did not have a good day in Belfast but they had their best result of the event assured Sue Haslam led team-mate Dorothy Kesterton to victory

W75

However Ireland’s Margaret Glavey who was scoring in a W70 team finished well ahead but was missed by observers and was still shown as third W70 as late as Sunday night in some results rather than W75 champion.

W35

Finishing fourth overall Ireland’s Sharon Rynne won a rather modestly contested age group compared to the older W40s.

W40

Fiona Gettings, seventh overall last year and fourth W40, ran a strong last lap to pull clear and lead Ireland to a clean sweep in the age group.

W45

Michelle Kenny, the daughter of 2022 W70 winner Eileen, went from fifth W40 last year to a clear win as again Ireland dominated.

W50

Last year England’s Kate Rennie won the W50 title finishing 16th overall. Here, with her greatest run to date, the also former W45 champion finished a superb third overall and remarkably beat the W35 and W45 champions. Only W60 Clare Elms scored a higher age-graded score among the women winners on the day than Rennie’s 90.04 per-cent.

W55

Annette Kealy easily retained her title and gained her fifth win overall having won the W35 title way back in 2005 and led Ireland to another team gold.

W60

Clare Elms continued her successful 2024 as she gained her sixth victory and twelfth individual medal and fourteenth team medal as she led England to their only victory in the main women’s race.

M50

Ireland’s Declan Toal retained his title with a dominating run.

M55

Des Kennedy dominated the age group as he mixed  it with the leading M50s before slowing slightly on the final lap.

M60

World Masters 5000m and 10km champion Andrew Leach gained his second international win to match his M55 victory in Aintree in 2019.

M35

Last year Lee Gratton dominated winning by 20 seconds and he followed that up with a 80 second victory in the BMAF Championships, a 11th in September’s senior English National and a big win in the English Trials.

However, this time in the four lap 8km race Scotland’s Kevin Campbell kept pace with him.

Gratton was a clear second while Jack Ramm’s final fast descent got him a bronze in his international debut as he headed his Dulwich Runner team-mate Ed Chuck as England won at a canter with four in the top five with probably their strongest ever team in an age group in a category they have often struggled.

M40

James Connor, a 2:18 marathoner in his youth and the 2022 Reading Half-Marathon winner, was inexplicably overlooked for England selection for this event a few years ago but he made the most of his chance here with an exciting win.

M45

Finishing third overall and ahead of the M40 winner, Alastair Watson produced the men’s performance of the day with a 92.16 age graded performance with only W60 runner-up Matheson scoring higher (94.21%).

Belfast City Marathon were a proud lead sponsor for this prestigious event. 

Credit to Steve Smythe for the article