21 October 2008

Athletics Northern Ireland today announced the 32^nd Antrim IAAF International Cross Country Races, the third meeting in this winter’s UK Cross Challenge series, which this year is moving to the picturesque venue of CAFRE, Greenmount Campus in Antrim.

The event is one of the largest and most popular events in the Northern Ireland athletics sporting calendar with more than 1,000 competitors taking part in 12 races throughout the day for age groups Senior, Veteran, Under 20, Under 17, Under 15 and Under 13.

The event is one of eleven IAAF permitted cross country races in the world and is part of the McCain UK Cross Challenge Series. The well-established series is the focus of the domestic endurance running scene over the winter months and this year it has been given a huge boost by the support of McCain for the first time ever.  The Challenge has a prize fund of £30,000 for the 2008/09 season, more than double the amount from last winter’s series.

The five race series will begin at Gateshead on Saturday 15 November.  Further races will follow at Liverpool on 29 November, Antrim on 3 January, London (exact venue to be confirmed) on 14 February and Nottingham on 7 March. The Antrim event is organised by Athletics Northern Ireland and sponsored by Mizuno in association with Antrim Borough Council.

Nick Vermont, Regional CEO of McCain Foods (GB) Ltd, Title Sponsor of the event said,

"We are looking forward to an exciting McCain UK Cross Challenge series.  We hope that our support for the series of UK challenges will inspire and encourage young people to take up athletics across the country".

Follow this link to visit the McCain Cross Challenge- Antrim page and to enter online