13th January 2013

Fionnuala Britton continued her fine form with a first place at the McCain Antrim Cross Challenge yesterday. Britton, who successfully defended her European Cross Country title in Budapest last month, gradually increased her advantage and cruised to victory in a time of 18:17, 12 seconds in front of Winchester’s Louise Damen (coach: self) with Kenyan Magdalyne Masai finishing third in 18:45.  

Other leading Freya Ross (Steve Jones) (18:57) and Steph Twell (Mick Woods) (18:58) finished in sixth and seventh place respectively.

10,000m Olympic finalist Thomas Akeyo took the victory in the men’s race clocking a time of 33:08, with Andy Vernon (Nic Bideau) (33:59), who finished third at the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country last weekend, closing strongly to finish as the leading British athlete in third. Frank Tickner (Clive Thomas) (34:13), Stephen Scullion (34:52) and Matt Bowser (Mark Baddeley) (34:56) were next to follow Vernon.  

Vernon said: "I felt really good today; I couldn’t have gone any faster. In my current form I could have made a top 5 finish in the Europeans last month."

Rebecca Straw (Bud Baldaro) raced just clear of Elizabeth Bird (George Harrison) to take victory in 12:43 in the 3.6km junior women’s race whilst James McMurray (Deborah Steer) edged ahead of William Paulson (Christopher Frapwell) and Aron Hanlon in the junior men’s 5.6km race.

The top 10 in the senior women’s and senior men’s race are below:

Women

Fionnuala Britton                                  18:17

Louise Damen (self)                           18:29

Magdalyne Masai                                  18:45

Linda Byrne                                            18:48

Eunice Kales                                         18:57

Freya Ross (Steve Jones)                  18:57

Steph Twell (Mick Woods)                  18:58

Beth Potter (Mick Woods)                    18:59

Stevie Stockton (George Gandy)       19:28

Elspeth Curran (Lawrie Spence)      19:35

Men

Thomas Ayeko                                      33:08

David Bett                                              33:45

Andy Vernon (Nic Bideau)                  33:59

Frank Tickner (Clive Thomas)           34:13

Stephen Scullion                                 34:52

Matthew Bowser (Mark Baddeley)    34:56

Scott Bauhs                                          34:59

Bernard Rotich                                    35:21

Eddie McGinley                                   35:25

Joseph Birech                                     35:32 

For full results, visit http://www.athleticsni.org/Results/Antrim-IAAF-Cross-Country