Age category gold for Pauric McKinney at National Masters Cross Country

Pauric McKinney won an age category gold at the National Masters Cross Country Championships in Abbotstown on Sunday.

The ever-green Inishowen AC man won M60 gold.

McKinney had over two minutes to spare on the nearest challenger in the category, Fethard AC runner Fintan Rice.

Rathfarnham’s Sean McCreeery was third, but McKinney was an impressive winner in the category. 

Overall in the masters race, McKinney was 26th. 

Inshowen AC were the eighthy 50+ team. Liam Bradley, Niall McGee and Owen McKinney scored alongside McKinney.

Donegal was fourth 50+ team with the Inishowen quartet joined by Michael Penrose of Finn Valley AC and Milford AC’s Anthony Doherty.

Finn Valley AC stalwart Kay Byrne took bronze in the F60 category. Byrne was third behind An Riocht’s Niamh O’Sullivan, who won the category, with City of Derry’s Hannah Shields in second.

In the intermnediate men’s race, Finn Valley AC had three runners inside the top 20, but the absence of a fourth runner deprived them of a chance to compete for team medals.

Oisin Toye led their charge in sixth spot, followed by Tristan Kelly - home from the US for the event - in ninth and Enda Doherty in 15th.

Read next: Finn Valley AC women place sixth at National Indoor League final

Meanwhile, in the United States on Saturday night, Finn Valley AC athlete Sophia Thompson broke the Donegal indoor 800m record.

The 15-year-old, a student at Union Catholic University, clocked 2:08.27 to place fifth at The Circuit - NYC meeting at the Armory.

Thompson’s run eclipses the 2:08.62 held by her Finn Valley colleague Cara Laverty. 

Thompson’s sister, Sadie, also competed in an 800, setting a new PB of 2:19.29 and also finishing fifth in her race. 

The Thompsons are daughters of Terry Thompson, a native of Derryveagh Avenue in Letterkenny.