Nakita Burke trusting the plan to gold

There are times when Nakita Burke might feel like pinching herself.

A late convert to running, Burke - who first raised the sporting eyebrows as a talented footballer - made her first significant mark when winning the Donegal Novice Cross Country title in 2015.

The National Novice champion in 2018, Burke won her first Donegal Senior in 2021. On Sunday, the Letterkenny AC woman took the top prize again, check mating former champ Teresa Doherty on the last lap.

“When I started running, winning a Donegal senior was an ambition,” Burke told Donegal Live. “The Donegal title will always mean so much to me.

Pictures and results: Sean McGinley, Nakita Burke take flight to win Donegal senior titles

Sean McGinley and Nakita Burke took the individual senior golds with Finn Valley AC winning the men's and women's team titles. The Donegal Uneven Ages Championships also took place

“It feels amazing. I love the Donegal senior. It’s a race that you always want to try and win it because it’s your own county title.

“Racing against Teresa, who has won so many, is always going to be tough. It’s always nice to win this.”

In her football days, Burke - who was an ace goal-getter for Lagan Harps - played for Ireland at the World University Games in Thailand and Serbia.

Since trading the studs for spikes, Burke has excelled, now a lead member of a nationally-strong Letterkenny AC team - national silver medallists in 2022 at Rosapenna having won in Santry the previous year.

Burke has had a solid 2023 and continued on Sunday after edging Doherty in a stern challenge.

She said: “Teresa was pushing on the hills and I got it tight, hanging in behind.

“When I came to the last, I made a decision that I’d go for it. That paid off. It was in the last 1k that I made the surge. Teresa came with me, but coming down over that last hill I made a break away.

“It’s probably one of the toughest cross country courses I’ve ran on. There were hills, then there were divots you needed to be careful of.”

The Educate Together NS teacher is coached now by Maria McCambridge and she’ll complete in Sunday’s Autumn Open at Abbotstown.

Burke said: “It’s been a great season. Maria’s training is all about consistency and keeping me injury free. I owe a great debt to her.

“She has been there and done it. She always sets out the game plan. She said to try and run side-by-side with Teresa before kicking for home. When you have belief in the plan, it can pay off.”