Super Sean McGinley wins National Novice Cross Country

Sean McGinley showed his class to win the National Novice Cross Country title.

The Finn Valley AC athlete went through the gears effortlessly on the last lap at Tramore Racecourse in Waterford to take a memorable win.

McGinley was close by rivals Oisin Murray and Daniel Ryan Ellis until he put the foot down. The Glenswilly native, a student at DCU, had around 18 seconds to spare by the finish line.

Murray from An Riocht took silver with Ellis, from Nenagh Olympic AC, in third.

The December sun beat down on Tramore as McGinley, just a couple of months after winning the Donegal Senior Cross Country title, bridged a 22-year gap.

Back in 2002, Joe Byrne of Finn Valley AC won the National Novice in Westmeath. Byrne, who led the Finn Valley AC charge that day 22 years ago, is a former team-mate of McGinley’s coach, John Rogan, in East Down,

“It feels good,” McGinley said. “I didn’t know what shape I was in coming into it. The first few races this season, Intervarsity’s and National Seniors two weeks ago, didn’t go great because the fitness wasn’t there. 

“I started the season a bit late just with injuries. To come out with the win is the ideal result, I’m delighted with it.

“I felt really good. The course probably suited me. Coming up before the last lap I put my foot down a wee bit, opened a few metres and going into the downhill let myself go. I opened up a gap and just kept pushing from there, luckily it didn’t come back to bite me.”

Oisin Toye of Finn Valley AC finished eighth and the Finn Valley AC men were just five points off the medals in fifth with Jon-Jo Doherty in 30th and Darren Toland also scoring in 140th.

Read next: Donagh Kelly and Rory Kennedy triumph at Killarney Historic Rally

That Finn Valley AC quartet scored for the seventh-placed Donegal team which also included Mark McPaul (53) and Dale Corbett (108) of Letterkenny AC.