All about experience as Nakita Burke and LAC head for Europe

‘The chance of a lifetime,’ says Nakita Burke as she eyes up the start line at the European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country.

Burke and the Letterkenny AC senior women’s team, the national cross country champions, will go toe-to-toe with some of the continent’s lead runners on Sunday.

Ann-Marie McGlynn, who went within touching distance of qualifying for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, will be an absentee having suffered an injury recently.

Burke, Christine Russell, Noeleen Scanlon and Natasha Adams are set to toe the line.

“The big thing will be experience,” Burke says.

“It will be the first time for me, Christine and Noeleen to compete at this level. It’s all about the experience.

“It’s a great opportunity to go and compete at this level. It’s about taking that on board and going into the nationals late this year, wanting to win to do it next year again.”

LAC won the senior women’s title for the first time in December, booking their spot on the plane to Portugal.

“Our ladies team had never won that before,” Burke says.

“It was huge and now we’re getting the chance to do this weekend in Portugal. It’s a once in a lifetime experience and the chance of a lifetime.”

Noeleen Scanlon (née Geary), a teacher at St Patrick's NS, Murlog, who will run in Portugal this week

Burke, a teacher at Letterkenny Educate Together National School, won WFAI Junior and Intermediate Cups with Lagan Harps before athletics took a hold.

As part of the Irish Colleges squad, Burke wore the Irish green at the World Student Games twice, competing in Bangkok in 2007 and Belgrade in 2009.

Finn Valley AC return to European Cross Country stage

Finn Valley AC's junior women's team are in action in Portugal this Sunday.

She has targets now in the runner.,

Her 2021 was her best year yet.

A magnificent new PB of 16:26.83 shaved almost eight seconds off her previous best time over 5000m, earning her a national senior bronze medal.

She was 16th at the national senior cross country and won the Donegal Cross Country crown. A course record of 34:28 was set at the Ballyare 10k and last Sunday she was third in the Raheny 5 Mile, finishing in 28:29.

“I’ve just been consistent,” she says. “I had a really good year of consistent training. In terms of other athletes, I probably am not doing loads.

“Maria (McCambridge) is all about quality over quantity. When I look at my calendar, I’m doing about 45 miles a week. I never had a year like that where I was hotting those consistent levels.

“I have targets now, but I know I have to be realistic.

“We’re looking forward to this weekend. The matter of the unknown always gets you excited for races like this.”