So near, so far: Letterkenny AC senior women pipped by a point

Sometimes, the closer you are, the further away you seem.

Letterkenny AC's senior women's team relinquished their national cross country title by the narrowest of margins on Sunday.

The title they won last year when taking it for the first time was prised out of their grasp in what must've seemed like the harshest of ways.

However, silver medals still means qualification for the European Clubs Champion Cup Cross Country in early 2023 with Finn Valley AC's junior women also set to make the trip. They, too, lost their status of champions, but claimed silver medals.

Caolan McFadden: "I had to win this. This is for Creeslough."

Cranford AC athlete Caolan McFadden won the national under-16 cross country title on home soil. The Creeslough resident dedicated the win to his local community

Ann-Marie McGlynn stormed to fourth-place in the race, a determined finish taking her just past Mary Mulhare of Portlaoise on the line.

McGlynn ended the race as if her very existence depended on it and she had a second to spare as she sank to the Rosapenna turf.

“I think I came in there with no aim, but just try to defend the title,” McGlynn said. “We gave it our best shot. I just came through the field. I started around ninth and I just kept an eye on the gap.

“That course is so deceiving and I knew the marathon legs might kick in. I'm just dogged. I just kept running and I just wanted to hold off Mary. It was anybody's, but I managed to hold her off.

“If I am anywhere in touching distance, I'll always find a kick. I used all the change in my pocket.”

Nakita Burke came 13th in another useful outing while Noeleen Scanlan (21st) and Natasha Adams (27th) provided the backup.

When the sums were totted, Letterkenny AC had 65 points. Yet, Dublin City Harriers totalled 64.

One point: The narrowest of margins.

So near. So far.

Lauren Tinkler in seventh led the way for DCH and key to their success was the trip of Cliona Murphy, Edel Monaghan and Jodie McCann streaming home one after the other in 18th, 19th and 20th.

Burke was 'absolutely delighted' with her own race. “I probably went out too hard. I had higher expectations of myself so I went out with it.

“The hills were tight going there. Ann-Marie had an absolutely brilliant run. We had a game plan and we tried to keep people in sights. I am really happy with my own run, but maybe I could have pushed myself more.”

The Letterkenny quartet also picked up bronze medals for Donegal.

Sarah Healy of UCD won the women's race from Ciara Mageean, who ran the last lap with just one shoe, while Michelle Finn was third, just five seconds ahead of McGlynn.

Letterkenny AC's Donal Farren was the lead Donegal man in the senior men's race, finishing 50th.

Eimear McCarroll was the seventh under-18 to finish with Lifford-Strabane AC's Elsa Moore eighth.

McCarroll led the way for the Finn Valley AC juniors to take silver medals. In the combined junior-under-18 race, McCarroll was 11th and she was joined by Amy Greene in 19th, Sally McMenamin in 43rd and the 53rd-placed Nuala Bose.

Finn Valley AC under-14s, who won silver medals, with Mark Connolly and Sinead Kenny

Finn Valley AC relinquished their junior crown to Youghal AC, but the John Rogan-coached group secured European qualification with the second spot.

Sean McGinley of Finn Valley AC cut something of a frustrated figure with a sixth-placed finish in the junior men's race. International athletes Nicholas Griggs and Dean Casey delivered a stirring battle with Griggs just two seconds in front at the conclusion.

Finn Valley AC also took silver in the under-14 girls race with Andrea Reid leading the charge in 22nd. Holly McNulty in 33rd, Nia Byrne in 44th and Niamh McGlinchey in 51st also scored for a place on the national podium.

In the boys under-14 race, Odhran Rogers of Rosses AC finished in 13th spot and Daragh Naughton of Letterkenny AC was 16th with Finn Valley AC's Darci Clarke 14th in the under-12 girls.

Anna Russell of Letterkenny AC was 20th in the under-16 race, LAC finishing as fifth team with Russell joined by Emma Bonar, Sarah Henry and Sophie Ellis.

In the under-16 boys event – which was won superbly by Cranford AC's Caolan McFadden – Finn Valley's quartet of Odhran McBrearty, Ciaran McCarroll, Conor Gallagher and Paraic McGettigan were sixth.