Darragh McElhinney makes winning return to scene of cross-country triumph at Abbotstown

It used to be the Irish cross-country season was that long, hard marathon slog over the winter months marked by wind and rain and ever-worsening underfoot conditions. Only things have changed.

It’s now more of a sprint, underway already and for those with any real thoughts of success the aim is to peak by early December, not beyond. That being in time for the European Cross-Country Championships, the platform for many an Irish medal success story over the last decade.

Eight weeks out from those championships, this year set for December 11th at the Piemonte-La Mandria Park just northwest of Turin, Darragh McElhinney is the first Irish athlete to lay down a marker for another medal.

Just like this time last year, McElhinney was first man home at Sunday’s Autumn Open International Cross-Country Festival, staged at the Sport Ireland campus at Abbotstown,

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It was the same scene as when McElhinney last took to the country, nailing second place in the Under-23 race when Abbotstown hosted that memorable 2021 European cross-country, also leading the Irish team to gold medals.

Given he doesn’t turn 22 until next month, McElhinney is again plenty young for the Under-23 race, as indeed are others from that gold medal run of last year.

Conditions were certainly autumnal, overcast though the leaves still colourful on the trees, a soft leather feel underfoot. The rain came just after the races finished only be then McElhinney was heading home and dry, the UCD AC runner winning by eight seconds from Keelan Kilrehill, from Moy Valley AC in Sligo, also part of the gold medal team last December.

Just turned 22, Kilrehill is also Under-23 eligible again, as is Jamie Battle, the Mullingar Harriers runner who finished fifth.

In an equally encouraging run ahead of the Europeans, Dean Casey of Ennis track club finished third, aged 19, just seven seconds behind Kilrehill, and still eligible for the Under-20 race in Turin, having helped Ireland to silver medals at Abbotstown last year 10 months ago.

Both McElhinney and Kilrehill are coached by Emmett Dunleavy, at UCD AC, everything about the preparations so far this cross-country season, including a short stint at altitude at St Moritz already, aimed at peaking for the Europeans.

Afterwards McElhinney admitted he was a little behind on fitness compared to last year, even though his winning time over the 7km course was 44 seconds faster; he’d taken a solid break though after the European Championships in Munich in August, where he was poised for a top-eight finish in the 5,000m going into the last lap before fading exhausted to 16th.

“Last year I was very fit very early and I was just trying to maintain it,” said the Glengarriff man, “but this year I’m playing catch up a little bit because the race in Munich meant my track season went on quite long.

“I came home and took a bit of a break [after Munich] and I’m only really building back up so the next few weeks will be pretty important especially leading into the nationals”.

Efrem Gidey, sixth in the European 10,000m, is also eligible for the Under-23 team. Those nationals are just five weeks away, set for November 20th at Rosapenna Golf Course in Donegal, the Irish women’s team also thinking medals when it comes to the Europeans, the leading runners not quite ready to test the surface yet.

Instead Britain’s Abbie Donnelly from Loughborough University comfortably defended her women’s title, winning the 6km race in 20:08, Grace Carson from Northern Ireland second in 20:13, Britain’s Alex Millard third in 20:33. Fionnuala Ross from Armagh ran well again to finish fourth.

Sean McGinley from Finn Valley AC was best of the junior men, Avril Millerick from Youghal AC best of the junior women, though another medal contender in the junior race come Turin is Nick Griggs, who on Saturday ran a Belfast Victoria parkrun record of 14:15 for 5km. The season is well underway.