ATHLETICS:IT MAY seem a roundabout way of seeking improvement, but when top Irish distance runners Mary Cullen and Fionnuala Britton set out for South Africa this morning they hope it will lead to improved performances in 2011.

Both athletes, who will spend three weeks in an altitude training camp north of Johannesburg, feel this commitment will result in just rewards later in the year.

They leave under different circumstances, Britton fresh from smashing the course record by 17 seconds when winning the Brennan Memorial 5K road race in the Phoenix Park on New Year’s Day, while Cullen is coming back strongly from the injury which robbed her of a chance of running in the European cross country recently.

On Saturday, Britton looked a class apart when breaking the record held by her fellow Wicklow Olympian Róisín McGettigan with a time of 16 minutes 38 seconds, winning by 30 seconds from her Sli Cualann clubmate Deirdre Byrne.

That run again proved how unlucky she was to miss out on a medal in the European cross when she had the same time as the third-place finisher.

“I know I should have won a medal out there but you always learn from those experiences” said Britton (26), who, a week later, beat two of the women who had finished ahead of her.

Last year she benefited from a spell of altitude training in Kenya, and wants to do the same as she is determined to make her mark in the world cross country in March and perhaps match the 13th place finish of 2007.

“The race is on in Spain and I like running there. So I want to be in the best shape possible, and I think I will get that preparation in South Africa as there will be other top runners in the camp as well.”

Cullen has other targets on her mind, like getting back in shape for the European indoors in Paris in early March and perhaps match or improve on the bronze medal she won two years ago.

“Since my injury I’ve been building up the mileage, but what I really want to get from this trip is to become as strong as possible for the summer season ahead,” said Cullen.

Britton followed the strong pace set by the men in the “mixed” race in the Park, with Tomás Fitzpatrick from Tallaght AC applying his 1,500 metres track speed to take him clear for victory in the men’s event, hitting the tape in 14:54, 11 seconds clear of Eddie McGinley of Annadale Striders. Neil Robinson of North Down was third.