Fionnuala Britton’s victory sets her up for tilt at third successive European title

We came to scrutinize the title preparations of one athlete and left with the boldly determined prospects of another. The only worry now is that the European Cross Country Championships, just three weeks away in Belgrade, can’t come soon enough.

If Fionnuala Britton’s victory in the women’s race – earning her another National Inter-counties title – is anything to go by then everything is perfectly aligned for a shot at a third successive European title.

Britton had over a minute to spare on second-placed Sarah McCormack, most of that coming on the closing circuit of the Santry Demense when Britton pressed a little harder on the accelerator and turned her comfortable lead into an utterly convincing one.

When Paul Pollock followed that by winning his first men’s title – this time with a burst of acceleration on the closing circuit that severed the last of his rivals – suddenly the idea of Irish medals in Belgrade weren’t just resting with the women.

At 27 Pollock might be best described as a late developer, but what is certain is that his best is yet to come. Indeed after finishing in 21st and second best European at the World Championship marathon in Moscow just three months ago Pollock’s confidence is soaring – helped by the fact he’s taken a time-out from his medical career to train full-time. He’s not going to Belgrade to make up the numbers.

"It's a hard race to win, obviously, but I think I'm in shape to win it," said Pollock, who has swapped his doctor duties at Belfast Hospital to the full-time training environment of Teddington, London.

'On the day'
"But there's a group of 20 or 30 people who can win it on the day. It really depends on the conditions as well, how the race pans out. You need to have a bit of luck on your side as well. But I see no reason why I can't come first on a good day with good conditions and if I'm feeling good."

Britton knows exactly what it takes to win the European Cross Country, her confidence also at the required level, even if preparations haven’t been exactly as smooth as 12 months ago. The only competition here was herself, as the Wicklow athlete

covered the 8km course in 26:05, with Dublin’s Sarah McCormack second in 27:07 and Sara Treacy from Meath 0third, another eight seconds back – both now assured of selection for Belgrade.

“Well it’s different to last year in that I didn’t have a summer season this time,” said Britton. “I messed up the summer, I suppose. So I was never really sure where I was at. In one way I like the fact I can’t compare, because I’m doing different sessions this year, because of where I’m coming from. I don’t like comparing, or looking back, because there’s nothing I can do about the shape I was in last year comparing to this year. I just have to deal with what shape I’m in this year.

"You have to believe in yourself as well, because no one else is going to do it for me. The races do bring you on, and it looks like I'm going in the right direction."

One more race
Britton will have one more race next Sunday, at the Cross de l'Accier in northern France, where she's run in the last two years as part of her build-up to her European titles – and where there will definitely be strong international opposition.

“This is really where it began for me, when I was 11 or 12,” she said. “So it’s nice to see the others coming through. Because if there not coming through at this age they won’t come through later on. I do think it’s important to support athletics at home, because that does encourage people to stick with it.”

Pollock, in contrast, patiently sized up his opposition: while the Mulhare brothers from Laois, Michael and Dan, plus Waterford’s David McCarthy, controlled the opening stages, Pollock waited until the penultimate circuit before putting the foot down.

McCarthy briefly went with him, but then fell right back to seventh – Pollock’s time of 31:02 for the 10km course leaving him with 34 seconds to spare on Michael Mulhare, while defending champion Joe Sweeney came through for fifth in 31:50. “I was feeling fit and strong coming into the race,” said Pollock. “The tactic here was to sit in for the first three laps, just wait. With three laps in I could feel the others breathing heavy and I was feeling good, so I just kicked on, and managed to open the gap.”

Both junior races were won in equally dominating fashion, with Seán Tobin from Clonmel using his enormous strength to see off the challenge of Ruairi Finnegan from Letterkenny, while Dublin’s Siofra Buttner Cleirigh breezed to victory ahead of team-mates Meghan Ryan and Clare McCarthy.