Click PHOTOS on the toolbar to see photos from Belfast

In conditions more suited to snow shoes than spikes, Mullingar athletes competed against some of the best athletes in Britain at the Belfast International Cross Country at Stormont on Saturday 5th Jan. The professional rugby players of Ulster and Munster wouldn’t step out into the cold snow the previous evening and the match was cancelled, but the cross country runners in Stormont just got on with it, with little complaint, proving what a tough bunch they are.

Our young athletes showed that not only are some of them the best in Ireland, but they can also race and win against the very best top class British athletes. This against a background of significantly longer race distances in Stormont than our juvenile athletes are more accustomed to in Ireland. Those present certainly witnessed some great racing by the young athletes from Mullingar and it is clear that some of them have real potential to be International athletes in the future.

Elizabeth Carr under 13 girls 1,800m Gold, Linda Conroy 11th, Beth McGuire, Lorraine Daly - first Club

Shane Fitzsimons under 13 boys 1,800m Gold, Padraig Moran 3rd, Thomas Lynn 12th, Liam O’Reilly, Philip Giles, Oisin Quinn  - first Club

Amie Giles (14th), Arlene Coughlan under 15 girls 3,600m

Shane Boggs under 17 boys 5,600m 10th, Jake Byrne 12th, Warren Walsh

Ben Vaitkavichius Master Men 7,400m 17th overall and 2nd in his master age-category

Also competing and running well in the slush and mud were Raymond Brennan (Junior men 5,600m) and Damien Bateman (Senior Men 9,000m)