Doherty, Turley, McKinney all 2nd at Masters Interntional

Barbara Cleary

Julie Turley was second and Barbara Cleary third overall in the women’s  race behind defending champion Claire Martin of England at the British and Irish Masters Cross-Country in Belfast. Cleary had raced clear of a pack that included Martin, Turley and Gladys Ganiel O’Neill on the final lap.  She stopped short of the finish line, thinking that she had crossed it, and then had the agony of watching both Martin and Turley pass her. Jackie Carthy won the W40 title, six years after her last appearance at thse championships, with Philippa Taylor of England first W45 and  Carmel Crowley third W45 
In the higher age groups, Carmel Parnell had to work hard to retain her W55 title, while Niamh O’Sullivan, in her first year at W50, finished second behind defending champion Fiona Matheson of Scotland. The women’s teams from W35 to W65 all took silver. 
In an enthralling men’s M35-45 8km race, Andy Morgan Lee of England M40, who was sixth in last year’s race, only pulled clear of the leading pack on the final lap. Northern Ireland’s Stephen Duncan  had led the race early on but was passed by  Ciaran Doherty for second place – a good run by the Donegal man who finished third last year and was lacking race fitness.  
He also led the M35 team to victory for a sixth consecutive year – no other nation has won this age category since it was introduced. Pauric McKinney, just two weeks after finishing first M45 at the Dublin Marathon, finished second in this age group. 
Peter Matthews,  winner for the past two years, finished a heroic seventh and fourth M40, despite suffering from a winter bug that had left him a doubtful starter.  The M45 team was second and the M40 team third. 
Deon McNeilly of Northern Ireland, along with Graeme Saker of England and Tommy Payne set the pace in the M50-60 plus race. McNeilly tired towards the end, letting Saker take the win, with Payne finishing third and leading the team to victory. The M65s took silver and the M55s and M65s bronze.  Big thanks to Tom Thompson and Mick Fennell for help on this report; see www.nirunning.co.uk/news and www.irishmastersathletics.com  for more complete accounts of the day and full results.