Fionnuala Britton Launches GloHealth Cross Country Championships

Double European Cross Country Champion Fionnuala Britton (Kilcoole AC) today launched the GloHealth National Cross Country Championships. The GloHealth Championships will take place on the 23rd of November in Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT). This promises to be a day of pulsating action in Dundalk and an opportunity for spectators to witness top level cross country running across a range of age levels.

Over 1,500 juvenile athletes (U12, U14, U16 & U18) are expected to compete along with many of Ireland’s leading International athletes. The senior, U23 and junior races will also act as trials for the Irish team for the European Cross Country Championships which take place in Bulgaria on the 14th of December. With Irish vests up for grabs an exciting day’s action is guaranteed in Dundalk on the 23rd.

National Championships

Britton will use the GloHealth National Championships as a key part of her preparation for the European Championships. The Wicklow native will be in high demand in Dundalk as the young aspiring athletes get to witness one of Ireland’s greatest ever cross country athletes compete.

At the launch event Fionnuala Britton enjoyed a run around the championship course with fellow international cross country athletes and Ann Marie McGlynn (Letterkenny AC). The senior athletes were joined by a group of enthusiastic juvenile athletes from the local athletics club (Glenmore AC, St Gerards AC, St Peters AC, Dunleer AC, Blackrock - Louth AC, Ardee and District AC and North East Runners AC)

Major Goal

Britton said “My major goal for this part of the year is the Euro Cross in Bulgaria; the GloHealth National Championships in Dundalk is a good opportunity for me to get a tough race in with all the best distance runners in ireland at the moment competing for places for Bulgaria.  Cross country running played a crucial role in my development as a juvenile athlete, it will be great to see so many young athletes (1500) representing their club and county in the earlier juvenile races.”

Jim Dowdall, CEO of GloHealth said, “GloHealth is delighted with our ongoing sponsorship of Athletics Ireland’s National Championships. Following on from the very successful GloHealth National Track & Field Championships we are now looking forward to the GloHealth National Cross County Championships in Dundalk where many of Ireland’s top juvenile and senior athletes will be competing for honours and a place on the national team.”