Fionnuala McCormack is set for her final cross country race of the season at the IAAF Antrim International Cross Country in Greenmount on Saturday (16).
It looks set to be a showdown between McCormack and Great Britain’s Kate Avery in what should be a highly competitive women’s race in Antrim.
McCormack, who has won the race twice in the past, takes on two other previous winners, Bahrain’s Mimi Belete and defending champion Birtukan Fente Alemu of Ethiopia along with the recent addition of Great Britain’s European cross-country silver medallist Kate Avery to the start list.
Last week Avery defeated McCormack by four seconds over 6km at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country in Holyrood Park. Avery will be the favourite over the 5.6km course in Antrim, having made light of the difficult conditions last week with a commanding performance in the second half of the race.
This will be McCormack's last cross country race of the season before switching her attentions to the roads once more with the World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff in March her next big target.
Kerry O’Flaherty will be leading the Northern Ireland team in action.
There will be plenty of Irish clubs in action in the underage races along with two Irish U17 development squads.
Development squads
U17 Girls: Tamzin Muldowney, Olivia Nelson, Alanna Bate, Margane Dusaux
U17 Boys: Sean O'Leary, Micheal Power, Fintan Stewart, David McGlynn
