European Cup - Mountain running - IMC Races - Bank of Scotland Cup World Youths Challenge and National inter-clubs This is a busy weekend in the World of mountain running with the World Youths challenge being held in Italy on Sunday and the national club championships in Wicklow on Saturday. The inter-clubs race will also be used to select the teams for the European championships in July. Teams from Northern Ireland and the Republic are travelling to the World Youths: Boys Michael Dowling, Scoil Congeas, Baltinglass John Harrington, Maria Immaculate CC, Dunmanway Emmet Jennings, Oatlands College Girls Eimear Tangney, St.Bridgets, Killarney Gayle Finn, Colaiste Treasa, Kanturk Daisy Murray, Team Purple, Co Down Laura Hannigan, Loreto Foxrock Team Managers Caroline Reid, Dunboyne Vivian O’Gorman, IMRA Northern Ireland Aine McCann, East Down James Speight, Omagh Harriers Michael Stephens, East Down Sean Knight, East Down The national inter-clubs championships are being held in Crone Wood Wicklow on Saturday. Last year Rathfarnham (men’s) and Newcastle (women’s) were the inaugural winners. This year both teams look strong again but the women’s competition looks very open with Crusaders, Rathfarnham and Clonliffe all in with a chance. Three of the 2007 European championships women’s team are competing again: Fiona Maxwell (Newcastle), Alwynne Shannon (Newcastle) and Aisling Coppinger (Clonliffe). On paper Maxwell looks the strongest but she will have plenty of new competition. From the North, Shalene Ward and Franes Orr should run well. From Galway, the winner of the intermediate cross-country championships, Orla Ni Mhuircheartaigh is travelling back from London to race. She has already won the colleges mountain championships this year and is a very good competitor. Crusaders Aoife Joyce, Rathfarnham’s Laura Flynn, and Karen O’Hanlon from Civil Service will all be thereabouts. In the end though, Lorraine Manning, Donna Mahon (Rathfarnham), and Mags Greenan (Clonliffe) may be the ones to ask the toughest questions of last year’s team. In the men’s race Barry Minnock (Rathfarnham) looks to be the favourite. Pat Byrne (Tinryland) and Tom Hogan (Slaneyside) will both fancy their chances. Peter O’Farrell and Ronan Guirey (both Rathfarnham) and Kevin English (Clonliffe) will also be thereabouts. Mick Kelly (Gowran) will go well if he runs. From the North, there are three very experienced competitors in Stephen Duncan, Des Woods and Gary Bailey. The junior teams for the Europeans will be selected based on the results of Saturday’s trial and Sunday’s Youths race. Kian Jennings (DSD) and Eoin Rowan (North Sligo) will be hard to beat but Andrew Fisher and Conor Moore from the North are experienced and have good form this year. Michelle Finn (Duhallow) has shown good cross-country form all season and should be good enough to make the team. However they will all have to run well given the standard of the Youths teams. The Irish Milers Club are delighted to announce that they have received the largest ever entry for one of their meetings in the club's history. Over 70 athletes will take to the start line on Saturday evening in Irishtown as the first race kicks off at 6.30 where Anthony Lieglio and Welshman James Thie should be to the fore. A packed series of six pacemaked races will take place over the course of an hour and should draw a large crowd. Due to the large number of entries, athletes are asked to arrive early at Irishtown, especially those not previously registered. Two registration desks will be in operation from 5pm to 6pm, one for registered members for 2008 and the other for new members. Membership of the IMC costs EUR 20 and can be paid on the night. The fields for the races can be found in Word and PDF format below. These fields have been updated since the fields placed on the IMC site last night. They will be updated on the IMC site this evening. Any queries should be directed to Garrett Coughlan preferably via emai to garrett.coughlan@ucd.ie or 0871313146 no later than Friday evening. StartlistSTRONGEST EVER BANK OF SCOTLAND DEVELOPMENT TEAM ANNOUNCED FOR CUP MATCH ON JULY 1ST The Bank of Scotland Development team for the Bank of Scotland Cup at Grangemouth Stadium, Falkirk, on Tuesday July 1st is the strongest since the competition began in 2006. For the first time the Bank of Scotland Development team will score points in the overall match. The full team is: Men 100m: Craig Fleming (Kilbarchan AAC) 800m: Gary Smith (Shettleston Harriers) 400m hurdles: David Martin (Victoria Park City of Glasgow) 2k steeplechase: Stephen Lisgo (Mansfield Harriers) Team triple jump: Cameron Clark (Kilbarchan AAC) Javelin: Chris Smith (Arbroath and District AC) Medley relay 200m legs: Craig Fleming (Kilbarchan AAC); Ryan Oswald (Pitreavie AAC) Women 300m: Gemma Nicol (Dunfermline and West Fife AC/Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers) 400m hurdles: Avril Jackson (Edinburgh AC) 800m: Jenny Tan (Fife AC) Long jump: Alice Lennox (City of Stoke AC) Team triple jump: Gillian Kerr (Edinburgh AC) High jump: Rachael MacKenzie (Inverness Harriers AAC) Medley relay: 400m leg: Gemma Nicol; 800m leg: Joanne Finch (VP-Glasgow)