Two Laois athletes have been selected on the Irish Women’s Senior Cross Country team to compete in the European Championships next month.
Mary Mulhare of Portlaoise AC and Cheryl Nolan of St Abban’s AC have made the selection.
They are part of an Irish squad stacked with European championship experience which has been selected for the 30th edition of the competition which take place in Turkey on December 8.
Mary and Cheryl are on the Irish senior women’s team including Fiona Everard (Bandon AC), Ann-Marie McGlynn (Letterkenny), Niamh Allen (Letterkenny) and Danielle Donegan (Tullamore).
Mulhare and Nolan have been rewarded for their performances in the All-Ireland Cross Country Championships on November 17.
In Enniskillen, Mulhare finished fifth while Nolan was sixth following brilliant runs.
Ann-Marie McGlynn was the champion with Allen taking silver and Donegan bronze.
In 2022, Mulhare was part of the Irish team that took Bronze at the championships and will be hoping for even better this time.
This will be the first time Turkey has staged the European Cross Country Championships and Antalya will be the most southerly venue in the 30-year history of the championships.
This year’s championships take place in the Dokuma Park in the north of Antalya on a largely flat albeit rhythm-sapping course with sections of sand and mud for the runners to navigate across the seven races.
The championships attracts the best distance running talents from across the continent in the U20, U23 and senior categories for both genders with a mixed relay the most recent addition to the programme.
Best of luck Mary and Cheryl!
SEE ALSO – On the Canvass: Storm Bert no match for Willie as team Aird descend upon Portlaoise
