Latest Laois Sport: Laois Masters Runners medal at British and Irish Cross Country Championships

Laois pairing of Martin McDonald and Dick Mullins produced medal-winning performances

Two Laois stalwart Masters Cross Country runners Martin McDonald and Dick Mullins produced medal-winning performances in the British and Irish Masters International Cross Country in Santry on Saturday 12th November last.

Conditions were perfect on an excellent course adjacent to Santry Stadium. This was the first running of these championships since the pandemic, and it featured a very competitive programme of events in the O35 to O75 age-groups.

The categories are grouped, with men and women running separate races up to the O65 category, where both genders run together.

Martin McDonald produced another gold medal performance in his O65 6k race. He finished 9th overall, and was 3rd scorer on the Irish team as they took top honours ahead of England by a single point.

Dick finished 11th overall and 3rd scorer in the O65 6k with a very consistent run to win 3rd team place and bronze medals for Ireland, behind England and Scotland.

It proved a super day for Ireland over the 18 categories of age-groups. Ireland Teams featured on the team winners podium in 16 of the races, taking 7gold, 6 silver and 3 bronze, along with a significant number of individual podium positions too.

Mens O65 6k race

Winners Ireland

2nd Joe Gough Waterford

4th Eugene Moynihan Clare

9th Martin McDonald Laois

15th Ed Walsh Carlow

1st – Ireland 15 points

2nd – England 16 points

3rd – Scotland 25 points

4th – Wales 44 points

Mens O75 5k race

Teams

1st – England 10 points

2nd – Scotland 24 points

3rd – Ireland 29 points

4th – Wales 34 points

5th – Northern Ireland 35 points

Ireland Team

8th Sean McMullan Westmeath

10th Michael Kiley Cork

11th Dick Mullins Laois

14th Joe Stewart Antrim