Cross Country season starts on Sunday

Anto Devaney in 2010 action in Intermediate Cross Country at Lough Key Forest Park

The cross country season begins in earnest this week-end and there are five events listed on our calendar. All championship events are open to club athletes and well worth a try. Cross country running is a natural terrain version of long distance track or road running. Courses include grass, earth, woodland and open country – hills, flat ground. It’s an autumn and winter sport and said to have developed in England in the early 19th century based on a game of “Hares” and “Hounds”. “Hounds” would chase “hares”, who would leave paper trails through woods and hills for the hounds to follow. A group adopted the name Harriers and the term became a nickname for cross country runners and forms part of the name of many athletics clubs. Ireland has had lots of success over the years with the likes of John Treacy, Catherina McKiernan, Sonia O’Sullivan and Fionnuala Britton and Irish teams winning medals at European and World level.  We’ve had lots of success too. Our season opens on Sunday next October 4th with the Mayo Senior championships at Aughagower. After that there’s the Connacht races over three legs. and the Open Autumn races. All known details are on our events calendar.