European Club Cross Country Championships
Report by Jim McKeown
It was a milestone day for Lagan Valley AC and Athletics NI when the club fielded U20 Men’s and U20 Women’s teams at the European Club Cross Country Championships in Albufeira, Portugal, on 2 February 2025. Our women, most of whom are all still U18, ran superbly to finish in 8th place against the cream of Europe’s top club teams over a tough 5620m course. This was a significant step forward for the club and our girls will take great confidence from this result, proving that they can compete with Europe’s best. Their performance is a testament to Lagan Valley’s growing reputation in endurance running and the depth of talent within our junior ranks. The team was made up of some of Ireland’s most promising young athletes, including top finisher Katie Graham 22nd (3rd Irish woman), Olivia Morgan 25th and Chloe Young 32nd (unfortunately we lost Katie Keown mid-race to injury and Eva Bartlett, our U18 National XC Champion, was a late withdrawal from the event).
In the U20 Men’s race, also over 5620m, again the club fielded a very young, relatively inexperienced team, but still managed a very creditable 15th position, with Oisin McGloin having a stellar run to come home as first Irishman in 20th position; Oisin was well supported by Noah Harper 49th, Jude McGann 52nd and Rhys McManus 67th. Overall, it was great to see such a strong showing for Irish clubs at the event. Clonliffe Harriers AC finished in 5th place in the same U20 women’s category, led by standout performances from Emily Bolton 5th and Lorraine O’Connor 8th and our friends at North Belfast Harriers finished in 11th position in the Senior Men’s event. In total, six Irish teams secured top ten finishes across various age groups and categories, marking one of Ireland’s strongest performances in recent years at the European Club Championships.
The event also provided an opportunity for some of our reserve/support athletes to experience the atmosphere and the course in the Men’s and Women’s Open Races. In the Women’s Open over 4290m there was a 1-2-3 for Lagan Valley courtesy of a dominant display from Marianne Doherty (16.38), backed up by Aoife Magee and Isa McCarron. In the Men’s Open, over the same course and distance, the fast-improving Noah Kavanagh (13.51) finished a very creditable 4th.
A final thanks to everyone who travelled out to Portugal, to our club, our sponsors, ANI Youth Academy and to Athletics Ireland for their continued support of this event; for some it may be their pinnacle, for others a stepping stone to even greater things. Looking ahead, with this experience under their belts, our athletes will now turn their focus to the upcoming domestic season and will aim to build on their success and continue their progression for the rest of 2025.
