DUBLIN, Spain, Dublin, Hungary is the planned travel itinerary for globetrotting Moorfoot Sarah McCormack in the coming weeks as she aims to attain a place in the Ireland team for the European Cross-Country Championships in December.
And she crossed the Irish Sea to make her cross-country season bow in the Gerry Farnam race in Phoenix Park Dublin on Sunday.
Despite not feeling at her best after a hard training block, McCormack came home a clear second over the short 5km course, behind the current European cross-country champion Fionnuala Britton.
With Athletics Ireland hopeful of building a strong team to support Britton in the defence of her European title in Hungary, McCormack impressed enough to be included in a preliminary Ireland squad which heads to Burgos in Spain in three weeks’ time for a preparatory race before the official Ireland trial back in Dublin later in November.
“As I need to demonstrate my cross-country form in front of the Ireland selectors and against my contemporaries in Ireland, I’ve had to commit to a few trips to Dublin and I’m grateful to Tweeddale Sports Council for a recent grant to help with my competition travel costs,” said the Peebles-based ecology student.