European Cross-Country Championships

Hyeres, France, Sunday December 13th

European Cross-Country Championships Hyeres France - Event Banner

Cork Athletics Homepage
Athletics Ireland website
Hyeres 2015 event website


Irish Squad Check out Hyeres Course
Irish Squad Check out Hyeres Course - Photo: Athletics Ireland

Preview of Course

TV Coverage

RTE 2: 11:45 to 14:15
BBC1: Coverage from 09:25 via the Red Button
BBC Sport website
BBC 2: Highlights from 16:15 to 17:20
Live Streaming on European Athletics website, from 10:15 CET (09:15 Irish)


Timetable

Timetable  
Opening Ceremony 10:15
Junior Women 10:35
Junior Men 10:59
Junior Women Victory Ceremony – Individual 11:25
Junior Women Victory Ceremony – Team 11:30
U23 Women 11:42
Junior Men Victory Ceremony - Individual 12:09
Junior Men Victory Ceremony – Team 12:14
U23 Men 12:26
U23 Women Victory Ceremony - Individual 12:58
U23 Women Victory Ceremony - Team 13:03
U23 Men Victory Ceremony – Individual 13:13
U23 Men Victory Ceremony - Team 13:18
Senior Women 13:30
Senior Men 14:12
Senior Women Victory Ceremony – Individual 14:52
Senior Women Victory Ceremony – team 14:57
Senior Men Victory Ceremony - individual 15:07
Senior Men Victory Ceremony – Team 15:12
Closing Ceremony - Flag Handover 15:20
on European Athletics website 

Three Leevale athletes called up to represent Ireland

Leevale trio of Lizzie Lee, Michelle Finn and Ryan Creech are bound for France next month, having been nominated on the respective Irish Women's and Men's teams for the 22nd European Cross-Country Championships, in Hyeres. 

The teams were selected following yesterday's Glohealth Athletics Ireland Inter-Club Cross-Country Championships, in Santry Demesne, Dublin, where Lizzie led the Leevale women's team to victory, taking individual Silver, behind Fionnuala McCormack (nee Britton), while Ryan led the Leevale Men's team to the Silver medals, missing out on victory by just a single point.

Athletics Ireland - Press Release

McCormack to lead Irish team at European Cross Country Championships

Senior Women

Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole) will lead the Irish women's team at the European Cross Country Championships in Hyeres, France on December 13th.  McCormack (ne้ Britton) impressed at the GloHealth Inter Clubs Championships in Santry Demesne yesterday and believes the women's team, announced today, can back up the bronze medals they won at the European Cross Country Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria last year. 

McCormack looks to team success
"We definitely have a good chance with the team," said McCormack who will be focusing more of her efforts around a team performance than her own individual expectations. 

"With a short build-up it definitely has to be about the team," said McCormack referring to the Chicago marathon on October 11th where she ran 2:33:15 to run an Olympic qualifying standard. 

"I haven't had the usual build-up," continued the two-time European Cross Country Champion. "We definitely have a good chance with the team. With a short build-up it definitely has to be about the team.

"For the team I'm going to go out there and do my absolute best. We backed up our (team) gold in 2012 with our bronze (last year). This women's team is going to be strong for the next few years. The team is the most realistic (chance of a medal) but I'm going to go out there and do my absolute best as well.

High Performance View

High Performance Director Kevin Ankrom said: "We need her (Fionnuala) to be out there and put on a good performance. It leads to fewer points and a good team performance for us.

"Athletes are planning more to make an effort to be on this team. We've got four medals in four years. Let's make it five medals in five years.

"Overall as a cross country programme we would have an expectation that our teams perform better and we are certainly working towards making our teams to prepare to do that.

"Through Steven Macklin, Paul McNamara and Teresa McDaid we are looking to help people prepare for championships. We have to have expectations that our teams are going to perform better and be better prepared.

"I still think cross country and distance running is the cornerstone of the Irish culture. I look forward to the athletes performing at their best."

Clohisey to lead out senior men's team

The senior men's team will be led out by Mick Clohisey (Raheny Shamrock) who won the championships yesterday for the third time in succession.
"We are going in with a squad of endurance specialists who are laying the foundation for the Olympic team," said Ankrom with regards to Clohisey along with Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers) and Paul Pollock (Annadale Striders) who have all posted Olympic marathon qualifying times. "John Coghlan (MSB) posted a particularly impressive performance also and shows athletes are stepping up to the mark."  

Mulcaire and Saunders to lead Juniors

Hope Saunders (Clonliffe Harriers) and Kevin Mulcaire (Ennis Track Club) are returning with experience to this year's championships and Kevin Ankrom believes Mulcaire is a top 8 candidate.

U23 athletes confirmed

The U23 athletes have been added to the selection.

Teams

Event Name Club Coach
Men's Senior Mick Clohisey Raheny Shamrock A.C. Dick Hooper
Men's Senior John Coghlan Metro St. Brigids A.C. Eamonn Coghlan
Men's Senior Paul Pollock Annadale Striders A.C. Andy Hobdell
Men's Senior Ryan Creech Leevale A.C. Donie Walsh
Men's Senior Joe Sweeney Dundrum South Dublin A.C. Jerry Kiernan
Men's Senior Sergiu Ciobanu Clonliffe Harriers A.C. Jerry Kiernan
       
Women's Senior Fionnuala McCormack Kilcoole A.C. Joe Doonan
Women's Senior Lizzie Lee Leevale A.C. Donie Walsh
Women's Senior Caroline Crowley Crusaders A.C. Susan Walsh
Women's Senior Kerry O'Flaherty Newcastle & District A.C. Richard Rogers
Women's Senior Ciara Durkan Skerries A.C. Joe Warne
Women's Senior Michelle Finn Leevale A.C. Donie Walsh
       
Women’s Under 23 Shona Heaslip An Riocht Niamh O'Sullivan
Women’s Under 23 Emma Mitchell Banbridge Eamon Christie
       
Men’s Under 23 Thomas Moran Dunshaughlin Jerry Kiernan
Men’s Under 23 Brandon Hargreaves Clonliffe Harriers Chris Jones
Men’s Under 23 Hugh Armstrong Ballina Ray Treacy
Men’s Under 23 Keith Fallon Galway City Harriers Ray Treacy
Men’s Under 23 Sean Tobin Clonmel Ryan Vanhoy/Anthony Moynihan
Men’s Under 23 Aaron Hanlon Clonliffe Harriers  
       
Men's Junior Kevin Mulcaire Ennis track A.C. Pat Hogan
Men's Junior Peter Lynch Kilkenny City Harriers A.C. Noel Richardson
Men's Junior Jack O’Leary Mullingar Harriers A.C. Joe Ryan
Men's Junior Cathal Doyle   Joe Cooper
Men's Junior James Edgar City of Lisburn A.C. Heather Ardis
Men's Junior Pierre Murchan Celtic A.C Mary McKenna
       
Women's Junior Hope Saunders Clonliffe Harriers A.C. Joe Cooper & Brian McDonald
Women's Junior Aoibhe Richardson Kilkenny City Harriers A.C. Noel Richardson
Women's Junior Isabel Carron Skerries A.C. Kevin Thompson
Women's Junior Deirdre Healy Ratoath A.C. Gerry Finnegan
Women's Junior Nadia Power Templeogue A.C. Stephen Holt
Women's Junior Sophie Murphy Dundrum South Dublin A.C. Donal Hennigan