History as Ann-Marie McGlynn adds National Senior Cross Country crown at the Castle

As she surged back towards the ruins of Necarne Castle, Ann-Marie McGlynn gave a surprised signal to the cheering crowds at the Castle Irvine Estate.

The Letterkenny AC woman won her first National Senior Cross Country title in some style, helping her club to team silver in the process. 

Just three weeks after winning the National Marathon crown, McGlynn - at the sprightly age of 44 - added another string to her bow in Irvinestown, Co Fermanagh.

The Tullamore native, who now lives in Strabane with her family, was a convincing winner and becomes the first person to take the national marathon and cross country honours in the same year.

“I just can’t believe it,” McGlynn told Donegal Live. “This wasn’t even in the plan, but I came off the Dublin Marathon in great nick. I took a full week off and then I called the club and said: ‘Let’s go to the nationals and try get to the European Clubs’. We knew that we were in with a shout if we got our top team out.”

McGlynn will now spearhead the Irish challenge at the European Cross Country Championships in Turkey next month. 

Letterkenny AC will also return to the European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country in Portugal in February after finishing second to Leevale in the team battle.

Niamh Allen, who was some 11 seconds behind McGlynn, took Leevale to the team gold, joined on the scoring team by Lizzie Lee in 19th and followed by Sinead O’Connor (22) and Hannah Steeds (24).

Nakita Burke battled bravely to finish 14th overall while Noeleen Scanlon was 30th and, just 24 hours after taking a silver at the British and Irish Masters Cross Country in Belfast, Claire McGuigan was LAC’s fourth scorer, crossing the line in 34th.

Once McGlynn broke away from Allen, Danielle Donegan, Fiona Everard and Mary Mulhare, she never looked in trouble.

“I don’t know how I got to the front,” she said. “The corners were very tight and it was very mucky in parts. It was scrappy on the small lap and it started slowing at the front. All of a sudden, I was in the top two or three. I didn’t do anything but stay in contact and I ended up at the front. 

“I just kept my momentum and didn’t do anything stupid. My strength paid off. That was a tough, honest course and you just had to keep the foot down and stay strong. I had to grind it out - and I’m very good at doing that.”

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Last month, McGlynn retained her National Marathon title in Dublin. She won around the streets of the capital in 2:34:05 - six seconds quicker than her winning time from 2023.

“It shows you what can be done,” she said. “I brought Claire here for a session here and didn’t even run it myself. I knew the course would suit me, but I didn’t know if the legs would carry me.

“I just kept it on the whole way and even at the wee hill at the end I ploughed up.”