Mid Ulster's Nick Griggs excels at NI International Cross Country

The International Cross Country was held in conjunction with the NI & Ulster Even Age Group Championships and the Bobby Rea Cross Country which saw over 1500 athletes take to the start line across all age groups, from U10s through to Masters.

The athletes had to contend with a hilly course, and despite the heavy overnight rain, conditions did not adversely affect the World Class Ethiopian athletes who were always well to the fore in both the Men’s 8K and Women’s 6k events.

In the Men’s race Ethiopia’s Gizelaw Ayana wasted little time in asserting his authority over the rest of the field. At the end of the first lap he had established a 30m lead over a group of some 10 athletes which included all the top NI contenders including the NI & Ulster Team of Eskander Turki (Annadale Striders); Craig McMeechan (North Down AC); John Craig (Annadale Striders) and Gary Crummy (Newry AC) along with Mid Ulster AC’s Nick Griggs and North Belfast Harriers’ Finn McNally.

Ayana had already proved his classy credentials 3 weeks earlier when he finished 2nd in Cardiff’s World U20 Half Marathon in a classy time of 60 mins 17 secs.

There was however a concentrated battle for the chasing places with Griggs, Turki and McNally finally breaking away from the remainder of the field. Seventeen year old Griggs produced an impressive acceleration of pace in the final lap where he made substantial inroads into Ayana’s lead, finishing in 2nd place, also taking the Men’s U20 Championship title in a time of 25:36.

Griggs, from Newmills, said: “I was pleased with that especially as I’ve never run cross country before over 8k. I sat with the other guys for two laps and then thought I’ll give it a go as I felt fresh. Maybe I would have got closer to the winner if I’d gone earlier. I’m definitely going for the Euro Cross in Turin in December though I don’t do a lot of cross country. My main aim next summer is the European’s in Romania“ .