BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - A soggy start and an even wetter finish were the subplot for the 16th Annual Mayor's Cup Cross Country Races at Boston's Franklin Park on Sunday, 23rd October but New Zealand Olympian Kim Smith's impressive victory over the 5-kilometres was just reward for those who braved the elements to watch the championship races on the historic cross country course.

With a race time temperature of 45-degrees and rain-soaked turf, the normally fast course on this day resembled a cow-path in many places but Smith posted a wire-to-wire win (16.35) in her first professional cross country race at Franklin Park, where she last competed in her final year at Providence College in winning the Big East Championships.

The 23-year old Smith was a late entrant, having done 85 miles of training this week, but Coach Ray Treacy (Villierstown, Co Waterford) recommended the race and Smith obliged. As it turned out, Smith's only competition was her training partner Mary Cullen, of Ireland (16.56). Cullen still has NCAA eligibility for both the 2006 indoor and outdoor campaigns for Providence College.

Cullen is the reigning Irish National Outdoor 5,000m Champion and should get a spot on Ireland's European Cross Country team which competes in Tilburg, the Netherlands in mid-December. Providence coach Ray Treacy described the race as, "Mary's best ever cross-country run."

Smith hammered the first mile, a tactic that earned her last year's individual NCAA Cross Country top prize and several track championships as well. She was 13 seconds clear of Cullen at the one mile mark. Cullen, from Sligo, held that gap for the second mile before Smith put a bit distance on her in the final mile. Cullen, like Smith ran alone for the entire race.

Cullen beat last year's champion Alemtsehay Misbanaw, from Ethiopia along with reigning Canadian champion Rebecca Stallwood.

Ironically, Róisín McGettigan, the Irish 3,000m steeplechase record-holder who intentionally jumps in water while competing on the track did not fare well in the awful wet conditions and placed 10th in 17.55.

In the men's 8-kilometre championship race, the Boston Athletic Association's Jarrod Shoemaker, 23, shadowed Westchester Track Club's Daniel Zegeye for the first 5-kilometres. Zegeye, who was sixth place at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, is a citizen of Ethiopia and a resident of New York, but his background on the track was not enough to survive the day's wet conditions.

Vinny Mulvey (Ashbourne, Co. Meath) who said he entered the race, "Just for the craic," placed third in 24.29 only six tics behind the winner. Two weeks ago, Mulvey placed 8th in the BAA Half-Marathon.

It's no surprise that Mulvey had no bounce in his legs as he's in the final stages of preparation for the New York City Marathon which is a fortnight away. Mulvey commented on his race preparation, "I did the race as a workout as I hurt my foot the week after the Boston Half Marathon and I hadn't worked out in about 3 weeks so I felt I needed to do something competitive just to get a hard effort in." He continued, "I was surprised how easy I felt yesterday. I felt unbelievably strong yet slow! I started off easy and moved through without any discomfort but I just couldn't pick up the pace to catch the leader. I only decided to do it the day before so I wasn't taking it that seriously. It was more important to get in a good workout for New York and come out of it without any injuries or twisted ankles or anything stupid like that."

Mulvey, 27, an Iona College Alumnus is finishing his graduate degree at Iona. Mulvey plans the difficult double of running a marathon on 6th November followed by the Irish Inter County Championships three weeks later on 27th November in Sligo. When asked about the muddy conditions and lashing rain which hindered many of the athletes, Mulvey simply said, "I loved it! I really enjoyed myself, it was good to get back running in the mud!"

Thanks to Jack Fleming, Boston Athletic Association Director of Communications for contributing to this story.

Women's Results: 1) Kim Smith (New Zealand), 16.35, Reebok Providence; 2) Mary Cullen (Ireland), 16.56, Unattached; 3) Alemtsehay Misbanaw (Ethiopia), 17.33, Westchester TC; 4) Samia Akbar, 17.34, Metro Run & Walk TC; 5) Sarah Scholl, 17.46, Westchester TC; 6) Kasie Enman, 17.47, Boston Athletic Association; 7) Erin Dromgoole, 17.49, Reebok Boston; 8) Rebecca Stallwood (Canada), 17.52, Westchester TC; 9) Julie Culley, 17.54, Mizuno Runner's High; 10) Róisín McGettigan (Ireland), 17.55, New Balance... 72) Róisín Quinn, 20.17, Unattached

Men's Results: 1) Jarrod Shoemaker, 24.23, Boston Athletic Association; 2) Kyle King, Zap Fitness, 24.28; 3) Vinny Mulvey (Ireland), 24.29, Saucony - Raheny Shamrock;4) Kassahun Kabiso, 24.30, Westchester TC; 5) Thomas Morgan, 24.37, Zap Fitness; 6) Justin Lutz, 24.47, Reebok Boston; 7) Dave Berdan, 24.49, Zap Fitness; 8) Ryan Carrara, 24.53, Reebok Boston; 9) Mark Miller, 24.54 BAA; 10) Daniel Zegeye (Ethiopia), 25.05, Westchester TC... 16) Conor McGee (Ireland), 25.31, Lucan Harriers