Anne Keenan Buckley and Fiachra Lombard were the top Irish finishers at the View From Great North Cross County meeting held in Newcastle, England on Saturday, 4th January amidst the frigid, muck and snowy conditions. Anne Keenan Buckley placed 4th in the Senior Women's long course race covering the 6,328-metre course in 24.04 with Maria McCambridge next in at 5th in 24.06. Fiachra Lombard was 9th in Senior Men's short course race running 12.56 on the 3,848m course with Mark Kenneally placing 10th with the same time.

Colm Rooney (Clonliffe Harriers) ran 21.40 to place 4th in the Junior Men's event at the Lotto Crosscup race held in Brussels, Belgium on Sunday, 22nd December. Aiden Bailey placed 10th (22.17), Liam O'Halloran placed 29th (23.28), Dridi Lofti was 33rd (23.09), David Ward was 38th (23.57) and Michael McDiarmada placed 50th in 25.09.

The annual Belgooly (Co Cork) Four-Mile road race took place on St Stephen's Day (26th December) and attracted its usual clientele, although there was a distinct lack of visiting runners for the race compared to other years. Leevale's James Grufferty was back for the race from East Tennessee State University, where a back injury severely curtailed his racing programme. Gruff led the first mile of the race with Thomas Maunsell in the lead group. However, American Jeff Scott broke up the group before the two-mile mark as he set sail for home. Scott, who is married to Michelle Murphy Scott from Carraig na bhFear, won the race in 19.51 with Grufferty holding on for second in 20.39. Keeping the theme of spouses of Irish runners winning the race, Sarah Healy won the women's race in 21.54 over Valerie Vaughan (Blarney Inniscarra) in 22:32. The former Sarah Dupre from Canada is married to David Healy. Joe O'Sullivan and Mary Murphy won the Vet 40 titles. Thanks to Leevale's Der O'Donovan for this report

Allen Graffin (Belgrave Harriers) won the 8.4-kilometre race in 26.53. Tom Frazer was 25th in29.04 at the Reebok Edinburgh Cross Challenge in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, Scotland on 14th December 2002. Other St Malachy's runners included: Dominic McAllister, 14th in the Junior Men's race; Paddy Cassidy, 21st in the U-17 men's race; Eoin Hamilton, 27th (12.40), Peter Grant 33rd (13.03) and Sean Walsh, 41st in the U-15 boys event. Hayley Yelling (Windsor S E H) won 6.3-kilometre race in 21.38 beating her sister-in-law Liz Yelling (Bedford & County AC) by 26 seconds who placed 2nd in 22.04. Finn Valley's Catriona McGranaghan placed 26th in 24.53. Reigning Irish National Junior Cross Country Champion, Fionnuala Britton was 3rd in the Junior Women's race running 23.56.

Iona College's Mark Smyth from Sligo won the 5,000m at the Fordham Ram Invitational on 6th December in New York City. Smyth ran 14.35.6 with Farleigh Dickinson University's Erik Too (Kenya) in second in 14.48.3.

Just three days after placing second in the NCAA Cross Country Championships and ten days before his Irish debut at the European Cross meeting, Alistair Cragg placed second to American Dan Browne at a low-key Thanksgiving (28th November) 8-mile road race in Dallas, Texas. Cragg, visiting his brother Duncan (7th, 41.29) and family covered the course in 40.24.

Orla Mahoney won the Pie Run 8-kilometer road race in Newport, Rhode Island on 28th November. Mahoney ran 28.51, well clear of runner-up Nicole Millette 29:52.

Breedy Dennehy-Willis placed 5th at the Thanksgiving Day Manchester Road Race held in Manchester, Connecticuit. The Bandon, Co. Cork Olympian ran 25.16 on the 4.748-mile course in cold conditions with snow on the ground. She was awarded US$1000 for her effort.

Mark Carroll appears well-recovered from his NYC Marathon race running 22.32. The Leevale runner received $750 for his 6th place finish.

Una English placed 9th at the Cross Val de Marne race in Choisy le Roi, France on 24th November. English ran 15.37 while Hafida Gadi (France) won the race in 15.02. Six days later, English placed 3rd at the Basler Stadtlauf road race in Basel, Switzerland on 30th November. English covered the 7.8-kilometre course in 25.35.4. Kenyan Leah Malot won the race in 24.47.