special to Irish Runner.com by Eoghan Murphy

Although the news that the AAI will send a full set of teams to the 2003 European Cross Country Championships set for Edinburgh, Scotland on 14th December hardly came as a huge surprise, given that the event is being held just across the water in Scotland, the decision means that the fight for places at the National Inter-County Cross Country Championships - the trial for the event - has been intensified.

The gardens of Belvedere House, in Mullingar, Co Westmeath will host the championships on Sunday, 30th November on what the race organiser, Bobby Beagly, describes as a 'challenging and hilly' course.

Despite the fact the Cathal Lombard, the much-improved Leevale man who ran 13.19 for 5,000m during the summer, is likely to be marked absent as he will be just back from a stint of altitude training, the men's field will not be short of stars. The eight-year old reign of Séamus Power as champion could well be halted by Keith Kelly, the former NCAA Cross Country champion who has gone back the United states to train specifically for the event, as has Vinny Mulvey, of Iona College. The National 1500m champion, Gareth Turnbull, has figured in the top three in previous years and will be hoping to go one better on this occasion while, the reigning national Interclubs Champion, Martin McCarthy, will be hoping to bounce back after a disappointing marathon debut - 2:18:45 in Berlin. The DSD pair of Peter Mathews, who has shown encouraging form recently after a long injury lay-off, and Robert Connolly, the European U23 5,000m bronze medallist, will also have aspirations to make the team.

The women's event is likely to be one of the most open in many years with the announcement that Anne Keenan-Buckley, the 41-year-old defending champion, is to concentrate of veteran events only in the future. With US-based Marie McMahon Davenport who ran a highly impressive half-marathon debut of 1.10.57 recently along with a 25.46 5-miler and 15.24 for 5k not making the trip, it is wide open. Una English, whom finished 16th in the World Cross last March, and rejuvenated Rosemary Ryan have the potential to take the title. Irish 3,000m steeplechase record holder and reigning Irish 1,500m National Champ Róisín McGettigan plans on attending as does her much improved Providence graduate Stephanie O'Reilly along DSD's Aoife Byrne who is in America training with the aforementioned Providence pair. However, if Catherina McKiernan can continue to re-discover some of her old form, she could be the pacesetter and winner of the title.

In the junior men's event, Mark Christie, who has won National Cross Country titles at every age-group from U14-19, is likely to stride unopposed to victory. The DSD duo of Joe Sweeney and Alan McCormack are likely to lead the charge for the minor medals, as are Richard Corcoran and Jamie McCarthy - national 1500m and 5000m champions respectively. Colin Costello won medals at both the 1500m and 2,000m steeplechase at the European youth Olympics during the summer, but he is very much a track specialist. However, with a 1500m PB of 3:51 and an abundance of newfound confidence he cannot be discounted.

In the junior girls event, Eritrea-born Celtic AC athlete, Azmera Gebrezgi is among the favourites. She dominated the track at a national level over the summer, notching up a string of wins over the defending champion, Fionnuala Britton, and Schools Cross Country Champion, Linda Byrne of DSD. Britton hasn't lost an important Irish cross country meeting and with her last chance to run in the junior ranks, it is her title to lose. Linda Byrne had a brilliant summer running 4.31.22 at the European Youth Olympic Festival and Eddie McDonagh her DSD coach said that supplied the spark for her to get very serious about her training. Michelle Gallagher, also from DSD who placed third in the last two Interclub races will be coming from Iona College to compete as well. The victor is certain to come from one of these four and, although Azmera Gebrezgi will not compete in the European CC in December as she has not yet attained a Irish passport, a strong team is likely to toe the line in Edinburgh.