Double European Cross Country Champion Fionnuala Britton (Kilcoole AC) is set to compete in the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country this Saturday, the 5th of January. The Wicklow athlete will aim to repeat her winning performance from last year’s race and get her 2013 campaign off to a victorious start.
Speaking before the race Britton commented “I won in Edinburgh last year so I feel as though I’m going there to defend my title, just like at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships last month. I’m in good shape at the moment and was pleased with my run at the big Brussels race just before Christmas so I hope I’ve still got that sort of shape after the holidays.”
The event will be staged at the picturesque setting of Holyrood Park in Edinburgh and will feature teams from Great Britain, Europe and the USA. Britton will lead the European team which also includes Irish team mate Linda Byrne (Dundrum South Dublin AC). Byrne finished eight at the European Cross Country Championships to earn her place on team Europe for Saturday’s race.
Linda Byrne competing in London 2012
Both athletes will have to contend with Portugal’s Ana Dulce Félix and Adrienne Herzog of the Netherland’s, silver and bronze medallists respectively from the European Cross Country Championships. The senior women’s race will be run over 6km and action gets underway at 1.42pm.
