Minnock edges out Lupton in thrilling cross country battle
On a beautiful autumn morning last Sunday, Day 2 of the Offaly Cross Country Championships took place once again at the Faithful Fields, Kilcormac, proudly hosted by Tullamore Harriers.
The day began with the the Masters Ladies 4k, followed immediately by the Masters Men’s 6k. In the masters’ categories there are medals for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the O35, O50, O60, O70, and O80 age groups, as well as team medals in the O35 and O50 categories for both men and women.
The men’s 6k race covered four laps of the 1,500m loop, and it was Ballyskenach AC's Harry Lupton and Kevin Minnock (Tullamore Harriers AC) who immediately took to the front, setting a blistering pace. The duo quickly opened a substantial gap on the main pack, at one stage stretching their lead to nearly 800 metres.
Behind them, there were impressive performances from Harry's brother Tom, Jonathan Dunne (Tullamore Harriers) and William Delahunty (Ballyskenach AC), who formed a strong chasing pack.
Out in front, the battle between Harry and Kevin kept spectators on their toes. Harry held a slight advantage for most of the race, but with 900 metres to go, Kevin launched a decisive surge. The excitement built as the two men powered around the final bend for a thrilling sprint finish.
Kevin found one final burst of speed to edge ahead and claim victory by the narrowest of margins - a brilliant, hard-fought contest that had everyone cheering.
It was another fantastic race filled with determination and excitement from start to finish. Congratulations to all the athletes who competed, and especially those who are new to cross country competition.
Men's team results
O35 - 1st: Ballyskenach AC (Harry Lupton, Tom Lupton, William Delahunty, Patrick McCarthy). 2nd: Tullamore Harriers (Kevin Minnock, Jonathan Dunne, Brendan Abbott, Alan Mitchell). 3rd: Naomh Mhuire AC (Kevin Looby, Declan Murphy, Peter Mutiso, John Kirwan). O50 - 1st - Tullamore Harriers (Jody O'Reilly, Liam Byrne, Alan Heffernan). 2nd: Ferbane AC (Kevin Brazil, Tim Camon, Francis Connolly. 3rd: Edenderry AC – James Donoghue, Sean Óg Farrell, Finbar Redmond.