Nelson McCausland welcomes top athletes to Antrim

Sports Minister Nelson McCausland today welcomed many of the world’s top distance runners to Northern Ireland for the Antrim International Cross Country Races.

The Minister was at the event in the CAFRE Greenmount Campus to see the competition and present prizes to a selection of winning athletes.

The Minister said: “This event is one of the largest and most popular occasions in the Northern Ireland sporting calendar, with up to 1,000 athletes from across the globe taking part.

“These races have gone from strength to strength since they started in 1977. We have previously welcomed world and Olympic champions, including Steve Cram, Steve Ovett and Paula Radcliffe, as well as a host of world-class Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes.

“Today, I have seen an impressive array of running talent. I applaud all those taking part for their skill, determination and dedication to their sport. I also congratulate Athletics Northern Ireland for organising a first-class event.”

Minister McCausland was welcomed to the event by the Chair of Athletics Northern Ireland, David Seaton.

Notes to editors:

1. The event is one of eleven cross country races in the world with this IAAF permit and is part of the UK McCain Cross Challenge Series. It features races for around 1,000 athletes from primary school age up to senior level and was sponsored by Antrim Borough Council and McCain. Details of race results can be found on the Athletics NI Website
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