On Saturday, Northern Ireland master athletes were at the British & Irish Masters XC International in Cardiff, Wales. Northern Ireland compete against strong teams from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The Vet35 to Vet60 Men covered 8k, while the Ladies and Vet65+ took on a 6k course. Three Northern Ireland based athletes collected individual medals, while there were also team prizes for five of the Northern Ireland teams. North Down athletes had the following results – Mark Weir M40 27th (69th overall) 27:01, Terry Eakin M60 13th (58th overall) 30:11, David Seaton 10th (11th overall) 24:14, Roberta Dornan 18th (overall 62nd) 23:33. In the 6K Open Race, Norman Lellyett was 25th in 28:46.
In the Vet35 category, Foyle Valley AC athlete Keith Shiels produced an excellent performance to claim a well-deserved bronze medal in 24:52. Gary Keenan (Orangegrove AC) worked his way through the quality Vet50 field as the race progressed, eventually securing 3rd place and the associated bronze medal in 25:58. In the team standings, the Northern Ireland Vet45 and Vet50 men won bronze medals, while the Northern Ireland Vet40, Vet45 and Vet55 ladies also claimed bronze medals
Full Results: British & Irish Masters XC 2013 Results