Sarah 13th in IAAF Permit Race in Spain

Sarah McCormack finished an excellent 13th in the highest quality race of her career on Sunday at the Atapuerca Cross Country in Spain, the first of this winter's IAAF Series of International races. Up with the leaders early on, the injection of pace on lap 2 of 4 by World XC champion Linet Masai stretched the field  but Sarah kept on well and produced her usual fast finish to pick off 2 or 3 in the finishing straight, coming home in 26.41 for the 7.8km course. Her dip for the line wasn't quite enough to gain the verdict for 12th. Of her Irish team mates European XC champion Fionulla Britton was 4th in 25.48, Olympic marathon runner Ava Hutchinson was 9th in 26.28 and Kerry Harty was 19th in 27.23. Fingers crossed Sarah's performance and a good run in the Irish trials in 2 weeks time will gain her selection for the European XC Champs in Hungary on 8 December.