Cullen prepared to test mettle as she eyes Euro gains
Friday November 06 2009
MARY Cullen demonstrates the seriousness of her ambition for next month's European Cross Country Championships in Dublin by taking on world 3,000m steeplechase champion Marta Dominguez in the Atapuerca International in Burgos, Spain on Sunday.
A 28-strong Irish squad is also tuning up for the Europeans by competing in Mol (Belgium) this weekend but Cullen (North Sligo), Mark Christie (Mullingar), Mark Kenneally (Clonliffe) and Hazel Murphy (DSD) have all opted for the tougher international race in Spain.
And Cullen -- who took bronze at the European Indoors last March -- makes no secret that she is keen to measure her current form against Dominguez, the 34-year-old veteran who was recently named '2009 European Athlete of the Year', who has already indicated that she, also, will be gunning for gold in Santry on December 13.
"Ray (Treacy, her coach) has researched this Spanish race and apparently it usually attracts the top Portuguese runners and some Kenyans too, so it should be a good test," said Cullen, who is back to full fitness after a roller-coaster 12 months.
Last December she was only pipped, by two seconds, for a medal at the European XC in Brussels and three months later, took bronze at the European Indoors in Milan when she was in the best shape of her life.
But then she suffered from both injury and illness that knocked her out of training for 10 weeks and ultimately ruled her out of last summer's World Championships in Berlin.
But Cullen's form this autumn has already been impressive, returning home from her US base in late September to set a course record in a local road race and then comfortably winning the Gerry Farnan cross-country in Dublin, half a minute ahead of Fionnuala Britton.
With Santry just five weeks away, Cullen is understandably anxious to ramp up her race sharpness.
"It was great to win the Gerry Farnan but obviously I need harder tests now," she said. "I will definitely be running the inter-counties (in Kilbeggan on November 22) but then there is a three-week gap to the Europeans.
"Ideally I'd like to get another competitive race in there too and we are looking at our options but if that's not possible, I'll definitely be looking to set up a time trial here at home."
Burgos should certainly provide a decent barometer for herself and Christie and Kenneally (the first two men home in the Gerry Farnan) as the Spanish men's race will, reportedly, include the likes of Jesus Espana and Reyes Estevez.
The large Irish team in Mol will feature senior, U-23 and junior athletes, led by experienced internationals Britton (Sli Cualann), Deirdre Byrne (Sli Cualann) and Linda Byrne (Dundrum South Dublin).
- Cliona Foley
Irish Independent
