Annual Interdistrict Cross Country Championships, Edinburgh - 08/01/2010

The annual Interdistrict Cross Country Championships took place in Edinburgh after a nervous week for the athletes as the weather threatened to cancel the event as it had many other running events over the festive period. However with the national level Championship between the three Scottish districts; North, East and West is part of the Great Edinburgh International Cross Country which attracts the worlds best endurance athletes, it was going to take more than a wee drop of snow to put off the athletes and spectators.

The weather however did effect the efforts of some athletes to make the journey to the event and none so more than the North Scotland team which was dramatically reduced in numbers. However the athletes who did make the event, were treated to the sights of international stars Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) and national heroes Steph Twell, Haley Yelling-Higham, Mo Farah and Lisa Dobriskey.

Meanwhile at a local level, the only two Caithness athletes to make it to Edinburgh were sisters, Emma and Oonagh Dunnett. Even though their Under 15 Girls race was only 2.6k on paper, due to thick snow covering the course, this became an energy sapping race for all involved. The two lap course was contended by 29 athletes selected by their districts and this was the first year that Emma and Oonagh had not run in the customary red North Scotland vests, instead competing for East Scotland.

After a confident start to the race which saw Emma taking the runners round the first half mile, she struggled when the pack broke away during a long down hill section. After composing herself, she pulled in the four runners, overtaking two of them and sitting on the heels of the two front runners. The positioning stayed the same as the girls made a long push for home.

The final positions saw only 4 seconds splitting the first three places in what was one of the most enthralling races of the day and Emma took third place behind Rachel Dunn and Louise Mercer, both East runners. With the East Scotland team taking six of the first eight places, they were convincing in their team victory.

Oonagh set off more conservatively towards the later third of the pack and used her endurance well to move through the runners who had miss judged the drain that the underfoot conditions would have on their legs. Oonagh continued to pass runners throughout the race and finished a commendable 15th place, 8 places higher than her district position last year.

The girls, along with the rest of the Caithness AAC runners should have been at Forres for a North District fixture this weekend but again the snow and icy conditions put pay to that. The fixture has however been rescheduled for this Saturday, 23rd.

Emma Dunnett however will not be able to compete in her CAAC vest as she will be wearing a Scottish vest having been successfully selected for the Scottish Under 17 Women's team to compete in the Celtic Cup International in Antrim. Emma secured her selection after notching up five victories in her first five races this season and placing fourth in the McCain Challenge in Liverpool and although she is the youngest team member this will be a fantastic opportunity as Emma has another year in this International age group.

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