Entries to Sarah Finnegan, Kilquan, Craughwell, Co. Galway or by email  to sarahfinnegan2@eircom.net

It's that time of year again folks, where we throw on our spikes and take to the grass for the start of the cross-country season, which kicks off with the County cross-country championships on Sunday, October 15th.  Cross-country is our sport in it's purest form and for those of you who have never given it a go before now, this is your opportunity. Tuam AC have provided a fantastic venue at the Palace Grounds with firm ground underneath and a variety of flat ground, slopes and good old hills.

As of the last AAI County Board meeting a new format has been adopted for the campionships this year.  Previously, the Novice, Intermediate + Masters, and Senior Championships were held as 3 seperate events on different dates. This time around, in order to create a larger field and a better spectacle, it has been decided to amalgamate all 4 championships into one race, with the intended effect of creating a mass participation event, as cross-country was meant to be, with numbers similar to that which regularly turn out for any of the local road races. It is hoped that most adult runners in the county affiliated to an AAI club will come out and support the event. The race is also open to club runners from outside Galway, and we would encourage those of you from Mayo, Clare, Roscommon and further afield to participate, although the championship medals are closed to Glaway athletes 

Individual medals will be awarded in each category, but only one set of team medals will be awarded. Previously, if an athlete was the 4th scorer on a bronze medal winning team in the novice championships he was automatically ineligible for this category the following year, despite possibly finishing last in the race.  Similarly, if a genuine novice athlete was cajoled into making up a team for the senior championship, and finished as 4th scorer on a bronze medal winning team, that athlete was automatically ruled ineligible for Novice and Intermediate competition for ever more.  The intention in awarding team medals in an open category is to create genuine and meaningful competition where medals must be fought for and are hard won.

Individuals can enter in any category for which they are eligible and may enter for more than one category. However, a team will comprise of the first 4 athletes from one club across the line regardless of the individual category for which they are entered. The next 4 athletes across the line from that club would constitute a second team with a chance of getting in the medals, and so on,  Winning a team medal will not render an athlete ineligible for any category in the following years championship. eg. If an athlete finishes as the 4th individual in the novice category and is a scoring member of a medal winning team team, that athlete will still be eligible for the Novice category the following year.