Sara strikes All-Ireland gold

Sara Treacy made it third time lucky when she won the National Cross-Country Championship title at Sligo on Sunday after running in the event on two previous occasions. The Moynalvey student returned from England on Friday and produced a scintillating display to conquer the mud and the opposition. She crossed the line 17 seconds ahead of her nearest rival, Cork's Claire McCarthy. Treacy also took the u-23 women's title for the third successive year making it a memorable double on Sunday. Now Treacy will focus on the European Cross-Country championships in Lake Valenje, Slovenia on Sunday 11th December. Having already spent four years as a medical student in Birmingham, Treacy has switched focus to a one-year course in sports science at Loughborough University. She won a Midland League race in England a few weeks ago and on Sunday it all came right for her. "This is definitely my biggest achievement on home soil, the only thing that could match it was that I was a finalist this summer in the European u-23 Championships," Treacy told the Meath Chronicle. "I've had a few good runs in the Europeans, but this is just brilliant. "I've been waiting a long time I've taken part in so many cross country races and now I've finally won my own national senior title, it's amazing. "I was fourth last year, I think I was about eighth the year before. It didn't come easily this win so I'm delighted. "There were quite a few hills on the Sligo course and we were on at the end of the day so it was well cut up, but there was a group of us who were all together. "I got to the top of the hill and found myself in front, but the others were still there and it wasn't until the last lap I had Aoife Culhane, she was still with me, and there was a couple of other girls there but I pulled away on the last lap." "I just felt pretty good, I just decided to keep running at that pace and gradually people disappeared," she added. Andrew Ledwith, who recently made his debut in the Dublin marathon, also put in an impressive run at Sligo to finish second in the men's senior event. The Fr Murphy athlete was edged out by Dubliner Joe Sweeney, but earned a seat on the plane for the European Championships.