Zak Hanna: NI runner battles to novice cross country title
- Published
Zak Hanna beat Mitchell Byrne (left) and Cormac Dalton (right) to win the men's Novice race
County Down runner Zak Hanna won the men's race at the Irish National Novice Cross Country Championships.
The Newcastle AC man beat Mullingar's Cormac Dalton by just two seconds and take the 6,000m race in 19:36 minutes.
North Down's Sarah Grant missed out on a medal in the women's race as she finished fourth behind Cheryl Nolan, who recovered from a dramatic fall in the closing stages to win.
Adam Ferris from St Malachy's, Belfast won the boy's Under-17's title.
Ferris held off the challenge of Midleton's Paul Hartnett to win the 5,000m contest in 16:32 minutes while City of Derry athlete Cara Laverty won a bronze medal in the girl's Under-17's race.
Ulster athletes also finished on the podiums in both Under-19's races.
Sarah Kelly of the Inishowen club was third behind Jodie McCann and Orla O'Connor in the girl's event and Conall McClean, also of St Malachy's, took bronze behind Eferm Gidey and Shay McEvoy in the boy's race.
