THE National Cross Country Championships return to Santry tomorrow with places on the team to travel to the World tests in South Africa later this month at stake, giving the occasion an added significance.
Psychology as much as fitness will play a major part with the main protagonists anxious to keep their cards close to their chests in the run up to the most important date on domestic winter calendar.
Mullingar will again come with high hopes of taking both the individual and team awards as they did in Naas 12 months ago and once again boast the tour, athletes who brought them their first titles in their ranks.
But the form of the defending champion David Burke has been mixed. In the mood the elder Burke, brother John, who is also among the entries, is a match for the best and while the early season gave the impression that he was building on his performances from last year, his form has dipped since the turn of the new year.
His Mullingar teammate Cormac Finnerty has had few out in this year but on those occasions that he has performed he has done so with some panache and in the company of David Burke and Noel Cullen led Ireland to a famous victory over Kenya in Mallusk in early January.
Finnerty has been training in Portugal recently with John Downes and Noel Berkeley. And Finnerty is certain to have gained much from the knowledge that he had his best ever track season last summer.
Berkeley has quite the most consistent record in this competition without ever managing to land the ultimate title. He has proved in the past to be a man for the big day and this could at last be his year.
London based Downes lines out in the colours of Donore Harriers but it remains to be seen if the many training miles will yield the expected dividend. The 28 year old seeks to regain the title he won five years ago.
The fine weather will have brought a smile to the face of Clonliffe Harriers' Noel Cullen as he seeks to re establish domestic supremacy. Recent promising performances will send him into battle in confident form.
Seamus Power who always relishes the prospect of a dogged battle is expected to go well.
If all their men perform to their potential Mullingar should retain their team title but Donore led by Downes and with former winner Gerry Curtis back in harness could cause a stir.
,Dundrum South Dublin are not without hope either while Clonliffe may find that the age of some their squad and absence of younger members may be too much of a handicap on this occasion.
Teresa Duffy will be seeking to become only the fourth athlete to record a hat trick of victories and would appear to be the favourite in the absence of Catherina McKiernan to retain her women's title.
Buoyed by a recent good indoor performance the Belfast woman has proved that regardless of the underfoot conditions she has mastered the competition and should do so again. The main threat to her continuing supremacy will probably come from abroad. Catherine Shum travels from England with Valerie Vaughan and Monica O'Reilly from United States.
Finn Valley with Jill Bruce now in their ranks should hold on to their title but the distance of 6,000 metres may be just that bit too far for Bruce to entertain realistic hopes of victory. Forecasting the outcome of the junior races has, always been a lottery but Keith Kelly has displayed the form recently to suggest that he may retain his title with Siobhain Walshe anxious to do likewise.
