ONE FROM THE ARCHIVES WORLD CROSS COUNTRY 1979:Each weeek we reprint an original Irish Times report on a major event in Irish sporting history. This week, Peter Byrne'sdispatch from Limerick, March 26th, 1979.

A MOMENT, frozen in the minds of those privileged to witness it and destined to be recalled for generations still unborn, saw John Treacy race into athletics history at Limerick yesterday when he became the first Irishman to successfully defend the world cross-country championship.

In one of the great occasions of modern years in Irish sport, Treacy stripped away the last vestige of doubt about his ranking in the vast world of international athletics and, responding to the pressure in the manner of a true champion, came home alone amid the tumult of the crowded enclosure.

A crowd estimated at 25,000 had come to pay homage to the king, and they departed with the bonus of having seen Ireland gain second place in the men's senior team race, beaten only by England with the might of the Soviet Union, West Germany, America and Poland strewn behind them.

Earlier, Mary Purcell had run with some distinction to finish sixth behind the fleetfooted Norwegian girl Grete Waitz, but the day and the glory belonged to just one man, John Treacy.

Success in sport is all about courage, class and character. Only the third part of the formula was in question as the champion put his title on the line for some 230 challengers yesterday, and within a matter of seconds the answer had been delivered.

"I knew after only 400 metres that I was going to be there or thereabouts at the finish," recalled Treacy. "Mark you, it was not until two miles from home that I felt I was going to win for sure but in a race of this importance, you tend to get the message early on.

"Once I got the feel of the ground and drank in some of the atmosphere I resolved that if anybody was going to take the championship away from me they would have to do it the hard way."

On a day when, industrial action notwithstanding, the championships received massive projection, there was no shortage of pretenders to the throne, but Treacy saw them off one by one and as increasing daylight opened up between the leader and the pursuit, it was apparent from a long way out that only an accident of catastrophic proportions could loosen the Irishman's hold on the title.

It nearly materialised, too, for on the second-last lap, out of sight of many of the crowd, Treacy lost his footing in the mud and came down on his shoulder.

As ever, his response was perfect, for he was on his feet again in seconds, and as he settled back into that long, mechanical stride we knew for certain that this was, indeed, Ireland's day.

He was helped to some extent by the fact that the rains came in time to churn up the ground but, in the first part of his strategy, he was not wholly successful.

Paramount to his plan of campaign was the need to strike out early, but as the huge field set off in driving rain, he was jostled by a couple of runners and slipped to 12th place as the field - led by Nick Rose (England), Christoph Herle (West Germany) and Leon Schots (Belgium) - went past the stands for the first time.

The champion, however, was merely biding his time, and midway through the first circuit he moved smoothly through to the leading pack and loomed on the shoulder of the pacemaker, Schots.

This, we figured, was the classical confrontation; for the Belgian, winner of the title two years ago at Dusseldorf, was clearly one of the few men in the pack capable of going with the Irishman.

For the next mile or so they ran shoulder to shoulder, with the European steeplechase champion, Bronislav Malinowski of Poland in third place, just ahead of the improving Welshman Steve Jones.

And then, in a matter of no more than 40 yards the imposing challenge of Schots was broken.

Throwing in extra acceleration, Treacy moved inexorably away, and as the piston-like drive began to leave the Belgian's legs, he must have sensed in that moment that his cause was a hopeless one.

To his credit, he kept up the chase, but as the roars of the crowd monitored Treacy's ever-widening lead, it quickly became a battle for second place.

Malinowski and Jones joined Schots on the third lap but ultimately it was the Russian Alexander Antipov, second to Treacy at Glasgow 12 months ago, and the experienced Welshman Tony Simmons who were going strongest of the challengers at the finish.

By the start of the fifth lap, Treacy, skimming over the mud in a manner that must have wholly demoralised those behind him, had stretched his lead to 80 yards and the acclamation was already rising to the skies as he took the bell and made his lonely way home on the last lap.

Behind him the crowd now rallied to the cause of the second-placed Irishman, Danny McDaid of Donegal, who was involved in a tremendous struggle with the Scot Nat Muir, Craig Virgin of America and the English champion Mike McLeod, for tenth, 11th and 12th places.

McDaid - at 37 one of the father figures of the race - refused to be shaken by the reputation of his challengers, however, and digging deep into his bottomless fund of stamina, took 11th place at the line, a truly remarkable performance.

In striding to victory nine seconds ahead of Malinowski in a time of 37 minutes 20 seconds, Treacy became the first man to win the championship in consecutive years since Raphael Pujazon of France achieved the distinction in 1946 and 1947.

"The only stage of the race at which I was really scared was when I came into the enclosure and saw all those people breaking through the cordons and rushing towards me," said Treacy later. "I know they meant well - everybody it seemed wanted to slap me on the back and those gestures hurt."