Owenbeg Cross Country Race Report - 18th January 2026

Sponsored by O’Neills Sportswear, hosted by Club Derry, and organised by Springwell Running Club, the inaugural Owenbeg Cross Country event took place on Saturday, 17th January 2026, at the Owenbeg GAA Centre of Excellence in Dungiven. What began as a simple idea and brief conversation a year ago developed into months of planning between Club Derry and Springwell RC. The generous support from O’Neills Sportswear helped bring the vision to life, resulting in a truly memorable experience for both competitors and spectators.

The course, built within the Owenbeg complex, featured a 1.6km circuit encompassing a mix of terrains including arable pasture, sports pitches, and forest trails, providing a challenging yet rewarding test for athletes. A full programme of races allowed participants of all ages to compete. The day’s events began at 11:30 am under perfect weather conditions, with blue skies and light winds, as the U11 athletes kicked off the action. The 1km race was won by Connla McElhone and Rose Millar, both from Mid Ulster AC.

Mid Ulster AC continued its success in the U13 1.6km race, with Sine McMullan winning the girls’ race, and Jackson Nellins (Ballymena & Antrim AC) claiming victory in the boys’ race. The U15 and U17 events consisted of two laps (3.2km), where Clodagh McSorley (Ballymena & Antrim AC) and Aodhan Corrigan (Omagh Harriers) won in the U15 category, while Conan O’Doherty (Mid Ulster AC) and Katie Logan (Lagan Valley AC) took the U17 titles.

In the Senior Women’s 6.4km race, Karen Wilton (Jog Lisburn) and Angeline McShane (City of Derry Spartans) ran stride-for-stride for much of the race. Karen set the early pace, but Angeline took the lead at the start of the third lap and held it to win in 25:28. Karen followed closely, finishing second in 25:45, while Springwell RC’s Fiona Prue secured third in 27:51. Caoimhe Ferris (Ballymena & Antrim AC) took the FU20 title. The Senior Women’s race also included the Male Veterans 60+ category, where Declan McCarthy led from start to finish with an impressive performance.

The Senior Men’s 6.4km race began with a tight contest between Luke Dinsmore (Annandale Striders) and Neil McCartan (Harrow AC). Dinsmore increased the pace after the first lap and delivered an outstanding display of front running to win in 20:28. McCartan claimed second place in 21:24, with Oran O’Hare (Dublin City Harriers) finishing third in 22:15. Luke O’Doherty (Mid Ulster AC) took the MU20 title.

Springwell RC Chairperson Stephen McLaughlin commented, “Months of collaboration between Springwell and Club Derry came to fruition at Owenbeg on Saturday, delivering an event that both organisations can be proud of. It was heartwarming to see such a strong turnout for the junior races—their energy and enthusiasm were fantastic. Alongside the support from regional running clubs, it was wonderful to welcome participants from other sports clubs and local schools, many of whom were experiencing cross country for the first time. We’re grateful to Club Derry for the opportunity to co-host, to Derry GAA for the use of their excellent facilities, and to O’Neills for their support—without them, this event wouldn’t have been the success that it was. This is the first of what we hope will become a regular fixture on the cross country calendar. Let’s hope the last few months were just the planting of the acorn!”

Speaking on behalf of Club Derry, Chair Gerry Loughrey added, “The success of the event would not have been possible without the sponsorship from O’Neills Sportswear. Their support and presence created a carnival atmosphere that greatly enhanced the day. Caroline Casey, John Tumility, and their Derry Shop staff worked tirelessly from the inception of the Owenbeg XC idea, even designing the special ‘Owenbeg XC’ bobble hats for our athletes. The ‘O’Neills Goody Bags’ handed out on the day were a welcome surprise and greatly appreciated, while their pop-up shop proved to be a resounding success.

“I would also like to thank Derry County Chairperson John Keenan and the County Board for placing all their facilities at our disposal, allowing us to provide hot food, drinks, and snacks, ably prepared by Chef Miceal, to athletes and spectators alike. Thanks to Owenbeg’s Director of Operations, Stephen Barker, and his grounds staff who worked tirelessly alongside Springwell RC to prepare an excellent course and ensured all logistical elements—from car parking to showers—ran smoothly. The Owenbeg Cross Country 2026 has been a major success, and we look forward to developing the event further in the future.”

Springwell Focus

Between volunteering in the fields and racing, the Springwell purple was ever present at the event, and there were a few who doubled up - marshalling the junior races before pulling on the spikes to race in the afternoon!!

In the races, the first race with Springwell participation was the Female and Male 60+ race, and 4 laps of the course to make up 6.5km. Great performances from all 9 of our runners in this race, with Fiona Prue coming 3rd Female and 4th overall.

The last race of the day was the Male race, covering the same distance as the Female race - 4 laps and 6.5km. There were 15 Springwell men in the race, with Christopher McNickle first home for the club finishing 7th place in 0:23:10. Some of our runners were running their first ever cross country race, hopefully the first of many. New member Adam Hutton had a solid debut run for the club, finishing 24th in 0:25:40.

Female & Male 60+Race

4th Fiona Prue 0:27:51(3rd F); 11th Deborah McPhee 0:31:16; 18th Alison Duncan 0:34:39; 19th Leanne Quigley 0:34:39; 20th Andrew Wilmot 0:34:48; 21st Pauline Mullan 0:34:56; 24th Nicole O'Connor 0:37:23; 26th Ingrid Hamilton 0:42:48; 27th Gael Butcher 0:42:48

Male Race

7th Christopher McNickle 0:23:10; 12th Peter Tees 0:24:00; 15th James Weir 0:24:19; 16th Stephen Fillis 0:24:36; 20th Darren Walsh 0:25:16; 21st Andy Whiteford 0:25:18; 22nd Maurice Walker 0:25:26; 24th Adam Hutton 0:25:40; 25th Jack McKibbin 0:26:04; 30th Aaron Steele 0:27:22; 38th Jonny Rowntree 0:28:49; 39th Brian Moore 0:29:02; 40th Dara Watterson 0:29:16; 45th George Mimnagh 0:31:07; 50th Colin Loughery 0:31:55

The full results can be found on the results page of our website.