European Cross-Country Championship: ‘It’s a privilege to be part of an Irish team’- Niamh Richardson

While the real challenge is yet to begin, making the international standard should be looked upon as cause for celebration.

“A lot of hard work goes into making these teams,” said Niamh Richardson. “When that happens you have to celebrate times like these.”

Richardson, who will join the four athletes as part of the Irish coaching team in Turin, is no stranger to the international competition, and was part of the Harriers contingent who represented club and county at the Lisbon event in 2019. For her, having four more runners on the team is something to be proud of.

“We’ve had a great record in the European Championships in the last few years,” she said of the Harriers. “It’s such a privilege to go out there as part of an Irish team with real ambition to do well.”

Having four athletes in the squad - KCH have the joint highest representation on the team - is a sign that the hard work is paying off.

“What’s really encouraging for us is to see these guys have come up through the ranks,” she said. “Peter, Shay and Aoibhe worked up through the ranks which, for a club with a long-term development ethos, is really special.”

The coach admitted that hopes were high as the KCH team made their way to Donegal’s for the National Championships, where good performances would secure those precious spots on the Irish team.

“Before the Nationals we felt that if everything went perfectly well we could have four on the team,” she said.

“In fact it could have been five - Cathal O’Reilly (who won European team silver with the men’s junior team in Santry last year) wasn’t far away - the standard in the junior men’s race was unbelievable. He was disappointed, but he will be back again next year.”

And those performances in Donegal will stand the runners in good stead for their Italian adventure.

“It was a nice course, good underfoot but it was challenging,” she said. “The brilliant thing about it was that it was almost a replica of Turin. It’s quite technical, lots of up and downhills and twists and turns, so I think it will suit our athletes down to the ground.”

That type of course certainly makes a change from the perceived notion of cross-country being mucky affairs.

“The European races were always different,” she said. “You might not have any muck or even hills. Donegal had some good running in it and was also challenging, which is what you want, as it shows the strength of the athletes. From an Irish point of view it was also good to have a course that was similar to what the athletes will face in Europe.”