Three local athletes were part of the hugely successful Northern Ireland team at the British Athletics Road Championship over the last 2.6k of the London marathon course on Sunday morning.

Over a course shortened from the traditional 5km distance – as a result of teams being selected from the track rankings rather than cross-country – Frank Buchanan of St. Michael’s College had a superb run, finishing in sixth place out of the field of 200 athletes, and leading home the Northern Ireland team.

The second Northern Ireland athlete across the line was another Fermanagh lad, Ben Warnock of St Kevin’s, Lisnaskea who finished an excellent 16th, just 13 seconds behind his teammate.

Charlie Reihill was the third Fermanagh athlete in the Northern Ireland U15 team and he too ran very well, finishing 60th and fifth of the NI team after a track season where he made huge strides.

Overall, Northern Ireland had a hugely successful morning, with wins for European 3000m junior champion Nick Griggs (U-17 boys) and world age group 5k record holder Emer McKee (U-13 girls) as well as the U-17 girls team – their best ever showing at this event.

Hopefully a busy and uninterrupted cross-country season, for the first time in two years, lies ahead for all these talented young athletes.