City of Derry’s Declan Reed.
The official run-up to the SSE Airtricity Walled City Marathon begins at 11.00am tomorrow with a 10k road race.
Over 500 competitors are expected to take part in the event which will include sections of the marathon route, starting and finishing in Ebrington.
City of Derry Spartan Declan Reed will start as pre-race favourite, justified by his record which includes top honours at the AAI National Masters Cross Country Championships as well as a 25.46 time at the Raheny five mile road race.
Other top local athletes expected at the staring line include Scott Rankin (Foyle Valley), Emmet McGinty (City of Derry) and Chris McGuinness (Foyle Valley).
Like Declan Reed, McGinty was part of the strong City of Derry squad who won the Athletics NI XC League, and the 31.57 10k man finished off the season with a second place finish at the Stormont Cross Country two weeks ago.
McGuinness ran well at the Northern Ireland and Ulster Junior Cross Country Championships, finishing in 13th place.
Since then, he has run 15.59 and 15.47 for 5k, with a 15.59 securing victory at the Lifford AC 5k road race.
Recent Finn Valley AC 5k winner, Adrian McGowan (Foyle Valley AC) could also line up along with City or Derry quartet Noel Logan, Greg Roberts, Mark Mullan and Benny Mullan.
Foyle Valley’s Sarah Lindsay.
Irish International Ann-Marie McGlynn (Letterkenny AC) will start favourite to take the honours in the ladies’ race with Marina Campbell (City of Derry) and Sarah Lindsay (Foyle Valley) among the local challengers.
Campbell showed real potential throughout the Athletics NI Cross Country League, in particular, her performance at the McConnell Shield XC in November among the highlights.
Since then, Marina has produced good performances at the “Run in the Dark” in Belfast and the Malcolm Cup XC.
Lindsay, the current Northern Ireland and Ulster Novice cross country champion and Northern and Ulster Intermediate cross country medallist is considered a strong contender for a podium place.
Foyle Valley’s Trish McClintock and City of Derry trio Miriam Bridge, Jackie McGinley and Paula McGilloway are tipped to finish in the top ten.
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