TWO MONTHS before Santry stages the European Cross Country Championships the prospects of some Irish success appear to be improving.

Martin Fagan put his recent injury problems behind him to win the Boston Half-Marathon on Sunday, and is now keenly targeting the December 13th event, while Mary Cullen has also recovered from a more extended lay-off through injury and starts her first cross country race of the season in the Phoenix Park this Sunday.

Fagan was in danger of missing Santry when an Achilles’ tendon injury forced him to drop out of last month’s Great North Run, and which also resulted in him withdrawing from next month’s New York Marathon.

However, he bounced back with typical gusto to win the 13.1-mile event in Boston in an impressive 62 minutes and 21 seconds – just a second off the course record of Kenya’s Tom Nyariki. Fagan beat a field of over 4,000 and a number of leading Kenyans, including John Korir, and countryman Philemon Terer, who ended up second in 62:24.

Based in Flagstaff, Arizona, Fagan became only the second Irish winner of the prestigious event, after Marie Davenport’s victories in the women’s race in 2003 and 2006. The Mullingar athlete also earned the top prize of €5,000 – and more importantly is back on course for a leading finish in Santry.

Cullen endured a frustrating summer. Just a few weeks after winning the bronze medal over 3,000 metres at the European Indoor Championships in Turin, Cullen was diagnosed with a stress fracture in her pelvis, and at the same time underwent a minor operation to remove a cyst from the side of her head. In the end she was forced to miss the outdoor track season – for the second year in succession.

Yet all that doubled her determination to return to full fitness for Santry. Having finished fourth in the European Cross Country last year, she has every reason to believe she can make it into the medals, and after running a 10km road race in her native Sligo last weekend in 32:20, she’ll run at Sunday’s Gerry Farnan Cross Country in the Phoenix Park as part of her build-up.

Several other athletes eyeing selection for the European Cross Country will also compete, including Mark Christie (Mullingar Harriers), Mark Keneally (Clonliffe Harriers), Mark Hanrahan (Leevale) and Brian Maher (Kilkenny City Harriers), while Linda Byrne of Dundrum South Dublin and Fionnuala Britton of Sli Chualann will provide the main opposition for Cullen.