ATHLETICS/ National Intercounties Cross Country:Like a true title race, the National Intercounties Cross Country soon came down to Mark Christie, the reigning champion, and Gary Murray, the champion of two years ago, until it seemed the only thing to separate them would be desire - who wanted it more. The winner would certainly earn it.

The trouble was, both men, having endured a difficult 12 months, wanted it badly.

In the end, it was Murray who dug deep into his reserves to win back the title, while Christie, having dug perhaps too deep, was passed just before the finish by the track specialist Gareth Turnbull, who ran a typically gutsy race.

It was a fitting climax to a busy afternoon of cross-country - albeit poorly organised - over a flat and fast course at the Curragh Camp.

The defending women's champion, Fionnuala Britton, looked to have a similar battle on her hands against her Wicklow team-mate Deirdre Byrne, but eventually won by half a minute, while both junior races produced champions of hugely exciting potential in John Coghlan and Charlotte Ffrench-O'Carroll.

Dublin won all four team races.

Also at stake were places on the Irish team for the European Cross Country in Toro, Spain, on Sunday week, including the new under-23 division. The first three home in all four races were automatic selections - the full teams will be announced by Athletics Ireland today - and the under-23 men and senior women will travel with real medal hopes.

For Murray, victory was like an instant antidote to his problems of the past year, which would surely have broken a lesser man.

A chronic lower-back injury eventually took him from Ger Hartmann's clinic in Limerick to the illustrious Dr Müller-Wohlfarth in Munich, who on first examining Murray's X-rays shook his head as if to say "you'll never run again".

More than 20 injections later, Murray was finally running pain-free just a month ago.

"Thankfully, it just all came good on the day," said the 27-year-old from Donegal, who also endured a stomach ailment last week. "Then I knew I wanted that more than anyone else. I was going to win, or else die, with total fatigue.

"And as the race went on, I wanted it more and more, and once I got my head in front I wasn't giving it away to anybody.

"I just love to push myself harder than I've ever pushed before and beat people I know other people think should be beating me. It's the sheer love of it, too. It's a great sport, a pure sport. You're not sitting on top of the horse, you are the horse."

Murray had 11 seconds to spare over Turnbull, covering the 10km in 31:46. Christie was clearly disappointed with third place having made such a determined effort, but he's still eligible for the under-23 race in Spain and should prove a contender.

Turnbull, however, is not interested in the Europeans, as he explained: "Well, that's usually my only cross-country race of the year. Maybe, if I put the head down in September I could be that bit more competitive, but of all the seconds and thirds I've got, that probably felt the most comfortable."

So the fourth and fifth finishers - Dublin's Vinnie Mulvey and Joe Sweeney - are likely to be selected, having also run impressively in what was probably the most competitive senior men's race in several years.

For Britton, the silver medallist from last year's European under-23 race, things are also moving in the right direction after injury and illness interrupted her early season. She was shadowed by Byrne for three of the four laps, but, after an impressive surge, eased clear to win the 8km race in 28:48.

Byrne was second in 29:21 and Dublin's Linda Byrne - who'll contest the under-23 race in Spain - third in 29:26.

"That was much, much better than my recent races," admitted Britton, also one of Ireland's dozen athletics qualifiers for next year's Olympics. "So, hopefully, I'm coming good at the right time. It's hard to know though. When you run well your confidence comes up as well, and you feel everything is going well. But we'll see how it goes in the Europeans."

Judging on her 14th placing in this year's World Cross Country, Britton is capable of getting into the medals, as are the Irish team.

Byrne, a former US scholarship athlete, continues to improve and ran well in second, with Pauline Curley, who just a month ago won a national marathon title, surprising everyone to take fourth.

There's been plenty already written about the potential of the junior winner John Coghlan (we need hardly mention his famous father), and he duly took the title to add to his Interclubs crown.

In a fascinating race, Coghlan closed down his Dublin teammate Brendan O'Neill, who had made a daring solo bid for glory.

That tactic backfired as O'Neill dropped out shortly before the finish and the 6ft 3in Coghlan - using his long stride to great effect - won by three seconds from Michael Mulhare of Laois.

"That was my plan, to come through slowly," said Coghlan. "But Brendan obviously didn't feel good."

Perhaps the classiest winner of the day was the junior Charlotte Ffrench O'Carroll, matched only by her twin, Rebecca, who was runner-up just 10 seconds back.

The 17-year-olds from Loreto Stephen's Green simply ooze potential and look destined to make a mark at least on European athletics, perhaps as soon as Sunday week.