European Athletics (EAA9 – News – Purdue and Espana fashion easy wins in Dublin |

SPAR European cross country junior champion Charlotte Purdue and Spanish veteran Jesus Espana were the runaway winners at the SPAR Great Ireland Run in Dublin on Sunday.

British teenager Purdue, despite the fatigue of having ran the fastest five-kilometre leg for her Aldershot club in the English National Road Relays the previous day, beat her rivals in a time of 32:42.

The 19-year-old took charge of the race early on and powered away to finish well clear of compatriot Gemma Steel, who finished in a time of 33:03, with Nadia Ejjafini of Italy placing third in 33:09.

Local hopes Mary Cullen and Fionualla Britton could not live up to their reputation and eventually finished eighth and seventh respectively.

Purdue also finished as the top European at last month’s IAAF World Cross Country Championships, coming home in the 14th place in her first major championship in the senior ranks.

She also leads the women’s poll of the European Athlete of the Month for March. The polls close on 18 April.

Spaniard Espana on the other hand turned on lethal pace in the final 1,200 metres to clinch the men's title in a time of 29:26 ahead of Finland's Jussi Utriainen and Ireland’s Martin Fagan.

It was defending champion Martin Fagan who shot into an early lead opened a big gap on nine-time European cross country champion and pre-race favourite Sergey Lebid of Ukraine and Portugal's Rui Silva. But with 2 kilometres remaining Espana and Utrianen upped the ante and reduced Fagan’s lead.

Eventually Espana’s pace proved too good for both Utrianen and Fagan and they settled for second and third place respectively.

Leading Results:

MEN –

1. J Espana (ESP) 29:26

2. J Utrianen (FIN) 29:31

3. M Fagan (IRL) 29:35

WOMEN –

1. C Purdue (GBR) 32:42

2. G Steel (GBR) 33:03

3. N Ejjafini (ITA) 33:09