Rangey DSD star Joe Sweeney won his first senior cross-country title with an impressive gun-to-tape dash

Rangey DSD star Joe Sweeney won his first senior cross-country title with an impressive gun-to-tape dash , opening up a 50-metre lead within 4km of the 10,000m race that he easily extended with each subsequent lap.

He came home a full 33 seconds ahead of Mullingar's Mark Christie, who outsprinted young Dubliner Brendan O'Neill in a great tussle for silver.

Sweeney, a UCD post-grad student, was particularly thrilled given what he's been through.

"The last time I ran really was in the inter-counties in 2007 because I became really badly anaemic; this time last year I was in hospital," Sweeney revealed.

Sorting out that problem, and working with Jerry Kiernan now, has obviously done the trick as he confessed that yesterday's victory "felt like a training run".

"When I got going, I just kept motoring and didn't slow down. I really wanted to get a real blow-out because the Europeans will be like that," he added.

Joe has now gained automatic selection for those European Championships in Portugal in a fortnight's time. (http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/)

(www.athleticsireland.ie)