McKiernan withdraws from Belfast International
Fresh on the heels of her withdrawal from last weekend's Great North race in Newcastle, Ireland's Catherina McKiernan has pulled out of next Saturday's Belfast International event at Stormont.
The Cornafean athlete, who turned 34 on November 30, will instead focus on regaining full fitness ahead of March's World Cross Country Championships.
The four-times runner up performed above herself at the Europeans before Christmas, helping the Irish team to a silver medal despite illness.
Organisers have moved quickly to ensure the women's 5000m race next Saturday remains quality laden, and Kenya's Susan Chepkemei, 1000m Commonwealth silver medallist in 2002, and Ethiopian Eyerusalim Kuma will compete against British trio Jo Pavey, Hayley Yelling and 2003 World 1500m bronze medallist Hayley Tullett.
World marathon record holder Paul Tergat's third place in Newcastle puts him in good stead for a win in Saturday's men's race, and he will have fond memories of Belfast having won his last World Cross Country title there back in 1999.
