LOCAL athlete Harry McVeigh has etched his name into the history of not just Newcastle AC, but into Irish youth athletics and the wider running community after storming to victory in the U-13 race at the National Novice Cross Country Championships in Dublin on Sunday.
For those who have followed Harry’s journey, the moment carried a sense of destiny. With so many accolades over the years, this was the one which alluded him. His first major breakthrough came at just nine years old, when he claimed his first Ulster title, and as the years passed, consecutive Ulster titles followed.
Over the past five years, he focused on steady progress, one stride at a time.
On Sunday at the National Sports Complex in Abbotstown, the national championships in Dublin unfolded under brutal conditions, with heavy rain, thick mud, and a biting wind creating a course as challenging as any young athlete could face. Yet Harry embraced it.
Over the course of 2,500 metres, a test of strength, stamina, and sheer will, he ran with a confidence and composure well beyond his years.
At 800m to go, as he had emerged from the blind spot of the course, it was clear he had made his move on the hill and broke away from the pack. The voice of the one man who never misses a training session or race, shouted that he was nine seconds clear and that the national title was his to win. The announcer pointed out that, as Harry got closer to the finish, Connaire, his dad, that reassuring voice by the trees moments earlier, was the 1994 National Schools’ steeplechase champion, and Harry was following in his footsteps.
As he rounded the final bend, caked in mud but full of determination, the race entered its decisive moment. With competitors trying to close in behind and the finish line ahead, Harry surged forward, powering through the rain in the red and yellow colours of Newcastle AC. When he crossed the line, the celebrations began. The dream was achieved, and those watching on cheered, parents wiped away tears, and best friend Rossa’s infamous unwavering support erupted in pride.
Harry McVeigh: U-13 national cross country champion – a title earned not through luck, but through courage, hard work, and an extraordinary spirit. And even when he achieved the biggest win of his journey so far, he was first to shake hands, hug those competitors who have become friends, and waited for the last person to cross the line to congratulate them.
Though he had barely caught his breath and the medal was still warm around his neck, he was straight back out on the course shouting for big brother Connaire Óg in the U-15 race, as he proudly represented County Down. That was Harry through and through, heart first, himself second.
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