Young athletes from across Northern Ireland gathered in the Mourne Mountains on Saturday for a key moment in the junior mountain running calendar, as trials took place to select the 2026 Northern Ireland junior squads.
Hosted by the Northern Ireland Mountain Running Association (NIMRA), the event at Donard Forest saw aspiring runners across three age groups compete over a challenging 7km course in hopes of earning a place on teams set to represent their country at major competitions later in the year.
With opportunities to compete in events across Britain, Ireland and even internationally in Italy, the trials marked the first step on a pathway for young runners aiming to test themselves against the best, and potentially wear the national vest in 2026.
For four Newcastle AC runners, the terrain was familiar. As part of the club’s Monday Mountain group, the trials, and the slopes of Donard Wood, had long been their regular stomping ground.
That local knowledge undoubtedly played to their advantage before the course pushed them into the tougher gorse-covered bogland leading towards Tollymore.
From there, the route climbed towards the Mountain of No Name, where competitors turned and began the demanding descent, carefully navigating the uneven terrain. Reaching the gravel at Shepherd’s Lodge, the runners then faced one final push, a fast 1km downhill stretch to the finish.
In the U-16 category, and following his short course win the previous week in Wicklow, his first mountain race, Donal McDaid produced another standout performance to take second place in the trial.
It was an exceptional run from the young athlete, who had been quietly putting in the work behind the scenes on the very hills he raced over.
Mary Houston had endured an agonising experience at the Ulster Schools’ Cross Country Championships the previous month, missing out on national qualification by a fraction of a second.
If anything, however, that disappointment appeared to strengthen her resolve to give everything at this trial.
In the weeks that followed, she continued to chip away at her parkrun personal best, while also securing a significant 5km PB at the Race Round the River at Queens University.
Throwing herself fully into the trial, her form, composure and control on the climbs set her apart from the rest of the field, and she powered to victory in the U-16 girls’ race.
It was a performance that firmly signalled what could be the first of many international call-ups for the promising young athlete.
Finishing not far behind Mary Houston was regular training partner Parisa Susay-Quinn. Parisa has consistently proven her ability across multiple disciplines for both school and club, playing a key role on an Ulster medal-winning relay team, while also excelling over shorter distances.
Usually quiet in nature, Parisa let her running do the talking. Moving confidently across the technical sections, she showed impressive control before powering through the final kilometre.
Picking up the pace, she hunted down the athlete ahead in the closing stages to secure third place—an effort that confirmed her readiness for this level and earned her international selection for June.
Jamie O’Flaherty competed in the U-18 race. After a baptism of fire at last year’s trials, where a misread route led to many runners being rerouted, he could have been forgiven for hesitating to tackle the mountains again.
Yet his impressive development over the winter, with faster 5k times and multiple podium finishes, had bolstered his confidence and belief in his abilities.
This course demanded far more than a fast, flat 5k, presenting a significant challenge for the 16-year-old, with its added distance and elevation.
Nevertheless, he embraced the test, finishing sixth in the U-18 race. We still await the selection committee’s published results to see if Jamie has been selected.
Despite the bipolar weather on the day, the team at the Northern Ireland Mountain Running Association ensured the course was clearly marked and well-manned across many tricky sections.
With over 40 young athletes taking on the challenge from across the province, the event highlighted the growing popularity of mountain and hill running in Northern Ireland within the junior ranks, with the Newcastle AC contingent leading the charge from the front.
To read the digital edition, download the Mourne Observer app
