‘All these guys are hungry to try and win a medal’ – Brian Fay leads Irish bid to end European Cross Country drought

National champion feels Team Ireland’s first men’s senior podium in 25 years should be the target in Lagoa, Portugal this weekend

Having spent time in Australia recently, Brian Fay (27) claimed the national cross country title last month. Photo: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Moving to the other side of the world can teach you a lot about your home nation. In recent weeks, Brian Fay has been back in Dublin after spending much of the year in Melbourne, where he trains with some of Australia’s top distance runners under coach Nic Bideau.

After getting re-acquainted with the misery of an Irish winter, and slogging through the mud to win the national cross country title in Derry last month, he knows why there’s such a special grá for this sport in Ireland.