Fionnuala McCormack facts for kids
McCormack at the 2011 European Cross Country Championships in Velenje, Slovenia
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| Personal information | |
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| Born | 24 September 1984 Wicklow, Ireland |
| Height | 1.57m |
| Weight | 43kg |
Fionnuala McCormack (born Fionnuala Britton on September 24, 1984, in Wicklow) is a famous Irish runner. She is known for competing in many different long-distance races. Fionnuala made history by being the first woman to win the European Cross Country Championships two years in a row, in 2011 and 2012. She has also proudly represented Ireland at the Olympic Games multiple times.
Contents
Career Highlights
Early Running Days
Fionnuala started her international running career in 2001. She competed in cross country races as a junior athlete. One of her first big races was the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. She finished 33rd in that event.
In 2006, she won a silver medal in the steeplechase at the European Cup. Later that year, she earned a silver medal in the under-23 race at the European Cross Country Championships. She continued to improve, finishing 14th at the 2007 World Cross Country Championships.
Global Competitions
Fionnuala made her first appearance at a major world track event in 2007. She competed in the steeplechase final at the World Championships. She also finished seventh at the European Cross Country Championships that year.
In 2008, Fionnuala made her Olympic debut at the Summer Games in Beijing. She competed in the women's steeplechase. She also finished 11th at the 2009 European Cross Country Championships, which was held in her hometown of Dublin.
European Champion
Fionnuala just missed out on a medal at the 2010 European Cross Country Championships. She finished with the same time as the bronze medallist. However, she soon found her winning stride.
In December 2011, she achieved a major victory. Fionnuala won the gold medal at the 2011 European Cross Country Championships. This was a huge moment in her career.
She started 2012 with more wins at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country and Antrim Cross Country events. In December of that year, she made history again. Fionnuala became the first woman to successfully defend her European cross country title. She won the gold medal at the 2012 European Cross Country Championships.
Continued Success
In January 2013, Fionnuala continued her winning streak. She successfully defended her titles at both the Great Edinburgh Cross Country and Antrim Cross Country races.
On March 3, 2013, she won a bronze medal. This was in the 3000 metres final at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Gothenburg. She also placed 13th at the 2013 World Cross Country Championships. She was the top European runner in that race.
In the following years, she continued to compete strongly. She finished fourth at the 2013 European Cross Country Championships. She also ranked eighth in the 10,000 metres at the 2014 European Athletics Championships. At the 2014 European Cross Country Championships, she finished sixth and helped her team win a bronze medal.
Later Career and Olympic Milestones
Fionnuala married in 2015 and began competing as Fionnuala McCormack. Her first success under her married name was a team bronze medal. This was at the 2015 European Cross Country Championships. She just missed an individual medal, finishing fourth.
In 2019, she competed in the senior women's race at the World Cross Country Championships. She finished in 18th place. She also finished 5th in the 2019 Chicago Marathon.
In December 2022, Fionnuala qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics. This was a remarkable achievement. It made her the first Irish woman to participate in five Olympic Games. She competed in the marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympics, finishing 28th. She also competed in the marathon at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021).
Personal Bests
These are Fionnuala McCormack's best times in various running events:
- 1500 metres – 4:08.35 minutes (2011)
- 3000 metres – 8:55.12 minutes (2012)
- 3000 metres indoor – 8:53.47 minutes (2013)
- 5000 metres – 15:08.69 minutes (2012)
- 10,000 metres – 31:18.25 minutes (2012)
- 3000 metres steeplechase – 9:17.60 minutes (2011)
- Marathon – 2 hours 23:46 minutes (2024)
