Middle distance runner Kelly claims provincial title double

THERE’S a well worn cliché about buses that sprang to mind when Tristan Kelly won his first Ulster titles at the weekend because not content with one gold medal, he claimed two in the under-20 3,000 metres and the under-20 1,500 metres.

“Those are my very first Ulster titles and I was so glad to get them,” he beamed.

“It’s a great confidence boost. I really needed the win this weekend so there was a lot of joy and euphoria when I came across the line so I was happy with that!” .

The 19-year-old Omagh lad, running for Finn Valley AC, showed that his year spent in Tennessee on the first year of his athletics scholarship has proved fruitful with the two wins at the Antrim Forum and he believes the College structure has provided the platform for last weekend’s success.

“The set-up in America is very business-like, it’s very official compared to what I was used to but I actually like that part of it,” he explained.

“And it’s very well organised, I’m in a nice cohesive team, which I didn’t really have over the last couple of years due to Covid.

“Because of that I feel I have improved dramticaly over the last year running wise.”

And while his first year in America has most certainly helped his running, he feels he has developed as a person over the course of the last 10 months at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee.

“As a person I’ve grown a lot, especially in my relationship with God,” he added. “I’ve grown a lot more spiritually and I’ve learned a lot more, not only about my limits as a runner but also what I can take into practice and what I can learn from running and apply to every day life.

“And I think that’s what America has given me, that life experience to not just see running as running.”

While at home, Tristan plans to continue training and hopes to run at a few more meets before returning to America for the new cross-country season.