IRELAND'S Catherina McKiernan and Seamus Power gave their country a double success during the Margate Reebok International Cross-Country event at Hartsdown Park.

The pair were using Sunday's race as part of their preparations for the European Cross-Country championships that take place in Edinburgh next month.

McKiernan built up a sizable lead and crossed the line at the end of the six kilometre race 15 seconds ahead of compatriot Rosemary Ryan in 17 minutes 50 seconds.

And Power was equally dominant in the senior men's 9.5km race in which he finished 35 metres ahead of second placed Adrian Mussett, representing the East of England, in 28:43.

This year's seniors and under-20s races did not form part of the Reebok Challenge Series, which meant a large number of athletes in these categories opted to miss the meeting in favour of concentrating on next week's European Trials in Liverpool.

But British youngsters from as far afield as Scotland and Wales were among the challenge winners. There was also a big contingent of athletes from the Flemish Athletics Federation, who dominated the junior races, while France and Ireland also sent strong teams.

McKiernan's display was the highlight of the meeting as she continued her comeback after quitting the sport three years ago due to injury.

The absence of Invicta East Kent's European Junior Cross-Country champion Charlotte Dale left her with few rivals and, after going in front of early-leader Ryan, who went off course twice, she pulled further and further away from the rest of the field as the race unfolded.

Ryan (18:05) finished second with French champion and 1996 Margate winner Laurence Duquenoy, who followed Ryan in the wrong direction once, in third in 18:36.

British international Sharon Morris, who will run alongside Paula Radcliffe next weekend in the Great Britain team at the Ekiden Road Relay in Chiba, Japan, was fourth for the South of England team in 18:42.

Power also led for most of the men's race to come home ahead of Mussett (28:49), while a fast last lap by England's Billy Farquharson (28:54) was enough to hold off the challenge Frenchman Irba Lakhal (28:59) for third.

Kent athletes Michael Coleman, the Dover-based Medway & Maidstone runner who was representing England, was sixth in 29:13.

His club-mate Barry Royden, a two-time winner at Margate winner and British team member at the inaugural European cross-country championships in 1994, was seventh for the South of England team in 29:24.

Mark Christie won the junior men's 6km for Irish Federation in 18:30, while Flemish runner Kirsten Braem (12:02) triumphed in the junior women's 3.5km.

Kent's reigning under-15 champion Jack Tyler, of Medway and Maidstone AC, was the outstanding performer from the county in the junior races.

He ran well to finish third in 9:37 over three kilometres and was only just behind second placed Frederik Van Der Elst from the Flemish Athletics Federation.

Invicta East Kent AC earned the team bronze medals in the SEAA veterans over-50 championships thanks to Mike Stacey (34:42) in eighth, Peter Russell (34:46) in ninth and Tony Culshaw (37:48) who was 22nd.

The event began with races by 175 local primary school children, which were won by Grace Balsdon, of Vernon Holme School, Canterbury, and Lewis Collins, of Minterne Junior, Sittingbourne.

A family fun run, started by former London Marathon winner Eamonn Martin rounded off the racing.

The meeting was staged by the South of England Athletic Association with support from Thanet District Council and Thanet Roadrunners.