The whole lot it’s essential know concerning the European Cross Nation trials in Sefton Park.
The Liverpool Cross Problem, some of the anticipated occasions within the British cross nation calendar, will happen this Saturday (November 22) at Sefton Park.
The occasion doubles because the trials for the upcoming European Cross Nation Championships, with athletes aiming to safe a spot for the British staff heading to Lagoa in Portugal subsequent month.
As much as six athletes might be chosen for the seniors, under-23 and under-20s. The primary 4 positioned senior/under-23 athletes and the primary 5 under-20 athletes shall be robotically picked for the staff.
The Cardiff Cross Problem was the official trial race for the senior combined relay on the European Cross, with Jack Higgins and Holly Dixon already securing their alternatives. The remaining two locations (one male and one feminine) shall be determined by a variety panel.
There isn’t any official trial race for subsequent yr’s World Cross Nation Championships in Tallahassee (January 10) however precedence for choice – excluding the senior combined relay – shall be based mostly on performances at each Liverpool and the European Cross.
The European Cross choice assembly for is November 24 and, for the World Cross, it is December 16.
Senior ladies
Kate Axford is aiming to go back-to-back after her spectacular 16-second win within the senior ladies’s race ultimately yr’s version. The Belgrave Harrier has already had a high-quality cross-country season, having anchored her membership to victory on the English Nationwide Cross Nation Relays in Mansfield earlier this month.
Nonetheless, she faces stiff opposition from a proficient discipline, which is headed by Abbie Donnelly. This shall be Donnelly’s first race since she clocked 2:24:11 ultimately month’s Frankfurt Marathon. The Lincoln Wellington AC athlete went seventh on the UK all-time record off the again of that race however now turns her consideration to Liverpool, the place she is trying to make yet one more British European Cross staff.
Donnelly may not have competed in cross nation since Frankfurt however she positioned second in Liverpool two years in the past and likewise secured a bronze medal within the senior ladies’s race on the 2023 European Cross Nation Championships.
World 10,000m finalist Megan Keith, first Briton on the Cardiff Cross Problem, is not competing however has put her title ahead for choice, in order that maybe opens the door for others who excelled within the Welsh capital like Poppy Tank and Amelia Quirk.
The forecast is ready to be moist on Saturday and the muddy circumstances might play into the fingers of each Jess Gibbon and Cari Hughes. At this yr’s English Nationwide Championships, Gibbon triumphed at a particularly muddy Parliament Hill and, an a slippery Sefton Park course, Hughes positioned second behind Axford ultimately yr’s Liverpool Cross Problem.
Izzy Fry, the 2022 World College cross-country champion who additionally positioned fourth at this yr’s UK 10,000m Championships, will even be a risk.
Others to be careful for are Lucy Jones, Sarah Astin, Esme Davies and Amelia Quirk.
Senior males
This yr’s senior males’s race seems to be set to be a reasonably open contest. If Rory Leonard can translate his high-quality success on the highway this season to cross-country, then he shall be a robust contender to win in Liverpool.
On the Valencia 10km again in January, the Morpeth Harriers AC athlete took six seconds off Mo Farah’s British report with 27:38 within the Spanish metropolis. He adopted that up with third place over 5000m on the observe on the UK Athletics Championships.
Leonard positioned fifth ultimately yr’s Liverpool Cross Problem however then completed a formidable ninth on the European Cross in Antalya.
Zak Mahamed was additionally a part of that British staff and he must be assured of creating this yr’s line-up after he was the primary Brit – inserting fourth total – on the Cardiff Cross Problem.
His brother Mahamed Mahamed hasn’t competed since his 2:08:52 at this yr’s London Marathon however has cross-country pedigree, having completed third ultimately season’s British Athletics Cross Problem at Parliament Hill.
Scott Beattie, one other Morpeth Harriers AC athlete, may very well be one to look at if the course is muddy, given he positioned third in robust circumstances ultimately yr’s Liverpool Cross Problem.
Based mostly on present kind Jacob Cann can’t be discounted both. This would be the Western Tempo athlete’s tenth cross-country race this yr and he arrives in Liverpool off the again of a dominant win on the Birmingham Cross Nation League and a fifth place on the Cardiff Cross Problem.
Similarly to Leonard, if Alfie Manthorpe can flip his unbelievable highway kind to success in cross-country then he can have each likelihood in Liverpool. The Hallamshire athlete ran a high-quality 61:26 on the Valencia Half Marathon, bettering his private greatest by over 9 minutes.
Having completed sixth on the Cardiff Cross Problem, Richard Slade might additionally do nicely in Liverpool. Different names to look out for are Calum Johnson, Charlie Wheeler and Jack Kavanagh.
U23/U20 athletes
As soon as once more, the under-23 athletes will line-up similtaneously the seniors however will peel off for the end at an earlier stage.
Meg Gadsby is aiming to retain her title at Sefton Park, having gained impressively ultimately yr’s version. Her closest problem might come from Mia Waldman, who positioned third and was 10 seconds behind Gadsby in Liverpool. Different notable names embrace the likes of Megan Harris, Emily Parker and Rebecca Flaherty.
It is doubtless that Will Barnicoat will go into the boys’s race as a robust favorite. Having gained final yr’s Liverpool Cross Problem, he then went on to retain his under-23 European crown, beating Eire’s Nick Griggs by only one second in Antalya. Henry Jonas and Osian Perrin might do nicely.
Anticipate Innes FitzGerald to dominate within the ladies’s under-20 race. Trying unbeatable in her age group over cross-country as soon as once more, the Exeter-based athlete gained the Cardiff Cross Problem by a rare 50 seconds. She can also be the double reigning under-20 European cross-country champion.
Simply six seconds separated the highest 4 in final yr’s males’s under-20 race and a equally shut battle seems to be doubtless once more on Saturday. With 2024 winner Henry Jonas transferring as much as the under-23s, it does open the door for others. William Rabjohns is the primary title to look out for, given the Poole AC athlete gained this season’s Cardiff Cross Problem and likewise positioned second to Jonas in Liverpool.
Different contenders contains the likes of Quinn Miell-Ingram, Dillon Millard and Jack Marwood.
Timetable
10:55 – U11 Boys (2km)11:05 – U11 Women (2km)11:15 – U13 Women (3km)11:30 – U13 Boys (3km)11:45 – U15 Boys (3km)12:00 – U15 Women (3km)12:15 – U17 Ladies & Junior Ladies U20 European trial (4km)12:35 – U17 Males & Junior Males U20 European trial (4.4km)12:55 – Senior Ladies + U23 Ladies European Trial (8km & 5.6km respectively)14:00 – Senior Males + U23 Ladies European Trial (8km & 5.6km respectively)
Extra occasion info might be discovered right here.
