Everything you need to know about the European Cross Country trials in Sefton Park.
The Liverpool Cross Challenge, one of the most anticipated events in the British cross country calendar, will take place this Saturday (November 22) at Sefton Park.
The event doubles as the trials for the upcoming European Cross Country Championships, with athletes aiming to secure a spot for the British team heading to Lagoa next month.
Up to six athletes can be selected for the seniors, under-23 and under-20s. The first four placed senior/under-23 athletes and the first five under-20 athletes will be automatically picked for the team.
Cardiff Cross Challenge was the official trial race for the senior mixed relay at Euro Cross, with Jack Higgins and Holly Dixon already securing their selection. The remaining two places (one male and one female) will be decided by a selection panel.
There is no official trial race for next year’s World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee (January 10) but priority for selection – excluding the senior mixed relay – will be based on performances at both Liverpool and Euro Cross.
The selection meeting for Euro Cross is November 24 and for World Cross it’s December 16.
Senior women
Kate Axford is aiming to go back-to-back after her impressive 16-second win in the senior women’s race at last year’s edition. The Belgrave Harrier has already had a fine cross-country season, having anchored her club to victory at the English National Cross Country Relays in Mansfield earlier this month.
However, she faces stiff opposition from a talented field, which is headed by Abbie Donnelly. This will be Donnelly’s first race since she clocked 2:24:11 at last month’s Frankfurt Marathon. The Lincoln Wellington AC athlete went seventh on the UK all-time list off the back of that race but now turns her attention to Liverpool, where she is looking to make yet another British team for Euro Cross.
Donnelly might not have competed in cross-country since Frankfurt but she was a champion in Liverpool two years ago and also secured a bronze medal in the senior women’s race at the 2023 Liverpool Cross Challenge.
Megan Keith, who was the first Brit at the Cardiff Cross Challenge, isn’t on the entry list, so that perhaps opens the door for others who excelled in the Welsh capital like Poppy Tank and Amelia Quirk.
The forecast is set to be wet on Saturday and the muddy conditions could play into the hands of both Jess Gibbon and Cari Hughes. At this year’s English National Championships, Gibbon triumphed at an extremely muddy Parliament Hill. Hughes meanwhile, on a slippery Sefton Park course, placed second behind Axford at last year’s Liverpool Cross Challenge.
Izzy Fry, the 2022 World University cross-country champion who also placed fourth at this year’s UK 10,000m Championships, will also be a threat.
Others to watch out for are Lucy Jones, Sarah Astin, Esme Davies and Amelia Quirk.
Senior men
This year’s senior men’s race appears, on paper, is pretty open. If Rory Leonard can translate his fine success on the road this season to cross-country, then he will be a strong contender to win in Liverpool.
At the Valencia 10km back in January, the Morpeth Harriers AC athlete took six seconds off Mo Farah’s British record with 27:38 in the Spanish city. He then followed that up with a third place over 5000m on the track at the UK Athletics Championships.
Lenoard placed fifth at last year’s Liverpool Cross Challenge but then finished an impressive ninth at the Euro Cross in Antalya.
Zak Mahamed was also part of that British team and he should be confident of making this year’s one after he was the first Brit – placing fourth overall – at the Cardiff Cross Challenge.
His brother Mahamed Mahamed hasn’t competed since his 2:08:52 at this year’s London Marathon but has cross-country pedigree, having finished third at last season’s British Athletics Cross Challenge at Parliament Hill.
Scott Beattie, who like Leonard represents Morpeth Harriers AC, could be one to watch if the course is muddy, given he placed third in tough conditions at last year’s Liverpool Cross Challenge.
Based on current form Jacob Cann cannot be discounted either. This will be the Western Tempo athlete’s 10th race over cross-country this year and he arrives in Liverpool off the back of a dominant win at the Birmingham Cross Country League and a fifth place at the Cardiff Cross Challenge.
In a similar fashion to Leonard, if Alfie Manthorpe can turn his incredible road form to success in cross-country then he was every chance in Liverpool. The Hallamshire athlete ran a fine 61:26 at the Valencia Half Marathon, bettering his personal best by over nine minutes.
Having finished sixth at the Cardiff Cross Challenge, Richard Slade could do well in Liverpool. Other names to look out for are Calum Johnson, Charlie Wheeler and Jack Kavanagh.
U23/U20 athletes
Once again, the under-23 athletes will line-up at the same time as the seniors but will peel off for the finish at an earlier stage.
Meg Gadsby is aiming to retain her title at Sefton Park, having won impressively at last year’s edition. Her closest challenge could come from Mia Waldman, who placed third and was 10 seconds behind Gadsby in Liverpool. Other notable names include the likes of Megan Harris, Emily Parker and Rebecca Flaherty.
It’s likely that Will Barnicoat will go into the men’s race as a strong favourite. Having won last year’s Liverpool Cross Challenge, he then went on to retain his under-23 European crown, beating Ireland’s Nick Griggs by just one second in Antalya. Henry Jonas and Osian Perrin could do well.
Expect Innes FitzGerald to dominate in the women’s under-20 race. Looking unbeatable in her age group over cross-country once again, the Exeter-based athlete won the Cardiff Cross Challenge by an extraordinary 50 seconds. She is also the double reigning under-20 European cross-country champion.
Just six seconds separated the top four in last year’s men’s under-20 race and expect a similarly close battle again on Saturday. With 2024 winner Henry Jonas moving up to the under-23s, it does open the door for others. William Rabjohns is the first name to look out for given the Poole AC athlete won this season’s Cardiff Cross Challenge and also placed second to Jonas in Liverpool.
Other contenders includes the likes of Quinn Miell-Ingram, Dillon Millard and Jack Marwood.
Timetable
10:55 – U11 Boys (2km)
11:05 – U11 Girls (2km)
11:15 – U13 Girls (3km)
11:30 – U13 Boys (3km)
11:45 – U15 Boys (3km)
12:00 – U15 Girls (3km)
12:15 – U17 Women & Junior Women U20 European trial (4km)
12:35 – U17 Men & Junior Men U20 European trial (4.4km)
12:55 – Senior Women + U23 Women European Trial (8km & 5.6km respectively)
14:00 – Senior Men + U23 Women European Trial (8km & 5.6km respectively)
More event information can be found here.
