6th August 2025

Novuna GB & NI U20 team all set in Tampere

The Novuna Great Britain and Northern Ireland U20 team are all set to take on the European Athletics U20 Championships in Tampere.

A total of 59 athletes have travelled to Finland to compete across four days of action, beginning on Thursday 7 August and concluding on Sunday 11.

European Under-20 5000m record holder Innes FitzGerald (coach: Gavin Pavey, club: Exeter) headlines the opening day of action, as she goes in the 5000m final on Thursday evening.

FitzGerald, who has also been named team captain alongside Teddy Wilson, is joined on the start line by Katie Pye (Mike Woods, Aldershot, Farnham & District) and Freya Bradley (Anthony Glover, Yate) in the first track final of the championships.

FitzGerald is also doubling up in the 3000m, with Isla McGowan (Ros Kelling, Banbury) and Zoe Gilbody (Sarah Benson, Telford AC) alongside her for that one from Friday.

Thursday also sees a number of other events get underway, with Charlotte Henrich (Nigel Stickings, Invicta East Kent) looking to continue her fine form in the 400m, having set a new personal best of 51.95 at the recent Novuna London Athletics Meet.

Stan Chevous (Lee Bowker, Ipswich) also goes in the 400m, while Jabez Berry (Steve Pearson, Halesowen) gets his campaign underway in the hammer.

Mabel Akande (Denise Timmins, Lincoln Wellington) leads the women’s 100m runners alongside Kaya Slater (Roddy Slater, Reading AC) and Jess Mantle (Helen James, Cardiff) while team captain Teddy Wilson (Marvin Rowe, Shaftesbury Barnet) does the same on the men’s side with Dylan Williams (TJ Ossai, BFT Track Academy) and George Warburton (Andy Paul, Stockport Harriers).

Lucy Tallon (Nigel Stickings, Tonbridge) goes in the 200m, as does Jake Odey-Jordan (Victor Blackett, BFT Track Academy), Ethan Franklin (Gladys Bird, Woodford Green Essex Ladies), and Ebuka Nwokeji (Ty Holden, Shaftesbury Barnet).

Both Wilson and Odey-Jordan were part of the 4x100m relay team that won silver at last year’s World U20 Championships in Lima, with fellow medallists Dean Patterson (Dave Watson, Glasgow Jaguars) and Fabian Powell (James Wright, Rugby & Northampton) adding further strength and depth in Tampere.

Phoebe Clayton (Julie Dodoo, Notts) and Nell Desir (Lisa Waddon, Cardiff Archers) do the same for the women’s 4x100m relay squad.

Thursday morning also sees Daniel Emegbor (Rohan Samuel, Harrow) compete in the long jump, while Harley Henry (Craig Andrew, Shaftesbury Barnet) starts his triple jump campaign on Saturday.

Daisy Snell (Guy Spencer, Blackheath & Bromley) and Thea Brown (Ashley Bryant, Sale Harriers) are both in long jump action from Saturday.

Elsewhere in the field, Mikun Adeniran (Ben Hazell, Basingstoke & Mid Hants) and Jacob Foord (Taunton AC) both go in the discus, while Harriet Court (Mark Roberson, Thames Valley) is in javelin action and Alani Dumbuya (Simon Forster, Leigh) in the shot put.

Otis Poole (Joy Bray, Yate) and Isla Pain (Cheltenham) both go in the high jump, while Isabella Turner (Andy Jackson, Dacorum & Tring AC) competes in the pole vault.

The first morning session rounds off with 400m hurdles heats, with Oliver Parker (James Wright, Rugby & Northampton) and Rayhan Mourtada (John Blackie, Blackheath & Bromley) flying the flag on the men’s side, before Arabella Wilson (Andrew Fisher, Thames Valley) and Stephanie Okoro (Laura Turner-Alleyne, Havering) follow in the afternoon.

The first middle-distance action gets underway with the Oliver MacDonald (Dudley Walker, Giffnock North) and Luke Dunham (Andrew Hobdell, Herts Phoenix) in the men’s 3000m heats, before Will Rabjohns (Mark Pauley, Poole AC), Rafferty Mirfin (Gordon Agar, Skyrac), and Tom Waterworth (Derek Darnell, Huntingdonshire) follow soon after in the 800m.

The women’s 1500m then gets underway with European Under-18 champion Lyla Belshaw (David Smith, Colchester) stepping up to under-20 level.

She is joined by Eleanor Strevens (Dean Miller, Eastbourne) and Isobelle Jones (Wolverhampton & Bilston).

The men’s 1500m follows on Friday, with Zachary Dunne (Jane Clark, City of Norwich) and Oliver Patton (Robert Hawkins, Kilbarchan) on the track at lunchtime.

That is after Olivia McGhee (Michael Lewis, Rugby & Northampton) and Millie Gold (Mark Gold, Swansea) have competed in the 3000m steeplechase heats, while Dillon Millard (Dave Lee, Taunton AC) follows in the men’s event on Saturday.

Friday afternoon sees Shaikira King (Wreake & Soar Valley), Alice Bennett (Luke Gunn, Kettering), and Bethany Trow (Shrewsbury) begin in the 800m before Michael Clark (Jane Clark, City of Norwich) and Reiss Marshall (Steven Doig, Fife) go in the 5000m final.

Saturday sees Eden Robinson (Cardiff Archers) start her heptathlon campaign, while Noah Hanson, Charlie Staddon, and Toby Wright all compete in the 110m hurdles.

Action can be streamed live on Eurovision Sport, while results can be found on the European Athletics website.

Novuna GB & NI U20 team:

Women

100m

Mabel Akande (Denise Timmins, Lincoln Wellington)

Kaya Slater (Roddy Slater, Reading AC)

Jess Mantle (Helen James, Cardiff)

200m

Lucy Tallon (Nigel Stickings, Tonbridge)

400m

Charlotte Henrich (Nigel Stickings, Invicta East Kent)

800m

Shaikira King (Wreake & Soar Valley)

Alice Bennett (Luke Gunn, Kettering)

Bethany Trow (Shrewsbury)

1500m

Lyla Belshaw (David Smith, Colchester)

Eleanor Strevens (Dean Miller, Eastbourne)

Isobelle Jones (Wolverhampton & Bilston

3000m

Innes FitzGerald (Gavin Pavey, Exeter)

Isla McGowan (Ros Kelling, Banbury)

Zoe Gilbody (Sarah Benson, Telford AC)

5000m

Katie Pye (Mike Woods, Aldershot, Farnham & District)

Innes FitzGerald (Gavin Pavey, Exeter)

Freya Bradley (Anthony Glover, Yate)

3000m Steeplechase

Olivia McGhee (Michael Lewis, Rugby & Northampton)

Millie Gold (Mark Gold, Swansea)

400m hurdles

Arabella Wilson (Andrew Fisher, Thames Valley)

Stephanie Okoro (Laura Turner-Alleyne, Havering)

Heptathlon

Eden Robinson (Cardiff Archers)

High jump

Isla Pain (Cheltenham)

Long jump

Daisy Snell (Guy Spencer, Blackheath & Bromley)

Thea Brown (Ashley Bryant, Sale Harriers Manchester)

Pole vault

Isabella Turner (Andy Jackson, Dacorum & Tring AC)

Javelin

Harriet Court (Mark Roberson, Thames Valley)

Shot

Alani Dumbuya (Simon Forster, Leigh)

Relay 4x100m

Will be made up of individual athletes selected plus:

Phoebe Clayton (Julie Dodoo, Notts)

Nell Desir (Lisa Waddon, Cardiff Archers)

 

Men

100m

Teddy Wilson (Marvin Rowe, Shaftesbury Barnet)

Dylan Williams (TJ Ossai, BFT Track Academy)

George Warburton (Andy Paul, Stockport Harriers)

200m

Jake Odey Jordan (Victor Blackett, BFT Track Academy)

Ethan Franklin (Gladys Bird, Woodford Green Essex Ladies)

Ebuka Nwokeji (Ty Holden, Shaftesbury Barnet)

400m

Stan Chevous (Lee Bowker, Ipswich)

800m

Rafferty Mirfin (Gordon Agar, Skyrac)

Will Rabjohns (Mark Pauley, Poole AC)

Tom Waterworth (Derek Darnell, Huntingdonshire)

1500m

Zachary Dunne (Jane Clark, City of Norwich

Oliver Patton (Robert Hawkins, Kilbarchan)

3000m

Oliver MacDonald (Dudley Walker, Giffnock North)

Luke Dunham (Andrew Hobdell, Herts Phoenix)

5000m

Michael Clark  (Jane Clark, City of Norwich)

Reiss Marshall (Steven Doig, Fife)

3000m Steeplechase

Dillon Millard (Dave Lee, Taunton AC)

110m Hurdles

Noah Hanson (Tony Jarrett, Newham & Essex Beagles)

Charlie Staddon (Julie Alexander, Bristol & West)

Toby Wright (Steve Shaw, Taunton)

400m hurdles

Oliver Parker (James Wright, Rugby & Northampton)

Rayhan Mourtada (John Blackie, Blackheath & Bromley)

High jump

Otis Poole (Joy Bray, Yate)

Long jump

Daniel Emegbor (Rohan Samuel, Harrow)

Triple jump

Harley Henry (Craig Andrew, Shaftesbury Barnet)

Discus 

Mikun Adeniran (Ben Hazell, Basingstoke & Mid Hants)

Jacob Foord (Taunton AC)

Hammer

Jabez Berry (Steve Pearson, Halesowen)

Relay 4x100m

Will be made up of athletes selected as individuals, including;

Dean Patterson (Dave Watson, Glasgow Jaguars)

Fabian Powell (James Wright, Rugby & Northampton)