The UK Athletics Cross Challenge series heads to Sefton Park in Liverpool on Saturday 23 November 2024, with the prestigious fixture once again hosting the European Cross Country Championships trials.

With eyes on Antalya for the Championships next month, athletes will be looking to book their places on the plane to Türkiye with strong performances on the tough course on Merseyside.

Reigning European bronze medallist Abbie Donnelly (coach: Rob Lewis, club: Lincoln Wellington) will be looking to replicate her excellent performances last winter on the country, as she leads the entries for the senior women’s race, which also includes the U23 trial race. Another previous winner on the entry list is Jessica Warner-Judd (Mick Judd, Blackburn).

Kate Axford (Belgrave) will be one to watch after her superb run at the Cardiff Cross Challenge a couple of weeks ago, with others showing early promise on the terrain including Izzy Fry (Sonia McGeorge, Newbury) and Amelia Quirk (Mick Woods, Bracknell) who were part of the gold-medal winning team at the Europeans last December. Welsh athlete Cari Hughes (Andrew Walling, Cardiff) is among a host of other athletes to keep an eye on during Saturday’s racing.

Cross country specialist Zakariya Mahamed (Idris Hamud, Southampton) will be the favourite to take the crown in the men’s race after a superb showing in Cardiff two weeks ago. He was the top British performer there amongst an international field, and he will be looking to build on that in the senior men’s race.

Fife’s Logan Rees (Ron Morrison) produced a breakthrough performance with a top ten finish in Cardiff – the second Briton overall – so he will have eyes on securing a maiden spot in a Great Britain and Northern Ireland team. Will Barnicoat (Aldershot Farnham and District), who won the European U23 title in 2023, is back to leads the entries in the U23 race which is combined with the seniors.

Josh Lay (Anthony Love, Rugby and Northampton) – start off leg runner in last year’s European bronze medal winning mixed relay squad – will be targeting a spot in the team for the 2024 edition as he leads the entries in the short course trial. Callum Elson (Cambridge and Coleridge) – previously a member of the mixed relay team at world and European level – continues his comeback from injury at the World Indoors in March, by lining up in the short course race.

The U20 women’s field will see the dominant Innes FitzGerald (Gavin Pavey, Exeter) return as she seeks another title in the age group. After winning the junior race in Cardiff two weeks ago, she remains in the scintillating form which saw her capture the European title 12 months ago. Lizzie Wellsted (Colchester) is among the leading challengers in the age group.

In the U20 men’s race, William Rabjohns (Mark Pauley, Poole) will be looking to follow-on from his Cardiff win with a strong display at Sefton Park. He will face a wide-open field with athletes scrabbling for places in the team for Antalya, with the likes of Mark Ruby (Mark Pauley, Poole) and Quinn Miell-Ingram (Wendy Miell-Ingram, Radley) among those also in strong form.

The UK Athletics Cross Challenge fixture will be streamed live on YouTube HERE. Action gets underway at 10:15am on Saturday 23 November.

Results will be available via FR Systems HERE.

Entry list info and other event details is available here