5th October 2020

BRIGGS TO MAKE SENIOR DEBUT AT WORLD HALF AS CARRUTHERS WITHDRAWS

British Athletics can confirm that Becky Briggs (coach: Mick Woods; club: City of Hull) has been called up to the British team for the World Half Marathon Championships on October 17, as Hayley Carruthers (Daniel Robinson; Birchfield) withdraws through injury.

Briggs, the British Under-20 half marathon record holder, made her British debut at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships, forming part of the Under-20 women’s team that finished in seventh position in the team standings, taking an individual 44th place to finish as third scorer for the team.

Briggs has twice improved her half marathon times this year, most recently by taking 100 seconds off her best in Antrim last month, taking fourth position in 72:34, a time that also moved her up to seventh on the all-time British Under-23 half marathon rankings and third in Europe at Under-23 level this season.

Carruthers was in line for her British debut following her fourth place at the Vitality Big Half back in March, adding to her personal best marathon clocking in Valencia in December 2019, of 2:32:42.

At the age of 20, Briggs will be the youngest member of the full British team of 10 for the World Half Marathon Championships.

The full British team selected for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships on October 17:

Men:

Mohamud Aadan (Paul Oppe; Thames Valley)

Tom Evans (Andrew Hobdell; Belgrave)

Callum Hawkins (Robert Hawkins; Kilbarchan)

Kristian Jones (Dundee Hawkhill)

Jake Smith (James Thie; Cardiff)

 

Women:

Becky Briggs (Mick Woods; City of Hull)

Stephanie Davis (Phillip Kissi; Clapham Chasers)

Clara Evans (Chris Jones; Cardiff)

Samantha Harrison (Vince Wilson; Notts)

Charlotte Purdue (Nic Bideau; Aldershot, Farnham & District)