The fourth leg of the 2022/23 British Athletics Cross Challenge series heads to Scone Palace in Perth on Saturday 14 January.

The event, hosted by Scottish Athletics, sees a return to Scotland for the first time since 2020, and a number of athletes will be chasing valuable Cross Challenge points in the last race before the Final in March.

Megan Keith (coach: Ross Cairns), U23 silver medallist at the recent European Cross Country Championships, headlines the senior women’s race. The Inverness athlete has been in excellent form during the winter season, finishing second at the last Cross Challenge event in Liverpool.

She will face World and European mountain running Championships medallists Scout Adkin (Angela Mudge, Keswick) in the contest, while fellow European U23 Team gold medallist Eloise Walker (Trevor Painter, Edinburgh) also competes on home ground.

Meanwhile, in the senior men’s race, GB & NI’s leading mountain and trail runners will contest the cross country races in Perth. Jacob Adkin (Robbie Simpson, Keswick), a former European champion, and Kristian Jones (Swansea), who won team bronze in the short trail race at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships last year, will feature in this one. Jamie Crowe (Derek Easton, Central), who ran for GB & NI at the 2021 European Cross Country Championships is another athlete to watch out for in this contest.

The U20 races will see several Cross Challenge contenders battling it out for the all-important points.

In the women’s race, Challenge leader Alice Bates (Shane Smith, Kettering) will be looking to make it four wins from four after sealing victory in Cardiff, Milton Keynes and Liverpool in 2022.

Megan Harris (Hayley Hemmings, Chelmsford), who currently sits in second place in the U20 standings, is also listed on the entries for Perth, so will provide strong opposition for Bates. Libby Huxley (Andy Bibbey, Preston) and Kiya Dee (Cheltenham), fourth and fifth respectively in the standings after three races, will also be looking for a good performance in Scotland to set them up for the final in Loughborough.

As for the men’s U20 races, Challenge leader Edward Bird (Mark Pauley, Poole) is on the entry lists and will be looking to extend his lead at the top of the standings. He will face Rowan Miell-Ingram (Radley), who was second in Milton Keynes, over the race in Perth.

Others to watch out for is Jacob Deacon (Katie Hewison, Chorley), who like Bird, was part of the gold-medal winning U20 men’s team at the Euro Cross in Turin.

Action kicks off from 11am with the U13 Girls race. Full start lists can be viewed HERE.

Further event details can be found HERE.