Josh Lay (coach: Matt Yates, club: Rugby and Northampton) has been named captain of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for this year’s European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Türkiye.

Lay was a key member of the senior mixed relay bronze medal-winning team at the 2023 edition of the Championships, and he will return to the fold for the 2024 edition, where he also earns the honour of leading the 40-strong GB & NI squad.

The Rugby and Northampton athlete only returned to racing from a long-term injury in early November with his last race before then the medal moment last December.

However, he won the men’s short course trial race in Liverpool in some style last month to book his place in the quartet which will be looking for more silverware this time around.

On receiving the captaincy, the 2019 European U20 1500m bronze medallist, said:

“It is a real unexpected honour. At previous championships that I have gone to, whether that be age group or senior, I always viewed the captain as a real person to look up to, so it is a real honour that I am the person to lead the team this year.

“Everyone is here on their own merit, so I just want to give a helping hand to anyone that needs it and give them support.

“I think it is a really strong team. Last year the team delivered a great performance as well. We have always had a good history in the U20 events and both teams look really strong, and I am sure the U23s, seniors and the mixed relay will put on a great show as well.”

The action gets underway at 8am GMT on Sunday 8 December with the U20 women kicking off proceedings as Innes Fitzgerald (Gavin Pavey, Exeter) looks to retain the title she won 12 months ago.

The U20 men’s race follows at 8:29 GMT with trials winner, Henry Dover (David Smith, Shaftesbury Barnet) among those to watch, before Lay and co take on the rest of Europe in the mixed relay at 8:55.

Attention will then turn to the U23 women’s (9:25 start) and men’s (10:00) races, with reigning champion Will Barnicoat (Tim Eglen, Aldershot, Farnham & District) taking to the start line in the latter.

The senior women get underway at 10:31 with a strong British team lining up as they aim for gold again. Lasy year’s individual bronze medallist Abbie Donnelly (Rob Lewis, Lincoln Wellington) is in the team once more, while trial winner Kate Axford (Andy Henderson, Belgrave) will be looking to take her excellent cross country form onto the continental stage.

The senior men bring the programme to a close from 11am with Trials winner, Tomer Tarragano (Dean Miller, Brighton & Hove) among the entries, while past U23 medallist Zakariya Mahamed (Idris Hamud, Southampton) adds further firepower to the GB & NI team.

• Live Streaming including events highlights will be available on the red button and also available on European Athletics website+ Eurovision Sport
• Live results will be available through https://live.european-athletics.com/EXC2024/lrs/home(registration required)

The Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the 2024 European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Turkiye on Sunday 8 December:

Senior Women

Kate Axford (Andy Henderson, Belgrave)

Abbie Donnelly (Rob Lewis, Lincoln Wellington)

Izzy Fry (Sonia McGeorge, Newbury)

Jess Gibbon (Reading)

Cari Hughes (Andrew Walling, Cardiff)

Poppy Tank (Luke Gunn, City of Plymouth)

Senior Men

Scott Beattie (Andrew Hobdell, Morpeth)

Ellis Cross (Andrew Hobdell, Aldershot Farnham & District)

Rory Leonard (Andrew Hobdell, Morpeth)

Zak Mahamed (Idris Hamud, Southampton)

Hugo Milner (Derby)

Tomer Tarragano (Dean Miller, Brighton & Hove)

Senior Mixed Relay

Tyler Bilyard (Jethro McGraw, Great Yarmouth)

Maddie Deadman (Rod Finch, Basingstoke and Mid Hants)

Josh Lay (Matt Yates, Rugby and Northampton)

Elise Thorner (Helen Clitheroe, Wells City)

U23 Women

Phoebe Anderson (Wayne Vinton, Herne Hill)

Poppy Craig-McFeely (Philip O’Dell, Herne Hill)

Meg Gadsby (Mick Woods, City of Norwich)

Mia Waldmann (Mark Booth, Reading)

Kate Willis (Dean Miller, City of Norwich)

Tia Wilson (Bill Foster, Bedford & County)

U23 Men

Will Barnicoat (Tim Eglen, Aldershot, Farnham & District)

Dafydd Jones (James Thie, Swansea)

James Kingston (Mark Hookway, Tonbridge)

David Stone (Dean Miller, Shaftesbury Barnet)

Peter Molloy (Central)

Brett Rushman (Andrew Hobdell, Herts Phoenix)

U20 Women

Jessica Bailey (Dean Miller, Leven Valley)

Innes Fitzgerald (Gavin Pavey, Exeter)

Zoe Gilbody (Sarah Benson, Telford)

Isobelle Jones (Wolverhampton and Bilston)

Eleanor Strevens (Christopher Voice, Eastbourne)

Lizzie Wellsted (Andy Henderson, Colchester)

U20 Men

Oliver Conway (Radley)

George Couttie (Ben Thomas, Harrogate)

Henry Dover (David Smith, Shaftesbury Barnet)

Quinn Miell-Ingram (Wendy Miell-Ingram, Radley)

William Rabjohns (Mark Pauley, Poole)

Miles Waterworth (Bruce Warren, Brighton Phoenix

Team Staff

Team Leader: Sarah Benson

Team Coaches: Andrew Henderson (Senior Mixed Relay), Eamonn Martin (Senior Men), Jackie Newton (U20 Women), Mick Woods (U23 Men), Mark Vile (U20 Men) Hayley Yelling (U23 Women), Liz Yelling (Senior Women)

Team Operations and Medical: Stuart Butler, Fiona Henry, Emma Lunan, Cerys Miller.

Team Media: Milly McEvoy