MOUNTAIN RUNNERS EXCEL AT THE EUROPEAN TRIALS

British Athletics Mountain Running Championships incorporating trial races for European Off-Road Championships, Keswick, Friday 19 April

Joe Steward (Harry Kelly, Salford) and Scout Adkin (Angela Mudge, Ambleside) were convincing winners of the senior races at the British Athletics Mountain Running Championships held on an uphill only course up Skiddaw from Dodd Wood, north of Keswick.

Steward – a experienced GB & NI international who was eighth at last year’s World Championships – was in supreme form as he continued to show his prowess on the uphill courses. He won by a margin of 24 seconds from Jacob Adkin (Robbie Simpson, Keswick) to book his place on the team for the European Off Road Running Championships which take place in Annecy, France at the end of next month.

Jacob Adkin was embroiled Kris Jones (Swansea) battled their way up the course as they swapped second and third positions, but it was Adkin who pulled away on the final climb to the summit to capture second spot, with Jones settling for third. Finlay Grant (Dark Peak), who won a bronze medal in the U20 up-and-down event at the last edition of the European Off-Road Championships in 2022, finished strongly to take fourth in the senior race ahead of Tom Spencer (Buxton) and Bertie Houghton (Dark Peak).

Scout Adkin showed her class on the uphill course as she finished almost three minutes ahead of her nearest opponent. Adkin secured eighth place at the worlds last year on the way to team bronze in Austria, and she showed signs of continuing that form into next month’s Europeans. She was 16^th overall in the combined race.

Sara Willhoit ((Colin Livingstone, Mercia), also part of the bronze medal winning GB & NI team at last year’s World Championships, finished second ahead of Scarlet Dale (Helm Hill). The latter narrowly got ahead of Elle Twentyman (Rugby and Northampton), a newcomer to mountain running, in fourth.

In the U20 trial races, Eve Whitaker (University of Leeds) and Edward Hobbs (Gordon Agar, Ilkley) were convincing winners.

Whitaker – silver medallist in the up and down race at the Europeans in 2022 – showed strong signs that she is one to watch out for in the uphill only race at this year’s edition. The next two women, Lauren Russell (Highgate) and Amelie Lane (Wharfedale) were part of the GB & NI gold medal winning team at last year’s World Championships, with Isla Hedley (Ross Cairns, Edinburgh Hare & Hounds) coming home in fourth.

In the junior men’s race, Hobbs won the battle over Jack Sanderson (Settle), taking the Trials victory by five seconds. Alex Poulston (Katie Hewison, Wirral) and Thomas Hilton (Moorfoot) were just eight seconds further back and separated by just two seconds for third and fourth overall.

The U20 race was only a trial event for the European Off-Road Running Championships, with the British & Irish Championships due to take place in September in Ireland.

Full results HERE.

Inter-Counties Mountain Running Championships incorporating trial races for the European Off-Road Running Championships, Keswick, 21 April 2024

Kris Jones (Scotland East) and Scout Adkin (Cumbria) were the winners of the Inter-Counties Mountain Running Championships, which also served as the selection race for the up-and-down event at the European Off-Road Running Championships in Annecy in June.

The event took place on the fells above Keswick taking in the summit of Latrigg, Lonscale Fell and Skiddaw Little Man, before descending to the finish in Fitz Park, a distance of 16.3km, with 900m of climbing.

Only eighteen seconds separated the first three runners in the men’s race with Kris Jones finishing eleven seconds ahead of Robbie Simpson (Scotland North) with Joe Steward (Greater Manchester), a further seven second adrift.

In the senior women’s race, Scout Adkin (Cumbria) had another clear victory in the women’s race, finishing over three minutes ahead of her Cumbrian teammate, Eve Pannone (Derek Hurton).

Naomi Lang (Scotland East) was almost a minute further back as she took the bronze medal.

In the team competition, Scotland North won the men’s team gold medals, eight points ahead of Yorkshire with Derbyshire in third place.

Cumbria took the women’s team title with Yorkshire again taking silver whilst Scotland North were the bronze medallists.

The junior races were a Trial only for the European Off Road Running Championships up and down races.

Eve Whitaker followed up her uphill Trial win with a dominant display ahead of Amelie Lane, with Isla Paterson (Gala Harriers) capturing third place, narrowly ahead of Georgia Bell (Jethro McGraw, Leven Valley) in fourth.

Angus Wright (Edinburgh Hare and Hounds) took the honours in the U20 men’s race, beating Jack Sanderson in a sprint finish to win by a second. Sam Bentham (Ilkley) was next across the line in fourth ahead of Jonathan Downey (Kilmarnock) who was a few seconds back in fourth.

Results

*Photo credit: Woodentops