The 2021/2022 British Athletics Cross Challenge Series returns in October as the UK’s best cross country athletes take part in the five event series which culminates in Loughborough for the final next March.

The event is back and kick starts in Llandaff Fields in Cardiff on Saturday 16 October. The city has played host to the Cross Challenge for several years and with the support of Welsh Athletics, is set to host the opener to the Autumn / Winter season.

Entries for the event are open until the 10 October with the likes of Charlotte Arter, Kate Avery and Dewi Griffiths already listed among the entrants.

Teardrop Lakes in Milton Keynes has been an ever-present fixture in the series since 2015, and will return to host the second set of races in the series on Saturday 13 November, so will be an important test for athletes just two weeks ahead of the Liverpool event which hosts the European Cross Country Championship trials.

The Sefton Park event on 27 November is a staple in the cross country calendar as the best athletes across the country will battle it out to book their spot on the plane to Dublin for this year’s European Championships in December. Entries for the highly anticipated event are open until the 19 November 2021.

In the new year, Belfast will host the fourth-round fixture on 22 January 2022. Taking place in Dundonald, the event will include the World Athletics International, Home Countries International and Celtic Challenge.

The finale of the series will take place on 12th March with Loughborough’s Prestwold Hall once again hosting the fixture which also incorporates the UK Inter Counties Championships.

Competitions and Events Director, Katie Brazier, said,

“We are thrilled to see the return of the British Athletics Cross Challenge series for 2021/22. It has been a challenging couple of years for the series, the event organisers and particularly the athletes, as we have faced the restrictions of the pandemic. We are excited to see athletes signing up to the take part in the five event race series, and all our stakeholders have been working to make sure the event is run in a safe and secure manner.

“Cross country running has a huge tradition in British athletics, so we are delighted to offer these high-quality competition opportunities for all athletes who enter, including our juniors competing across the age-groups, some of whom are making their first steps in the sport.

“Entries are open for the first three events so please do enter via the UK Athletics website and we look forward to seeing you around the country over the next six months.”

The fixture list for the British Athletics Cross Challenge 2021/22:

16th October 2021 – Cardiff (Llandaff Fields)

13th November 2021 – Milton Keynes (Teardrop Lakes)

27th November 2021 – Liverpool (Sefton Park) incorporating European XC Trials

22nd January 2022 – Belfast (Billy Neill Centre of Excellence Dundonald) including World Athletics International, Home Countries International and Celtic Challenge

12th March 2022 – Loughborough (Prestwold Hall) incorporating UK Inter Counties Championships

Entry details, course maps and event info can be found HERE.