TRAIL ATHLETES SELECTED FOR THE 2022 WORLD MOUNTAIN AND TRAIL RUNNING CHAMPIONSHIPS

10 Great Britain and Northern Ireland athletes have been selected for the 40km and 80km Trail races at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships which will take place in Chiang Mai, Thailand on the 3-6 November 2022.

Three athletes have been selected for the 80km Trail Race at the Championships which were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic last year. These are Tom Evans (coach: Scott Johnston, club: Lewes AC), George Foster (Martin Cox, Matlock AC) and Harry Jones (Martin Cox, Mynyddwyr De Cymru).

Foster and Jones were first and third at the Lakeland Trails 100km in 2021, and both athletes have shown form in 2022, most recently at the Mozart Ultra 78km in Austria where Jones finished ahead of Foster as they claimed the top two positions in the race.

Tom Evans, bronze medallist at the World Trail Championship in 2018, has shown a return to top form this year with victories at the Trans Gran Canaria 65 km and the Madeira Ultra 85km, as well as setting a course record at the Scafell Sky Race.

With no trial for this event, selection for the 80km Trail Running Championships was based on the criteria outlined in the selection policy; having shown consistency of performances in races of similar distance, profile and terrain, as well as having the potential to challenge for an individual medal or the potential to form a medal-winning team.

Additionally, seven GB & NI athletes have been selected for the 40km Trail race.

Elsey Davis (self-coached, Preston) and Nichola Jackson (self-coached, Keswick), who were part of the bronze medal winning senior women’s trail team at the European Off Road Running Championships in July, will be joined by Catriona Graves (Tracey Brindley, Carnethy).

Jackson won the trial at the Scafell Pike Trail Marathon last weekend, while Graves earns her maiden senior vest after competing in GB & NI mountain running teams as a junior.

2019 World Trail champion Jon Albon will headline the men’s team in the 40km race, and is joined by trials winner, Kristian Jones (Swansea). Jones has represented GB & NI in cross country and also as an elite international orienteer but this is his first vest as part of the trail team.

Billy Cartwright (Matlock) and Tom Adams (self-coached, Ilkley), second and third respectively at the trials, complete the men’s squad for the 40km race.

The team will be selected in four phases and additional athletes may be added to the 80km and 40km teams at the selection meeting following the mountain running trials on 9 and 11 September. The selection policy can be viewed here.

The Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships:

40km Trail race

Senior women

Elsey Davis (self-coached, Preston)

Catriona Graves (Tracey Brindley, Carnethy)

Nichola Jackson (self-coached, Keswick)

Senior men

Tom Adams (self-coached, Ilkley)

Jon Albon

Billy Cartwright (Matlock)

Kristian Jones (Swansea)

80km Trail race

Senior men

Tom Evans (Scott Johnston, Lewes AC)

George Foster (Martin Cox, Matlock AC)

Harry Jones (Martin Cox, Mynyddwyr De Cymru)