UKA CROSS CHALLENGE 24/25 SET FOR ENTERTAINING FINALE IN NOTTINGHAM

The UK Athletics Cross Challenge Final brings a close to the cross country season at Wollaton Park today Saturday 8^th March.

Since the start of November 2024, the series has seen incredible domestic action across the country in Cardiff, Liverpool, Glasgow and Leeds, before the finale heads to Nottingham as athletes have their eyes on the Cross Challenge crown.

The senior women’s race is set to be one of the most compelling of the day with several stars in line to take the title. With Kate Axford (Belgrave) – 10^th at the European cross in December – leading the standings but having not racing since December, English National Cross Country champion Jess Gibbon (Reading) and winner of the recent fixture in Leeds, Amelia Quirk (Mick Woods, Bracknell) may be the leading contenders this weekend. The pair are in strong form as we reach the final point in the 24/25 winter season.

Cari Hughes (Andrew Walling, Cardiff) – second in Cardiff and Liverpool earlier in the series – is also amongst the qualifiers for the final, with Glasgow runner-up Morag Millar (Central) and the likes of Poppy Tank (Luke Gunn, City of Plymouth), Scout Adkin (Angela Mudge, Moorfoot) and Izzy Fry (Sonia McGeorge, Newbury) all adding further firepower to the mix. The race gets underway at 11:30.

Leeds winner Logan Rees (Ron Morrison, Fife) is in exceptional form after his superb win at Temple Newsam, and he currently leads the senior men’s standings after strong performances through the series including a second place in Cardiff last November.

Glasgow winner Jamie Crowe (Derek Easton, Central) will also be one to watch at Wollaton Park, while the likes of Jack Millar (David Bedwell, Bristol & West), Scott Stirling (John Pentecost, Falkirk) and Aidan Thompson (Derek Easton, Central) having all fared well across the series. English Nationals runner-up James Kingston (Mark Hookway, Tonbridge) is in good form after a decent display in Leeds last month, so he will likely feature at the top-end of the field.

With no Innes FitzGerald in Nottingham due to her selection for the European Indoor Championships, the line-up is strong for the U20 women’s race with English National winner and runner-up, Isabel Holt (Edmund Finucane, Blackburn) and Eliza Nicholson (Tom Craggs, Blackheath & Bromley) respectively, a dangerous pair at this fixture. Nicholson won in Leeds last month which further backs up her quality during recent months. Series leader Zoe Gilbody (Sarah Benson, Telford) is amongst the qualifiers, as is GB&NI international Lizzie Wellsted (Colchester).

Each winner in the series features in the line-up in the U20 men’s race. Cardiff champion William Rabjohns (Mark Pauley, Poole) – also second in Liverpool – is among them, with Sefton Park winner Henry Dover (Shaftesbury Barnet), Glasgow victor Thomas Hilton (Moorfoot), and Quinn Miell-Ingram (Wendy Miell-Ingram, Radley) – triumphant in Leeds – all among those who could be lining up for the Cross Challenge Final.

A full programme of age group races kickstart at 10:30am today (Saturday 8 March) and you can watch on BritishAthleticsTV on YouTube.