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Mo Farah starts as the pre-race favourite to clinch the men’s title while Stephanie Twell is equally favoured in the women’s race
COFTON PARK in Birmingham will see many of the top cross-country runners in the nation in action, vying for places on the British team for the World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz which will be televised live on Sky Sports 4.
Senior men
MO FARAH has not raced since January but the European indoor 3000m champion starts as the favourite to cement his place on the team for Bydgoszcz.
The European cross-country silver medallist returns from a training stint in Africa to take on Ricky Stevenson and Steve Vernon, who finished ahead of Farah in the short-race at the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country in January.
The Newham & Essex Beagle also takes on the winner of the National Cross Country Championships Andy Vernon, who has been in great shape on the boards and on the country, but he is undecided as to whether he would take up a place on the team to Poland.
Others at the helm will be Euro Cross trials winner Mike Skinner, Peter Riley, 1500m specialist Tom Lancashire and National fourth-placer Nielson Hall.
National runner-up Moumin Geele will also be a danger but the Somali-born athlete would not be eligible for the World Cross as his length passport application process has not been completed.
Senior women
NATIONALS winner Stephanie Twell starts as the pre-competition favourite in the absence of European Cross Country Champion Hayley Yelling-Higham.
The three-time European junior cross-country champion and world junior 1500m champion takes on a strong field which includes last year’s Nationals winner Hatti Dean as well as Stevie Stockton and Scottish champion Freya Murray.
The Essex pairing of Faye Fullerton and Jessica Sparke will also be hoping for selection, as will Laura Kenney (Warwickshire), who won two years ago.
Sonia Samuels, Victoria Wilkinson, Katrina Wootton and Lauren Deadman are other past GB representatives who will be seeking a berth for Bydgoszcz.
Under-20 men
RICHARD GOODMAN, the winner of the trials for the European Cross Country Championships steps up to try to do a double and secure selection for Bydgoszcz, having dominated the under-17 race at the National Cross Country Championships.
Leading the challenge to the European Cross fifth placer will be Ben Norris (Essex), who was third in the Nationals, Ronnie Sparke (Essex) as well as Jonny Hay (Surrey) and Callum Hawkins (Scotland West).
Other contenders include Matt Jackson (Cheshire), Ryan Saunders (Hampshire), Elliott Palmer (Suffolk) and Tom Curr (Gloucestershire).
Under-20 women
CHARLOTTE PURDUE is set to return to action after recovering from a knee stress fracture. The Aldershot Farnham & District athlete, who finished 15th in the World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa in 2007 at the age of 15, would be a big favourite if fully fit.
Under-17 Emelia Gorecka caused a surprise by beating all of the under-20 competitors at the Euro Cross trial, though at 15 she was not old enough to compete in Dublin. The Surrey athlete will also still not be old for Bydgoszcz, but will be among the leading contenders after recently winning the Nationals under-17 race by half a minute.
European cross-country bronze medallist Kate Avery should provide strong opposition along with last year’s winner Lily Partridge, who competed for Britain in both international cross-country championships last year.
Timetable
11.05 Under-20 men (8km)
11.33 Under-13 boys (3km)
11.51 Senior women (8km)
12.23 Under-15 boys (4.5km)
12.42 Under-17 women (5km)
13.08 Under-20 women (6km)
13.33 Under-13 girls (3km)
13.53 Under-17 men (6km)
14.15 Under-15 girls (4km)
14.36 Senior men (12km)
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