13 athletes, who represented England at cross country during the last 12 months, have made the GB team for the European Cross Country Championships in Turin.
The England Cross Country Association (ECCA) have for many years financed England teams to compete in international cross country events abroad. This has over the years given much needed additional competition to allow athletes different race experiences in various countries and cultures on typically European style cross country courses.
The whole experience and nuances of travel, hotels and food as well as meeting new and peer athletes and new team managers is all part of the overall requirement for athletes keen to progress in the sport and the ECCA take great pleasure in helping fund athletes to manage this aspect of their running careers.
These overseas events are totally financed by the ECCA from the proceeds of holding the prestigious National Cross Country Championships and The National Cross Country Relays annually. The ECCA is very pleased and proud to announce that at this year’s European Cross Country Trials at Liverpool on 26th November 13 athletes, who represented England at cross country in the last 12 months, made the GB team for the European Cross Country Championships in Turin on 11th December.
Along with all the GB athletes competing in Turin we wish them the very best.
Those athletes that have benefited directly from the experience of representing England at cross country in the last 12 months are as follows:
Senior Men
- Hugo Milner 2nd in the Euro Cross Country Trial.
Hugo competed for England 3 times this year at Elgoibar, Spain (9th) and Belfast
(4th) both in January and Milton Keynes (4th) in November. - Mahamed Mahamed 5th in the Euro Cross Country Trial.
Mahamed competed in Diest, Belgium in February (2 nd ) and Milton Keynes in
November (1st) as well as winning the prestigious English National in February.
U23 Men
- Zakariya Mahamed 8th in Euro Cross Country Trial (1st U23).
Zak won the Home Countries International in Belfast in January and was 2nd in Milton
Keynes in November. - Matt Stonier 9th in Euro Cross Country Trial (2nd U23).
Matt competed in Elgoibar, Spain (11th) and Belfast (7th) in January and also went on to
make both England and GB 1500m teams at The Commonwealth and Europeans
respectively.
Senior Women
- Abbie Donnelly 3rd in the Euro Cross Country Trial.
Abbie competed for England in the Home Countries/Belfast International in January. - Jess Gibbon 5th in the Euro Cross Country Trial
Jess also competed for England in the Home Countries/Belfast International last
January (10th) and also this November at the Home Countries International in Milton Keynes
where she finished 3rd. Jess finished off a successful season winning the Senior Ladies
English National Cross Country title in February.
U23 Women
- Alexandra Millard 8th in the Euro Cross Country Trial (3rd U23)
Alexandra ran in her first Senior England vest in January at Elgoibar Spain where she finished
10th and then went on to win the Junior Ladies title at the National Cross Country in
February. Alex has transitioned very well from Junior to senior and competed again as a
Senior at the Home Countries International at Milton Keynes finishing 1st.
Junior Men
- William Barnicoat – 1st in the Euro Cross Country Trial.
Will was 1st in Elgoibar, Spain in January and then went on to win the English National Cross
Country Junior title in February. - Sam Mills – 2nd in the Euro Cross Country Trial.
Sam was 1st in the Home Countries International, Belfast in January. He took his good form
into February with another 1st place in Diest, Belgium before going on to win the U17
English National later that month. - Johnny Livingstone -5th in the Euro Cross Country Trial.
Johnny was 3rd in Diest, Belgium in February. - Edward Bird – 6th in Euro Cross Country Trial
Edward was 4th in the Home Countries International @ Milton Keynes in November
Junior Women
- Alice Bates was 2nd in the Euro Cross Country Trial.
Alice was selected to represent England at the Home Countries International at Milton
Keynes in November and won the race - Beatrice Wood was 4th in the Euro Cross Country Trial.
Beatrice competed for England at Elgoibar, Spain in January and finished 4th.
