Everything you need to know about the European Cross Country events in Sefton Park.
The Liverpool Cross Challenge, one of the most anticipated events on the British cross country calendar, takes place this Saturday (November 22) at Sefton Park.
The event also serves as a trial for the upcoming European Cross Country Championships, with athletes looking to secure a place for the British team heading to Lagoa, Portugal, next month.
Up to six athletes may be selected for the senior, under-23 and under-20 categories. The first four qualified senior/under-23 athletes and the first five under-20 athletes will be automatically chosen for the team.
The Cardiff Cross Challenge was the official test race for the senior mixed relay in the European Cross, with Jack Higgins and Holly Dixon already securing their selections. The two remaining places (one male and one female) will be decided by a selection panel.
There is no official test race for next year’s World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee (January 10), but priority for selection, excluding the senior mixed relay, will be based on performances at both Liverpool and the European Cross Country.
The selection meeting for the European Cross is on November 24 and, for the World Cross, on December 16.
older women
Kate Axford is aiming to get back into racing after her impressive 16-second victory in the senior women’s race at last year’s edition. The Belgrave Harrier has already had an excellent cross-country season, having led his club to victory at the England National Cross Country Relays in Mansfield earlier this month.
However, she faces tough opposition from a talented field, led by Abbie Donnelly. This will be Donnelly’s first race since clocking 2:24:11 at last month’s Frankfurt Marathon. The Lincoln Wellington AC athlete placed seventh on the UK all-time list after that race, but is now turning her attention to Liverpool, where she is looking to make another British European Cross Country team.
Donnelly may not have competed in cross country since Frankfurt, but she came second in Liverpool two years ago and also claimed a bronze medal in the senior women’s race at the 2023 European Cross Country Championships.
The world 10,000 m finalist, Megan Keith, the first British in the Cardiff Cross Challenge, is not competing but has submitted her name for the selection, which may open the door for others who stood out in the Welsh capital such as Poppy Tank and Amelia Quirk.
The forecast will be wet on Saturday and muddy conditions could favor both Jess Gibbon and Cari Hughes. In this year’s English National Championships, Gibbon triumphed on an extremely muddy Parliament Hill and, on a slippery Sefton Park pitch, Hughes came second to Axford in last year’s Liverpool Cross Challenge.
Izzy Fry, the 2022 world university cross-country champion who also placed fourth at this year’s UK 10,000m Championships, will also be a threat.
Others to look out for are Lucy Jones, Sarah Astin, Esme Davies and Amelia Quirk.
older men
This year’s senior men’s race looks to be a fairly open competition. If Rory Leonard can translate his excellent away success this season to cross-country then he will be a strong contender to win in Liverpool.
In the Valencia 10km last January, the Morpeth Harriers AC athlete took six seconds off Mo Farah’s British record with 27:38 in the Spanish city. He followed this up with third place in the 5000m track at the UK Athletics Championships.
Leonard came fifth at last year’s Liverpool Cross Challenge, but then finished an impressive ninth at the European Cross in Antalya.
Zak Mahamed was also part of that British team and should be sure to be in this year’s line-up after being the first Brit (fourth overall) in the Cardiff Cross Challenge.
His brother Mahamed Mahamed has not competed since his time of 2:08:52 at this year’s London Marathon, but he has pedigree in cross-country, having finished third in last season’s British Athletics Cross Challenge on Parliament Hill.
Scott Beattie, another Morpeth Harriers AC athlete, could be someone to keep an eye on if the course is muddy, having come third in difficult conditions at last year’s Liverpool Cross Challenge.
Based on current form, Jacob Cann cannot be ruled out either. This will be the Western Tempo athlete’s tenth cross-country race this year and he arrives in Liverpool after a dominant win at the Birmingham Cross Country League and a fifth place finish at the Cardiff Cross Challenge.
Similarly to Leonard, if Alfie Manthorpe can convert his incredible form into cross country then he will have every chance at Liverpool. The Hallamshire athlete clocked an excellent time of 61:26 in the Valencia Half Marathon, improving his personal best by more than nine minutes.
After finishing sixth in the Cardiff Cross Challenge, Richard Slade could also do well in Liverpool. Other names to look out for are Calum Johnson, Charlie Wheeler and Jack Kavanagh.
U23/U20 athletes
Once again, the U23 athletes will line up at the same time as the seniors, but will reach the finish line at an earlier stage.
Meg Gadsby aims to retain her title at Sefton Park, after winning impressively in last year’s edition. Her closest challenge could be Mia Waldman, who placed third and was 10 seconds behind Gadsby in Liverpool. Other notable names include the likes of Megan Harris, Emily Parker, and Rebecca Flaherty.
Will Barnicoat is likely to enter the men’s race as a heavy favourite. After winning last year’s Liverpool Cross Challenge, he retained his European under-23 crown, beating Ireland’s Nick Griggs by just one second in Antalya. Henry Jonas and Osian Perrin could do well.
Expect Innes FitzGerald to dominate in the women’s under-20 race. Looking unbeatable in her age group cross-country once again, the Exeter athlete won the Cardiff Cross Challenge by a remarkable 50 seconds. She is also the double European under-20 cross-country champion.
Just six seconds separated the top four in last year’s men’s under-20 race and an equally close battle looks likely to be repeated on Saturday. The fact that 2024 winner Henry Jonas moves up to the under-23 level opens the door for others. William Rabjohns is the first name to look out for, as the Poole AC athlete won this season’s Cardiff Cross Challenge and also came second to Jonas in Liverpool.
Other contenders include the likes of Quinn Miell-Ingram, Dillon Millard and Jack Marwood.
Calendar
10:55 – U11 Children (2km)
11:05 – Girls U11 (2km)
11:15 – Girls U13 (3km)
11:30 – Children U13 (3km)
11:45 – Children U15 (3km)
12:00 – Girls U15 (3km)
12:15 – European U17 women’s and junior women’s U20 test (4 km)
12:35 – European U17 men’s and junior men’s U20 events (4.4 km)
12:55 – Senior Women’s European Trial + Women’s Sub23 (8km and 5.6km respectively)
2:00 p.m. – Senior Men’s European Trial + Women’s Sub23 (8km and 5.6km respectively)
You can find more information about the event here.
