Liverpool Cross Challenge: who, what and when guide

Everything you need to know about the European Cross Country trials in Sefton Park on Saturday November 23

The Liverpool Cross Challenge, one of the most anticipated events in the British cross country calendar, will take place this Saturday (November 23) at Sefton Park.

The event doubles as the trials for the upcoming European Cross Country Championships with athletes aiming to secure a spot for the British team heading to Antalya next month.

Arguably the most exciting race of the day will be the senior women’s event. With last year’s winner, Megan Keith, who was competing as an under-23 athlete, missing from the entries, the race is wide open.

Abbie Donnelly, who was the first senior women over the line at Sefton Park in 2023, will be looking for a victory to ensure her place in Turkey, having already clinched a bronze medal at the European Cross last year – her first ever individual major championships medal.

Abbie Donnelly (Getty)

However, she faces stiff competition from a talented field, including Kate Axford, the top British finisher and third overall at the Cardiff Cross Challenge earlier this month, and Jessica Warner-Judd, who placed eighth in the World Championships 10,000m and has a strong record at the event in previous years.

The field also features several other notable athletes, such as Cari Hughes, who was the second Brit at Cardiff, Amelia Quirk, Jess Gibbon, former Euro Cross winner Gemma Steel and 2022 World University cross country champion Izzy Fry.

Tokyo 2021 800m finalist Alex Bell will also be joining the race after deciding to focus on cross country and road running, moving away from track and field.

Kate Axford (David Hewitson)

On the senior men’s side, the 8km race promises a fierce competition, with Hugo Milner, last year’s winner, looking to defend his title. The triathlete finished fourth at last year’s Euro Cross and will be aiming for a podium finish this time round after securing the National cross country title in September.

Zak Mahamed, the first Brit in Cardiff and seventh overall, will also be a strong contender, looking to improve on his 27th senior place at last year’s Euro Cross. Mahamed also won European under-23 silver in 2022.

Other athletes to watch include Inter-Counties champion Calum Johnson, who made the World Cross team earlier this year, Scottish cross country champion Jamie Crowe and the Wheeler twins, Charlie and George.

British 5000m and indoor 3000m champion James West will also race, alongside top competitors such as Rory Leonard, Ben Connor and Scott Beattie.

Zak Mahamed (Mark Shearman)

The under-23 challenge looks set to be led by last year’s European under-23 champion Will Barnicoat.

On the women’s side, the under-23 race appears much more open, with several athletes in contention for the top spot. Notable names include Anna Hedley, Bea Wood and Charlotte Alexander, all of whom will be eager to claim victory.

Unusually, the under-23 athletes will line up and race alongside the senior competitors but the younger runners will cover a shorter course and therefore peel off for the finish at an earlier stage than the seniors.

In the under-20 women’s race, Innes FitzGerald, who won the European Cross title last year at just 18 years old, will be the one to beat after her dominant victory at the Cardiff Cross earlier this month.

Jess Bailey, who finished just two seconds behind FitzGerald at the World Cross this year, will also be a major contender, especially after setting a UK 5km record of 15:25 this month, knocking seven seconds off FitzGerald’s previous mark.

Innes FitzGerald (Paul Stillman)

The junior women’s race will also feature Cardiff under-17 winner Isla McGowan, under-20 runner-up Lizzie Wellsted and Natasha Phillips, the British under-20 half-marathon record-holder.

Eliza Nicholson, who represented Britain at the World Cross, will make her return from injury, while Alice Bates and Zoe Gilbody will also be in the mix.

Cardiff runner-up Libby Hale will also toe the line alongside Ellarose Whitworth, who finished just behind her in Cardiff, as well as Olivia Forrest and Shaikira King.

In the men’s under-20 race, Cardiff winner William Rabjohns will look to continue his winning streak, but he will face stiff competition from Henry Dover, who finished six at last year’s Euro Cross, and an in-form Rowan Miell-Ingram. Evan Grime and Mark Ruby, who took silver at Cardiff, will also be strong contenders.

Cardiff winner Matthew Clark will be vying for the under-17 title, with runner-up Jack Marwood and third-place finisher Luke Dunham also in the mix.

The day’s action gets underway at 10:30am with the short course relay trials, which will help to decide the British line-up for the mixed relay in Antalya.

Callum Elson, who has recently returned from injury, and Josh Lay are expected to lead the men’s field while Abbi Ives, Elise Thorner and Kirsty Walker are ones to look out for in the women’s race. Warner-Judd, who is returning from struggling with epilepsy during races earlier this year, is also down on the entries list.

Timetable

10:30 European men’s short course relay trial – 1.5km
10:35 European women’s short course relay trial – 1.5km
10:45 U11 boys – 2km
10:55 U11 girls – 2km
11:05 U13 girls – 3km
11:20 U13 boys – 3km
11:35 U15 boys – 3km
11:50 U15 girls – 3km
12:05 U17 Women and World Athletics Junior Women (U20) European trial – 4.4km
12:25 U17 Men and World Athletics Junior Men (U20) European trial – 4.4km
12:45 Senior Women (inc U23 Women’s European Trial) – 5.6km U23, 8km SW
13:50 Senior Men (inc U23 Men’s European Trial) – 5.6km U23, 8km SM

» More event info here