Judd and Rowe seal senior titles as Euro Cross GB Team selected
Many athletes booked their places at the European Cross Country Championships as the British Cross Challenge Series moved to Liverpool. Jess Judd claimed a great victory in the senior women’s race, while Jack Rowe held off the challenge of Andrew Butchart to take the men’s title. Alex Bell will represent Great Britain in the mixed relay after dominating in the women’s Short Course Trial, with Ben West winning the men’s event.
Jess Judd (handicap -2.7), broke clear on the second lap of the 8.1km to finish in 26:29 minutes as Jenny Nesbitt (handicap -1.5),came second, 17 seconds back. The Tokyo 2020 Olympian, Judd, said: “It was really windy and really cold, so I thought I’d just sit in and see what goes on, and everyone in front of me was smaller so I wasn’t getting any shelter from the wind, so I thought just go on and I went and won!
“I felt really strong, it’s probably the strongest I’ve felt on the cross all year. I felt really strong halfway through the second lap and at the end, I thought ‘hold it together the best you can’.”
Abbie Donnelly (handicap -1.3), and Jess Gibbon (handicap -1.8), also secured their places at next month’s European Championships in Dublin.
Amelia Quirk (handicap -1.5), was the fastest Under 23 to finish, earning fourth place while Izzy Fry (handicap -0.8),Eleanor Bolton (handicap -0.6), Eloise Walker (handicap -0.6), Cari Hughes (handicap 0.3) and Jemima Elgood (handicap 0.7) booked their places on the U23 team.
Jack Rowe (handicap -6.8),took the men’s title in a time of 28:05, while Andrew Butchart (handicap -7.0),completed the 9.8km course in 28:16, as the pair confirmed their places on the British team in Dublin.
Rowe said: “We got here, had some nice weather, I was a bit worried it was going to be a mudbath with all the rain yesterday, but the course was really good, it was firm, it was fast.
“It went out pretty slow, Butchart came through and really picked the pace up and it thinned out quite quickly.
“It was nice to race him, I have been on the back end of Andy quite a while now so it was nice to actually get a win.”
Jamie Crowe (handicap -6.0) will also head to Ireland while Tom Mortimer (handicap -5.9), was the best U23 finisher in fourth.Other senior selections included Stuart McCallum (handicap -4.7), William Battershill (handicap -4.2) and Jake Smith (handicap -6.9).
As well as Mortimer, the additional Under 23s to book their place at the European Championships are Rory Leonard (handicap -5.2), Matthew Stonier (handicap -5.2), Zak Mahamed (handicap -5.5), Sam Charlton (handicap -4.9) and Charles Hicks (handicap -6.6) who is based in California.
The day began with Ben West (handicap -5.1), taking a surprise victory in the men’s Short Course Relay Trial, finishing three seconds ahead of another u23 runner, Luke Duffy (handicap -4.5), with a time of 4:28.
Their top two spots confirmed their place on the British relay team at the Europeans and will be joined by Alex Bell (handicap -1.9), who will look to defend the title she won in Lisbon in 2019, coming home just one second ahead of Hannah Nuttall (handicap -0.5), in 5:03.
Megan Keith (handicap -0.7), won the Junior Women’s race with rising star Jess Bailey (handicap 0.4), taking second and claiming the U17s title.
There was a solid win for Henry McLuckie (handicap -5.1), as he stormed the Junior Men’s race, the Shaftesbury Barnet Harrier’s run took top spot on the podium by 17 seconds from Will Barnicoat (handicap -4.2).
The GB and Northern Ireland team for the European Cross Country Championships in Dublin on Sunday 12th December are:
:Senior women:
Jess Judd (handicap -2.7), Jenny Nesbitt (handicap -1.5), Abbie Donnelly (handicap -1.3),
Jess Gibbon (handicap -1.8), Kate Avery (handicap -0.6), Charlotte Arter (handicap -2.4)
Senior men:
Andrew Butchart (handicap -7.0), Jack Rowe (handicap -6.8), Stuart McCallum (handicap -4.7)
William Battershill (handicap -4.2) Jake Smith (handicap -6.9), Jamie Crowe (handicap -6.0)
Under-23 women:
Amelia Quirk (handicap -1.5), Eleanor Bolton (handicap -0.6), Izzy Fry (handicap -0.8),
Eloise Walker (handicap -0.6), Cari Hughes (handicap 0.3), Jemima Elgood (handicap 0.7),
Under-23 men:
Tom Mortimer (handicap -5.9), Rory Leonard (handicap -5.2), Matthew Stonier (handicap -5.2)
Zak Mahamed (handicap -5.5), Sam Charlton (handicap -4.9), Charles Hicks (handicap -6.6)
Mixed relay:
Alex Bell (handicap -1.9), Hannah Nuttall (handicap -0.5),
Luke Duffy (handicap -4.5), Ben West (handicap -5.1)
Under-20 women:
Megan Keith (handicap -0.7), Jess Bailey (handicap 0.4), Phoebe Anderson (handicap 0.7),
Alice Garner (handicap 0.3), Beatrice Wood (handicap 1.0), Ella Greenway (handicap 1.0),
Under-20 men:
Henry McLuckie (handicap -5.1), Will Barnicoat (handicap -4.2), Osian Perrin (handicap -4.5),
Liam Rawlings (handicap -3.6),Hamish Armitt (handicap -3.9), Lewis Hannigan (handicap -4.1),
Liverpool GB XC Trial Results here
Euro. Champs. XC in Dublin - details here (Athletics Ireland)
Ticket ONLY event @ 8 Euros per ticket (for 16+ ages)
EAA details here including team manual