The trail race athletes have been selected for the 2024 European Off-Road Running Championships which will take place in Annecy, France between 31 May and 2 June.
Thomas Roach (Lewes AC) – the reigning world short trail individual silver and team gold medallist from the 2023 World Mountain & Trail Running Championships – headlines the men’s team heading to France to face the 62km course with 3400m ascent and descent.
Tom Evans (Scott Johnson, Lewes AC), who won the Western States 100 in 2023 joins Roach in the squad. Evans – who will also represent GB & NI at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships later this month – finished third at the 2018 edition of the World Trail Championships.
Tom Joly de Lotbiniere (Team Hour 7) also joins the quartet and will be looking to build upon an 11th place finish in the long trail race at the worlds last year, while Luke Grenfell-Shaw (Bristol & West) earns a call-up to a British squad for the first time.
In-form Meryl Cooper (Doug Stewart, Deeside Runners) goes in the women’s trail race, fresh from crossing the line as the first British finisher at Trans Grand Canaria 46k in February. Holly Page (self-coached, Calder Valley Fell Runners) returns from injury to earn her first GB & NI call-up since 2018.
Two athletes with experience of the Championships, Georgia Tindley (Angela Mudge, Highland Hill Runners) and Katie Kaars Sijpesteijn (Roundhay Runners), add further firepower to the women’s team.
Team Leader Anne Buckley said, “After the successes of the trail teams at the World Championships last year, we are confident we have selected strong squads to challenge for individual and team medals at the European Championships.
“We have seen several athletes achieve impressive results at prestigious races in the ultra-running calendar recently, so we look forward to seeing how they perform in the Championship environment in a few months’ time.”
The selection for the mountain running teams at these Championships will take place in April after the respective trial races. The final team will be confirmed soon afterwards.
The Great Britain and Northern Ireland [Trail] team for the European Off-Road Running Championships 31 May-2 June 2024:
Men
Tom Evans (Scott Johnson, Lewes AC)
Luke Grenfell-Shaw (Bristol and West)
Tom Joly de Lotbiniere (Team Hour 7)
Thomas Roach (Lewes AC)
Women
Meryl Cooper (Doug Stewart, Deeside Runners)
Katie Kaars Sijpesteijn (Roundhay Runners)
Holly Page (self-coached, Calder Valley Fell Runners)
Georgia Tindley (Angela Mudge, Highland Hill Runners)
