Eilish picked by GB for European 10,000m Cup; Laura to race Gateshead

Wednesday 12th May 2021

Eilish and Liz McColgan (photo by Sue Gyford)

Eilish McColgan leads the women’s selection in the British team for the European 10,000m Cup to take place in Birmingham next month.

Twelve athletes will represent GB and NI at the 2021 Müller British Athletics 10,000m Championships at the University of Birmingham on Saturday 5 June 2021.

Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah is selected as he looks to secure his place on the British team for the Olympic Games. The top two at the trials event will be selected for Japan if they have achieved the qualifying standard.

Eilish achieved the Tokyo qualifying standard (31:25.00) back in February when she recorded a time of 30:58.94. The time moved her to fifth on the UK all-time list. She also currently holds Olympic standards over the 1500m and 5000m.

The Scottish connection in the men’s team is maintained via the presence of Kris Jones, the Welsh athlete at Dundee Hawkhill Harriers who has won multiple Scottish championship medals in recent years.

With six women and six men selected, Great Britain and Northern Ireland will contest for team medals in both events at the European 10,000m Cup, which will be integrated into the A races on the day which will incorporate the Müller British Athletics 10,000m Championships and Trial.

The British team for the European Athletics 10,000m Cup on Saturday 5 June:

Women:

Jessica Judd (Mick Judd, Blackburn); Amy-Eloise Markovc (Chris Fox, Wakefield); Eilish McColgan (Liz Nuttall, Dundee Hawkhill); Jenny Nesbitt (Chris Jones, Cardiff); Verity Ockenden (Tony Houchin, Swansea); Lily Partridge (Alan Storey, Birchfield)

Men:

Sam Atkin (Mike Collins, Lincoln Wellington); Emile Cairess (Alan Storey, Leeds City); Mo Farah (Gary Lough, Newham & Essex Beagles) ; Kristian Jones (Chris Jones, Swansea); Marc Scott (Jerry Schumacher, Richmond and Zetland); Jake Smith (James Thie, Cardiff)

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Laura pictured in Glasgow ahead of the 2020 Muller Indoor GP event

British Athletics website announcement

Laura Muir will race in Britain for the first time in 15 months when she tackles the 1500 metres at the Müller Grand Prix Gateshead on Sunday 23 May.

The event at Gateshead International Stadium is the first meeting in the 2021 Wanda Diamond League series and Muir will be hoping for another good performance on the road to the Tokyo Olympics.

The Scottish athlete is the reigning European champion at 1500m and holds the British record with 3:55.22. Joining her in that 1500m at Gateshead will be fellow Scot and Dundee Hawkhill Harrier, Eilish McColgan.

‘I am training and racing in the United States right now, but the Müller Grand Prix Gateshead will be my first competition in the UK when I return home later this month,’ said Laura.

‘Diamond League events are always exciting and it is extra special for me when the event is on British soil.

‘The last time I actually raced at Gateshead International Stadium was in the National Junior League as a teenager! I didn’t win those races either so hopefully this month I can correct that.’

Muir certainly looks in fine form. Last month in Eugene, Oregon, she enjoyed a runaway win in the 1500m in 4:01.54, and then on Sunday (9May) she celebrated her 28^th birthday with a fine second place behind training partner Jemma Reekie in the 800m at the Continental Tour Gold in California, narrowly missing her PB with 1:58.46.

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Every IAAF Diamond League event will be shown live on the BBC until 2024! ?

Coverage starts from Gateshead on Sunday, 23 May live on @BBCTwo and @BBCiPlayer.#bbcathletics

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) May 12, 2021