Scots bound for Liverpool races with Euro Cross selection hopes

Thursday 21st November 2024

The M74 and M6 motorways will be busy over the next 48 hours or so as Scottish athletes head for Merseyside.

Sefton Park in Liverpool is the traditional home for the British Cross Challenge and Euro Cross trial races and this November will be no different.

Top Scots in the Senior, U23 and U20 age brackets will be chasing selection for the GB and NI teams who will compete in in Turkey on Sunday 8 December.

For those at our clubs and racing in the younger age groups, the depth of the event at Liverpool – not to mention the mud and a testing course – always offers a significant challenge.

There have been a couple of changes since we first announced our Scotland vest selections for Liverpool – congratulations to Beth Ansell (Edinburgh AC) and Jack Patton (Kilbarchan AAC) on representative honours this weekend.

Event entries and race schedule

Scotland selections for Liverpool XC (as at Wednesday 20 November)

Senior Women

Beth Ansell (Edinburgh AC); Lynn McKenna (Shettleston Harriers); Morag Millar (Central AC); Zoe Pflug (Cambuslang Harriers);

U23 Women

Anna Hedley (Central AC); Caitlin Purcell (Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds); Kirsty Purcell (Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds)

U20 Women

Imogen Marshall (Livingston AC); Millie McClelland-Brooks (Inverclyde AC); Saoirse McNulty (Giffnock North); Isla Paterson (Gala Harriers)

Senior Men

Jamie Crowe (Central Ac); Angus McMillan (City of York); Ben Potrykus (Inverclyde AC); Logan Rees (Fife AC)

U23 Men

Harry Henricksen (Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds); Peter Molloy (Central AC); Jack Patton (Kilbarchan AAC); Finlay Ross-Davie (Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds)

U20 Men

Logan Beagley (Central AC); Reiss Marshall (Fife AC); Andrew McWilliam (Lasswade AC); Harris Pagett (Strathearn Harriers)

The U20 Men’s medallists at Kirkcaldy all feature in the Scotland selection for Liverpool (with thanks to Craig Pagett for this photo)

The GB and NI selection process allows for the top four finishers in the Senior race to win automatic selection for Turkey. The top four U23 athletes are also selected automatically.

In the Junior races, the top five U20 athletes win selection with one further place a discretionary pick by the UK Athletics selectors.

In addition to the above athletes, Scots Sarah Calvert and Megan Davies are planning to compete in the short race (with selection places up for grabs for the Mixed Relay). Kane Elliott is entered for the short race, too.

America-based duo Craig Shennan of Giffnock North AC and Oliver Patton of Kilbarchan AAC are both back in the UK for the races, too.

*Central AC will fly the flag for Scotland in the Euro Club Cross trial element to the Liverpool event. Central will take on English and Welsh opposition in a bid to reach the event in Portugal in February.

Central can declare six athletes pre-race with four to count in the club trial points. We wish coach Derek Easton and all the team the vest best of luck . . .

Similarly, Shettleston Harriers are seeking to repeat their Euro Clubs Cross appearance from earlier this year in the Women’s division.

Good luck to Elaine Mackay, Avril Mason and all the Shettleston women . . .