The Home Countries International was re-started in 2008 and rotates round the 4 home countries each year. This year it is England’s turn to host and we have piggy backed the UK Cross Challenge event and also included the 4 areas North, Midland, South and East to increase the quality of the event. This means even athletes not picked for their area or country can enter individually and challenge their peers/rivals.
Clearly we would like England to win but are also aware that giving the opportunity to compete for many of the athlete’s development and upward progression is equally important particularly the junior teams. The event is placed 2 weeks before the UK Athletics European Cross Country Trial with many athletes rounding off their preparation with this event in the hope of making the GB cross country team for the European Cross Country in Turin on December 11 th .
Team Selection
Senior Men
Mahamed Mahamed
Club: Southampton AC, Coach: Idris Hamud
3 times English National Cross Country Champion including February this year and has already shown good form at the UK Cross Challenge in Cardiff a few weeks ago finishing 6th.
Zak Mahamed
Club: Southampton AC, Coach: Idris Hamud
Younger brother of Mahamed he was 4th in the English National in February having won the UK Cross Challenge and international event in Belfast last January. He has already shown good form at the UK Cross Challenge in Cardiff a few weeks ago where he was 7th 1 place behind his brother.
Hugo Milner
Club: Derby AC
Successful wins in both the Cardiff and the Milton Keynes UK Cross Challenges last season as well as winning the Northern area title in January. Also a very good run for first Englishman home in 9th place in Elgoiibar, Spain last January
Alex George
Club: Birchfield H, Coach: Paul De-Camps
Selected based on his recent good run in the UK Cross Challenge in Cardiff a few weeks ago finishing 8th (just one place behind Zak Mahamed) having clocked 13m33 for 5000m this summer. Alex previously ran for the England Junior Cross Country Team but we welcome Alex to the England Senior Cross Country Team for the first time.
Senior Women
Jessica Gibbon
Club: Reading AC
Won the English National in February and followed that with 2nd in the Inter Counties in March to round of a fine season Recently 3rd at the UK Cross Challenge in Cardiff to continue her good from last season.
Alexandra Millard
Club: Invicta East Kent AC, Coach: Bill Foster
Won the English National U20 in February and the Loughborough International 3000m in the summer. Has started well this season with 3rd place in the Open International Cross Country in Dublin in October.
Sophie Tarver
Club: Wirral AC, Coach: Bill Foster
7th in the English National in February and a strong run for England (8th) in Diest, Belgium last February. She has opened this winter with 5th place in the Open International Cross Country in Dublin in October.
Jennifer Walsh
Club: Leeds City AC, Coach: Phillip Townsend
8th in the English National in February followed by 4th in the Inter-Counties in March showed good form at the finish of last winter.
U20 Men
Edward Bird
Club: Poole AC, Coach: Mark Pauley
Ed has kicked off this cross-country season with a very impressive victory in the UK Cross Challenge in Cardiff. Ed is one of our younger juniors so should be around for some time. His track speed is a real asset which he put to good use both in Cardiff and earlier this year in the European Athletics U18 Championships in Jerusalem where he finished 3rd in the 3000m in 8m 14 secs.
Ben Brown
Club: Southampton AC, Coach: Peter Haynes
Ben is making it a habit to finish 2nd as he added his runner up spot in Cardiff to the 2nd place (first Englishman) he secured earlier this year in CAU Inter County Championships (Inc British Athletics Cross Challenge). Can he go one better?
Daniel Maydew
Club: Wells City H, Coach: Simon Prior
Daniel has put down a marker this winter with a much-improved run in Cardiff (4th Englishman) Juniors always have the capacity to make big improvements at this age and Daniel looks in the form to do just that.
Louis Small
Club: Ashford AC
Louis wasn’t quite at his best in Cardiff, possible victim of ‘freshers’ week’. That said 1st place in the ESSA English schools at Tonbridge, 3rd place in the South of England’s and 3rd place in CAU Inter County Championships (Inc British Athletics Cross Challenge) shows that Louis knows his way around a cross-country course.
U20 Women
Alice Bates
Club: Kettering AC, Coach: Shane Smith
Alice has had a good year representing GB at the European Under 18 Champs making the final in 1500m. This cross season has started very well with being the first under under 20 at the Cardiff race and fastest leg in the ECCA cross country relays
Sophie Nicholls
Club: Wells City H, Coach: Simon Prior
Sophie was 3rd at the English Schools and placed 7th in the Inter Counties. She has started this season well finishing 4th Under 17 at Cardiff Cross Country.
Kiya Dee
Club: Cheltenham & County H
Kiya finished 3rd in the English National U20 in February. During the last track season, Kiya completed over steeplechase and was top ranked under 20 at 3000SC and recently ran well at the Cardiff Cross Country race.
Libby Huxley
Club: Preston H, Coach: Andy Bibby
Libby has not ran a lot of races this year but recently finished 3rd under 20 at the Cardiff Cross Country having won the English Schools 3000m in the summer.
