Llandaff Fields in the Welsh capital is one of this winter’s popular cross-city series, followed by events in Liverpool, Glasgow, Leeds and Nottingham.
The British Athletics Cross Challenge Series kicks off in Cardiff on November 9, followed by the European Trials in Liverpool on November 23, then Glasgow and Leeds in the New Year, before concluding at Wollaton Park in March.
The Cardiff event has grown in size in recent years after becoming part of the World Athletics Tour. Last year’s winners included Megan Keith and Innes Fitzgerald. The Gwent League’s main runners ensure a busy day in this early winter test.
The line-up moves to Liverpool’s Sefton Park in two weeks for the European Cross Country Championships trials, where the athletes will be looking for selection in the Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad to travel to Antalya in December.
The trial is a long-established event at Sefton Park, although this year there will be changes to the senior and under-23 races, with the under-23s running one less lap than their senior counterparts and retiring much earlier.
At the European Championships in Turkey in December, athletes will compete over relatively short distances, with adult men and women running 7.5km, men and women under 23 running 6km and men and women under 20 running 4.5km. To select the best team possible, the trial distances for the seniors and under-23s in Liverpool are 8km and 5.6km respectively, although the fact that both age groups will be in the same race and covering different distances will potentially cause confusion. day
Megan Keith and Jess Warner-Judd (Mark Shearman)
Under 17 and Under 20 athletes will also compete against each other over just 4.4km in Liverpool. In addition, there will be trials for the Eurocross mixed relay over 1500m. Furthermore, the entire event includes the Mid Lancs, Liverpool & District and Red Rose inter-county leagues.
On January 11, the Cross Challenge heads to Alexandra Park in Glasgow with an event including the Scottish County Championships before Temple Newsam in Leeds on February 8 (it has been mis-advertised as Roundhay Park elsewhere). The Temple Newsam event will include the Home Countries International and the Celtic Challenge.
Then on March 8, the Cross Challenge final is at Wollaton Park in Nottingham and will, as always, feature the UK Cross Country Championships. Last winter the senior titles went to Abbey Donnelly and Callum Johnson while they both continue to practice World Championship in Belgrade.
As the World Cross is now a biennial event, there are no World Championships this coming winter. It will instead be held next in Tallahassee, United States on January 10, 2026.
Given the much earlier date than usual, British organizers are already weighing up how the domestic calendar should play out in 2025-2026, with one of the key questions being where and when to hold the GB test for Tallahassee.
Abbie Donnelly (Gary Mitchell)
The main matches of 2024-2025
Saturday 2 November – Saucony English Cross Country Relays, Mansfield
Saturday 9th November – British Athletics Cross Challenge, Llandaff Fields, Cardiff
Saturday 23 November – British Athletics Cross Challenge and Euro Trials, Sefton Park, Liverpool
Saturday 7th December – English Schools Cross Country Cup, Grammar School, Leeds
Sunday December 8 – European Championships, Antalya, Turkey
Saturday 11th January – British Athletics Cross Country Challenge, Alexandra Park, Glasgow
Saturday 25th January – England County Champions
Saturday 1 February – BUCS Cross Country Champs
Saturday 8 February – British Athletics Cross Country Challenge, Temple Newsam, Leeds
Saturday 22 February – Saucony English National Cross Country Champs, Parliament Hill, London
Saturday 8 March – British Athletics Cross Country Final and Inter-County Districts, Wollaton Park, Nottingham
Saturday 15th March – English Schools Cross Country Championships, Ardingley Showground, West Sussex
Saturday March 22 – SIAB Schools International
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