An additional three athletes have been selected to represent the Novuna Great Britain and Northern Ireland team (GB & NI) at the 2025 World 50k Running Championships in New Delhi, India, on March 14th 2026.
Becky Briggs (coach:Kris Lecher, club:City of Hull AC), Alex Milne (Wimbledon Hercules AC) and Logan Smith (James Senior, City of Norwich AC) will join the existing eight athletes who were selected before the Championships were postponed in December 2025. The event is a 5km loop run 10 times on a flat road circuit in the Indian capital, Delhi.
The team for these Championships has been selected with the stated aim from the policy of achieving individual and team medal success. There was no official trial for the event, so athletes were chosen via expression of interest from those who met the qualifying standards over marathon and 50k distances.
Briggs, who has a personal best (PB) of 2:29:06 for the marathon, ran 2:38 at the Chicago Marathon in October to secure her spot on the women’s team. Milne brings a wealth of GB & NI experience from 50k and 100k World and European Championships, with a 2:14:03 PB set at the 2025 London Marathon. Smith also raced in the capital’s iconic marathon, setting a new PB of 2:15:23.
The 2025 50k British Champion, Melissah Gibson (100 Marathon Club), leads a strong women’s team. The last time she wore a GB & NI vest was at the World 100k Championships in 2024, where she placed 5th, and the team won a silver medal.
Joining Gibson are Naomi Robinson (Daniel Robinson, BRAT), with a marathon PB of 2:30:54, and Leeds City duo, Heather Townsend (Joe Townsend, Leeds City) and Katrina Ballantyne (Joe Townsend, Leeds City), both with PBs of 2:37:00.
The men’s team includes 100k British Champion, Henry Hart (Belgrave Harriers), who has a 50k PB of 2:50:33; Sean Michael Hogan (Steven Phillips, Southampton AC), whose marathon time is 2:14:51 and Charlie Davis (Jethro McGraw, BRAT), a time of 2:19:51, both clocking those times at the London Marathon last year. Rounding off the team is Kevin Campbell (Tony O’Brien, Cambuslang Harriers), who ran 2:17:38 to finish second at Manchester Marathon earlier this spring.
The Novuna Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the World 50k Road Running Championships in New Delhi, India, on 14th March 2026:
Women
Heather Townsend (Joe Townsend, Leeds City)
Naomi Robinson (Daniel Robinson, BRAT)
Melissah Gibson (100 Marathon Club)
Katrina Ballantyne (Joe Townsend, Leeds City)
Becky Briggs (Kris Lecher, City of Hull AC)
Men
Henry Hart (Belgrave Harriers)
Sean Michael Hogan (Steven Phillips, Southampton AC)
Charlie Davis (Jethro McGraw, BRAT)
Kevin Campbell (Tony O’Brien, Cambuslang Harriers)
Alex Milne (Wimbledon Hercules AC)
Logan Smith (James Senior, City of Norwich AC)
More information regarding this event can be found on the official events website.
