The British Athletics Cross Challenge Series returns this winter, sponsored by Sportsshoes x Nike, as the UK’s leading endurance athletes take on the mud in Cardiff, Liverpool, and Nottingham.
From international medallists and Olympians to aspiring junior athletes, the Cross Challenge offers competitors of all levels the chance to test themselves on the same demanding courses, tackling the mud, hills, and winter conditions that make cross-country one of running’s toughest disciplines.
The series gets underway at Llandaff Fields, Cardiff, on Sunday 8 November, with the Welsh venue once again hosting a high-quality day of racing. The fixture holds World Cross Country Tour Silver status, attracting some of the best endurance athletes from across the UK and beyond.
Attention will then turn to Sefton Park, Liverpool, on Saturday 28 November, where athletes will compete for Cross Challenge honours plus bid for selection to the Novuna Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the 2026 European Cross Country Championships in Serbia in December. The event will serve as the official trial race.
The season concludes at the iconic Wollaton Park, Nottingham, on Sunday 13 March 2027, where the British Cross Country Championships will be staged alongside the UK Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships, bringing together the country’s strongest athletes, counties and clubs for a spectacular finale.
Throughout the series, we can expect outstanding racing featuring international athletes, ambitious club competitors and the future stars of British athletics, all racing shoulder-to-shoulder on the same challenging courses.
The British Athletics Cross Challenge has long been recognised as a key pathway for endurance athletes, providing invaluable competitive opportunities while showcasing the strength and depth of cross country running across the UK.
2026/27 Series Dates
Cardiff – Llandaff Fields
Sunday 8 November 2026
World Cross Country Tour Silver
Liverpool – Sefton Park
Saturday 28 November 2026
European Cross Country Championships Trial Race
Nottingham – Wollaton Park
Sunday 13 March 2027
British Cross Country Championships and UK Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships
Entries for the Cardiff and Liverpool fixtures are now open, and we’ll release more information about athlete registration for Nottingham in the new year.
Same course. Same challenge. The British Athletics Cross Challenge Series presented by Sportsshoes x Nike is back.
