The British teams have been selected for the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships which are due to take place in Thailand next February.
The Championships, which were rescheduled from November due to the Pandemic, will see British teams compete in all five events: uphill and up-and-down mountain races, the junior races and the 40km and 80km trail races.
Following the mountain running trials recently, six teams have been selected to compete in Chiang Mai in 2022.
The senior men’s uphill only team consists of four athletes who have all previously competed on British teams at junior level. Jacob Adkin (Keswick) won the senior European title in 2019, while Joe Dugdale (Cumberland Fell Runners) sealed gold in the world and European championships in the junior category in the same year. Trials winner, Max Nicholls (Peter Brenchley, Tonbridge), and Chris Richards (Duncan Richards, Salford Harriers) complete the team to take on the world’s best next year.
Adkin, Dugdale and Nicholls will all compete in the up and down race squad as well, joining Andrew Douglas (Sophie Dunnett, Inverclyde) The latter has decided to focus on the mountain running event, therefore he has withdrawn from the men’s 40km trail race.
Hannah Horsburgh (Keswick) and Scout Adkin (Angela Mudge, Moorfoot) lead the way in the women’s uphill only race, along with Kate Maltby (Bristol and West); all three will also race in the up and down race.
Naomi Lang (Aberdeen) will join the trio in the classic up and down race, while Victoria Wilkinson (Bingley), third at the Trials at Skiddaw recently, completes the team of four for the uphill only event.
The junior up and down races see trials winners Alice Crane (Derby) and Edward Corden (Michael Doyle, Stockport) lead the way, while Matt Knowles (Sophie Dunnett, Lancaster and Morecambe), who won the British junior mountain running title in Northern Ireland in early September, also adds his name to the roster.
Nine athletes join the squads previously selected for the trail events.
Charlotte Morgan (Carnethy), the 2018 World Long Distance Mountain Running champion, and 2013 World Trail champion Ricky Lightfoot (Ellenborough), enter the fold for the women’s and men’s 40km race respectively.
Sophie Grant (Robbie Britton, Serpentine) adds her name to the quartet for the women’s 80km race, while Harry Jones (Martin Cox, Mynydd Du) and Ryan Smith (self-coached) join the senior men’s 80km team; Jones earning his first British vest.
The British team for the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand on the 10-13 February 2022:
