Everything you need to know about the European Cross Country trials in Sefton Park.

The Liverpool Cross Challenge, one of the most anticipated events in the British cross country calendar, will take place this Saturday (November 22) at Sefton Park.

The event doubles as the trials for the upcoming European Cross Country Championships, with athletes aiming to secure a spot for the British team heading to Lagoa in Portugal next month.

Up to six athletes can be selected for the seniors, under-23 and under-20s. The first four placed senior/under-23 athletes and the first five under-20 athletes will be automatically picked for the team.

The Cardiff Cross Challenge was the official trial race for the senior mixed relay at the European Cross, with Jack Higgins and Holly Dixon already securing their selections. The remaining two places (one male and one female) will be decided by a selection panel.

There is no official trial race for next year's World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee (January 10) but priority for selection – excluding the senior mixed relay – will be based on performances at both Liverpool and the European Cross.

The European Cross selection meeting for is November 24 and, for the World Cross, it's December 16.

Senior women

Kate Axford is aiming to go back-to-back after her impressive 16-second win in the senior women's race at last year's edition. The Belgrave Harrier has already had a fine cross-country season, having anchored her club to victory at the English National Cross Country Relays in Mansfield earlier this month.

However, she faces stiff opposition from a talented field, which is headed by Abbie Donnelly. This will be Donnelly's first race since she clocked 2:24:11 at last month's Frankfurt Marathon. The Lincoln Wellington AC athlete went seventh on the UK all-time list off the back of that race but now turns her attention to Liverpool, where she is looking to make yet another British European Cross team.

Donnelly might not have competed in cross country since Frankfurt but she placed second in Liverpool two years ago and also secured a bronze medal in the senior women's race at the 2023 European Cross Country Championships.

World 10,000m finalist Megan Keith, first Briton at the Cardiff Cross Challenge, isn't competing but has put her name forward for selection, so that perhaps opens the door for others who excelled in the Welsh capital like Poppy Tank and Amelia Quirk.

The forecast is set to be wet on Saturday and the muddy conditions could play into the hands of both Jess Gibbon and Cari Hughes. At this year's English National Championships, Gibbon triumphed at an extremely muddy Parliament Hill and, an a slippery Sefton Park course, Hughes placed second behind Axford at last year's Liverpool Cross Challenge.

Izzy Fry, the 2022 World University cross-country champion who also placed fourth at this year's UK 10,000m Championships, will also be a threat.

Others to watch out for are Lucy Jones, Sarah Astin, Esme Davies and Amelia Quirk.

Senior men

This year's senior men's race looks set to be a fairly open contest. If Rory Leonard can translate his fine success on the road this season to cross-country, then he will be a strong contender to win in Liverpool.

At the Valencia 10km back in January, the Morpeth Harriers AC athlete took six seconds off Mo Farah's British record with 27:38 in the Spanish city. He followed that up with third place over 5000m on the track at the UK Athletics Championships.

Leonard placed fifth at last year's Liverpool Cross Challenge but then finished an impressive ninth at the European Cross in Antalya.

Zak Mahamed was also part of that British team and he should be confident of making this year's line-up after he was the first Brit – placing fourth overall – at the Cardiff Cross Challenge.

His brother Mahamed Mahamed hasn't competed since his 2:08:52 at this year's London Marathon but has cross-country pedigree, having finished third at last season's British Athletics Cross Challenge at Parliament Hill.

Scott Beattie, another Morpeth Harriers AC athlete, could be one to watch if the course is muddy, given he placed third in tough conditions at last year's Liverpool Cross Challenge.

Based on current form Jacob Cann cannot be discounted either. This will be the Western Tempo athlete's 10th cross-country race this year and he arrives in Liverpool off the back of a dominant win at the Birmingham Cross Country League and a fifth place at the Cardiff Cross Challenge.

In a similar fashion to Leonard, if Alfie Manthorpe can turn his incredible road form to success in cross-country then he will have every chance in Liverpool. The Hallamshire athlete ran a fine 61:26 at the Valencia Half Marathon, improving his personal best by over nine minutes.

Having finished sixth at the Cardiff Cross Challenge, Richard Slade could also do well in Liverpool. Other names to look out for are Calum Johnson, Charlie Wheeler and Jack Kavanagh.

U23/U20 athletes

Once again, the under-23 athletes will line-up at the same time as the seniors but will peel off for the finish at an earlier stage.

Meg Gadsby is aiming to retain her title at Sefton Park, having won impressively at last year's edition. Her closest challenge could come from Mia Waldman, who placed third and was 10 seconds behind Gadsby in Liverpool. Other notable names include the likes of Megan Harris, Emily Parker and Rebecca Flaherty.

It's likely that Will Barnicoat will go into the men's race as a strong favourite. Having won last year's Liverpool Cross Challenge, he then went on to retain his under-23 European crown, beating Ireland's Nick Griggs by just one second in Antalya. Henry Jonas and Osian Perrin could do well.

Expect Innes FitzGerald to dominate in the women's under-20 race. Looking unbeatable in her age group over cross-country once again, the Exeter-based athlete won the Cardiff Cross Challenge by an extraordinary 50 seconds. She is also the double reigning under-20 European cross-country champion.

Just six seconds separated the top four in last year's men's under-20 race and a similarly close battle looks likely again on Saturday. With 2024 winner Henry Jonas moving up to the under-23s, it does open the door for others. William Rabjohns is the first name to look out for, given the Poole AC athlete won this season's Cardiff Cross Challenge and also placed second to Jonas in Liverpool.

Other contenders includes the likes of Quinn Miell-Ingram, Dillon Millard and Jack Marwood.

Timetable

10:55 – U11 Boys (2km)
11:05 – U11 Girls (2km)
11:15 – U13 Girls (3km)
11:30 – U13 Boys (3km)
11:45 – U15 Boys (3km)
12:00 – U15 Girls (3km)
12:15 – U17 Women & Junior Women U20 European trial (4km)
12:35 – U17 Men & Junior Men U20 European trial (4.4km)
12:55 – Senior Women + U23 Women European Trial (8km & 5.6km respectively)
14:00 – Senior Men + U23 Women European Trial (8km & 5.6km respectively)

More event information can be found here.