The GB & NI team opened the European Off-Road Running Championships in style, with Jacob Adkin and Morven Goodrum taking senior uphill gold and the women's squad adding a team title.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland got off to a flying start on day one of the European Off-Road Running Championships on Friday (June 5) with Jacob Adkin and Morven Goodrum securing individual gold medals in both the senior mens and women’s races, Adrian Stott reports.

In wet, misty conditions, the morning's racing got underway with the junior uphill only races for both the men and women running about 4km with 425 metres of climb.

The junior men’s race was dominated by France, who filled the first four places. Their first two runners, Yannick Memheld and Emelien Simeneau, had run neck and neck for most of the way and decided to cross the line together. The judges did not separate them, awarding them both first place.

With their compatriots Oscar Cransac-Chayrigues and Matteo Bagnus filling third and fourth, France  secured minimum points to take the team prize ahead of Italy and Spain. Great Britain, led by Joel Gillan in ninth, finished a close fourth, just two points behind the Spanish.

The junior women's race also saw drama on the finish line. Czech athlete Anna Kynclova was just leading Germany’s Gloria Herold as they approached the finish and held her arms aloft in victory. She seemed to slow a little, and as the German lunged for the line, they seemed to cross it together. As with the junior men the judges awarded a dead heat in 21:53 with Julia Ehrle of Germany taking bronze in 22:28.

Great Britain’s Nancy Corrie, in her first European championships, had a superb run to finish in fifth. Hania Czebreszuk, in 19th, and Isla Pastor, in 22nd, packed well with Sophie Wood in 38th leaving them in fifth place in the team contest.

If both senior races lacked the drama of close finishes, both Jacob Adkin and Morven Goodrum showed their class with decisive victories over a 9km course. 

With the men setting off first, Adkin was with a lead group from the start. He gradually broke clear and stretched his lead all the way to the finish at the summit, breaking the tape on the misty, windy summit in 49:21, well clear of Sweden’s experienced Petter Engdahl, who clocked 51:28, and Italy’s Andrea Elia with 51:40.

It was Adkin’s second European title, having also won in 2019.

The Swiss team packed well with three in the first 10 to take the gold team medals from France and Italy. Great Britain, although with solid performances from Fin Grant, Matt Knowles and Tom Spencer, finished just three points behind the Italians in fourth.

Adkin said: "That was tough. I didn't know what to expect today, but my legs felt surprisingly good. It was a really good course, I can't quite find the words just now, but it was a really good day."

Goodrum finished two and a half minutes clear of Germany’s Laura Hottenrott, with Nélie Clément of France a further 10 seconds back in third.

With Goodrum’s team-mates Scout Adkin in fifth and Kirsty Dickson in 12th, they also comfortably claimed the gold team medals with Hannah Russell in 31st.

Goodrum said: “I am a little shocked, actually, as it's my first international. I just went for it and it paid off. I am a little lost for words.  The course was great. It was dry when we started, but the rain just got heavier as we got higher. The last kilometre was a killer.”

The championships continue on Saturday with the 52km trail race including 2400 metres of climb and conclude on Sunday with the classic up and down races with seniors running 13.1 km and 825m climb, and juniors 5.7km with 325m climb.

Full results here.