Jacob Adkin and Kirsty Dickson among winners at British Mountain Running Trials
Event in Keswick sees athletes chasing World Champs selection but women's favourite Scout Adkin suffers fall and DNFs
The British trials for the mountain races to be held at September’s World Mountain and Trail Running Championships at Canfranc in the Spanish Pyrenees were contested in the Lake District over the weekend (Aug 15-17), Anne Buckley and Adrian Stott report.
Friday saw the uphill-only race for seniors on the slopes of Skiddaw above Keswick. The selection policy for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team states that the first two male and female runners in each race will achieve automatic selection, with two other discretionary places to be selected later this week.
Jacob Adkin and Kirsty Dickson headed the fields on a course over 6.4km with 905 metres of ascent.
Men’s race
Adkin, who won the silver medal at the uphill race at the 2024 European Off-Road Running Championships at Annecy, won in 37:44, over a minute clear of Finlay Grant, who claimed the second automatic spot as he clocked 38:54.
Carnethy’s Matt Knowles was third in 39:05, with Oscar Suboh-Symons of Ambleside fourth in 39:30.
Women’s race
There was drama in the women’s race with pre-race favourite, Scout Adkin, taking a fall early in the race. Adkin, who currently leads the 2025 WMRA World Cup standings, was forced to drop out. This left fellow GB international Kirsty Dickson (Carnethy Hill Running Club) to comfortably take the win in 45:49.
Eden O’Dea (Deeside AAC) took the second automatic spot in 48:15, just edging out Leeds City’s Ruth Jones into third, 48:18. Eve Pannone (Ambleside) was fourth in 49:21.
Results men's uphill race
Results women uphill race
Classic up-and-down races
On Sunday the classic up-and-down races were held for both seniors and juniors at Whinlatter Forest, just outside Keswick.
The seniors ran a two-lap course over a total of 14km, with 750 metres of climbing while the juniors ran a one lap course of 7.7km and 400m of climb.
Both courses were designed to mimic conditions and terrain being used at the World Championships at Canfranc.
Senior men up-and-down results
Moray Pryde, of Lothian Running Club, with a sub-2:20 marathon on his CV, ran his best mountain race to date. In an extremely close finish, he ran out the winner by a single second over Friday’s uphill winner, Jacob Adkin, in 57:11 to 57:12, with both claiming the automatic selection spots.
Felix McGrath (Bristol & West) was third in 57:22, with Scotland’s experienced Andy Douglas fourth in 57:49.
Results
1.Moray Pryde Lothian RC 57:11
2. Jacob Adkin Moorfoot 57:12
3. Felix McGrath Bristol & West 57:22
4. Andrew Douglas Westerlands 57:49
5. Lawrence McCourt Morpeth 58:11
6. Andrew Heyes Dark Peak 58:34
Senior women up-and-down results
Nancy Scott, like Pryde, enjoying her first serious summer of mountain running, ran out a clear winner of the women’s trial. She followed up her recent win at Snowdon by finishing in 69:07, 90 seconds ahead of Kate Maltby (Black Coombe) in 70:38. Sara Willhoit in 71:42 and Eve Pannone (Ambleside) with 72:03 finished third and fourth.
1. Nancy Scott Aldershot 69:07
2. Katherine Maltby Black Coombe 70:38
3 Sara Willhoit 71:42
4. Eve Pannone Ambleside 72:03
5. Emily Cowper-Coles, Dark Peak. 73:43
6. Eden O’Dea Deeside AAC 74:12
Junior up-and-down races
There was a Scottish double in the junior races with Thomas Hilton (Moorfoot Runners) and Isla Patterson (Gala Harriers) sealing victories and automatic selection.
Patterson was a clear winner in 37:12 over Wharfedale’s Amelie Lane, who clocked 38:31. Aberdeen’s Hania Czebreszuk took third in 38:39.
Hilton finished in 30:59 holding off the challenge from Derby’s Ewan Busfield (31:08) and Settle’s Jack Sanderson (31:14).
Junior women up-and-down results
1. Isla Patterson Gala 37:12
2. Amelie Lane Wharefdale 38:31
3. Hania Czebreszuk. Aberdeen 38:39
4. Connie Jenneson. Buxton 39:31
5. Rose Gilldaley. Eden Runners 39:41
6. Maggie Hudson Keighley & Craven 39:58
Junior men up-and-down results
1. Thomas Hilton Moorfoot 30:59
2. Ewan Busfield Derby 31:08
3. Jack Sanderson Settle Harriers 31:14
4. Rowan Taylor Lasswade AC 31:24
5. Sam Bentham Ilkley AC 31:33
6. Lachlan Willis Wharfedale 32:37
