9th June 2017

10,000m Test Beckons For British Athletics Team

Six British athletes will take to the track to race at the European 10,000m Cup in Minsk, Belarus on Saturday.

Katrina Wootton (coach: Harvey Rose) ran a lifetime best at the Night of 10,000m PBs last month, clocking 32:27.47 for third place in the contest. She has since finished third in the Great Manchester 10km and also won the Brighton 10km earlier in the year. So she will be one to watch as she takes on the continent’s best athletes over the distance.

She will be joined by a duo who competed at the World Cross Country Championships in Uganda back in March; Aldershot Farnham & District’s Louise Small (Mick Woods) and Leeds City’s Claire Duck (Mike Baxter). They will both add further strength to the squad at the competition after both recording personal bests at Night of 10,000m PBs.

Jess Martin (Josep Carballude) has withdrawn from the event after a change to her competition schedule as she continues her full recovery from an injury earlier in the year.  

The senior men’s team will include two British international debutants; Kristian Jones (self-coached) and Matt Leach (Philip O’Dell).

Jones has enjoyed a marvellous season to date, improving his personal best to 29:05.66, just weeks after taking the Scottish title with a 29:16.39 clocking in April. US-based Leach ran his personal best over the distance in March, recording 28:45.48 at the Stanford Invitational.           

Graham Rush will also make an appearance in a British vest after he set a lifetime best at Highgate; the Cheltenham athlete ran a time of 29:04.52.

The British Athletics team for the European 10,000m Cup taking place in Minsk, Belarus on Saturday 10 June 2017:

Senior Women:

Claire Duck (Mike Baxter)

Louise Small (Mick Woods)

Katrina Wootton (Harvey Rose)

Senior Men:

Kristian Jones (self-coached)

Matt Leach (Philip O’Dell)

Graham Rush