9th September 2016

British Team Prepare For Uphill World Championships

An 18-strong British team will head to Sapareva Banya, Bulgaria, for this Sunday’s (11 Sep) World Mountain Running Championships (Uphill) following a warm up training camp in the mountains of Livigno, Italy.

The senior women’s quartet includes Emily Collinge and Annie Conway, both of whom are international champions on the mountain running scene.

Both women will have eyes on silverware following a fantastic year to date, with Collinge sweeping to glory in the mountains of Arco earlier this year to become European (up and down) champion, a fantastic achievement on the back of a silver medal at the worlds (up and down) last year in Wales, whilst Conway will be hoping to come good once again following her gold medal win at the world long distance mountain running championships in Slovakia back in June.

The pair will be joined by trials winner Hatti Archer (coach: Bud Baldaro), earning her first GB call-up since competing in the 3000m steeplechase at the European Championships in 2012, and seasoned international Victoria Wilkinson, who finished second in the trials.

Leading the senior men’s team will be trials champion Andrew Douglas (Sophie Dunnett), who has continued to show his prowess over both the up & down and uphill disciplines with a fourth place finish at the European Championships in June. The 29-year-old will be targeting an improvement to his 21st place finish at the world uphill championships from 2014, with five other athletes joining the Scot in tackling the hills of Bulgaria, including International Snowden race winner Chris Smith (Philip O’Dell).

Bronze medallist at this year’s European Championships, Heidi Davies spearheads the junior women’s team after triumphing at the trials at Skiddaw in the Lake District. She will be joined in the British fold by Elizabeth Apsley and two debutants, Bronwen Jenkinson and Emily Nicholson.

The junior men’s quartet is headed by trials victor Euan Gillham (Robert Hawkins), a relative newcomer to the mountain running environment, who has previously earned a GB cap at the Great Edinburgh X-Country in 2015.  

The full British Athletics team for the World Mountain Running Championships (Uphill) in Sapareva Banya, Bulgaria on September 11 2016:

Senior men

Tom Adams

Andrew Douglas (Sophie Dunnett)

Chris Farrell

Graham Gristwood

Max Nicholls (Peter Brenchley)

Chris Smith (Philip O’Dell)

 

Senior women

Hatti Archer (Bud Baldaro)

Emmie Collinge

Annie Conway

Victoria Wilkinson 

 

Junior men

Josh Boyle

Euan Gillham (Robert Hawkins)

Ciaran Lewis (James Thie)

Nathan Smith (Ian Wilcock)

 

Junior women

Elizabeth Apsley

Heidi Davies

Bronwen Jenkinson

Emily Nicholson