British Athletics has today announced a full team of ten set to #REPRESENT at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia on Saturday 24 March 2018.

Charlotte Purdue (coach: Nic Bideau; club: Aldershot Farnham & District) earns selection having demonstrated fine form by lowering her personal best by exactly a minute on the way to victory at the British Half Marathon Championships in London at the weekend, clocking 70:29 minutes for gold.

Purdue will run over the 13.1-mile distance having been the first British female home in finishing 13th in the marathon at the IAAF World Championships on her last appearance for the country in 2017. She is also the only member of the team to have competed at the last World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff in 2016.

Charlotte Arter (Chris Jones; Cardiff) and Faye Fullerton (Georgina Fullerton; Havering) are two other athletes chosen to have set personal bests at the British Championships at the weekend. Arter crossed the line in 71:31 for bronze while Fullerton lowered her career best to 74.04.

Like Purdue, Tracy Barlow (Nick Anderson; Thames Valley) also ran the World Championship marathon last summer in London with Gemma Steel (Liz Nuttall; Charnwood) returning to the Championships having finished seventh in Bulgaria in 2012 and completing a full five-strong women’s team.

Ben Connor (Steve Vernon; Derby) enjoyed a fine cross-country season with victory in Liverpool, a sixth place at the European Championships in Slovakia and a fifth place in Edinburgh before transferring that good form to the roads. He finished eighth, and the first Brit home, in the Barcelona Half Marathon last month with Luke Traynor (Andrew Kastor; Glasgow City) one place behind him on the day and also on the plane back to Spain.

Tsegai Tewelde (John MacKay; Shettleston) will wear the British vest for the first time since making his Olympic debut at Rio 2016 and was fourth at the British Championships while Mohamud Aadan (Paul Oppe; Thames Valley) and Dan Studley (Alex Hains; Bristol & West) will represent on the senior international stage for the first time in Valencia and take the men’s team to five.

Team Leader Charlotte Fisher said: “We have chosen a full squad of ten for the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia as we seek to achieve the highest possible placing in both the men’s and women’s team standings. The team is a mixture of some very experienced road runners and those who we believe have the potential to go on to enjoy successful careers. There is great competition among the team, as proven throughout the qualifying period and at the British Championships at the weekend. We enjoyed a great Championships two years ago in Cardiff and Valencia will act as a great test for all those selected.”

The British team set to #REPRESENT at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships:

Men:

Ben Connor (Steve Vernon; Derby)

Luke Traynor (Andrew Kastor; Glasgow City)

Tsegai Tewelde (John MacKay; Shettleston)

Mohamud Aadan (Paul Oppe; Thames Valley)

Dan Studley (Alex Hains; Bristol & West)

Women:

Charlotte Purdue (Nic Bideau; Aldershot Farnham & District)

Gemma Steel (Liz Nuttall; Charnwood)

Charlotte Arter (Chris Jones; Cardiff)

Tracy Barlow (Nick Anderson; Thames Valley)

Faye Fullerton (Georgina Fullerton; Havering)