15 January 2015

The Great Britain & Northern Ireland team has been selected for the IAU (International Association of Ultra-runners) 24 Hour World (incorporating the European) Championships in Turin on 11-12 April 2015. Eleven athletes have been picked to represent GB & NI as they aim to deliver strong performances in Italy.

The women’s team just missed out on a world medal when the championships were last held in 2013 in Steenbergen, Netherlands. They finished fourth but secured a European Silver medal which was incorporated into the event. This year they will be challenging for a world as well as a European podium place in Italy.

Emily Gelder, bronze medallist at the 2012 IAU 24 hour World Championships in Katovice, leads the women’s team as they take on the world’s best ultra-runners. Others selected to represent GB & NI include Sharon Law who secured a European Bronze medal two years ago in the women’s race with a distance of 226.107km in 24 hours.

Both athletes will be joined by Scottish 12 hour record holder Debbie Martin Consani and fellow Scot Fionna Ross who won the Tooting Bec 24 hour race in September 2014 with a new Scottish record run of over 233Km. Isobel Wykes and Karen Hathaway complete the women’s team.

The five-strong men’s team has plenty of experience including Steve Holyoak – the highest placed GB & NI athlete at the last World Championships in the Netherlands. Holyoak and his team mates will be seeking to run a distance around 250kms in Turin and a European podium position.

Robbie Britton is the youngest member of the team at 28 years-old and after running 239.01km two years ago at the World Championship; he will be gunning to run even further this time around. Pat Robbins, Marco Consani and Dan Lawson are the other men in the British contingent and while the latter two are new to the team, they have had outstanding recent performances and will be aiming high in Italy.

Team GB 24 hour Manager Richard Brown said “This is the strongest team we have put into the field and they will be fighting hard to follow in the footsteps of our successful 100Km squad who secured medals at their recent World Championships.”

The full Great Britain & Northern Ireland Team for the IAU 24 Hour World Championships:

Senior Men

Robbie Britton
Marco Consani
Steve Holyoak
Dan Lawson
Pat Robbins

Senior Women

Emily Gelder
Karen Hathaway
Sharon Law
Debbie Martin Consani
Fionna Ross
Isobel Wykes