13th August 2013

Gb & NI Team For The World Mountain Running Championships Announced

13 August 2013

British Athletics has this morning announced a full team of 17 athletes for the forthcoming World Mountain Running Championships in Poland on Sunday 8 September.

The 2013 British Athletics Mountain Running Championships incorporated the trial races for the upcoming World Championships, and victories for Rob Samuel and Emma Clayton (coach: Andrew Henderson) ensured their places on the team.

Samuel was perhaps a surprise winner, breaking away from Andi Jones on the fast descents on the Whinlater Forest course to win by 27 seconds. Samuel is however no stranger to World Championships, having competed for GB & NI in Albania in 2011, whilst runner-up Jones was fourth at the World Mountain Running Championships in Alaska back in 2003.

James McMullan, Nick Swinburn and Chris Smith were third, fifth and sixth at the trials and are all regular members of the GB & NI team, whilst fourth place finisher Tom Adams will make his debut at the event.

In the women’s race, pre-race favourite Emma Clayton held off a strong challenge from 2008 European Mountain Running Championships bronze medallist Sarah Tunstall to win by 27 seconds. Clayton finished a fine sixth at the European Championships in Bulgaria in July, and will travel to Poland looking for a similarly good performance.

Tunstall is no stranger to international championships as her medal collection shows, and she will also be hoping for a strong performance at her favoured up and down event. Having struggled over the last few years with injury problems it seems she is finally getting back to her best, a story that also rings true for teammate Mary Wilkinson. Katie Walshaw (Katherine Farquhar) rounds out a GB & NI team that will be looking to put in a strong performance in Poland.

The junior teams are headlined by trials winners Georgia Malir (Henderson) and Brad Traviss, both of whom represented GB & NI at the recent European Championships. Malir was 12th in Bulgaria, and held off reigning European up and down Champion Annabel Mason at the trial race, with Catriona Graves taking the final spot on the team. In the junior men’s race, Traviss finished ahead of GB & NI teammates Max Wharton (Brian Burgin) and Nathan Jones, with Maximilian Nicholls (Peter Brenchley) finishing fourth to earn his first GB & NI vest.

Team Leader Sarah Rowell is confident of the team’s chances:

“I am delighted with the strength of the team, which should see us challenging for both team and individual medals in Poland in just under a months’ time.”

Full GB & NI team for the World Mountain Running Championships:

Senior Men:
Rob Samuel
Andi Jones
James McMullan
Tom Adams
Nick Swinburn
Chris Smith

Senior Women:
Emma Clayton
Sarah Tunstall
Mary Wilkinson
Katie Walshaw

Junior Men:
Brad Traviss
Max Wharton
Nathan Jones
Maximilion Nicholls

Junior Women:
Georgia Malir
Annabel Mason
Catriona Graves