21 August 2015

The final round of the British Athletics Mountain Running Challenge takes place on Saturday in Betws-y-Coed, Wales, as athletes battle to become the champion of the three-stage series. 

Newly crowned European bronze medallist Emma Clayton (Andrew Henderson) and Andrew Douglas (Sophie Dunnett) currently lead the way in the women’s and men’s standings respectively but there are plenty of athletes clipping at their heels to take the accolade and the prize money out of their hands in Snowdonia. 

The race also serves as the trial for the World Mountain Running Championships (up and down) which will be held on the same course next month, so there is an extra incentive for the athletes to strive for the top prize in the Welsh mountains.

Clayton will line-up alongside a tough field with Annie Conway, fresh from her GB debut at the Euro Mountain Running Championships last month, the most likely of the contenders to steal the Yorkshire woman’s crown. Louise Mercer follows closely behind the two protagonists and will be hoping to feature in the final podium places.

Leeds City’s Clayton shared the title with Sarah Tunstall in 2014 but will have her sights set on winning the title outright this time around and booking her spot on the British Athletics team for the home championships on September 19. 

In the men’s event, Douglas, who won both the first two races of the challenge in Snowdonia and Glenridding, will face competition from the 2014 European (up and down) silver medallist Robbie Simpson. Both ran well in Porto Moniz at the European Championships last month but will be back at home on the up and down course this weekend. Tom Adams is another one to watch out for as they take on the 12.3km course which will consist of three loops.

Each athlete’s best two scores from the three races will decide the overall rankings in the British Athletics Mountain Running Challenge and determine who takes the crown as King and Queen of the mountains.

For further information, please follow the link: http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/competitions/mountain-running-challenge/