10 June 2010

UKA today announced athletes selected to represent the Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland team at the forthcoming European Mountain Running Championships in Sapareva Banya, Bulgaria on 4 July.

The endurance event, which reaches 1030m above sea level at its highest point, will test the 14 strong team, which is made up of four senior and junior teams.

The senior teams feature all top four female finishers from the McCain Mountain Challenge in Fitzpark, Keswick, which doubled up as the trials event, and three of the top four men.

Among the senior men’s team is Gareth Raven who returns to action following an impressive 18th place finish at the Virgin London Marathon in April and in the senior women’s team Mary Wilkinson will look to better her 2008 World Mountain Running Championships fourteenth place, this time against a European field.

Trials winners Robbie Simpson and Catriona Buchanan will head up the junior teams. The Scottish pair has consistently performed well over this terrain, both winning Junior Home International titles in 2009. Buchanan, with Michael Kallenberg and Laura Riches make their Aviva GB&NI debut.

Results from the event can be found at: http://www.emrc2010saparevabanya.org/

AVIVA GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND TEAM*

SENIOR MEN

Orlando Edwards (Frank Horwill) Shaftesbury Barnet

Gareth Raven (Paul Roden) Sale

James McMullan (Robin Dickson) Thames Hare & Hounds

Adam Osborne (Phil Townsend) Leeds City

SENIOR WOMEN

Victoria Wilkinson (Bashir Hussain) Bingley         

Olivia Walwyn (Don Nichol) City of Norwich               

Lizzie Adams (Peter Schofield) Hallamshire               

Mary Wilkinson (self coached) Bingley           

JUNIOR MEN

Robbie Simpson () Banchory Stonehaven

Michael Kallenberg (Ken Evans) Ingli                    

Alexander Hendry (Derek Easton) Central/Forth Valley

JUNIOR WOMEN 

Catriona Buchanan (Derek Easton) Central                 

Laura Riches (Joe Galvin) Leigh                

Hannah Bateson (Bill Foster) Lancaster & Morecambe