20 September 2007

Visit the UK Cross Challenge pages or follow the link at the bottom of the page, to be in with a chance of winning increased cash prizes.

UK has now doubled the prize money for UK Cross Challenge seniors and under-20s and is increasing rewards in the younger age groups at this winter’s four meetings.

The national governing body, which has financed the series since Reebok sponsorship ended three years ago, will be giving the leading UK finishers a total of £13,500 at the four meetings at Gateshead on 10 November, Liverpool incorporating the European Trials on 24 November, the Belfast International on 5 January and Nottingham on 15 March, when the Challenge Finals will again be part of the UK Inter-Counties Championships and World Trials.

The leading UK senior men and women will receive £300, £150, £100 and £50 for first, second, third and fourth places at Gateshead, Liverpool and Belfast; and £1,000, £600, £300 and £100 at the Final.

The leading UK Under 20 men and women will receive £150, £100 and £50 for first, second and third at Gateshead, Liverpool and Belfast; and £300, £150 and £100 at the Final.

The leading Under 17s, Under 15s and Under 13s will receive sports vouchers: £45, £30 and £20 for first, second and third at Gateshead, Liverpool and Belfast; £100, £50 and £35 at the Final.

All of these prizes are in addition to any rewards given by the individual meeting organisers.

The increases, made possible by the reduction in the number of meetings this winter, bring the prize structure closer into line with those that tend to be offered at road races.

The value of the Challenge to UK athletics has never been in doubt since the first meeting at Bristol on 1 November 1997, when Liz Yelling won the senior women’s race, Louise Damen was first Under 15 and Charlotte Moore leading Under 13.

Tara Krzywicki, seventh that day, went on to win a European Cross Country Champs silver medal with GB in 2000 – “something I never dreamed possible before the UK Cross Challenge.”

And Hayley Yelling, who succeeded Paula Radcliffe as European cross country champion in 2004, always said she would not have contemplated moving up from the Chiltern League if it hadn’t been for the Challenge.

On-line entry will be avaliable by the end of the week for all this winter’s UK Cross Challenge races at Gateshead, Liverpool and Belfast. Click here to go to the UK Cross Challenge section.