20 May 2014

British Athletics today named a six strong team to represent Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the forthcoming 2014 European Cup 10,000m in Skopje on 7 June.

Dewi Griffiths (coach: Kevin Evans), Callum Hawkins (Robert Hawkins) and Matt Hynes (Stan Markley) make up the trio of men. Lily Partridge (Mick Woods), Rhona Auckland (Joyce Hogg) and Katie Brough (Andrew Carter) are the female compatriots.

Griffiths heads to the Macedonian capital in good form following a huge three minute improvement on his previous 10,000m personal best earlier this year in Lisbon. Hawkins and Hynes, who both made their 10,000m competitive bows this year, are full of promise with good opening accounts at the recent Stanford Invitational and the Highgate Harriers Night of the 10,000m PBs.

2013 European U23 Cross Country Championship  fifth place finisher Partridge, made a great 10,000m debut earlier this year, whilst Auckland recorded a new personal best earlier this month at Highgate, with a 33:09.58. Brough, who has already taken 20 seconds off her 5,000m personal best this year when running 15.29.94 at the Stanford Invitational will make her 10,000m debut in Macedonia.

In 2013, the women’s team won a team silver medal.

Martin Rush, Team Leader, said: “Following on from the British Championships ‘Night of the 10,000m PBs’, the European Cup is the next level of competition and will provide a keen challenge for all of the six selected athletes. 

“10,000m races in Europe are rare, so the European Cup 10,000m offers athletes an opportunity to get experience championship type racing. We are expecting strong representation from across Europe leading into the European Championships later this summer. We are aiming for the whole team to step up to the challenge.”

After reviewing her racing plans for the rest of 2014, Sonia Samuels (Nick Samuels) has decided to withdraw from the European Cup 10,000m team to focus on shorter distance races for a period of time, having already completed back to back 10,000m races in May.

Of the decision, Samuels said: "It was a really tough decision to turn down a British vest but my longer term plans are better served by not doing it.  Hopefully my prompt decision will give my replacement the very best chance to fully prepare for the competition and I wish the whole team every success in Skopje"