07 January 2015 

Jonathan Taylor (coach: Gordon Surtees) will captain the GB & NI team at the Great Edinburgh XCountry on Saturday 10 January.

The 27 year old finished seventh over the 4km distance in Edinburgh last year behind the likes of three-time Olympic gold medallist Kenenisa Bekele and world 1500m gold medallist Asbel Kiprop and will compete over the 8km course vying for vital points for the GB & NI team as they go up against Europe and USA.

Following a number of withdrawals from the GB & NI team, replacements have been named for the trip to the Scottish capital this weekend.

After a bout of flu over the festive period Mo Farah (Alberto Salazar) will miss the opportunity to repeat his victory four years ago and will be replaced by Michael Callegari (Craig Winrow).

Farah said: “Unfortunately I have to cancel my participation in the Great Edinburgh XCountry as I had the flu over the Christmas and New Year period and had to take some days off training.  My main goal for 2015 is the IAAF World T&F Championships in Beijing and I will keep training hard to defend my 5000m and 10,000m titles.” 

Ross Millington (Steve Vernon), fifth at the European Cross Country Championships, has been ruled out through injury with Andrew Heyes (Keith Whitelam) taking his place on the men’s team.

In the women’s team, Alyson Dixon (self-coached), Rebecca Murray (Alex Stanton) and Rosie Smith (Brian Mackay) come in for Sonia Samuels (self-coached), Charlotte Purdue (Nic Bideau), and Jess Judd (George Gandy). After suffering a slight Achilles injury following her exploits in Bulgaria, European Cross Country U23 gold medallist Rhona Auckland (Joyce Hogg) has had to delay her comeback to action and will be replaced by Georgie Bruinvels (Mick Woods).

Taking their places in the junior teams are Euan Gillham (Robert Hawkins) and Harriett Knowles-Jones (Russell Tart), who replace Elliot Bowker (Andrew Carter) and Georgina Outten (Bud Baldaro) respectively.

The Great Edinburgh XCountry is free to spectate and will be shown live on BBC One and BBC One HD from 13:00 to 14:35. It is part of a New Year festival of running for all abilities, in the iconic Holyrood Park in Edinburgh.  3,000 people will be starting the New Year on the right foot when they take on the popular Great Winter Run, held on a scenic 5k course that loops around Arthur’s Seat, before watching the world’s best test themselves in the international cross country races.

GB & NI team for the Great Edinburgh Cross Country on Saturday 10 January 2015:

Senior Men

Andrew Butchart (Derek Easton)

Luke Caldwell (Nic Bideau)

Michael Callegari (Craig Winrow)

Jonathan Davies (U23) (Rob McKim)

Will Gray (U23) (Bud Baldaro)

Callum Hawkins (Robert Hawkins)

Jonny Hay (Mick Woods)

Andrew Heyes (Keith Whitelam)

Adam Hickey (Eamonn Martin)

Charlie Hulson (U23) (Paul Roden)

Jonathan Taylor (Gordon Surtees) 

Tom Wade (Geoff Watkin)

Senior Women

Georgie Bruinvels (Mick Woods) 

Emma Clayton (Andrew Henderson)

Lauren Deadman (Bill Foster)

Alyson Dixon (self-coached)

Emelia Gorecka (Mick Woods)

Maryse Haynes (Bud Baldaro)

Katie Hewison (Paul Roden)

Katie Holt (Alan Morris)

Rebecca Murray (Alex Stanton)

Lily Partridge (Mick Woods)

Rosie Smith (Brian Mackay)

Gemma Steel (John Nuttall)

Junior Men

Euan Gillham (Robert Hawkins)

Jack Crabtree (Norman Poole) 

Oliver Fox (Richard Llewellyn Eaton)

Jonathan Glen (Mark Pollard)

James Hall (Mick Woods)

Jac Hopkins (Kevin Tobin) 

Junior Women

Grace Baker (Mick Woods)

Amy Griffiths (Mick Woods)

Harriet Knowles-Jones (Russell Tart)

Phoebe Law (Richard Holt)

Sabrina Sinha (Mark Newell/Peter Mullervy) 

Lydia Turner (Thomas Millmore)