8 June 2017 

British Athletics has today announced a team of 16 to represent the nation at the European Uphill Mountain Running Championships, to be held in Kamnik, Slovenia on Saturday 8 July.

Trial winners Sarah Tunstall and Andrew Douglas (coach: Sophie Dunnett) lead the senior teams at the championships in which the British team have a successful history.

Douglas was fifth at these championships in 2015, the last time it was an uphill event, and fourth last year when it was ‘up and down’ in Italy – they alternate each year. The Scottish athlete, alongside Chris Smith, who has also been selected for the 2017 event, were part of the silver medal winning team two years ago, so they will be targeting a similar result this time around.

Joining the duo in the senior men’s team will be Chris Arthur and Chris Farrell. The former, who competes for Bowland, will make a maiden appearance in a British vest, whilst Chris Farrell will seek to build on a 34^th place finish at the world uphill championships last year.

Tunstall is no stranger to the British team set-up having won medals at both world and European championships in the past, and impressed at the trial in Keswick on Saturday, winning by over a minute. It was a superb piece of running by the Kendal athlete who will lead a senior women’s team looking to defend their title from the 2015 championship.

Joining her will be Victoria Wilkinson who continues to show her versatility over the mountain running disciplines, finishing runner up in these trials, after confirming selection for the World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships last month. Rebecca Hilland and Katie Walshaw add depth to a strong senior women’s team who will be challenging for medals once more in Slovenia.

In the junior races, Anna MacFadyen will lead the women’s team, just a few months since she competed for the British team at the World Cross Country championships. The Forres-athlete will be joined by Heidi Davies who was ninth at the 2015 equivalent of the championships, as well as Lancaster and Morecambe’s Scarlet Dale (Colin Gemson) and Buxton’s Helen Thornhill. 

After a breakthrough run up Skiddaw at the trials event, Christopher Richards (Martin Cox) earns a call-up to his first British team, with Josh Boyle, Joseph Dugdale and Elliott Matier adding to the men’s junior quartet.

Sarah Rowell, Mountain Running Lead at British Athletics, commented upon the team selection:

“I am delighted that we are sending four strong teams to represent the country at the European (Uphill) Mountain Running championships. We have experienced internationals in Andy Douglas and Sarah Tunstall who once again stepped up at the trial, but we are also welcoming new faces to the fold which is highly encouraging for mountain running in the UK.

“We have teams capable of winning medals in Slovenia so I look forward to seeing the competition against Europe’s best mountain runners.”

The full British Athletics team for the European Mountain Running Championships in Kamnik, Slovenia on 8 July 2017:

Senior Women:

Rebecca Hilland

Sarah Tunstall

Katie Walshaw (Kath Farquhar)

Victoria Wilkinson

Senior Men:

Chris Arthur

Andrew Douglas (Sophie Dunnett)

Chris Smith (Philip O’Dell)

Chris Farrell

Junior Women:

Scarlet Dale (Colin Gemson)

Heidi Davies

Anna MacFadyen

Helen Thornhill

Junior men:

Josh Boyle

Joseph Dugdale

Elliott Matier

Christopher Richards (Martin Cox)