Strong GB teams head to Turkey
Victoria Wilkinson
After the battles on Latrigg a month ago, strong GB men’s and women’s squads head to Turkey this weekend to take on the best in European mountain running.
Trials winners Steve Vernon and Victoria Wilkinson will head up the two senior squads, with both teams hoping to figure in the medals at the 10th European Mountain Running Championships.
Vernon, Andi Jones, Adam Osbourne and Nick Swinburn have all raced relatively lightly in recent weeks so should be in good condition as they tackle Mount Uladag and it’s 1700m of vertical gain on the 12km route, with Jones stating on his blog:
I am looking forward to the event. I have been to the European Mountain champs four times before but haven’t been for a few years now as I seemed to have drifted away from the mountain running to concentrate on road running. The last time I went to the Euros was in Cauterets, France, 2007. I finsished 11th in the race.
Andi Jones
We have won team medals at three of the events I have been to. Silver in 2004, Silver in 2005 and Bronze in 2006. Hopefully the race will go well for the team. The team is me, Steve Vernon, Nick Swinburn and Adam Osbourne. On paper I think the team can medal, but we will have to all run well.
Victoria Wilkinson is a proven performer on the international mountain running scene, and will lead a very good looking squad containing 2011 break though runner Emma Clayton, whose form in Europe has been such that she is the current WMRA Grand Prix leader. Scots Nicola Meakin and Clare Whitehead make up the quartet.
The junior men’s team will be led by Garry Rankin who was highly impressive at the trial. The young Scot will look to lead the junior team to medal success, coupled with Rankin’s individual medal hopes this is a clear possibility.
Garry Rankin
Part of the excellent crop of Scottish mountain and fell runners at the moment is Scout Adkin. Again her win at Kewsick underlined her potential and it will be interesting to see how she and close runner-up Ffion Price fair in Turkey.
Racing gets underway on Sunday at 9am with the junior women’s race – full timetable here.
AVIVA GB & NI TEAM
Senior men
Adam Osborne – Leeds City; Andi Jones (Bob Merrell) – Salford Harriers; Nick Swinburn – Morpeth; Steve Vernon (David Turnbull) – Stockport
Senior women
Emma Clayton – Bingley; Nicola Meekin – Lochaber; Clare Whitehead – Deeside Runners; Victoria Wilkinson – Bingley
Junior men
Joe Johnston (Phil Bolton) – Rossendale; Dominic Mahoney (Arthur Almond/Richard Taylor – Blackburn; Garry Rankin (Robert Hawkins) – Kilbarchan; Jack Ross – Staffordshire Moorlands
Junior women
Scout Adkin (Gregor Nicholson) – Moorfoot; Ffion Price – Brecon; Beckie Taylor (Jackie/Richard Taylor) – Blackburn
Reactions so far
Jason Kehoe Jul 8, 12:09 PM
Whoops! Typo in the photo accreditation there. It should be:
John Shields – www.actionphotography.ie
As seen on:
http://www.imra.ie/photos/view/id/47272/
Matt - MST Jul 8, 01:56 PM
Thanks Jason, amended!