News

Team selected for Junior Home International mountain running

England Athletics are pleased to announce the representative team selected for the Junior Home International Mountain race which will take place on 21 September in Llanberis, North Wales

The British and Irish Junior Mountain Running Championships is hosted in turn by each of the participating countries and this year’s event in Llanberis follows on from a successful event in Glendalough in 2018.

Team manager Duncan Richards commented, "This event brings the mountain running season to a close and provides an important development opportunity. England have a good record and this year we have a particularly strong team."

A Teams

U20

  • Ben Bergstrand (Middlesbrough (Mandale), Robin Bergstrand)
  • Joe Hudson (Keighley & Craven, Alan Buckley)
  • Matthew Mackay (Rossendale, Steve Duxbury / Graham Wright)
  • Euan Brennan (Ilkley, Andrew Henderson)
  • Alice Crane (Derby AC)
  • Eve Panone (Eden Runners)
  • Finty Royle (Chorley AC, Katie Hewison)
  • Rosie Woodhams (Kendal AC, Steve Priestly)

U17

  • Toby Middleton (Horwich, Andy Townsend)
  • William Kay (Mercia/Dudley & Stourbridge)
  • Robin Regan (Eden Runners, Derek Hurton)
  • Fraser Sproul (Kendal AC)
  • Lucy Bednall (Buxton AC)
  • Alice Jones (Wharfedale Chris Jones)
  • Chloe Rylance (Ambleside AC)
  • Alexandra Whitaker (Harrogate)

B Teams

U20

  • Florence Duff (Haut Vallespir)
  • Emily Field (Bingley Harriers)
  • Briony Holt (Clayton le Moors)
  • Holly Love (Worcester, David Walker)
  • William Tighe (Buxton AC)
  • Matthew Knowles (Lancaster & Morecambe AC)
  • Lucas Parker (Macclesfield)
  • Sam Soles (Buxton AC)

U17

  • William Longden (Buxton/Derbyshire Schs)
  • Ben O’Dowd (Eden Runners)
  • Daniel Sanderson (Kendal AC)
  • Joel Taylor (Rossendale)
  • Bethany Bergstrand (Middlesborough Mandale)
  • Lilli Carr (Keighley & Craven AC)

A Teams

U20

Ben Bergstrand has been a regular on the England junior mountain running teams and finished 2nd in last year’s JHI race. He cemented his selection with 3rd at the trial race in Pendleton. Joe Hudson gains his 6th England vest with his win in the trial race. Last year he placed 5th at the Mountain Running International Youth Cup when the England team also won gold. Matthew Mackay has had another excellent year on the mountains with a 4th individual place representing GB at the European U20 Mountain Running Championships and helping the team to secure gold medals. Euan Brennan has raced for GB at both cross country and mountain running, and adds an excellent 5th place at the European U20 championships in July to his achievements. Alice Crane earns her 2nd England mountain running vest after finishing 34th at the International U18 Mountain Running Cup this year. She is an experienced runner over the country and on the fells, latterly placing 4th in the FRA U17 championships in 2018. Eve Panone earns her 3rd England vest after winning the trial. This follows on the back of an excellent mountain running season where she was first GB finisher in 6th place at the European U20 Mountain Running Championships in Zermatt.  Finty Royle has had a strong season winning the U19 FRA Championship and becoming the UK Inter Counties U19 champion. Finty placed 25th in the 2018 International Mountain Running Cup in Italy. She came 2nd in the trial race to secure her place in the team. Rosie Woodhams is a seasoned international mountain runner and will pick up her 5th England vest. She gained her place in the team by finishing first England counter in 22nd place at the 2019 International U18 Mountain Running Cup in Susa. In 2018 she made the Junior GB team at both the European and World Mountain Running championships.

U17

This is Toby Middleton’s first time representing England in mountain running. His 2nd place in the trial follows on the back of a strong cross country and track season. Competitive in 2019 over cross country and on the track, William Kay gains his 3rd England mountain running vest. He has continued to build on his mountain running debut in 2018 where he finished 8th in the JHI in Glendalough. In 2019, he finished in a creditable 20th place in the International U18 Mountain Running Cup in Italy.  Robin Regan makes his mountain running debut in an England vest after winning the 2019 U17 FRA Championship. He is a seasoned runner over the country and fell. Winner of the trial race, as he was in 2018, this will be Fraser Sproul’s 2nd England mountain running vest although he has also competed for England at cross country. In the 2019 cross country season, notable performances include 5th place in the ECCA English National Championships and a fine 2nd at the CAU Inter Counties Championships in 2019. Lucy Bednall has focussed more on the fell and mountains this year which is reflected in her gaining her first England vest with a fine 2nd place in the trial race and also finishing 2nd in the FRA Championships. Alice Jones’ 3rd place in the trial secured her England debut. She is a strong competitor over the country, fell and on the track. Chloe Rylance is another consistent performer over the fells, cross country and track. She earns her 3rd England vest after her debut in the 2018 JHI where she finished 10th. In August she was second England finisher in 25th place in the 2019 International U18 Mountain Running Cup in Italy. With her win in the trial race, Alexandra Whitaker consolidated her claim to her first England mountain running vest and completes a fine season where she also finished as U17 FRA Champion.

B Teams

U20

This will be Florence Duff’s 2nd England vest, having ran for England in the 2019 International U18 Mountain Running Cup in August. She also represented GB earlier in July as part of the GB junior team in the uphill only European Mountain Running Championships, where she finished in a fine 23rd place. She finished an impressive 10th junior in the 2019 French National Cross Country Championships. This will be Emily Field’s 4th England vest. In 2018, she won the U17 Fell Running Championship and was 13th in the International U18 Mountain Running Cup. She also won an excellent bronze in the 2017 staging of the JHI. Briony Hall’s 3rd England vest has been secured by her 4th place in the trial race. She has had a great season finishing 3rd in the Inter Counties Fell Championships, and 2nd in the U19 FRA Championship this year. Holly Love had a strong cross country season this year and managed to secure her 2nd England vest by finishing 3rd in the trial. Her debut was at the JHI in 2017 where she finished 12th (U17). William Tighe gains his 2nd England vest for Mountain Running, he finished 8th in the 2017 JHI in the U17 Race. Matthew Knowles secures his 3rd England vest in mountain running. Last year he led home the U17 England team at the JHI in Ireland with a fine 4th place. In August, he also placed 12th in the 2019 International U18 Mountain Running Cup and is the 2019 Fell Running Association (FRA) U19 champion. Making his mountain running debut for England, Lucas Parker finished a creditable 5th at the trial race. This is Sam Soles’ 2nd England mountain running vest after competing in this year’s International U18 Mountain Running Cup in Italy. Sam finished 2nd in the 2019 FRA U19 Championship.

U17

William Longden makes his international mountain running debut following his 2nd place finish in the U17 FRA Championships this year. Ben O’Dowd picks up his 2nd England mountain running vest after his debut in the 2019 International U18 Mountain Running Cup earlier in August, where he finished in a creditable 26th place.  Daniel Sanderson secures his 2nd England vest with a solid 4th place in the trial race. In his debut at the 2018 JHI, he was 5th English finisher in a strong field. Joel Taylor earns his first England mountain running vest following his 3rd place at the trial. He is a strong runner over cross country and fell and this year finished 3rd U17 in the Fell Runners Association Championship. Claiming her second England vest with her 4th place at the trial, Bethany Bergstrand came home in 15th in the 2018 staging of this event. Lilli Carr gains her second England vest and made her debut in the 2018 JHI where she was second England finisher in a fine 8th position.