England team return to Elgoibar Cross Country
We are pleased to announce the team of 16 athletes who will represent England at the Elgoibar Cross Country in Spain on 5 January 2025.
The Basque region town of Elgoibar has been welcoming international athletes since 1963, with England representing for many years against a strong field of athletes from across the world.
This year there will be England teams in both the junior and senior races.
Team leader Keith Holt spoke about the exciting opportunity ahead:
"We have taken men’s and women’s senior and junior teams for many years to Elgoibar and have always been warmly welcomed. The competition is really good and we have had many junior winners of recent years. In the senior events it has been very difficult but our men and women have benefited enormously from this level of competition – for many the toughest race they have competed in outside of the European or World Cross Country Championships."
Senior Men
Alfie Manthorpe (Sheffield & Dearne) - 7th at the recent Liverpool Cross Challenge, Alfie will be pulling on the England vest once more after representing in Belgium last year. Earlier this month, Manthorpe tested his speed over 3000m indoors to equal his PB, showing he is in excellent shape so early in the season.
David Stone (Shaftesbury Barnet/Birmingham Uni, Dean Miller) - David had a brilliant run at the Euro Cross Trial in Liverpool beating European U23 champion Will Barnicoat by 16 seconds in the U23 race. David himself finishing 3rd in that European U23, four seconds between behind Barnicoat.
Tomer Tarragano (Brighton & Hove/Birmingham Uni, Dean Miller) - Tomer had a brilliant run to win the senior men’s European trial in Liverpool before finishing 19th overall and taking the team bronze at the recent Euro Cross in Antalya, Türkiye.
Jacob Cann (Newham & Essex Beagles) - Jacob finished 8th at the Euro Cross trial at Liverpool just missing selection as reserve for GB team at the Euro cross. He has a 7m53 3000m performer this year so brings good pace from the lower end of the endurance spectrum.
Senior Women
Holly Dixon (Cambridge Harriers) - Holly finished 2nd in the Short Course Race at the European Trial in Liverpool but unfortunately was not selected to race in Türkiye. Holly was selected to run in Roeselare for England in October where she had a fantastic run to finish 5th, this all off a positive summer season and gaining PB’s in 1500m, 3000m and 5000m, also finishing 2nd at the delayed ECCA National Cross Country.
Megan Gadsby (City of Norwich/St Mary's, Mick Woods) - Megan won the U23 European Cross trial at Liverpool and gained selection for the European Cross in Türkiye where she finished 23rd and was part of the gold medal winning team. Megan was also in the England team in Diest last season where she finished 13th.
Sophie Tarver (Wirral, Bill Foster) - Sophie ran a positive race at the European trial in Liverpool finishing 11th and also had a very good race as part of Team England in Roeselarem in October finishing in 9th place.
Kate Willis (City of Norwich/Birmingham Uni, Dean Miller) - Kate finished 2nd U23 at the European Trial in Liverpool and also gained GB selection with Megan for the European Cross Country where she finished 18th and was part of the team to win a Gold Team Medal. Elgoibar will be Kate's England debut.
Under-20 Men
William Rabjohns (Poole AC, Mark Pauley) - William has continued to build on last season’s good cross country form with a fighting 4th place for England in Energyvision Cross Cup Roeselare in October. This was followed four weeks later with an excellent 2nd place in the Liverpool Cross Challenge where he secured his spot on the team for Euro Cross, finishing in 22nd.
Miles Waterworth (Brighton Phoenix, Bruce Warren) - A good run in ECCA National Cross Country Relays in Mansfield set Miles up for an excellent 4th place finish in the British Athletics Cross Challenge, in Sefton Park, Liverpool. This secured the final automatic selection place for the GB European Team in Antalya, Türkiye in which he finished in an excellent 18th Place.
Brandon Pye (Houghton Harriers AC, Rob Bridges) - From a triathlon background, a crash on his bike has led to a period of injury this year. He was unable to race again until he ran the British Athletics Cross Challenge, in Sefton Park, Liverpool in which he finished 10th. With athletes ahead of him moving out of the age group in January, Brandon becomes the 4th ranked junior.
Jack Marwood (Salford Harriers & AC, Ian Grime) - Jack is the youngest in the team at 16. Jack has started this season well finishing 6th in the Junior race (2md under 17) in the British Athletics Cross Challenge in Cardiff. He followed this up with a 13th place finish (1st under 17) in the British Athletics Cross Challenge, in Sefton Park, Liverpool.
Under-20 Women
Zoe Gilbody (Telford AC, Sarah Benson) - Zoe is having an excellent cross country season. Zoe represented GB&NI at the recent European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Turkey finishing a credible 11th despite have a fall during the race. Zoe has gained her selection for England finishing 4th overall at Liverpool.
Isabel holt (Blackburn, Edmund Finucane) - Isabel has gained her first England Cross Country vest following her 13th overall position (10th U20) at Liverpool. Earlier in November, Isabel finished 4th in the Cardiff Cross Country Challenge
Isla McGowan (Banbury, Ros Kelling) - Isla is another athlete who is making her England cross country debut following her 11th overall position (2nd U17) at Liverpool. Earlier in the season, Isla finished 5th (1st U17) in the Cardiff Cross Country Challenge and 5th in the U17 race at the National, Weston Park. Arguably these achievements were eclipsed in the summer where Isla was the silver medallist at 1500m at the U18 European Championships in Slovakia.
Eleanor Strevens (Eastbourne, Christopher Voice) - Eleanor has made significant progress as a cross country and track athlete this year. Eleanor represented GB&NI at the recent European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Türkiye finishing an excellent 6th and 3rd scorer for the U20 Women’s gold medal winning team. Eleanor was the winner of the EnergyVision Cross Cup in Roeselare, Belgium and runner up in the National Cross Country at Weston Park.