UK Athletics can confirm that eight athletes have been selected for the European 10,000m Cup in Pacé, France which will take place on Saturday 28 May.

A full senior women’s team will represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the event with Hannah Irwin (coach: James Thie, club: Cambridge and Coleridge) included, fresh for running a Northern Irish record and Commonwealth Games standard at the Highgate event, a personal best of 32:25.34. She will earn her first British vest next week in France.

Lauren Heyes (Paul Roden, Hallamshire) and Jess Gibbon (Reading), both part of the European Cross Country team last December, have earned their spots after top ten finishes in London last Saturday.

Philippa Bowden (Helen Clitheroe, Aldershot Farnham and District), Abbie Donnelly (Rob Lewis, Lincoln Wellington) and Steph Twell (Aldershot Farnham and District) complete the women’s team of six who will star in Pacé.

Two men will compete at the Cup as they take on the rest of Europe: Tom Anderson (Andrew Hobdell, Bingley) and Mahamed Mahamed (Idris Hamud, Southampton).

The pair both ran at the Night of 10,000m PBs with Mahamed running a career best of 28:19.27 in 11^th overall, while Anderson also ran the best time of his career with 28:35.47, backing up his PBs over 3000m and 5000m which he set earlier in 2022.

Team Leader, Tom Craggs, said, “The European 10,000m Cup provides a great opportunity to athletes to gain valuable competition experience at a continental event. Many of those selected have earned British vests previously, and Hannah has done it for the first time, so it’s a great achievement for all the athletes.

“Some athletes eligible for selection made it known to selectors that they had a different competitive focus over the next few weeks and didn’t wish to be considered for the Cup, but I am confident the team selected here will be competitive against a strong European field. I look forward to seeing the team perform in France next week.”

The Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad for the European 10,000m Cup:

Senior women:

Philippa Bowden (Helen Clitheroe, Aldershot Farnham and District)

Abbie Donnelly (Rob Lewis, Lincoln Wellington)

Jess Gibbon (Reading)

Lauren Heyes (Paul Roden, Hallamshire)

Hannah Irwin (James Thie, Cambridge and Coleridge)

Steph Twell (Aldershot Farnham and District)

Senior men:

Tom Anderson (Andrew Hobdell, Bingley)

Mahamed Mahamed (Idris Hamud, Southampton)

Team Staff:

Tom Craggs – Team Leader

Aly Dixon – Team Coach

Jacqueline Fairchild – Physio