The British Athletics Cross Challenge series comes to a close on Saturday 11 March 2023 as the Final takes place at Prestwold Hall in Loughborough with the event also incorporating the Inter Counties Championships.

The event will be streamed live on the British Athletics website with races starting at 11am.

The British Athletics Inter Counties Championships includes athletes representing 46 Counties, Regions and Districts throughout the UK, while the Cross Challenge Final features athletes who have qualified from four key British Athletics high-quality cross-country fixtures held in Cardiff, Milton Keynes, Liverpool and Perth during the autumn and winter.

Among those in contention for the Cross Challenge series win in the senior women’s race are Perth winner, Megan Keith (Ross Cairns, Inverness), second placer in Cardiff Jess Gibbon (Reading) and Grace Carson (Bill Foster, Mid Ulster).

Megan Harris (Hayley Hemmings, Chelmsford) currently leads the standings in the U20 women’s contest, while in the U17 girls’ standings, Sophie Nicholls (Simon Prior, Wells City) and Innes FitzGerald (Gavin Pavey, Exeter) are the top two.

Millie Gold (Mark Gold, Cardiff) has the edge in the U15 standings after winning in Milton Keynes and racing in all four fixtures of the series to date. Penelope Boyle (Leven Valley) and Bryony Boyce (Steve Knight, Cardiff) are separated by one point in the U13 girls after four races.

The senior men’s standings are headed by Mahamed Mahamed (Idris Hamud, Southampton) who has had an encouraging winter season on the cross-country terrain. His brother Zakariya (Idris Hamud, Southampton), who won silver in the U23 race at the European Cross Country Championships in December, is also a contender for the series win.

After finishing as the first GB & NI athlete across the line at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships last month, Edward Bird (Mark Pauley, Poole) leads the way in the U20 men’s contest which will be strongly contested.

Iwan Thomas (Neil Thomas, Carmarthen) tops the men’s U17 standings as the series reaches its conclusion with Connor Bell (Derek Bell, Central) amongst the challengers to keep an eye on. Matthew Drummond Clark (Andy Bibby, Preston) leads the U15 boys’ standings, while Rhuairdh Laing (Victoria Park City of Glasgow), winner last time out in Perth, holds a significant advantage over his opponents in the U13 rankings.

For more information on the event and the Cross Challenge Final, please click here.

Live coverage of the event will be streamed on the British Athletics website with races starting at 11am.