Great Britain have announced a strong team for the 2024 European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships which will take place in Annecy, France between 31 May and 2 June.
Thomas Roach, the reigning world short trail individual silver and team gold medallist from the 2023 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships leads the men’s team heading to France to face the 62km trail course with 3400m ascent and descent.
He is joined by Tom Evans, who represented Great Britain at the 2019 SPAR European Cross Country Championships before transitioning to long distance and ultra running. Evans won the iconic US ultra event, the Western States 100, in 2023.
Tom Joly de Lotbiniere also joins the quartet and will be looking to build upon an 11th place finish in the long trail race at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships last year, while Luke Grenfell-Shaw earns a call-up to a British squad for the first time.
Experienced athletes
In-form Meryl Cooper is chosen for the women’s trail race, fresh from crossing the line as the first British finisher at Trans Grand Canaria 46k in February. Holly Page returns from injury to earn her first international call-up since 2018.
Two athletes with experience of the European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships, having run in the inaugeral event two years ago, Georgia Tindley and Katie Kaars Sijpesteijn add further firepower to the women’s team.
Team Leader Anne Buckley said, “After the successes of the trail teams at the World Championships last year, we are confident we have selected strong squads to challenge for individual and team medals at the European Championships.
“We have seen several athletes achieve impressive results at prestigious races in the ultra-running calendar recently, so we look forward to seeing how they perform in the Championship environment in a few months’ time.”
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics