Saturday saw the University of Birmingham Athletics Club bring their total number of qualifiers for the European Cross Country Championships to an almighty five.
Sara Treacy (pictured) kicked things off with her win at the Irish Intercounty Championships the previous weekend, which gained her automatic selection for the Irish team off to the European event in Brussels.
Four other fellow athletes then joined Sara after the British trials on a freezing foggy November 29th in Liverpool.
Lauren Howarth battled strongly in the closing stages of the junior women’s race to hold off the fast fourth place finisher to cross the line third. Meanwhile Nick Goolab was in the leading group of three for much of the junior men’s race before managing to put in a solid finish and grab the second place spot and his first GB vest.
Another to gain their first GB cross country selection was Hannah England. Better known as a track runner, she put in a fantastic display to finish 4th in the senior and under 23 women’s race. Stacey Johnson, who won team gold at the World University Cross Country Championships last year, finished 5th and was also selected while Sarah Waldron narrowly missed out for the third year running finishing 7th.
The senior and under 23 men’s race involved another near miss, with Jon Pepper also finishing 7th.
Birmingham graduates Frank Tickner and Gemma Miles were amongst the other team members selected after finishing second and sixth respectively.