Kate Avery, Jess Piasecki, Ross Millington, Adam Hickey and Jenny Nesbitt are among the senior team heading to Aarhus.

British Athletics has named a strong full team of 24 athletes for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark on Saturday, March 30.

Winner of the trials Jenny Nesbitt, who earns her first British vest on the cross country circuit since 2016, is joined by 2018 European Cross senior team silver medallists Jess Piasecki and Kate Avery in the senior women’s team.

Third at the trials, Mhairi MacLennan, along with English National champion Emily Hosker-Thornhill and under-20 team gold medallist from Tilburg, Amelia Quirk complete the team.

Ross Millington who took senior team silver in December’s Euro Cross, will be flanked by under-23 team silver medallists from Tilburg, Oliver Fox, Mahamed Mahamed and Patrick Dever, the latter achieving an individual fifth-place finish in Tilburg.

Adam Hickey earns a first British vest since the 2015 Euro Cross in Hyères, France, following his trial win at Prestwold Hall, with Luke Traynor completing the team.

Photo: JHM Sport

Under-20 team gold medallist from Tilburg, Inter Counties and 2018/19 Cross Challenge champion Grace Brock spearheads the junior women’s selections, along with under-17 English National Championships winner, Olivia Mason.

Charlotte Alexander earns another British vest following on from her run in the Great Stirling XCountry, while Becky Briggs, Eloise Walker and Amelia Samuels all earn their first British vests.

Inter-Counties champion Matt Willis leads the junior men’s selections, alongside new English under-20 cross champion Rory Leonard, and under-20 European Mountain Running Championship team gold medallist from 2018, Euan Brennan.

Under-20 Cross Challenge champion Zakariya Mahamed achieves his first British vest, as do Benjamin West and Josh Cowperthwaite.

“I’m really excited that we are able to have selected a full team for the World Cross Country Championships that we feel can challenge some of the world’s best Cross Country runners on a tough course in Aarhus,” said Team leader Rob Denmark.

“We have opted to select full teams in the senior races as we feel it will enhance our bid for a top six team finish and given the nature of the course, will give Great Britain & Northern Ireland the best possible chance of doing so.

“Additionally, we feel that the course in Aarhus will provide another perfect development opportunity for our Under-20 athletes moving into the summer track season and a fundamental development area as they progress through the age groups.”

Meanwhile, Ireland also named its team on Tuesday (March 12) and it can be found here.

British team for the World Cross Country Championships

Senior Men: Patrick Dever, Oliver Fox, Adam Hickey, Mahamed Mahamed, Ross Millington and Luke Traynor.

Senior Women: Kate Avery, Emily Hosker-Thornhill, Mhairi MacLennan, Jenny Nesbitt, Jessica Piasecki and Amelia Quirk.

Junior Men: Euan Brennan, Josh Cowperthwaite, Rory Leonard, Zakariya Mahamed, Benjamin West and Matt Willis.

Junior Women: Charlotte Alexander, Becky Briggs, Grace Brock, Olivia Mason, Amelia Samuels and Eloise Walker.

Further information and a video preview of the World Cross Country Championships course in Aarhus can be found here.

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