Britain's elite middle-distance runners will descend upon Sefton Park in Liverpool this weekend for the second leg of the British Athletics Cross Challenge, with athletes looking to secure their spot on the plane to Portugal for next month's European Championships. 

Following the drama of the season-opening short course trials in Cardiff, which saw Holly Dixon and Jack Higgins snatch their places on the relay team, the UK Cross Challenge series heads to the North West to take on a grueling new course in the iconic Sefton Park. 

Across a day of racing from U11 all the way up to seniors, four races will determine who will make their way to Lagoa, Portugal, next month to represent Great Britain.

The U23 women will line up alongside the senior race as they battle it out for places in their team. The likes of European U23 1500m bronze medalist Abigail Ives will be joined on the line by the likes of Lucy Armatige and Emily Parker. The BUCS 3000m indoor champion and World University Games Bronze medalist will look to carry over her stellar form from the track season, which saw her qualify for the U23 European Championships in Bergen in 3 separate events. Many will not be able to look past Innes Fitzgerald. Following a double in the European U20 Championships in the summer, followed by a World Championships debut, the 19-year-old stormed to victory in Cardiff with a 40-second margin.

In the senior women's race, Holly Dixon will be looking to continue her strong form after a dramatic victory over Ava Lloyd in the Euro short-course trials in Cardiff. The Cambridge Harrier will seek to round out what has been a strong 2025 following wins at the Bannister Mile and the British Milers Club Trafford Grand Prix. 

Dixon will be joined on the start line by Hoka athlete Sarah Astin. The Manx runner has also had a successful start to the cross-country season, as she took her third consecutive national relays title with Belgrave Harriers in Mansfield at the beginning of the month. Though Astin may be looking at a transition to the road, she can take inspiration from the likes of Emile Caress, who went toe-to-toe with the best in Euro Cross before transitioning to an astonishingly successful career on the concrete. 

Abbie Donnely has had two consecutive top-five finishes on a course she knows well. Alongside victory at Parliament Hill last year, the Lincoln Wellington athlete is one to keep an eye on. 

The likes of Astin's Belgrave teammate and last year's champion Kate Axford, Charlotte Dannat, and Neve Brown can be seen as potential favourites, having put together solid short-course races this season and being capable of bringing over their strong longer-distance calibre from the track. 

Fresh from a 7th-place finish in the New York Marathon on debut, Tokyo Olympian Jess Warner-Judd will look to replicate her cross-country form from the early stages of her career, which saw her take four European team titles at U23 and U20 level. 

Several athletes lining up are making their bow in the cross season, having not raced in Cardiff, and raise a significant number of questions about how they could perform. Izzy Fry would be one of those athletes who will have eyes on how she can perform in such an intense environment. 

The U23 men's race, Will Barnicoat, will be seen as the clear favourite. The 3-time European champion will break off from the lead group with the likes of Osian Perrin and his brother Ted. But many expect that following his performance in Cardiff, which saw him trail the dramatic sprint finish of Elson, Boyek and Higgins. The 5k track specialist will be at a favourable distance. Sam Hodgson will also be looking to back up his great performance at the relays in Mansfield.

In the Senior Men's race, British 10k record holder Rory Leonard would be seen as one of the favourites. His 9th-place finish in Antalya last year helped guide GB to a bronze medal, and following the disappointment of pulling out of the Valencia half-marathon with medical issues, the 24-year-old will look to bounce back and continue his stellar cross-country career in a British vest. 

His Team Makou partner, Calum Elson, will, in contrast, be looking to build on what has been a strong start to the winter season. After taking the road relays title with Cambridge and Coleridge AC, he was then pipped in a sprint finish by Jack Higgins in Cardiff. Scott Beatie of the same affiliation, who finished fourth last year in poor conditions, is also an athlete to keep an eye on, as a runner with an engine and mindset capable of controlling what could quickly descend into a tactical race. 

Charlie Wheeler and Alfie Manthorpe will also look to put themselves in the conversation. With last year's winner, Tomer Tarragano, not toeing the line. 

The action kicks off at 10:30 am on Saturday 22nd November, and you can catch the coverage from the British Athletics YouTube channel on vincosport.com