UK Inter-Counties fell titles for Williams and Douglas and trials wins for Willhoit and Steward

Busy weekend for Britain’s best mountain runners as they compete in World Trials and Inter-Counties Championships

Uphill Trial for World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, Keswick, May 5

Sara Willhoit produced an impressive performance as first woman home in the uphill trial race for the GB&NI team for the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck-Stubai in June, Anne Buckley reports.

Second was Phillipa Williams, who took bronze in the up-and-downhill World Championships in 2019, with Katie Avery taking third. Avery was part of the silver medal GB&NI team at the 2022 uphill World Championships in Thailand. Another member of that team, Ruth Jones, took fourth, just holding off Kirsty Dickson.

Joe Steward looked strong in winning the men’s race from Chris Richards. There was a battle for third and fourth between two Scots, Andy Douglas and Jacob Adkin, with 2019 European champion Adkin getting the better of Douglas on the steep final section to the top of Skiddaw.

The race was run from Dodd Wood, north of Keswick, and took the runners over Ullock Pike and Carl Side to the top of Skiddaw.

Overall (6.4km/905m): 1 J Steward (Salf/ENG) 38:12; 2 C Richards (Helm, H/ENG) 38:37; 3 J Adkin (Kesw/SCO) 39:14; 4 A Douglas (I’clyde, SCO) 39:24; 5 S Batchelor (Salom/SCO) 39:38; 6 T Spencer (Bux/ENG) 40:05; 7 G Dale (Amble/ENG) 40:31; 8 R Gollan (Shett/SCO) 40:43; 9 O Subuh-Symons (Amble/ENG) 40:46; 10 F Grant (Dark Pk/ENG) 41:09

M40: P Faulkner (C’thy/ENG) 44:09

M70: M Moorhouse (Mat/ENG) 63:57

Women: 1 S Willhoit (Mercia/ENG) 45:20; 2 P Williams (Dark Pk/ENG) 45:51; 3 K Avery (Shild/ENG) 47:12; 4 R Jones (Salf/ENG) 47:44; 5 K Dickson (C’thy/SCO) 47:58; 6 H Page (C’thy/SCO) 49:09; 7 C Lambert (M’bro/ENG) 49:48; 8 E Weir (TH&H/ENG) 51:32; 10 K Lord (Amble/ENG) 54:29

BRITISH INTER-COUNTIES MOUNTAIN RACE, Sedbergh, May 7

Andy Douglas comfortable won the men’s Inter-Counties title from Chris Richards with Joe Steward third the day after winning the Trials.

Richards had been second in the Trials.

The day before Phillipa Williams had finished second to Sarah Willhoit in the Trials but here Willhoit finished fourth and Williams won by 48 seconds.

Williams had finished fifth in the Inter-Counties Cross-Country Championships in March.

Andy Douglas (Dave Woodhead)

Overall (14km/760m):
1 A Douglas (SCO-N) 56:00
2 C Richards (Cumbr) 56:32
3 J Steward (Gtr Man) 57:26

First three men with winner Andy Douglas centre (Dave Woodhead)

4 J Adkin…