The British and Irish Masters Home Countries International, traditionally the most prestigious masters cross-country event, is being held for the 36th time on Saturday November 15.
There will be teams in five year age groups from V35 to V80 and this year the venue is Roundhay Park in Leeds.
Ireland and the four home nations take it in turn to host and the three previous venues have been Dublin, Glasgow and Belfast.
With a huge population advantage and a greater number of active runners England won it overall 32 years in a row from 1988 to 2019 but after a two year break due to Covid, Ireland won it in 2022 and though England wrestled the title back in 2023, Ireland took control again last year.
With home advantage this time, England start as marginal favourites but a few selection problems where England’s insistence on selecting mostly from the trial did mean a few second ranked English athletes missed out on a selection spot.
Nb there is an open race after the four international events where friends, spectators and reserves can compete over the course which features the famous Hill 60.
Roundhay Park may be being used for the first time in the international but has been a regular venue of the English National cross-country championships. The 1978 race is regarded by many as one of the best quality ever National races with three Olympic finalists Bernie Ford, Ian Stewart and Tony Simmons taking the top three spots with Olympic medallists Steve Ovett and Mike McLeod fourth and eighth and 10,000m world record holder Dave Bedford 23rd.
The National was last held on the course in 2010.
11.05 Race 1 M65+ & W65 plus 6km
The oldest age groups compete first over three laps.
M65
Wales’ 2024 winner Ifan Lloyd returns having been second in the M60 age group in 2023.
They could be in team contention too as 13:33 5000m man Dave James (who has also achieved a 8:20 two mile also runs along with Dave Warren who was sixth M60 last year as he moves up an age group.
England were out of the medals last time but have a stronger team led by European silver cross-country medalist Malcolm Eustace.
Ireland won the team event in 2024 and their likeliest candidate for a medal is Trials winner Liam Lenahan who left his opposition a minute back.
Northern Ireland were second last year with both Laurence Johnson and Norman Mawhinney in the top five and they both return and are hopefully supplemented by world indoor 800m, 1500m and 3000m champion Dave Clarke who had to drop out of the recent European Championships with injury.
M70
The first two last year – Dave Butler and Joe Gough – are not here this time but bronze medallist Dave Bedwell returns but England should mount a good title defence led by Trials winner Jonathan Haynes who is a former M65 medallist.
Irish trials winner Eamonn McEvoy might be a medal shot but will need improved form on his seventh last year.
Tony Martin, a former European road champion and 2023 medalist, leads the Scottish challenge.
On 2025 form though Wales’ Alan Davies a 2018 M65 winner ahead of the great Nigel Gates looks favourite.
M75
Ireland’s 2024 winner Martin McEvilly doesn’t return to defend but close runner-up Terry Eakin of Northern Ireland who won the 2019 M70 race, does.
Scotland have a strong quartet to defend their team title led by 2024 bronze medallist Alex Sutherland who won the 2025 BMAF title from Malcolm Hammond while Norman Baillie and Rob Donachie who were top six last year also return.
England also have a competitive team with 2023 winner Malcolm Weir and trials winner Arthur Daley likely challengers however event debutante Ron Cattle is probably favourite.
This year he won the world 10km title in Florida and the European 10km gold in Madeira.
David Cundy, who was runner-up in the 2023 World Masters 5000m and steeplechase, should lead the Welsh challenge.
M80
There is no team competition in this age group counting towards the overall scores but England field a strong quartet led by multi world champion Peter Giles and multi European medalist Geoff Newton.
Defending champion Martin Ford (an eight-time winner) missed the Trials and couldn’t be selected as Giles got the selectors spot.
W65
Defending champion Pauline Moran, who has won five golds in the six last runnings, returns and Ireland have a strong team to defend their title.
Scotland also look strong and will be led by Isobel Burnett who has medalled the last three times.
England though look favourites with former W60 medallist and ultra consistent Monica Williamson probably their strongest challenger.
Good back up should be provided by Trials winner Sue Cordingley who won W60 gold in 2019 and recent European 5000m medalist Sian Davies.
Triple European medallist Jill Harrison who was third last year is only listed as a reserve with Williamson getting the selectors spot.
W70
Defending champion Sue Haslam and 2024 runner-up Dot Kesterton return from the winning England team and with back up from Maggoe Statham-Berry they should win again.
Ireland are their most likely challengers led by recent European champion Christine Kennedy and trials winner Jo Martin.
W75+
The defending champion Ros Tabor is absent after breaking a hip when a dog tripped her over in a recent 10km.
Multi world and European champion Sarah Roberts is the sole English competitor but her only previous cross-country in Madeira saw her well beaten by Ireland’s also world champion Eileen Kenny who moved up from last year’s W70s where she was sixth.
The most likely Irish winner though might be Margaret Glavey who was third W70 ahead of Kenny at the age of 74 last year.
Scotland’s Jeanette Craig also moves up and should also be a medal contender.
As per 2024, Northern Ireland’s Brigid Quinn is the sole W80 competitor but will compete for a younger age group team.
Race 2 : 12.00. W35-64 6km
This should be the race of the day with a number of senior internationals and past champions competing.
W35
Ireland’s defending champion Sharon Rynne returns but was only fourth in the Irish Trials where Sinead O’Connor won easily and that suggests Ireland should put up a very strong defence.
Scotland though also look very strong led by BMAF champion Morag Miller. The 2006 Commonwealth Games competitor has run sub-16 for 5km this year.
Olympic marathoner Freya Ross is moving down from the W40s to compete here and Scotland also include the 2023 winner and 2024 third-placer Jennifer Wetton.
Katie Latham easily won the English Trials and looks much improved since 2024 where she was only 13th.
W40
With last year’s overall women’s winner Fiona Gettings absent, the 2014 European senior champion Gemma Steel makes her event debut and she leads a strong English team.
However, Ireland led by Trials winner Noeleen Scanlon will be hard to dethrone.
Scotland’s BMAF runner-up Sara Green who was also second in this event in 2023, is also a likely challenger.
Louise Flynn will likely lead the Welsh charge.
W45
Defending champion Michelle Kenny returns for a strong Irish team having medalled in both World and European championships this year. Irish trials winner Dympna Ryan is also a medal hope.
The 2019 overall women’s winner Kirsty Longley should again be to the fore but she was beaten by Kelly Edwards in the English Trials.
England also field recent European 10km medalist Zoe Oldfield.
Scotland again look strong and it’s worth noting that two-time W35 winner Michelle Sandison was fifth W40 in 2024 in a time which put her just one second behind Kenny as she debuts in the W45s.
Wales will be led by Jo Henderson who has been fourth the last two years.
W50
Last year Kate Rennie not only won her age group but also beat the W35 and W45 champions and she also won the English Trials this year and she will start a big favourite.
England also field eight-time winner Clare Martin who makes a return after last winning the W45s in 2019 and 2023 medalist Nikki Sturzaker.
Ireland are the defending team champions and 2024 runner-up Catriona Devine and trials winner Breda Gaffney will almost certainly place high again.
The 2024 bronze medalist Avril Mason leads a strong Scottish team who were second last year.
W55
At the moment defending champion Annette Kealy, a five-time winner was only named as reserve and trials winner Mari Johnson, who was fifth last year will probably lead the Irish challenge.
Joanne Stanfield won the English Trials but the 2024 runner-up Kate Ramsey, who missed the trials, looks the best individual medal bet again.
Northern Ireland’s Shileen O’Kane who was fourth last year leads the Northern Ireland team who were third ahead of England last year.
W60
World champion and defending champion Clare Elms bids for her seventh victory and England also have a team title to defend which could see her win her 27th individual or team medal in the event since debuting in 2007.
Ireland led by former overall winner and five-times champion Niamh O’Sullivan should be England’s most likely challengers as they also field 2024 third placer Kay Byrne.
Former British W60 marathon record-holder Mary Slocum, who is a former bronze medalist, leads the Northern Ireland team.
Last year’s runners-up Scotland do not look as strong as in 2024 without former winner Fiona Matheson.
Race 3: 12.45. Men’s M50-64 8km
M50
Ireland’s Declan Toal isn’t defending but England’s runner-up and this year’s Trials winner Chris Blackburn returns though it’s worth noting that Jan Bailey ran a quicker time in 2024 in the M45 race and he moves up this year.
England also have last year’s fourth-placer Gareth Raven and they could defeat last year’s winners Ireland who don’t look as strong this year without Toal.
Northern Ireland were third last year and again look likely challengers.
Wales field European half-marathon champion Steve Davies in their team and they will also be in medal contention along with Scotland who have world masters cross-country medalist Brent Brodie in their squad.
M55
Ireland’s Des Kennedy won in 2024 but appears to be just a reserve this year and defending team winners England look favourites.
The 2023 winner Tim Hartley was third last year and he goes for his ninth title over all the age groups.
His team-mate Tony O’Brien, a former European 3000m champion, was effectively first in the English trial – though still a M50 at the time and he was a close second in the recent M50 European 5000m just before his 55th birthday.
Steve Allen will lead the Scottish challenge and had one of the quicker 5km times in 2025.
M60
England’s Andrew Leach, the world masters 5000m champion, led his team to victory last year and England again look strong with 2023 winner John Convery though English Trials winner Mark Cursons was a late withdrawal.
England’s strength is illustrated by former winner and world champion Ben Reynolds only second reserve even after Convery’s withdrawal!
Scotland will be missing European 5000m and 10,000m champion Chris Upson who was second last year and it is Ireland led by European champion Pauric McKinney who should provide the biggest challenge.
Wales could be led by World Masters indoor 1500m runner-up Dave Williams.
Race 4: 13.30. M35-49 8km
M35
Last year’s impressive winner Kevin Campbell of Scotland isn’t defending but runner-up and 2023 winner Lee Gratton returns and is a clear favourite based on his tenth in the English National this year.
Ben Robinson, a World Masters medallist who was fifth last year, also returns and England should defend the team title.
Ireland will be led by Trials winner Conor McCaughey and they also field the 2020 Derby winner Serpentine’s jockey Emmet McNamara who is proving adept at running too after his horse racing successes.
Scotland led by Dave Wright should also be in the team medal contenders.
M40
Former Reading Half-marathon winner James Connor won last year and returns again as one of the favourites.
England should do better than their third in 2024 with Karl Darcy the trials winner being another challenger as it was notable that recent European 5000m medallist Carl Hardman was only fourth in the Trials.
Pierce Geoghegan, ninth last year looks the best of the Irish while Iain Whitaker, fourth last year should be Scotland’s best hope.
M45
Alastair Watson won last year and should surely do so again based on his recent UK M45 half marathon record of 65:27 plus a near world best 14:32 5km.
Ireland won the team title last year and again look strong as do 2024 medallists Scotland who had Neil Lafferty and World masters steeplechase champion Grant Baillie in the top seven and they both return.
Most wins
Men
Mike Hager ENG 12
Tim Hartley ENG 8
Martin Ford ENG 7
Fred Gibbs ENG 6
Nigel Gates ENG 5
Women
Angela Copson ENG 14
Carmel Parnell IRL 11
Karen Marshall NIR 9
Clare Martin ENG 8
Fiona Matheson SCO 8
Clare Elms ENG 6