Heavy rain made for a tough test at Liverpool’s Sefton Park with places for the British team at the European Championships up for grabs.

Jo Pavey, Britain’s second fastest of all time over 5K, is not known as a mud lover but her performance in the senior and Under 23 women’s 6.5K race showed she had enough fitness to make light of the conditions.

While it was little surprise that an athlete of Pavey’s ability should win it was a surprise to see Felicity Milton come home second. Having only been training since the end of the summer Milton is only just too old to run the Junior race at the European Championships. Yet at Liverpool she beat athletes of the calibre of Kate Reed (one of the silver medal winning GB team from 2005) and Liz Yelling (Commonwealth Bronze medallist). Her progress is going to be one of the most closely monitored of the winter.

In the men’s race Frank Tickner’s front running accounted for the rest of the field. Despite Michael Skinner being in close attendance in the homestraight Tickner was strong enough to take the win and be sure of making the team. First under 23 home was Andy Vernon in sixth place.

The Junior and under 17 women’s category has been one of the toughest over recent years and this year proved no exception. It was Stephanie Twell of AFD who took the win from the current European Cross Country silver medallist Emily Pidgeon. Twell had gone from the front but Pidgeon’s challenge in the latter stages looked to be a killer blow. However Twell was not beaten and came back to not only reclaim the lead but pull clear by the finish. In third place was Under 17 Charlotte Purdue who is too young for the European Cross team. In the Junior Men’s race Tom Minshull took the win.

Results
Mens
1 F Tickner, Wells City Harriers, 31:18
2 M Skinner, Blackheath and Bromley, 31:22
3 Gavin Thompson, Crawley, 31:29
4 Steve Vernon, Stockport, 31:36
5 Chris Thompson, Aldershot, Farnham and District, 31:47
6 Andy Vernon, U23, Aldershot, Farnham and District, 31:50
7 Moumin Geele, U23, Newham and Essex Beagles, 32:01
8 Ben Noad, Highgate Harriers, 32:08
9 Angus Maclean, Team Southampton, 32:11
10 Rob Whalley, Bristol and West, 32:20
11 Andrew Baddeley, Harrow, 32:26
12 Neil Burton, Tipton, 32:28
13 Dominic Bannister, Shaftesbury Barnet, 32:32
14 Phil Hinch, Tipton, 32:35
15 Mark Powell, Oadby and Wigston Legionnaires, 32:37
16 Dan Robinson, Stroud, 32:38
17 Alistaire Davy, Leeds City, 32:39
18 Tom Humphries, U23, Cannock and Stafford, 32:40
19 Rob Bugden, U23, Bristol and West, 32:40
20 Andrew Baker, U23, Loughborough Students, 32:44

Women
1 J Pavey, Exeter Harriers, 23:28
2 F Milton, U23, Durham University, 23:53
3 K Reed, Bristol and West, 23:54
4 Liz Yelling, Bedford and County, 23:59
5 Natalie Harvey, South London, 24:00
6 Eleanor Baker, South London, 24:05
7 Hatti Dean, Hallamshire Harriers Sheffield, 24:18
8 Gemma Phillips, Kendal, 24:27
9 Susan Partridge, City of Glasgow, 24:39
10 Claire Martin, Telford, 24:19
11 Victoria Wilkinson, Bingley, 24:52
12 Tara Krzywicki, Charnwood, 24:53
13 Vicky Gill, Chorley, 25:00
14 Sonia Thomas, Sale, 25:00
15 Sophie Morris, Army, 25:09
16 Michelle Ross-Cope, Stoke, 25:13
17 Morag McDonnell, Chester le Street, 25:15
18 Susie Bush, Aldershot, Farnham and District, 25:17
19 Hannah Whitmore, U23, Charnwood, 25:20
20 Catherine Dugdale, Swansea, 25:22

Junior Men
1 T Minshull, Trafford, 21:51
2 Lewis Timmins, Gosforth, 21:57
3 Kevin Deighton, Bridlington RR, 22:10
4 Rory Fraser, Oady and Wigston Legionnaires, 22:17
5 Jon Pepper, Enfield and Haringey, 22:21
6 Ricky Stevenson, New Marske, 22:23
7 Conor McNulty, Scotland, 22:26
8 Adrian Holliday, Trafford, 22:33
9 Ross Millington, Stockport, 22:34
10 Craig Ruddy, Inverclyde, 22:38

Junior / Under 17 Women
1 S Twell, Aldershot, 17:48
2 E Pidgeon, Gloucester, 17:57
3 C Purdue, Aldershot, 18:23
4 Olivia Kenney, Royal Sutton Coldfield, 18:26
5 Abby Westley, Loughborough Students, 18:31
6 Jessica Coulson, Stockport, 18:41
7 Sarah Waldron, Gloucester, 18:42
8 Lucy Mayho, Bingley, 18:43
9 Linzi Snow, Woodford Green with Essex Ladies, 18:44
10 Emma Pallant, Aldershot, 18:47