GB & NI announce updated team for World Half Marathon Championships
October is looking like a very busy month for running and athletics. With the London Marathon on the 4th October, Joshua Cheptegei’s 10,000m world record attempt on the 7th October and the World Marathon Half Championships on 17th October 2020 for which GB & NI have announced an update to their already star studded team.
The championships were due to take place in March 2020 but owing to the covid-19 pandemic, the event will now take place in Gdynia, Poland on 17th October.
New additions
With the event being rearranged, the GB squad have announced some high-profile additions to the team. Callum Hawkins and Charlotte Purdue, who sit atop of the European rankings for the half-marathon this year, with times of 60:01 and 68:23 respectively, have been added to the GB team.
It will be Hawkins’ first appearance at the half-marathon championships since 2016 when he finished a respectable 15th. For Purdue, it will be her first race in the world half championships since 2018, in Valencia, where she finished again, in a respectable 21st place. Both seem as if they will be challenging for better positions this time around.
Purdue’s team-mate, Charlotte Arter has also had a good year, including a 5th placed at Barcelona half in February and most recently, winning the Cardiff Sunset 5km on 18th September in a speedy time of 15:59.
Perhaps most surprising was the inclusion of superstar Ultra runner, Tom Evans. After securing bronze at the World Trail Championships in 2018, he will be making his international road running debut. He recently told Athletics Weekly that his selection is one of the biggest achievements of his career so far. Tom boasts a PB of 63:15 over the half marathon distance.
Another notable inclusion is the British under-23 half-marathon record holder, Jake Smith.
Team Leader, Robert Hawkins said, “I am delighted that we were able to name such a strong team for the rescheduled World Athletics Half Marathon Championships…The team has been revised following athlete withdrawals from the original team…but I feel we have been able to add a good blend of international experience to those that are making their first appearances on the roads for Great Britain and Northern Ireland.”
The full GB&NI Team is:
Men
Mohamud Aadan
Tom Evans
Callum Hawkins
Kristian Jones
Jake Smith
Women
Charlotte Arter
Hayley Carruthers
Stephanie Davis
Samantha Harrison
Charlotte Purdue