With less than a week to go until the 2026 World Cross Country Championships, and just three weeks on from the European event, the British team is back in action for another major winter rendezvous. In Tallahassee, Florida, the United Kingdom will field a squad of 20 athletes, blending established international performers with a strong crop of emerging talents, in conditions very different from those encountered recently in Portugal.
This trip to the United States carries particular significance. The World Cross Country Championships return to American soil for the first time since 1992, and the course at Apalachee Regional Park is set to provide a stern test. Inspired by Florida’s natural landscape, the route will feature sand, water sections, mud and a series of undulating climbs nicknamed the “rollercoaster”, designed to disrupt rhythm and thoroughly examine the athletes’ adaptability. With senior races over 10km, junior men competing over 8km and junior women over 6km, race management will be crucial, especially with heat and humidity expected to play a decisive role.
This world selection follows directly on from the European campaign in Lagoa. With six medals and a third-place finish in the overall medal table, the outcome was slightly below the exceptional standards set in recent editions. Nevertheless, Megan Keith’s senior silver medal, the junior team titles and podium finishes — including another gold for Innes FitzGerald — alongside the mixed relay bronze, once again underlined the depth and resilience of British cross-country. While the presence of the African powerhouses will inevitably alter the competitive landscape, the United Kingdom arrives in Florida with a solid platform and genuine momentum.
In the senior women’s race, the team will be led by Megan Keith, now firmly established as a central figure in British cross-country. Her silver medal at the European Championships came after a remarkable run that included an early fall, showcasing outstanding tactical awareness and mental strength. Patient, composed and capable of navigating the most chaotic of races, she is the natural focal point of the British challenge in Tallahassee. Alongside her, Phoebe Anderson continues her progression at senior level after an impressive 16th-place finish in Lagoa on her senior debut. Verity Ockenden and Poppy Tank complete a balanced quartet whose ambitions are firmly rooted in team performance, with the aim of securing a competitive overall placing against the world’s strongest nations.
On the men’s side, Rory Leonard emerges as the logical team leader. Seventeenth at the European Championships in a fiercely competitive field, the Morpeth athlete continues to cement his status as one of Britain’s most reliable cross-country performers. His consistency and ability to cope with sustained high-intensity racing will be invaluable on the world stage. Matthew Ramsden, an eye-catching sixth in the U23 race at Lagoa, is another athlete to watch closely. Already comfortable on technical courses, he now steps up to senior world competition. Jacob Cann and David Mullarkey complete the line-up, with Mullarkey bringing valuable experience from his university career and familiarity with American racing conditions.
The mixed relay, which has become increasingly strategic in recent years, offers another opportunity for British success. Bronze medallists at the European Championships, Alex Millard and Adam Fogg return as part of a quartet that also includes George Couttie and India Weir, the latter set to make her senior international debut. Meanwhile, the junior races remain a major source of optimism both in the short and medium term. In the men’s competition, Alex Lennon, Michael Clark, Jonson Hughes and Luke Dunham form a group already well-versed in international racing. Lennon was the leading Brit in Lagoa, while Clark showed notable resilience despite losing a spike on the opening lap. In the junior women’s race, European U20 team champions Eliza Nicholson and Zara Redmond will be joined by Maisey Bellwood and young debutant Kitty Scott.
Full British team for the 2026 World Cross Country Championships
Senior Women
- Phoebe Anderson
- Megan Keith
- Verity Ockenden
- Poppy Tank
Senior Men
- Jacob Cann
- Rory Leonard
- David Mullarkey
- Matthew Ramsden
Mixed Relay
- George Couttie
- India Weir
- Adam Fogg
- Alex Millard
Junior Women
- Maisey Bellwood
- Eliza Nicholson
- Zara Redmond
- Kitty Scott
Junior Men
- Michael Clark
- Luke Dunham
- Jonson Hughes
- Alex Lennon
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