Great Britain and Northern Ireland have named a strong squad for the European Off-Road Running Championships in Slovenia next month, with defending champions and several debutants heading off the rock for what promises to be a competitive showing across trail, uphill, and up-and-down disciplines.

The women's up-and-down team will defend their European team gold from Annecy in 2024, with Scout Adkin and Naomi Lang returning from that successful campaign. Jacob Adkin brings recent pedigree too, having claimed individual silver in the uphill event at last year's championships. Scout will double up across both uphill and up-and-down races, showcasing the depth of Britain's off-road talent.

Several athletes are earning senior GB & NI debuts, including fell runners Tom Spencer of Dark Peak and Tom Wood from Eryri Harriers, adding fresh legs to the mountain running effort. The trail teams feature established names like Scarlet Dale and Eve Pannone, both from Ambleside AC, alongside Emily Cowper-Coles and Kirsty Oldham. On the men's side, Luke Grenfell-Shaw, Bertie Houghton, Ben Rothery and Alexander Chepelin round out a competitive squad.

Team Leader Anne Buckley expressed confidence in the selection, noting the high quality of performances in the trial races and the mix of experienced internationals with talented newcomers. The championships run from 5-7 June in Slovenia, offering British mountain runners the chance to test themselves against Europe's finest on challenging terrain.