Championship Races 2023

[Graham Breeze]

The British Champs format does need to change - when just one women's team completed it in 2022 and not a single women's vets team - so those medals went unawarded.

Without looking at the numbers the British has been on a road to nowhere since home nations introduced their own champs.

(I have two English medals so perhaps I am biased but) it seems to me that if I were a Scottish runner I would want to be known as a champion by my local Scottish running peers - not by someone who lives in, say, Cornwall.

But attitudes vary. I interviewed one triple British Champ. who took the view that only the British mattered and so he didn't bother with the English. "Why would I bother with the English Champ. when I can win the British?"

But I interviewed one multiple English Champ. and he said he didn't bother with the British but "left it so **** could win it every year"!