Kate Axford wins first GB vest with Euro trials cross country victory

Kate Axford’s explosive athletics career reached new heights with victory at the Liverpool Cross Challenge, which confirmed her place in the British team at next month’s European Cross Country Championships.

Since making her debut for Belgrave Harriers at the National 6-Stage Road Relays in April 2023, Kate Axford’s march towards a GB vest has been irrepressible and inevitable. The former hockey player is now a dual GB international, and will join a star-studded team in Antalya, Türkiye, on December 8.

Storm Bert raged against the athletes at Sefton Park, but Axford prevailed in 8km of trench warfare against the country’s top cross country runners, beating Cardiff’s Cari Hughes by 16 seconds. She entered the race in fine form, having crossed the line at the Cardiff Cross Challenge earlier in November as the first British athlete.

“It felt hard, it was a tough run out there and the weather threw everything at us and more,” Axford told Athletics Weekly.

“I felt amazing, I was trying to crack on and keep strong. Cardiff was when I realised that I could maybe win here. I came into it confident but whilst giving respect to everyone around me and it’s going to be an incredible team going into the Euro Cross and hopefully a team gold will happen.”

Axford was joined by a number of her Belgrave teammates in Liverpool. Sarah Astin registered a superb tenth place, while there were excellent runs from Mimi Corden-Lloyd, Clementine Cooper and Molly Canham. We are proud of them all.

Photos by Daniel Moses.