British Athletics – October 14, 2026 – The British Athletics Cross Challenge Series returns this winter. The event is sponsored by Sportsshoes x Nike, as the UK’s leading endurance athletes take on the mud in Cardiff, Liverpool and Nottingham.
From international medallists and Olympians to aspiring junior athletes, the Cross Challenge offers competitors of all levels. These are a chance to test themselves on the same demanding courses, tackling the mud, hills and winter conditions that make cross-country one of running’s toughest disciplines.
The series gets underway at Llandaff Fields in Cardiff on Sunday 8 November. The Welsh venue is once again hosting a high-quality day of racing. The fixture holds World Cross Country Tour Silver status, attracting some of the best endurance athletes from across the UK and beyond.
Attention then turns to Sefton Park in Liverpool on Saturday 28 November, where athletes will compete for Cross Challenge honours and seek selection to the Novuna Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the 2026 European Cross Country Championships in Serbia in December. The event will serve as the official trial race.
The season concludes at the iconic Wollaton Park in Nottingham on Saturday 13 March 2027. This is where the British Cross Country Championships will be staged. This will be alongside the UK Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships. The event will bring together the country’s strongest athletes, counties and clubs for a spectacular finale.
Throughout the series, spectators can expect outstanding racing featuring international athletes, ambitious club competitors and the future stars of British athletics. All competing UK athletes on the same challenging courses.
The British Athletics Cross Challenge has long been recognised as a key pathway for endurance athletes, providing invaluable competitive opportunities while showcasing the strength and depth of cross-country running across the UK.
2026/27 Series Dates
Sunday 8 November 2026
World Cross Country Tour Silver
Saturday 28 November 2026
European Cross Country Championships trial race
Saturday 13 March 2027
British Cross Country Championships and UK Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships
Entries for the Cardiff and Liverpool fixtures are now open, with further information about athlete registration for Nottingham to be released in the new year.
Same course. Same challenge. The British Athletics Cross Challenge Series, presented by Sportsshoes x Nike, is back.
END
Notes to editors
- Please see the full cross-country winter fixture list attached to the email.
About UK Athletics
UK Athletics is the national governing body for athletics in Britain, the leading Olympic and Paralympic sport. British Athletics represents the sport, its people, athletes, fans and team.
We work closely with the Home Country Athletics Federations (HCAFs) to develop and grow all areas of the sport, including elite performance, coaching, major international events, competition and grassroots programmes in schools and clubs.
Find out more at www.britishathletics.org.uk and uka.org.uk.
