British Athletics select a dozen athletes for the World Road Running Champs on October 1

A 12-strong British team will head to Latvia later this month to compete in the inaugural World Road Running Championships in Riga on October 1.

The new event has evolved from the World Half-Marathon Championships and maybe this history and tradition has a little to do with the fact the British team includes seven athletes in the 13.1-mile races but only five across the mens and womens one mile and 5km events.

In the womens half-marathon Calli Thackery leads the team after winning the trial at The Big Half in London earlier this month. She is joined by Abbie Donnelly, Clara Evans and Samantha Harrison with the latter in great form in 2023 after going No.4 on the UK all-time rankings with 67:17 in Berlin in April.

READ MORE: How they train Sam Harrison

Jack Rowe, the mens trials winner at The Big Half, is joined by Mahamed Mahamed and Jonny Mellor.

In the mile, Calum Ellson was rewarded with selection after winning the mens trial race at Newcastle-Gateshead on Friday (Sept 8) but he is the only entrant in this event.

The womens one mile trial was cancelled due to lack of interest after a number of athletes dropped out, but Sarah McDonald has been selected after a fine return from injury this year has seen her run 4:02.53 for 1500m in July together with 1:59.93 for 800m last month on the track.

Not surprisingly, none of the athletes who excelled at the 5th Avenue Mile in New York on Sunday such as winners Josh Kerr and Jemma Reekie were interested in selection for Riga.

Verity Ockenden and Scott Beattie, meanwhile, who won the 5km trial in Newcastle-Gateshead, have been selected to race that event in Riga along with trials runner-up Tom Mortimer.

Fields are expected to be truly world-class in the Latvia capital with athletes like Faith Kipyegon of Kenya, Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda and Yomif Kejelcha down to run.