Jasmin Paris and Jon Albon are on the GB team for the IAU/ITRA Trail World Championships

A strong British team will look to be challenging for medals at the IAU/ITRA Trail World Championships in Portugal on Saturday (June 8), boosted by Jon Albon and Jasmin Paris (pictured).

Albon, the skyrunning ultra world champion, was fourth last year as Britain gained silver medals behind Spain.

However, someone who will find the 44km distance more to his liking will be Wales’ Commonwealth Games marathon runner Andrew Davies.

Bolstering the team will be Ricky Lightfoot, the 2013 IAU world ultra-trail champion, plus Sebastian Batchelor, Andy Symonds and Carl Bell.

Paris, who found national mainstream fame when she set an outright course record for the Montane Spine Race in January, will wear a GB vest for the first time.

However, more experienced at this level is world long-distance mountain running champion Charlotte Morgan.

Last year’s Lakeland 50 winner Katie Kaars-Sijpesteijn is on the British team for the third year in a row, hoping to improve on her 23rd and 21st-place finishes. She will be joined by Jo Meek, who was 17th two years ago, Georgia Tindley and Meryl Cooper.

Both defending champions are back.

Luis Alberto Hernando inspired a home win for Spain last year and crosses the border seeking a fourth straight world title – along with team-mate Cristofer Clemente, who was second last year, and Zaid Ait Malek.

USA’s Mario Mendoza, France’s Ludovic Pommeret, Romania’s Robert Hajnal and Italy’s Marco De Gasperi will be other challengers.

Since winning convincingly last year Ragna Debats of Netherlands has won the Marathon des Sables and will be a strong contender here.

Spain, with Laia Canes and Gemma Arenas, who were second and fourth last year, plus skyrunning specialist Sheila Aviles, will put up a good defence of their title.

Adeline Roche of France, the 2017 winner, New Zealand’s Ruth Croft, Sweden’s Sanna El Kott Helander, Poland’s Magdalena Laczak and USA’s Kelly Wolf should be in the mix, too.

The course starts and finishes in the town and has 2150m of ascent. Team results are based on the best three times.