The home favourite seeks a maiden win at Blackweir Fields, where Elle Vernon, Alex Yee and Harriet Knowles-Jones are also among those in action

Dewi Griffiths and Elle Vernon head the senior start lists for the penultimate event in this year’s British Athletics Cross Challenge series.

The Cardiff Cross Challenge meeting on Sunday (January 24) will see Griffiths race in Blackweir Fields looking to reclaim his leading position in the series standings and he will start as a strong favourite to take the Cardiff crown for the first time in his career.

The race will feature a long-awaited battle between Griffiths and fellow Welshman Charlie Hulson, who will be on his comeback from long-term injury.

Vernon will feature in the senior women s race and also lies second in the series. The Stockport Harrier was fourth at the Liverpool fixture in November and then followed that up with a 27th place finish at the European Cross Country Championships in France.

Jessica Judd, Rachel Felton and Freya Ross should mount the strongest challenge. Ross, who competed at the 2012 Olympic marathon, is returning to form and should never be underestimated.

In the under-20 men’s race is Alex Yee, who was a convincing winner at the Great Edinburgh XCountry earlier this month and is a Commonwealth Youth Games bronze medallist.

The under-20 women s race will feature European silver medallist Harriet Knowles-Jones. She is unlikely to be challenged following a string of superb performances which include second in Edinburgh two weeks ago.

The junior fields include two series leaders Rachel Nealon in the under-13 girls section and Grace Copeland in the under-15 girls category.

TIMETABLE

11.00am U13 girls (2.9km)
11.15 U13 boys (2.9km)
11.25 U15 girls (2.9km)
11.45 U15 boys (4.2km)
12.05pm Senior women/masters (6.9km)
12.45 Senior men/masters (10.3km)
1.20 Primary schools girls (1.7km)
1.40 Primary schools boys (1.7km)
1.50 U20 women (4.9km)
2.10 U20 men (6.9km)
2.30 U17 women (4.2km)
2.50 U17 men (5.6km)
Times are subject to change

See the latest edition of AW magazine for more, while the January 28 edition will include reports, pictures and results from Cardiff

The post Dewi Griffiths leads the way at Cardiff Cross Challenge appeared first on Athletics Weekly.