2013

:00:50. > :00:54.Welcome to Holyrood Park in Edinburgh, and beautiful setting

:00:54. > :00:57.for a sporting event. Once again the capital plays host to R plates

:00:57. > :01:04.from round-the-world in the traditional start to the Latics

:01:04. > :01:07.year. The Great Edinburgh Cross Country. -- the of tactics. The

:01:07. > :01:10.action is sure to be explosive as through the years this place has

:01:10. > :01:20.been a happy hunting ground for some of the world's greatest

:01:20. > :01:23.

:01:23. > :01:30.Kenenisa Bekele, winning in Edinburgh. The best in the world.

:01:30. > :01:40.Winning by a long way, Tirunesh Dibaba. Linet Masai, wins easily

:01:40. > :01:41.

:01:41. > :01:49.here in Edinburgh. Asbel Kiprop, finishing like a champion. The

:01:49. > :01:59.surprise winner in Edinburgh! Another victory for Eliud Kipchoge,

:01:59. > :02:10.

:02:10. > :02:14.Mo Farah begins 2011 in winning Once again, this afternoon's time

:02:14. > :02:19.table is full of champions with the double Olympic gold medallist

:02:19. > :02:28.Meseret Defar taking on Vivian Cheruiyot, and the athlete she beat

:02:28. > :02:34.into second place in the Olympic Games. And there is that highly

:02:34. > :02:38.competitive team event. But in taking on Europe and the USA. The

:02:39. > :02:43.junior races took place earlier on this afternoon. And then there was

:02:43. > :02:48.live races, won 20 5:00pm, then men's eight kilometres team event

:02:48. > :02:53.and then the women's team event. Britain are the defending champions

:02:53. > :03:03.so let us see how they do. The first race is that stand-alone 3000

:03:03. > :03:12.

:03:12. > :03:18.metres. That is a tantalising the home straight. And it shall be

:03:19. > :03:28.Meseret Defar. After winning eight years ago, she comes back to retake

:03:29. > :03:31.

:03:31. > :03:40.the Olympic title. London was big for me. It felt like a marathon.

:03:40. > :03:44.And the people, the crowd... They were very close in the competition

:03:44. > :03:51.but if there is no competition, we are fence. That is something that

:03:51. > :04:00.is natural in athletics but tomorrow, I don't know... I don't

:04:00. > :04:04.know how she is or how I am. But I will try my best tomorrow. I know

:04:04. > :04:10.who I am in the cross-country because I have run on many tracks

:04:10. > :04:17.but cross country is also very nice. For the track preparation. I like

:04:17. > :04:24.cross-country because it is for people who do track and field. And

:04:24. > :04:31.then doing cross-country, you are preparing for the track and field.

:04:31. > :04:35.It makes me quicker on the track. From the track of the Olympic

:04:35. > :04:45.Stadium to Edinburgh, the athletes lined up behind me so good

:04:45. > :04:50.afternoon to Brendan Foster and traditional, we kick off here with

:04:50. > :04:55.three cracking races. This one is perhaps the cream of the crop in

:04:55. > :04:58.terms of international competitors. You have seen Meseret Defar and

:04:58. > :05:03.Vivian Cheruiyot but there are others who will have a good chance.

:05:03. > :05:07.Lisa Dobriskey, good to see her. The silver medallist in the World

:05:07. > :05:14.Championships. The finalist in the Olympics last year. And fit and

:05:14. > :05:20.healthy during the winter. Good to see her here. 2011 was a brilliant

:05:20. > :05:24.year for Vivian Cheruiyot. Twice the world champion, three times

:05:24. > :05:31.including the cross country. Did not quite get what she wanted from

:05:31. > :05:36.the Olympics but silver and bronze. That was some consolation for her.

:05:36. > :05:42.And that is a judgment of her very high standards. The gold medal in

:05:42. > :05:52.the 5000 pictures went to Meseret Defar, repeating that victory from

:05:52. > :05:52.

:05:52. > :06:02.2004. Not somebody who competes that often on the country. It is

:06:02. > :06:02.

:06:02. > :06:08.great to see both of them here. Look out for Genzebe Dibaba, she is

:06:08. > :06:13.just on the right of the group. She will also be a big threat. Other

:06:13. > :06:19.British athletes running well this year... Emily Stewart, you can see.

:06:19. > :06:25.Further back. Blonde hair. She has started the season pretty well. And

:06:25. > :06:30.Lisa Dobriskey and Emily Stewart, they will be taking on the might of

:06:30. > :06:35.Meseret Defar, Vivian Cheruiyot and Genzebe Dibaba. And happy New Year

:06:35. > :06:39.to Brendan Foster... Thank you. Great to see Lisa Dobriskey here,

:06:39. > :06:43.she was very disappointed with 10th place in the Olympics and lots of

:06:43. > :06:49.us had to down as an athlete to have a chance to win a medal, even

:06:49. > :06:53.gold. She was so close to being the world champion at few years ago but

:06:53. > :06:57.sadly, 2012 did not go her way and she settled just for being in the

:06:57. > :07:00.race, happy to be there and she said it was one of the greatest

:07:00. > :07:09.experiences of her life but she would have been happier if she was

:07:09. > :07:13.fully fit. Charlene Thomas on the inside. And Genzebe Dibaba, she was

:07:13. > :07:18.injured in 2012, she was one of the favourites going into the Olympic

:07:18. > :07:24.Games. Her sister one of the 10,000 metres. She was unable to get

:07:24. > :07:33.through to the final. She had some fantastic races earlier in the year

:07:33. > :07:38.and I thought she would win the Olympics 1500 metres. Behind her,

:07:38. > :07:45.Meseret Defar, she did win that race. And in marvellous style. One

:07:45. > :07:52.of the great races. Others to mention, you might have spotted

:07:52. > :07:57.that tall figure, Linet Masai, further back. And, of course, Sofia

:07:57. > :08:05.Assefa, she was the bronze medallist over the steeplechase.

:08:05. > :08:10.Another Ethiopian to watch out for. Three kilometres, very much a mix

:08:10. > :08:15.of the good track specialists such as Charlene Thomas and Lisa

:08:15. > :08:22.Dobriskey and then the Kenyans and Ethiopians mixing up with great

:08:22. > :08:28.cross-country talent. 300kilometre collapse, there are longer laps to

:08:28. > :08:33.come but they basically stayed on the bottom field. Three laps and

:08:33. > :08:37.the first one looks fairly content just to stay together. Amy Campbell,

:08:37. > :08:44.the leader at the moment. The bigger names happy to sit towards

:08:45. > :08:51.the back. Meseret Defar in the blue vest at the back, running like it

:08:51. > :08:56.is a track race. Settling into the pace. On the inside, Vivian

:08:56. > :09:00.Cheruiyot. Look at the year she had in 2011, the world cross-country

:09:00. > :09:04.champion, the world 5000 metres champion and 10,000 metres champion

:09:04. > :09:08.and she came to the Olympic Games as a big favourite for the distance

:09:08. > :09:18.races but she met her match with two with the audience, Tirunesh

:09:18. > :09:23.Dibaba and then with Meseret Defar in the 5000 metres. After team-mate,

:09:23. > :09:31.Linet Masai, leading them a long through one lap. The first

:09:31. > :09:35.kilometre behind them. Now, Linet Masai, more pronounced over long

:09:35. > :09:45.distance, knows she has to put on the pace and t8 macro decides to go

:09:45. > :09:48.

:09:48. > :09:53.with her. -- Genzebe Dibaba. was a long way behind in 10,000

:09:53. > :09:59.metres in Spain recently. That would suggest that maybe she isn't

:09:59. > :10:04.quite as fit as she would like to be. She has decided she isn't going

:10:04. > :10:08.to leave this for the big sprint finish. She is such a graceful

:10:08. > :10:12.runner but is a great cross country runner as well. The conditions

:10:12. > :10:18.under foot are pretty good, given the wet weather that every word has

:10:18. > :10:21.had. As good as you could have expected. Mice, warm January day

:10:21. > :10:26.with some muddy patches but generally, the conditions are

:10:26. > :10:31.pretty good. I am amazed, I thought it would be saturated but the

:10:31. > :10:37.weather has been drying off and we have had such a wet winter, such a

:10:37. > :10:41.wet here, I thought this would be treacherous but it isn't too bad.

:10:41. > :10:46.Linet Masai, not having much difficulty, we are looking at real

:10:46. > :10:51.talent. Genzebe Dibaba, she came here and won the junior cross-

:10:51. > :10:55.country championships in 2008, and since then she has moved into the

:10:55. > :10:59.senior ranks, the world indoor champion and one of her best

:10:59. > :11:04.performances. We will see some outstanding performances in the

:11:04. > :11:11.future from the younger sister of Tirunesh Dibaba. There she is.

:11:11. > :11:20.Stretching along in second place. Behind Linet Masai. Meseret Defar

:11:20. > :11:27.moving into third place. And Lisa Dobriskey moving well. Just behind

:11:27. > :11:37.the big names, Emily Stewart is having a very good winter. She is

:11:37. > :11:37.

:11:37. > :11:41.at Newcastle University. She has been getting lots of local support.

:11:41. > :11:47.And then three days ago she ran her personal best indoors at 3000

:11:47. > :11:51.metres. She is doing well and she will have her eyes very much set on

:11:51. > :11:58.Lisa Dobriskey, just coming off the group. Three of them pulling away,

:11:58. > :12:02.Vivian Cheruiyot will have to try to close that gap and bring that

:12:02. > :12:08.group of four runners closer. As they come towards the end of the

:12:08. > :12:13.second lap. Genzebe Dibaba looks very comfortable. Meseret Defar

:12:14. > :12:20.working to stay with them. Linet Masai trying to stretch them out.

:12:20. > :12:26.But Genzebe Dibaba, really good transition into the senior ranks,

:12:26. > :12:33.the world junior champion on the country and the track. In 2010,

:12:33. > :12:38.over 5000 metres. She was top ranked. She can run below four

:12:38. > :12:46.minutes in 1500 metres. The world indoor champion, Genzebe Dibaba,

:12:46. > :12:51.takes over. Linet Masai and then the Olympic 5000 metres champion,

:12:51. > :12:57.Meseret Defar, the three of them together and that was a reasonably

:12:57. > :13:02.quick first lap and Ulster were second lap but then, Genzebe Dibaba

:13:02. > :13:08.takes over. Linet Masai, who has made her work, and then Meseret

:13:08. > :13:11.Defar, who we don't see very often in the country. The first time was

:13:11. > :13:21.in the world junior cross country championships back into 1002. And

:13:21. > :13:22.

:13:22. > :13:29.we also saw Vivian Cheruiyot them. But young Genzebe Dibaba, she

:13:29. > :13:36.promised such a lot last year. And her favourite position for the

:13:36. > :13:42.Olympics but she was unable to do that. Meseret Defar ticking very

:13:42. > :13:46.close order and both Ethiopians will be very competitive, here.

:13:46. > :13:50.Meseret Defar on the track possesses such great pace, she

:13:50. > :13:54.talked about changing her training and she chose not to run in the

:13:54. > :13:59.10,000 metres against Tirunesh Dibaba and concentrated just on

:13:59. > :14:04.5000. Ulster people did not reckon on her being as good as she was.

:14:04. > :14:10.She has such pace to burn and Genzebe Dibaba will know that,

:14:10. > :14:17.pushing on, she won't want to have her on her shoulder. Linet Masai

:14:17. > :14:22.has also gone, now. And that looks like 4th place. She has to put the

:14:22. > :14:29.pressure on. Has to get that gap and she will want more than 10

:14:29. > :14:34.metres. She is doing her best. will be a very good race. Genzebe

:14:34. > :14:42.Dibaba, the speed behind her. The renowned speed of Meseret Defar in

:14:42. > :14:46.second place. Once again, taking on the talented sister. This time, the

:14:47. > :14:52.younger one, the world cross country champion. Genzebe Dibaba,

:14:52. > :14:57.stretching out like a true 1500 metres runner. Meseret Defar coming

:14:57. > :15:03.under pressure and this will be a very strong finish from both it the

:15:03. > :15:08.Oddbins. Has t8 macro done enough? Once you start looking behind, you

:15:08. > :15:13.except that the lead is the way. And that gap is one which Meseret

:15:13. > :15:23.Defar, even have your best, we struggle with. Genzebe Dibaba in

:15:23. > :15:28.

:15:28. > :15:33.talk of moving up to the marathon. But this could well be the new name

:15:33. > :15:38.over the next two or three years, Genzebe Dibaba. She looks really

:15:38. > :15:45.strong, really comfortable, and it is a final victory here in

:15:45. > :15:52.Edinburgh, for Genzebe Dibaba. 9.46 the winning time. Defar takes

:15:52. > :15:56.second. Masai hangs on for third, ahead of Assefa. Emily Stewart runs

:15:56. > :16:03.well, she might get fifth. They will be close on the line. There is

:16:03. > :16:11.your top four there. Cheruiyot just ahead of Stewart and Lisa Dobriskey.

:16:11. > :16:16.That got quicker and quicker, they ran 3.32, 3.12 and 3.03. Gradual

:16:16. > :16:22.pressure applied all the bay. She is strong, quick enough, she has

:16:22. > :16:28.run 3.57 for it and you have a great athlete on your hands. He is

:16:28. > :16:32.great. Her sister the greatest female dis tans runner of all times.

:16:32. > :16:39.Three times Olympic champion. This young lady, 1500 metres is her

:16:39. > :16:44.future. Here they go. -- distance. A class field overall. Linet Masai,

:16:44. > :16:49.happy to lead in the early stage, but she knows she has to do it like

:16:50. > :16:53.this, she knows she has to try and run the finish out of the talented

:16:53. > :16:58.Ethopians round her. Vivian Cheruiyot in a bad patch. We are

:16:58. > :17:05.down do the world indoor champion against the Olympic 5,000 metre

:17:05. > :17:10.champion, Meseret Defar.. Genzebe Dibaba stretching, looking like a

:17:10. > :17:16.true sprinter. Powerful, strong, comfortable on that course, there

:17:16. > :17:24.she goes. Another victory 234 Edinburgh -- in Edinburgh for

:17:24. > :17:34.Genzebe Dibaba. The world June yon yor champion from 2008, she beats

:17:34. > :17:40.

:17:40. > :17:50.Dibaba's winning time five seconds ahead of Meseret Defar. She will be

:17:50. > :18:00.

:18:00. > :18:04.happy with that. Linet Masai takes Defar and Genzebe Dibaba. We have

:18:04. > :18:07.two more live race, both part of the team challenge, Great Britain

:18:07. > :18:13.and Northern Ireland taking on the USA, taking on Europe, Britain won

:18:13. > :18:18.this title last year, I think they have a handful this year. It is the

:18:18. > :18:24.men's 8k race up first. There have been a couple of junior races which

:18:24. > :18:32.have formed part of that challenge. Well, the men's or junior men's

:18:32. > :18:38.race was held at 6 kilometre, a lot of the pace from the middle was set

:18:38. > :18:42.by one of the American new talents, he couldn't get away from the group

:18:42. > :18:47.and Jonathan Davis was doing well for the British team. Hanging on in

:18:47. > :18:53.there. Gradually though, after Davis tried to pull away, we got

:18:53. > :19:03.down to a group of four as they came into the latter stages. It

:19:03. > :19:11.

:19:11. > :19:17.Jonathan Davis in fourth place, the first of the British athletes to

:19:17. > :19:22.cross the line. Really really good race, very competitive. Europe

:19:22. > :19:32.getting off to a good start. The team race all-important though.

:19:32. > :19:39.

:19:39. > :19:43.Individually, one and two for His dad is watching him here.

:19:43. > :19:46.Britain having to settle for third place. Those points will be crucial.

:19:46. > :19:56.It is the overall points tote that will will determine the winning

:19:56. > :20:00.

:20:01. > :20:06.team. Europe getting off to a good junior women's race. A course Great

:20:06. > :20:15.Britain's junior women among the best in the world, they have

:20:15. > :20:24.dominated European cross-country running in the junior age group.

:20:24. > :20:34.Jess Judd showing her capabilities on the country and well backed up

:20:34. > :20:37.

:20:37. > :20:40.Judd who hung on for second. But Great Britain, as Rebecca Weston

:20:40. > :20:43.finished in third finished in top six positions, showing their

:20:43. > :20:50.dominance in this age group, of course that was very good news for

:20:50. > :21:00.the team race. Clarify the individual positions first. This is

:21:00. > :21:11.

:21:11. > :21:18.events so that mean's Britain's total was ten points, that made up

:21:18. > :21:22.for a slightly disappointing performance in the junior men's.

:21:22. > :21:28.Well, a great performance from the junior women, we can see what that

:21:28. > :21:32.means for the team's standings overall. Ath add the points

:21:33. > :21:42.together and that means a ten point gap between Britain and Europe,

:21:43. > :21:43.

:21:43. > :21:48.first place to second place with USA somewhat adrift. That was quite

:21:48. > :21:51.a performance from the whole team. It was fantastic. I mean it was

:21:51. > :21:56.great to turn round and see the girls behind me. It's a very young

:21:56. > :22:01.team, so it means great prospect for the future. In ters of your

:22:01. > :22:05.performance, you won here last year, happy hunting ground? Yes, it is a

:22:05. > :22:09.fantastic course. I love the terrain, it is a great set up to

:22:09. > :22:15.start 2013 for me. I felt strong today and I am happy. What are the

:22:15. > :22:19.rest of your plans? I would love to go to the World Cross. It is my

:22:19. > :22:23.final year as a junior girl. The main aim would be to challenge the

:22:23. > :22:27.Africans there. I got a taste of that last year, I would love to go

:22:27. > :22:32.out and see what I can do and face that challenge again. Terms of

:22:32. > :22:36.strength and depth, we look back to the European cross-country in

:22:36. > :22:40.Budapest. Things look good on the women's side. Yes goodbye is

:22:40. > :22:45.getting strong and it is fantastic to be part of such a strong team

:22:45. > :22:50.and hopefully great thing also come. What about the men's and women's,

:22:50. > :22:54.do you fancy your chances of holding on the overall title?

:22:54. > :22:58.think so. People are telling us what the scores are, so everyone

:22:58. > :23:04.going into the next race knows how we are standing. Hopefully we will

:23:04. > :23:11.hang on to it this year. Well done. Last year as a junior so good luck

:23:11. > :23:20.for it. What a great performance there. The next race is the men's 8

:23:20. > :23:24.k. Let us hear from the respective k. Let us hear from the respective

:23:24. > :23:30.team captains, starting with Bobby Mack. We don't get a lot of

:23:30. > :23:33.opportunities to run cross-country in the US. I prefer the European

:23:33. > :23:38.cross-country courses more, they are more challenging than the US

:23:38. > :23:41.ones, so happy to be here. I hope as a team, that we can go out and

:23:41. > :23:45.run as well as we did in the European Championships. If we do,

:23:45. > :23:52.we can come away with a win, we have a strong USA team, a strong

:23:52. > :23:59.European team, there is no reason, if we pack well, we can win it.

:23:59. > :24:03.am happy, I am captain, and I prepare the team for a win tomorrow.

:24:03. > :24:10.It is not unrealistic to say I would love to be on the podium. I

:24:10. > :24:13.knowly have to run well. If I am one or two percent off, it could be

:24:13. > :24:21.tenth place, it would be solid but there won't be anything between us,

:24:21. > :24:27.I want to run well, but I want to run well for the team The US US

:24:27. > :24:31.team, the European team, the British team, perfect race. We have

:24:31. > :24:34.a good group, most guys were selected for this team came on a

:24:35. > :24:40.course that was muddy and challenging, I think they, this

:24:40. > :24:42.course will cater to them better course will cater to them better

:24:42. > :24:47.than in the past. So Bobby Mack second here last year. I wonder

:24:47. > :24:55.what he will do this year. The team challenge is interestingly poised.

:24:55. > :24:59.Ten points in it. Let us see how this event goes. Yes, I think the

:24:59. > :25:03.men are going to have to do particularly well. I think the

:25:03. > :25:07.senior women have a good strong squad, but the men will have to

:25:07. > :25:16.stand up here and run well against some stiff European opposition, in

:25:16. > :25:26.particular, you can see last year's winner on the left, Sergiy Lebid,

:25:26. > :25:26.

:25:27. > :25:30.they have Ayad Lamdassem of Spain. He was 15th in the recent edition

:25:30. > :25:36.and the different conditions of Hungary they face. Bobby Mack, by

:25:36. > :25:42.far the most experienced of the American team. The rest of the team

:25:43. > :25:47.are inexperienced, so I am not sure they will have high hopes here. And

:25:47. > :25:52.it is great to see Steve Vernon leading the British team. He has

:25:52. > :25:57.had a good come back. He has half an eye on world mountain running

:25:57. > :26:02.Championships later in the year. He wants to run well here. Andy Vernon

:26:02. > :26:12.will be alongside him. Jonathan Taylor, they are the three top

:26:12. > :26:13.

:26:13. > :26:21.names here. An intriguing race here, we have eight kilometre, which will

:26:21. > :26:30.be four two kilometre laps. added spice, if you like, of a log

:26:30. > :26:34.to be negotiated, or more than one, two-and-a-half foot high. We were

:26:34. > :26:41.deciding whether we would put our foot on it, and stream to negotiate,

:26:41. > :26:46.so as Macwas saying, a nice good cross-country test. One or two

:26:46. > :26:49.muddy patch, one or two obstacles to overcome. The team race, I think

:26:49. > :26:53.the most intreesing part, individually a good few of the guys

:26:53. > :26:58.will want to finish the top three. Andy Vernon sh is the first to show

:26:58. > :27:01.at the front. -- is the first to show at the front. He was aiming

:27:01. > :27:07.for the Olympic games for the 10,000 metres last years got

:27:07. > :27:12.injured. Now he is on his way back, he has promised well, I have been

:27:12. > :27:16.impressed with him on occasion, he is setting off quickly, there is a

:27:16. > :27:20.talented field, particularly some of the Europeans. Steve verning

:27:20. > :27:24.behind him and Jonathan Taylor alongside him too. So the three

:27:24. > :27:29.British athletes who we figureed will be close to the front are in

:27:29. > :27:31.there and close up to the front. I am looking at Sergiy Lebid, who was

:27:31. > :27:36.disappointing in the European Cross-Country Championships where

:27:36. > :27:43.he has won it nine times. There he is in the blue vest. Just inside

:27:43. > :27:46.there. Looking at that he is in the middle. He has a race in, over New

:27:46. > :27:50.Year and Spain, it was a real return to form for Sergiy Lebid, so

:27:50. > :27:55.he has come here, full of confidence. That is good to see.

:27:55. > :28:00.The British team are in position in good position, packing well, being

:28:00. > :28:05.led by Andy Vernon, who likes to run at the front. A strong runner,

:28:05. > :28:11.more distinguished over the country than on the track, but one day he

:28:11. > :28:15.will run a good track race, I think. Sergiy Lebid was third in that race,

:28:15. > :28:19.as you said a return to form Brendan. I just, the European, he

:28:19. > :28:23.never got involved. A few of the athletes struggled with the

:28:23. > :28:29.underfoot conditions. It was very very cold, and although there was

:28:29. > :28:35.lots of snow on the ground, it was hard icy conditions, and some ran

:28:35. > :28:40.very well. It is interesting some of the results since then.

:28:40. > :28:47.Lamdassem went in as the favourite. He is in fourth place on the ropes.

:28:47. > :28:50.Even was saying this is going to be his race, it wasn't to be. The

:28:50. > :28:53.winner looked incredibly comfortable. He ran across that

:28:53. > :28:57.ground. That is what cross-country is about. You have different

:28:57. > :29:03.courses, different conditions under foot and different people rise to

:29:03. > :29:06.the top. Today is different to that one. The results we have here, from

:29:06. > :29:10.the European cross-country championships. Freezing cold, very

:29:10. > :29:18.difficult, frozen ground under foot, today we have ten degrees out there,

:29:18. > :29:22.as we look at Sergiy Lebid. The British athletes alongside him.

:29:22. > :29:28.There is Lamdassem. He looks impressive, some of them aren't too

:29:28. > :29:34.happy about it. But Andy Vernon, the leader, alongside him, Tom

:29:34. > :29:40.Humphries on the inside. Jonathan Taylor, in third place. It will be

:29:40. > :29:44.interesting to see how he goes. Coached by Gordon Surtees who has

:29:44. > :29:49.good athletes and Jonathan Taylor's ambition is to run well over the

:29:49. > :29:53.steeplechase, and I am sure he will one day, he is in good hands with

:29:53. > :30:03.Gordon who knows about distance running, winter running and

:30:03. > :30:10.

:30:10. > :30:14.USA, where he is based. Hoping to come back. Hoping to go to the

:30:14. > :30:23.world championships later in the year. The World cross-country

:30:23. > :30:27.Championships are only held every two years. It'll be interesting to

:30:27. > :30:33.see how many of the better British athletes will want to be part of

:30:33. > :30:37.that team. Good to see Tom Humphries, Jonathan Taylor, Andy

:30:37. > :30:44.Vernon, Steve Vernon tucked in as well. Doing very well at the moment

:30:44. > :30:47.and I suspect the Americans might struggle. Most of the American team

:30:47. > :30:54.were picked from the National Club Championships, club athletics isn't

:30:54. > :30:59.their normal strong. And it was a very muddy course, it was

:30:59. > :31:06.apparently very muddy that day and it was more like a European course.

:31:06. > :31:11.Bobby Mack moving through. The winner that day, Ripley. We might

:31:11. > :31:17.see them moving through the field. Generally, that standard in the USA

:31:17. > :31:20.isn't the same as some of the events where it is about collegiate

:31:20. > :31:26.teams and the athletes who are running for some of the huge

:31:26. > :31:32.companies. It is pretty wide open, some very good at the Ritz. Not

:31:32. > :31:39.much better than the general group. You will have to position yourself

:31:39. > :31:44.as they come towards the end of the first lap. They will run for two,

:31:44. > :31:50.to laps and Tom Humphries from Great Britain is leading. This race

:31:50. > :31:53.will change in the later part. Reasonably quick, so far. They are

:31:53. > :31:57.really stretched out and they aren't really running comfortably

:31:57. > :32:07.but the point of this race is really to try to gauge the effort.

:32:07. > :32:09.

:32:09. > :32:17.Andy Vernon running well in second place. Sergiy Lebid. 6.01, pretty

:32:17. > :32:21.swift. No big spent so far. Tom Humphries is stretching along.

:32:21. > :32:31.Jonathan Taylor in that group, running well in that small gap that

:32:31. > :32:33.

:32:33. > :32:42.is appearing behind them. The Great Britain men doing well. Looking at

:32:43. > :32:47.the standings, Great Britain and very much to the fore. We have got

:32:47. > :32:54.five, 7th, 9th and 10th. Easily winning the team race at the moment.

:32:54. > :32:58.Europe have got their big guns at the front. Carles Castillejo. I am

:32:58. > :33:03.looking for Hassan Chahdi, I was looking for him to be closer up.

:33:03. > :33:10.Tom Humphries has kept a very good, hard place on the slap so they are

:33:11. > :33:14.breaking up. I thought there would be a bigger group for the first

:33:14. > :33:17.four kilometres but Tom is going out with real intent, really

:33:17. > :33:22.stretching and giving them something to think about. He needs

:33:22. > :33:26.to settle down, he has got a group clear, there is a good bunch and

:33:26. > :33:31.some good athletes around him. Some athletes that would normally beat

:33:31. > :33:37.Tom Humphries so he does not be to be exposed, he needs to settle down.

:33:37. > :33:40.I am looking at Sergiy Lebid, he looks altogether different today

:33:40. > :33:45.than from the European cross country championships. Looking down

:33:45. > :33:53.the team, the Americans are moving through. The younger athletes

:33:53. > :33:58.running strongly, and there goes Tom Humphries with a few yards

:33:58. > :34:08.ahead of Sergiy Lebid. Jonathan Taylor, who won the trials for the

:34:08. > :34:10.

:34:10. > :34:15.European Championships. Andy Vernon. 5th place. And there they go.

:34:15. > :34:20.Stretching it out, moving along nicely. Tom Humphries, is he trying

:34:20. > :34:25.to win this at this early stage? is very early and the quality of

:34:25. > :34:28.the men behind would suggest that it would be a brave effort but if

:34:28. > :34:32.you are feeling good on the day, you have to run the way that you

:34:32. > :34:38.feel. He knows where he sits in terms of the other British athletes

:34:38. > :34:40.and he has finished behind Jonathan Taylor and Steve Vernon this year.

:34:40. > :34:45.He is an are feeling very good today, thinking this is the right

:34:45. > :34:51.pace. This is the sort of course I like moving on. He looks

:34:51. > :34:54.comfortable enough. And that gap is starting to form. I just saw Carles

:34:54. > :35:01.Castillejo coming to the front of that group, he was feeling like he

:35:01. > :35:06.might want to close that gap. Nobody else was interested. So,

:35:06. > :35:10.there is a lead of about him metres for Tom Humphries as he goes

:35:10. > :35:14.through three kilometres and another five kilometres to go.

:35:14. > :35:19.Humphries looks relaxed, he looks comfortable but he has never found

:35:19. > :35:24.himself in a race of this colour. He is as bad as me over the

:35:24. > :35:29.hurdles! He has never found himself in a race of this calendar with a

:35:29. > :35:34.lead like this. He has to contain himself and settled in his mind. He

:35:34. > :35:40.is thinking before the halfway point, he has got this one, but

:35:40. > :35:45.there is a lot of running to come. It is now about mental control, he

:35:45. > :35:51.looks comfortable, the course isn't doing him any disservice as he

:35:51. > :36:01.comes off the main field and on to the hilly part. Andy Vernon moving

:36:01. > :36:05.

:36:05. > :36:10.into second place. See hymn coming into third place. -- Ayad Lamdassem.

:36:10. > :36:16.Bobby Mack has gone through, the other American, Jacob Riley, the

:36:16. > :36:22.winner of the club championships, taking closer order, closing down

:36:22. > :36:28.on the Danish athlete, representing Europe, the Abdi Hakin Ulad. But

:36:28. > :36:37.Tom Humphries leading. Breaking up as far as the team race goes and

:36:37. > :36:43.the Americans doing much better. Just looking for Hassan Chahdi, he

:36:43. > :36:47.was the 19th place and he is now in about him days. The French man who

:36:47. > :36:53.won the silver medal at the European cross country started very

:36:53. > :36:59.slowly. He has picked up about nine places in the last kilometre. In

:36:59. > :37:04.the old days at Edinburgh they went all the way to the top of haggis

:37:04. > :37:11.hold but you can see in the background, that Rocky crop,

:37:11. > :37:15.looking dangerous, it has been worn away. And they come back down on

:37:15. > :37:20.this, this can be a tricky section. The ground is falling away to the

:37:20. > :37:25.right and you have to negotiate a bend. You need good balance. Thomas

:37:25. > :37:35.doing pretty well. They have to jump across the stream on the way

:37:35. > :37:39.out and on the way back again. Good grounds as well. Plenty of races,

:37:39. > :37:44.Junior and local events, people have been taking part all morning.

:37:44. > :37:51.Look at Bobby Mack, really my thing through. Sergiy Lebid started to

:37:51. > :37:56.struggle just a little bit. Britain won, too. Europe in third, Europe,

:37:56. > :38:03.4th place and you have 5th and 6th place. That was a good performance

:38:03. > :38:11.to the halfway point. Two laps to go for Tom Humphries. Andy Vernon

:38:11. > :38:18.looking strong and second place. Another consistent six minutes, two

:38:18. > :38:22.kilometres. Andy Vernon in second place. C Tywydd, Bobby Mack.

:38:22. > :38:26.Jonathan Taylor just struggling a little bit. This is a surprise so

:38:26. > :38:30.far from Tom Humphries, this is a real opportunity for him to grab

:38:30. > :38:38.the headlines, grab a position and the American brothers running

:38:38. > :38:42.through. Elliot Krause, Jonathan Peterson. And now, what is Andy

:38:42. > :38:48.Vernon going to do in second place? Will he worked hard to close the

:38:48. > :38:57.gap or will he settle with the athletes around him? Some big gaps

:38:57. > :39:02.appearing. Anyone any further back, Jacob Riley, behind that second

:39:02. > :39:07.group, is too far off, Charlie might have moved up but he is a

:39:07. > :39:12.long way behind the leader. In fact, the chasing group. The European

:39:12. > :39:17.silver medallist, like Sergiy Lebid, starting to struggle. Carles

:39:17. > :39:24.Castillejo going OK. And second place last year, Bobby Mack, right

:39:24. > :39:29.in the next. With Steve Vernon, further back and Andy Vernon. He

:39:29. > :39:34.looks in a good position. That is very close. Great Britain just

:39:34. > :39:39.kidding. But those positions are changing, this is half-way. It is a

:39:39. > :39:46.total points in the junior races, this race and the women's race, and

:39:46. > :39:54.that will determine the team challenge. Bobby Mack leading the

:39:54. > :39:58.chasing group. Jacob Riley from the USA, who won the trials in this

:39:58. > :40:02.from the USA, finding himself in a good position. Steve Vernon coming

:40:02. > :40:10.through with Tom Humphries, now he must settle down and try to win the

:40:10. > :40:16.race. He has a gap, it is decent. Now, how strong is he? Can he last?

:40:16. > :40:26.This is a real test on his penultimate lap. Sergiy Lebid,

:40:26. > :40:30.drifting from the chasing group. Ayad Lamdassem looking promising.

:40:30. > :40:36.The difficulty for the likes of Ayad Lamdassem and Sergiy Lebid and

:40:36. > :40:40.even Bobby Mack, Andy Vernon knows about Tom Humphries but they do not,

:40:40. > :40:45.they will be wondering what to do, whether they should close this,

:40:45. > :40:48.will this man come back? The gap has stayed the same. It has

:40:48. > :40:54.extended just a little bit from this time on the last lap. But they

:40:54. > :40:58.cannot keep letting him go away. If he has that 50 metres lead in the

:40:58. > :41:04.last lap, and he is still strong, that becomes very difficult to

:41:04. > :41:08.close down. They have to think, this next, to, somebody in the

:41:08. > :41:12.script has got to take a risk and push on. Bobby Mack looks like the

:41:12. > :41:18.one thinking of doing that, that second group is itself being

:41:18. > :41:26.stretched so perhaps Bobby Mack and Ayad Lamdassem are trying to close

:41:26. > :41:35.this. Tom Humphries has run well. He will want to see some more yards,

:41:35. > :41:39.hurdling better, that was pretty good! The gap is just closing a

:41:39. > :41:44.little bit, coming under pressure. This is the tough part of the race,

:41:44. > :41:48.when he has led the race as much as he has, he will want more of a gap.

:41:48. > :41:54.Bobby Mack is in that group but there is a good shot other leader,

:41:54. > :42:00.Tom Humphries. Running some good 1500 metres races in his time and

:42:00. > :42:05.he comes down on to the far side of the course and that suggests, to me,

:42:05. > :42:09.that there is a race happening behind him. Five athletes behind

:42:09. > :42:14.them and you don't want to have to pick which one of them will finish.

:42:14. > :42:21.The second American, just behind that, Bobby Mack, second last year,

:42:21. > :42:26.can he do better? Now, I can sense that the chase is on. It is but

:42:26. > :42:33.they are not willing him in. This is a good part of the course for

:42:33. > :42:39.Tom Humphries, you can see him negotiating the stream and up and

:42:39. > :42:46.then back down the other side. Not so easy to run quickly. You can see

:42:46. > :42:51.how he is bouncing across the ground, doing very well. And if he

:42:51. > :43:01.gets to the beginning of the last lap, East Kilbride boys... Cheering

:43:01. > :43:02.

:43:02. > :43:06.them on. If he gets to the start of the last lap and he has 40 metres,

:43:06. > :43:16.yes, Ayad Lamdassem is good and he did not run well in the European

:43:16. > :43:20.

:43:20. > :43:24.Championships but that was a very good second place, but am surprised

:43:24. > :43:28.that they have not wanted to close that gap before. To really get in

:43:28. > :43:33.there. Tom Humphries with that 20- metre gap coming towards the end of

:43:33. > :43:37.the third lap and it will not be long before he hears that bell.

:43:37. > :43:43.they work together they can close those gaps quickly. Ayad Lamdassem

:43:43. > :43:48.looks like a danger to me. Let's look closely at Tom Humphries, see

:43:48. > :43:55.how much he is blowing up the hill. Just a little bit of a lack of

:43:55. > :43:59.momentum as he comes over the water. Bobby Mack closing. Ayad Lamdassem

:43:59. > :44:03.looking dangerous. But this is a very good performance from Tom

:44:03. > :44:07.Humphries. Whatever happens, he has made his stamp on this. He has

:44:07. > :44:11.really made an impression on this international performers, the best

:44:11. > :44:15.we have seen him running internationally. He still has a

:44:15. > :44:20.chance, he has that opportunity, he has been in the lead long enough

:44:20. > :44:24.and he has settled and there is now this group coming from behind. Andy

:44:24. > :44:29.Vernon, Sergiy Lebid, Bobby Mack leading that group. And as they

:44:29. > :44:34.come through this final lap, five of them together, Tom Humphries has

:44:34. > :44:40.the lead, if he was an athlete we have seen winning lots of races,

:44:40. > :44:50.you would bet on him. But will they start racing behind? Sergiy Lebid

:44:50. > :44:59.

:44:59. > :45:05.nine times European Cross-Country champion. Bobby Mack leading the

:45:05. > :45:13.chase. That gap hasn't changed. When he comes off that section, he

:45:13. > :45:17.seems to settle nicely. That is what, a 25 metre gap. Somebody, you

:45:17. > :45:22.know they are looking at each other a bit, if you are going to win the

:45:22. > :45:28.race, you can't beat that group, you have to catch the leader, the

:45:28. > :45:34.more they look at each other, the more difficult that will be become,

:45:34. > :45:38.with every stride the distance to the finishing line is lessoning. He

:45:38. > :45:42.needs to get his head down and try and keep that gap for as long as he

:45:42. > :45:47.can. He has done well. He hasn't been look over his shoulder. He is

:45:47. > :45:51.concentrating on trying to win the race. You feel as though he is

:45:51. > :45:55.going to deserve this one. Lamdassem hasn't made a move yet.

:45:55. > :46:00.Sergiy Lebid is dropping off a little. Andy Vernon's race seems to

:46:00. > :46:03.be over and Tom Humphries, who has led for a lot of this race, in his

:46:03. > :46:09.most significant performance we have seen from him, has he done

:46:09. > :46:14.enough, can he keep going? Can he keep the power on? Has Bobby Mack

:46:14. > :46:18.got anything left? I am impressed with the way Tom Humphries has run.

:46:18. > :46:21.I am impressed with the way his concentration has been going. He

:46:21. > :46:24.hasn't been looking over his shoulder. I hope he doesn't do it

:46:24. > :46:29.now. There he is, Tom Humphries, with an opportunity to win this

:46:29. > :46:33.race, but the group are racing one another. Will they be fast enough?

:46:33. > :46:40.Less than a kilometre remaining for Tom Humphries, he has tried to win

:46:40. > :46:47.this, can he win it? I remember watching Tom running very well a

:46:47. > :46:53.few years back, at the intercounties Championship, the

:46:53. > :46:59.trials that are held normally for the worlds, etc in February, in

:46:59. > :47:04.Nottingham, looked as though... He would have more days like this, he

:47:04. > :47:10.hasn't been able to win a big event like this, and huge opportunity for

:47:10. > :47:14.him now, he is at the furthest part of the course, this is a new bit

:47:14. > :47:21.added on, to take them to the far end of the park. Almost to the old

:47:21. > :47:26.meadow bank stadium at the far end. The Commonwealth game there's in 86,

:47:26. > :47:32.in Scotland and Glasgow next year, the focus, in Scotland very much

:47:32. > :47:36.for the nextle months or so. Today, it is about Cross-Country here in

:47:36. > :47:39.Edinburgh. Tom Humphries with a clock ter to go. Still a --

:47:39. > :47:44.kilometre to go. They are chasing, and somebody in that group has to

:47:44. > :47:50.break out of the group and try and catch him. The last time over the

:47:50. > :47:54.log. Negotiates it reasonably well. Bobby Mack, Lamdassem. Can anybody

:47:54. > :47:59.out of that chasing group close this gap? How tired is Tom

:47:59. > :48:03.Humphries? How much is the pressure of leading catching up with him?

:48:03. > :48:06.There is a big group. You wouldn't know which one is going to lead

:48:06. > :48:09.that group but Tom Humphries is renewed. Less than a kilometre

:48:09. > :48:14.remaining. You have been in this position, Tom, you are trying to

:48:14. > :48:17.win it. Can he win it? There he go, down the hill, here comes the

:48:17. > :48:22.chasing group. Bobby Mack leads the chasing group, the athlete who ran

:48:22. > :48:26.so well last year, last year's first and second, in second and

:48:26. > :48:31.sthird, so in would be a fantastic victory for Tom Humphries, Bobby

:48:31. > :48:35.Mack second, Lamdassem in third last year, and there Alexander

:48:35. > :48:41.Lebedev -- Sergiy Lebid behind him. Now, it is all about Tom Humphries.

:48:41. > :48:47.Can he carry on? Has any one of them got a fin snish I am not sure

:48:47. > :48:50.they are going to be quick enough. Has he done enough? Let us find out.

:48:50. > :48:56.Andy Vernon struggling to stay where the surge that is coming from

:48:56. > :49:02.that group. And Sergiy Lebid himself looks tired now. Big effort

:49:02. > :49:11.to get back to that group, so Castillejo of Spain and Bobby Mack

:49:11. > :49:17.of the US -- USA are in second and third. That gap is still a good

:49:17. > :49:21.enough one and it is still a winning gap, if he can hold it

:49:21. > :49:25.until 300, 400 metres to go. It will be down hill. Look at vern

:49:25. > :49:29.rern coming back in to it. There we go. 400 metres to go. He is tiring

:49:29. > :49:34.here up the hill. Tom Humphries, he is bending into the hill. Bobby

:49:34. > :49:37.Mack is closing the gap. Lamdassem is poised behind him. Has he saved

:49:37. > :49:42.himself for the sprint fin snish is he going to get closer. Tom

:49:42. > :49:45.Humphries working so hard, he will come along the top. Here comed

:49:45. > :49:50.Lamdassem. Last year's champion is letting it go. He is running and

:49:50. > :49:59.stretching and closing the gap to Humphreys. Well, has he left it too

:49:59. > :50:03.late or has Humphreys got anything left Now the top two from last year

:50:03. > :50:07.take over. That is a shame for Tom Humphries. He has been in the lead

:50:08. > :50:13.for so long. Andy Vernon is close enough. Look at Lamdassem. He don't

:50:13. > :50:17.want to leave it to the last 100 metres. He is using all of his

:50:17. > :50:21.experience here, he has finished second in plenty of big race, he

:50:21. > :50:24.won here last year he wants to make it two in a row. Bobby Mack can he

:50:24. > :50:30.change the result from last year. He is coming strongly, the American

:50:30. > :50:36.cap tairpbgs Bobby Mack is going to take it. Bobby Mack finishing in

:50:36. > :50:40.superb style. -- captain. Lamdassem and then Andy Vernon ahead of the

:50:40. > :50:44.plucky Tom Humphries. Then Lebid, Castillejo comes in next. What a

:50:44. > :50:48.finish from the American captain Bobby Mack. He didn't run the trial

:50:48. > :50:53.race, he was chosen to come here. Because of his performance last

:50:53. > :50:57.year, you heard his interview at the beginning saying the this is

:50:57. > :51:01.the sort of course likes. That is Riley coming in in seventh place,

:51:01. > :51:06.who won their trial. The Americans are packing reasonably well behind

:51:06. > :51:10.their captain, so they have three in now, as Craig forest crosses the

:51:10. > :51:13.line ahead of Steve Vernon. The Americans are looking good. THAT

:51:13. > :51:18.this is going to be about the American, the British team has

:51:18. > :51:23.collapsed a bit on the second two laps of this. The likes of Jonathan

:51:23. > :51:30.Taylor coming, heading to the finish now. Leading from the front,

:51:30. > :51:35.the American captain Bobby Mack gets a fine victory, but poor Tom

:51:35. > :51:41.Humphries, led until 250 metres to go. Maybe 300 metres to go. It was

:51:41. > :51:46.a brave effort, one of his best performance, Andy Vernon got him in

:51:46. > :51:51.the end, but I guess at the end, the two men who came first and

:51:51. > :51:54.second last year were always a threat, and it is good to see, I

:51:54. > :52:01.think Bobby Mack coming and reversing the positions from last

:52:01. > :52:04.year. Tom Humphries leading from Andy Vernon, Sergiy Lebid, the nine

:52:04. > :52:11.times champion, and Tom Humphries opening the gap here, Lamdassem

:52:11. > :52:15.poised in third place, last year's champion, Castillejo, Bobby Mack of

:52:15. > :52:18.the United States, who finished second here hast year says he

:52:18. > :52:24.enjoys the race. Lamdassem the first to go. Stretching them now,

:52:24. > :52:27.up that slight hill, 200 metres remaining. Lamdassem as he was last

:52:27. > :52:31.year hits the front but Bobby Mack is not waiting. He is coming,

:52:31. > :52:36.striding, he is printing, he is opening it up. He really is coming

:52:36. > :52:41.through for a great victory, for Bobby Mack, who says he enjoys the

:52:41. > :52:45.course, well, he enjoyed it today. Lamdassem in second. Andy Vernon in

:52:45. > :52:48.third place, Tom Humphries, a terrific performance ahead of

:52:48. > :52:58.Sergiy Lebid, but that was an excellent race, and an amazing

:52:58. > :52:59.

:52:59. > :53:04.result for the American. One second the Vic industry in the end.

:53:04. > :53:14.Lamdassem came second. Andy Vernon good finish from him to pip the

:53:14. > :53:15.

:53:15. > :53:19.brave Tom Humphries. Lebid solid The Americans packing well behind

:53:19. > :53:24.their team captain. What a great race that was. That is what we love

:53:24. > :53:27.about Edinburgh. It throws up great results. Macis along side me, the

:53:27. > :53:32.American team dairpbgs won the race, second last year, that was all

:53:32. > :53:36.about timing in the end. Yes, last year was about timing and this year

:53:36. > :53:42.as well, last year I got caught off guard. This year I wanted to be up

:53:42. > :53:46.in the mix, with 2k to go and 3k to go. This year I made shire I was

:53:46. > :53:51.ready to finish with the leaders. Talk about Tom Humphries, what did

:53:51. > :53:55.you think when he was out 20, 30 metres ahead? That is a tough spot

:53:55. > :53:59.to be in. He kuz cutting that wind himself, you know, that takes a lot

:53:59. > :54:04.of guts to get up there and do that. I found myself in a similar

:54:04. > :54:07.situation when I was too far back from him, but some guys behind were

:54:07. > :54:12.drafting. Sometimes in a muddy course like that, if you get it

:54:12. > :54:16.like that, you come up with the wind, so pretty honourable move he

:54:16. > :54:20.made. In terms of Lamdassem, a great heritage in Cross-Country

:54:20. > :54:24.running, you must be pleased with that finish to take it away from

:54:24. > :54:29.him? Yes, coming round the last quarter, he moved about the same

:54:29. > :54:33.spot as last year. I was like, oh, here is a repeat of last year, but

:54:33. > :54:39.I stuck it out up that hill, and I like the challenging course, with

:54:39. > :54:43.the mud and tough course, I was able to finish hard and find my

:54:43. > :54:48.rhythms. That was a good performance from your wois there.

:54:48. > :54:53.Yes, our qualifiers was on a mudier course than usual, I feel they were

:54:53. > :54:58.mow prepared than in past year, having run a difficult qualifier in

:54:58. > :55:04.the States. World Cross-Country for you as well? Yes, I was in Poland

:55:04. > :55:14.in 2010, so I would like to go back. Well done. We will look at the team

:55:14. > :55:15.

:55:15. > :55:20.standings. The British team 44 I am not sure that is the right

:55:20. > :55:23.overall team standings, we will come back to that when we get the

:55:23. > :55:27.right ones. I am delighted to say Tom Humphries is going to come and

:55:27. > :55:32.join me. Tom, come in, after that brilliant performance, just, in the

:55:32. > :55:37.end didn't quite hang on. Were your surprised to be out front for so

:55:38. > :55:42.long. Training has been going well. I struggled at Europeans and the

:55:42. > :55:45.trials because, because of my hip, trying to get back in to racing

:55:45. > :55:51.again, I had pneumonia over the summer which destroyed my season, I

:55:51. > :55:55.was running before the summer season, I was running 46.50 feeling

:55:55. > :55:59.comfortable, and I was in such good shape, and coming down with

:55:59. > :56:04.pneumonia, I was doing my degree and a part-time job and training

:56:04. > :56:08.hard, I got a cold and got an overload, was training has been

:56:09. > :56:12.going well, I wanted to run hard from the start, this is going, I am

:56:12. > :56:15.not going to go for world cross this years I am going to get more

:56:15. > :56:20.rehabilitation on my hip to strengthen that hip up, and see how

:56:20. > :56:25.the track season gos this year. must have given you a great deal of

:56:25. > :56:29.ep couragement to feel like you are back to your best. Yes, we a field

:56:29. > :56:33.like this, Sergiy Lebid, it is an encouragement, hopefully it will

:56:33. > :56:38.platform me to the next level. That is where I want to be, challenging

:56:38. > :56:46.the top athletes. What will you look forward to? Track. Track. I

:56:46. > :56:50.want to get, run a strong 5k and get under that 13.15. I want to

:56:50. > :56:55.break that barrier. That was great to watch and congratulations.

:56:55. > :57:02.you. A great run from Tom Humphries. We will go to the women's race, the

:57:02. > :57:07.6k race. Let us hear from the team captains including Fionnuala

:57:07. > :57:13.Britton.. It is hard in a way to be considered a favourite, but I think,

:57:13. > :57:18.like after European cross, a month ago, we were close at the finish,

:57:18. > :57:22.all the same girs are here and some other girls like Julia Bleasdale

:57:22. > :57:27.who has been training. I know it is going to be a tough race. It could

:57:27. > :57:31.be tougher an the Europeans. I am excited. I think I will like this.

:57:31. > :57:35.It brings out the strength runners and you have to have fun out there.

:57:35. > :57:40.I would like to build on my performances at the Olympic Games

:57:40. > :57:47.and keep improving, bettering my times and getting stronger. The

:57:47. > :57:52.focus is the world Cross-Country Championship. Everyone wants to do

:57:52. > :57:56.their best and improve on last year.. I feel honoured to be the

:57:56. > :58:01.women's captain. We have a great group of British women, and many of

:58:01. > :58:04.us are really relishing the opportunity of a tough Cross-

:58:04. > :58:10.Country course. If we work well as a team and take inspiration from

:58:10. > :58:14.each other, then we can get the right results. I want to compete

:58:14. > :58:19.and put myself to place in the top ten, see what I can do from there,

:58:19. > :58:23.as a too team, we will get out and work together, see how we can do.

:58:23. > :58:27.When you win you want to come back and win again. I like the course,

:58:27. > :58:32.like the weather is good at the moment, so it is set up to be a

:58:32. > :58:36.good race. I don't think it is going to be tougher than last year.

:58:36. > :58:45.So wha one more race to go in the team standings. These are the

:58:45. > :58:53.current standings. This is correct. -- so one more race to go. Just yst

:58:53. > :59:02.-- USA are pulling back. If you fancy doing some running there are

:59:02. > :59:11.entrys available for the Great Manchester Run. And also the Great

:59:11. > :59:16.north Run September 15th. So, one north Run September 15th. So, one

:59:16. > :59:19.more race to go, the women's 6k. Thank you Jonathan. And it is

:59:19. > :59:29.perfect e-- pr effectly poised. Great Britain still ahead inform

:59:29. > :59:35.

:59:36. > :59:41.the team race, but they finished Britton. And the rather than

:59:41. > :59:48.experienced American team, Mattie Suver, a leading them. In the men's

:59:48. > :59:52.race, they came at as the top dog, can the women matched the men? I

:59:52. > :59:57.suspect the British women will perform perhaps a little bit better

:59:58. > :00:02.than the men. Julia Bleasdale, leading them. She was in eighth

:00:02. > :00:12.place at the Olympics. It said 10th place on the caption, sorry about

:00:12. > :00:25.

:00:25. > :00:32.the under 23 champion. The British team full of experience. Freya Ross,

:00:32. > :00:37.of course, recently married at the back end of the summer. Plenty of

:00:37. > :00:43.local support for her. And Beth Potter as well. There are a couple

:00:43. > :00:50.of Scots in the team. Rosie Smith ran well at the championships. Elle

:00:50. > :00:53.Baker, Lily Partridge. Stephanie Twell, Emily Wicks. It is a team

:00:54. > :00:58.that we would expect to win the team race but they will have to run

:00:58. > :01:04.well because the European team, not all the talk names are here, but

:01:04. > :01:14.Fionnuala Britton and Adrienne Herzog, she finished third in the

:01:14. > :01:15.

:01:15. > :01:18.rather bright pink socks. Three laps. I guess, Fionnuala Britton

:01:18. > :01:23.was trying to play this down but she is starting this as the

:01:23. > :01:29.favourite? The typical Irish think of saying I am not the favourite,

:01:29. > :01:31.but I am the favourite. The blue colours, right in the late. The

:01:31. > :01:41.first three in the European Championships are together,

:01:41. > :01:46.Fionnuala Britton, just ahead of Adrienne Herzog. And Ana Dulce

:01:46. > :01:51.Felix. She was training in Ethiopia, training outside and as above. That

:01:52. > :01:58.has been going really well. She has real enthusiasm after finishing in

:01:58. > :02:03.eighth place in the Olympic Games. Terrific performances, personal

:02:03. > :02:07.best in the 50101000, you cannot get better than that. Julia

:02:07. > :02:12.Bleasdale, in amongst the best. I hope she gets along with the course,

:02:12. > :02:18.it is a lot further than I thought, I thought it was going to be very

:02:18. > :02:28.difficult today, but it has stood up well, the athletes seem to be on

:02:28. > :02:29.

:02:29. > :02:33.hampered. 6 K, Fionnuala Britton, she is the in form athlete, just

:02:33. > :02:40.outside, Julia Bleasdale, she beat them in a Britain at the Olympics

:02:40. > :02:48.in the 10,000 metres. She knows she has the upper hand when it comes to

:02:48. > :02:54.pure distance. This will be interesting. Behind that group,

:02:54. > :02:59.tucked in his Ana Dulce Felix from Portugal, she almost caught them

:02:59. > :03:04.and a Briton in the closing stages, finishing very quickly, she came

:03:04. > :03:11.from a fair way back, just slipping, there. She is working hard, 4th

:03:11. > :03:17.place. She will be a threat. But Fionnuala Britton is in great form.

:03:17. > :03:22.She comes to this off the back of not only good performances in the

:03:22. > :03:27.European Championships but then she went to Brussels to the big meeting

:03:27. > :03:33.two days before Christmas. She finished second behind the new

:03:33. > :03:38.Ethiopian girl. That was a good performance. That was a race that

:03:38. > :03:42.Jess Coulson did not quite run so well in. And after a brilliant

:03:42. > :03:52.championship, we were talking about this, about whether under 23 and

:03:52. > :03:52.

:03:52. > :03:57.the senior race should be merged. 1 R two others having a real problem

:03:57. > :04:03.getting over that blog. This will be a good indicator of just where

:04:03. > :04:09.Jess Coulson is at because winning that under 23 title, I think we

:04:09. > :04:14.both think that should just be one race. It will be interesting.

:04:14. > :04:18.the age of 23, the athletes are really developed than they should

:04:18. > :04:22.be able to compete at the very top level. Jess Coulson took the

:04:22. > :04:27.opportunity of winning that title so let us see how she will do today

:04:27. > :04:37.against Fionnuala Britton, the senior champion. And Julia

:04:37. > :04:37.

:04:37. > :04:42.Bleasdale, in second place. Freya Ross, finished first British in the

:04:42. > :04:45.Olympic marathon. Back to Scotland and she is training full-time and

:04:45. > :04:55.wants to run in the World Championships. That was great for

:04:55. > :04:58.

:04:58. > :05:03.Freya Ross. She only knew about that one week before the Olympics.

:05:03. > :05:08.Fionnuala Britton, happy to be at the front. She knows she is in form

:05:08. > :05:15.and is the athlete to beat. But she also knows that Ana Dulce Felix,

:05:15. > :05:23.Adrienne Herzog and she also will notice Julia Bleasdale. She did not

:05:23. > :05:32.mention her in the interview. You have to be concerned about her. And

:05:32. > :05:38.she has been a training in Ethiopia, training really well. Training very

:05:39. > :05:43.much a part of any distance athlete's preparations. Freya Ross

:05:43. > :05:46.is heading off to Colorado in her preparations for the London

:05:46. > :05:53.Marathon and hopefully the World Championships later in the year. A

:05:53. > :05:58.lot of British R plates are actually in Kenya at the moment for

:05:58. > :06:07.that pre-Christmas and post- Christmas training, middle and

:06:07. > :06:14.long-distance athletes. It has been a big part of the development of

:06:14. > :06:21.the success of British athletes. And the Americans follow the same

:06:21. > :06:28.pattern, they have various training venues that they go to as well. And

:06:28. > :06:34.the new head of insurance is out in Kenya and that is his normal place.

:06:34. > :06:38.He has to get used to the flat lands these days! But he is out

:06:39. > :06:44.there in Kenya with a lot of the British squad. Julia Bleasdale and

:06:44. > :06:54.Jess Coulson seeing the danger that Fionnuala Britton, even in this

:06:54. > :06:56.

:06:56. > :07:01.early stage, presents. Just talking in nicely behind the Irish runner.

:07:01. > :07:05.That was a big day in the history of Irish running. Winning the team

:07:05. > :07:10.race and the European cross-country championships. Ana Dulce Felix

:07:10. > :07:13.moving through. The British team living well, Freya Ross. But the

:07:13. > :07:21.leader, Fionnuala Britton, there is some talent at the front with her.

:07:21. > :07:27.She has company from the Under 23 champion, Freya Ross coming through,

:07:27. > :07:30.Julia Bleasdale on the outside also. Jess Coulson, the under 23 European

:07:30. > :07:35.cross-country champion and then the bronze medallist from the European

:07:35. > :07:42.cross country championships, three of them, two britons, being pulled

:07:42. > :07:46.away from the field by the happy front runner, Fionnuala Britton.

:07:46. > :07:50.The question is, without a race, has Julia Bleasdale got the

:07:50. > :07:55.opportunity to be competitive today? Jess Coulson has had some

:07:55. > :08:04.good races. The other 23 European champion against the senior

:08:04. > :08:10.European champion from December. Julia Bleasdale, who is out there

:08:10. > :08:14.in Ethiopia, observing, she has settled into third place. Looking

:08:14. > :08:21.further down in terms of the British team, it is important they

:08:21. > :08:25.go well. Stephanie Twell, Rosie Smith. Stephanie Twell tried to get

:08:25. > :08:29.back to her prominence from a couple of years ago, after that

:08:29. > :08:34.horrible broken ankle. That was in Belgium, she broke her ankle in a

:08:34. > :08:39.cross-country race. Still trying to rediscover some of that great form

:08:39. > :08:43.she used to have. It is important, we saw the standings, Europe are

:08:43. > :08:51.leading this race but the point Standings means they would win the

:08:51. > :08:58.overall prize and go past Great Britain. Beth Potter coming through.

:08:59. > :09:05.Julia Bleasdale, we also have Jess Coulson and Beth Potter. And we

:09:05. > :09:09.have got Stephanie Twell, Rosie Smith and Lauren Howarth. Packing

:09:10. > :09:16.well but Europe are doing better. They have to get ahead of some of

:09:16. > :09:23.these European athletes to win the overall prize. I say this because

:09:23. > :09:25.with the individual race, the overall points, you might catch

:09:25. > :09:30.that person and you are really concentrating on your own

:09:30. > :09:35.individual effort rather than the team prize. These two are really

:09:36. > :09:40.concentrating on their own efforts. Jess Coulson following the twice

:09:40. > :09:50.European Senior champion, Fionnuala Britton. Fionnuala Britton very

:09:50. > :09:51.

:09:51. > :09:53.happy in the late. Halfway point, now. The second of three laps. Six

:09:53. > :09:59.kilometres, Fionnuala Britton really trying to run away from Jess

:09:59. > :10:03.Coulson. If you are challenged by the under 23 champion, you feel

:10:03. > :10:07.like you want to run away from her and showed her to the bosses and

:10:07. > :10:10.she is trying to do that. She is becoming more renowned as a cross-

:10:10. > :10:15.country runner and I think she will eventually run a great marathon

:10:15. > :10:19.eventually. She looks like a true Irish distance runner and

:10:19. > :10:23.eventually they can run well in the country and on the track and on the

:10:23. > :10:27.road but on the road, often in a Britain looks comfortable. She

:10:27. > :10:36.looks comfortable on the road and over the country, she is good on

:10:36. > :10:44.the track. She was a steeplechase runner and she was very good over

:10:44. > :10:49.that barrier, and Ana Dulce Felix moves through. Julia Bleasdale, and

:10:50. > :10:54.Ana Dulce Felix just behind you. Both champions from those European

:10:54. > :10:58.cross-country championships in December, they are locked in battle.

:10:58. > :11:02.The more experience, the senior, Fionnuala Britton from Ireland,

:11:02. > :11:08.running powerfully. At the front, she does not care what is going on

:11:08. > :11:12.behind you, she is applying the pressure, running hard. Jess

:11:12. > :11:16.Coulson doesn't even want to be on terms with their but in a race like

:11:16. > :11:20.this, you want to, just let her know that you are there. Letter

:11:20. > :11:26.know that she has company, otherwise your confidence will grow.

:11:26. > :11:31.Adrienne Herzog in third place, running strongly. Lauren Howarth,

:11:31. > :11:38.then Julia Bleasdale. And then the European team, Ana Dulce Felix,

:11:38. > :11:42.coming through. Lauren Howarth moving through very nicely. At the

:11:42. > :11:49.University of Birmingham. Having a very good winter. She is only 10

:11:49. > :11:53.metres behind the third place. These two pulling away. If you have

:11:53. > :12:03.not seen Jess Coulson running before, we were commenting on her

:12:03. > :12:08.

:12:08. > :12:13.action. She has this uneven action, but it works for her. Fionnuala

:12:13. > :12:19.Britton is more balanced, and you have to have an economical style,

:12:19. > :12:23.Jess Coulson on that very hard ground, cold conditions in Hungary,

:12:23. > :12:28.and although her action isn't classic, it suited her very well

:12:28. > :12:37.and she is moving across the ground pretty well. She did not run so

:12:37. > :12:40.well in her most recent race, she was in Twelfth place. She was not

:12:40. > :12:46.standing up with that performance in Hungary. And it is about horses

:12:46. > :12:50.for courses. That is a big gap to third place, Adrienne Herzog.

:12:50. > :12:55.Lauren Howarth and Julia Bleasdale trying to hang on a the moment. But

:12:55. > :13:00.they are well ahead of the others. The first American, Mattie Suver,

:13:00. > :13:04.just coming through the picture. The big names from Europe. Just

:13:04. > :13:08.tucked in. These athletes have to do well for Britain, Elle Baker,

:13:08. > :13:13.Beth Potter, Rosie Smith, Stephanie Twell not looking quite so

:13:13. > :13:18.comfortable. Freya Ross will keep going, her strength will tell in

:13:18. > :13:22.the latter stages. If Britain are to win this overall prize, four of

:13:22. > :13:25.those women from Rosie Smith and behind have to pick up some of the

:13:25. > :13:30.athletes ahead. This is the crucial point in the race for Fionnuala

:13:30. > :13:34.Britton from Ireland. Just opening a couple of yards on that hill,

:13:34. > :13:41.stretching out, coming down the street. She will receive support

:13:41. > :13:44.from the crowd. She came here last year and she won it comfortably.

:13:44. > :13:50.She said it looks tougher this year but it does not look like that to

:13:50. > :13:54.me. Well on her way to retaining the cross country title in

:13:54. > :13:58.Edinburgh, just like the European title. Three seconds ahead of Jess

:13:59. > :14:03.Coulson and they are both well clear are of Adrienne Herzog and

:14:03. > :14:07.the European team. 12 seconds behind. If anything will happen, it

:14:07. > :14:12.will be with first and second. Julia Bleasdale, 18 seconds behind

:14:12. > :14:19.Fionnuala Britton. Ana Dulce Felix just gone through. And the team

:14:19. > :14:23.race looks like it is heading the way of the Europeans. Linda Byrne,

:14:23. > :14:28.representing the European team, but from Ireland. The experience

:14:28. > :14:32.Fionnuala Britton. Looking good and comfortable. Looking perfectly at

:14:32. > :14:36.ease on this course. It was frozen last year and she did not have any

:14:36. > :14:41.problem with that. Softer this year. She does not look as if she is

:14:41. > :14:51.having any problem with that. The only problem is she is in a blue

:14:51. > :14:54.

:14:55. > :15:00.one is Europe are leading this particular race, that is fairly

:15:00. > :15:04.obvious. But it means that gap is enough for them to take the overall

:15:04. > :15:11.title. They were eight points behind Great Britain at the moment,

:15:11. > :15:15.after the three races we have had. So they need to ensure that not too

:15:15. > :15:22.many positions change on this last lap. Not going to change at the

:15:22. > :15:28.front. Britain is going away. Coulson is safe in second, even

:15:28. > :15:38.though she is looking tired, but a big gap behind her to Herzog who

:15:38. > :15:56.

:15:56. > :16:03.was hanging on the to third the Ireland, to run in Antrim next

:16:03. > :16:07.weekend. As Brendan was saying, I guess who knows, really, you talk

:16:07. > :16:11.about the dominance she has here, Julia Bleasdale obviously moving

:16:11. > :16:15.back through the field here, but when it dopbls the track, she has

:16:15. > :16:19.to be able to convert that into better performances on the track.

:16:19. > :16:23.There is our third placed athlete Herzog who is moving well and has a

:16:23. > :16:27.gap, enough of a gap not to worry too much; but they will come

:16:27. > :16:34.charging behind her. The Americans seem to be moving through the field

:16:34. > :16:41.nicely in the latter stages. But this is a procession for Britain

:16:42. > :16:47.now. Such good form. It was a closer victory for her at the

:16:47. > :16:52.European Cross than the year before. Ana Dulce Felix came with a real

:16:52. > :16:56.barnstorming last three or 400 metres, and looked for a while as

:16:56. > :17:02.if she might catch the Irish champion, but it wasn't to be the

:17:02. > :17:07.case. Those arms are working well, staying nice and balanced. The head

:17:07. > :17:13.is hardly moving at all. Really good economical style. Producing

:17:13. > :17:18.enough power through the legs, keep pushing on, pushing on. This

:17:18. > :17:24.endurance base shi is -- she is building, she has to find way to

:17:24. > :17:29.convert, whether it on the track, he has to convert it into

:17:29. > :17:33.performances away from the country. Of course, something which Sonia

:17:33. > :17:40.O'Sullivan managed to do. Probably the Grease greatest name in Irish

:17:40. > :17:48.athletic, she did it going from the world Cross and on to track World

:17:48. > :17:51.Championships as well. I know Jess, I am not going to say that the log

:17:52. > :17:56.isn't to everybody's liking, we would step over it the same way but

:17:56. > :18:02.it stands you up when you retired and you have to climb over it like

:18:02. > :18:06.that, it is, it is a bit of a throw back to the old days. It's a

:18:06. > :18:11.nuisance is what you were trying to say I think. Doesn't Fionnuala

:18:11. > :18:16.Britton look really good? She looks so strong now, she is renowned over

:18:16. > :18:26.the country, I think she will run a great marathon, she has been some

:18:26. > :18:30.great Irish athletes and she is fulling in the footsteps of. Jess

:18:30. > :18:34.Coulson in second, she should be happy with this performance, if she

:18:34. > :18:40.hangs on ahead of Herzog, who was third in the European Cross country,

:18:40. > :18:44.that puts the form in good stead, look at Fionnuala Britton. In the

:18:45. > :18:47.famous blue vest of Europe, as oppose to, oh my goodness. That is

:18:47. > :18:54.what happens when you start taking the mickey out of somebody by

:18:54. > :18:58.talking about running in a blue vest. That was a bit of a slip.

:18:58. > :19:02.don't think she landed well, but she is fine, up and running, that

:19:03. > :19:08.shows you an athlete who has a lot in the tank, she got up and

:19:08. > :19:13.straight back in to her running. Doesn't look as if she has had a

:19:13. > :19:20.fall. She has even had time for a sit down! When she come thos the

:19:20. > :19:25.water again on the top part of the course and Herzog overtaking Jess

:19:25. > :19:29.Coulson, a slight climb and Fionnuala Britton not seeing to be

:19:29. > :19:35.bothered by that as she approaches the 400 metres to go. Looks over

:19:35. > :19:38.her shoulder, she nose she has a comfortable winning margin. She

:19:38. > :19:43.knows unless she wants to be embarrassed she has to go over the

:19:43. > :19:49.water jump with a bit more success. Let us see if she is hurdle. She

:19:49. > :19:54.was a steeplechaser, she should be able to jump over things and land.

:19:54. > :19:57.There is the other athletes going the other way. I am going to be

:19:57. > :20:02.watching closely, as she approaches the 200 metres to go point, there

:20:02. > :20:07.is a big sign up saying 200 metres to go. There is Jess Coulson in

:20:07. > :20:13.third. The first American, Suver, the American team captain ahead of

:20:13. > :20:20.Ana Dulce Felix. Here she come, can she jump this one? Not a problem.

:20:20. > :20:25.Well done Fionnuala. One great hurdling performance today. Despite

:20:26. > :20:34.that minor slip, Fionnuala Britton has been foot perfect all the way

:20:34. > :20:39.round here. The first woman to retain the European cross-country

:20:39. > :20:44.title. She has gone for a mirror image of last winter, coming here

:20:44. > :20:50.to repeat her victory. I am sure he will do the same at Antrim next

:20:50. > :20:56.week. Fionnuala Britton is our champion once more. Irish eyes

:20:56. > :21:01.smiling, and Fionnuala Britton almost wins at a canter, that was

:21:01. > :21:07.as comfortable a win from Fionnuala. Herzog, who was the bronze

:21:07. > :21:13.medallist behind her in Hungary, coming through in second, after

:21:13. > :21:23.running down the under 23 champion Jess Coulson, who will finish

:21:23. > :21:25.

:21:25. > :21:30.further back, as Suver finishes third. She hangs on to fourth. We

:21:30. > :21:35.will watch for the next. I think Elle Baker will be the next to come

:21:35. > :21:40.in for Great Britain. That looks like her crossing the line. Perhaps

:21:40. > :21:43.Rosie Smith next in. This is something will dispoint the British

:21:43. > :21:47.team. They would be hoping Stephanie Twell, finishing well, I

:21:47. > :21:53.don't think it is going to be enough to hang on the the team race.

:21:53. > :22:00.We will keep you posted. No doubt about the winner, one-two for

:22:00. > :22:07.Europe. It is a win for Europe's top cross-country competitor at the

:22:07. > :22:12.moment, Fionnuala Britton of Ireland. Well, Jess, I think, just

:22:12. > :22:16.in the picture ran well, just got caught to tend. Our point about the

:22:16. > :22:24.under 23s, does it stack up. That shows it should. If the winner can

:22:24. > :22:28.come here and she is beating the likes of Duarte, and Felix, and

:22:28. > :22:34.Jess Coulson performed well to come in fourth place there. The last

:22:34. > :22:39.right of the day, the team race, could the British team hang on to

:22:39. > :22:43.the first place team or would the Europeans overtake them? Fionnuala

:22:43. > :22:49.Britton last year's champion. Julia Bleasdale finished eight in the

:22:49. > :22:54.Olympic Games behind her. And now, she sets off real intent, hoping --

:22:54. > :22:58.opening the gap on jes Coulson and Fionnuala Britton running strongly.

:22:59. > :23:02.Herzog in second. There is Julia Bleasdale coming through, the first

:23:02. > :23:07.American Suver and Ana Dulce Felix, representing the European team, a

:23:07. > :23:11.strong European team, but Fionnuala Britton stretching out and Coulson

:23:11. > :23:16.unable to hang on the second place there. Herzog working hard, working

:23:16. > :23:21.through the field, Lauren Howarth running very excel today, in the

:23:21. > :23:26.early stages. Julia Bleasdale going through a bad patch, but now on the

:23:26. > :23:29.last lap Fionnuala Britton in all her glory, relaxing, running

:23:29. > :23:35.comfortable, oops, my goodness there. I knew that was going to

:23:35. > :23:41.happen, we saw it first time round! But no problems for fuen la, she

:23:41. > :23:48.will have to explain herself with a wry smile, terrific performance,

:23:48. > :23:52.another good victory, and this is Europeans -- European's top cross-

:23:52. > :24:02.country runner, showing her way round the course. Only one problem

:24:02. > :24:03.

:24:03. > :24:13.today and that was the water jump. Herzog in second place. Then Suver

:24:13. > :24:17.

:24:17. > :24:22.then Lauren Howarth fading in the captain to come in ahead of Jess

:24:22. > :24:27.Coulson. A good performance from her. Felix, Linda Byrne meaning

:24:27. > :24:30.that Europe will win this race because they did pack six in better

:24:30. > :24:34.than Great Britain did. Julia Bleasdale, perhaps a bit

:24:34. > :24:39.disappointed with her eighth place there, but we can clear up the

:24:39. > :24:43.there, but we can clear up the whole thing with Jonathan.

:24:43. > :24:47.Fionnuala Britton is beside me. She could be contender for Dancing on

:24:47. > :24:51.Ice after that. A very dominant performance first of all. I didn't

:24:51. > :24:54.think it would be like that, but when we started off, and even was

:24:54. > :24:59.hoeding back and even was waiting for someone to take the lead. I

:24:59. > :25:04.thought first of all, I was OK, I am happy to sit here until after

:25:04. > :25:07.the first log. You want to see them and no-one came up so I had to push

:25:08. > :25:14.on from there. When I knew the group was breaking down, I thought

:25:14. > :25:19.there is no point sitting back now. How do you assess your chances for

:25:19. > :25:25.world cross-country? There are big names to follow in the footsteps of.

:25:25. > :25:28.Yes, it is an effort. We can try and I suppose having a good team at

:25:28. > :25:33.the European Cross, and there is a group of up, Linda here today, it

:25:33. > :25:39.would be good if we could have a team going and when there is a team

:25:39. > :25:45.behind you it boosts you as a individual. This is the overall

:25:45. > :25:50.team result. Which means as we will see here, your captain for the

:25:50. > :25:54.winning team. That is brilliant Last night we had a team meeting. I

:25:54. > :25:58.said I wanted to put the pressure on the men, they were before us and

:25:58. > :26:02.we didn't want to have, I suppose, it was, we did it in the end. I

:26:02. > :26:09.know we weren't in first place in the last race, so it is nice to

:26:09. > :26:16.come out of it. Good luck for The Word cross. Alongside me is Neil

:26:16. > :26:22.Black. Thank you for joining us. You have a different role from

:26:22. > :26:25.Charles? Yes, overseeing the Olympic and Paralympic programme,

:26:25. > :26:29.supporting the head coaches in their work with the coaches and the

:26:29. > :26:34.athletes. Obviously, last years I think overall was considered to be

:26:34. > :26:39.a very strong performance from British athle tib, from four years

:26:39. > :26:44.of improvements since Beijing, what do you bring to this role? It is

:26:44. > :26:50.more of the same. I think we have been planning and developing things

:26:50. > :26:56.and I was a part of that along with Charles and Peter Ericsson, now, we

:26:56. > :27:00.have reorganised things, we have Peter and the Olympic head coach,

:27:00. > :27:05.Paula Dunn, we have a clear strategy based round centralisation

:27:05. > :27:10.but supporting people outside of that system, who perform and have

:27:10. > :27:13.good structures and system, and I think it is making sure athletes

:27:13. > :27:19.are accountable and responsible for what they do and support the

:27:19. > :27:24.coaches. You have brought new face n and some perhaps established

:27:25. > :27:29.faces, what do you think those changes will bring? It is part of a

:27:29. > :27:32.kind of complicated reorganisations, what we are doing is saying this is

:27:32. > :27:37.where athletes are at, this is where they need to be this is where

:27:37. > :27:40.the world is at, and how are we going to take those steps towards

:27:40. > :27:44.the performances, and the changes and the improvements that need to

:27:44. > :27:50.take place, that is what we are in the process of doing. In terms of

:27:50. > :27:57.women's endurance not bad, you look at the European cross-country and

:27:57. > :28:02.here. The juniors dominated today. Huge strength in-depth, fantastic -

:28:02. > :28:05.- performances all round, good demonstration of top class

:28:05. > :28:12.athletics. So that rounds things off here, but there is more sport

:28:12. > :28:16.coming over the course of this afternoon, we are going darts next.

:28:16. > :28:22.It is the World Darts Championships, the BDO from Lakeside. Coverage

:28:22. > :28:28.over the course of the next week. Then we have final score from 2.30