Farah heads strong British team for European Cross Country Championships

FORMER European champion Mo Farah will lead a team of 36 British and NI athletes to the European Cross Country Championships in Dublin on December 13.

MEDAL FAVOURITE: Mo Farah is favourite to reclaim his European cross country crown after a silver in Brussels last year (Getty Images)

The 26-year old made his senior breakthrough with European cross country gold in San Giorgio su Legnano, Italy in 2006 but only managed silver two years later in Brussels and will be out to reclaim his title this time round.

The Newham & Essex Beagle, who finished seventh in 5000m at this year's World Championships in Berlin, has just finished altitude training in Kenya and has been tipped for the podium in Ireland.

Triple European cross country champion Stephanie Twell is also a medal contender in the under 23 race and will be looking to improve on her 38th place finish at March's World Cross Country Championships in Jordan. 

Callum Hawkins has been tipped for success after striking 3000m gold at the European Youth Olympics in Tampere in July and will lead the charge in the men's junior race while Charlotte Purdue, who scooped junior silver behind Twell last year in Brussels, will look to upgrade to gold in the women's junior race.

Finally, recently-crowned world triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee will be one of the big names in the men's under 23 race as the squad aim to emulate their 12 medals from Belgium.

The Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland Team

MEN
Mo Farah (Newham & Essex Beagles); Andrew Lemoncello (Fife); Mike Skinner (Blackheath & Bromley); Chris Thompson (AFD); Andy Vernon (AFD); Ben Whitby (Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow)

WOMEN
Lauren Deadman (Havering & Mayesbrook); Laura Kenney (Royal Sutton Coldfield); Freya Murray (Chester Le Street & Dist AC); Sonia Samuels (Sale); Katrina Wootton (Bedford & County); Hayley Yelling (Windsor Slough, Eton & Hounslow)

UNDER 23 MEN
Alistair Brownlee (Bingley Harriers); Mitch Goose (City of Norwich); Ashley Harrell (City of Norwich); Ricky Stevenson (New Marske); Jonathan Taylor (Morpeth); Lewis Timmins (Morpeth)

UNDER 23 WOMEN
Charlotte Browning (AFD); Natalie Gray (Medway & Maidstone); Hollie Rowland (City of Norwich); Jessica Sparke (Woodford Green & Essex Ladies); Stevie Stockton (Vale Royal AC); Stephanie Twell (AFD)

JUNIOR MEN
Richard Goodman (Shaftesbury Barnet); James Wilkinson (Leeds City); Johnathan Hay (AFD); Callum Hawkins (Kilbarchan); Nick Goolab (Belgrave Harriers); Matthew Gillespie (Shettleston Harriers) 

JUNIOR WOMEN
Kate Avery (Shildon); Jessica Coulson (Stockport Harriers); Lauren Howarth (Leigh Harriers); Lily Partridge (AFD); Beth Potter (Victoria Park City of Glasgow); Charlotte Purdue (ADF)