Double Olympic medallist Beth Potter is making a sensational return to the GB and NI team for the European Road Running Championships.
Potter switched from running to triathlon after the Rio Olympics in 2016 and became World Champion in 2023 before going on to win individual and Mixed Team Relay bronzes in Paris last summer.
She had suggested that she might mix things up this season in what is the first – and least important – year of the next Olympic cycle through to LA 2028, saying: “Excited to be doing something a little bit different this triathlon season.”
And she made the headlines just last weekend when setting the third fastest time by a British woman over 10km this year when winning the Pulford 10k in breathtaking style.
Her chip time of 31:15 there means only Amy-Eloise Neale (31:12) in Valencia and Eilish McColgan (31:14) in Dubai have gone quicker in 2025.
UK Athletics complete line up
And on Friday UK Athletics announced they had selected 10 athletes to represent GB & NI in the 10k competition, completing the full squad for the European Road Running Championships in Belgium on April 12 and 13.
Their press release led with none other than Potter, reading: “Paris Olympic Triathlon medallist, Beth Potter (Shaftesbury Barnet) is one of five women who will look to compete in Leuven.
“She will be joined by the 2024 U23 European Cross Country Champion, Phoebe Anderson (Wayne Vinton, Herne Hill), Verity Ockenden (Swansea), Amelia Quirk (Mick Woods, Bracknell AC), Sarah Astin (Andrew Hobdell, Belgrave) and Jenny Nesbitt (Dave Long, Pontypridd).
“Nesbitt was originally selected for the half marathon earlier this year but has opted to compete in the 10k race instead.
“Rory Leonard (Andy, Hobdell, Morpeth), who broke the men’s British 10k record earlier this year in Valencia, is one of four athletes selected for the men’s team. Alfie Manthorpe (John Wood, Hallamshire), Charles Wheeler (MK Distance Project), and Ellis Cross (Andrew Hobdell, Aldershot, Farnham & District) have also been selected for the 10k team.”
The inaugural event, which will combine elite race championships with mass participation opportunities, will also comprise a marathon and a half-marathon.
Potter ‘excited’ by selection
And writing on Instagram, Potter said: “Excited to be lining up on the road over 10km at the European Championships in 2 weeks in Belgium 😃”
Before then she will be part of a mouthwatering showdown with Olympic champion Cassandre Beaugrand at the Supertri E World Championship in London next weekend (April 5).
Beaugrand recently set a new French road 5k record of 14:53 in Monaco.
And Potter won’t be the only Team GB triathlon medallist from Paris involved in elite running events in April as Alex Yee is tackling the London Marathon.
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