A number of athletes, both Isle of Man and UK-based, are competing in the English National Cross-Country Championships this Saturday.

This year’s event takes place at a new venue, Bolesworth Castle near Tattenhall in Cheshire.

A private country estate with large grounds a few miles south of Chester, Bolesworth is handy for those travelling from the island.

The senior men’s race covers two laps of a six-kilometre course which is reported to be fairly flat.

With the largely dry weather expected to continue, it is likely to be a fast course.

The National is an event that attracts thousands of entrants each year, and recent editions have seen upwards of 2,000 in the senior men’s race and over 1,000 in the senior women’s.

The younger age group races, from under-13 upwards, usually have fields of several hundreds. The event is open to all club athletes affiliated to England Athletics.

There is a team element to all the races and Manx Harriers will have a team of six in the senior men’s category. They are Stephen Garrett, George Dickinson (both UK-based), Chris Killey, Andrew Falconer, Jamie Hayes and Andy Fox. This is the same team that contested last year’s event at Parliament Hill in London.

Two Manx Harriers runners will be in the senior women’s race, Laura Dickinson and Gail Sheeley.

From Northern AC, Sam Perry is in the under-17 men’s race, and from Western AC Dave Bignell goes in the senior men’s. Both are debutees in the event so should enjoy the atmosphere and go well.

Representing English clubs are Ollie Lockley (Leeds City) and Max Costley (Southampton) in the senior men’s event and Sarah Astin (Belgrave Harriers) in the senior women’s.

After her superb recent international performances, the latter can go into this race with great confidence. She was the bronze medallist in 2015 and is likely to be challenging at the sharp end of the field again this time.

l Full reports next week.