Radcliffe leads O'Sullivan and Abeylegesse in Edinburgh (© Getty Images)
On the day that the local organising committee of the 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Edinburgh 2008, announced the rebirth of the historic Home Countries International - which will take place on the eve of the championships - Britain’s most famous currently serving athlete, Paula Radcliffe, added to the up-beat mood by indicating that a campaign for a third World Cross crown was definitely an option.
The Press Association this afternoon revealed that the Bedford athlete who won one of her European Cross Country crowns in Edinburgh in 2003 is thinking seriously about running in the 2008 World Cross Country Championships which take place in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh on 30 March 2008.
Radcliffe, the World Marathon record holder, currently training at Font Romeu in the French Pyrenees, said: “That's definitely an option - I think, especially because it's in Edinburgh. It depends on whether I do another spring marathon or not. I haven't looked at the difference between them if that were an option.''
The day already had begun well for the Edinburgh 2008 organisers with a press release declaring that a total of nearly £4000 in prize money will be on offer for the first Home Countries International to be staged since 1990, a race which was first contested at Hamilton Park Race Course in Scotland in 1903.
The Home Countries International - which BBC television will record with short highlights shown the following day - will take place on the afternoon of Saturday 29 March in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, the day before the IAAF World Cross Country Championships are held at the same venue.
All four British ‘home’ nations have already accepted the invitation to compete in 2008 with the women racing 6km, with the men running a total of 8km. Teams will consist of six athletes made up of three senior and three under-20s, with four to count. At least one under-20 must be part of the scoring team, in keeping with the youth-orientation focus intended throughout the weekend.
The last Home Countries International was held on 7 November 1990 at Beach Park in Irvine, Scotland.
Chris Turner
IAAF Editorial Manager
