Adrian Stott looks at the British team and international contenders at this weekends event in France

Not only is the track and field season in full swing, but the mountain and trail running season is now well underway with the second edition of the European Off-Road Running Championships (ERROC) in Annecy, France, this weekend (May 31-June 2).

Ten races will be spread over three days, with day one featuring the vertical uphill-only races for senior and junior men and women. The senior course is 7.6km with 990 metres of climb, and the junior races are 5.6km, with 830 metres of climb.

Day two features the trail races for both men and women over a challenging 58km course with 3450m of climbing.

The final day will involve the classic up-and-down races over 16km (940m) for the seniors and 5.9km (400m) for the juniors.

At the first edition of these championships in La Palma in 2022, the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team came home with 11 medals from individual and team performances, finishing fourth in the medal table. A strong team will again be heading to Annecy to take on the best in Europe, hoping to bring back more medals.

British athletes to watch in Annecy

Mens trail race: At last summers world event, Innsbruck-based Thomas Roach took silver in the world short trail 45km race, while Tom Joly secured 11th place in the long trail 85km. With just one trail race in Annecy over 59km, it promises to be a mix of experienced long and short-trail athletes chasing the medals. They will be backed up by Luke Grenfall-Shaw and James Tilley, a late call-up after Tom Evans withdrew due to injury.

Womens trail race: GB regulars over the last few years, Katie Kaars-Sijpestein and Meryl Cooper lead a solid womens trail team. They are joined by Georgia Tindley and Holly Page, who are both making a return to International championships after injury issues the last few years.

Cooper said: I am really looking forward to the European Championships and competing against the best in Europe. We have an amazing team and I am excited to see what we can achieve together. The trail course is going to be really challenging with a bit of everything in there to test us!

Womens mountain races: In-form Scout Adkin, the bronze medalist in the up-and-down event and 4th in the uphill-only race two years ago, will hope to add to her international medal count. Both womens mountain teams secured team medals in 2022. Adkin is once again doubling up in both events, along with Scarlet Dale. They are joined by Ellie Twentyman and Sarah Wilhoit in the uphill only and by Eve Pannone and Naomi Lang in the up-and-down event.

Mens mountain races: Salfords Joe Steward, together with the versatile Kris Jones, and 2019 European champion Jacob Adkin, lead a strong mens team. Jones has previously represented Britain on the road, track, cross country and trail. Adding mountain running secures a full house.

All three are doubling up at this championship. They are joined in the up-and-down race by Ben Rothery and in the uphill race by Finlay Grant, who is making his senior debut after taking bronze in the Junior event in 2022.

Kris Jones, winning his first mountain running vest for Great Britain & Northern Ireland, said: It will be an exciting weekend of races, and Im looking forward to the experiences Ill get in Annecy. Given my inexperience in international mountain running (uphill only and classic up and down), I dont really have any expectations. I just want to go out, race the best I can, and see what that gets me. Im mostly looking forward to being part of a strong British team, and Ill try to perform my best to contribute.

Junior womens mountain races: Great Britain has a strong tradition in the junior events at both European and world level. Eve Whitaker, the silver medalist from La Palma, leads another strong junior team. Along with Amelie Lane, she is doubling up in events too. They are joined in the uphill-only races by Isla Hedley and Lauren Russell and in the up-and-down race by Isla Patterson and Georgia Bell.

Junior mens mountain races: Settles Jack Sanderson doubles in the junior mens races. Thomas Hilton, Edward Hobbs and Alex Poulson join him in the uphill-only race, while Angus Wright, Jonathon Downey and Sam Bentham make up the up-and-down team.

Team leader Anne Buckley said: We saw high quality performances in all the mountain trial races, so we are delighted to be adding such strong mountain runners to the team. Alongside our trail runners, we are taking a really competitive squad to France to take on the rest of Europe. Not only do we have several experienced internationalists in the team, but it is fantastic to see talented new athletes earning their place in the Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad.

International contenders

Switzerlands Maude Mathys, the defending womens champion in both the uphill and up and down categories, will start as one of the favourites. The 37-year-old had won the European title on three previous occasions before achieving the double at La Palma in 2022. Her compatriot, Judith Wyder, who was second in the short trail event in the Innsbruck World Championships, joins her in both mountain races.

Norways Ida Waldal, champion in both the junior events in 2022, steps up to both events at the senior level.

In the mens mountain races, Cesare Maestri of Italy, who took gold in the uphill race and silver in the up and down in La Palma, is again entered in both events, as is Dominik Rolli of Switzerland, who took silver in the uphill and bronze in the up and down in 2022 behind Maestri.

Home nation France has selected strong teams, especially in the trail races. Blondine LHirondel, champion in the womens event in 2022 at the last European event in La Palma, and the world-long trail event in Thailand, will certainly start as one of the favourites. She was a DNF at the Innsbruck World Championship last summer but recently won the French trail championship title.

Her compatriot, Clementine Geoffray, winner of the short trail event in Innsbruck, will ensure once again the French team is challenging the podium, individually and collectively.

Benjamin Roubiol is the local pin-up runner for the championships. The Annecy-based athlete won the 85km long trail at the world event in Innsbruck last June, and last month won the French Trail Championship, run over a 58km course with 3000 metres of climb.

Thomas Cardin will also be challenging the podium. The Frenchman placed third at the last European championships. A win at the 40km Trail de Ventoux in March, was followed up by third place at the French Trail Championships behind Rouibiol.

The British athletes, led by Roach, will hope to challenge them for individual and team medals.

Francesco Puppi, the popular and experienced Italian, is entered in both mountain races as well as the trail race. It remains to be seen, if he will actually attempt to run all three races in three days!