McColgan, Cairess, Beattie lead the British challenge in the Valencia 10km

Spanish roads could see some record-breaking performances on Sunday as athletes lace up their super-shoes instead of cross-country spikes.

The World Cross Country Championships has ended up with more mud in its face this week with many of Britain’s leading distance runners choosing the roads of Valencia, Spain, rather than this weekend’s off-road global get-together in Tallahassee, Florida.

Eilish McColgan, Emile Cairess, Scott Beattie, Abbie Donnelly, Hugo Milner, Zak and Mahamed Mahamed are among the British entries for the “10K Valencia Ibercaja by Kiprun” on Sunday (Jan 11).

They are part of a 16,000-strong field with Britain second only to host nation Spaniards when it comes to the number of runners taking part.

Rather than chase medals and prestige in Tallahassee, the athletes in Valencia are looking for national or European records, in some cases world records, or at the very least a PB.

Valencia has some form in this area. Both current world 10km records – 26:38 by Joshua Cheptegei and 28:46 by Agnes Ngetich – were set in Valencia, in addition to the European men’s record.

Andreas Almgren holds the latter with 26:53 and will be trying to improve that mark on Sunday.

McColgan saw her European record beaten by Jana Van Lent of Belgium on January 4 but will be looking to reclaim it on Sunday. The 35-year-old was busy over the festive period training at altitude, at one point clearing snow from the inside lanes of the track in order to complete a session.

McColgan’s best time of 30:19 was run in a women-only race in Manchester in 2022.

Other notable British entries include Cairess, who has not raced since dropping out in the closing stages of the marathon at the World Championships in Tokyo, although he paced Alex Yee and Phil Sesemann deep into the Valencia Marathon last month.

Beattie finished fourth in the European Cross Country Championships in December in Portugal but as we enter the new year he clearly prefers to race in Valencia rather than Tallahassee. The long flight to the United States might have had something to do with his decision.

With Cairess and Beattie in the race, Rory Leonard’s British record of 27:38, also set in Valencia 12 months ago, is in danger.

Further Brits in Valencia include Alice Goodhall, Lizzie Wellsted, Natasha Phillips, Hannah Irwin, Andy Butchart, Alfie Manthorpe, Charlie and George Wheeler.

José Enrique Muñoz Acuña, race director in Valencia, says: “The response from runners has been impressive, with record numbers of registrations and an elite group ready to set historic records. Valencia has established itself as one of the fastest circuits in the world and we expect to see some great performances on January 11.”

Leading entries here.