SPAR European Cross Country champion Hayley Yelling is among a 21-member Great Britain squad for the World Cross Country Championships to be held in Bydgoszcz.

European indoor 3000m champion Mo Farah and European Cross Country champion Hayley Yelling are amongst the 21 athletes selected for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships to be held in Bydgoszcz, Poland, on 28 March.   

European indoor 3000m champion Farah, who won the McCain Cross Challenge final and trials event in Cofton Park, Birmingham on 13 March returned to the UK in great shape following a long session of altitude training in Kenya.  

Farah leads the men's senior team which also includes seasoned Cross Country runner Andy Vernon. Both athletes competed at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Dublin last December.

Yelling, who returned to competitive action last winter to be a surprise, yet convincing, winner in Dublin, leads a team of five women including top three finishers from the trials Freya Murray, Steph Twell and Fay Fullerton.  

Impressive U17 youngster Emelia Gorecka, who won the trials for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships, at Sefton Park in late 2009 but was too young for selection, has the chance to compete for her country this time around, following her birthday in January and another spectacular win at the recent trials in Birmingham.

She will be joined by a strong team, looking for a top five team finish, including Annabel Gummow and Hannah Walker who finished second and third respectively in the trials.

Richard Goodman, another athlete competing ahead of his years, also clocked double trials victories pre and post Christmas in the junior age group despite being a year younger than the majority of the field.

International Cross Country hopefuls Ronnie Sparke and Ben Norris make up the team along with Johnathan Hay and Callum Hawkins who gained valuable experience in Dublin last December.

US based Tom Farrell, who recently broke the British junior 3000m record  with a 7.58.68 performance  in Seattle, USA, and  has set new personal bests in both the 3000m and 5000m this season was also included in the team. His consistent performances and mature attitude to the sport made him an ideal candidate for selection.  

Junior athletes will attend a preparation camp at Loughborough University prior to competition.

GREAT BRITAIN AND NI TEAM:

Senior Men: Mo Farah, Mike Skinner, Andy Vernon, James Wilkinson

Senior Women: Faye Fullerton, Freya Murray, Stevie Stockton, Stephanie Twell, Hayley Yelling

Junior Men: Tom Farrell, Richard Goodman, Callum Hawkins, Jonathan Hay, Ben Norris, Ronnie Sparke

Junior Women: Kate Avery, Emelia Gorecka, Annabel Gummow, Sarah Inglis, Beth Potter, Hannah Walker