North of England Cross Country Championships

Event overview

The North of England Cross Country Championships take place on 24 January 2026 at Pontefract Race Course, Pontefract Park, Park Road, WF8 4QD, United Kingdom. The event is organised by Northern Athletics and runs under licence number CC25/1784. Chip timing will be used and club colours as registered with England Athletics must be worn. A wet weather contingency route may be used on the day which could slightly affect course route and distances. Entries close on 18 January 2026; no late or on-the-day entries will be accepted. Entry fees are shown as roughly £9 for most youth categories and £10 for U20 and senior categories, with an additional booking charge applied to individual online entries.

Races, eligibility and rules

• Under 13 Girls - 3.23 km (age 11-12 on 31 Aug 2025)
• Under 13 Boys - 3.23 km (age 11-12 on 31 Aug 2025)
• Under 15 Girls - 4.31 km (age 13-14 on 31 Aug 2025)
• Under 15 Boys - 4.31 km (age 13-14 on 31 Aug 2025)
• Under 17 Women - 5.00 km (age 15-16 on 31 Aug 2025)
• Under 17 Men - 5.68 km (age 15-16 on 31 Aug 2025)
• Junior Women (U20) - 5.68 km (age 17-19 on 31 Aug 2025)
• Junior Men (U20) - 8.37 km (age 17-19 on 31 Aug 2025)
• Senior Women - 8.37 km (age 20+ on 31 Aug 2025)
• Senior Men - 12.36 km (age 20+ on 31 Aug 2025)

All athletes must be registered with England Athletics and clubs must have 2025/26 Cross Country affiliation and be affiliated to Northern Athletics. Team scoring: first six in Senior Men and first four in all other races are scoring counters, except U20 events which use three scoring counters. Only one registered foreign athlete may count in a scoring team. UKA Anti-Doping Rules apply. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.