The below is being published to help athletes and coaches to understand the selection process for this year's English Schools Cross Country Championships.

The team managers work together to ensure that selection is made fairly. We select a team of 8 for English Schools for each age group, along with 4 reserves. There are occasions that athletes miss qualifying events due to selection for a higher level or National honours, or other valid reasons such as illness/injury or unavoidable clash e.g. DofE weekend, and in these circumstances those athletes will still be considered for selection for the English Schools teams. 

If you cannot compete at the County Championships on the 17th January for such a reason and want to be considered to compete at the inter counties and therefore to be selected for English Schools, you need to contact us by emailing tfselection@hampshireschoolsathletics.org.uk to explain why you could not compete (please don't email the xc selection email - this is currently vacant and won't go to anyone!).

Selection will be based off of the following: 

• Top 4 finish at Hampshire Champs AND a top 4 Hampshire athlete at Inter counties will guarantee you selection 

• Top 8 finish at county champs AND top 8 Hants runner at inter counties will put you in a strong position for qualification, BUT DOES NOT GUARANTEE YOU SELECTION. 

• Top 8 finish at ONE of Champs gives you a chance at selection with a higher finishing position improving your chances

• Finishing outside the top 8 at both champs will mean you are unlikely to be selected 

• Missing either of the Championships will have a negative impact on your selection unless for the reasons outline above 

Please note that this is purely meant as guidance to help you understand the selection process. The only guarantee for selection is a top 4 finish at both champs, all other selection decisions are at the discretion of the team managers. 

Selection will be decided after the inter counties competition with selection emails sent out by Wednesday 4^th February.