BLACKBURN Harriers have pulled off a major coup by securing the Great Britain Team Selection Races for the 2011 World Mountain Running Championships.

The event will take place at Witton Park on Saturday, August 13 with four Great Britain teams – under 20s men and women, as well as senior men and women – subsequently being chosen for the World Championships in Tirana, Albania next month.

The races are also being used by the England and Welsh selectors as their trial for the Commonwealth Championships and, if that was not enough, it is also the final counter in the 2011 McCain Mountain Running Challenge.

Younger athletes will not be left out either, as it is an England selection event for U16s and U18s, who will be racing for places in the British and Irish Home International.

The brain behind the project is the Harriers’ Richard Taylor, who has based the races loosely on the four milers staged by Blackburn Road Runners in recent summers climbing from the park and circulating Billinge Woods.

Blackburn Harriers are fast emerging as a force in fell running with the club winning the inaugural English Junior Team Championship last year.

Several of their young stars have also earned international honours, including Dominic Mahoney and Beckie Taylor, Richard’s daughter, who were both included in the British squad at the European Championships at Bursa in Turkey last month.

Beckie was 22nd and the third Brit in the junior women’s race, while Dominic was 45th in the men’s race.

Also involved was Joe Johnston, of Rossendale Harriers, who took 29th.

Both junior teams were sixth.

The senior women’s team also took sixth place, with Clitheroe based Victoria Wilkinson the third counter in 28th.

You will be able to enter the races on the day and Richard is also asking for help, with volunteers able to contact him by calling 01254 200886 or via e-mail at richardtaylor90@hotmail.com.