Rebecca earns spot on GB U23 cross country team
Rebecca Flaherty has been selected to represent Great Britain in the U23 women’s team at the European Cross Country Championships in Portugal next month – marking a major milestone in the 19-year-old’s running career.
Former Bradford Grammar School Head Girl Rebecca, from Menston, West Yorkshire, who is in her second year studying Biochemistry at the University of Oxford, secured her place after finishing fifth at the Liverpool Cross Challenge on Saturday [22 November], the official GB trial event.
Rebecca, who previously competed at the Championships three years ago, said the call-up felt like the reward for years of steady progress.
“I was so excited when I got the call. It’s been three years since I last made this team, and it’s taken a lot of hard, consistent training to get back here. I’m really proud that the work has paid off,” she said.
She credits the Oxford University Cross Country Club for helping maintain her form through the winter months.
“Training has been going really well,” she said. “There’s always a big group to run with, and having teammates around you really keeps you motivated – especially on the dark, cold evenings we’ve had this month.”
Qualifying for the European Championships has been her main target this term, but Rebecca is also preparing to run the Mizuno 5km in London on New Year’s Eve before turning her attention back to the cross-country season and the BUCS Championships in early 2026.
Balancing elite athletics with an Oxford academic workload is demanding, she admits, but running provides a vital outlet.
“It is definitely tough to balance everything, but training is a lovely break from studying,” she said. “I always feel better after getting outside for a run, no matter how rainy or cold it is. The team is really supportive because we’re all juggling the same pressures.”
Dr Simon Hinchliffe, Headmaster of Bradford Grammar School, said: “Rebecca’s selection is richly deserved. She was an exceptional student and a natural leader at BGS. To see her now competing for Great Britain at U23 level is a source of immense pride for everyone at the school.”
When home, Rebecca trains alongside her mother, Sarah Flaherty, Head of Year 12 and Teacher of Chemistry at BGS, herself an accomplished marathon runner. Earlier this month, the pair made headlines after achieving a Guinness World Record at the Great North Run, becoming the fastest mother–daughter duo ever to complete a half marathon.