Triathlon PHENOM Hugo Milner defies Storm Bert to book spot at European Cross Country Championship

Triathlon star Hugo Milner overcame epic Cross Country conditions in Liverpool at the weekend after Storm Bert brought destruction to large parts of the UK.

Milner has really made his mark in swim / bike / run in the last couple of seasons – but he’s also hit new heights in the Cross Country sphere too.

Last season saw him win the Liverpool Cross Challenge – in front of none other than track and field great Carl Lewis – before going on to just miss out on a medal when finishing fourth at the European Cross Country Championship in Brussels.

The Liverpool event again counted as the British trials for the Euros, which this year will be held in Antalya, Turkey on 8 December – and Milner booked his place there with a runner-up spot in incredibly testing conditions in the North West of the UK which had been battered by snow, wind and then heavy rain.

The men’s senior race was one of the last to take place too so by then the ground had been churned up even more, with the muddy conditions ramping up the challenge.

As the defending champion – and the man who animated the 2023 Euros before just being run out of a medal late on – Derby athlete Milner was the favourite for a repeat victory.

But it was Tomer Tarragano from Brighton and Hove AC who just proved the stronger.

Hugo Milner tackles the mud in Liverpool [Photo copyright: Paul Bannister / Instagram @bannersrunningsnaps/]

The top four go to the Euros, with Tarragano and Milner joined on the senior men’s team by Scott Beattie and Ellis Cross.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen next up

Milner will be aiming to go at least one better than last year at the Euros and is relishing taking on legendary Norwegian runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen, a two-time Olympic champion – more about that later this week.

And speaking afterwards to Athletics Weekly, Milner said of the Liverpool race: “Training has been going really well, so I knew I was going to have a good race, but it’s always difficult to tell how other people are going to do. 

“So I just focused on my own race and knew that I could push it on the last lap, but in the end it just wasn’t enough for the win. But still happy with second.

“I’m a bit disappointed not to get the win, but Tomer had a great race, so credit to him.”

Milner made his World Triathlon Cup breakthrough just over a year ago when powering through with a 29:33 10km run to take the title against a strong field in Miyazaki, Japan.

And he’s continued the good work in 2024, following up with another win at the Europe Triathlon Cup Quarteira when short-course great Vincent Luis was second.

He rounded off the campaign with a superb 10th at the WTCS Grand Final in Torremolinos, with his blistering 28:47 easily the quickest run of the day.

If he can continue that rate of progress than he looks a strong contender not just for a Team GB spot at the 2028 Olympics, but in with a real shout of a medal. Indeed fellow triathletes have described him as “the sport’s biggest X Factor“.