The best in Australian distance will do battle this weekend for their place at a home World Championship next month

Jack Rayner v Brett Robinson & Leanne Pompeani v Jess Stenson headline some of distance runnings best head-to-head battles at the World Cross Country trials this weekend. Discover the best duels set to play out here

New 10,000m national champion and Canberra native Leanne Pompeani will aim to put herself in the Green and Gold this weekend a the World Cross Country Trials in her home town

If you’re a fan of distance running in Australia then this coming Sunday in Canberra is the place to be as nearly all of the nation’s best top end talent will take to Stromlo Park to qualify for this year’s World Cross Country Championships.

Hosting our first ever World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst on February 18, this weekend’s event will be the first opportunity athletes have to qualify.

With six spots available for each open and junior long course event the trials prove essential to those who may be on the fringe of selection to stamp their authority to selectors.

In the shorter events for open men and women four athletes will compete in a 2km relay format at the championships with many of the nation’s best such as Stewart McSweyn and Jessica Hull opting for the shorter course.

Fresh off a year that saw McSweyn compete at both World Championships and the Commonwealth Games he will attempt to etch his name into Australia’s Cross Country relay team for the upcoming World Championships in Bathurst

Although six are selected, only the top three in each long form race are automatic for the championships while just the first across the line in the shorter disciplines guaranteed a spot in the relay.

With some of Australia’s best training and competing overseas selectors are given discretion for the final three spots in each team based upon a variety of different criteria should an athlete be unable to make the trials.

This year’s edition of the trials may be one of the deepest to date with Olympic, World and Commonwealth representatives competing for a position, as well as recent World Junior competitors aiming for another chance to represent their country.

Australian Marathon record holder Brett Robinson will toe the line just a month after his heroics at the Fukuoka Marathon saw him eclipse distance great Rob de Castella

The likes of recent Australian Marathon record breaker Brett Robinson as well as back to back national 10k champion Jack Rayner will aim to secure their positions in the mens open event.

For the women newly crowned 10k national champion Leanne Pompeani will look to capitalise on her recent form against the likes of Jess Stenson, Issy Batt-Doyle, Rose Davies and new mum Genevieve Gregson among a variety of other Australian Representatives.

Jess Stenson will come to Canberra this weekend with a great chance of taking out the Womens trails in one of the deepest fields ever assembled for the event.

For the under-20-men Australian representative and new NCAA recruit Archie Noakes headlines a strong field including recent de Castella 3000m and 16-year-old sensation Cameron Myers who will get another chance at the same race in two years time.

The under-20-women will see the likes of World Championship representative Claudia Hollingsworth battle it out with Under 20 world championship competitor Lucinda Rourke for their spot at a home world championship.

This is sure to be one of the best spectacles of Australian distance running to date with the full list of those competing seen below.

Open Men’s 10,000m | 7:10am

1. Liam Adams (VIC)

2. Andrew Amor (NSW)

3. Nicholas Baggot (VIC)

4. Will Battershill (GBR)

5. Benjamin Beischer (VIC)

6. Abere Belay (VIC)

7. Liam Boudin (QLD)

8. Jack Bruce (QLD)

9. Andy Buchanan (VIC)

10. Ben Buckingham (VIC)

11. Liam Cashin (VIC)

12. Alistair Christy (VIC)

13. William Collins (VIC)

14. Russell Dessaix-Chin (NSW)

15. Charlie Doherty (ACT)

16. Daniel Dreher (ACT)

17. Jessee Dunsmore (VIC)

18. Brendon Ford (WA)

19. Ed Goddard (NSW)

20. James Hansen (TAS)

21. Isaac Heyne (SA)

22. Luke Hince (NSW)

23. Rorey Hunter (NSW)

24. Connor Latouf (QLD)

25. Hamish Longworth (NSW)

26. Sam McEntee (VIC)

27. Oscar McGivern (ACT)

28. Seth O’Donnell (VIC)

29. Matthew Ramsden (WA)

30. Jack Rayner (VIC)

31. Jackson Rendall (SA)

32. Quentin Rickey (USA)

33. Alexander Ritchie (VIC)

34. Brett Robinson (VIC)

35. Jackson Sharp (NSW)

36. Arron Spiessberger-Parker

37. James Starkey (NSW)

38. Ben Tacey (QLD)

39. Lachlan Townsend (NSW)

40. Andre Waring (VIC)

41. Hugh Williams (ACT)

42. Ethan Wyatt-Smith

Open Women’s 10,000m | 7:35am

1. Caitlin Adams (SA)

2. Hannah Anderson (NSW)

3. Isobel Batt-Doyle (SA)

4. Paige Campbell (NSW)

5. Holly Campbell (NSW)

6. Amy Cashin (VIC)

7. Anne-Marie Cook (NSW)

8. Rose Davies (NSW)

9. Cara Fenian-Ryan (QLD)

10. Olga Firsova (QLD)

11. Maeve Goehner (NSW)

12. Genevieve Gregson (QLD)

13. Georgia Hansen (VIC)

14. Shayne Hargraves (NSW)

15. Ella Higgins (NSW)

16. Regina Jansen (NSW)

17. Saskia Lloyd (VIC)

18. Lucy Mauviel (NSW)

19. Amelia Mazza-Downie (VIC)

20. Clare O’Brien (QLD)

21. Tara Palm (SA)

22. Jessica Pascoe (SA)

23. Ellie Pashley (VIC)

24. Leanne Pompeani (ACT)

25. Charlotte Purdue (GBR)

26. Stella Radford (VIC)

27. Jessica Ronan (ACT)

28. Natalie Rule (VIC)

29. Lauren Ryan (VIC)

30. Jessica Stenson (SA)

31. Aynslee VanGraan (RSA)

32. Charlotte Wilson (VIC)

Open Men’s 2000m | 8:10am

1. James Hansen (TAS)

2. Martin Cooper (NSW)

3. Callum Davies (QLD)

4. Lachlan Herd (VIC)

5. Kyle McIntosh (NSW)

6. Stewart McSweyn (TAS)

7. Duncan Miller (ACT)

8. Adam Spencer (VIC)

9. Jude Thomas (QLD)

10. Hayden Todd (ACT)

Open Women’s 2000m | 8:10am

1. Sarah Billings (VIC)

2. Jenny Blundell (NSW)

3. Abby Caldwell (VIC)

4. Georgia Griffith (VIC)

5. Linden Hall (VIC)

6. Jaylah Hancock-Cameron (NSW)

7. Claudia Hollingsworth (VIC)

8. Jessica Hull (NSW)

9. Tess Kirsopp-Cole (VIC)

10. Madeline Murray (VIC)

11. Madeline Stewart (NSW)

12. Maudie Skyring (VIC)

13. Keely Small (VIC)

Under 20 Men’s 8000m | 8:20am

1. Harrison Barr (QLD)

2. Izak Bibile (VIC)

3. Ryan Binskin (NSW)

4. Oliver Boltz (QLD)

5. Logan Campbell (NSW)

6. Jack Coomber (QLD)

7. Lachlan Cornelius (QLD)

8. Harvey Cramb (QLD)

9. Cameron Gorman (NSW)

10. Ethan Gray (QLD)

11. Bailey Habler (NSW)

12. Oliver Ham (NSW)

13. Matthew Hansen (QLD)

14. Hamish Hart (NSW)

15. Logan Janetzki (VIC)

16. Jade Kitching (NSW)

17. Seth Mahoney (QLD)

18. Call Mulholland (SA)

19. Cameron Myers (ACT)

20. Archie Noakes (VIC)

21. Flyn Pumpa (QLD)

22. Archie Ridgway (QLD)

23. Charlie Rogers (VIC)

24. Cirian Rushton (NSW)

25. Max Russell (NSW)

26. Joseph Saunders (QLD)

27. Joel Solomon (NSW)

28. Jack Waide (NSW)

29. Brock Waugh (QLD)

Under 20 Women’s 6000m | 8:40am

1. Claudia Hollingsworth (VIC)

2. Aspen Anderson (QLD)

3. Poppy Austin (VIC)

4. Amy Bunnage (VIC)

5. Charli-Rose Carlyon (WA)

6. Ginger Cox (QLD)

7. Emma De Jong (VIC)

8. Tess Hannigan (QLD)

9. Allegro McGivern (NSW)

10. Claudia Maker (NSW)

11. Sarah Nutt (ACT)

12. Bronte Oates (NSW)

13. Darcey-Belle Roberts (ACT)

14. Ella Rodwell (QLD)

15. Lucinda Rourke (VIC)

16. Tullie Rowe (VIC)

17. Sienna Scahill (NSW)

18. Gabrielle Schmidt (QLD)

19. Holly Storry (NSW)

20. Fieke Van Der Kamp (VIC)

21. Gabrielle Vincent (VIC)

22. Ella Wilson (QLD)

23. Hyewon Wilson (NSW)

24. Lily Winard (NSW)