2026 Anglo-Celtic Plate Preview.
Limerick, Ireland. Saturday 21st March.
Inc. Annual Home Countries International, Scottish 100km and British 100km championships.
Winning England women’s team 2025, l-r Katie Young, Kelsey Price and Belinda Houghton
The 31st running of the Anglo-Celtic Plate takes place this Saturday, with Ireland being the hosts at Limerick. Below is a brief preview of the 2026 event.
It has the added incentive of incorporating the 2026 British and Scottish 100km Championships, and will also serve as a key selection event for the IAU World 100km Championships, which will be held in Spain in September.
Runners will run 51 laps of a 1.9km loop around the sports grounds of Limerick University.
The first running of the Anglo-Celtic Plate took place in Nottingham in 1995 and it has continued to be the flagship race for anyone in Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland wanting to run the classic 100km distance on the road. The event has also, over the years, given many athletes the opportunity to represent their country at ultra-distance and has acted as a stepping stone to full international competition for both GB and NI, and Ireland’s national teams.
History and past results of the Anglo-Celtic Plate are available on the ACP website.
Men’s Preview.
Scotland are the defending team champions.
There are two former men’s ACP champions in the men’s field, plus some previous podium finishers and GB internationals, which should make for a competitive event.
Scotland’s Chris Richardson was the winner the last time it was held in Ireland in 2021,and placed 4th in Perth in 2024, where he ran his PB of 6:40:44. He set a new course record for the Glasgow to Edinburgh 57-mile race last October.
Northern Ireland’s Jarlath McKenna was the winner in 2023 at Craigavon in Northern Ireland, where he set his current PB of 6:37:19. He also has good trail experience with podiums at both the Lakeland 50 and 100, among his achievements. and victory at Scotland’s classic West Highland Way race.
Joe Turner of England has two previous podiums in the event. He was 2nd at Craigavon, behind McKenna, in 2023, and third the following year at Perth, where he set his PB of 6:35:37.
All three of them were part of the GB and NI bronze medal-winning team at the 2024 IAU World Championships in India.
Wales have Daniel Rothwell, who has a PB of 6:43:25 when placing 3rd in 2023 at Craigavon. After being sidelined by injury for a while, he is heading back into good form .
Ireland’s Ciaran McGonigle was 3rd last year at the challenging Mallory Park course. He is the current Irish 100 km record holder, with his 6:50:28 run at Perth in 2024. He will be looking to go well in his home country.
As always, the ACP acts as an introduction to 100km for several runners with proven ability at other distances and on other surfaces.
England’s men have Hugh Tibbs making his 100km road debut. He has some excellent trail performances in recent years, from 50 km to 100 miles, most recently winning the Arc of Attrition 100-mile in Cornwall in January.
They also have Dave Barratt, who won the 50km race at Mallory Park last year and is also taking part in his first 100km.
The concurrent open race also has entries from Serpentine’s Marius Posa, who ran 6:54:47 at Perth in 2024 and Edinburgh AC’s Sage Piecre-Higgins, who has a 100 Km PB of 6:56:14 from the same Perth event.
Women’s Preview
With last year’s defending champion, Kelsey Price, not defending her title, and 2023 and 2024 champion Sarah Webster opting to run a 100km in Italy in February, where she equalled her own European record, a new women’s champion will be crowned this year.
England’s women’s team look strong on paper, and they are the defending team champions.
England’s Katie Young, 3rd at Mallory Park last year in 8:05:47, leads the strong England team, and will be hoping to go faster on the flatter Limerick course.
She is joined by three 100km debutants,
Nicole Funnell has a string of excellent trail performances behind her and a solid marathon PB of 2:52:14, indicative of a solid 100 km time.
Fiona Cook also has good off-road experience with wins in the Chester Ultra and the Manchester to Liverpool canal race to her name, along with a 2:54:19 road marathon pedigree.
Better known as a 24-hour runner, Sophie Power, who was a member of the GB and NI gold medal-winning team at last October’s IAU 24-hour Championship, makes up the England team. It is her first time in a stand-alone 100km road race.
Scotland will be led by Jacqueline Wilson, who placed fourth, behind Katie Young, at Mallory Park last May. She, too, will be hoping to be closer to the 8-hour mark this year.
Ireland will have the experienced Patricia McLoughlin, a veteran of over 100 marathons and ultra-marathons and the silver medalist from 2023 at Craigavon. She will be running in her 6th Anglo-Celtic Plate and has a 100 km Pb of 8:19:25.
Northern Ireland has Karla Borland, the bronze medalist from 2023, where she set her 100 km PB of 8:26:26.
Keep an eye on the Angl0-Celtic Plate Facebook page for a live tracking link
The GB and NI selection Policy for the IAU World 100km Championships can be found HERE .
Time and space as always precludes me from mentioning everyone. Have I Missed anyone worthy of a mention? Leave a comment below in the comments section.
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Adrian Tarit Stott.
The author is a former GB 24-hour ultra international with over 100 ultra race completions. He has also been involved in organising ultra-distance races for over 30 years. Still an active recreational runner, he is currently a member of UKA’s Ultra Running Advisory Group (URAG) and the Mountain and Trail Advisory Group. He also contributes as part of the selection and team management for both Scottish and GB ultra teams. A freelance writer in his spare time, he contributes articles and reports to several websites and magazines including Athletics Weekly and Irunfar.
