When it comes to racing, 2025 was a pretty good one for Jacob Cann. PBs came at every distance contested and, last month, a maiden Great Britain vest at the European Cross Country Championships. Like buses, you wait ages for a vest, and then two come along in quick succession. On Saturday, Jacob represents Great Britain at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee (United States). He spoke to James Rhodes about what lies ahead, and more.

When Saturday ends, Jacob Cann will be able to say he has represented his country at a World Championships. Ten kilometres in Tallahassee await as the World Cross Country Championships return to the United States for the first time since 1992.

It comes off the back of an excellent 2025. A couple of England vests at Spain and Belgium opened the year. Fast forward and PBs at every distance on the track, including a maiden sub-four mile, provided a successful summer. Before you know it, cross country season returned. A notably fast leg at the National Cross Country Relays at the start of November preceded possibly the most important domestic race of the season; Liverpool.

A fourth-place finish guaranteed selection for the European Cross Country Championships and a first Great Britain vest. The multi-lap course in Lagoa could not be much more different to Sefton Park if it tried, and Jacob has mixed emotions from the race.

“If you told me I’d finish 29th beforehand, I’d have probably taken that. I just felt pretty terrible after the first lap. It was not respecting the course as much as anything, it was pretty tough. I was pretty content with it I’d say, not quite happy, but I had a little reset after so hopefully I can be a little bit stronger in Tallahassee”.

An Unexpected Outcome

Rewind a few months to the point of planning for the season ahead. I asked Jacob if he imagined he’d be in the position he is now.

“Not at all! I had Liverpool as the main goal, and I was originally thinking of doing the short course! It was probably October time that I decided to do the long course. I thought Euros is probably a bit of a long shot, so getting in there was pretty cool”.

It was whilst in Portugal that discussion on the potential to compete in Tallahassee first arose.

“I remember on the transfer from the airport to the hotel when we got to Portugal, Eamonn [Martin] was asking me, ‘do you think you’d be up for doing the Worlds if we select you?’. I didn’t think I’d have a chance of making the team! Even before Portugal I didn’t think I would have a chance of making the Worlds so it’s pretty cool that it’s come about!”.

Photo: Mark Hookway

Race Goals

Saturday is an experience Jacob is looking forward to and, for the most part, training has gone well. There are no pre-set target times or positions going into the race, a first experience of racing the world’s best.

“Even at the Europeans, I had no idea what kind of position I was racing for. I don’t really know a lot of the guys I’m running around. It’s going to be a case of gaging my own effort a bit. Obviously I know the other GB guys, and I can key off them a little bit. I think it’ll be a ‘see where see where I am at the finish line’ kind of job!”.

There is plenty of learning from the weekend in Portugal, as well as the abroad competitions with England Athletics, that make the prospect of a major championships less daunting. Luckily, dealing with pre-race nerves isn’t one element Jacob will contend with.

“Fortunately, I’m not really someone who gets nerves pre-race, which is quite handy! Otherwise I would have been a bit of a wreck before Portugal, there was a lot going on. Having that experience is good as it was all new; the travel experience, being away from home, having to adjust everything”.

Jacob also cites the invaluable experience gained racing for England three times in the last year, and the role of Eamonn Martin in providing those opportunities.

Familiar Conditions

It is fair to say that American cross-country courses are somewhat different to those closer to home. It is something Jacob knows well through his time at the University of San Francisco. California might be as far from Florida as is possible, it is experience that may come in handy on Saturday.

“I really like the look of the course, it looks like it should suit me relatively well. I’m quite excited to get out there. It’s been two years since I last did US cross country, it’ll be fun to go back to.

Some of the California ones I did, they were literally golf courses! I think having that experience of racing some of those will be pretty important going into it. It is quite different [to UK cross country races], you have to treat it more like a road race. It’s just fast the whole time”.

Future Goals

It is an exciting way to start the year, and plans are being formulated for later months. In the shorter term, those plans include the 3000m at the British Indoor Championships next month.

“There’s a couple of races I’ve got planned. I’ll do indoors, and certainly the British Indoor Championships. I’m not sure how much cross I’ll do the rest in the spring. For the track season I’ve not thought that far ahead yet. I’m going to see how the weekend goes and reset a little from there before we get into track mode.

I’ll probably be looking at 5000m and 1500m again, and decide which I’m going to focus on a little bit later on, we’ll see how things go!”

Saturday’s Race

Jacob is joined by Rory Leonard, David Mullarkey and Matt Ramsden in the senior men’s race. It takes place at 12:20 local time (17:20 UK time) on Saturday 10 January. It will be streamed live by the BBC.

The full Great Britain team can be seen here.