Sam ready to mix it with the best
Atkin, from Healing, lines-up in the Under-17 men's event today at Roundhay Park, Leeds.
He heads into the race having won the Northern Counties Cross Country Championship last month.
It was a superb win for the 16-year-old, who is on the road back to full fitness following a foot injury last year.
In Leeds, the Lincoln Wellington athlete will face the best the country has to offer over the six-kilometre course.
The key contender for the gold medal is Richard Goodman, of Shaftesbury Barnet, and is one that Lewis has already warned Atkin about.
"Richard Goodman is running very well and I've told Sam not to get caught up in a dogfight with him," he explained.
"Sam's doing well at the moment and heads into the event in good shape. I'm optimistic that he can do well.
"We've had a chat already about who the main competition will be, but it will be crucial that he runs his own race and does not get caught up in it all.
"When he won the Northern Counties he was a clear winner and made his move to the front with about a mile to go.
"The lad in second place was chasing him down and was able to take a lot of time off him over the last bit of the course – but people know you will push yourself if you are chasing. It is much harder to run from the front."
Goodman is likely to be the one everyone will be chasing this weekend.
The 16-year-old won the Southern Cross Country Championship at Parliament Hill in London at the end of last month and also won the McCain UK Cross Challenge in Cardiff.
He recently came back from the LXVII Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza in northern Spain where he won the silver medal, having been out-sprinted to the line by UK team-mate Jonathan Hay.
The other main challengers may come from Steve Benson's group at Ipswich Harriers.
From that team, Kieran Clements managed a fourth place finish at Parliament Hill, while Shaun Webb has also impressed.
"It is going to be a good race," said Lewis.
"There is a decent field and I think if Sam can run well he should think about being in that top 10 by a certain point and then see what he can achieve.
"Hopefully, if he does a good race and is well supported by the rest of the Wellington lads in the age group, we can push up the team rankings as well."
Atkin started out at Cleethorpes AC before making the switch to Lincoln Wellington last year.
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