Everything you need to know about the European Cross Country Champs in Antalya on Sunday December 8
The 30th edition of the European Cross Country Championships will take place in Turkey this weekend, with the city of Antalya set to host Europe’s finest runners for the first time.
Great Britain enters the championships with an unmatched legacy, having claimed an impressive 188 medals since the event first started in 1994. Their dominance is evident, with France behind in second place with 106 medals.
Last year, the only British athletes to return without a medal were the senior men’s team, something they will be eager to change this time around.
Reigning champions Innes FitzGerald and Will Barnicoat are back to defend their titles. FitzGerald, who took the women’s under-20 crown last year, and Barnicoat, who triumphed in the men’s under-23 race, will both be eyeing another victory on the Antalya course.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen missed last year’s championships in Brussels due to injury but the Norwegian is returning this year. The 24-year-old, a four-time winner of the under-20 title between 2016 and 2019, clinched the senior men’s title in 2021 and 2022.
Norway will have hopes for a double victory in both senior races as Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal will be looking to secure a fourth consecutive women’s title. However, she will face tough competition from Italy’s Nadia Battocletti.
In the under-20 men’s race, Niels Laros of the Netherlands will be a standout contender after his impressive track season and will be hoping to cap off his junior career with a gold medal.
While the course in Antalya is expected to be far drier than the boggy conditions at this year’s Euro trials in Liverpool, it is across changing terrain from dirt road, grass, mud and sand. The weather is expected to be relatively mild, with a chance of rain adding an element of unpredictability.
Kate Axford and Tomer Tarragano take Euro trials victory in Liverpool
The event will be live streamed here while BBC is also showing the races on its red button with a highlights show on BBC2 at 4:05pm on Sunday.
Timetable (local times)
11:00 – U20 women (4814m)
11:29 – U20 men (4814m)
11:55 – Mixed relay (6324m; 1 x 1710m; 2 x 1510m; 1x 1594m)
12:25 – U23 women (6324m)
13:00 – U23 men (6324m)
13:31 – Senior women (7834m)
14:11 – Senior men (7834m)
Karoline Grovdal leads Abbie Donnelly in Brussels (Getty)
Senior women
Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal is no stranger to success at the…
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