SPAR European Cross Country Championships

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European U23 champions Keith and Leonard feature on Great Britain’s 40-strong team for Brussels 

Battocletti, Crippa and Sabbatini to star on Italy’s team for Brussels 2023 

Laros poised to make SPAR European Cross Country Championships debut in Brussels

McCormack poised to make her 18th European Cross appearance in Brussels 2023

Flashback to Charleroi 1996 | Jon Brown glides his way to a record winning margin

A stellar line-up awaits Duplantis at the 2024 Mondo Classic

This is the first of two features turning the clock back to remember the other SPAR European Cross Country Championships that have been held in Belgium. After the inaugural two editions in the northeastern England town of Alnwick, the SPAR European Cross Country Championships moved on to Belgium and the city of Charleroi around 70 kilometres south of Brussels in 1996.
As might be expected after days of rain, the going was heavy from the outset in the grounds of the 18th century Ch&acirc;teau de Monceau-sur-Sambre where the championships were staged but the swamp-like proved no barrier to Great Britain&rsquo;s eventual men&rsquo;s winner Jon Brown, who seemed to glide over the quagmire that had been churned up from three previous races.
The 25-year-old Briton looked supremely comfortable from the outset in the cold and muddy conditions, leading a large pack through much of the initial stages of the 9.65km race, often looking around to assure himself where all his main rivals were including Portugal&rsquo;s two-time defending champion Paulo Guerra.
Early in the third kilometre, Brown felt confident enough to surge and immediately splintered the 12-man leading pack which had been together from shortly after the gun.
In just a few hundred metres he opened a 20-metre gap over his nearest rivals and from that point, Brown just kept extending his lead.
By the line, his finishing time of 32:37 giving a good indication of how tough the course in the context of the distance at an event which has gone down in folklore as arguably the muddiest SPAR European Cross Country Championships ever, he came home 35 seconds clear of the silver medallist Guerra.
"It was easy," Brown reflected afterwards. "But you couldn't run through the mud, you had to stagger through it. I wasn't sure how to play it, whether to sit in there and bide my time.
&ldquo;But I seemed to be moving away without putting too much effort in at all although I expected to do well after a good month's training in November consolidated my fitness from the summer,&rdquo; he added.
<h2>Biggest winning margin in championship history</h2>
His winning margin remains to this day the largest in a senior race at the SPAR European Cross Championships by either gender &ndash; for the record, Denmark&rsquo;s Anne Emilie M&oslash;ller won the 2019 women&rsquo;s U23 title by 39 seconds &ndash; something that neither Guerra, who was to go on and also win in 1999 and 2000, Ukraine&rsquo;s nine-time winner Serhiy Lebid who finished down in 58th place in 1996, Norway&rsquo;s imperious two-time defending champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen or any women&rsquo;s champion have been able to improve on.
Brown&rsquo;s emphatic victory &ndash; and the first triumph by a British man in a major cross country championship since Ian Stewart won at the 1975 World Cross Country Championships &ndash; came as little surprise though to pundits who had followed his progress since finishing sixth in Alnwick 12 months earlier.
He was the leading European at the 1996 World Cross Country Championships, when finishing 12th, and he had handily defeated Kenya&rsquo;s reigning world cross country champion Paul Tergat at a race in Spain just the previous week.
The victory was to be the highpoint of Brown&rsquo;s running career although he broke the British 10,000m record with a run of 27:18.14 in Brussels in 1998 and picked up a bronze medal behind Guerra at the 1999 European cross country championships, as well as finishing fourth in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games marathons.
Behind Brown and Guerra, the latter having a solitary race for second place after determining that to chase Brown would be futile, France&rsquo;s Mustapha Essaid took the bronze after a duel with Denmark&rsquo;s Carsten Jorgensen, who was to take gold 12 months later.
Led by Guerra, Portugal&rsquo;s scoring quartet all finished in the top 11 and were clear winners of the men&rsquo;s team honours with 27 points.
The women&rsquo;s contest saw Romania&rsquo;s Iulia Negura pull away from Sweden&rsquo;s Sara Wedlund with just over a kilometre to go in the 4.55km race and she crossed the line in 16:58, six seconds in front of the 21-year-old Swede.
However, Negura failed a post-event doping test and also tested positive for a steroid in an out-of-competition test a week earlier and was stripped of her title a few months later, Wedlund to be upgraded to the gold medal.
France took the women&rsquo;s team title, coincidently also with 27 points, although there were only three to score in that era. A Belgian team led by Anja Smolders in tenth also pipped Sweden for the bronze medal, their first and only medal in the senior women's team race in championship history.
Charleroi also saw the introduction of U20 races although they were not to get official status until the following year in Oeiras, Portugal.
The men&rsquo;s race over 5km was won by the Netherlands&rsquo; Gert-Jan Liefers, who was to get the gold medal 12 months later and go on to set a Dutch 1500m record of 3:32.89 in 2001 which was only beaten by Niels Laros this summer, while the women&rsquo;s 3km &lsquo;title&rsquo; was taken by Spain&rsquo;s Alessandra Aguilar, the first of her 12 outings over 20 years at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
Phil Minshull for European Athletics
<a href="https://exchbrussels2023.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/a339624e-e43d-41b4-bc6a-4a9d65f95576?width=1600&amp;height=400" alt="651e9039902491413508099c"></a>

Femke Bol from the Netherlands and Norway&rsquo;s Jakob Ingebrigtsen were crowned European Athletes of the Year for the second successive year at the glittering annual Golden Tracks award ceremony in Vilnius, Lithuania on Saturday (21) evening.
Bol and Ingebrigtsen, who was presented with his trophy by European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov, amassed exceptional seasons both indoors and outdoors at a variety of distances.
Both athletes came away with two gold medals at the Istanbul 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships as a precursor to brilliant outdoor campaigns highlighted by gold medals at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
But for all their brilliance this season, both athletes had to overcome adversity before being rewarded with gold in Budapest.
Bol stumbled and fell when in contention for the mixed 4x400m title on the first day before rebounding with an imperious win in the 400m hurdles before closing the championships with a dramatic and emotionally-charged anchor leg for the Netherlands in the 4x400m to complete the redemption arc.
<img src="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/f203cf29-e97a-4af7-8e12-43192e117ef9?width=1080&amp;height=1350" alt="Femke ">
For the second championship in a row, Ingebrigtsen was pipped for the 1500m title by a Brit - this time Josh Kerr - but the 23-year-old unleashed a devastating sprint finish to reel in Spain&rsquo;s Mohamed Katir to defend his world 5000m title.
Both athletes have also revised the record books this year. Bol began her award-winning campaign by running a world indoor 500m best of 1:05.63 before smashing Jarmila Kratochvilova&rsquo;s world indoor 400m record of 49.59 from 1982 - a mark many people thought might never be surpassed - with 49.26 at the Dutch Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, the host city for the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
Outdoors, Bol became the first European to break the 52 second-barrier in the 400m hurdles with a sparkling 51.45 clocking in the London Diamond League, one of three sub-52 second clockings. In a European setting, Bol now has ownership of the eight fastest times and 12 of the 13 fastest times in history.&nbsp;
Ingebrigtsen has also left an indelible mark on the record books. Among his many accolades, the Norwegian smashed the world two mile best with 7:54.10 in Paris, eclipsed the world 2000m record with 4:43.13 and lowered his European 1500m record to 3:27.95 and 3:27.14 in Oslo and Chorzow respectively.
But it was at the Eugene Diamond League where Ingebrigtsen was arguably at his most masterful, winning the mile and 3000m on back-to-back afternoons in European records of 3:43.73 and 7:23.63 respectively to move to third on the world all-time lists in both events.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<img src="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/5c99bbcd-d59c-4fab-b3cf-05c52578b6f7?width=1080&amp;height=1350" alt="Jakob V2">
Bol was one of three finalists for the women&rsquo;s European Athlete of the Year award alongside fellow world champions Maria Perez from Spain and Yaroslava Mahuchikh from Ukraine while Ingebrigtsen was shortlisted alongside Sweden&rsquo;s Armand Duplantis and Miltiadis Tentoglou from Greece, both of whom also won gold medals at the World Athletics Championships.&nbsp;
Bol becomes the first female to be crowned European Athlete of the Year in back-to-back years since her recently retired compatriot Dafne Schippers in 2014 and 2015 while Ingebrigtsen keeps the men&rsquo;s award in Norwegian hands having also won last year, succeeding Karsten Warholm in 2019 and 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Bol and Ingebrigtsen are also previous winners of the Rising Star award.&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">Rising Star trophies for Topic and Furlani</h2>
European U20 champions Angelina Topic from Serbia and Italy&rsquo;s Mattia Furlani were crowned this year&rsquo;s Rising Stars at the Golden Tracks.
Having been among the final three in their respective categories last year, both athletes came away from the ceremony with trophies in a category which originated in 2007 to award and recognise Europe&rsquo;s outstanding young athletes.
<img src="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/e041a200-7c21-452b-82a8-60c8d0e9661a?width=1080&amp;height=1350" alt="Mens Aoy V2">
After winning gold medals at the European Athletics U18 Championships last year, both Topic and Furlani continued their progression through the age-group ranks with gold medals in the high jump and long jump respectively at the European Athletics U20 Championships which also took place in Jerusalem.
Just weeks before her 18th birthday, Topic cleared an outright Serbian high jump record of 1.97m in the Paris Diamond League while Furlani - who only took up the long jump seriously last year having showed initial promise as a high jumper - flew out to a marginally wind-assisted 8.44m long jump in Savona, the longest ever mark recorded in all conditions by a junior.
Both Topic and Furlani will still be U20 athletes when they compete at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships from 7-12 June last summer.
<img src="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/356e81e6-7dd3-4919-9026-f5bb4420598d?width=1080&amp;height=1350" alt="Topic ">
Topic topped the polling for the women&rsquo;s Rising Star award ahead of double European U20 champion Agate Caune from Latvia and world 400m fourth-placer Rhasidat Adeleke from Ireland while Furlani was one of the three finalists alongside European U20 1500m and 5000m champion Niels Laros from the Netherlands and European U23 400m champion Havard Bentdal Ingvaldsen.&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">Inspirational figures on and off the track recognised in Vilnius&nbsp;</h2>
The important contribution made by those behind the scenes was also recognised at the Golden Tracks award ceremony.
The first of the yearly European Athletics Coaching and Member Federation awards were presented live on stage. Estonia's Taivo M&auml;gi and Latvia's Alona Fomenko were the recipients of the Coaching award and Lithuania's Alfonsas Buliuolis was presented with the Member Federation award.&nbsp;
Poland&rsquo;s European 400m bronze medallist Anna Kielbasinska was the first recipient of the biennial European Athletics Women&rsquo;s Leadership Award for her role as a mentor to young athletes as part of her responsibility as President of the Athletes&rsquo; Council of the Polish Athletics Association (PZLA).&nbsp;
A full list of award winners in these categories can be found <a href="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/98172f23-d8b5-40f1-805c-c4cbda46afb9/Awards list.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Two moments of sportsmanship at the European Athletics Team Championships which transcended the athletics world were also recognised at the Golden Tracks award ceremony.
Croatia's Dino Bosnjak was presented with the Fair Play Award after assisting his friend and rival Vid Botolin from Slovenia who collapsed through exhaustion in the home straight of the 5000m in the 2nd Division.&nbsp;
Jolien Boumkwo was also presented with the Team Spirit Act of Recognition award for selflessly filling the vacant slot on the Belgian team in the 100m hurdles at the European Athletics Team Championships 1st Division in Silesia where Belgium were fighting to avoid relegation.
Primarily a shot putter, Boumkwo&rsquo;s efforts yielded two points for the Belgian team and her contribution gained worldwide attention and recognition.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<img src="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/8666e731-9c67-46ab-a63e-e375b2564d17?width=1080&amp;height=1350" alt="Jolien">
<h2 dir="ltr">Summary of award winners:</h2>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">Women&rsquo;s European Athlete of the Year - <a href="https://www.european-athletics.com/historical-data/athletes/netherlands/femke-bol-14707010" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Femke Bol (NED)</a></li>
<li dir="ltr">Men&rsquo;s European Athlete of the Year - <a href="https://www.european-athletics.com/historical-data/athletes/NOR/jakob-ingebrigtsen-AT14653717" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR)</a></li>
<li dir="ltr">Women&rsquo;s Rising Star - <a href="https://www.european-athletics.com/historical-data/athletes/serbia/angelina-topic-14841858" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angelina Topic (SRB)</a></li>
<li dir="ltr">Men&rsquo;s Rising Star - <a href="https://www.european-athletics.com/historical-data/athletes/ita/mattia-furlani-014905216" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mattia Furlani (ITA)</a></li>
<li dir="ltr">Team Spirit Act of Recognition Award - <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=jolien+boumkwo+european+athletics&amp;sca_esv=574836027&amp;sxsrf=AM9HkKnN4IJlXvHkXtB_6YQnc0TxEyAUXw%3A1697723505196&amp;ei=cTQxZeDDC8Crxc8PrsCYkAQ&amp;ved=0ahUKEwigwNDzoIKCAxXAVfEDHS4gBkIQ4dUDCBA&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=jolien+boumkwo+european+athletics&amp;gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiIWpvbGllbiBib3Vta3dvIGV1cm9wZWFuIGF0aGxldGljczIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABSLomULkBWMYlcAF4ApABAJgBzAGgAasTqgEGMS4xNy4xuAEDyAEA-AEBwgIEEAAYR8ICBBAjGCfCAgcQABiKBRhDwgIFEAAYgATCAgUQLhiABMICBxAAGIAEGArCAgcQIRigARgKwgIIECEYFhgeGB3iAwQYACBBiAYBkAYI&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jolien Boumkwo (BEL)&nbsp;</a></li>
<li dir="ltr">Fair Play Award - <a href="https://www.european-athletics.com/historical-data/athletes/croatia/dino-bosnjak-14421214" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dino Bosnjak (CRO)</a></li>
<li dir="ltr">European Athletics Women&rsquo;s Leadership Award - <a href="https://www.european-athletics.com/historical-data/athletes/POL/anna-kielbasinska-AT14293852" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anna Kielbasinska (POL)</a></li>
<li dir="ltr">European Athletics Coaching Award - Taivo M&auml;gi (EST) and Alona Fomenko (LAT)</li>
<li dir="ltr">European Athletics Member Federation Award - Alfonsas Buliuolis (LTU)</li>
</ul>
Highlights of the 2023 European Athletics Golden Tracks, as well the complete live stream of the glittering gala night, can be found on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/EuropeanAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Athletics YouTube channel</a>.

Bol and Ingebrigtsen crowned 2023 European Athletes of the Year in Vilnius

It&rsquo;s time to get dressed up for award season! The 2023 European Athletes of the Year and Rising Stars will be crowned at the Golden Tracks annual glittering gala and you are invited to this year&rsquo;s award ceremony at the Compensa Concert Hall in Vilnius, Lithuania on Saturday (21).
The Golden Tracks will be streamed live through the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW191kwBius" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Athletics YouTube channel </a>from 8.30pm local time (7.30pm CET) and there will be comprehensive coverage from the evening across our social media channels.&nbsp;
This year's award ceremony takes place in the Lithuanian capital city of Vilnius and will be hosted by one of the best-known athletics presenters Andy Kay alongside European indoor and outdoor 400m finalist Agne Serksniene, who is also a multiple Lithuanian 200m and 400m champion.
The European Athlete of the Year trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to recognise the best European athlete each year and the Rising Star award was inaugurated in 2007 to celebrate the brightest emerging talents in Europe.
Last year&rsquo;s European Athletes of the Year were Femke Bol with Armand Duplantis and Jakob Ingebrigtsen jointly sharing the men&rsquo;s award. All three winners from last year are finalists this time around as well.
European champions Mykolas Alekna from Lithuania and Elina Tzengko from Greece were named 2022 men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s Rising Stars.&nbsp;
<h2>Women&rsquo;s European Athlete of the Year finalists:</h2>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Femke Bol (NED)</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR)</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Maria Perez (ESP)</li>
</ul>
<h2>Men&rsquo;s European Athlete of the Year finalists:</h2>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Armand Duplantis (SWE)</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR)</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE)</li>
</ul>
<h2 dir="ltr">Women&rsquo;s Rising Star finalists:</h2>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Rhasidat Adeleke (IRL)</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Agate Caune (LAT)</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Angelina Topic (SRB)</li>
</ul>
<h2 dir="ltr">Men's Rising Star finalists:</h2>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">Mattia Furlani (ITA)</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">H&aring;vard Bentdal Ingvaldsen (NOR)</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">Niels Laros (NED)</li>
</ul>
The first of the yearly European Athletics Coaching and Member Federation awards will be presented during the Golden Tracks along with the first of the biennial European Athletics Women&rsquo;s Leadership Award.
Special Fair Play and Team Spirit awards will also be presented during the Golden Tracks.
&nbsp;

One day to go! How to watch the 2023 Golden Tracks

Four-time champion Nadia Battocletti is one of the star names on Italy&rsquo;s team for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Brussels on 10 December.
After winning U20 gold in 2018-19, Battocletti replicated this feat at U23 level with victories in 2021-22. Now 23, Battocletti will make her debut in the senior race next month.
And if she was to triumph, she would become the first female athlete in European Cross Country Championships history to win individual titles at U20, U23 and senior level.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1701248995/cab1c19a-bef6-4d97-8463-b7ab13be10c3.jpg">
European 10,000m champion Yemaneberhan Crippa is another standout name on the Italian team. In his 10 appearance at the European Cross Country Championships so far, Crippa has accrued five individual medals, including U20 gold in 2014-15 and senior silver in 2019.&nbsp;
With European 1500m and 5000m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen absent due to injury, will Crippa add the European cross country senior title to his list of accolades on the road to the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships.
The Italian mixed relay team won a memorable gold medal on home soil twelve months ago and they will defend their title in Brussels. Their team includes last year&rsquo;s lead-off runner Pietro Arese - fourth in the 1500m at the 2022 European Athletics Championships - and Gaia Sabbatini, who ran the anchor leg of Italy&rsquo;s triumphant quartet.
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Yassin Bouih, who ran the penultimate leg of Italy&rsquo;s gold medal-winning team, will be part of the senior men&rsquo;s team in Brussels along the likes of Italian marathon record-holder Iliass Aouani who had to miss last year&rsquo;s championships on home soil due to an untimely bout of coronavirus.&nbsp;
Italy is the seventh most successful nation in SPAR European Cross Country Championships history with 15 gold medals and 38 in total. They have also hosted the championships on four separate occasions, including a memorable 2022 edition on the outskirts of Turin in La Mandria Park.&nbsp;
The full Italian team for Brussels can be found <a href="https://www.fidal.it/content/EuroCross-42-azzurri-per-Bruxelles/163069" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<a href="https://exchbrussels2023.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/a339624e-e43d-41b4-bc6a-4a9d65f95576?width=1600&amp;height=400" alt="651e9039902491413508099c"></a>

European U20 1500m and 5000m champion Niels Laros will make his debut at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Brussels on 10 December.
Laros, who was forced to miss last year&rsquo;s event in La Mandria Park near Turin due to illness, is part of an 18-strong Dutch team which was named today.
[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/C0LriOzNkZ8/?img_index=1"]
The 18-year-old has been peerless on the track this summer but the Dutchman will face one of the strongest ever fields in the U20 race next month, including 2021 winner Axel Vang Christensen from Denmark and 2021 European U20 3000m champion Nick Griggs from Ireland.&nbsp;
But if Laros does triumph, he will follow in the footsteps of compatriot Gert-Jan Liefers, who won the inaugural men&rsquo;s European U20 cross country title in 1997. Laros relieved Liefers of his Dutch 1500m record this summer, clocking 3:31.25 at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
Other notable names on the Dutch team include Filmon Tesfu in the senior men&rsquo;s race and 3000m steeplechase specialist Veerle Bakker - who finished tenth last year - in the senior women&rsquo;s race.&nbsp;
<img src="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/435ebd6c-e2b7-4dd1-bcb6-2afe2400101f?width=3250&amp;height=2167" alt="Getty Images 1448735085">
The very experienced Maureen Koster - a former gold medallist in the senior women&rsquo;s team race - heads up their mixed relay team.
The Netherlands have won eight gold medals in SPAR European Cross Country Championships history. Two of those eight gold medals came from Brussels staged the 2008 edition of the championships.
Susan Krumins won U23 gold under her maiden name of Kuijken and Hilda Kibet cruised to victory in the senior women&rsquo;s race to follow in the footsteps of her cousin Lornah Kiplagat who had won this title three years earlier.
The 2023 SPAR European Cross Country Championships will be streamed live through the <a href="https://allathletics.tv/?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">All-Athletics platform.</a>
<a href="https://exchbrussels2023.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/a339624e-e43d-41b4-bc6a-4a9d65f95576?width=1600&amp;height=400" alt="651e9039902491413508099c"></a>

Sweden&rsquo;s Sarah Lahti successfully defended her 8km title at the Warandecross in Tilburg on Sunday (26) on the road to the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Brussels on 10 December.
Lahti completed the second part of a Nordic double in the senior races after Norway&rsquo;s Senay Fissehatsion converted his promising recent form on the roads to the cross country with victory in the men&rsquo;s 10km.
The Warandecross is a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Silver level event and the last race on the European calendar before Brussels. A full race replay can be found <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFg5v_f3pE4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;
In a near repeat of last year&rsquo;s race, Lahti established a big lead of around 20 seconds on the first lap which she didn&rsquo;t relinquish. Lahti covered the 8km in the Oude Warande in 26:25 - 15 seconds faster than last year - to become the first athlete since Sifan Hassan in 2015 to win back-to-back titles at the Warandecross.&nbsp;
Belgium&rsquo;s Jana Van Lent, who has been selected for the U23 race at the European Cross Country Championships, warmed up for her home championships in Brussels with a runner-up finish in 26:57 with Merel van der Marel third on home soil in 27:18.
<img src="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/5158b775-642a-4154-b668-39b8d58af2c4?width=2048&amp;height=1365" alt="2023 Warandeloop Preview Zondag 236">
The senior men&rsquo;s 10km was also dominated by international athletes with Fissehatsion - who began his autumn season with a 60:55 half marathon performance in Copenhagen - taking a notable win ahead of Spain&rsquo;s former European 5000m champion Ilias Fifa.
Behind the leading two - both of whom were timed at 29:10 for the 10km distance comprised largely on twisty woodland terrain - Belgium&rsquo;s Thomas Vanoppen completed the podium in third in 29:17 with Filmon Tesfu the leading Dutch finisher in fourth in 29:23.
In the build-up to the European Cross Country Championships, Jesse Fokkenrood from the Netherlands was the first U23 finisher in 10th in 29:33.&nbsp;
The full results can be found <a href="https://evenementen.uitslagen.nl/2023/warandeloop/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<h2 dir="ltr">Keith builds momentum with victory in Liverpool</h2>
European U23 5000m champion Megan Keith dominated the senior women&rsquo;s race at the Liverpool Cross Challenge on Saturday (25), the British trial race for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
The 21-year-old dispatched her older and more experienced rivals in convincing fashion, powering through the mud for victory in the senior women&rsquo;s 8.1km in 26:02.&nbsp;
She had a 53 second wait to shake hands with the runner-up Abbie Donnelly (26:55) with Izzy Fry and world 10,000m eighth-placer Jessica Warner-Judd third (27:05) and fourth (27:09) respectively.
Based on her showings in Cardiff and Liverpool in recent weeks, Keith will begin as the outstanding favourite to add the European U23 cross country title to her U20 gold medal from Fingal-Dublin in 2021.
[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/C0EmPybtFrZ/?img_index=1"]
While Keith&rsquo;s victory was broadly anticipated, there was an upset in the senior men&rsquo;s race with Hugo Milner - primarily a triathlete these days - easing to the senior men&rsquo;s 9.8km title in 28:38 by a clear distance ahead of 1500m specialist Matt Stonier who finished quickly to take second in 29:02.
Stonier will be joined on a strong U23 team in Brussels by European U23 10,000m champion Rory Leonard who finished fourth in 29:03.
In other races, European cross country fourth-placer Innes Fitzgerald won the U20 women's race by 30 seconds in 14:30 while Josh Lay (4:28) and Bethan Morley (5:06) won the short course 1500m titles, the trial race for the mixed relay in Brussels next month.&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">Elsewhere around Europe&hellip;</h2>
Bastien Augusto won one of the principal French selection races for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Brussels in Carhaix on Sunday (26).
Fresh from a recent 27:40 10km, Augusto won the 9km in 27:13 ahead of multiple European cross country team gold medallist Hugo Hay (27:16) and Fabien Palcau (27:17).&nbsp;
[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/C0HP6ngIVar"]
At the German Cross Country Championships in Perl on Sunday (26), steeplechaser Elena Burkard won the senior women&rsquo;s 6.8km title in 22:40 ahead of Eva Dieterich in 22:43.
Markus Gorger won the senior men&rsquo;s 9.7km by a clear margin from Filmon Tekleberhan - 27:45 to 28:31.&nbsp;
Behind Kenyans Edward Zakayo (26:30) and Vincent Rono (26:49) - both of whom compete for Portuguese clubs - Etson Barros won the senior men&rsquo;s title at the Portuguese Cross Country Championships in Amora on Sunday.
Multiple European cross country medallist Mariana Machado won the senior women&rsquo;s race ahead of Kenya&rsquo;s Fancy Cherono.

Lahti retains her Warandecross title in Tilburg on the road to Brussels 2023 

Eurovision Sport has today (28)&nbsp;launched a search for pioneering sports broadcasting tech founders, in partnership with HYPE Sports Innovation.
With a focus on the European Athletics Championships hosted in Rome next year, Eurovision Sport will harness HYPE's extensive sports tech network and expertise to find innovative startups with solutions that address numerous industry challenges in areas such as production and engineering, and digital streaming.
This partnership initiative directly supports Eurovision Sport&rsquo;s mission to keep the best sporting events free and accessible to audiences throughout Europe, whilst remaining adaptive to an ever-evolving industry.
European Athletics Communications, Television &amp; Digital Director Marcel Wakim said: &ldquo;This year marks the 26th edition of the European Athletics Championships, and with a more diverse programme of events than ever before we&rsquo;re excited at the potential this initiative has to innovatively impact our flagship event.&rdquo;
Head of Audio &amp; Innovation for Eurovision Sport Christophe Pasquier said: &ldquo;We are thrilled to collaborate with HYPE Sports Innovation as this partnership marks the dawn of a fresh era in the realm of media and broadcasting, where state-of-the-art solutions are poised to enhance the viewer's experience to levels previously uncharted.&rdquo;
Founder &amp; CEO of HYPE Sports Innovation Amir Raveh said: &ldquo;Collaborating with Eurovision Sport, we're set to redefine the future of media and broadcasting with innovative solutions that will change the game.&rdquo;
Full information for sports tech startups who are interested in collaborating with Eurovision Sport and HYPE Sports Innovation on the European Athletics Championships&rsquo; 2024 &lsquo;Road To Rome&rsquo; can be found here: <a href="https://social.ebu.ch/eurovisionsportinnovation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://social.ebu.ch/eurovisionsportinnovation</a>
<h2>About the EBU&nbsp;</h2>
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is the world&rsquo;s foremost alliance of public service media (PSM). Our mission is to make PSM indispensable.&nbsp;&nbsp;
We represent 112 media organisations in 56 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and have an additional 30 Associates in Asia, Africa, Australasia and the Americas. &nbsp;
Our Members operate nearly 2000 television and radio channels alongside numerous online platforms. Together, they reach audiences of more than one billion people around the world, broadcasting in more than150 languages.&nbsp;
We strive to secure a sustainable future for public service media, provide our Members with world-class content from news to sports and music, and build on our founding ethos of solidarity and co-operation to create a centre for learning and sharing.&nbsp;
We have offices in Brussels, Rome, Moscow, New York, Washington DC and Madrid. Our headquarters are in Geneva.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Discover more about the EBU at <a href="https://www.ebu.ch/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.ebu.ch</a> &nbsp;
<h2>About Eurovision Sport</h2>
Eurovision Sport manages the media rights for 14 sports on behalf of EBU Members, delivering over 43,000 hours of sport a year through agreements with 28 international sports federations. We showcase almost 200 events every year and are proud to operate a gender-balanced rights portfolio.
<h2>ABOUT HYPE Sports innovation</h2>
Founded in 2015, <a href="http://www.hypesporstsinnovation.com">HYPE Sports Innovation</a> is the largest global ecosystem for SportsTech comprising over 200 teams, leagues, federations, and has the largest equity holding portfolio of Sports Tech startups to date, HYPE has successfully generated hundreds of business engagements and deals through its ecosystem.
HYPE works with the&nbsp;world&rsquo;s leading professional sports properties in order to support them in uncovering and exploring SportsTech solutions. HYPE&rsquo;s vision is to impact people&rsquo;s lives through the power&nbsp;of sports and innovation.

The road to Roma 2024 is paved with innovation

European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov was in Baku on Friday and Saturday (24-25) to assist in the centenary celebrations of the Azerbaijan Athletics Federation (AAF).
President Karamarinov&rsquo;s first day in the Azerbaijani capital saw him accompany the AAF President Javid Gurbanov and AAF CEO Meherrem Sultanzade for meetings at the Azerbaijan National Olympic Committee followed by attending the national 100km championships.
The following day a delegation &ndash; which included President Karamarinov, Azerbaijan government ministers Farid Gayibov, Mariana Vasileva and Firudin Gurbanov, National Olympic Committee Vice President Chingiz Huseynzade, AAF President Gurbanov, Balkan Federation Athletics President and European Athletics Council Member Slobodan Brankovic and Turkish Athletics Federation President Fatih Cintimar &ndash; participated in the opening ceremony of the newly inaugurated athletics training facility in the Amirjan suburb of Baku.
<img src="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/241120f4-ea81-474a-ae5f-a7388b9a31b1?width=5094&amp;height=3395" alt="RAM 0464 Opening of New Aaf Office">
The stadium can cater for all the throws and horizonal jumps as well as having a six-lane track for the sprints and there is an indoor facility for the vertical jumps.
In the evening, the Centenary Gala saw President Karamarinov present the European Athletics Coaching Award, Member Federations Award and Women&rsquo;s Leadership Award presented to Famil Huseynov, Rahim Khalilov and Tamilla Bunyadova respectively.
&ldquo;It is with great pleasure that I extend my warm congratulations to the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/heritage/news/azerbaijan-fedeartion-centenary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Azerbaijan Athletics Federation as it celebrates its centenary,</a>&rdquo; commented President Karamarinov.
<img src="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/b6e29f73-2ea2-4d92-970c-fb60b6f708d8?width=4887&amp;height=3260" alt="RAM 0777">
&ldquo;This significant milestone marks a century of dedicated effort and notable achievements in promoting and fostering athletics in Azerbaijan."
Since its reorganisation in 1993, the AAF has played a pivotal role as an independent governing body, overseeing the management of athletics in Azerbaijan, the most easterly Member Federation of European Athletics.
"The country has rightfully earned its place as a prominent member of the European Athletics family and demonstrated its stature and standing in the world of athletics, especially during the last decade,&rdquo; he added.
Baku hosted the European Athletics Convention and Golden Tracks in 2014.
The inaugural edition of the European Games in 2015 &ndash; which also included the European Athletics Team Championships 3rd League &ndash; also provided a very visible global showcase for Baku and Azerbaijan.
The country's athletes have made a significant impact on the continental stage in recent years and include the likes of Nazim Babayev, who earned European Athletics U20 and U23 titles before winning triple jump gold at the Glasgow 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships, and distance runner Hayle İbrahimov, a four-time continental championships medallist indoors and outdoors.

President Karamarinov assists Azerbaijan Athletics Federation's centenery celebrations

Scientists have found that European Athletics&rsquo; new I Run Clean workshops have had a positive impact on participants&rsquo; resistance to doping and strengthened the fight against doping with an additional, innovative tool to complement the current I Run Clean e-learning platform.
A study conducted by anti-doping education specialists from the University of Milan and La Sapienza University of Rome &ndash; published recently in the European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education &ndash; has demonstrated the workshops&rsquo; effect on key psychological parameters in young athletes and the coaches who influence them.
It also confirmed the quality of the training for the volunteer ambassadors tasked with leading the workshops.
Welcoming the research results, European Athletics First Vice President Jean Gracia commented that he was, &ldquo;proud of the project and the example it sets for Member Federations and other partners on their ability to cooperate with the EU for the benefit of the sport.
&ldquo;We had some real challenges, not least the Covid pandemic which broke out just weeks after we started and meant we had to completely change the way we worked,&rdquo; added Gracia, who is also President of the Paris-based Agency for the Development of Athletics in Europe (ADAE), which was established by European Athletics to bid for European Union project grants and was responsible for coordinating the ten partner organisations that delivered the I Run Clean project.
&ldquo;I have to thank the European Union for its Erasmus+ programme and our whole team: the project managers, the experts representing all the partners and, of course, the young ambassadors we hope will continue working with their federations to deliver I Run Clean workshops in the future,&rdquo; he said.
<blockquote>
&ldquo;Together we have augmented I Run Clean by developing valuable new tools for reaching the grassroots and promoting the clean sport culture of athletics.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
The recently concluded three-year I Run Clean project also created additional anti-doping e-learning modules aimed at coaches, medical support personnel and sport leaders to supplement the existing modules for athletes.
The additional modules are currently being incorporated into a redesigned course that will enhance the online user experience when it is released on a new platform in January 2024.
In addition to European Athletics, ADAE, the University of Milan and La Sapienza University of Rome, the I Run Clean project team included La Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris as well as the athletics federations of Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
To date more than 41,000 individuals have completed the I Run Clean e-learning programme and received their I Run Clean certification, which is mandatory to compete at a European Athletics event.
You can read the University of Milan and La Sapienza University of Rome research paper&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/13/11/178" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. To find out more about European Athletics' innovative I Run Clean project visit: <a href="https://www.iruncleanproject.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.iruncleanproject.eu</a>
To get your I Run Clean certificate visit: <a href="https://www.irunclean.org/selectlanguage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.irunclean.org</a>

Research highlights value of I Run Clean education

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SPAR has been the principal sponsor of European Athletics since 1996, becoming synonymous with the sport during this period. Athletics is a sport where personal endeavour is combined with team participation to achieve success, and SPAR identifies with this principle through its national partners by ensuring that consumers enjoy shopping at SPAR. SPAR retailers continue to develop the brand through sponsorship awareness and through the critical link with individual athletes who are also customers of independent retailers. SPAR is proud to be involved with European Athletics, an organisation which strives to bring passion and enthusiasm for their sport to viewers, spectators and participants.

SPAR

Eurohold Bulgaria AD is a leading energy and financial group operating mainly in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (CESEE). It is listed on the Bulgarian and Warsaw Stock Exchange. Eurohold owns Euroins Insurance Group AD (EIG), one of the largest insurance groups in the region. EIG provides a full range of insurance products, serves over 4 million customers in 13 countries and has over 3000 employees.

Eurohold

Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland began its partnership with European Athletics in 2008 as a top-tier sponsor of all Major Events and the European Athletics U23 and U20  Championships. Le Gruyère is a very high quality natural cheese that has been produced for many centuries in an artisanal method without any additives. VIP guests, athletes and fans have the opportunity to taste this magnificent cheese at European Athletics events sponsored by Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland.

Le Gruyère

Toyo Tires is one of the world's largest tire manufacturers. Toyo Tire Corporation was founded in 1945 in Osaka, Japan. In 1975, the manufacturer opened its European headquarters in Germany. The product range includes winter, summer and all-season tyres for motor vehicles as well as van tyres and special off-road products. The philosophy of Toyo Tires is to combine driving pleasure with top performance. This is reflected in each of the products, as well as in its close partnership with European Athletics.

Toyo Tires

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has been the Official Broadcast Partner of European Athletics since 1981. During this 40-year partnership, the outstanding collaboration between both organisations has always been focused on developing European Athletics into a more attractive product for television, spectators and athletes. Through its operational department Eurovision Services, the EBU is continuously working to promote athletics by offering the most comprehensive coverage of European Athletics events all over Europe.

Conica has been developing and manufacturing innovative seamless flooring solutions for sports, games and leisure for over 40 years and is one of the world's market leaders and innovation drivers in this field.  The user-oriented requirements for technical and sports functional performance as well as usability while guaranteeing the health aspects of the material itself, and for the user, are the focus of Conica's product development.  Conica is part of the Serafin group of companies based in Munich, Germany.

Conica

Polanik is a family company, founded by Wiesław Szczepanik in 1966. It produces athletics equipment having over thousand products in the offer. Polanik fully equips stadiums all over the world and handles the highest-level athletics events. Stars of athletics beat world records using Polanik products. Polanik is held in high regard by many for top quality and advisory services for designers and investors of athletics stadiums.

Polanik

Opened in 1909 and magnificently restored, the Hotel Royal Savoy Lausanne combines Art Nouveau and modernity with genuine panache. Featuring tailor-made service and unbeatable comfort, this legendary venue is located a short walk from the shores of Lac Leman and offers every guest the absolute luxury of feeling truly at home. The Hotel Royal Savoy is proud to be the Preferred Hotel Partner of European Athletics in Lausanne since 2016, offering valuable support and accommodation services to European Athletics business activities throughout the year.

Hotel Royal Savoy Lausanne

Getty Images is the world's leading creator and distributor of visual content – with award winning editorial photographers and videographers covering hundreds of Sports, Entertainment, and News events daily. Digital asset management and distribution services optimize efficiency and content syndication for hundreds of media partners and rights holders.

Getty images

The first companies of Würth MODYF Group were founded in Künzelsau, Germany and Neumarkt, Italy in 1997 as an independent subsidiary of the Würth Group and can thus look back on more than 25 years of experience in the field of workwear and safety footwear.

Würth MODYF Group currently operates companies in ten countries and has more than 400 employees in Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland. Smaller sales units support Würth MODYF’s customers in Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium. Würth MODYF Group is continuing to expand internationally, opening new branches all over Europe.

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