In the last competitive marathon of his career, Switzerland&rsquo;s 2016 European half marathon champion Tadesse Abraham ran the fastest time of his career in the Valencia Marathon to win the continental plaudits on Sunday (1).
Now 42, Abraham finished an excellent fifth in a Swiss record of 2:04:40 to move to fourth on the European all-time lists which were thoroughly rewritten on Sunday morning.
[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/DDCBLgSNq84"]
Just behind Abraham, Israel&rsquo;s Maru Teferi regained his national record with 2:04:44 in seventh to move to fifth on the European all-time list, only six weeks after finishing third in the Amsterdam Marathon.
In yet another incredibly deep race in Valencia, Germany&rsquo;s Samuel Fitwi was rewarded with a national record in ninth with 2:04.56 and yet another Italian record fell with Yohanes Chiappinelli finishing 13th in 2:05:26.
Just behind Chiappinelli, reigning European marathon champion Richard Ringer from Germany set a lifetime best of 2:05:46 in 14th.&nbsp;
There was Spanish success in the women&rsquo;s race with Majida Maayouf and Laura Luengo finishing fifth and seventh in 2:21:43 and 2:22:31 respectively.
In ninth, Moira Stewartova reduced her Czech record with 2:23:44 in ninth while five-time Olympian Fionnuala McCormack from Ireland was rewarded with a lifetime best of 2:23:46 to finish 11th.
Nora Szabo finished 15th in a Hungarian record of 2:25:52.

Abraham bows out on a high with a 2:04:40 Swiss record in Valencia

Olympic 1500m sixth-placer Niels Laros stepped up in distance to win the senior men&rsquo;s 10km at the Warandeloop in Tilburg, a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Silver event, on Sunday (24) afternoon.
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<li dir="ltr">Watch again <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTKwY9Bj2Nc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></li>
</ul>
Laros made steady progress through the field before moving into the lead for the first time on the last lap of a flat but twisting course. The 19-year-old looked largely untroubled as he crossed the finish-line in 29:35, leading a Dutch clean sweep ahead of Abdirahman Mohamed (29:42) and Nik Lemmink (29:44).
This victory is just another example of the versatility of the precocious Dutch middle distance star who was crowned 2024 men&rsquo;s Rising Star at the Golden Tracks awards night last month.
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Among his other achievements, Laros also broke the world U20 1000m record with 2:14.37 on home soil in Hengelo in a track season which also saw him reach the Olympic 1500m final and break Jakob Ingebrigtsen&rsquo;s European U20 record with 3:29.54.
Laros&rsquo; next goal is the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Antalya on 8 December when the teenager will be looking to upgrade his silver medal from the U20 race last year into gold in what will be his last championships in this age-group.
His training partner Kevin Kamenschak from Austria finished fifth in 29:56 while last year&rsquo;s winner Senay Fissehatsion had to settle for 15th in 30:34.
<h3 dir="ltr">A hat-trick of titles for Lahti</h3>
In the senior women&rsquo;s 8km, Sweden&rsquo;s Sarah Lahti took her third successive title in 26:58 by a clear margin from Dutchwoman Ineke Van Koldam (27:15) and Belgium&rsquo;s Roxane Cleppe (27:18).
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1732476909/IMG-20241124-WA0042.jpg">
Lahti, who is on the comeback from hamstring surgery which forced her to miss the track season, becomes the first three-time winner of the women&rsquo;s race in Tilburg since Sifan Hassan between 2013-15.&nbsp;
Robin van Riel (5:07) and Marissa Damink (6:06) won the 1.8km short course races which served as the trial race to select the Dutch team for the mixed relay at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
The Netherlands won bronze in the mixed relay last year behind France and Great Britain.
<h2 dir="ltr">Battocletti defeats Klosterhalfen in Alcobendas</h2>
Nadia Battocletti ran out a comfortable winner against Konstanze Klosterhalfen, her predecessor as European 5000m champion, at the Cross de la Constitucion in Alcobendas on Sunday (24).
The Olympic 10,000m silver medallist won the senior women&rsquo;s 8.040km in 26:14 by over one minute from her German rival, who was a distant second in 27:29.
Battocletti&rsquo;s next target is the SPAR European Cross Country Championships where she will be looking to improve on her silver medal from Brussels last year. And if she does win, Battocletti will become the first female athlete to win gold medals in the U20, U23 and senior races.&nbsp;
&ldquo;If the Cinque Mulini was useful to remove the rust [Battocletti finished third], today's race was run on a tougher course, with many ups and downs, and it made me understand that I'm reaching the right shape for the European Cross Country Championships,&rsquo; said Battocletti as quoted by FIDAL.&nbsp;
Spain's Carla Arce was third in 27:50.
Steven Mills for European Athletics
&nbsp;

Laros goes the distance with victory in the 10km in Tilburg 

France's Jimmy Gressier made a triumphant return to cross country with victory on home soil at the Cross International d'Allonnes on Sunday (17) afternoon, beating a strong international field as well as most of his main domestic rivals.
In his first race since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Gressier said he was only at 60 percent physically after taking a long break after the summer season but the 27-year-old kicked away decisively in the late stages to win the senior men&rsquo;s 8.42km in 23:20 ahead of the Ethiopian teenage trio of Kuma Girma (23:21), Milkesa Fikadu (23:25) and Abrha Gebru (23:35).
[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/DCeikodoaMk"]
With the top four French finishers guaranteed automatic selection for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships, most of the country&rsquo;s leading cross country exponents were present although Gressier announced after his victory that he will be absent from this year's event in Antalya in order to prepare for the indoor season as well as the 10km at the inaugural European Running Championships in Brussels-Leuven on 12-13 April.&nbsp;
Bastien Augusto finished sixth in 23:40, finishing just ahead of reigning European cross country champion Yann Schrub in seventh in 23:45 and European 3000m steeplechase champion Alexis Miellet in eighth in 23:47.&nbsp;
In the women&rsquo;s race which was won convincingly by Kenya&rsquo;s Grace Nawowuna in 22:55, Manon Trapp finished third on home soil in the 7.61km in 23:46.
<h2 dir="ltr">Ndikumwenayo takes down big names in Seville en route to Antalya</h2>
Thierry Ndikumwenayo took a notable victory on home soil at the Cross Internacional de Italica in Seville on Sunday en route to his upcoming debut at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Antalya.
Ndikumwenayo won the senior men&rsquo;s 7.542km in 21:24, outsprinting his training partner and Playas de Castellon clubmate Rodrigue Kwizera from Burundi who was credited with the same time in second.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m now going to return to the altitude of Sierra Nevada where I&rsquo;m building up for the European Cross Country Championships which will be my next competition,&rdquo; said Ndikumwenayo who will be seeking his second continental medal of the year after winning European 10,000m bronze in Rome.&nbsp;
[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/DCeQRU-MCy4"]
Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Berihu Aregawi completed the podium in third in 21:27, one place ahead of reigning European half marathon champion Yemaneberhan Crippa - who also has his sights set on Antalya - in fourth in 21:32.
At the Cinque Mulini on Sunday (17) morning, fellow Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Nadia Battocletti opened her cross country season with a third-place finish in the senior women&rsquo;s 6.2km in 18:49 in a race won by 17-year-old Ethiopian Yenenesh Shimket in 18:35.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It was a test I needed to remove some rust from the engine. I gave 100 percent. The new season starts from here with the goal of showing up at the Euro Cross as prepared as possible and in a calm way,&rdquo; said Battocletti who won silver on her senior debut behind Karoline Bjerkeli Gr&oslash;vdal in Brussels last year.
<h2 dir="ltr">National Cross Country Championships roundup&hellip;</h2>
Two-time European U20 cross country champion Axel Vang Christensen, 20, defended his title in the senior men&rsquo;s race at the Danish Cross Country Championships in Odense on Saturday.
Christensen won the men&rsquo;s 7.5km in 23:21 by eight seconds from 2021 European U20 5000m champion Joel Ibler Lilles&oslash;.
[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/DCckL7KoR2r/?img_index=1"]
Both Christensen and Lilles&oslash; are expected to contest the U23 race at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships next month.&nbsp;
Teenager Sofia Th&oslash;gersen, who is eligible for the U20 race at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships, won the senior women&rsquo;s 7.5km in 27:23 ahead of Nanna Bove in 27:36.&nbsp;
At the Belgian Cross Country Championships in Hulshout on Sunday (17), Isaac Kimeli won the senior men&rsquo;s 7.82km in 22:00 by three seconds from John Heymans. Jana Van Lent won the women&rsquo;s 7.82km in 25:23.
There were commanding victories at the Irish Cross Country Championships in Irvinestown for Keelan Kilrehill and 44-year-old Ann-Marie McGlynn.
Kilrehill won the senior men&rsquo;s 7.5km in 23:00 by 28 seconds over a field which included Efrem Gidey and Nick Griggs who finished fourth and seventh respectively.
In the women&rsquo;s race, veteran marathon runner McGlynn won in 27:05 ahead of Niamh Allen who picked up a surprise silver medal just three months after giving birth to her daughter.&nbsp;
Steven Mills for European Athletics

Gressier makes a triumphant return with victory in Allonnes

France&rsquo;s Etienne Daguinos, 24, shaved three seconds off the European 10km record at the Urban Trail de Lille on Saturday (16) afternoon.
Daguinos defeated a strong and deep field with victory in 27:04 to claim ownership of the European record which was previously held by compatriot Jimmy Gressier with 27:07.
&ldquo;I cannot believe it. Some people might have predicted it but I didn&rsquo;t believe it. I knew that I was in good shape after my half marathon in Valencia [where he ran 59:46]. I wanted to run faster than 27:30...I am still in shock,&rdquo; said Dagunios, who ran identical 5km splits of 13:32 to break the European record.
[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/DCb8n8fI2Dr"]
And his performance was not the only notable time by a European in Lille. World 1500m bronze medallist Narve Gilje Nordas finished fifth in 27:31 to break the Norwegian 10km record while Germany&rsquo;s Mohamed Abdilaahi was ninth in 27:40, the fastest fastest time by a German in history.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Duarte Gomes also broke the long-standing Portuguese 10km record in 15th-place, clocking 28:07 to break the previous mark set by former world 10,000m record-holder Fernando Mamede all the way back in 1985 by four seconds.&nbsp;
In the women&rsquo;s race, Finland&rsquo;s Nathalie Blomqvist set yet another national record in seventh with 31:25, just ahead of former world 1500m champion Abeba Aregawi from Sweden who continues her comeback with an eighth-place finish in 31:30.
&nbsp;

European 10km record! 27:04 for Daguinos in Lille

Finland&rsquo;s Ilona Mononen and Denmark&rsquo;s Joel Ibler Lilles&oslash; shared the victories in the senior races at the Nordic Cross Country Championships in Vantaa, Finland on Sunday (10) afternoon.
Mononen pulled away in the mid-stages of the senior women&rsquo;s 7.5km for a clear-cut win on home soil, crossing the finish-line in 26:23 to win the title ahead of Sweden&rsquo;s Evelina Henriksson (26:37) and Denmark&rsquo;s Nanna Bov&eacute; (26:39).&nbsp;
In the senior men&rsquo;s race, Lilles&oslash; had the beating of the field, winning in 22:23 and leading Denmark to the team title at the Nordic Cross Country Championships for the first time since 2009. Lilles&oslash; was backed up by Jacob Simonsen and Andreas Bj&oslash;rnsen who finished fourth and fifth respectively.&nbsp;
Three-time world orienteering champion Kasper Fossar took individual silver, finishing three seconds behind Lilles&oslash; in 22:26 with Sweden&rsquo;s Martin Regborn taking the bronze in 22:28.
[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/DCPBLGNtZtg/?img_index=1"]
The SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Antalya on 8 December are looming into view but the two senior winners in Vantaa - both of whom are still only 20 - are likely to contest the U23 races at the Dokuma Park next month.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Mononen won silver in the U23 race at the 2023 SPAR European Cross Country Championships behind runaway winner Megan Keith from Great Britain while Lilles&oslash; will be hoping to return to the podium for the first time since 2021 when he won individual bronze in the U20 race.
Norway&rsquo;s up-and-coming middle distance talent Wilma Bekkemoen Torbi&ouml;rnsson, 17, won the U20 women&rsquo;s 4.5km by 27 seconds in 15:23 while Sweden&rsquo;s Sebastian L&ouml;rstad, 16, won the U20 men&rsquo;s 4.5km in 13:25. Norway won both U20 team titles.
[INSTAGRAM ID="http://www.instagram.com/p/DCJycsqsMiH/?img_index=1"]
At the Balkan Cross Country Championships which took place in Campulung Moldovenesc, in north-east Romania on Saturday (9) Italian-based Albanian David Nikolli won the senior men&rsquo;s 10km in 30:25 ahead of T&uuml;rkiye&rsquo;s Aytullah Aslanhan in 30:33.
S&uuml;meyye Erol won the senior women&rsquo;s 8km, leading a Turkish 1-2-3 from Gamze Bulut (27:50) and Ozlem Kaya (27:56).
Steven Mills for European Athletics
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Mononen and Lillesø take the honours at the Nordic Cross Country Championships

The Valencia Half Marathon underlined its reputation as being a record-setting course despite the wet conditions on Sunday (27) morning.
Behind Ethiopia&rsquo;s Yomif Kejelcha, who eclipsed the world record by one second with 57:30, Spain&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo was eighth in 59:42 and just missed Carlos Mayo&rsquo;s national record by three seconds.
France&rsquo;s Etienne Daguinos also broke new ground by breaking the one-hour barrier for the first time with 59:46.&nbsp;
Ndikumwenayo and Daguinos move to ninth and tenth respectively on the European all-time half marathon list which is still headed by Julien Wanders&rsquo; time of 59:13 from 2019.&nbsp;
In the women&rsquo;s race, Germany&rsquo;s 2022 European 5000m champion Konstanze Klosterhalfen returned from a&nbsp; virus which forced her to miss the main part of the track season with a creditable ninth-place finish in 67:07.&nbsp;
One place behind, her German teammate Eva Dieterich clocked 68:26 on her half marathon debut while Czechia&rsquo;s Moira Stewartova took a massive chunk off the national record in 11th, improving the mark to 68:44 to become the first Czech to break the 70 minute-barrier.
And while she is not yet eligible to compete for Spain internationally, Kaoutar Boulaid took ownership of the Spanish record with 68:47 while Laura Luengo and 3000m steeplechase specialist Irene Sanchez-Escribano were also under the previous mark with 68:50 and 69:10 respectively.&nbsp;&nbsp;
And slightly further down the field, Great Britain&rsquo;s 19-year-old Natasha Phillips ran a lifetime best of 70:18. Her time was not just a British U20 best but also the fastest ever time recorded by a European U20 at the half marathon distance by over a minute.
With a 2005 date-of-birth, Phillips is eligible to contest the U20 race at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, T&uuml;rkiye on 8 December.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Cross country season gathers pace with Antalya approaching</h3>
At the Swedish Cross Country Championships in Jonkoping, Sarah Lahti returned from a hamstring injury to win the short course 4km in 13:11.
European 3000m steeplechase finalist Emilia Lillemo won the senior 10km in 35:57, beating out Carolina Wikstr&ouml;m (36:29) and 2019 European cross country bronze medallist Samrawit Mengsteab (37:06).
Leo Magnusson won the short course title in 11:31 with 35-year-old Mohammedreza Abootorbi winning the 10km in 31:11 by one second from Awet Mengsteab.
At the Baltic Cross Country Team Championships, Estonia won the overall title ahead of Latvia and hosts Lithuania. Leonid Latsepov won the senior men&rsquo;s 8km for Estonia in 25:09 with Lithuania&rsquo;s Lina Kiriliuk winning the senior women&rsquo;s 6km in 21:09.
At the Ukrainian Cross Country Championships in Uzhgorod, Viktoriya Kalyuzhna and Roman Rostykus won the 7.5km titles in 25:48 and 22:47 respectively.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Only 18, Saima Muric won the senior cross country title at the Serbian Cross Country Championships in Zajecar in 27:25. Nikolai Gajic won the 10km in 30:36.
Steven Mills for European Athletics

Fast times and national records in Valencia

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