Final entries for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Fingal-Dublin on 12 December have been published and can be found in pdf format here.
All six individual champions from the last edition two years ago in Lisbon are due to compete. Türkiye’s Yasemin Can and Aras Kaya will be seeking their fifth and third titles respectively in the senior races while France’s Jimmy Gressier and Denmark’s Anna Emilie Moller both graduate into the senior ranks after multiple successes at U23 level. Great Britain & NI are also seeking their third title in the mixed relay.
Four-time U20 champion and Olympic 1500m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen from Norway will eschew the U23 ranks and contest the senior men’s race where he will join his brother Filip Ingebrigtsen, the gold medallist three years ago in Tilburg.
Italy’s Nadia Battocletti, who won the women’s U20 race in 2018 and 2019, has opted to contest the U23 race in Fingal-Dublin. She will be seeking her second major title at this age-group in 2021 after winning the 5000m at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Tallinn.
Leading Irish hopes at the European Cross Country Championships include European U20 1500m and 3000m champions Cian McPhillips and Nick Griggs in the men’s U20 race and Sarah Healy in the U23 race. Irish champions Hiko Tonosa and Michelle Finn highlight the Irish senior team with 2011 and 2012 winner Fionnuala McCormack due to extend her record of most appearances on the women’s side to 17.
Liam Hennessy, who is the chairperson of the Local Organising Committee, said: "It’s great to see such a high calibre of entries for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships. Despite the recent new Covid-19 variant, we are looking forward to hosting the event once again and we are confident the event will go ahead in all safety for athletes and spectators alike, respecting the stringent safety norms applicable in Ireland."
All seven races will be streamed live and accompanied by expert English-language commentary on the European Athletics website. There will also be in-depth coverage of the championships on the European Athletics website and across European Athletics’ social media channels.