Following a challenging and exciting SPAR European Cross Country Championships in the mountains of Bulgaria, the attention now switches to 2015 – when the event will be held in an altogether different location in Hyères situated on the French Riviera.
The course in Hyères will combine a horse race course and the surrounding pine forests in an attractive seaside setting that averages 300 days of sunshine per year.
French cross-country stars have already voiced their support for the championships that will take place on Sunday 13 December.
It’s terrific for French cross country and for the French team. It’s a chance for young athletes who are at the French team doors, too. […] I already ran in Hyères and it’s an excellent place.
Hyères is great! It’s the site for the Méditerranée international cross country. […] I decided not to run cross country races during this winter in order to be at the start line in December 2015.
The French athletics federation have hosted a number of international athletics events in the past few years.
The European Athletics Indoor Championships were held in Paris in 2011, and before that the European Cup was held in Annecy in 2008.
In 2005, Saint-Galmier hosted the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
More recently, Gap hosted the 2014 European Mountain Running Championships.