The thirty-first SPAR European Cross Country Championships, hosted by Portugal, promises to be one of the brightest in recent times. This year, several leading athletes miss the season, so the fight for leadership opens up for new favorites. Who claims to win among men and women, and which teams have the best chances in the relay – all this is discussed later in the article.
History and format
Спортсмени, які брали участь у Чемпіонаті Європи з кросу в 1994 році. Зображення з european-athletics.com
The European Cross Country Championships have been held since 1994, and originally it was a competition for adult athletes. Since 1997, junior races have been added to the program, and since 2007, youth races. In 2017, a mixed relay appeared.
The event is attended by athletes representing the national federations of the European Athletics Association. The program includes seven races: one for all age categories and genders, as well as a mixed relay.
Trails are usually laid in parks or in open recreational areas, one circle is 1-1.5 km. Adult men run 10 km, adult women and young men 8 km, juniors and young women 6 km, and juniors 4 km.
Expectations for the 2025 European Cross Country Championships
On December 14, 644 athletes from 36 European countries will gather in Lagoa. Who are they – the main contenders for medals in men’s and women’s races, as well as the favorites of the mixed relay?
Male category
Men’s races promise to be interesting. At the start, both titled athletes and lesser-known athletes who are ready to challenge the favorites will meet.
Jakob Ingebrigtzen will not compete this year as he has decided to focus on preparing for the 2026 season. This paves the way for last year’s U23 champion Will Barnicot, who will try to win a third title in a row in his age category. He will have to contend with serious opponents, including three gold medalists of the U23 European Athletics Championships: Stefan Nillessen from the Netherlands, Joel Ibler Lilleso from Denmark and Polish representative Maciej Meger. Also at the start will be an athlete from Ireland and last year’s silver medalist Nick Griggs.
Adding even more intrigue is the participation of 10,000-meter world champion Jimmy Gressier, who will compete again at the European Cross Country Championships for the first time since 2021.
Джиммі Гресьє повертається на Чемпіонат Європи з кросу після перерви з 2021 року. Зображення з european-athletics.com
In the U20 category, the tension will also be high. The three gold medalists of the 2025 European Running Championships will meet here, Gåkon Moe Berg (champion in the 1500 and 3000 m), Willem Renders (champion in the 5000 meters) and Kijasettin Kara (champion in the 3000 m hurdles).
Women’s category
Women’s wrestling promises to be no less interesting. World champion Nadia Battocleti will try to win another title after a historic triumph in all three categories in the past competitions. Last year’s U23 champion Phoebe Anderson will also fight for victory among adult athletes.
Фібі Андерсон входить до числа претенденток на перемогу. Зображення з gocolumbialions.com
The senior category also includes other strong rivals: Diana Van Es from the Netherlands and Britain‘s Megan Keith, who won silver and bronze in the 10,000 m at the European Athletics Championships last year, as well as four-time European cross country champion Yasemin Kahn (Turkey).
In the U20 category, the main focus is on Innes Fitzgerald of Great Britain. She is looking to repeat her success and win her third consecutive title. Among the U23 athletes, the favorites are Maria Forero from Spain and Ilona Mononen from Finland. Last year they won silver and bronze and performed well in the 5000m and 3000m hurdles.
Mixed Relay
Italy will defend the title with the same four that brought gold last year: Sebastiano Parolini, Marta Zenoni, Pietro Arese and Gaia Sabbatini. The rivals will be the teams of France and Great Britain – it was they who took silver and bronze at the previous Championship.
Portugal is also making a strong bid. The team is represented by Isaac Nader, world champion at 1500 m, and two-time European champion Salome Afonso.
Given this composition of participants, the mixed relay will definitely add drive to the tournament.
We will keep our finger on the pulse of the competition and will definitely share the results of the Championship in the next sports news digest. Stay tuned!
