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Kimeli, Herbiet, Keith and Laros share their thoughts on the SPAR European Cross Country Championships

How to follow the Brussels 2023 SPAR European Cross Country Championships

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Following on from <a href="https://www.european-athletics.com/news/1996-spar-european-cross-country-championships-brown-glides-his-way-to-record-win" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our retrospective on the 1996 SPAR European Cross Country Championships</a> in Charleroi, we take a look back at the 2008 edition of the championships which were held in Brussels.
In fact, the 2008 edition was initially supposed to take place in Ostend but the championships were moved to the Belgian capital a few months prior owing to unprecedented levels of rainfall in the region earlier in the year.
A memorable championship took place in the shadow of the city&rsquo;s famous Atomium in Laeken Park which will be the venue for the 2023 edition of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships on 10 December.
<h2 dir="ltr">Eighth title and the &ldquo;hardest victory&rdquo; for Lebid</h2>
Ukraine&rsquo;s Serhiy Lebid further enhanced his legendary status at these championships by winning his eighth title from 15 editions of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
But the 33-year-old was pushed to the brink by an emerging Mo Farah before breaking away in the last 500 metres for a successful defence of his title.&nbsp;
"I think this was maybe my hardest victory. I was only convinced I could win a few hundred metres from the line," admitted Lebid who won this title for an unprecedented ninth time in 2010.&nbsp;
In his prime years, Farah&rsquo;s finishing speed was unmatchable on the track but in a reversal of roles, it was the Brit who took the initiative and ploughed out an unyielding pace.&nbsp;
Farah opened up a 15 metre lead on the penultimate lap but the Ukrainian - who trailed in fourth-place at one point - used all of his guile and experience to counter the gap before breaking Farah&rsquo;s resolve with a fierce burst of speed.&nbsp;
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1701690329/IMG_1092.jpg">
A triumphant Lebid covered the 10km distance in 30:49, opening up an eight second winning margin in the last 600 metres over a forlorn Farah. His training partner Mustafa Mohamed from Sweden took the bronze medal in 31:13.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I was very surprised. I don&rsquo;t know how he did that, I just couldn&rsquo;t respond,&rdquo; said a bemused and crestfallen Farah who also won silver the following year in Dublin in his final appearance at the European Cross Country Championships.&nbsp;
The senior women&rsquo;s race was a more clear-cut affair with Hilda Kibet winning the 8km title in 27:45, following in the footsteps of her Dutch cousin Lornah Kiplagat who strode to the gold medal three years prior in Tilburg.
Former European U20 cross country champions Jessica Augusto and Ines Monteiro won silver and bronze respectively and led Portugal to the team title for the sixth time ahead of Great Britain and France.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1701690479/IMG_6764.jpg">
There was also a rare cross country appearance from Russia&rsquo;s Gulnara Samitova-Galkina who had just won the inaugural Olympic 3000m steeplechase title and became the first athlete to break the nine minute-barrier with 8:58.81 which still stands as the European record.&nbsp;
Galkina-Samitova made the early running before fading back to 12th in 28:40 in her first and only appearance at the European Cross Country Championships.&nbsp;
Other notable finishers inside the top-20 included former champions Annemari Sandell from Finland and Great Britain&rsquo;s Hayley Yelling in 16th and 19th respectively.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1701700899/IMG_6713_copy.jpg">
The champion in 2004, a disappointed Yelling announced her retirement from competitive athletics soon afterwards. &ldquo;I turn 35 in January and I could go on and on but I don't want to be just making teams, I want to be going to championships and doing well,&rdquo; she said.
However, Yelling was lured back to competition less than a year later when she improbably retained her European cross country title in Dublin at the age of 35.
<h2 dir="ltr">A historic first for Great Britain&hellip;and the Ingebrigtsens&nbsp;</h2>
Clean sweeps in SPAR European Cross Country Championships history have been a rare and unusual occurrence.
But surely the achievement of the British women who filled the top six spots in the U20 race is an accomplishment which will never be repeated again?
Led by world U20 1500m champion Stephanie Twell who won gold over 4km for the third successive year, the British team monopolised the top six individual spots in the individual race. And with four scorers to count, the Brits tallied the lowest possible score of 10 in the team race to win the title for the fourth successive year.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1701690654/IMG_6625.jpg">
Familiar faces also prevailed in the men&rsquo;s U20 race which saw Florian Carvalho and Hassan Chahdi win gold and bronze respectively in the 6km and lead France to the team title by one point.
The Ingebrigtsen family medal haul dates back to the 2008 edition of the European Cross Country Championships.
Only 17, Henrik Ingebrigtsen was the fourth scoring counter in Norway&rsquo;s silver medal-winning team in the men&rsquo;s U20 race which was led by individual silver medallist Sondre Nordstad Moen who went on to break the European marathon record in the 2017 Fukuoka Marathon.&nbsp;
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1701690805/IMG_6639.jpg">
Other future marathon stars to place included Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist Abdi Nageeye from the Netherlands and 2018 European champion Koen Naert from Belgium in 12th and 35th respectively.&nbsp;
Two years after winning the U20 title, Italy&rsquo;s Andrea Lalli triumphed in the men&rsquo;s U23 race over 8km in 24:56.&nbsp;
Lalli went on to win the senior title in sub-zero temperatures in Budapest in 2012 and he remains the only athlete - male or female - to win individual gold medals across all three categories at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
A large Dutch contingent present at Laeken Park also witnessed Susan Kuijken - who won 2018 European 10,000m silver under her married name of Krumins - win the women&rsquo;s U23 6km title in 21:02.&nbsp;
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1701690869/IMG_0463.jpg">
In an eventful race which saw early leader Sultan Haydar from T&uuml;rkiye collapse on the course through exhaustion at the start of the last lap, Kuijken caught the tiring Turk just before halfway and took the title by eight seconds ahead of Sarah Tunstall who led the Brits to the team title.
The full results from Brussels 2008 can be found <a href="https://www.european-athletics.com/historical-data/calendar-results/7125820">here</a>.&nbsp;
Steven Mills for European Athletics
<a href="https://exchbrussels2023.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1701185993/651e9039902491413508099c_1.jpg"></a>

Flashback to Brussels 2008 | Lebid breaks down Farah for record eighth senior crown 

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>

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

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

Don&rsquo;t miss a minute from the Brussles 2023 SPAR European Cross Country Championships on Sunday (10)!&nbsp;
The 29th edition of the championships will be streamed through the European Athletics website on the All-Athletics platform from 12:05 local time (CET) and will be accompanied by expert English-language commentary from two-time world cross country silver medallist Tim Hutchings and Cathal Dennehy. French commentary via the All-Athletics platform is also available.
However, geo-blocking restrictions will apply to the 10 countries where the SPAR European Cross Country Championships will be televised by a domestic brroadcaster.&nbsp; For more information on where the championships will be televised, please click <a href="https://allathletics.tv/championships/ea-cross-country-brussels-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.&nbsp;
Live results will be available through the European Athletics website (registration is required) as well as a live blog, and full and in-depth editorial coverage across the afternoon of the seven races.&nbsp;
Extensive coverage of the championships will be available across all of our social media channels.
<ul>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/europeanathletics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@EuropeanAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@europeanathletics?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a></li>
</ul>
Highlights of the championships will be published on the European Athletics YouTube channel on Sunday evening and full event replays will be published from Monday (11) afternoon onwards.&nbsp;
<h2 class="default-heading2">Press Conference</h2>
On Saturday (9), the traditional pre-event press conference from Brussels historic landmark Atomium will be streamed live from 12:00 local time (CET) via the European Athletics YouTube channel (direct link&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-fWbbuH_xU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>). The press conference will feature the following dignatories and athletes:&nbsp; European Athletics, Local Organising Committee &amp; City Dobromir Karamarinov, European Athletics President Philippe Close, Mayor of City of Brussels Benoit Hellings, First Alderman, Alderman for Climate and Sport, City of Brussels Gery Follens, LOC Co-President / Belgian Athletics Co-President Athletes Chloe Herbiet (BEL), 2023 Belgian cross country champion and Eindhoven Marathon winner Isaac Kimeli (BEL), 2023 Belgian cross country champion and 2022 European cross country bronze medallist Niels Laros (NED), European U20 1500m and 5000m champion and world 1500m finalist Megan Keith (GBR), European U23 5000m champion and 2021 European U20 cross country champion
<h2 dir="ltr">Useful links&nbsp;</h2>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.european-athletics.com/news/preview-kimeli-aiming-to-make-the-most-of-his-moment-in-the-spotlight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senior men&rsquo;s preview</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.european-athletics.com/news/preview-grovdal-bids-for-a-historic-hattrick-in-brussels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senior women&rsquo;s preview</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.european-athletics.com/news/preview-strong-british-contingent-poised-to-dominate-the-u23-races-again-in-brussels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U23 men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s preview</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.european-athletics.com/news/preview-laros-looks-to-master-the-mud-on-his-u20-debut-in-brussels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U20 men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s preview</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.european-athletics.com/news/preview-italy-aim-to-defend-their-mixed-relay-title-with-the-help-of-sabbatini-and-arese" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mixed relay preview</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/1a92d054-175f-4370-b4b8-0f739109d114/EXCH%202023%20-%20Final%20Entries%20Athletes%20List%20By%20Event%20V3.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Final entries</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/2acecc99-3208-4808-9035-e086fefe96c6/EXCCH-2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Statistics handbook&nbsp;</a></li>
<li dir="ltr"><a href="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/8f715366-6012-47bc-bdc9-4617fb81aefd/EXCH2023%20-%20Timetable_20231012.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timetable</a></li>
</ul>
<a href="https://exchbrussels2023.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1701185993/651e9039902491413508099c_1.jpg"></a>

Today (7) marks the six month countdown to the start of the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships which takes place in the iconic Foro Olimpico from 7-12 June.
This will be the biggest sporting event to be held in Italy in 2024 and the first time the European Athletics Championships returns to the Italian capital since 1974.
And with six months to go to Roma 2024, premium home straight tickets are now on sale for the Monte Mario Grandstand! All finals will take place inside the Olympic Stadium during the six evening sessions, including the finish of the women's and men's 20km race walk and half marathons.
Tickets for the all sessions are available at <a href="https://roma2024.vivaticket.it/index.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">roma2024.vivaticket.it </a>with prices starting from five euros (plus presale and service fees.)
Multi-day tickets are on sale for the first three days of the competition (7-9 June and 10-12 June) as well as an 'All-In' package which covers every session of the championships.
For an even greater incentive, fans purchasing at least three evening session tickets - or three multi-day tickets in the same transaction - will receive a 10 percent discount on their transaction.&nbsp;
Children up to six years of age can enter the stadium for free.

The big question everyone is asking is: will Isaac Kimeli shine in Brussels&rsquo; weak winter sun at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships on Sunday (10)?
The local star and poster boy for this year&rsquo;s event may never have a better chance to capture a continental senior title to add to his European U23 cross country crown from 2016 after two-time reigning champion and European Athlete of the Year Jakob Ingebrigtsen announced last month that he will miss the championships for the first time in his international career owing to a lower back problem.
Kimeli, now 29, and a European U20 silver medallist a decade ago in 2013, took silver in the senior ranks behind another Ingebrigtsen - Filip - in Tilburg in 2018 and bronze 12 months ago in Turin so would undoubtably have been among most pundits' predictions to make the podium.
However, Ingebrigtsen&rsquo;s absence inevitably change the dynamics of the race and has propelled Kimeli into the position of being arguably the pre-championship favourite.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1701869075/GettyImages-1070364044.jpg">
He will, of course, have the fervent backing of an enthusiastic home crowd but Kimeli is also very familiar with the Brussels course having won the Belgian national title back in February, which the Championships Team Manual warns will have "mud expected due to the time of year."
This could potentially put his main rivals from southern European nations such as Italy and Spain at a disadvantage, even though Kimeli frequently says he is not always a big fan of the heavier circuits that are common in his homeland.
Ahead of the championships, Kimeli told local media:&nbsp;"I stopped my outdoor season early so that I could immediately prepare for the European Cross Country Championships after my holiday. You will probably only experience a European Championship in your own country once in your entire career. That's why I have really trained specifically [for it]. I have consciously done training on cross country terrain, something I never did before."
Backed up by a team which includes Robin Hendrix and John Heymans, there is a good chance Belgium could feature in the race for the team medals as well. It could be some party in Laeken Park on Sunday, with Kimeli definitely guaranteed more than his fair share of support.&nbsp;
"My girlfriend has already bought tickets for 30 people, so if everyone shows up, it will be worth it. I will do everything I can not to disappoint the Belgian supporters," he added.
Italy&rsquo;s Yemaneberhan Crippa, fourth 12 months ago on home soil and just two seconds behind Kimeli on that occasion will be looking to dampen the anticipated festive atmosphere in Brussels and add the senior cross country title to his European U20 gold medals from 2014 and 2015 as well as his 10,000m gold from the 2022 European Athletics Championships.
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Crippa, who also won the European 10,000m Cup title this summer, showed good form when he returned from a period of altitude training in Kenya to win the Cross La Mandria International on 19 November although he had to work hard to hold off his improving compatriot Pasquale Selvarolo who only finished one second behind Crippa.&nbsp;
Selvarolo was only 46th last year at the same venue as last month's race but has the ambition and form to suggest a much higher placing in Brussels. He came to note domestically a few weeks prior when he clocked a 1:00:32 half marathon to climb to fourth on the Italian all-time list.&nbsp;
Led by Crippa, Italy took the team silver medals last year and will undoubtably be in contention for a place on the podium again &ndash; with 2022 mixed relay gold medallist Yassin Bouih and Italian marathon record-holder Iliass Aouani also in their squad &ndash; but 2021 and 2022 champions France will be looking to make it a hat-trick of team triumphs and have entered the nucleus of the their successful squad from last year.
Bastien Augusto and Yann Schrub finished sixth and seventh respectively in 2022 and will be looking to place, at least, in the top 10 again.
Augusto in particular has had an impressive last six months, and his feats include improving his 1500m best to 3:34.85 in July and recently clocking 27:40 for 10km on the roads.&nbsp;For his part, 2022 European 10,000m bronze medallist Schrub was the first European home over 25 laps of the track at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest this summer.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1701866375/GettyImages-1245550030.jpg">
The pair are augmented this year with the addition of multiple individual and team age-group Hugo Hay to the French team. Hay won U23 silver and bronze at the 2017 and 2018 European Cross Country Championships behind Jimmy Gressier. He just missed out on his first major medal as a senior when he was fourth individually in Dublin two years ago, although he was the second counter of their triumphant gold medal-winning team.&nbsp;
Inevitably, 2022 team bronze medallist Spain once again bring some notable names to this championship and should have the talent in depth to be medal contenders once again although they will have to counter the stereotype of the conditions not playing to their strengths.
2021 seventh-place finisher Nassim Hassaous, Sergio Paniagua and Abdessamad Oukhelfen, the latter 10th last year in Turin, have strung together a series of impressive performances and high placings in the traditionally very strong Spanish international cross country races in November and will likely feature at the front end of the race.
This trio is augmented in the Spanish team by 2018 European cross country U20 silver medallist Ouassim Oumaiz and 2018 European Athletics Championships 3000m steeplechase silver medallist Fernando Carro.
Great Britain, although not as strong as most recent years, will be led by international triathlete Hugo Milner, who looks set for a big improvement on his 32nd place last year after dominating the British trial race on a heavy and muddy course in Liverpool. He is joined by Zakariya Mahamed who steps up into the senior ranks after winning individual silver in the U23 race last year.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1701878866/IMG_1344_Chiara_Montesano.jpg">
And even though Jakob Ingebrigtsen will be a conspicuous absentee from this year's race, the family will still be represented in the senior men's race by older brother Henrik. Now 32, Henrik Ingebrigtsen competed in the U20 race when Brussels staged the 2008 SPAR European Cross Country Championships and he opened up the family medal haul as the fourth counter of Norway's silver medal-winning team.&nbsp;
With both genders racing the same distance within the same age-groups for the first time at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships, one anecdotal note is that the 2023 senior men&rsquo;s race will be the shortest ever at almost exactly 9km.
Phil Minshull for European Athletics
A complete entry list for the Brussels 2023 SPAR European Cross Country Championships is available <a href="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/3d8389a6-7a59-44b5-b68f-c4594d0c6b49/EXCH%202023%20-%20Final%20Entries%20Athletes%20List%20By%20Event%20V2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
The championships will be streamed in their entirety on the <a href="https://allathletics.tv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">All-Athletics platform</a> from 12:05 local time (CET) and will be accompanied by expert English-language commentary.
There will also be extensive race day coverage of the championships on the European Athletics website and across European Athletics&rsquo; social media channels.
<a href="https://exchbrussels2023.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1701185993/651e9039902491413508099c_1.jpg"></a>

Ahead of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Brussels on Sunday (10), the traditional pre-event press conference took place at the top of the historic Atomium landmark in Brussels where Belgium's Isaac Kimeli and Chloe Herbiet along with Great Britain's Megan Keith and the Netherlands' Niels Laros took the stage alongside European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov. 
Isaac Kimeli was the 2016 SPAR European Cross Country Championships U23 gold medallist and took silver in the senior ranks in 2018 as well as the bronze in 2022.
What are your expectations from the race? My background is running cross country from and it&rsquo;s great to have these championships at home. I think it will be a tough race but I will do my best to bring the gold medal home.
I know this course as we had the national championships here [in February] however this will be a tougher course as it was a dry course before and this will be mud, so that will be much harder&hellip; and if you start too fast you can die in this mud. Do you think you'll get a lot of support on the day? I&rsquo;m expecting a lot of people from Belgium, and also from the Netherlands&rsquo; (at this moment Isaac pointed to Niels Laros) to be here and my hometown is just 10 minutes from here, my mother and my girlfriend will be here.
What's your reaction to defending champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen not being here? I was expected Jakob to be running this race and when he&rsquo;s in the race everybody is looking at him. I hope he gets better from his injury but now the race is much more open.
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Chloe Herbiet is the 2023 Belgian cross country champion and won the Eindhoven Marathon in October. How do you mentally switch from the marathon to cross country? It's a lot easier to come down from the marathon to cross country because in my mind it's not as far, it's 42km down to 9km so the race goes much more quickly.
What's your feeling about having these championships on home soil? It's amazing and a matter of pride to have these championships in Belgium.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1702137104/GettyImages-1842309914.jpg">
Megan Keith is the 2023 European U23 5000m champion and 2021 European U20 cross country champion. The weather here is a bit like Britain so how do you feel? I think we've brought the weather with us (it was cold and rainy in Brussels on Saturday). We'll feel right at home here in Brussels. Do you prefer the track or cross country? Definitely, I prefer racing on the mud! I feel right at home on a cross country course. I'm really looking forward to these championships. What's the feeling like within the British team? I think there is definitely some confidence. We walked around the course this morning and the course is very similar to the trials race we had in Liverpool two weeks ago.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1702137708/GettyImages-1842397436.jpg">
Still only 18, Niels Laros is the 2023 European U20 1500m and 5000m champion, a World Athletics Championships Budapest23 1500m finalist and the Dutch 1500m record holder with 3:31.25. With so many achievements in 2023, if you had to choose just one highlight what would it be? I think the Budapest23 final when I ran the Dutch record. This will be your first SPAR European Cross Country Championships so how are you feeling? Well, this is typical cross country weather and I like it. and I used to run a lot of cross country when I was young although not so much in the last one or two years. However, I'm looking forward to the race. How do you feel about the comparisons with Jakob Ingebrigtsen? Well, he's a great athlete to it's an honour just to be mentioned alongside him. But I'm getting closer to him and soon I hope I'll be able to try to beat him.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1702138757/WhatsApp_Image_2023-12-09_at_4.32.42_PM.jpg">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; (L-R) LOC Co-President &amp; Belgian Athletics Co-President Gery Follens, European Athletics&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; President Dobromir Karamarinov, Brussels First Alderman Benoit Hellings
Shortly after the athletes left the stage, it was the turn of European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov. Brussels First Alderman Benoit Hellings and Local Organising Committee (LOC) Co-President &amp; Belgian Athletics Co-President Gery Follens to take the stage. "This is the second time we are having the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Brussels after 2008 and the third time in Belgium with Charleroi staging it in 1996. Cross country feels at home here in Belgium. This year there will be 37 federations here and more than 500 runners on this really challenging course here in Brussels," commented Karamarinov, summarising some key facts about the event. "Brussels is very proud to welcome these championships. We great experience organising big athletics events including the Memorial van Damme (the annual Diamond League meeting), the marathon here every year and now these championships. Cross country is a wonderful sport: the mud, the effort makes it something special," reflected Hellings.&nbsp; "And these championships will see three innovations, added Follens. "First of all, we have no more start boxes. We will do it like we have cross country races here in Belgium. Secondly, we have the random order in the mixed relay and thirdly there podium presentation will all come at the end of the championships after all the races are over and I hope many, many people stay to watch them. "In addition, we will have many of the greats of Belgian cross country running as invited guests: Gaston Roelents, Karel Lismont, Emiel Puttemans and Vincent Rousseau."

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.

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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.

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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

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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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Kimeli, Herbiet, Keith and Laros share their thoughts on the SPAR European Cross Country Championships

How to follow the Brussels 2023 SPAR European Cross Country Championships

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