EUROPEAN CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS: PREVIEW & WHERE TO WATCH

An exciting Irish team of 40 athletes will take to Turin this weekend for the 28th edition of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships which takes place at La Mandria Park, on December 11th 2022.

All six individual champions from the 2021 European Cross Country Championships hosted in Fingal-Dublin will be in action at this year's championships including Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen who will be targeting his sixth successive title.

In total, four gold medallists from the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships will also be competing in La Mandria Park. 

Final Entries HERE.

Where to watch

The European Athletics Cross Country Championships will be broadcast live on RTE2 (Senior Races) and on the RTE Player. Action will also be streamed live on the European Athletics All TV Platform in partnership with RTE.

RACE BY RACE PREVIEW

U20 Men Race (6000m) - 08:35am Irish Time

The men’s U20 race will feature no fewer than 5 athletes who have bettered European records at either U18 or U20 level in 2022, as well as all three individual medallists from last year’s U20 race in Fingal-Dublin.

Reigning champion Axel Vang Christensen from Denmark was only 17 when claiming a dominant win at Fingal-Dublin 2021 twelve months ago, striding away in the early stages of the U20 6km and amassing an unassailable winning margin of 25 seconds over Norway’s Abdullahi Dahir Rabi. Both medallists return to the U20 race again this year.

The Irish U20 team has no shortage of young and exciting talent to take them on. The Irish line-up includes two of last year’s U20 silver-medal-winning team members in Nick Griggs (Mid Ulster AC) and Dean Casey (Ennis Track) who will lead out yet another strong looking Irish U20 team as they go in search of a team podium finish.

Jonas Stafford (Ashford AC) looked in the form of his life in taking the U20 bronze medal at nationals last month, while Sean McGinley (Finn Valley), Callum Morgan (St. Malachy's AC), and Mark Hanrahan (Ennis Track) will head into this Sunday full of confidence given recent performances.

With only three to score, Denmark and Norway look among the likely contenders for the podium places alongside Ireland in what looks a hugely competitive race.

U20 Women Race (4000m) - 09:03am Irish Time

Last year’s winner Megan Keith (GB&NI) has moved into the U23 ranks but the women’s U20 race doesn’t look any less competitive with Irish athletes set to face a strong Nordic representation.

Ingeborg Østgard, who competed for Norway in the 1500m at the European Athletics Championships in Munich this summer, took the silver medal in Dublin last year and will be looking to upgrade to gold in her last appearance at the grade.

Ireland’s Anika Thompson (Leevale AC) made the long trip from Oregon to Donegal to claim the national U20 title over a fortnight ago and will lead out the Irish team for her international debut on Sunday morning. 

Thompson will head an exciting women’s U20 team with Roise Roberts (North Belfast Harriers) and Jane Buckley (Leevale AC) back for another bite at the European U20 race following encouraging performances at the grade last year. Anna Gardiner (East Down AC), Hannah Kehoe (Kilkenny City Harriers), and Fiona Hawkins (Dublin City Harriers) complete another young and exciting team.

Away from the Irish team, Sofia Thøgersen of Denmark was 15th in last year's race and can be expected to build on that performance on the back of her double medal haul at the European Athletics U18 Championships this year.

Other medal contenders include Finland’s Ilona Mononen, Hungary’s Greta Varga - who finished seventh in this race in 2019 aged 15 - and the highly rated Turkish middle-distance runner Ayca Fidanoglu, the silver medallist in the 1500m at the European Athletics U18 Championships.

Mixed Relay (4 x 1500m) - 09:30am Irish Time

The Irish mixed relay team will have no shortage of speed or experience with Olympians Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea) and Nadia Power (Dublin City Harriers) joining 1,000m indoor record holders Georgie Hartigan (Dundrum South Dublin) and Luke McCann (Dublin City Harriers) as they each look to master the 1500m lap.

Since 2017, Great Britain and Northern Ireland have won three of the four mixed-relay races, temporarily relinquishing the title to Spain in Tilburg in 2018 when they finished out of the medals in fourth place.

The Irish team have made no secret of their podium aspirations this weekend on the back of last year’s agonising 4th place finish.  Strong Italian, Spanish, and French teams, alongside defending champions Great Britain and Northern Ireland will likely see the race come down to the final few meters of the 4x1500m course once again.

U23 Men Race (8000m) - 10:30am Irish Time

The U23 race can arguably be seen as one of Ireland’s best medal hopes this weekend, with last year’s European cross country silver medallist (U23) Darragh McElhinney (UCD AC) looking to spearhead a strong looking U23 team once more.

McElhinney was an impressive winner of his national senior title last month and will line up alongside fellow European cross country medallist Efrem Gidey (U20 bronze in 2019), as well as Keelan Kilrehill (Moy Valley) and Jamie Battle (Mullingar Harriers) who were both part of last year's U23 gold-medal-winning team at Fingal-Dublin 2021.

The race looks to have plenty of depth throughout however, so it will have to be another career best from the UCD athlete to get the Irish back among the podium places.

Irish fans can expect to see Thomas McStay (Galway City Harriers), and Shay McEvoy (Kilkenny City Harriers) staying on at the finish as they look to eke out every position.

McElhinney made Charles Hicks (GB&NI) work hard for his victory in the race last year and the pair will renew rivalry once again come Sunday. Hicks leads out a strong looking GB&NI team and will be aiming to become only the second man to successfully defend the U23 title. Jimmy Gressier (France) claimed the title in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Last year’s bronze medalist Ruben Querinjean (Lux) also returns following his breakout performance at the Fingal-Dublin 2021 edition.

In all, eight of the top nine from the 2021 race return: medal winners Hicks, McElhinney and Querinjean, plus Magnus Tuv Myhre of Norway (fourth), Kilrehill (sixth), France’s Antoine Senard (seventh), Spain’s Aaron Las Heras (eighth) and Valentin Godouin of France (ninth).

The field also features Portugal’s European U23 3000m steeplechase silver medallist Etson Barros and Spain’s European U20 3000m steeplechase champion Pol Oriach, who was fourth in the U20 race last year.

U23 Women Race (6000m) - 11:03 am Irish Time

Nadia Battocletti (Italy) will bid to defend her U23 title on home soil following her impressive display last year. Only one woman has gained back-to-back U23 titles and Battocletti will be attempting to emulate the Danish athlete Anna Emilie Moller.

Sarah Healy (UCD AC) was fifth last year and will face yet another tough battle for the leading positions. All 4 of the athletes who finished ahead of Healy last year return once again to take their places among the 61 entries.

The UCD athlete looked very impressive in claiming the national senior title ahead of Ciara Mageean last month and is one who will enjoy the technical nature of the La Mandria Park course.

The Irish U23 team won’t be found lacking for championship experience either with Danielle Donegan (UCD AC), Laura Mooney (Tullamore Harriers), Aoife Ó'Cuill (St Coca’s AC), and Jodie McCann (Dublin City Harriers) sure to work together in a bid to back up an attempt from Healy to better last year’s excellent 5th place. Niamh O'Mahoney (An Ríocht AC) makes her championship debut following an excellent 2022 season.

There will be a blistering pace from the gun with Finland’s Nathalie Blomqvist and Britain’s Megan Keith (U20 champion last year) sure to be with the leading contenders throughout.

Senior Women Race (8000m) - 11:33am Irish Time

European 5000m and 10,000m champions Konstanze Klosterhalfen (Germany) and Yasemin Can (Turkey) will be two of the likely favourites in the senior women’s race, alongside last year’s champion Karoline Grovdal of Norway.

The Irish team will see Tokyo Olympians Michelle Finn (Leevale AC) and Eilish Flanagan (Finn Valley) join the in-form Ann Marie McGlynn (Letterkenny AC), Mary Mulhare (Portlaoise AC), Aoibhe Richardson (Kilkenny City Harriers) and Roisin Flanagan (Finn Valley AC) in what looks a stacked senior race where Ireland will look to better last year’s agonising 4th place finish.

Senior Men Race (10.000m) - 12:10pm Irish Time

The eyes of Europe will be on Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen come midday on Sunday as he targets his third European title of 2022 following his 1500/5000m victories in Munich.

Like the senior women’s team last year, the Irish senior men’s team came close to medalling in 2021 (4 points off bronze) and they will look to recent 5,000m indoor record-breaker Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock) to lead them home as he goes in search of yet another major championship top 10.

Hiko Tonosa Haso (Dundrum South Dublin) looked back to his best at nationals and the experienced duo can expect plenty of backup from the quality quartet of Peter Lynch (Kilkenny City Harriers), Pierre Murchan (Dublin City Harriers), Cormac Dalton (Mullingar Harriers), and Barry Keane (Waterford AC) who has been in sparkling form in recent weeks.

Team Ireland:

Event	Name	Club	Coach
Senior Men	Hiko Tonosa Haso	Dundrum South Dublin	Feidhlim Kelly
Senior Men	Peter Lynch	Kilkenny City Harriers	Taylor Gulley
Senior Men	Pierre Murchan	Dublin City Harriers	Mary McKenna
Senior Men	Brian Fay	Raheny Shamrocks	Andy Powell
Senior Men	Cormac Dalton	Mullingar Harriers	Taylor Gulley
Senior Men	Barry Keane	Waterford AC	Matt Roe
Senior Women	Eilish Flanagan	Finn Valley AC	Damon Martin
Senior Women	Michelle Finn	Leevale AC	Feidhlim Kelly
Senior Women	Ann Marie McGlynn	Letterkenny AC	Emmett Dunleavy
Senior Women	Mary Mulhare	Portlaoise AC	Michael Mulhare
Senior Women	Aoibhe Richardson	Kilkenny City Harriers	Julia Lucas
Senior Women	Roisin Flanagan	Finn Valley AC	Damon Martin
U23 Men	Darragh McElhinney	UCD AC	Emmett Dunleavy
U23 Men	Efrem Gidey	Clonliffe Harriers	Peter McDermott
U23 Men	Keelan Kilrehill	Moy Valley AC	Emmett Dunleavy
U23 Men	Jamie Battle	Mullingar Harriers	Joe Ryan
U23 Men	Thomas McStay	Galway City Harriers	Matt Lockett
U23 Men	Shay McEvoy	Kilkenny City Harriers	Taylor Gulley
U23 Women	Sarah Healy	UCD AC	Eoghan Marnell
U23 Women	Danielle Donegan	UCD AC	Emmett Dunleavy
U23 Women	Laura  Mooney	Tullamore Harriers	Ray Treacy
U23 Women	Aoife Ó'Cuill	St Coca’s AC	Joe Ryan
U23 Women	Jodie McCann	Dublin City Harriers	Clark McCann
U23 Women	Niamh O'Mahoney	An Ríocht AC	Ray Treacy
U20 Men	Nicholas Griggs	Mid Ulster AC	Mark Kirk
U20 Men	Dean Casey	Ennis Track AC	Pat Hogan
U20 Men	Jonas Stafford	Ashford AC	Feidhlim Kelly
U20 Men	Mark Hanrahan	Ennis Track AC	Pat Hogan
U20 Men	Callum Morgan	St. Malachy's AC	Mark Kirk
U20 Men	Sean McGinley	Finn Valley AC	John Rogan
U20 Women	Anika Thompson	Leevale AC	Ken Nason & Shalane Flanagan
U20 Women	Anna Gardiner	East Down AC	Peter Morgan
U20 Women	Róise Roberts	North Belfast Harriers	Jim McGuinness & Joe Ryan
U20 Women	Hannah Kehoe	Kilkenny City Harriers	Niamh Richardson
U20 Women	Jane Buckley	Leevale AC	Ray Treacy
U20 Women	Fiona Hawkins	Dublin City Harriers	Damon Martin
Mixed Relay	Andrew Coscoran	Star of the Sea AC	Feidhlim Kelly
Mixed Relay	Luke McCann	UCD AC	Thomas Dreißigacker & Clark McCann
Mixed Relay	Georgie Hartigan	Dundrum South Dublin	Bev Hartigan
Mixed Relay	Nadia Power	Dublin City Harriers	Matt Yates

 

Notes:

• Athletics Ireland would like to wish all of our athletes and their coaches the best of luck this weekend.
• European Cross Country Championships Official Website & Timetable HERE