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Fionnuala McCormack will headline an Irish squad stacked with European championship experience which has been selected for the 29th edition of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships which take place in Brussels on December 10th 2023.
Brussels 2023 will mark McCormack’s 18th European Cross Country Championships where she will be joined on an experienced Irish senior women’s team by Eilish Flanagan (Finn Valley AC), Roisin Flanagan (Finn Valley AC), Mary Mulhare (Portlaoise AC), Fionnula Ross (Armagh AC), and recent national champion Fiona Everard (Bandon AC).
The senior men’s team includes newly crowned national cross country champion Cormac Dalton (Mullingar Harriers) who will be ably supported by Irish 5,000m record holder Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock), Hugh Armstrong (Ballina AC), Keelan Kilrehill (Mov Valley AC), Fearghal Curtin (Youghal AC), and a resurgent Kevin Mulcaire (Ennis Track Club).
The U23 teams will see the return of Danielle Donegan (Tullamore Harriers) who led Ireland home in the U23 race year, while the U23 men’s team will see Dean Casey (Ennis Track Club) graduate from the U20 category following following last year’s brilliant bronze medal performance.
Last year’s U20 silver medallist Nick Griggs (Candour Track Club) will spearhead a strong looking U20 men’s team as he look to go in search of more European success, while recent national champion Anna Gardiner (East Down AC) will head to Brussels buoyed by her impressive win in Gowran last Sunday.
Speaking at the announcement, Athletics Ireland National Endurance Coordinator, Mark Kenneally said, “In my short time in the role it has been heartening to see the stellar work being put in by athletes and coaches to prepare for these championships. In recent years we have enjoyed great individual and team success, and this has raised expectations, both within the team and externally in the wider athletics and sporting community. This is, again, fantastic to see, and while the standard of distance running generally in Europe is on the rise, I am confident that our athletes are capable of rising to the challenge. Our athletes will be prepared to perform at their highest level, and I am certain this will ensure it will be a successful championships on December 10th in Brussels.”
The SPAR European Cross Country Championships is one of the main seasonal appointments of the European Athletics calendar. Brussels 2023 follows last year’s championships in Piemonte, Italy which saw Ireland claim a record 5 medals which resulted in Ireland finishing in second place on the overall medal table alongside Spain and France, bettering the 3 medals won at the 2021 European Cross Country Championships which were hosted in Fingal-Dublin.
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