The 30th edition of the European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Turkey, confirmed British supremacy in this discipline on the European stage. With 12 medals, including six golds, the British team topped the medal table, ahead of Italy, who claimed five medals. The individual and collective performances of the British athletes marked a competition in which other major names in athletics, such as Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Nadia Battocletti, also shone.
Innes FitzGerald Defends Her Title in the U20 Women’s Category
Announced as one of the world’s top young athletes, Innes FitzGerald confirmed her status as a rising star in cross-country by securing her second consecutive title in the U20 women’s category. At just 18 years old, she led a controlled race, setting the pace on a technical course in Turkey. After a grouped start with her teammate Jess Bailey and Germany’s Julia Ehrle, FitzGerald accelerated in the final lap to win with an 11-second lead. Jess Bailey, who finished eighth last year, also impressed by taking the silver medal. With Eleanor Strevens in sixth place, the British team secured the gold medal in the team competition, which is based on the combined rankings of all athletes from the same nationality in each race, ahead of France and Italy.
Will Barnicoat Completes Historic Hat-Trick
Will Barnicoat, already a champion in 2022 (U20) and 2023 (U23), wrote a new page in the history of British cross-country by winning his third consecutive title, this time in the U23 men’s category. In a very tight three-way race, Barnicoat distanced his main rival, Irishman Nick Griggs, in the final meters, demonstrating perfect strategy and fitness. His teammate David Stone, returning from several injuries, completed the British performance with a bronze medal, while Brett Rushman contributed to the team score by finishing 13th. These results once again allowed the British team to secure the collective gold, ahead of France and Denmark.
Phoebe Anderson Shines in the U23 Women’s Category
After three years of training in the United States with Columbia, Phoebe Anderson showcased her experience by winning the U23 women’s title in a race where she wasn’t especially expected to win and certainly wasn’t the favorite. After a rather quiet start, the final meters saw Anderson unleash her sprinting speed, allowing her to pull away from her rivals and win by five seconds ahead of Spain’s Maria Forero and Finland’s Ilona Mononen. This individual success also helped the British team win the gold medal in the team competition, thanks to the performances of Mia Waldmann (6th) and Tia Wilson (17th).
Jakob Ingebrigtsen: The Return of a Champion
Absent from the last edition, Jakob Ingebrigtsen returned to the top of the podium by winning his third senior men’s title, after his victories in 2021 and 2022. On a demanding course, the Norwegian allowed Brits Hugo Milner and Rory Leonard to lead early in the race before taking control in the final kilometers, as he usually does. Accompanied by other big names in European cross-country such as Italy’s Yeman Crippa and Belgium’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo, Ingebrigtsen launched a decisive acceleration in the final stages to win with a nine-second lead over the two aforementioned athletes.
A Perfect Year for Nadia Battocletti
After completing the 5,000m-10,000m double at the European Championships in Rome in June, and then taking silver in the 10,000m at the Paris Olympics, Nadia Battocletti added another title to her collection by winning the European Cross Championship in Antalya. She finished ahead of Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen, who was 11 seconds behind, and Turkish-Kenyan Yasemin Can, a four-time champion of this event, who finished 18 seconds behind. Already a champion in the U20 and U23 categories, Nadia Battocletti, at 24, made history as the first woman to win titles in both junior categories and the senior category.
An Almost Perfect Collective Performance
Beyond individual performances, the British teams excelled in the team rankings. The U20 and U23 women’s teams, as well as the U23 men’s team, all won gold. In the senior categories, the women took silver and the men won bronze, and the mixed relay team finished third after a final sprint where Italy, via Pietro Arese, edged out France and the British team. With 12 medals, including six European titles, the British team continues to dominate cross-country on the continent, while unveiling a new generation of talents ready to carry on this tradition of success year after year.
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