Spain’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo shocked world 10,000m champion Jimmy Gressier by pipping the French athlete in the senior men’s race at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa on Sunday (14).
The duo ran in lockstep for virtually the entire race and, as Gressier stumbled on the final turn, the Spaniard ran clear to claim a career-best victory, improving on the bronze medal he won in the same race 12 months earlier in Antalya.
In contrast, Gressier had to settle for silver, although it rounded off a fruitful year that has also seen him win world 10,000m gold, world 5000m bronze and European half marathon gold.
In summary:
- Jimmy Gressier stumbles as Thierry Ndikumwenayo sprints to gold
- Dominic Lobalu and Scott Beattie battle it out for bronze
- Spain defended team title from Ireland and France
How the race unfolded...
Gressier and Ndikumwenayo, who had fell at the start, broke clear by the second of five laps and by the following lap had already built a seven-second lead over a chasing pack that included Switzerland’s European 10,000m champion Dominic Lobalu, Great Britain’s Scott Beattie, and Ndikumwenayo’s Spanish teammates Aarón Las Heras and Abdessamad Oukhelfen.
Despite repeatedly pushing the pace, Gressier struggled to shake off the persistent Ndikumwenayo, who clung to his every move.
On the final lap, the pair exchanged the lead on several occasions, but the Spaniard judged the final turn better, running wide of Gressier, whose misstep just 30 metres from the finish ultimately decided the race.
As Ndikumwenayo celebrated at the line after clocking 22:05 for the 7.74km course, Gressier trudged home three seconds later, his sunglasses unable to disguise his obvious disappointment.
There was an equally dramatic battle for bronze, with Lobalu and Beattie sprawling over the line together in 22:23. The Swiss athlete was awarded bronze after a photo finish.
It was double delight for Ndikumwenayo as Oukhelfen and Las Heras placed sixth and ninth respectively to secure team gold for Spain for a record-extending 11th time at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
Ireland claimed team silver, led by a superb fifth-place finish from Jack O’Leary, while France took team bronze ahead of Great Britain, giving Gressier more crumbs of comfort.
What they said
Thierry Ndikumwenayo: "I did not come here in a good shape, I am not at one hundred per cent, I knew that Gressier could win but I was not going to let him get the title easily. Running here in Portugal also felt like running at home, we came driving just a couple of hours. The ambience was also great, lots of people supporting and that helped us to race."
Jimmy Gressier: "I decided to come here mainly because the team needed my help to try to fight for a medal. And I also believed I was able to win individually. I finished second, not exactly what I've came after but I'm satisfied after an amazing year. World champion, European half marathon champion, a lot of amazing personal records happened in 2025. What a beautiful year!"
"Of course in the last lap I believed I could beat Thierry in the sprint but it turned out he was stronger than me. Bravo to him. Unfortunately today my legs weren't as strong as I wanted. I felt tired during the race and this course is very far from what I could wish for. I prefer faster and flatter courses."
Dominic Lobalu: "This medal is very important to me. I got lucky to have won this one, and also, it is my first cross. I tried it yesterday, it looked easier. But in the competition, it is much different. So I am very happy for this bronze.
"I think I need to come back to see if I can improve it. Generally, I am not happy with my result today. I think I started so much behind and also, I had to fight so hard. So next year, I think I need to get also a good experience, to run comfortable.
"Today, I did not run comfortable. On the track, it is much easier for me. The surface is always flat. But this is also a good experience. I think I always believed that if you run more cross country, you will get more endurance and it is also good for the muscles."