European Athletics has awarded the 2012 European Cross Country Championships to the Hungarian town of Szentendre in Budapest.
The decision was taken after the Hungarian athletics federation, supported by the Hungarian Open Air Museum (Skansen), presented the host city candidacy for the 19th edition of the annual cross country event on Friday at the ongoing European Athletics Council meeting in Lisbon, Portugal.
It will be the first time a Hungarian city will have hosted the European Cross Country Championships.
European Athletics President Hansjörg Wirz said, 'We are very pleased to confirm that the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in 2012 will be in Hungary. Athletics is a popular sport in the country and today we have been assured that we can look forward to an excellent event.
'There are some conditions to be fulfilled and we are assured that the Hungarian athletics federation will make sure these are dealt with to all parties' satisfaction and that the 2012 championships are successful,' said President Wirz.
European Athletics has set a deadline of 31 January 2011 for guarantees to be provided on certain television production matters.
Hungarian athletics federation General Secretary Marton Gyulai said, 'We are very pleased that we will be able to host the premier continental cross country event in 2012. We will work hard to ensure it will be a fantastic event.”
The 2010 SPAR European Cross Country Championships will take place in Albufeira on 12 December. The 2011 edition is scheduled for Velenje, Slovenia, on 11 December.
The 125th European Athletics Council meeting, led by President Hansjörg Wirz and attended this weekend by IAAF President Lamine Diack, will decide on a number of important issues over three days. There will also be reports from recent meetings of the Competition and Development Committees.