European 10,000m Cup winner Efrem Gidey and three-time European cross country medallist Nick Griggs headline the entries for Sunday’s (23) Irish Cross Country Championships in Derry.
Gidey has enjoyed an outstanding year on both track and road, becoming the first Irish athlete to win the European 10,000m Cup following his triumph in Pacé, France, in May.
The victory offered some consolation after narrowly missing the podium in the half marathon at the Brussels–Leuven 2025 European Running Championships, where he was edged out for bronze by France’s Valentin Gondouin by just one second, clocking 1:01:54.
He also boasts a strong pedigree at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships, having earned U20 bronze in Lisbon in 2019 and placing fifth in the U23 race in Piemonte in 2022. Now stepping up fully into the senior ranks, Gidey will be aiming to make a statement in Derry.
Griggs on another European medal mission
Griggs, meanwhile, has been one of the most exciting young performers across recent U20 and U23 track and cross country championships, frequently battling rivals such as Britain’s three-time European cross country champion Will Barnicoat and the Netherlands’ Niels Laros, the reigning European U23 champion over 800m and 5000m.
His consistency has earned him seven European medals to date, including 3000m gold at the Tallinn 2021 European Athletics U20 Championships. He has medalled at the last three SPAR European Cross Country Championships—U20 silver in Piemonte 2022, U20 bronze in Brussels 2023, and U23 silver in Antalya 2023—and will be confident of another podium challenge at Lagoa 2025.
The women’s race features Niamh Allen, who placed 10th in the senior women’s race at the Antalya 2024 SPAR European Cross Country Championships, and Eimear Maher, the 1500m bronze medallist at the Bergen 2025 European Athletics U23 Championships.