Ireland have named a four-strong team for the 2026 World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida on 10 January, with recent standout performances at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Lagooa central to the selection.
The team is led by national champions Brian Fay and Fiona Everard, both of whom placed 10th in the senior men’s and senior women’s races respectively in Lagoa.
Olympian Fay has enjoyed a standout cross-country campaign, winning the Irish senior title in November before playing a key scoring role as Ireland claimed a historic silver medal in the senior men’s team race in Lagoa — the country’s first in 25 years.
Everard returns to the world stage after a breakthrough performance in Portugal, where she surged through the field to finish tenth in the senior women’s race.
She will look to build on her previous World Cross Country experience, having placed 60th in Belgrade in 2024.
Joining Everard in the senior women’s race is Niamh Allen who finished 23rd in Lagoa last weekend, adding to her strong tenth-place finish at the 2024 SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Türkiye.
Completing the team is Noah Harris who was an impressive 10th in the U20 men’s race in Lagoa.