Final entries for the European 10,000m Cup in Birmingham on 5 June have been published and can be found here.
A total of 111 athletes from 26 nations, as well as an Athlete Refugee Team in the men’s race, will be competing at this year’s edition which takes place at the University of Birmingham Athletics Track.
The event will be highlighted by the return of Mo Farah who will be contesting his first 10,000m since the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London. Now 38, Farah will be looking to secure the Olympic 10,000m qualifying time of 27:28 next weekend.
Farah forms part of an exceptionally strong British team in the men’s race which also features Marc Scott and Sam Atkin, both of whom have already surpassed the Olympic qualifying standard with 27:10.41 and 27:26.58 respectively.
The men’s line-up also includes the reigning European 10,000m champion Morhad Amdouni from France and European 10,000m silver medallist Bashir Abdi from Belgium, one of Farah’s principal training partners.
The Spaniards have also selected a strong team including multiple European U20 and U23 medallist Carlos Mayo and Juan Antonio Perez, the latter having clocked 27:46.08 this season already.
And while reigning individual champion Yemaneberhan Crippa won’t be present the Italians, who also won the team race in 2019, will be represented by his older brother Nekganet and recent sub-28 minute performer Iliass Aouani.
There will also be a new individual champion in the women’s race with two-time winner Lonah Chemtai Salpeter opting not to contest this year’s European 10,000m Cup.
And like in the men’s race, the hosts have picked an especially strong team including European 5000m silver medallist Eilish McColgan, the fastest entrant with a recently set lifetime best of 30:58.94.
European indoor 3000m champion and bronze medallist Amy-Eloise Markovc and Verity Ockenden have also been selected along with British team mainstay Jessica Judd. Markovc and Judd both missed the Olympic 10,000m qualifying time of 31:25 by a fraction in Irvine, California earlier this month with lifetime bests of 31:25.91 and 31:25.98 respectively.
The Germans have also named a strong team which includes Miriam Dattke, Katharina Steinruck and twins Deborah and Rabea Schoneborn while Albania's Luiza Gega and Selamawit Teferi from Israel should also be in contention for individual medals.