Will Barnicoat and Innes FitzGerald’s bids for consecutive titles at the Lagoa 2025 SPAR European Cross Country Championships get underway in earnest at the British Trials in Liverpool on Saturday (22).
Barnicoat has won gold at the last three championships, taking U20 gold at Turin 2022 and U23 gold at both Brussels 2023 and Antalya 2024.
FitzGerald triumphed at both the Brussels 2023 and Antalya 2024 events in the women’s U20 class. The decorated duo will first have to navigate the races in Liverpool before securing their places on the start line in Portugal three weekends later.
FitzGerald enjoyed a brilliant track season, winning a distance double in the 3000m and 5000m at the Tampere 2025 European Athletics U20 Championships before going on to compete at her first ever World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. She opened her cross country season with a dominant victory at the Cardiff Cross Challenge earlier this month (8).
Barnicoat also added to his medal collection over the summer, winning 5000m bronze at the Bergen 2025 European Athletics U23 Championships. FitzGerald will race in the women’s U20 4.4km event and Barnicoat in the combined senior/U23 men’s race over 8km. Both will start as clear favourites to clinch selection.
Anderson, Warner-Judd, Axford and Donnelly lead senipr women's field
The senior competitions could be harder to predict.
In the women’s 8km event, Cardiff winner Kate Axford is likely to be in the mix. Phoebe Anderson, who won U23 gold at the Antalya 2024 SPAR European Cross Country Championships is now stepping into the senior ranks and must fancy her chances.
So too might Abbie Donnelly, who won bronze in the senior women’s race at Brussels 2023 and perennial contender Jessica Warner-Judd who will be aiming for her 10th appearance at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
30-year-old Warner-Judd was U20 silver medallist in Samokov 2014, U23 bronze medallist in Šamorín 2017 and has a best-placed finish of 4th in the senior women’s race in Dublin 2021.
Mahamed brothers lead men's entry
The senior men’s race looks set to be a hard-fought race including brothers Zakariya Mahamed and Mahamed Mahamed. The former recently won in Cardiff and took U23 silver at the Turin 2022 SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
His elder brother has shifted gears towards the marathon in recent years, placing 4th in this year’s London Marathon, so will not be found wanting for endurance in Liverpool.
2023 European U23 10,000m gold medallist Rory Leonard will also be one to watch, whilst Andrew Butchart will be looking for a return to the big time. The Scot was 6th over 5000m at the 2026 Rio Olympic Games and bronze medallist in Šamorín 2017. Charles Wheeler is another name in with a chance of making the team.
Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the most successful nation in SPAR European Cross Country Championships history and they will be looking to maintain the proud tradition at Lagoa 2025, starting in Liverpool.