A group of established and emerging leaders in athletics met in person at the recent SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa, Portugal, as part of the European Athletics Mentoring Project.
Twenty-two participants from 12 Member Federations gathered on 13–14 December, marking the halfway point of the programme.
The project pairs mentors and mentees based on shared areas of interest, supporting them through monthly online meetings while also providing valuable opportunities for the wider group to connect and network with peers.
Lagoa 2025 backdrop
Set against the backdrop of a major European Athletics event in Lagoa, participants delivered presentations on their individual projects, with each mentor–mentee pairing sharing insights into their journey so far. The group also took part in discussions on leadership and leadership styles.
In addition, participants benefited from a question-and-answer session with European Athletics’ Head of Communications, Peter Sanderson.
After previous online sessions covering leadership and the transition from athlete to athletics administrator, further topics to be covered online will be on community building and change management.
The two remaining online gatherings for the group will take place before the current programme concludes in March 2026.