The road to the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa, Portugal on 14 December begins with the TCS Lidingöloppet on Saturday (27).
The TCS Lidingöloppet is the traditional curtain raiser for the cross country season in Europe and is one of nine World Athletics Cross Country Silver and Bronze events due to take place in Europe this season.
The TCS Lidingöloppet which takes place in Lidingö on the outskirts of Stockholm is something of an outlier on the cross country calendar as the elite race is held over the gruelling distance of 30km, more than three times the distance of the senior races at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
Johnson leads Swedish challenge
There is a good chance of Swedish success, particularly in the senior women’s race which features Carolina Johnson, the surprise winner of this title two years ago. Johnson showed good endurance last weekend by setting a lifetime best of 70:32 in rainy conditions at the Copenhagen Half Marathon to move to fifth on the Swedish all-time list.
Her closest rival is likely to be the Danish-based Kenyan Sylvia Medugu, a six-time winner at the TCS Lidingöloppet and a four-time winner in the 30km. If she wins again, Medugu - who finished second in both 2023 and 2024 - will create history by becoming the first five-time winner of the 30km.
Swedish hopes in the men’s race will be focused on former national marathon record-holder David Nilsson and three-time world orienteering champion Emil Svensk. The line-up also includes Spain’s Chakib Lachgar, the reigning IAU world 50km champion and former race winners Diego Estrada from the United States and William Morwabe from Kenya.
As is customary, the winners will be adorned with a giant wreath as a token of their victories. A Kranskulla (Wreath Maiden) and a Kransmas (Wreath Man) is appointed each year from members of the organising clubs to place the wreaths around the neck of each winner.
The most notable past champions include the late Grete Waitz from Norway who won the 12km on 12 occasions between 1976 and 1988. Fellow world marathon record-holders Ingrid Kristiansen from Norway and Kenya’s Tegla Loroupe are also both on the roll-of-honour.
Around 33,000 participants will take place across all events that make up the programme of the TCS Lidingöloppet from 26-28 September. Interest in the event has continued to grow since the pandemic, and participation is now at its highest levels since 2018.
The full calendar can be found below.
2025-26 calendar
27 September - TCS Lidingöloppet, Lidingö (SWE) - Silver
19 October - Autumn Open International, Belfast (GBR) - Bronze
2 November - Cross Internacional de San Sebastian, San Sebastian (ESP) - Silver
15 November - Sparkassen Cross, Pforzheim (GER) - Silver
30 November - International Warandecross, Tilburg (NED) - Silver
28 December - Cross Internacional de Amurrio, Amurrio (ESP) - Silver
31 December - Intersport Sylvestercross, Soest (NED) - Bronze
1 February - Gran Premio Cáceres de la Diputación de Cáceres, location TBC - Silver
14 March - White Cross, Belgrade (SRB) - Bronze