European cross country champion Thierry Ndikumwenayo, world 1500m champion Isaac Nader, European indoor medallist Salomé Afonso and European U18 gold medallist Katie Pye are among the athletes swapping international vests for club vests in Sunday’s (8) European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country in Albufeira.
The 61st edition will see the cream of European clubs compete across senior, U20 and mixed relay races and it will all be live streamed by the European Athletics YouTube channel from 10:45 CET.
The major prizes were collected by Spanish, Portuguese and Turkish clubs last year and representatives from those nations are strong favourites for the podium again this year.
European champion Ndikumwenayo lines up for Playas de Castellon defence
In the senior men’s race, Ndikumwenayo, who brilliantly won gold for Spain at the Lagoa 2025 SPAR European Cross Country Championships will line up in the colours of defending champions Playas de Castellon and will be looking to regain the title he won in 2024.
Also on his team is Burundi international Rodrigue Kwizera, who has won this race on three previous occasions (2022, 2023, 2025). Uganda’s 2022 world 5000m bronze medallist Oscar Chelimo representing Italian club Atletica Casone Noceto is also likely to feature.
But with such a formidable spearhead, Playa de Castellon will start as favourites to retain their team title. Though with Kenyan international Charles Rotich and Portuguese 10km record holder José Carlos Pinto in their ranks, Sporting Clube de Portugal cannot be ruled out.
Machado returns with Braga teammates
The senior women’s competition should also provide plenty of intrigue. Portuguese international Mariana Machado leads the Sporting Clube de Braga team, who will be bidding to retain the title they won last year.
Machado, who won U23 bronze at the Dublin 2021 SPAR European Cross Country Championships, will also have her eye on individual success.
The favourite is Ethiopian Likina Amebaw, who is representing Playas de Castellon and who won two World Cross Country Tour Gold meetings in Soria and Amorebieta-Etxano late in 2025.
Other contenders include Balkan 5000m champion Bahar Yildirim of Fenerbahce and Italian 10km champion Valentina Gemetto representing Asd Caivano Runners. In the mixed relay, Benfica are rolling out the big guns again in a bid to retain their title.
Nader and Afonso set for Portugese relay battle
World 1500m champion Isaac Nader and his girlfriend and double European indoor medallist Salomé Afonso, who also formed half of Portugal’s silver-medal winning team at Lagoa 2025 are in a strong Benfica squad.
However, Patrícia Silva - another member of the successful mixed relay team in Lagoa - will line up for Sporting Clube de Portugal alongside Pinto, who may double up on his senior men’s race commitments, meaning a possible battle between the host nation’s clubs.
In the U20 races, Belgium cross country international Hugo Jeukenne lines up for Herve AC in the men’s event where Fenerbahce will be seeking to defend the team title.
In the women’s U20 race, Great Britain’s Katie Pye, who won 3000m gold at the Banska Bystrica European Athletics U18 Championships is a leading contender, where Fenerbahce are defending another U20 team title.