Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen will not compete at the 2025 SPAR European Cross Country Championships scheduled for December 14 in Lagoa, Portugal.
Why Jakob Ingebrigtsen Missing The SPAR European Cross Country Championships?
The 24-year-old distance runner was originally listed on Norway’s team when it was announced on November 25. However, Ingebrigtsen has decided to withdraw from the event to concentrate on preparing for the 2026 season.
Erlend Slokvik, the sports director for the Norwegian Athletics Association, explained the decision according to NRK.
“Jakob has had a very good training period at altitude in recent weeks and has decided to skip the European Cross Country Championships in order to focus fully on the 2026 season. We support the decision and look forward to the upcoming season,” Slokvik said.
Ingebrigtsen has won the senior men’s race at the European Cross Country Championships three times. He claimed victories in 2021, 2022, and most recently in 2024 when the championships took place in Antalya, Turkey.
Magnus Tuv Myhre and his older brother Filip will now lead Norway’s senior men’s team in Portugal in the absence of Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Magnus Tuv Myhre was the European cross country silver medalist behind Frenchman Yann Schrub in 2023.
Filip Ingebrigtsen earned gold in the senior race at the 2018 SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen has collected numerous medals throughout his career. The Norwegian runner won Olympic gold medals in the 1500 meters in 2021 and the 5000 meters in 2024. At the World Championships, he captured 5000-meter titles in both 2022 and 2023.
The 25-year-old has also dominated at the European Championships. He won nine outdoor European gold medals across different events. These include victories in the 1500 meters and 5000 meters in 2018, 2022, and 2024 to go along with his three European cross country long race crowns.
At the European Indoor Championships, he earned seven gold medals. His indoor titles include wins in the 1500 meters and 3000 meters in 2021, 2023, and 2025. He also won the 3000 meters in 2019.
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