LAGOA (14 December) — The 2025 SPAR European Cross Country Championships concluded Sunday in Lagoa, Portugal, with Spain claiming the top position on the medal table after winning three gold medals across multiple events.
Belgium secured second place in the overall standings with three gold medals of their own, while Great Britain & Northern Ireland finished third with two golds, three silvers, and one bronze.
Spain’s Depth Powers Medal Count
Spain’s performance across age groups and events drove its success at the championships. The team collected eight total medals, including three golds, two silvers, and three bronzes. Their consistent podium finishes, including a victory in the senior men’s race to close out the championships, help with the topping of the table.
France finished with the most total medals at nine, but claimed only one gold medal to go with the four silver and four bronze medals. Belgium’s three gold medals came without any silver or bronze additions. Ireland secured four total medals with two golds, one silver, and one bronze.
Senior Races Deliver Top Performances
Nadia Battocletti of Italy successfully defended her senior women’s title at the championships. The World and Olympic medallist returned to Lagoa and completed her mission to retain the crown she won at the previous edition.
Spain’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo captured the senior men’s title in a close finish. He held off world 10,000m champion Jimmy Gressier of France in the final stretch to claim gold for his country.
Age Group Champions Crowned
Great Britain’s Innes Fitzgerald continued her dominant season by winning her third consecutive U20 women’s title. The European U20 Championships distance double winner and European U20 5000m record holder crossed the line in 14:35. France’s Lucie Paturel finished second, 32 seconds behind Fitzgerald.
Belgium’s Willem Renders edged Spain’s Oscar Gaitan by just one second in the U20 men’s race. Renders clocked 13:11 while Gaitan finished in 13:12 to claim silver.
The U23 women’s race went to Spain’s Maria Forero, adding another gold to her country’s total. Ireland’s Nick Griggs took the U23 men’s title, contributing to his nation’s fourth-place finish on the medal table.
Italy won the mixed relay competition, with Portugal earning silver and Great Britain & Northern Ireland taking bronze.
2025 SPAR European Cross Country Championships Medal Table
| Rank | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 2 | Belgium | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Great Britain & NI | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| 4 | Ireland | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | Italy | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | France | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 |
| 7 | Germany | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | Finland | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Portugal | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Sweden | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | Türkiye | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Leave a Reply