British athletes topped the medal table at the 30th SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Turkey on Sunday 8 December 2024. Great Britain and Northern Ireland won 12 medals in the seven-race programme screened live on the BBC Red Button, with commentary by Steve Cram and Paula Radcliffe.

The first European Cross Country Championships were held in Alnwick, Northumberland on 10 December 1994. Britain's first two medals arrived at the same venue one year later when the men's team secured bronze with Andrew Pearson leading the team in third place. Since then, GB has been the most successful team in Europe with 201 team and individual medals. The next best are France (110) and Spain (87) in the list of 30 nations who have won at least one medal.

This year's races were held on a flat site earmarked for development. Artificial hazards included a bulldozed hill, a muddy stretch, two sandy sections, hurdles of large logs, and two small brush fences – think of a scaled-down Aintree Grand National without the horses! It was more fun for spectators than competitors as several fallers can attest.

Our three individual champions kept their feet and form as numerous favourites faded or fell. Innes Fitzgerald (U20, Exeter Harriers) and U23 Will Barnicoat (Aldershot, Farnham & District AC) confidently retained their respective titles – the latter by a second from Ireland's Nick Griggs. Phoebe Anderson (Herne Hill Harriers) powered to gold in a thrilling finish to her under-23 race.

Individual silver medals were also claimed by under-20 juniors Jess Bailey (Leven Valley AC) and George Couttie (Harrogate AC) and there was a bronze for David Stone (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers) in the under-23 men's race. 

The remaining half dozen medals came in team races with only the under-20 men narrowly missing out in fourth place. There were bronze medals for the senior men and the mixed 4x1500m relay team. Silver was the reward for the senior women's squad and there was golden glory for the under-20 women and the men's and women's under-23 teams.

The senior races saw expected wins for the Olympic 5000m champion Jacob Ingebrigtsen (Norway) and Italy's European 5000m champion Nadia Battocletti – the runner-up in Belgium last year.

Photo of winning under-23 women's team courtesy of British Athletics on Facebook