By Clay Shaw Photography by Clay Shaw and Karen Mitchell
12.10.23 Brussels, Belgium—Innes Fitzgerald of Great Britain took charge early and ran away with the 5000-meter SPAR European Cross Country Championship win in 18:19. Fitzgerald led Great Britain to the team title, as fellow Brits Jess Bailey was eighth, Lizzie Wellsted was thirteenth, Katie Pye was 28th, Moli Lyons was 31st, and Zoe Hunter was 32nd.
Sofia Thogersen of Denmark was second in 18:38. Jade LeCorre of France was third in 18:49. Kira Weis was fourth in 18:54, as the three battled in a three-woman pack for much of the race. Weis in fourth missed the individual podium, but did lead Team Germany to the team silver medal.
Elsa Sundqvist of Sweden was fifth in 19:10 running alone on the final lap as she led Sweden to the team bronze medal.
The 17-year-old Fitzgerald, led the charge right from the gun. Twelve months ago, she paid for a fast start in Piemonte-La Mandria Park and faded to fourth, but it was a different story this time around and she ran a much more measured race, gradually pouring on the pace on the muddy 5000-meter course.
Fitzgerald: “Last year I messed up in the start and I wanted to avoid that this time by pushing from the start on. When I saw that I was alone at front, I just kept going and kept pushing myself.” said Fitgerald who will be eligible to defend her title in Turkey next year.
Top Finishers
18:19 Innes Fitzgerald, Great Britain
18:38 Sofia Thogersen, Denmark
18:49 Jade LeCorre, France
18:54 Kira Weis, Germany
19:10 Elsa Sundqvist, Sweden
19:30 Shirin Kerber, Switzerland
19:31 Anna Gardiner, Ireland
19:31 Jess Bailey, Great Britain
19:34 Franziska Drexler, Germany
19:38 Thea Charlotte Knutsen, Norway
19:41 Katarzyna Napiorkowska, Poland
19:43 Kirsty Maher, Ireland
19:47 Lizzie Wellsted, Great Britain
19:51 Ebba Broms, Sweden
19:52 Lara Costa, Portugal
19:53 Dilek Kocak, Turkey
19:54 Anna Marie Nordengen Sirevag, Norway
19:54 Tilda Mansson, Sweden
19:56 Charlotte Penneman, Belgium
19:57 Adele Gay, France
Innes Fitzgerald of Great Britain increased her lead on each lap.
Innes Fitzgerald of Great Britain is running by the 8000 fans along the perimeters of the course. Fortunately for us, credentialed photographers had the infield to ourselves.
Tough going for the trio chasing after Fitzgerald. Kira Weis of Germany, Sofia Thogersen of Denmark and Jade LeCorre of France somehow negotiate a very slippery turn.
Maria Mihaela Blaga of Romania leads a group of U20 athletes through the mud. Blaga finished 36th. The 19-year old Blaga is Romania’s 3000 meter steeplechase champion.
Team Italia U20: Adele Roatta, Margherita Voliani, Elena Ribigini, Lucia Arnoldo, and Licia Ferrari. (Photo by Clay Shaw)
Emily Junginger and Kira Weis celebrate second place in the U20 team competition.
U20 Team France: Adele Gay checks out award lanyard won by Jade LeCorre. Clara Entresangle, Laly Porentru, and Margot Dajoux make up the French team.
U20 athletes from Switzerland. Shirin Kerber was 6th overall. Others are Gioana Lopizzo, Nina Villiger and Fabienne Muller.
Innes Fitzgerald was the individual champ and led Great Britain to team gold as well.
Innes Fitzgerald of Great Britain wins SPAR European Cross Country U20 Championship in 18:19.
Innes Fitzgerald of Great Britain controlled the U20 race from the start. On the first lap she still had Sofia Thogersen of Denmark, Jade LeCorre of France, and Kira Weis of Germany close behind her.
Carolin Hinrichs, Carolina Schafer, and Franziska Drexler of Germany run together early in the 5000-meter U20 race. Germany was the second team. Drexler moved away from this group late in the race to place ninth in 19:34.
Saima Muric of Serbia is front and center early in the U20 women’s race.
Shirin Kerber of Switzerland, and Kira Weis of Germany share a happy moment after the U20 race. Kerber was sixth and Weis was fourth.
Jade LeCorre of France leads the threesome chasing after Fitzgerald. LeCorre would place third in 18:49. Kira Weis of Germany was fourth in 18:54. Lurking in the background was Sofia Thorgersen of Denmark who moved up to second.
Milica Tomasevic of Serbia runs through the mud. We are hoping it’s not that muddy when we go to Serbia in March 2024 for World XC.
Gioana Lopizzo of Switzerland battles German athletes Carolin Hinrichs and Carolina Schafer. Germany won the team silver in the U20 race.
Tilda Mansson of Sweden was 18th in 19:54. Sweden was third in the team competition.
Katie Pye of Great Britain was 28th as Great Britain won team gold in every women’s race.
Lizzie Wellsted of Great Britain was 13th in 19:47; Great Britain won the team championship. Edibe Yagiz of Turkey was 26th in 20:07. Turkey will host Euro XC in 2024.
Martyna Krawczynska of Poland was one of 82 athletes in the U20 women’s 5000-meter race. We were one of the many blue-vested photographers working during the event.
Anna Gardiner of Ireland was seventh in 19:31. Following her were Dilek Kocak of Turkey who was 16th in 19:53. Elsa Sundqvist of Sweden was fifth in 19:10.
Edibe Yagiz of Turkey was 26th in 20:07. Next year the 30th SPAR European Cross Country Championships will be in Antalya, Turkey.
Runner's Gazette 
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