The 2023 SPAR European Cross Country Championships, held on December 10, surpassed all expectations, delivering a world-class event filled with excitement, drama, thrills, and emotional moments across all seven races.

Despite challenging weather conditions, Brussels was a great location for the championships. There were over 7,000 spectators cheering on the athletes along the course. Hundreds of thousands more fans tuned in through local TV broadcasts or the European Athletics live stream. Social media platforms and the European Athletics website kept fans updated on live results, reports, and exclusive content.

Making history

In a historic moment, France’s Yann Schrub won men’s senior race gold, marking France’s first-ever senior men’s individual gold medal. Schrub’s outstanding performance sets the stage for his pursuit of gold in the upcoming Rome 2024 European Athletics Championships 10,000m.

Belgian fans revelled in joy as their team clinched the coveted team gold, a triumph not seen since 2016.

Norway’s Karoline Grøvdal etched her name in SPAR European Cross Country Championships history, securing her third successive senior women’s title.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland finished at the top of the medal standings, followed by France and Norway in third.

SPAR International proudly collaborated with its local partners SPAR Colruyt Group and SPAR Lambrechts on the SPAR European Cross Country Championships. The partners’ generous provision of nutritious snacks for the many dedicated volunteers were a clear sign of appreciation for their work, without which events such as this cannot succeed. Spectators were delighted with the prizes they could win in the SPAR Colruyt Group spin-the-wheel competition. Athletes were not forgotten, with protein bars made available by SPAR Lambrechts on the day.

Congratulations to all the winners and participants, making the 2023 SPAR European Cross Country Championships an unforgettable and monumental success.