Brussels 2023 SPAR European Cross Country Championships
European Athletics President’s Welcome Message
I am delighted to welcome everyone to the 29th edition of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships.
It is a thrill and delight to be back in Brussels once again, as Belgium and its capital city can truly be said to be one of European’s great venues for cross country running and have this discipline of our wonderful sport as part of its DNA.
Coming here this year for the most important cross country event on the European calendar is very appropriate as it was in 1923, almost exactly a century ago barring a few months, that Belgium first sent runners to what was then the International Cross Country Championships.
The name of Georges Vandenbroele may not be well known among cross country aficionados of the 21st century but he won a bronze medal at those championships, led Belgium to bronze in the team race and helped cement cross country running in the hearts of Belgian athletics fans.
This will be the second time that Brussels has staged the SPAR European Cross Country Championships after the 2008 edition, and the third championships in Belgium with Charleroi also being the host in 1996.
However, Brussels and Belgium have a long history at organising top-level international races that stretches much further back than the inauguration of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in 1994.
The Antwerp 1920 Olympic Games had cross country running on its programme and Brussels first staged the International Cross Country Championships in1928.
With such a strong and illustrious tradition of organising cross country races, I am confident this will be a superb advertisement for our sport and this discipline as not just Europe, but the world will be watching the seven races here in the Laeken Park.
The Laeken Park – in the shadow of the famous Atomium, which was also the venue for the 2008 SPAR European Cross Country Championships – is superbly placed close to the centre of Brussels so that I expect that, just like 15 years ago, there will once again be large and enthusiastic crowds cheering the 600-plus runners who will be competing here this year.
I would just like to conclude by saying that European Athletics are very grateful to the organising partners of Golazo Sports, CrossCup VZW and Belgian Athletics, the Brussels municipal authorities and all the other institutional partners, as well as the officials and volunteers working with the Local Organising Committee for their dedication, hard work, and commitment to staging this event.
Dobromir Karamarinov
European Athletics President
Dobromir Karamarinov
European Athletics President