Mo Farah's return at the SPAR European Cross Country Championship in Brussels on December 14 will set up a mouth-watering contest between the 2006 champion and title holder Sergey Lebid.

Britain's 2006 SPAR European Cross Country Championships gold medallist Mo Farah has confirmed that he is aiming to regain his title at this year's race in Brussels on December 14.

An ill-timed groin strain 12 months ago forced him to withdraw from last year's event in Toro, Spain, and he couldn't defend the title he won in 2006.

However, Farah's decision to return to the fray means that the Belgian capital could witness a fantastic duel between him and the reigning champion Sergey Lebid.

The Ukrainian has won the title a record seven times but a combination of stomach problems and Farah's relentless pace during the memorable race in the Italian town of San Giorgio su Legnano lead to the end of Lebid's unbeaten winning streak in the Championships between 2001 and 2005.

"The SPAR European Cross Country Championships? Yes, that's my plans," said Farah, speaking from Ethiopia where he's currently training.

"I'm thinking of returning to Britain at the end of November and fitting in one more race before Brussels," added the 25-year-old runner from South London.

Brussels will be Farah's eighth outing at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships. In addition to his victory two years ago, Farah also stood on the medal podium in 2001 when he took the silver medal in the junior men's race.

As well as clocking up the miles with his endurance training at altitude in Ethiopia, Farah is also one of the star attractions of the 2008 Toyota Great Ethiopian Run, which has become arguably Africa's most prominent road race.

The race will be staged over 10km in Addis Ababa on November 23 and is expected to attract around 30,000 runners.

"The race will give me a good marker for Brussels, but I'm expecting it to be tough. There are loads of Ethiopians capable of running under 29 minutes so I'm not expecting an easy ride," commented Farah.

Farah leads the European contingent running there in two weeks time, along with Sweden's 3,000m steeplechaser Mustafa Mohamed, the second fastest European ever over the barriers and an Olympic finalist in Beijing this summer.

Mohamed is also a very competent cross country runner as well and came home third and second in the  2006 and 2007 SPAR European Cross Country Championships respectively.

Along with Farah, he is also expected to be on the start line in Brussels but, despite being good friends with the Briton, there will be no quarter given during the testing 10km race in Brussels' Park de Laeken, which is likely to be very different underfoot from the conditions the pair expect compete on in the Ethiopian capital.

However, for the moment, the pair are definitely on speaking terms.  

Mo Farah after winning the momorable race at the Italian town of San Giorgio su Legnano in 2006.

"It's good being part of a group and I'm training with Mustafa, we're doing sessions together and trying to help each other. Before arriving here at the end of October, I had been taking it easy after the end of the season, but I'm now starting to get back into some good training. I don't want to put pressure on myself, I just want to work hard, enjoy my training and see where it gets me," commented Farah.

Farah was born in neighbouring Somalia but moved to Britain in 1993, when he was 10 years old. However, despite leading the European challenge and competing regularly against Ethiopian runners on the track, road and cross country, he had never visited Ethiopia before his current stint there.

"I've been wanting to come for a long time. My childhood home is not far from here so it was an opportunity for me to visit family there, as well as coming here for training," he reflected.

"In some ways, with my Somali background, things are not as different for me here as they may appear to other Europeans. People are very friendly here, they are very close, and life is very safe.

"But you know that you're in a running country here. The other day we were training up in the forests at about 10,000 feet and this boy came running along - he looked about 5 years old - and he started running with us, looking up at us all the time. He looked as though he was hardly breathing," exclaimed Farah in astonishment.

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SPAR European Cross Country Championships 2008