Record numbers possible at SPAR European Cross Country Championships

The Velenje 2011 SPAR European Cross Country Championships take place on 11 December.

After the preliminary entries closed, the names of 550 athletes from 33 European Athletics Member Federations had been set in to contest the six races that will make up the 2011 SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Velenje, Slovenia, on 11 December.

All this means that there is the good chance that there will be several SPAR European Cross Country Championships records set or equalled in Velenje next month.

The highest number of countries to participate were the 34 nations that made the trip to the town of Albufeira on Portugal's Algarve coast for last year's championships.

Overall, the record number of competitors has been the 468 runners that competed at the 2006, 2008 and 2010 SPAR European Cross Country Championships.

There will inevitably be fewer people on the start line in Velenje than the 550 initial entries as Member Federations can enter up to eight people in a race but only six can run, and there is always a small number of last minute withdrawals.

However, all the indications are that several records for the event, including the highest numbers in various individual races, could be set.

The biggest national delegations will come from the traditional continental powerhouses of cross country running, France, Great Britain, Portugal and Spain, but hosts Slovenia have also promised to give their runners a great chance for exposure in international competition and enter complete teams in most races.