The 51st edition of the European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country will be held in Albufeira, Portugal, on Sunday 2 February 2014.
The location is one of the best to practice cross country in all of Europe, with the SPAR European Cross Country Championships having been staged on this very same course back in 2010.
The events take place over a single day of competition, with junior and senior races for both men and women.
Only clubs recognised as National Champions of the preceding year in each category are eligible to take part in the event.
This year a total of 343 runners from 48 participating clubs representing 23 member federations, are expected in Albufeira.
All clubs must present at least four runners in each category with a maximum of six starting in the race. The team scores shall be determined by the aggregate finishing positions achieved by its four best placed athletes.
Many European, world and Olympic champions have competed in this event and it is sure to bring the best out of the current top European athletes again this year.
Last year Spain’s Atletismo Bikila club won the senior men’s title, while Italy’s Andrea Lalli won the individual race. In the senior women’s race Russia’s Sport Club Luch Moscow won with two runners, Olga Golovkina and Liudmila Lebedeva, placing in the top three.
In the junior men’s race team victory went to Portugal’s Sport Lisboa e Benfica, even though they did not have a runner in the first three. Russia’s women would celebrate even further with a win in the junior event as Russia’s Sport Club Luch Moscow won again.