Ireland are set to make its mark again at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Belgrade on 8 December having invested highly in their team’s preparation.
“I have just returned from a productive high-altitude training camp in Font Romeu, France, with our senior squad,” said Chris Jones, Ireland’s national endurance coach, according to athleticsireland.ie.
Double European cross country champion Fionnuala Britton will make her return to competition at the Gerry Farnan Cross Country event which takes place in Dublin on 20 October.
At the 2011 SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Velenje Britton seized gold in the Individual event.
12 months later in Budapest she became the first women athlete to defend her title.
She also led Ireland to first place in the Team event.
She then proved herself on the track in March at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Göteborg when she took bronze in the 3000m.
Britton, 29, took a break from the sport over the summer after suffering from a chest infection.
She missed out on the European Athletics Team Championships 1st League in June, as well as the IAAF World Championships in Moscow in August.
Now everything is pointing towards Belgrade where Britton could extend an amazing streak of success by once again defending her title.
Her success has made her the country's leading athlete, a position that can only be an inspiration to others.
They will all be looking to last December as their benchmark.
Britton was joined on the podium in Budapest by Linda Byrne, Ava Hutchinson, Lizzie Lee and Sarah McCormack as the Irish women beat France and Great Britain.
The Irish Athletics Federation has moved their National Cross Country Championships a week forward, to 17 November, to help athletes recover in time for Belgrade.