Looking ahead to the European Cross Country Championships...Sun 13th Dec 2015

The big international race on Sunday is of course the European Cross Country Championships in France.

There is plenty of Cork interest in the event with Lizzie Lee, Michelle Finn and Ryan Creech of Leevale AC being part of the Irish team.

Women's Senior...Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole), Lizzie Lee (Leevale), Caroline Crowley (Crusaders), Kerry O'Flaherty (Newcastle), Ciara Durkan (Skerries), Michelle Finn (Leevale)

Men's Senior...Mick Clohisey  (Raheny Shamrock), John Coghlan (MSB), Paul Pollock (Annadale Striders), Ryan Creech (Leevale), Joe Sweeney (DSD), Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers)

Women’s Under-23 (2 athletes selected)...Shona Heaslip (An Riocht), Emma Mitchell (Banbridge)

Men’s Under-23...Thomas Moran (Dunshaughlin), Brandon Hargreaves (Clonliffe Harriers), Hugh Armstrong (Ballina), Keith Fallon (GCH), Sean Tobin (Clonmel), Aaron Hanlon (Clonliffe Harriers)

Junior Women...Emma O’Brien (Inbhear Dee), Aoibhe Richardson (KCH), Isabel Carron (Skerries), Deirdre Healy (Ratoath), Nadia Power (Templeogue), Sophie Murphy (DSD)

Junior Men...Kevin Mulcaire (Ennis Track), Peter Lynch (KCH), Jack O’ Leary (Mullingar Harriers), Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) James Edgar (Lisburn), Pierre Murchan (Celtic)

TV...Coverage starts on RTE2 television at 11:45am and lasts until 2:15pm.

The live stream on the net is here... http://www.eurovisionsports.tv/eaa/live.html?id=4

In terms of location, the races take place on a horse racetrack in the town of Hyeres on the south coast of France. As you can see below, it is literally only a few hundred metres from the Mediterranean Sea.

The course uses the race course as well as the area to the side of it which is in under trees. There are a few man made obstacles like the one shown below which was used for a race recently.

Looking at the data from a local weather station, it last rained about 4 days ago and the mid-day temperature seems to get up around 15 deg C so it looks like the weather won't be an issue.

This is the schedule for the races...(Irish time)
Opening Ceremony ...9:15am
Junior Women ...9:35am
Junior Men ...9:59am
U23 Women... 10:42am
U23 Men... 11:26am
Senior Women ...12:30pm
Senior Men... 1:12pm

Checking out the course