FOUR Irish athletes have made the team for the World Cross Country Championships.
The squad, announced yesterday, will represent Ireland in the competition which takes place in Tallahassee, Florida on January 10, 2026.
The team will be led by Brian Fay, of Raheny Shamrock Athletics Club and Fiona Everard of (Bandon Athletics Club, Athletics Ireland confirmed this week.
Both athletes finished tenth individually in the senior races at last weekend’s European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa, Portugal.
Fiona Everard is part of the teamFay, who is an Olympian over 5000m, won the national senior cross country title in November.
He will make his debut appearance at the World Cross Country Championships in the US next month.
Cork native Everard returns to the competition, having finished 60th in the senior women’s race at the 2024 World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade.
Niamh Allen of Leevale Athletics Club, will join Everard in the senior women’s race, making her World Cross Country Championship debut.
Niamh Allen will also competeAllen came 10th at the 2024 European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Türkiye and finished 23rd in Portugal last weekend.
Noah Harris, of Parnell Athletics Club, completes the team.
The 18-year-old from Wicklow, who is currently studying at the University of Tennessee, secured a 10th place finish in the U20 Men’s race in Lagoa.
Noah Harris will make his World Cross Country Championships debutHe will also make his World Cross Country Championships debut in Florida.
“We are pleased to be sending a small but high-quality team to the World Cross Country Championships in January,” Mark Kenneally, Athletics Ireland Performance Endurance Lead, said.
Brian Fay is among the four team members selected“The new place in the calendar has meant that a number of our European Cross Country Championship athletes are unavailable, with a focus on other priorities, but we believe that the selected athletes are capable of competing with the best athletes in the world, coming in with exceptional individual performances from Lagoa,” he explained.
“They have identified the World Cross Country Championships as a key target for them, and we fully expect them to represent us very well,” Kenneally added.