Great Britain and Northern Ireland:

In Belgium last year, Great Britain and Northern Ireland topped the rankings, winning 11 medals, including seven gold. The team have been a force in the mixed relay event too, winning it three times since it first featured in 2017.

Will Barnicoat will be looking to defend the men’s U23 title he secured last year in Belgium with a late charge to beat French rival Valentin Bresc. The Briton, who won the U20 race in 2022, will also hope to help secure gold again in the U23 men’s team competition.

Team standings are determined by the total of the finishing positions of a team’s four athletes in the race.

Innes FitzGerald will be looking to defend her U20 title after displaying a dominant performance and not giving up her early lead last time out. She will also be looking to help defend the U20 women’s team gold.

Image source, Getty Images

European rivals:

Norway’s Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal will be looking to make it a record-equalling fourth successive title in the women’s senior race, while France’s Yann Schrub is looking to keep hold of his men’s title.

Schrub is likely to face a strong challenge from Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who will be looking to end his year by reclaiming the title. The 5,000m Olympic gold medallist won the event in 2021 and 2022 but missed last year’s event through injury.

Denmark’s Axel Vang Christensen is competing in the U23 men’s race after becoming U20 European champion last year in Denmark.