Not content to simply compete internationally in one sport, at the European Cross Country Championships in Brussels a number of triathletes stepped up to take on some of the continent’s leading runners at their own game.
As recently reported, Hugo Milner and Lisa Tertsch qualified to represent Britain and Germany, respectively, in the Senior races. Milner was in top form in Brussels as he finished 4th in the men’s event. He completed the six-lap 9km course in 30:27, putting him only 10 seconds behind race winner Yann Schrub of France.
After ending his triathlon season with a win at the Miyazaki World Cup, Milner once again served notice of his running prowess. Among the men Milner beat in Brussels was Henrik Ingebrigtsen, a former European champion.
Also competing for Britain in the men’s race was former triathlete, Calum Johnson. Johnson finished 23rd in a time of 30:59.
Tertsch also had a successful day out in the Senior women’s race. The German athlete clocked 36:33 over the same 9km course to finish 21st. The winning time was 33:40 although Tertsch did get a degree of revenge over her compatriot Eva Dietrich who had beaten her at the German Cross Country Championships. Dietrich finished 11 seconds behind her teammate.
Meanwhile, two of Europe’s top Junior triathletes took on the U20 race in Brussels.
Tilda Månsson, a double World Cup race winner and the owner of the Swedish 5000m Junior record, took 18th place in the U20 race. She completed the 5km in 19:54. Her Swedish Junior record on the track is a 15:46; while cross country is always slower, the difference between the times offers a degree of insight into the difficulty of the course.
In the men’s U20 race, Lorenzo Pelliciardi took 41st place. The Italian athlete won the European Junior Cup in Bled in September at which he utilised a massive run split to stage a winning comeback. In Brussels, he ran the 5km in 17:49.
