The ten-strong Irish team have arrived in La Spezia, Italy ahead of tomorrow’s European 10,000m Cup at the Centro Sportivo Alessandro Montagna stadium.

Six women and four men will race in the Irish vest at the championships where Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers) won a historic gold medal for Ireland last year, the country’s first in the event’s history.

While Gidey is absent this year, several athletes will be looking to make their mark. Amongst them are Cork duo Fiona Everard (Bandon AC) and Niamh Allen (Leevale AC).

Everard has been in excellent form in the last six months, finishing 10^th at the European Cross Country Championships and inside the top 25 in January’s World Cross Country Championships. She recently clocked a PB of 31:58 on her way to victory in a road race in Saint-Ménard-en-Jalles, France.

Allen was also inside the top 25 at the World Cross Country Championships and will race her first 10,000m on the track at the championships. The 31-year-old notched up an impressive win recently in the Ballintotis 4-mile Road Race, clocking a time of 19:50.

Emily Haggard-Kearney (North Belfast Harriers) was the recent gold medal winner at last month’s National 10km Road Championships and also clocked a 10km road PB of 32:07 in the UK in March. Haggard-Kearney also claimed victory in the 3k at the Armagh International Road Race in February.

Dublin City Half Marathon winner Sorcha Nic Dhomhnaill (West Limerick AC) is selected alongside Patricia Jackman (Waterford AC) and Faye Dervan (Dublin City Harriers). All three will make Irish senior international debuts.

Callum Morgan (Candour Track Club) spearheads the men’s team for the event. The 22-year-old was part of the Irish men’s team who won U23 gold at the European Cross Country Championships in December and set his 10km road PB of 28:08 in Valencia in January.

Oisín O’Gailín (Finn Valley AC) returns to the championships where he ran his 10,000m personal best of 29:02.05 last year. He has been in good form so far this year clocking a 5000m PB of 13:37.14 in California last month.

Jamie Battle (Mullingar Harriers) and Michael Murphy (Tullamore Harriers) earn senior international debuts. Both athletes ran personal bests at the Valencia 10k in January.

Some athletes will have their eyes set on qualifying standards for the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham in August. The Women’s A standard is 32:00.00, while the B standard is 32:55.00. The Men’s A standard is 27:50.00, 28:30.00 is the B standard.

TIMETABLE

 WHERE TO WATCH

The European 10,000m Cup will be livestreamed on the European Athletics YouTube channel HERE.

TEAM SELECTION:

• European 10,000m Cup website is HERE
• Athletics Ireland European 10,000m Cup selection policy is HERE
• Final Entries are HERE
• Live results are HERE