LEBID LEADS STRONG EUROPE SELECT SQUAD IN INTERNATIONAL TEAM CHALLENGE AT BUPA GREAT EDINBURGH CROSS COUNTRY

Sergey Lebid will be joined by the four athletes who finished immediately behind him in last month's European Cross Country Championships at the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country next Saturday.

The International Team Challenge will see Lebid lead a Europe Select squad against the host nation's Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland side and the United States in the eight kilometres race in Holyrood Park. The concept of the first ever clash held under IAAF rules will be broadcast live by BBC television and allows each team to field nine runners with the lowest overall score from each contingent's first six finishers, declared the winner. Lebid captain's an extremely strong European team which includes Ayad Lamdassam and Youssef El Kalai the silver and bronze medallists in Albufeira, plus fourth and fifth finishers Mourad Amdouni and Abdellatif Meftah who led France to its first overall team title since 2006. Jesus Espana who was beaten for the European 5000 metres track title last summer will renew his intense rivalry with Mo Farah captain of the Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland side. "There is strength and depth in the Europe Select Team and given the British and American teams also include plenty of talent, I'm sure a close race is on the cards," said Peter Riley the meeting's elite athletes' coordinator. Riley revealed Dathan Ritzenhein who was to captain the USA has withdrawn after injuring himself training indoors because of the weather in Michigan over the holiday period while European 10000m silver medallist Chris Thompson, has pulled out of the British side. "The American's are working as I speak on providing a replacement for Ritzenhein while Thompson who will be replaced by two-time English cross country champion Frank Tickner, has hip strength problems. "UK Athletics doctors say he isn't ready or strong enough to compete at this level and we respect their advice." Europe Select Team The Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country, which also hosts a women's international 6km race and men’s international 4k race will complete an exciting day of running. The day starts with hundreds of youngsters will take part in the 2.5km Bupa Junior Great Winter Run followed by thousands runners of all abilities taking on the 5km Bupa Great Winter Run. Ends Editors Notes Media Accreditation If you would like to apply for media accreditation to attend the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country please apply on line - http://www.greatrun.org/mediaaccreditation/ The Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country takes place on Saturday 8th January in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh between 13:00 – 14:30 for a full timetable visit http://www.greatrun.org/Events/Information.aspx?ctid=184&id=2 Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country 2011- New format The Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country has changed its title for 2011 and was formerly known as the Bupa Great Edinburgh International Cross Country. The 2011 Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country will consist of 3 races, with a new International Team Challenge event. • A short 4.2 kilometre course with the best male athletes in the world competing • A 5.7 kilometre event contested by the world’s best female athletes • The International Team Challenge which will see Great Britain and Northern Ireland Senior Men take on the United States and a European Select team over 8 kilometres. Each country competing in the International Team Challenge will consist of nine athletes per team and the first six athletes to complete the course will receive a score based on their position. The team with the lowest overall score wins. Entry into Holyrood Park is free for spectators and organisers are encouraging the public to take advantage of the opportunity to see the world’s best athletes compete, as well as the cream of young Scottish athletes on show within the main events and the Scottish Inter District Championships. The Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country completes an exciting day of running in Holyrood Park, which starts as hundreds of youngsters take part in the 2.5km Bupa Junior Great Winter Run followed by thousands runners of all abilities taking on the 5km Bupa Great Winter Run. Both events are part of the Bupa Great Run series, organised by Nova International, also organisers of the Bupa Great North Run and the Bupa Great Edinburgh Run. Nova International The Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country Run and Bupa Great Winter Run is brought to you by a partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council, EventScotland and event organisers Nova International and is sponsored by Bupa. Nova International, headed by Olympic Medallist Brendan Foster is one of the UK’s leading event management and sports marketing agencies. The company’s current brand portfolio also includes some of the biggest running events in the world all based on the Bupa Great North Run, the world’s biggest half marathon with over 54,000 entries. Nova International was established in 1988 and has a strong sporting pedigree. Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Nova has established itself as a market leader in the world of sports marketing and event management. For more information please visit www.greatrun.org. Bupa Bupa’s purpose is to help people lead longer, healthier, happier lives. A leading international healthcare group, we offer personal and company health insurance, run care homes for older people and hospitals, and provide workplace health services, health assessments and chronic disease management services, including health coaching, and home healthcare. With no shareholders, we invest our profits to provide more and better healthcare. We are committed to making quality, patient-centred, affordable healthcare more accessible in the areas of wellness, chronic disease management and ageing. Employing over 50,000 people, Bupa has operations around the world, principally in the UK, Australia, Spain, New Zealand and the USA, as well as Hong Kong, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, India, China and across Latin America. For more information, visit www.bupa.com City of Edinburgh Council This event is part of the City of Edinburgh Council's Activcity programme, which promotes sport and physical activity events throughout the city. The Bupa Great Winter Run is a great example of an event which helps the people of Edinburgh to get active! www.eventsedinburgh.org.uk. Edinburgh's sporting calendar for 2011 is shaping up to be truly exhilarating, the Touch Rugby World Cup in June, the Nocture City Centre Cycle Race in July, and the Golden Oldies World Hockey the World Karate Championships in September just a taster of what is on offer. For more information, visit www.eventsedinburgh.org.uk. EventScotland EventScotland is the national events agency. EventScotland is working to make Scotland one of the world’s leading event destinations. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news visit www.EventScotland.org