# Innes FitzGerald

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**Innes FitzGerald** (born 6 April 2006) is a British [track and field](/source/Track_and_field) athlete and [cross country](/source/Cross_country_running) runner. She is the [2023](/source/2023_European_Cross_Country_Championships), [2024](/source/2024_European_Cross_Country_Championships) and [2025 European U20 Cross Country](/source/2025_European_Cross_Country_Championships) champion both individually and in the team event. In 2025 she won bronze in both the 3000 metres at the [British Indoor Athletics Championships](/source/2025_British_Indoor_Athletics_Championships) and in the 5000 metres at the [UK Athletics Championships](/source/2025_UK_Athletics_Championships), before becoming [European U20 champion](/source/2025_European_Athletics_U20_Championships) in both the 3000 metres and 5,000 metres.[1]

## Early life

FitzGerald hails from [Beer, Devon](/source/Beer,_Devon) and attended [Colyton Grammar School Sixth Form](/source/Colyton_Grammar_School_Sixth_Form).[2] Her parents own a smallholding on which FitzGerald has worked.[3] In 2024, she began to attend the [University of Exeter](/source/University_of_Exeter).[4]

## Career

### 2022

She runs for the Exeter Harriers and is coached by Gavin Pavey, the husband of runner [Jo Pavey](/source/Jo_Pavey). She won the Mini London Marathon in October 2022.[5] FitzGerald set a new under-17 record for 3,000 metres, and in December 2022 finished fourth in the under-20s [European Cross Country Championships](/source/European_Cross_Country_Championships) in [Turin](/source/Turin), competing as a seventeen year-old.[6] To avoid flying to the competition, FitzGerald had taken a 20-hour coach and train journey from Exeter to Italy.[7]

### 2023

In January 2023, FitzGerald turned down the opportunity to compete at the [2023 World Athletics Cross Country Championships](/source/2023_World_Athletics_Cross_Country_Championships) in [Bathurst, Australia](/source/Bathurst,_Australia) because of concerns she holds about contributing to [climate change](/source/Climate_change).[8] In a letter to [UK Athletics](/source/UK_Athletics) she wrote that “The reality of the travel fills me with deep concern”, adding that "I was just nine when the [COP21](/source/COP21) Paris Climate agreement was signed. Now, eight years on, and global emissions have been steadily increasing, sending us on a path to climate catastrophe. Turning this around is only possible through transformational change from collective and personal action."[9][10]

In March 2023, FitzGerald won the English Schools cross country title.[11] She won the senior girls [3000m](/source/3000m) at the English Schools Championship in July 2023, clocking 9:16.14. In 2023, she also defended her Mini London Marathon title and won the England under-20 3000m title.[12]

She ran a new personal best at the BMC Watford Gold Standard meet on the 12 July 2023 when she clocked 4:15.04 for the [1500m](/source/1500m).[13]

In October 2023, Fitzgerald was announced as the winner of the [BBC Green Sports Awards 'Young Athlete of the Year'](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/66845486) for her refusal to fly to the World Cross Country Championships taking place in Australia. Selected for the [2023 European Cross Country Championships](/source/2023_European_Cross_Country_Championships) in [Brussels](/source/Brussels) in December 2023, she won the women's U20 race and also claimed gold as part of the British squad in the team race.[14][15] The following week, she finished third behind [Laura Muir](/source/Laura_Muir) and [Georgia Bell](/source/Georgia_Bell), running the 3000m indoors at the Christmas Classic in [Cardiff](/source/Cardiff).[16]

### 2024

On 20 January 2024, she won the U20 London International Cross Country event.[17] In March 2024, she won the UK U20 Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships at [Wollaton Park](/source/Wollaton_Park). However, after the race she said she would not take her automatic place at the [2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships](/source/2024_World_Athletics_Cross_Country_Championships) that month, due to travel time and the impact it would have on her A-Levels study.[18] However, she was named in the British team for the event.[19][20] She finished as leading European, in 17th place, as Britain finished fifth in the team U20 event.[21]

In May 2024, she was selected to represent England over 3000 metres at the Loughborough International and won the 3000 metres in 9:08.91.[22][23] She was selected for the [2024 World Athletics U20 Championships](/source/2024_World_Athletics_U20_Championships_%E2%80%93_Women's_3000_metres) in [Lima](/source/Lima), [Peru](/source/Peru), where she placed fourth in the final of the 3000 metres in a personal best time of 8:57.01.[24][25]

In October 2024, she was nominated by *[Athletics Weekly](/source/Athletics_Weekly)* for best British female junior.[26] In November 2024, she was named by British Athletics on the Olympic Futures Programme for 2025.[27] On 23 November 2024, she won the U20 race at the Liverpool Cross Challenge.[28] She was selected for the British U20 team for the [2024 European Cross Country Championships](/source/European_Cross_Country_Championships) in [Antalya](/source/Antalya), Turkey, winning gold in the U20 race to become just the fourth woman to win back-to-back titles at the event.[29][30]

### 2025

In January 2025, she ran 8:48.30 in [Cardiff](/source/Cardiff) to better the European under-20 indoor 3000m record, however the time is not officially ratified as it occurred in a mixed race.[31] She broke the European under-20 3000m indoors record in February 2025, running 8:40.05 in [Ostrava](/source/Ostrava) to beat [Sofia Thøgersen](/source/Sofia_Th%C3%B8gersen)'s previous best mark by 10 seconds. The time also took 16 seconds off [Zola Budd](/source/Zola_Budd)’s 40 year-old British indoor under-20 record.[32] She finished third over 3000 metres at the [2025 British Indoor Athletics Championships](/source/2025_British_Indoor_Athletics_Championships).[33] She was selected for the British team for the [2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships](/source/2025_European_Athletics_Indoor_Championships) in [Apeldoorn](/source/Apeldoorn), where she qualified for the final of the 3000 metres on her senior international debut.[34][35] In the final, she placed eighth overall.[36]

She ran a 3000 metres personal best of 8:32.90 at the [2025 BAUHAUS-galan](/source/2025_BAUHAUS-galan) event in Stockholm, part of the [2025 Diamond League](/source/2025_Diamond_League).[37] She broke [Zola Budd](/source/Zola_Budd)'s European under-20 5000m record at the [2025 London Athletics Meet](/source/2025_London_Athletics_Meet), running 14:39.56.[38] On 2 August 2025, she finished third in the 5000m at the [2025 UK Athletics Championships](/source/2025_UK_Athletics_Championships) in Birmingham.[39][40] The following week, she won the gold medal over 5000 metres at the [2025 European Athletics U20 Championships](/source/2025_European_Athletics_U20_Championships) in Tampere.[41] She won in a time of 15:09.04 to finish over 30 seconds ahead of [Edibe Yagiz](/source/Edibe_Yagiz) in second.[42] She then completed a distance double at the championships by breaking [Gabriela Szabo](/source/Gabriela_Szabo)’s 32-year-old championships record to win the women’s 3000m in 8:46.39.[43]

In September 2025, she competed over 5000 metres at the [2025 World Championships](/source/2025_World_Athletics_Championships_%E2%80%93_Women's_5000_metres) in [Tokyo](/source/Tokyo), Japan, without advancing to the final.[44][45] In September 2025, she was nominated for the [European Athletics](/source/European_Athletics) female rising star award.[46] On 8 November, she won the U20 race at the [Cardiff Cross Challenge](/source/Cardiff_Cross_Challenge).[47] Later that month, she won the U20 race at the Liverpool Cross Challenge.[48] On 14 December, she emulated fellow British athlete [Steph Twell](/source/Steph_Twell), winning her third consecutive under-20 title at the [2025 European Cross Country Championships](/source/2025_European_Cross_Country_Championships), also winning the gold medal in the team event, in Lagoa, Portugal.[49][50]

### 2026

On 1 January, FitzGerald ran the fastest [parkrun](/source/Parkrun) recorded by a British female, in Exmouth, where her recorded time of 15:27 improved the previous best time by four seconds, set by [Melissa Courtney-Bryant](/source/Melissa_Courtney-Bryant) in 2022.[51][52] On 3 February 2026, she lowered her indoor personal best for the 1500 metres to 4:08.73 at the Golden Gala in Ostrava.[53]

## References

1. ["Innes FitzGerald"](https://worldathletics.org/athletes/great-britain-ni/innes-fitzgerald-15033317). *World Athletics*. Retrieved 4 July 2023.

1. Evans, Francesca (17 July 2022). ["East Devon runner Innes continues to impress with biggest victory of her young career"](https://axminster.nub.news/news/local-news/east-devon-runner-innes-continues-to-impress-with-biggest-victory-of-her-young-career-141727). *Axminster.nub*. Retrieved 4 July 2023.

1. Lytton, Charlotte (28 January 2023). ["Innes FitzGerald: 'Greta Thunberg of sport' wants (green) gold at Olympics"](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/science/article/innes-fitzgerald-greta-thunberg-of-sport-wants-green-gold-at-olympics-mbx2wbnzg). *The Times*. Retrieved 4 July 2023.

1. Henderson, Jason (Dec 9, 2024). ["Birmingham University rise to the challenge in Antalya"](https://athleticsweekly.com/blog/birmingham-university-rise-to-the-challenge-in-antalya-1039995509/). *Athletics Weekly*. Retrieved 10 December 2024.

1. Henderson, Jason (April 22, 2023). ["Innes FitzGerald impresses again at Mini London Marathon"](https://athleticsweekly.com/event-reports/innes-fitzgerald-impresses-again-at-mini-london-marathon-1039967182/). *Athletics Weekly*. Retrieved 4 July 2023.

1. Lawton, Matt (25 January 2023). ["Innes FitzGerald, 'Greta Thunberg of sport', says no to Australia world title run"](https://www.thetimes.com/world/australasia/article/innes-fitzgerald-declined-to-fly-to-australia-to-protect-climate-68dqsfqcv). *The Times*. Retrieved 4 July 2023.

1. ["Teen runner Innes FitzGerald turns down World Championship in Australia due to climate change"](https://www.itv.com/news/2023-02-02/teen-runner-turns-down-world-championship-due-to-climate-change). *ITV.com*. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.

1. Collins, Riyah (1 February 2023). ["Innes FitzGerald: The teen turning down championships for the planet"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-64427450). *BBC News*. Retrieved 4 July 2023.

1. Mackay, Duncan (20 January 2023). ["British runner spurns chance to compete at World Cross Country Championships in Australia after refusal to fly"](https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1132731/british-runner-australia-refuses-to-fly). *Insidethegames.biz*. Retrieved 4 July 2023.

1. Rawlinson, Kevin (26 January 2023). ["Runner says no to competing for GB in Australia over flight climate concerns"](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/26/runner-gb-australia-climate-innes-fitzgerald-cross-country). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 4 July 2023.

1. Duff, Martin (March 19, 2023). ["Innes FitzGerald enjoys runaway win at English Schools Champs"](https://athleticsweekly.com/event-reports/innes-fitzgerald-enjoys-runaway-win-at-english-schools-champs-1039966159/). *Athletics Weekly*. Retrieved 4 July 2023.

1. Adams, Tim (July 3, 2023). ["Five takeaways from the English Schools Champs"](https://athleticsweekly.com/event-reports/five-takeaways-from-the-english-schools-tf-championships-1039969196/). *Athletics Weekly*. Retrieved 4 July 2023.

1. Adams, Tim (July 13, 2023). ["Phoebe Gill takes apart UK U17 1500m record"](https://athleticsweekly.com/event-reports/phoebe-gill-takes-apart-uk-u17-1500m-record-1039969546/). *Athletics Weekly*. Retrieved 13 July 2023.

1. ["40-Strong GB & NI Team Brussels Bound for the 2023 European Cross Country Championships"](https://www.britishathletics.org.uk/news-and-features/40-strong-gb-ni-team-brussels-bound-for-the-2023-european-cross-country-championships/). *British Athletics*. 28 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.

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1. ["GB & NI Team Are Belgrade-Bound for the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships"](https://www.britishathletics.org.uk/news-and-features/great-britain-and-northern-ireland-team-are-belgrade-bound-for-the-2024-world-athletics-cross-country-championships/). *British Athletics*. 14 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.

1. Henderson, Jason (March 14, 2024). ["Innes FitzGerald in World Cross u-turn"](https://athleticsweekly.com/athletics-news/innes-fitzgerald-in-world-cross-u-turn-1039976328/). *Athletics Weekly*. Retrieved 14 March 2024.

1. Henderson, Jason (March 30, 2024). ["FitzGerald and Bailey finish top Europeans in Belgrade"](https://athleticsweekly.com/event-reports/fitzgerald-and-bailey-finish-top-europeans-in-belgrade-1039976996/). *Athletics Weekly*

1. ["KJT shows fine early season form at Loughborough"](https://athleticsweekly.com/event-reports/kjt-shows-fine-early-season-form-at-loughborough-1039987660/). *Athletics Weekly*. May 20, 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.

1. ["England team selected for the 2024 Loughborough International"](https://www.englandathletics.org/news/england-team-selected-for-the-2024-loughborough-international/). *England Athletics*. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.

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1. ["Walaza storms to sprint double at World U20 Championships in Lima"](https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-u20-championships/lima24/news/report/day-four-afternoon-lima-24-track-walaza-hodge-moraa-hill). *World Athletics*. 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.

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1. ["2024-25 Olympic Futures Programme Athletes Announced"](https://www.britishathletics.org.uk/news-and-features/2024-25-olympic-futures-programme-athletes-announced/). *British Athletics*. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.

1. Collett, Jasmine (Nov 23, 2024). ["Kate Axford and Tomer Tarragano take Euro trials victory in Liverpool"](https://athleticsweekly.com/event-reports/kate-axford-and-tomer-tarragano-take-euro-trials-victory-in-liverpool-1039995061/). *Athletics Weekly*. Retrieved 24 November 2024.

1. ["GB & NI Team Announced for European Cross Country Championships in Antalya"](https://www.britishathletics.org.uk/news-and-features/gb-ni-team-announced-for-european-cross-country-championships-in-antalya/). *British Athletics*. 26 November 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.

1. ["U20 favourites FitzGerald and Laros live up to expectations"](https://www.european-athletics.com/news/u20-favourites-fitz-gerald-and-laros-live-up-to-expectations). *European Athletics*. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.

1. Adams, Tim (Jan 14, 2025). ["Innes FitzGerald runs 8:48.30 in indoor 3000m"](https://athleticsweekly.com/event-reports/innes-fitzgerald-runs-848-30-in-indoor-3000m-1039996335/#). *Athletics Weekly*. Retrieved 15 January 2025.

1. Henderson, Jason (Feb 4, 2025). ["Innes FitzGerald smashes the European under-20 3000m record"](https://athleticsweekly.com/athletics-news/innes-fitzgerald-smashes-the-european-under-20-3000m-record-1039997034/#). *Athletics Weekly*. Retrieved 5 February 2025.

1. ["Gourley & Mills Lead Way With Records at Microplus UK Athletics Indoor Champ"](https://www.britishathletics.org.uk/news-and-features/gourley-mills-lead-way-with-records-at-microplus-uk-athletics-indoor-championships/). *British Athletics*. 23 Feb 2025. Retrieved 23 Feb 2025.

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1. Henderson, Jason (7 August 2025). ["Innes Fitzgerald Enjoys Runaway 5000m Victory at European U20 Champs"](https://athleticsweekly.com/news/innes-fitzgerald-enjoys-runaway-5000m-victory-at-european-u20-champs-1040006895/). *Athletics Weekly*. Retrieved 8 August 2025.

1. ["FitzGerald wins her first ever track title with 5000m gold in Tampere 2025"](https://www.european-athletics.com/news/innes-fitz-gerald-wins-her-first-ever-track-title-at-tampere-2025). *European Athletics*. 7 August 2025. Retrieved 8 August 2025.

1. Broadbent, Chris (10 August 2025). ["FitzGerald smashes Szabo's 3000m championship record to win distance double"](https://www.european-athletics.com/home/news/fitz-gerald-smashes-szabos-championship-record-to-win-distance-double). *European Athletics*. Retrieved 11 August 2025.

1. ["World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025"](https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7190593?eventId=10229514). *World Athletics*. 18 Sep 2025. Retrieved 25 September 2025.

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1. Broadbent, Chris (25 Sep 2025). ["Nominees revealed! Vote for 2025 women's Rising Star"](https://www.european-athletics.com/home/news/nominees-revealed-vote-for-2025-womens-rising-star). *European Athletics*. Retrieved 26 September 2025.

1. Henderson, Jason (8 November 2025). ["TEENAGER CHEPKIRUI SHINES AT CARDIFF CROSS CHALLENGE"](https://athleticsweekly.com/news/teenager-chepkirui-shines-at-cardiff-cross-challenge-1040008729/). *Athletics Weekly*. Retrieved 9 November 2025.

1. Broadbent, Chris (22 Nov 2025). ["FitzGerald wins in Liverpool to stay on track for Lagoa title defence"](https://www.european-athletics.com/home/news/fitz-gerald-wins-in-liverpool-to-stay-on-track-for-lagoa-title-defence). *European Athletics*. Retrieved 23 November 2025.

1. Broadbent, Chris (14 Dec 2025). ["FitzGerald wins third successive title with runaway victory at Lagoa 2025"](https://www.european-athletics.com/home/competitions/spar-european-cross-country-championships/competition-news/fitz-gerald-wins-third-successive-title-with-runaway-victory-at-lagoa-2025). *European Athletics*. Retrieved 14 December 2025.

1. ["31st SPAR European Cross Country Championships"](https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7173255?eventId=10230008&gender=W). *World Athletics*. 14 Dec 2025. Retrieved 14 December 2025.

1. Rhodes, James (January 1, 2026). ["parkrun ‘British Record’ for Innes FitzGerald"](https://fastrunning.com/running-athletics-news/great-britain/parkrun-british-record-for-innes-fitzgerald/38520). *Fast Running*. Retrieved 1 Jan 2026.

1. Simpson, Zhara (7 Jan 2026). ["Athlete breaks female Parkrun record"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98pyp5pd6yo.amp). *BBC News*. Retrieved 7 Jan 2026.

1. ["Czezh Indoor Gala"](https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7228062?eventId=10229581). *World Athletics*. 3 Feb 2026. Retrieved 4 Feb 2026.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Innes FitzGerald](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innes_FitzGerald) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innes_FitzGerald?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.