The races will not be held in the part of the Park where the animals are based but in its event centre where a large outdoor area consisting of large strips of sand, grass, woods and water usually serves as a festival area. 

The course is again largely flat, although it looks like providing at least a little more of an authentic cross country test than what was essentially a grass track in Chia in Sardinia, two years ago, and last year’s firm-going racecourse at Samorin in Slovakia.

This year's Championships - the 25th edition of an event first held at Alnwick in the North East of England in 1994 - looks set to be the biggest ever with 616 runners set to represent 38 countries, although a Russian team will once again be missing after their doping suspension was extended earlier this week by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

Four individual champions will be defending their titles from Samorin last December, including Turkey's controversial African-born competitors Kaan Kigen Özbilen and Yasemin Can, winners of the men's and women's individual crowns. 

Can will be chasing a hat-trick of European Cross Country titles, while Özbilen is expected to be joined in Turkey's team by Aras Kaya, another naturalised Kenyan and the winner of the title in 2016. 

France's Jimmy Gressier in the men’s under-23 race and Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the men’s under-20 race will also be defending their titles. 

The 18-year-old Ingebrigtsen, winner of the 1,500 and 5,000 metres at this year's European Championships in Berlin, will be chasing an unprecedented hat-trick in his category. 

European 5,000m champion Sifan Hassan has withdrawn due to illness but the Dutch hosts will still have high hopes in the senior women’s race. 

Susan Krumins is expected to challenge for a medal a decade after winning the under-23 race in her last appearance at the European Cross Country Championships.

Spain's Adel Mechaal, last year's silver medallist in the men's race, joked about the fact the race is taking place in a safari park.

"It is a very special experience to stay at a venue like the Beekse Bergen," he said. 

"It is a total new, but fun experience. 

"The Spanish team is close to the lions, which motivated one of our team-mates to joke about getting eaten."

Great Britain won the inaugural mixed relay title 12 months ago in Samorin where they topped the medal table with five gold medals and nine in total.