Antrim International Cross Country

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Antrim International Cross Country
Round tower Antrim Ireland.jpg
The round tower in Antrim, where the meeting is held
DateJanuary
Location Antrim, Northern Ireland
Event type Cross country
Distance10 km for men
8 km for women
Established1977

The Antrim International Cross Country, formerly the Belfast International Cross Country, is an annual cross country running meeting which takes place every January in Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is one of the IAAF's cross country permit meetings, as well as being part of the UK Cross Challenge tour. [1] [2] Previous winners include Paula Radcliffe, Paul Tergat and Steve Ovett. [3]

Contents

History

The meeting began in 1977 and was held in Mallusk, near Belfast, until 1996. At that point, the course moved for a two-year stint in Barnett Demesne before settling in Stormont in 1999. The course was again moved in 2009, when it became known as the Antrim International Cross Country. [4]

The meeting was held near Stormont Castle from 1999 to 2008. Stormont Castle.jpeg
The meeting was held near Stormont Castle from 1999 to 2008.

In addition to having been held at numerous venues, the competition has been known under a large variety of names. It was called the Mallusk Crosscountry between 1977 and 1991, except a brief change to the Brooks International Crosscountry in 1989. The meeting was frequently renamed for sponsorship reasons, becoming the Milk International in 1986, [5] the Reebok International Crosscountry in 1992 and 1993, the Ulster Milk Games International in 1994, the Coca-Cola International Crosscountry from 1995 to 1999 and finally the Fila International Crosscountry for 2000–01. [4] During the meeting's time at Stormont it was known as the Belfast International Cross Country and it was in this period that the meeting was elevated to IAAF permit status. [6]

The race course of the meetings at Stormont was on the grounds surrounding Stormont Castle. [7] The current course for the race is on the grassy fields of the Greenmount Campus just outside Antrim town. [8] The races are currently held over 9 km for men and 5.6 km for women. This distance has significantly fluctuated on an annual basis. The men's race was an 8 km from the inaugural edition until 2003. The women's race—introduced in 1986—was previously a 4.8 km race during that period. [4]

Steve Ovett became the first athlete to win the meeting twice, winning in 1978 and 1984. The most successful athlete in the history of the competition is Paula Radcliffe, who has won a record four times (in 1994, 1996, 2000 and 2001). Around 1000 male and female athletes participate in the senior races each year. [4]

Past winners

Steve Ovett took the honours in the second and seventh editions. SteveOvett.jpg
Steve Ovett took the honours in the second and seventh editions.
Paula Radcliffe is a four-time meet winner. Paula Radcliffe 2005.jpg
Paula Radcliffe is a four-time meet winner.
Uganda's Moses Kipsiro won consecutively in 2007 and 2008. Osaka07 D9A Moses Kipsiro.jpg
Uganda's Moses Kipsiro won consecutively in 2007 and 2008.
EditionYearMen's winnerTime (m:s)Women's winnerTime (m:s)
1st1977Flag of Ireland.svg  Gerard Deegan  (IRL)28:00Not held
2nd1978Flag of England.svg  Steve Ovett  (ENG)24:08Not held
1979Not heldNot held
3rd1980Flag of Scotland.svg  Nathaniel Muir  (SCO)24:33Not held
4th1981Flag of England.svg  Barry Smith  (ENG)25:03Not held
5th1982Flag of Ireland.svg  John Treacy  (IRL)28:00Not held
6th1983Flag of Ireland.svg  David Taylor  (IRL)24:37Not held
7th1984Flag of England.svg  Steve Ovett  (ENG)24:36Not held
8th1985Flag of England.svg  Tim Hutchings  (ENG)22:06Not held
9th1986Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Roger Hackney  (WAL)26:12Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Susan Tooby  (WAL)18:18
10th1987Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Roger Hackney  (WAL)24:23Flag of Scotland.svg  Liz McColgan  (SCO)16:26
11th1988Flag of England.svg  Dave Lewis  (ENG)25:22Flag of Scotland.svg  Liz McColgan  (SCO)17:31
12th1989Flag of England.svg  Steve Tunstall  (ENG)25:02Flag of England.svg  Jill Boltz  (ENG)17:21
13th1990Flag of England.svg  Craig Mochrie  (ENG)24:50Flag of Ireland.svg  Róisín Smyth  (IRL)17:43
14th1991Flag of England.svg  Eamonn Martin  (ENG)24:42Flag of Kenya.svg  Susan Sirma  (KEN)16:46
15th1992Flag of Kenya.svg  Ondoro Osoro  (KEN)22:37Flag of Ireland.svg  Catherina McKiernan  (IRL)15:29
16th1993Flag of Kenya.svg  Simon Chemoiywo  (KEN)23:28Flag of Ireland.svg  Catherina McKiernan  (IRL)15:49
17th1994Flag of Kenya.svg  Ismael Kirui  (KEN)23:44Flag of England.svg  Paula Radcliffe  (ENG)15:40
18th1995Flag of Kenya.svg  Ismael Kirui  (KEN)23:21Flag of Kenya.svg  Rose Cheruiyot  (KEN)15:57
19th1996Flag of Kenya.svg  James Kariuki  (KEN)24:02Flag of England.svg  Paula Radcliffe  (ENG)16:02
20th1997Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Million Wolde  (ETH)23:37Flag of Romania.svg  Elena Fidatov  (ROU)15:39
21st1998Flag of Kenya.svg  Laban Chege  (KEN)26:16Flag of Romania.svg  Mariana Chirila  (ROU)17:59
22nd1999Flag of South Africa.svg  Hendrick Ramaala  (RSA)25:06Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Anita Weyermann  (SUI)17:03
23rd2000Flag of Kenya.svg  Patrick Ivuti  (KEN)24:55Flag of England.svg  Paula Radcliffe  (ENG)17:18
24th2001Flag of Kenya.svg  Daniel Gachara  (KEN)24:18Flag of England.svg  Paula Radcliffe  (ENG)16:51
25th2002Flag of Kenya.svg  Julius Koskei  (KEN)25:06Flag of Kenya.svg  Esther Kiplagat  (KEN)17:16
26th2003Flag of Ukraine.svg  Serhiy Lebid  (UKR)24:45Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Werknesh Kidane  (ETH)16:46
27th2004Flag of Kenya.svg  Paul Tergat  (KEN)28:27Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Émilie Mondor  (CAN)18:52
28th2005Flag of the United States.svg  Dathan Ritzenhein  (USA)29:26Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Etalemahu Kidane  (ETH)20:26
29th2006Flag of Kenya.svg  Barnabas Kosgei  (KEN)28:05Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Etalemahu Kidane  (ETH)19:09
30th2007Flag of Uganda.svg  Moses Kipsiro  (UGA)28:20Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Etalemahu Kidane  (ETH)19:29
31st2008Flag of Uganda.svg  Moses Kipsiro  (UGA)30:19Flag of England.svg  Hayley Yelling  (ENG)21:20
32nd2009Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Imane Merga  (ETH)24:32Flag of England.svg  Stephanie Twell  (ENG)18:25
33rd [9] 2010Flag of Kenya.svg  Mike Kigen  (KEN)27:49Flag of Ireland.svg  Mary Cullen  (IRL)18:45
34th [10] 2011Flag of Kenya.svg  Mike Kigen  (KEN)26:07Flag of England.svg  Charlotte Purdue  (ENG)17:57
35th [11] 2012Flag of Kenya.svg  Mike Kigen  (KEN)34:48Flag of Ireland.svg  Fionnuala Britton  (IRL)19:32
36th [12] 2013Flag of Uganda.svg  Thomas Ayeko  (UGA)33:08Flag of Ireland.svg  Fionnuala Britton  (IRL)18:17
37th [13] 2014Flag of Kenya.svg  Japhet Korir  (KEN)28:40Flag of Bahrain.svg  Mimi Belete  (BHR)18:07
38th [14] 2015Flag of Uganda.svg  Thomas Ayeko  (UGA)31:27Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Birtukan Fente  (ETH)24:12
39th [15] 2016Flag of Bahrain.svg  Aweke Ayalew  (BHR)21:25Flag of Kenya.svg  Alice Aprot  (KEN)18:05
40th [16] 2017Flag of Kenya.svg  Conseslus Kipruto  (KEN)24:36Flag of Kenya.svg  Caroline Kipkirui  (KEN)18:53
41st [17] 2018Flag of Kenya.svg  Timothy Cheruiyot  (KEN)23:12Flag of Kenya.svg  Margaret Kipkemboi  (KEN)19:55
42nd [18] 2019Flag of Bahrain.svg  Birhanu Balew  (BHR)29:42Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Meskerem Mamo  (ETH)26:10
43rd [19] 2022Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Zakariya Mahamed  (GBR)29:49Flag of Kenya.svg  Hellen Obiri  (KEN)26:44
44th2022Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Abele Ayana  (ETH)25:24Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Medina Eisa  (ETH)21:07

Statistics

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References

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  2. McCain UK Cross Challenge Antrim. UK Athletics (23 January 2009). Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  3. European Champion to race in Antrim Cross Country International Archived 9 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine . Athletics Ireland (7 January 2010). Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 4 McCausland, Malcolm (5 January 2009). Antrim International Crosscountry. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  5. Rodda, John (4 January 1986). "England Debt to Lewis". The Guardian . p. 14 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  6. Frank, Bob (12 January 2003). Lebid eyes Lausanne after Belfast win. IAAF. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  7. Landells, Steve (9 January 2007). Moses Kipsiro – Uganda’s latest find. IAAF. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  8. Antrim International Cross Country Archived 20 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine . Athletics Ireland (24 January 2010). Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  9. Duffy, Cóilín (23 January 2010). Cullen and Kigen take the spoils in muddy Antrim. IAAF. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  10. Duffy, Cóilín (22 January 2011). Kigen repeats in foggy Antrim. IAAF. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  11. Duffy, Cóilín (21 January 2012). Kigen makes it a hat-trick; Britton takes women’s race win in Antrim. IAAF. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  12. Duffy, Cóilín (12 January 2013). Ayeko and Britton take the honours in Antrim. IAAF. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  13. Duffy, Cóilín and Minshull, Phil (4 January 2014). World champion Korir back to form with Antrim win. IAAF. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  14. Duffy, Cóilín (15 March 2015). Ayeko and Fente Alemu win in Antrim. IAAF. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  15. Aprot and Ayalew victorious in Antrim. IAAF (16 January 2016). Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  16. Kipruto and Kipkirui score Kenyan double in Antrim. IAAF (14 January 2017). Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  17. Cheruiyot and Kipkemboi take Kenyan double in Antrim. IAAF (9 January 2018). Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  18. Balew and Mamo prevail in Dundonald. IAAF (19 January 2019). Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  19. Obiri claims cross country win in Dundonald. IAAF (24 January 2022). Retrieved 24 January 2022.