Cross de l'Acier

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Cross de l'Acier
Fort des Dunes.JPG
The Fort des Dunes, an old military fortification, is the race venue
DateLate November
Location Leffrinckoucke, France
Event type Cross country
Distance9.95 km for men
6.55 km for women
Established1990
Official site Cross de l'Acier
Participants135 (2019)

The Cross de l'Acier (English: Cross of Steel) was an annual cross country running competition held in late November in Leffrinckoucke, France. First held in 1990, it was one of the foremost competitions of its type in France. Ten races were held at the event for athletes of varying abilities. [1] Around 2200 runners took part in the day's event in 2010. [2] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and disagreements with the National Athletics League, it was announced that the race would be discontinued in 2022 after two years absence. [3]

Contents

The course of the competition was held around the Fort des Dunes – part of a set of military fortifications used in the First World War known as the Séré de Rivières system. [4] The men's international elite race covered 9.95 km while the women's race took place over 6.55 km. [1] These races were often used by French athletes to gain selection for the national team at the European Cross Country Championships, which is held a month after the event. [4] The elite competition held permit status from European Athletics. [5]

Over its history, the cross attracted elite runners of the highest calibre and former winners include multiple world record breaker Haile Gebrselassie, World Cross Country champions Zola Budd and Joseph Ebuya, and track world champions Fernanda Ribeiro and Linet Masai. [6] Although many of the competition's most successful runners hail from East Africa, the race also features prominent European runners: Paulo Guerra and Mo Farah both won the European Championships after winning in Leffrinckoucke a month previously. [7]

Past senior race winners

Olympic champion Fernanda Ribeiro took the women's title in 1995. Fernanda Ribeiro2.jpg
Olympic champion Fernanda Ribeiro took the women's title in 1995.
Haile Gebrselassie won the men's race in 2001. Haile Gebrselassie en 2009.jpg
Haile Gebrselassie won the men's race in 2001.
EditionYearMen's winnerTime (m:s)Women's winnerTime (m:s)
1st1990Flag of France.svg  Bruno Levant  (FRA)Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Nancy Pattee (BEL)
2nd1991Flag of France.svg  Thierry Pantel  (FRA)Flag of Portugal.svg  Albertina Dias  (POR)
3rd1992Flag of Kenya.svg  Wilson Omwoyo  (KEN)Flag of Portugal.svg  Albertina Dias  (POR)
4th1993Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Vincent Rousseau  (BEL)Flag of South Africa.svg  Zola Budd  (RSA)
5th1994Flag of Portugal.svg  Paulo Guerra  (POR)Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Fatuma Roba  (ETH)
6th1995Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Worku Bikila  (ETH)Flag of Portugal.svg  Fernanda Ribeiro  (POR)
7th1996Flag of Kenya.svg  Tom Nyariki  (KEN)Flag of Russia.svg  Margarita Marusova  (RUS)
8th1997Flag of Kenya.svg  Tom Nyariki  (KEN)Flag of Kenya.svg  Jackline Maranga  (KEN)
9th1998Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Hailu Mekonnen  (ETH)Flag of Kenya.svg  Jackline Maranga  (KEN)
10th1999Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Hailu Mekonnen  (ETH)Flag of Kenya.svg  Naomi Mugo  (KEN)
11th2000Flag of Kenya.svg  Luke Kipkosgei  (KEN)Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ayelech Worku  (ETH)
12th2001Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Haile Gebrselassie  (ETH)Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Tereza Yohannes  (ETH)
13th2002Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Hailu Mekonnen  (ETH)Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Mestawet Tufa  (ETH)
14th2003Flag of Tanzania.svg  John Yuda  (TAN)Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Gelete Burka  (ETH)
15th2004Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Tibebu Yenew  (ETH)Flag of Kenya.svg  Isabella Ochichi  (KEN)
16th2005Flag of Kenya.svg  Dennis Ndiso  (KEN)Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Teyba Erkesso  (ETH)
17th2006Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Mohammed Farah  (GBR)Flag of Kenya.svg  Dorcus Inzikuru  (KEN)
18th2007Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Imane Merga  (ETH)Flag of Kenya.svg  Linet Masai  (KEN)
19th2008 [8] Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Imane Merga  (ETH)28:15Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Abebu Gelan  (ETH)18:20
20th2009Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Imane Merga  (ETH)Flag of Kenya.svg  Vivian Cheruiyot  (KEN)
21st2010 [6] Flag of Kenya.svg  Joseph Ebuya  (KEN)28:08Flag of Kenya.svg  Linet Masai  (KEN)21:40
22nd2011Flag of Kenya.svg  Joseph Ebuya  (KEN)28:10Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Feyse Tadese  (ETH)21:09
23rd2012Flag of Kenya.svg  Cornelius Kangogo  (KEN)28:14Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Waganesh Mekasha  (ETH)21:23
24th2013Flag of Kenya.svg  Cornelius Kangogo  (KEN)28:07Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Hiwot Ayalew  (ETH)22:30
25th2014 [9] Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Birhan Nebebew  (ETH)28:58Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Senbere Teferi  (ETH)23:33
26th2015Flag of Kenya.svg  Alfred Ngeno  (KEN)30:06Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Dera Dida  (ETH)24:13
27th2016Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Selemon Barega  (ETH)26:12Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Beyenu Degefa  (ETH)21:48
28th2017Flag of Bahrain.svg  Birhanu Balew  (BHR)30:53Flag of Kenya.svg  Margaret Chelimo  (KEN)23:38
29th2018Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Solomon Berihu  (ETH)30:41Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Letesenbet Gidey  (ETH)25:25
30th2019Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Berihu Aregawi  (ETH)30:04Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Aberash Belay  (ETH)25:01

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References

  1. 1 2 Cross de l´Acier plays host to world champion Ebuya. European Athletics (2010-11-27). Retrieved on 2010-11-29.
  2. Sourice, Frédéric (2010-11-29). ATHLÉTISME - Ça va chauffer entre Imane Merga et Joseph Ebuya, au cross de l'Acier ! [ permanent dead link ](in French). La Voix du Nord . Retrieved on 2010-11-29.
  3. Guillard-Dettin (CLP), Adrien (2022-04-23). "Course à pied: le Cross de l'Acier tire sa révérence". La Voix du Nord (in French). Retrieved 2022-11-27.
  4. 1 2 Armand, Patrick (2010-11-29). Le Kénya brille sur la neige Archived 2011-07-27 at the Wayback Machine (in French). Nord Éclair. Retrieved on 2010-12-03.
  5. European Athletics Cross Country Permit Races Archived 2011-03-12 at the Wayback Machine . European Athletics (2010). Retrieved on 2010-12-03.
  6. 1 2 Ramsak, Bob (2010-11-29). Ebuya and Masai take comfortable victories at Cross de l’Acier. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-12-03.
  7. Palmares Archived 2012-03-02 at the Wayback Machine . Cross de l'Acier. Retrieved on 2010-12-03.
  8. Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2008-12-01). Jida beats Kigen again, as Ethiopians dominate in Leffrinckoucke. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-12-03.
  9. Mills, Steven (2014-11-30). Toroitich maintains momentum in Alcobendas – cross-country round-up. IAAF. Retrieved on 2015-03-28.
List of winners