| World Athletics Cross Country Championships | |
|---|---|
| Status | active |
| Genre | sports event |
| Date(s) | March |
| Frequency | biennial |
| Location(s) | various |
| Inaugurated | 1973 |
| Most recent | 2023 World Athletics Cross Country Championships |
| Next event | 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships |
| Organised by | World Athletics |
World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships. It was an annual competition until 2011, when World Athletics changed it to a biennial event. [1]
Traditionally, the World Cross Country Championships consisted of four races: one each for men (12 km) and for women (8 km); and one each for junior men (8 km) and for junior women (6 km). Scoring was done for individuals and for national teams. In the team competition, the finishing positions of the top six scorers from a team of up to nine are summed for the men and women, respectively, and the lowest score wins. For the junior races, the top three from a team of up to four are scored.
The year 1998 saw the introduction of two new events at the World Cross Country Championships, a short race for men and a short race for women. The last time these 4 km races were held was 2006, and there are no public plans to bring them back.
In an incredible show of dominance, the senior men's team race was won by Ethiopia or Kenya every year from 1981 to 2017 in both the short and long races. In the senior men's 12 km race, Kenya won the world championships for an astounding 18 years in a row, from 1986 through 2003, a record of unequaled international success. Kenya and Ethiopia have enjoyed a similar strangle-hold on the other categories. On the women's side, only one other nation has won the long team race since 1991, namely, Portugal in 1994. These African nations were not quite so dominant in the short races, but they have won every women's junior race since its introduction in 1989.
Several athletes have won two or more individual titles: Craig Virgin, who is the only American to ever win at World Cross Country Championships, which he did twice; Carlos Lopes, the first man to win three times (although Jack Holden won the International Cross Country Championships four times between 1933 and 1939, Gaston Roelants between 1962 and 1972); John Ngugi, the first man to win five times; Paul Tergat, the first man to win five times in a row; Kenenisa Bekele, the only man to win both the short and long courses in the same year, which he did five years in a row, and whose win in 2008 gave him six long course championships, the most of anyone in history; Sonia O'Sullivan, first athlete ever to win both the long and short course double in the same year; Grete Waitz, the first woman to win five times (although Doris Brown Heritage won the International Cross Country Championships five times between 1967 and 1971); Lynn Jennings, who won three times; Derartu Tulu, who won three times; Tirunesh Dibaba, who won three times in the long course and once in the short course; Zola Budd, who became the youngest ever winner when she won in 1985 and then won again in 1986; Gete Wami, who won twice at the long course and once at the short; and Edith Masai, who won the short race three times. Tirunesh Dibaba was also once the junior women's champion.
Many consider the World Cross Country Championships to be the most difficult races to win, even more difficult than the Olympic Games. At most major championships, the world's best distance runners are separated into a few races, i.e. 3000 m Steeplechase, 5000 m, and 10,000 m. However, in the absence of the short course races, the World Cross Country Championships pit all runners against one another in only one race. Thus, the competition is quite fierce. It's no wonder, then, that several Olympic Champions have gotten their start as World Cross Country Champions: Carlos Lopes, marathon, 1984; John Ngugi, 5000 m, 1988; Khalid Skah, 10,000 m, 1992; and Kenenisa Bekele, 10,000 m, 2004 and 2008. Numerous other champions have medalled at the Olympic Games or the World Championships, or have set World Records.
In the 206th IAAF Council Meeting, held after the 2016 Summer Olympics, the council decided to add a mixed-gender relay race to the World Cross Country Championships schedule – a first for the event. [2]
As in other areas of the sport, athletes at the competition are prohibited from doping and tests are undertaken before and at the championships to ensure athletes obey the regulations. A total of fourteen doping violations have occurred at the World Cross Country Championships, with the first violation coming from Cosmas Ndeti who was the original runner-up at the 1988 junior men's race; he remains the only athlete stripped of a medal for doping. Seven doping violations have come from Moroccan athletes, with Portuguese athletes accounting for a further three. The 2010 and 2011 editions had the highest number of doping violations, with totals of four and five, respectively. The senior men's long race has produced the highest number of violations, with eight in total. [3]
| Year | Athlete | Country | Race | Original placing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Cosmas Ndeti |  Kenya | Junior men | 2nd |
| 2002 | Hamid El Mouaziz |  Morocco | Men's long | 44th |
| 2006 | Yuliya Mochalova |  Russia | Junior women | 24th |
| 2007 | Binnaz Uslu |  Turkey | Women's | DNF |
| 2008 | Fethi Meftah |  Algeria | Men's | 35th |
| 2010 | Chakir Boujattaoui | Morocco | Men's | 12th |
| 2010 | Ahmed Baday | Morocco | Men's | 29th |
| 2010 | Hélder Ornelas |  Portugal | Men's | 75th |
| 2010 | Hanane Ouhaddou | Morocco | Women's | 56th |
| 2011 | Nuno Costa | Portugal | Men's | 34th |
| 2011 | José Rocha | Portugal | Men's | 41st |
| 2011 | Hafid Chani | Morocco | Men's | DNF |
| 2011 | Najim El Gady | Morocco | Men's | DNF |
| 2011 | Hanane Ouhaddou | Morocco | Women's | 81st |
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenya | 25 | 6 | 4 | 35 |
| 2 |  Ethiopia | 10 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
| 3 |  England | 3 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
| 4 |  Belgium | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 5 |  France | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 6 |  Uganda | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| 7 |  New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 8 |  United States | 0 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| 9 | Morocco | 0 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 10 |  Eritrea | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 11 |  Soviet Union | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 12 |  Great Britain | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 13 |  Ireland | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Portugal | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 15 |  Spain | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 16 |  Qatar | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 17 |  Bahrain | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (17 entries) | 44 | 44 | 44 | 132 | |
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 (4 km) | John Kibowen Kenya | 10:43 | Daniel Komen Kenya | 10:46 | Paul Kosgei Kenya | 10:50 |
| 1999 (4.236 km) | Benjamin Limo Kenya | 12:28 | Paul Kosgei Kenya | 12:31 | Haylu Mekonnen Ethiopia | 12:35 |
| 2000 (4.18 km) | John Kibowen Kenya | 11:11 | Sammy Kipketer Kenya | 11:12 | Paul Kosgei Kenya | 11:15 |
| 2001 (4.1 km) | Enock Koech Kenya | 12:40 | Kenenisa Bekele Ethiopia | 12:42 | Benjamin Limo Kenya | 12:43 |
| 2002 (4.208 km) | Kenenisa Bekele Ethiopia | 12:11 | Luke Kipkosgei Kenya | 12:18 | Haylu Mekonnen Ethiopia | 12:20 |
| 2003 (4.03 km) | Kenenisa Bekele Ethiopia | 11:01 | John Kibowen Kenya | 11:04 | Benjamin Limo Kenya | 11:06 |
| 2004 (4 km) | Kenenisa Bekele Ethiopia | 11:31 | Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam Ethiopia | 11:36 | Maregu Zewdie Ethiopia | 11:42 |
| 2005 (4.196 km) | Kenenisa Bekele Ethiopia | 11:33 | Abraham Chebii Kenya | 11:38 | Isaac Songok Kenya | 11:39 |
| 2006 (4 km) | Kenenisa Bekele Ethiopia | 10:54 | Isaac Songok Kenya | 10:55 | Adil Kaouch Morocco | 10:57 |
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Kenya | 10 | Morocco | 42 | Ethiopia | 60 |
| 1999 | Kenya | 14 | Morocco | 45 | Ethiopia | 55 |
| 2000 | Kenya | 10 | Ethiopia | 46 | Morocco | 68 |
| 2001 | Kenya | 13 | Morocco | 48 | Ethiopia | 51 |
| 2002 | Kenya | 20 | Ethiopia | 32 | Spain | 57 |
| 2003 | Kenya | 14 | Ethiopia | 31 | Morocco | 44 |
| 2004 | Ethiopia | 17 | Qatar | 39 | Kenya | 52 |
| 2005 | Ethiopia | 23 | Kenya | 31 | Qatar | 32 |
| 2006 | Kenya | 21 | Ethiopia | 48 | Morocco | 53 |
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 (4 km) | Sonia O'Sullivan Ireland | 12:20 | Zahra Ouaziz Morocco | 12:34 | Kutre Dulecha Ethiopia | 12:37 |
| 1999 (4.236 km) | Jackline Maranga Kenya | 15:09 | Yamna Belkacem France | 15:16 | Annemari Sandell  Finland | 15:17 |
| 2000 (4.18 km) | Kutre Dulecha Ethiopia | 13:00 | Zahra Ouaziz Morocco | 13:00 | Margaret Ngotho Kenya | 13:00 |
| 2001 (4.1 km) | Gete Wami Ethiopia | 14:46 | Paula Radcliffe United Kingdom | 14:47 | Edith Masai Kenya | 14:57 |
| 2002 (4.208 km) | Edith Masai Kenya | 13:30 | Worknesh Kidane Ethiopia | 13:36 | Isabella Ochichi Kenya | 13:39 |
| 2003 (4.03 km) | Edith Masai Kenya | 12:43 | Worknesh Kidane Ethiopia | 12:44 | Jane Wanjiku Kenya | 12:46 |
| 2004 (4 km) | Edith Masai Kenya | 13:07 | Tirunesh Dibaba Ethiopia | 13:09 | Teyiba Erkesso Ethiopia | 13:11 |
| 2005 (4.196 km) | Tirunesh Dibaba Ethiopia | 13:15 | Worknesh Kidane Ethiopia | 13:16 | Isabella Ochichi Kenya | 13:21 |
| 2006 (4 km) | Gelete Burka Ethiopia | 12:51 | Prisca Ngetich Kenya | 12:53 | Meselech Melkamu Ethiopia | 12:54 |
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Morocco | 57 | Ethiopia | 58 | United States | 68 |
| 1999 | France | 40 | Ethiopia | 48 | Morocco | 69 |
| 2000 | Portugal | 46 | Ethiopia | 55 | France | 57 |
| 2001 | Ethiopia | 26 | Kenya | 32 |  Romania | 78 |
| 2002 | Ethiopia | 32 | Kenya | 34 | Ireland | 85 |
| 2003 | Kenya | 18 | Ethiopia | 24 | Russia | 76 |
| 2004 | Ethiopia | 19 | Kenya | 21 |  Canada | 87 |
| 2005 | Ethiopia | 18 | Kenya | 19 | United States | 67 |
| 2006 | Ethiopia | 25 | Kenya | 26 |  Australia | 69 |
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Ethiopia | 25:49 | Morocco | 26:22 | Kenya | 26:29 |
| 2023 | Kenya | 23:14 | Ethiopia | 23:21 | Australia | 23:26 |
Kenenisa Bekele Beyecha is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. He was the world record holder in both the 5,000-metre and 10,000-metre from 2004 until 2020. He won the gold medal in both the 5,000 m and 10,000 m events at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. At the 2004 Olympics, he won the gold medal in the 10,000 m and the silver medal in the 5,000 m.
Derartu Tulu NL COL is an Ethiopian former long-distance runner, who competed in track, cross country running, and road running up to the marathon distance. She won 10,000 metres titles at the 1992 Barcelona and 2000 Sydney Olympics, and a bronze in the event at the 2004 Athens Olympics. At the World Championships in Athletics, Derartu took silver in the 10,000 m in 1995, and a gold in 2001. She was a three-time IAAF World Cross Country champion.
Werknesh Kidane, is an Ethiopian long distance runner from Tigray who competes in both 5000 and 10,000 metres. She has won numerous medals at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and represented Ethiopia at the Summer Olympics in 2000, 2004 and 2012. She was the silver medallist at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics and a gold medallist at the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
Tirunesh Dibaba is an Ethiopian athlete who competes in long-distance track events and international road races. She has won three Olympic track gold medals, five World Championship track gold medals, four individual World Cross Country (WCC) adult titles, and one individual WCC junior title. Tirunesh was the 5,000 metres world record holder until 2020 when her compatriot Letesenbet Gidey set a new world record. She is nicknamed the "baby-faced destroyer."
Maryam Yusuf Jamal is an Ethiopian-born Bahraini middle-distance runner. She is the first Bahraini athlete to win an Olympic medal, a gold in the 1,500m women's race, in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. This was also the first Olympic medal won by a woman representing a Gulf state. Born in Ethiopia, 2005 was her first full season. She gained the national record and ran the fastest 3000 m of the year, with a time of 8:28.87 at a race in Oslo. Jamal is a two-time world champion in the 1,500 m, having won at the 2007 and 2009 World Championships in Athletics.
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The 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships took place on April 1/2, 2006. The races were held at the Umi-no-nakamichi Seaside Park in Fukuoka, Japan, Japan's National Cross Country Course which is the permanent residence of the annual Fukuoka International Cross Country meeting.
Meselech Melkamu is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She defeated Meseret Defar to win the 5000 metres gold medal at the 2008 African Athletics Championships, but she is better known for her 29:53.80 run over 10,000 metres in 2009, which until August 2016 ranked her second on the all-time list behind world record holder Wang Junxia. She is one of seven woman in history to break the 30-minute barrier and one of four Ethiopians to accomplish the feat.
The 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships took place on March 30, 2008. The races were held at the Holyrood Park in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition. This was the year in which Kenenisa Bekele became the first athlete in World Cross history to win six individual long course titles, breaking his tie with John Ngugi and Paul Tergat who had each won five. Reports of the event were given in The New York Times, in the Herald, and for the IAAF.
Genzebe Dibaba Keneni is an Ethiopian middle- and long-distance runner. A 1,500 metres 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist, she won a gold medal in this event and a bronze in the 5,000 metres at the 2015 World Championships. Genzebe is the current world record holder for the indoor events of the one mile, 3,000m and 5,000m.
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The 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held at Myślęcinek Park in Bydgoszcz, Poland on 28 March 2010. It was the first time in over twenty years that Poland hosted the annual championships, having previously held them in Warsaw in 1987. Kenyan runners dominated the competition, taking all four individual titles and all four team titles at the competition. Kenyans took the top four spots in both junior men's and junior women's races to finish with a perfect team score.
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The Senior men's race at the 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships was held at the Holyrood Park in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, on March 30, 2008. Reports of the event were given in The New York Times, in the Herald, and for the IAAF.
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International cross country running championships | ||
|---|---|---|
| World |  | |
| Continental | ||
| Regional | ||
See also: Modern pentathlon • International Cross Country Championships (1903–1972) | ||
World Championships organised by World Athletics | |
|---|---|
| Outdoor | |
| Indoor | |
| Continental Cup* | |
| U20 | |
| U18 | |
| Cross Country | |
| Race Walking | |
| Women's Road Race | |
| Marathon | |
| Half Marathon | |
| Road Relay | |
| Relays* | |
| Road Running | |
