- Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza
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Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza Date January Location Elgoibar, Gipuzkoa Event type Cross country Distance 10.7 km for men
6.6 km for womenEstablished 1943 The Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza, also known as the Elgoibar Cross Country, is an annual cross country running competition which takes place each January in Elgoibar, the Basque Country, Spain. It is named as a memorial of local runner Juan Muguerza, a multiple national champion who was killed in 1937 during the bombing of Mungia in the Spanish Civil War.[1]
The competition was first held in 1943 and was a men only contest, principally between national-level runners. This changed at the twentieth anniversary of the race in 1963, when the competition became an international one. Ethiopian runner Mamo Wolde was the first foreign winner and he went on to score three more victories that decade.[2][3] His performances brought exposure for African runners in Spain and his influence was recognised with the erection of a memorial in his memory in 2003.[4] Having been held every year since 1943, with the exception of cancellations in 1950 and 1981, the Cross Juan Muguerza is one of the longest-running competitions of its type in Spain.[5]
The men's race has typically been contested over distances varying from 9 km to 11 km, with the current race being 10.8 km. A women's short course race was trialled in the late 1960s and became a permanent fixture of the programme in 1972. Initially a two kilometre course, the distance was gradually increased over the lifespan of the competition, resulting in the current distance of 6.6 km.[2] A men's junior race was held in addition to the main senior race in 1963.[6] The current race programme comprises the two senior races and six different age categories for younger runners.[7]
The elite events attract the highest level of international runners, with past winners including IAAF World Cross Country Championships gold medallists Kenenisa Bekele, Paul Tergat, John Ngugi, Derartu Tulu and Edith Masai.[8] The top runners of Spain and Portugal regularly compete at the competition. Among them, world medallists Mariano Haro and Carmen Valero won in Elgoibar in the 1970s, while prominent Portuguese athletes Paulo Guerra and Fernanda Ribeiro took the top honours in the 1990s.[2]
Contents
Past senior race winners
National era
Edition Year Winner 1st 1943 
Prudencio Ayerra (ESP)2nd 1944 Joaquín Escudero (ESP)3rd 1945 José M Garín (ESP)4th 1946 Joaquín Escudero (ESP)5th 1947 Simón Aldazábal (ESP)6th 1948 Simón Aldazábal (ESP)7th 1949 Simón Aldazábal (ESP)— 1950 Not held 8th 1951 Francisco Irízar (ESP)9th 1952 Francisco Irízar (ESP)10th 1953 Lucas Larraza (ESP)11th 1954 Francisco Irízar (ESP)12th 1955 Lucas Larraza (ESP)13th 1956 Lucas Larraza (ESP)14th 1957 Lucas Larraza (ESP)15th 1958 Benito Aldai (ESP)16th 1959 Joaquín Escudero (ESP)17th 1960 Benito Aldai (ESP)18th 1961 Fernando Aguilar (ESP)19th 1962 José A Azpiroz (ESP)International era
Olympic champion Fernanda Ribeiro took the top honours in 1995.
Five-time world champion Paul Tergat was the 1999 winner.
Elvan Abeylegesse was the 2004 women's winner.Edition Year Men's winner Time (m:s) Women's winner Time (m:s) 20th 1963 
Mamo Wolde (ETH)Not held 21st 1964 Mamo Wolde (ETH)22nd 1965 
Melvin Batty (GBR)23rd 1966 Roy Fowler (GBR)24th 1967 Mamo Wolde (ETH) Coro Fuentes (ESP)25th 1968 Mamo Wolde (ETH) Belén Azpeitia (ESP)26th 1969 Lachlan Stewart (GBR)Not held 27th 1970 Lachlan Stewart (GBR)28th 1971 Mariano Haro (ESP)29th 1972 Lachlan Stewart (GBR) Belén Azpeitia (ESP)30th 1973 Mariano Haro (ESP)30:40 Belén Azpeitia (ESP)31st 1974 
Jouko Kuha (FIN) Belén Azpeitia (ESP)32nd 1975 Fernando Cerrada (ESP) Belén Azpeitia (ESP)33rd 1976 Mariano Haro (ESP)26:27 Belén Azpeitia (ESP)34th 1977 Mariano Haro (ESP)32:02 Montserrat Abelló (ESP)35th 1978 Mariano Haro (ESP)30:24 Carmen Valero (ESP)36th 1979 Mike McLeod (GBR)30:12 Pilar Fernández (ESP)37th 1980 Jonathan Wild (GBR)
Leila Boudina (ALG)— 1981 Cancelled 38th 1982 
Carlos Lopes (POR) Amelia Lorza (ESP)39th 1983 Antonio Prieto (ESP) Amelia Lorza (ESP)40th 1984 Jorge García (ESP) Asunción Antolín (ESP)41st 1985 Ezequiel Canario (POR) Amelia Lorza (ESP)42nd 1986 Steve Jones (GBR) Jane Shields (GBR)43rd 1987 
Paul Kipkoech (KEN)29:37 Ana Isabel Alonso (ESP)44th 1988 John Ngugi (KEN)29:16 Ana Isabel Alonso (ESP)45th 1989 Antonio Serrano (ESP) Ana Isabel Alonso (ESP)46th 1990 Kipyego Kororia (KEN)30:32 
Marcianne Mukamurenzi (RWA)47th 1991 Eamonn Martin (GBR)29:33 Susan Sirma (KEN)13:43 48th 1992 Wilson Omwoyo (KEN)33:44 Hellen Kimaiyo (KEN)17:12 49th 1993 Fita Bayisa (ETH)29:38 Luchia Yishak (ETH)17:01 50th 1994 Addis Abebe (ETH)34:30 Hellen Kimaiyo (KEN)19:01 51st 1995 
Brahim Lahlafi (MAR)34:38 Fernanda Ribeiro (POR)19:28 52nd 1996 Paulo Guerra (POR)31:04 Derartu Tulu (ETH)17:24 53rd 1997 Jon Brown (GBR)32:09 Julia Vaquero (ESP)17:37 54th 1998 Paul Koech (KEN)32:16 Kutre Dulecha (ETH)18:05 55th 1999 Paul Tergat (KEN)31:23 Genet Gebregiorgis (ETH)17:34 56th 2000 Sammy Kipketer (KEN)30:05 Yemenashu Taye (ETH)17:21 57th 2001 Abraham Chebii (KEN)31:56 Sally Barsosio (KEN)17:47 58th 2002 Abraham Chebii (KEN)31:53 Anne Jelagat Kibor (KEN)22:05 59th 2003 Kenenisa Bekele (ETH)30:58 Edith Masai (KEN)20:45 60th 2004 Abraham Chebii (KEN)30:14 
Elvan Abeylegesse (TUR)20:39 61st 2005 Tariku Bekele (ETH)32:02 Alice Timbilil (KEN)22:20 62nd 2006 Charles Kamathi (KEN)32:23 Workitu Ayanu (ETH)22:19 63rd 2007 Sileshi Sihine (ETH)31:08 Mestawet Tufa (ETH)20:37 64th 2008 Leonard Patrick Komon (KEN)31:54 Priscah Jepleting Cherono (KEN)21:19 65th 2009 Ayele Abshiro (ETH)31:18 Florence Kiplagat (KEN)21:39 66th 2010 Leonard Patrick Komon (KEN)32:44 Frehiwat Goshu (ETH)22:37 67th 2011 Leonard Patrick Komon (KEN)32:05 Sara Moreira (POR)22:08 References
- ^ 1943 nace el Cross Memorial Juan Muguerza. Mintxeta (Spanish). Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
- ^ a b c Cross Memorial Juan Muguerza. Association of Road Racing Statisticians (2011-01-21). Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
- ^ Valiente, Emeterio (2006-01-22). Kamathi and Ayanu unstoppable in Elgoibar. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
- ^ Mamo Wolde honoured in Spain. IAAF (2003-09-16). Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
- ^ Longest Running Crosscountry Races. Association of Road Racing Statisticians (2011-03-10). Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
- ^ ELGOIBAR, 1.963ko urtarrilaren 20an - 20 de enero de 1.963. Mintxeta (Spanish). Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
- ^ LXVIII Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza de Elgoibar. Real Federación Española de Atletismo (2011). Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
- ^ Valiente, Emeterio (2003-01-13). Bekele in a class of his own again. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
- List of winners
- Cross Memorial Juan Muguerza. Association of Road Racing Statisticians (2011-01-21). Retrieved on 2011-03-11.
External links
- Official website (Spanish)
- Images from 2011 race
Cross country running in Spain 
Meetings Cross de Atapuerca • Championat de Catalunya de Cross • Cross de la Constitución • Cross Ciudad de Granollers • Cross de Itálica • Cross Valle de Llodio • Cross Memorial Juan Muguerza • Cross de San Andres • Cross de San Sebastián • Cross de Soria • Cross de Venta de Baños • Cross Zornotza
Championships IAAF World Championships: 1981 (Madrid) • 1993 (Amorebieta) • 2011 (Punta Umbría)
European Championships: 2007 (Toro)Categories:- Cross country running competitions
- Athletics competitions in Spain
- Recurring sporting events established in 1943
- Basque sport
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