Cross Internacional Valle de Llodio

Cross Internacional Valle de Llodio
Date	Late November
Location	Llodio, Spain
Event type	Cross country
Distance	9.7 km for men 7.6 km for women
Established	1985
Official site	Cross Valle de Llodio

The Cross Internacional Valle de Llodio is an annual cross country running competition that takes place in Llodio in the Basque Country, Spain around late November. The event was first held in February 1985 and changed to an end-of-year competition soon after, holding its second edition in December 1985.^[1]

The competition is hosted by the Club de Atletismo de Laudio.^[2] The day's events comprise ten races – there are separate international, elite races for men and women over 9760 metres and 7640 m, respectively. Two further races over the same distances are held for amateur runners and there are also three types of age-group races for both male and female runners.^[3] The races take place on grassy circuits around the Estadio Ellakuri and wet weather often makes the ground muddy, making the competition more difficult for runners.^[4][5] Around 1000 runners took part in the event in 2009.^[6]

The top-finishing runners in the elite races are mainly from Europe (particularly the host country, Spain) and East Africa. Past winners of the competition include double Olympic champion Derartu Tulu, former World Cross Country Champion Gebregziabher Gebremariam and track World Champions Charles Kamathi and Sally Barsosio. Among the Spanish winners of the race are 1995 World Marathon Champion Martín Fiz and Olympian Alessandra Aguilar. Jon Brown's win in 1996 preceded his victory at that year's European Cross Country Championships.^[3]

The elite races currently hold permit status from the European Athletics Association and they are used as a selection meeting for the Spanish national team at the European Cross Country Championships, which is held in December.^[7] The competition previously held IAAF status from 2004 to 2006.^[8] While the men's race has been continuously held over roughly 9–10 km, the women's race has gradually been extended since its inception. Women competed over 4.3 km throughout the 1990s until it was adjusted to a 5.6 km race from 2001 to 2005. Since 2006, the women's course has varied around the 7.5 km mark.^[1]

Past senior race winners

Ethiopian Tariku Bekele has won the race three times – more than any other athlete

Linet Masai of Kenya took consecutive wins in 2008 and 2009.

Edition	Year	Men's winner	Time (m:s)	Women's winner	Time (m:s)
1st	1985	Javier San Martin (ESP)	?	Lolo Lopo (ESP)	?
2nd	1985	Javier San Martin (ESP)	?	Asuncion Antolin (ESP)	?
3rd	1986	Valentin Rodriguez (ESP)	?	Amelia Lorza (ESP)	?
4th	1987	Ezequiel Canario (ESP)	?	Amelia Lorza (ESP)	?
5th	1988	Martín Fiz (ESP)	?	Mary Chemweno (KEN)	?
6th	1989	Ezequiel Canario (POR)	?	Jane Shields (ENG)	?
7th	1990	Wilson Omwoyo (KEN)	29:09	Jane Wanjiku Ngotho (KEN)	12:37
8th	1991	Ondoro Osoro (KEN)	27:25	Susan Sirma (KEN)	13:26
9th	1992	Ondoro Osoro (KEN)	30:44	Lydia Cheromei (KEN)	15:00
10th	1993	Fita Bayisa (ETH)	27:58	Sally Barsosio (KEN)	14:11
11th	1994	Fita Bayisa (ETH)	28:41	Derartu Tulu (ETH)	14:08
12th	1995	Daniel Komen (KEN)	27:47	Sally Barsosio (KEN)	13:40
13th	1996	Jon Brown (ENG)	31:03	Gete Wami (ETH)	15:17
14th	1997	Thomas Nyariki (KEN)	30:50	Jackline Maranga (KEN)	15:02
15th	1998	Luke Kipkosgei (KEN)	30:57	Merima Denboba (ETH)	15:44
16th	1999	Hailu Mekonnen (ETH)	28:21	Naomi Mugo (KEN)	14:18
17th	2000	Abraham Chebii (KEN)	30:01	Merima Denboba (ETH)	15:07
18th	2001	John Yuda (TAN)	27:01	Alessandra Aguilar (ESP)	19:32
19th	2002	Charles Kamathi (KEN)	26:57	Salina Kosgei (KEN)	19:33
20th	2003	Fabiano Joseph (TAN)	28:19	Alice Timbilil (KEN)	19:56
21st	2004	Gebregziabher Gebremariam (ETH)	26:36	Werknesh Kidane (ETH)	18:08
22nd	2005	Tariku Bekele (ETH)	29:29	Anikó Kálovics (HUN)	21:02
23rd	2006	Tariku Bekele (ETH)	27:08	Meselech Melkamu (ETH)	26:13
24th	2007	Joseph Ebuya (KEN)	27:05	Meselech Melkamu (ETH)	23:09
25th	2008	Tariku Bekele (ETH)	29:31	Linet Masai (KEN)	25:12
26th	2009	Teklemariam Medhin (ERI)	29:08	Linet Masai (KEN)	25:11
27th	2010	Teklemariam Medhin (ERI)	31:24	Alessandra Aguilar (ESP)	28:02

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Civai, Franco & Gasparovic, Juraj (2010-11-30). Cross Internacional Valle de Llodio. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2010-12-03.
2. ^ Cross Internacional (Spanish). C.A de Laudio. Retrieved on 2010-12-03.
3. ^ ^{a b} INFORMACIÓN DE LA PRUEBA - Cross Internacional Valle de Llodio. Real Federación Española de Atletismo (2010). Retrieved on 2010-12-03.
4. ^ Valiente, Emeterio (2005-11-27). T. Bekele, Kalovics excel in Llodio. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-12-03.
5. ^ El eritreo Medhin y Alessandra Aguilar firman triunfos en Llodio. ABC (2010-11-28). Retrieved on 2010-12-03.
6. ^ Azkorreta, Alfonso (2010-11-27). «Es una necesidad que el Cross de Llodio mantenga su estatus» (Spanish). El Correo. Retrieved on 2010-12-03.
7. ^ Spain's Morató uses Llodio race to tune up for Albufeira. European Athletics (2010-11-27). Retrieved on 2010-12-03.
8. ^ Valiente, Emeterio (2004-11-28). Gebremariam outsprints Tariku Bekele in Llodio. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-12-03.

List of winners

• Civai, Franco & Gasparovic, Juraj (2010-11-30). Cross Internacional Valle de Llodio. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2010-12-03.

External links

• Official website