- Cross de San Sebastián
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Cross de San Sebastián Date Late January Location San Sebastián, Spain Event type Cross country Distance 10 km for men
5.3 km for womenEstablished 1956 The Cross Internacional de San Sebastián, also known as the Cross Internacional de Donostia, is an annual cross country running event which is staged in late January in San Sebastián, Spain.
The competition was first held in 1956 as a men's only race and attracted top level runners from the outset, with Olympic gold medallists Emil Zátopek, Alain Mimoun and Mamo Wolde being among the winners in the first decade of the event.[1] A women's race was introduced in 1971 and two-time World Cross champion Carmen Valero took a record four back-to-back wins soon after. From the 1970s to 1980s, a mix of Iberian and British athletes topped the podium, but since the 1990s the race has been dominated by runners of East African origin.[2]
The grassy course is relatively flat and the distances for the elite races are 10 km for men and 5.3 km for women.[3][4] In addition to the professional races, there are also popular fun run races on the day's events programme; there are various age category races for children and youths, as well as a veteran's races for older runners.[5]
The Cross de San Sebastián has featured many of the world's most prominent names in long-distance running, including marathon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie, Olympic champions Derartu Tulu, John Ngugi and Rosa Mota, as well as world cross country champions such as Zersenay Tadese, Gebre Gebremariam and Benita Johnson. Among the Europeans to have topped the podium are former world record holders Carlos Lopes and David Bedford, as well as past European Cross champions Marta Domínguez, Paulo Guerra and Serhiy Lebid.[2] The competition has also incorporated the regional Gipuzkoan cross country championships in previous editions.[4]
Contents
Past senior race winners
Czech athlete Emil Zátopek won the third edition.
Rosa Mota of Portugal won three times consecutively in the 1980s.
Haile Gebrselassie won the 1994 men's race.
Many-time European champion Serhiy Lebid was the winner in 2005.
Hayley Yelling is one of four British women to win in San Sebastián.Edition Year Men's winner Time (m:s) Women's winner Time (m:s) 1st 1956 
Ken Norris (GBR)39:37.0 Not held 2nd 1957 
Antonio Amorás (ESP)39:19.8 3rd 1958 
Emil Zátopek (CZE)39:54.3 4th 1959 
Alain Mimoun (FRA)38:38.8 5th 1960 Gerald North (GBR)40:08.8 6th 1961 
Ali Ben Lahcen (MAR)41:36.8 7th 1962 Rhadi Ben Abdesselam (MAR)38:51.8 8th 1963 
Mamo Wolde (ETH)30:33.4 9th 1964 Mamo Wolde (ETH)29:48.1 10th 1965 
Mohammed Gammoudi (TUN)30:44.1 11th 1966 
Nikolay Dutov (URS)30:59.3 12th 1967 Mamo Wolde (ETH)31:04.2 13th 1968 José Miguel Maíz (ESP)33:07.6 14th 1969 Mike Tagg (GBR)30:49.4 15th 1970 Mike Tagg (GBR)30:48.0 16th 1971 Trevor Wright (GBR)32:18.1 
Zina Boniolo (ITA)? 17th 1972 Lachlan Stewart (GBR)32:04.0 Belén Azpeitia (ESP)? 18th 1973 Dave Bedford (GBR)33:15.8 
Annie van Stiphout (NED)? 19th 1974 Mariano Haro (ESP)30:43 Carmen Valero (ESP)10:06 20th 1975 Mariano Haro (ESP)31:30.5 Carmen Valero (ESP)? 21st 1976 
Carlos Lopes (POR)33:57.6 
Carmen Valero (ESP)10:35 22nd 1977 
Fernando Fernández (ESP)30:52 Carmen Valero (ESP)12.28 23rd 1978 Jonathan Wild (GBR)32:42 Joëlle Debrouwer (FRA)13:35 24th 1979 Julian Goater (GBR)31:58 Pilar Fernández (ESP)13:25 25th 1980 Nathaniel Muir (GBR)31:06 Christine Benning (GBR)12:42 26th 1981 José Luis González (ESP)31:07 Asunción Sinobas (ESP)13:02 27th 1982 
Eshetu Tura (ETH)31:29 Rosa Mota (POR)12:53 28th 1983 Mohamed Kedir (ETH)29:59 Rosa Mota (POR)12:18 29th 1984 Mohamed Kedir (ETH)30:21 Rosa Mota (POR)12:24 30th 1985 Wodajo Bulti (ETH)31:17.2 Asunción Sinobas (ESP)12:36.0 31st 1986 Constantino Esparcia (ESP)? Jane Shields (GBR)? 32nd 1987 
Paul Kipkoech (KEN)30:35 Angela Tooby (GBR)11:32 33rd 1988 John Ngugi (KEN)31:42 Angelines Rodríguez (ESP)? 34th 1989 
Chala Kelile (ETH)29:29.2 Jane Shields (GBR)11:24.0 35th 1990 Paul Bitok (KEN)? 
Jeanne-Marie Pipoz (SUI)? 36th 1991 Addis Abebe (ETH)30:09 Susan Sirma (KEN)18:58 37th 1992 
Fita Bayisa (ETH)29:38 Luchia Yishak (ETH)18:35 38th 1993 Fita Bayisa (ETH)29:12 Luchia Yishak (ETH)18:42 39th 1994 Haile Gebrselassie (ETH)30:23 
Elena Romanova (RUS)19:06 40th 1995 Paulo Guerra (POR)32:13 
Elena Fidatov (ROM)19:50 41st 1996 James Kariuki (KEN)29:39 Derartu Tulu (ETH)18:34 42nd 1997 Hillary Kipkosgei Korir (KEN)31:19 Derartu Tulu (ETH)19:25 43rd 1998 Paulo Guerra (POR)29:40 Anita Weyermann (SUI)18:59 44th 1999 Jon Brown (GBR)31:20 Helena Sampaio (POR)20:04 45th 2000 Eduardo Henriques (POR)29:47 Margaret Okayo (KEN)19:14 46th 2001 Abraham Chebii (KEN)30:42 Lydia Cheromei (KEN)19:23 47th 2002 
John Yuda (TAN)28:44 Carla Sacramento (POR)18:20 48th 2003 
Zersenay Tadese (ERI)32:48 Pamela Chepchumba (KEN)19:44 49th 2004 Gebre Gebremariam (ETH)30:48 
Dorcus Inzikuru (UGA)19:45 50th 2005 
Serhiy Lebid (UKR)30:50 
Benita Johnson (AUS)19:01 51st 2006 Zersenay Tadese (ERI)29:28 Marta Domínguez (ESP)20:22 52nd 2007 Ibrahim Jeilan (ETH)29:38 Hayley Yelling (GBR)17:51 53rd 2008 Josephat Kiprono Menjo (KEN)29:50 Eunice Jepkorir (KEN)17:54 54th 2009 Teklemariam Medhin (ERI)31:47 
Anikó Kálovics (HUN)18:45 55th 2010 Mike Kigen (KEN)31:29 Anikó Kálovics (HUN)19:45 56th 2011 Josephat Kiprono Menjo (KEN)31:06 Nuria Fernández (ESP)18:54 Victories by nationality
Country Men Women Total Ethiopia14 4 18 United Kingdom11 7 18 Spain7 11 18 Kenya9 5 14 Portugal4 5 9 Morocco2 0 2 France1 1 2 Russia1[6] 1 2 Hungary0 2 2 
Switzerland0 2 2 Czech Republic1 0 1 Eritrea1 0 1 Tunisia1 0 1 Ukraine1 0 1 Australia0 1 1 Netherlands0 1 1 Italy0 1 1 Romania0 1 1 Uganda0 1 1 References
- ^ Gebremariam heads top five-way African clash in San Sebastián. IAAF (2004-01-23). Retrieved on 2011-02-04.
- ^ a b Cross de San Sebastián. Association of Road Racing Statisticians (2010-02-03). Retrieved on 2011-02-04.
- ^ Valiente, Emeterio (2003-01-23). Third time lucky for Zersenay - race report updated. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-02-04.
- ^ a b El keniano Menjo y Nuria Fernández, vencedores del cross de San Sebastián (incluidos podios campeonato de Gipuzkoa). Atletismo a Tope/Diario Vasco. Retrieved on 2011-02-04.
- ^ LV Cross Internacional de Donostia. Real Federación Española de Atletismo. Retrieved on 2011-02-04.
- ^ This includes one victory by a Soviet athlete during the Cold War.
- List of winners
- Cross de San Sebastián. Association of Road Racing Statisticians (2010-02-03). Retrieved on 2011-02-04.
External links
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 1956
- San Sebastián
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