- Cross Internacional de Venta de Baños
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Cross Internacional de Venta de Baños 
Verónica Nyaruai winning the 2009 women's raceDate Mid-December Location Venta de Baños, Spain Event type Cross country Distance 10.7 km for men
6.6 km for womenEstablished 1980 Official site Cross de Venta de Baños The Cross Internacional de Venta de Baños is a cross country running competition that takes place in Venta de Baños, Castile and León, Spain. The competition was first held in 1980 and since then it has been held every year in mid-December. Among the past winners are international athletes, such as former World Cross Country Champions Kenenisa Bekele and Gelete Burka, and local athletes Marta Domínguez and Isaac Viciosa (both former European Champions).
The competition began life as a regional competition, the Cross de Navidad (Christmas cross country), in 1980. The race became national in its second edition and, following the acceptance of an English team into the competition in 1982, it obtained its current name – the Cross Internacional de Venta de Baños. The competition was televised throughout Spain for the first time in 1984, but it was not until 1995 that the competition was broadcast annually.[1]
The course on which the competition is held is defined by the muddy and cold conditions typical of Palencia in winter.[1] The event comprises two distinct parts: the professional senior races and the amateur fun run races. The competition's races are separated into in categories based on age and sex, including: the professional senior races, veteran competitions, under-23 and junior competitions, as well as four other youth categories for children. The professional men's senior race is usually held over 10.7 kilometres while the course for the women's senior race tends to be 6.6 km long.[2] Both senior races trace a path through the flat, grassy areas to the east of the village before running a loop around the local sports centre.[3][4]
Past senior race winners
Edition Year Men's winner Time (m:s) Women's winner Time (m:s) I 1980 
Santiago de la Parte (ESP) Ana Isabel Alonso (ESP)II 1981 Santiago de la Parte (ESP) Pilar Fernández (ESP)III 1982 Santiago de la Parte (ESP) Laura Blanco (ESP)IV 1983 Constantino Esparcia (ESP) Pilar Fernández (ESP)V 1984 
Ezequiel Canario (POR) Asunción Sinovas (ESP)VI 1985 Santiago Llorente (ESP) Montse Abelló (ESP)VII 1986 José Luis González (ESP) Ana Isabel Alonso (ESP)VIII 1987 Domingos Castro (POR) Ana Isabel Alonso (ESP)IX 1988 José Regalo (POR)
Mary Chemweno (KEN)X 1989 Domingos Castro (POR)
Lieve Slegers (BEL)XI 1990 
Brahim Lahlafi (MAR)
Shelly Steely (USA)XII 1991 William Koech (KEN) Susan Sirma (KEN)XIII 1992 Domingos Castro (POR) Hellen Kimaiyo (KEN)XIV 1993 
Fita Bayisa (ETH) Hellen Chepngeno (KEN)XV 1994 Domingos Castro (POR) Hellen Kimaiyo (KEN)XVI 1995 Antonio Serrano (ESP) Pauline Konga (KEN)XVII 1996 Shem Kororia (KEN) Sally Chepkorir (KEN)XVIII 1997 Isaac Viciosa (ESP) Berhane Adere (ETH)XIX 1998 Isaac Viciosa (ESP) Genet Gebregiorgis (ETH)XX 1999 Hailu Mekonnen (ETH) Helena Sampaio (POR)XXI 2000 John Cheruiyot Korir (KEN) Rose Cheruiyot (KEN)XXII 2001 
Serhiy Lebid (UKR)
Yamna Belkacem (FRA)XXIII 2002[5] Sileshi Sihine (ETH)32:37 Joan Jepkorir Aiyabei (KEN)21:59 XXIV 2003[6] Sileshi Sihine (ETH)31:29 
Justyna Bak (POL)22:05 XXV 2004[7] Kenenisa Bekele (ETH)30:26 
Kathy Butler (GBR)20:38 XXVI 2005[8] Alberto García (ESP)31:34 Gelete Burka (ETH)21:05 XXVII 2006[9] Abebe Dinkesa (ETH)31:30 Wude Ayalew (ETH)21:21 XXVIII 2007[10] Tadese Tola (ETH)30:39 Marta Domínguez (ESP)20:56 XXIX 2008[11] Alemayehu Bezabeh (ESP)31:45 Inês Monteiro (POR)22:41 XXX 2009[4] Sergio Sánchez (ESP)30:59 Verónica Nyaruai (KEN)22:47 References
- General
- Podium Cross Internacional (List of medallists). Venta de Baños. Retrieved on 2009-12-27.
- Specific
- ^ a b 25 años de historia (25 Years of History). Venta de Baños. Retrieved on 2009-12-27.
- ^ INFORMACIÓN DE LA PRUEBA (Event information). RFEA. Retrieved on 2009-12-27.
- ^ Cross de Venta de Baños. Fundación ANOC. Retrieved on 2009-12-27.
- ^ a b Valiente, Emeterio (2009-12-21). Sánchez defeats European champion Bezabeh in Venta de Baños. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-12-27.
- ^ Valiente, Emeterio (2002-12-23). Kamathi beaten by World Junior medallist. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-12-27.
- ^ Valiente, Emeterio (2003-12-22). Sihine in a class of his own in Venta de Baños. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-12-27.
- ^ Valiente, Emeterio (2004-12-19).Bekele is unchallenged in Venta de Baños. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-12-27.
- ^ Valiente, Emeterio (2005-12-18). Burika and García go unchallenged in Venta de Baños. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-12-27.
- ^ Valiente, Emeterio (2006-12-17). Dinkesa shines in Venta de Baños. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-12-27.
- ^ Valiente, Emeterio (2007-12-16). Tola and Domínguez successful in Venta de Baños. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-12-27.
- ^ Valiente, Emeterio (2008-12-22). Bezabeh and Monteiro cruise to wins in Venta de Baños. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-12-27.
External links
- Official website
- Competition page from Real Federación Española de Atletismo
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 1980
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