Cross de l'Acier

Cross de l'Acier
The Fort des Dunes, an old military fortification, is the race venue
Date	Late November
Location	Leffrinckoucke, France
Event type	Cross country
Distance	9.95 km for men 6.55 km for women
Established	1990
Official site	Cross de l'Acier

The Cross de l'Acier (English: Cross of Steel) is an annual cross country running competition that is held in late November in Leffrinckoucke, France. First held in 1990, it is one of the foremost competitions of its type in France. Ten races are held at the event for athletes of varying abilities.^[1] Around 2200 runners took part in the day's event in 2010.^[2]

The course of the competition is held around the Fort des Dunes – part of a set of military fortifications used in the First World War known as the Séré de Rivières system.^[3] The men's international elite race covers 9.95 km while the women's race takes place over 6.55 km.^[1] These races are used by French athletes to gain selection for the national team at the European Cross Country Championships, which is held a month after the event.^[3] The elite competition currently holds permit status from European Athletics, alongside the Cross Internacional de Soria among others.^[4]

It attracts elite runners of the highest calibre and former winners include multiple world record breaker Haile Gebrselassie, World Cross Country champions Zola Budd and Joseph Ebuya, and track world champions Fernanda Ribeiro and Linet Masai.^[5] Although many of the competition's most successful runners hail from East Africa, the race also features prominent European runners: Paulo Guerra and Mohammed Farah both won the European Championships after winning in Leffrinckoucke a month previously.^[6]

Past senior race winners

Olympic champion Fernanda Ribeiro took the women's title in 1995.

Haile Gebrselassie won the men's race in 2001.

Edition	Year	Men's winner	Time (m:s)	Women's winner	Time (m:s)
1st	1990	Bruno Levant (FRA)		Nancy Pattee (BEL)
2nd	1991	Thierry Pantel (FRA)		Albertina Dias (POR)
3rd	1992	Wilson Omwoyo (KEN)		Albertina Dias (POR)
4th	1993	Vincent Rousseau (BEL)		Zola Budd (RSA)
5th	1994	Paulo Guerra (POR)		Fatuma Roba (ETH)
6th	1995	Worku Bikila (ETH)		Fernanda Ribeiro (POR)
7th	1996	Tom Nyariki (KEN)		Margarita Marusova (RUS)
8th	1997	Tom Nyariki (KEN)		Jackline Maranga (KEN)
9th	1998	Hailu Mekonnen (ETH)		Jackline Maranga (KEN)
10th	1999	Hailu Mekonnen (ETH)		Naomi Mugo (KEN)
11th	2000	Luke Kipkosgei (KEN)		Ayelech Worku (ETH)
12th	2001	Haile Gebrselassie (ETH)		Tereza Yohannes (ETH)
13th	2002	Hailu Mekonnen (ETH)		Mestawet Tufa (ETH)
14th	2003	John Yuda (TAN)		Gelete Burka (ETH)
15th	2004	Tibebu Yenew (ETH)		Isabella Ochichi (KEN)
16th	2005	Dennis Ndiso (KEN)		Teyba Erkesso (ETH)
17th	2006	Mohammed Farah (GBR)		Dorcus Inzikuru (KEN)
18th	2007	Imane Merga Jida (ETH)		Linet Masai (KEN)
19th	2008[7]	Imane Merga Jida (ETH)	28:15	Abebu Gelan (ETH)	18:20
20th	2009	Imane Merga Jida (ETH)		Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN)
21st	2010[5]	Joseph Ebuya (KEN)	28:08	Linet Masai (KEN)	21:40

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Cross de l´Acier plays host to world champion Ebuya. European Athletics (2010-11-27). Retrieved on 2010-11-29.
2. ^ Sourice, Frédéric (2010-11-29). ATHLÉTISME - Ça va chauffer entre Imane Merga et Joseph Ebuya, au cross de l'Acier ! (French). La Voix Du Nord. Retrieved on 2010-11-29.
3. ^ ^{a b} Armand, Patrick (2010-11-29). Le Kénya brille sur la neige (French). Nord Éclair. Retrieved on 2010-12-03.
4. ^ European Athletics Cross Country Permit Races. European Athletics (2010). Retrieved on 2010-12-03.
5. ^ ^{a b} Ramsak, Bob (2010-11-29). Ebuya and Masai take comfortable victories at Cross de l’Acier. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-12-03.
6. ^ Palmares. Cross de l'Acier. Retrieved on 2010-12-03.
7. ^ Vazel, Pierre-Jean (2008-12-01). Jida beats Kigen again, as Ethiopians dominate in Leffrinckoucke. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-12-03.

List of winners

• Palmares. Cross de l'Acier. Retrieved on 2010-12-03.

External links

• Official website