The 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships took place on March 24, 2007. The races were held at the Mombasa Golf Course in Mombasa, Kenya. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition. The short race for men and women that was run between 1998 and 2006 was scrapped and the World Cross Country Championships went back to one-day format. Reports of the event were given in the Herald, and for the IAAF.

Preparations When Athletics Kenya (AK, the national governing body of Athletics) applied for the event, it used the slogan "Cross Country Comes Home", referring to Kenyan and East African traditional dominance at the event. Nevertheless, no formidable Kenyan runners are known to come from Kenyan Coast Province. Instead, successful Kenyan runners typically represent Kalenjin tribes who reside in The Rift Valley Kenya, approximately 700-800 kilometres from Mombasa. AK chose Mombasa as a venue due to better infrastructure (such as hotels) compared to other cities. The 2007 World Cross Country Championships is one of the biggest international athletics event held in Kenya since the 1987 All-Africa Games, held 20 years ago in Nairobi. Another event held in Kenya was the 2003 Cricket World Cup.

Other applicants for the event were Miami in the United States and Madrid in Spain, both withdrew their candidature before final vote.People's Daily Online, September 13, 2005 Kenya's hope high to host 2007 World Cross-country Champ The World Cross Country Championships have been held in Africa three times before. In 1975 and 1998 it was held in Morocco, the 1996 event took place in South Africa.

There was also an IAAF Council meeting held in Mombasa, at which the host cities for 2011 and 2013 IAAF World Championships in Athletics were selected.

Track and conditions Mombasa, the host, is the second largest city in Kenya, a major port town and tourist center. The event was held at Mombasa Golf Club, located in Mombasa Island, just east of the Kilindini Harbour. The track was curvy but relatively flat. The underlying ground was mostly grass.

The weather was sunny, hot and humid, typical of Mombasa, resulting in exhausting conditions. This kind of weather may affect competitors who hail from distant latitudes, but also Kenyan and Ethiopian runners, who often come from cooler highland areas. One victim was Pauline Korikwiang, Kenyan runner who was attempting to defend her junior women's title but fainted one kilometer before the finishing line.

Medallists IndividualSenior men(12 km)Zersenay Tadese 35:50Moses Mosop 36:13Bernard Kiprop Kipyego 36:37Junior men(8 km)Asbel Kiprop 24:07Vincent Kiprop Chepkok 24:12Mathew Kipkoech Kisorio 24:23Senior women(8 km)Lornah Kiplagat 26:23Tirunesh Dibaba 26:47Meselech Melkamu 26:48Junior women(6 km)Linet Chepkwemoi Barasa 20:52Mercy Jelimo Kosgei 20:59Veronica Nyaruai Wanjiru 21:10 TeamSenior men 29 152 191Junior men 10 44 54Senior women 19 26 99Junior women 13 33 36

Race results

Senior men's race (12 km) Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia, who has won five consecutive long and short course races, promised to quit cross country running after the 2006 World Championships. However, he changed his mind and competed in Mombasa after all.IAAF, March 7, 2007:Bekele and Burka included in Ethiopia’s team for Mombasa A pre-race favourite, Bekele did not finish the race and thus failed to win historical sixth consecutive title.

Zersenay Tadese won the event and became the first cross-country world champion for Eritrea. Tadese is also the 2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships men's gold medalist.

Complete results for senior men and for senior men's teams were published.

+Individual raceRank Athlete Country Time Zersenay Tadese 35:50 Moses Mosop 36:13 Bernard Kiprop Kipyego 36:37 4 Gideon Ngatuny 36:43 5 Hosea Macharinyang 36:46 6 Michael Kipyego 37:04 7 Tadese Tola 37:04 8 Mubarak Hassan Shami 37:09 9 Edwin Cheruiyot Soi 37:27 10 Martin Kitiyo Toroitich 37:31 11 Mo Farah 37:31 12 Ahmad Hassan Abdullah 37:37 Full results

+TeamsRank Team Points Moses Mosop 2 Bernard Kiprop Kipyego 3 Gideon Ngatuny 4 Hosea Macharinyang 5 Michael Kipyego 6 Edwin Cheruiyot Soi 9 (Simon Koros Arusei) (19) (Barnabas Kiplagat Kosgei) (34) (Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong) (DNF) 29 Anis Selmouni 14 Ahmed Baday 18 Abderrahim Goumri 21 Abdelhadi El Mouaziz 31 Mourad Marofit 33 Brahim Beloua 35 (Mourad El Bannouri) (69) (Khalid El Amri) (DNF) (Mohammed Amyn) (DNF) 152 Martin Kitiyo Toroitich 10 Moses Aliwa 20 Isaac Kiprop 26 Wilson Kipkemei Busienei 37 James Kibet 39 Francis Musani 59 (Richard Soibei) (61) (Boniface Kiprop) (DNF) (Moses Kipsiro) (DNF) 191 4 208 5 243 6 313 7 358 8 380 Full results Note: Athletes in parentheses did not score for the team result.

Junior men's race (8 km) Complete results for junior men and for junior men's teams were published.

+Individual raceRank Athlete Country Time Asbel Kiprop 24:07 Vincent Kiprop Chepkok 24:12 Mathew Kipkoech Kisorio 24:23 4 Leonard Patrick Komon 24:25 5 Benjamin Kiplagat 24:31 6 Issak Sibhatu 24:38 7 Imane Merga 24:41 8 Samuel Tsegay 24:42 9 Tonny Wamulwa 24:43 10 Geofrey Kusuro 24:48 11 Nicholas Mulinge Makau 24:50 12 Demssew Tsega 24:52 Full results

+TeamsRank Team Points Asbel Kiprop 1 Vincent Kiprop Chepkok 2 Mathew Kipkoech Kisorio 3 Leonard Patrick Komon 4 (Nicholas Mulinge Makau) (11) (Paul Muteru Kuria) (DNF) 10 Issak Sibhatu 6 Samuel Tsegay 8 Teklemariam Medhin 14 Amanuel Mesel 16 (Tsegai Tewelde) (17) 44 Imane Merga 7 Demssew Tsega 12 Abreham Cherkos 15 Tola Bane 20 (Habtamu Fikadu) (28) (Ibrahim Jeilan) (DNF) 54 4 55 5 102 6 104 7 134 8 176 Full results Note: Athletes in parentheses did not score for the team result.

Senior women's race (8 km) Complete results for senior women and for senior women's teams were published.

+Individual raceRank Athlete Country Time Lornah Kiplagat 26:23 Tirunesh Dibaba 26:47 Meselech Melkamu 26:48 4 Gelete Burika 26:55 5 Florence Jebet Kiplagat 27:26 6 Pamela Chepchumba 27:34 7 Priscah Jepleting Ngetich 27:39 8 Vivian Cheruiyot 28:10 9 Simret Sultan 28:16 10 Wude Ayalew 28:18 11 Zhor El Kamch 28:20 12 Jéssica Augusto 28:21 Full results

+TeamsRank Team Points Tirunesh Dibaba 2 Meselech Melkamu 3 Gelete Burika 4 Wude Ayalew 10 (Koren Jelela) (19) (Mestawet Tufa) (47) 19 Florence Jebet Kiplagat 5 Pamela Chepchumba 6 Priscah Jepleting Ngetich 7 Vivian Cheruiyot 8 (Fridah Chepkemoi Domongole) (13) (Emily Chebet) (DNF) 26 Zhor El Kamch 11 Mariem Alaoui Selsouli 17 Hanane Ouhaddou 33 Malika Benlafkir 38 (Saïda El Mehdi) (50) (Bouchra Chaâbi) (DNF) 99 4 135 5 140 6 154 7 162 8 176 Full results Note: Athletes in parentheses did not score for the team result.

Junior women's race (6 km) Complete results for junior women and for junior women's teams were published.

Aberu Kebede, who originally finished 16th as the fifth Ethiopian runner, was disqualified in 2022 due to age cheating. Though the disqualification did not affect medals, team scores were adjusted.

+Individual raceRank Athlete Country Time Linet Chepkwemoi Barasa 20:52 Mercy Jelimo Kosgei 20:59 Veronica Nyaruai Wanjiru 21:10 4 Sule Utura 21:13 5 Genzebe Dibaba 21:23 6 Meraf Bahta 21:24 7 Gladys Jepkemoi Chemweno 21:27 8 Furtuna Zegergish 21:31 9 Kokob Mehari 21:50 10 Yodit Mehari 21:51 11 Misato Tomoeda 21:51 12 Marie Imada 21:54 Full results

+TeamsRank Team Points Linet Chepkwemoi Barasa 1 Mercy Jelimo Kosgei 2 Veronica Nyaruai Wanjiru 3 Gladys Jepkemoi Chemweno 7 (Mercy Cherono) (22) (Pauline Chemning Korikwiang) (DNF) 13 Meraf Bahta 6 Furtuna Zegergish 8 Kokob Mehari 9 Yodit Mehari 10 33 Sule Utura 4 Genzebe Dibaba 5 Abebu Gelan 13 Bizunesh Urgesa 14 (Aberu Kebede) (16) (Emebt Etea) (18) 36 4 59 5 93 6 117 7 144 8 151 Full results Note: Athletes in parentheses did not score for the team result.

Medal table (unofficial)

Note: Totals include both individual and team medals, with medals in the team competition counting as one medal.

Participation According to an unofficial count, 470 athletes from 63 countries participated. This is in agreement with the official numbers as published. The announced athletes from the and did not show.

(7) (3) (18) (1) (1) (5) (9) (12) (1) (11) (4) (4) (1) (1) (1) (2) (1) (23) (27) (11) (1) (5) (2) (1) (1) (9) (26) (27) (2) (1) (1) (2) (2) (27) (1) (5) (1) (4) (2) (13) (10) (1) (7) (12) (1) (2) (16) (19) (9) (2) (1) (1) (2) (24) (2) (26) (1) (25) (16) (1) (4) (6) (6)

See also 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships – Senior men's race 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships – Junior men's race 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships – Senior women's race 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships – Junior women's race 2007 in athletics (track and field)

References

External links Official website

Special Coverage by Daily Nation (archived)

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