World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships. It was an annual competition until 2011, when World Athletics changed it to a biennial event.47th IAAF Congress – Day 1. IAAF (2009-08-12). Retrieved on 2009-08-14.
History Traditionally, the World Cross Country Championships consisted of four races: one each for men (12 km) and for women (8 km); and one each for junior men (8 km) and for junior women (6 km). Scoring was done for individuals and for national teams. In the team competition, the finishing positions of the top six scorers from a team of up to nine are summed for the men and women, respectively, and the lowest score wins. For the junior races, the top three from a team of up to four are scored.
The year 1998 saw the introduction of two new events at the World Cross Country Championships, a short race for men and a short race for women. The last time these 4 km races were held was 2006, and there are no public plans to bring them back.
The senior men's team race was won by Ethiopia or Kenya every year from 1981 to 2017 in both the short and long races. In the senior men's 12 km race, Kenya won the world championships 18 years in a row, from 1986 through 2003, a record of unequaled international success. On the women's side, only one other nation has won the long team race since 1991, namely, Portugal in 1994. These African nations were not as dominant in the short races, but they have won every women's junior race since its introduction in 1989.
Several athletes have won two or more individual titles: Craig Virgin, who is the only American to ever win at World Cross Country Championships, which he did twice; Carlos Lopes, the first man to win three times (although Jack Holden won the International Cross Country Championships four times between 1933 and 1939, Gaston Roelants between 1962 and 1972); John Ngugi, the first man to win five times; Paul Tergat, the first man to win five times in a row; Kenenisa Bekele, the only man to win both the short and long courses in the same year, which he did five years in a row, and whose win in 2008 gave him six long course championships, the most of anyone in history; Sonia O'Sullivan, first athlete ever to win both the long and short course double in the same year; Grete Waitz, the first woman to win five times (although Doris Brown Heritage won the International Cross Country Championships five times between 1967 and 1971); Lynn Jennings, who won three times; Derartu Tulu, who won three times; Tirunesh Dibaba, who won three times in the long course and once in the short course; Zola Budd, who became the youngest ever winner when she won in 1985 and then won again in 1986; Gete Wami, who won twice at the long course and once at the short; and Edith Masai, who won the short race three times. Tirunesh Dibaba was also once the junior women's champion.
Many consider the World Cross Country Championships to be the most difficult races to win, even more difficult than the Olympic Games. At most major championships, the world's best distance runners are separated into a few races, i.e. 3000 m Steeplechase, 5000 m, and 10,000 m. However, in the absence of the short course races, the World Cross Country Championships pit all runners against one another in only one race. Thus, the competition is quite fierce. It's no wonder, then, that several Olympic Champions have gotten their start as World Cross Country Champions: Carlos Lopes, marathon, 1984; John Ngugi, 5000 m, 1988; Khalid Skah, 10,000 m, 1992; and Kenenisa Bekele, 10,000 m, 2004 and 2008. Numerous other champions have medalled at the Olympic Games or the World Championships, or have set World Records.
In the 206th IAAF Council Meeting, held after the 2016 Summer Olympics, the council decided to add a mixed-gender relay race to the World Cross Country Championships schedule – a first for the event.Competitions Update. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-08-21.
Editions Edition Year City Country Date Venue No. of Countries No. ofAthletes1st1973Waregem17 MarchHippodroom Waregem212862nd1974Monza16 MarchMirabello Racecourse232693rd1975Rabat16 MarchSouissi Racecourse263164th1976Chepstow28 FebruaryChepstow Racecourse213065th1977Düsseldorf20 MarchGalopprennbahn Düsseldorf-Grafenberg223456th1978Glasgow25 MarchBellahouston Park273587th1979Limerick25 MarchGreenpark Racecourse273838th1980Paris9 MarchHippodrome de Longchamp283819th1981Madrid28 MarchHipódromo de la Zarzuela3946010th1982Rome21 MarchIppodromo delle Capannelle3338211th1983Gateshead20 MarchRiverside Park3543112th1984East Rutherford25 MarchMeadowlands Racetrack4044313th1985Lisbon24 MarchSports Complex of Jamor5057014th1986Colombier23 MarchPlaneyse Colombier5767015th1987Warsaw22 MarchSłużewiec Racecourse4757616th1988Auckland26 MarchEllerslie Racecourse4144117th1989Stavanger19 MarchScanvest Ring4156818th1990Aix-les-Bains25 MarchHippodrome de Marlioz5961719th1991Antwerp 24 MarchLinkeroever Racecourse5163320th1992Boston21 MarchFranklin Park5358021st1993Amorebieta28 MarchJaureguibarría Course5465322nd1994Budapest26 MarchKincsem Park6076023rd1995Durham25 MarchUniversity of Durham5861924th1996Stellenbosch23 MarchDanie Craven Stadium6566925th1997Turin23 MarchParco del Valentino7272526th1998Marrakesh21/22 MarchMenara district6670727th1999Belfast27/28 MarchBarnett Demesne6675928th2000Vilamoura18/19 MarchSporting Complex of Vilamoura7680529th2001Ostend24/25 MarchHippodrome Wellington6779030th2002Dublin23/24 MarchLeopardstown Racecourse5966431st2003Lausanne29/30 March6560532nd2004Brussels20/21 MarchOssegem Park7267333rd2005Saint-Galmier19/20 MarchHippodrome Joseph-Desjoyaux7269534th2006Fukuoka1/2 AprilUmi-no-nakamichi Seaside Park5957435th2007Mombasa24 MarchMombasa Golf Course6347036th2008Edinburgh30 MarchHolyrood Park2344837th2009Amman28 MarchAl Bisharat Golf Course5745938th2010Bydgoszcz28 MarchMyślęcinek Park5943739th2011Punta Umbría20 MarchPolideportivo Antonio Gil Hernández5142340th2013Bydgoszcz24 MarchMyślęcinek Park4139841st2015Guiyang28 March Guiyang horse racing circuit5141042nd2017Kampala26 MarchKololo Independence Grounds60557 43rd2019Aarhus30 MarchMoesgaard Museum 6352044th2023Bathurst18 FebruaryMount Panorama Circuit 48 45345th2024Belgrade30 MarchPark of Friendship 51 48546th2026Tallahassee 10 January Apalachee Regional Park52485
Doping As in other areas of the sport, athletes at the competition are prohibited from doping and tests are undertaken before and at the championships to ensure athletes obey the regulations. A total of fourteen doping violations have occurred at the World Cross Country Championships, with the first violation coming from Cosmas Ndeti who was the original runner-up at the 1988 junior men's race; he remains the only athlete stripped of a medal for doping. Seven doping violations have come from Moroccan athletes, with Portuguese athletes accounting for a further three. The 2010 and 2011 editions had the highest number of doping violations, with totals of four and five, respectively. The senior men's long race has produced the highest number of violations, with eight in total.2017 IAAF World Cross Country Championships Facts and Figures. . World Athletics. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
YearAthleteCountryRaceOriginal placing1988 Cosmas Ndeti Junior men 2nd2002 Hamid El Mouaziz Men's long 44th2006 Yuliya Mochalova Junior women 24th2007 Binnaz Uslu Women's 2008 Fethi Meftah Men's 35th2010 Chakir Boujattaoui Men's 12th2010 Ahmed Baday Men's 29th2010 Hélder Ornelas Men's 75th2010 Hanane Ouhaddou Women's 56th2011 Nuno Costa Men's 34th2011 José Rocha Men's 41st2011 Hafid Chani Men's 2011 Najim El Gady Men's 2011 Hanane Ouhaddou Women's 81st2024 Emmaculate Anyango Women's 4th2024 Anjelina Nadai Lohalith Women's 23rd
Medals Senior Men's Individual Medals Year Gold Silver Bronze1973(11.98 km)Pekka Päivärinta 35:46.4Mariano Haro 35:46.5Rod Dixon 36:001974(12 km)Eric de Beck 35:23.8Mariano Haro 35:24.6Karel Lismont 35:26.61975(12 km)Ian Stewart 35:20Mariano Haro 35:21Bill Rodgers 35:27.41976(12 km)Carlos Lopes 34:47.8Tony Simmons 35:04Bernie Ford 35:071977(12.3 km)Léon Schots 37:43Carlos Lopes 37:48.2Detlef Uhlemann 37:52.21978(12.3 km)John Treacy 39:25Aleksandr Antipov 39:28Karel Lismont 39:321979(12 km)John Treacy 37:20Bronisław Malinowski 37:29Aleksandr Antipov 37:301980(12.58 km)Craig Virgin 37:01Hans-Jürgen Orthmann 37:02Nick Rose 37:051981(12 km)Craig Virgin 35:05Mohammed Kedir 35:07Fernando Mamede 35:091982(11.978 km)Mohammed Kedir 33:40.5Alberto Salazar 33:44.8Rod Dixon 34:01.81983(11.994 km)Bekele Debele 36:52Carlos Lopes 36:52Some Muge 36:521984(12.086 km)Carlos Lopes 33:25Tim Hutchings 33:30Steve Jones 33:321985(12.19 km)Carlos Lopes 33:33Paul Kipkoech 33:37Wodajo Bulti 33:381986(12 km)John Ngugi 35:32.9Abebe Mekonnen 35:34.8Joseph Kiptum 35:39.81987(11.95 km)John Ngugi 36:07Paul Kipkoech 36:07Paul Arpin 36:511988(12 km)John Ngugi 34:32Paul Kipkoech 34:54Kipsubai Koskei 35:071989(12 km)John Ngugi 39:42Tim Hutchings 40:10Wilfred Kirochi 40:211990(12.2 km)Khalid Skah 34:21Moses Tanui 34:21Julius Korir 34:221991(11.764 km)Khalid Skah 33:53Moses Tanui 33:54Simon Karori 33:541992(12.53 km)John Ngugi 37:05William Mutwol 37:17Fita Bayissa 37:181993(11.75 km)William Sigei 32:51Dominic Kirui 32:56Ismael Kirui 32:591994(12.06 km)William Sigei 34:29Simon Chemoiywo 34:30Haile Gebrselassie 34:321995(12.02 km)Paul Tergat 34:05Ismael Kirui 34:13Salah Hissou 34:141996(12.15 km)Paul Tergat 33:44Salah Hissou 33:56Ismael Kirui 33:571997(12.333 km)Paul Tergat 35:11Salah Hissou 35:13Tom Nyariki 35:201998(12 km)Paul Tergat 34:01Paul Koech 34:06Assefa Mezegebu 34:281999(12 km)Paul Tergat 38:28Patrick Ivuti 38:32Paulo Guerra 38:462000(12.3 km)Mohammed Mourhit 35:00Assefa Mezegebu 35:01Paul Tergat 35:022001(12.3 km)Mohammed Mourhit 39:53Sergiy Lebid 40:03Charles Kamathi 40:052002(11.998 km)Kenenisa Bekele 34:52John Yuda 34:58Wilberforce Talel 35:202003(12.355 km)Kenenisa Bekele 35:56Patrick Ivuti 36:09Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam 36:172004(12 km)Kenenisa Bekele 35:52Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam 36:10Sileshi Sihine 36:112005(12.02 km)Kenenisa Bekele 35:06Zersenay Tadesse 35:20Abdullah Ahmed Hassan 35:342006(12 km)Kenenisa Bekele 35:40Sileshi Sihine 35:43Martin Mathathi 35:442007(12 km)Zersenay Tadese 35:50Moses Mosop 36:13Bernard Kiprop Kipyego 36:372008(12 km)Kenenisa Bekele 34:38Leonard Patrick Komon 34:41Zersenay Tadese 34:432009(12 km)Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam 35:02Moses Ndiema Kipsiro 35:04Zersenay Tadese 35:042010(11.611 km)Joseph Ebuya 33:00Teklemariam Medhin 33:06Moses Ndiema Kipsiro 33:102011(12 km)Imane Merga 33:50Paul Kipngetich Tanui 33:52Vincent Kiprop Chepkok 33:532013(12 km)Japhet Kipyegon Korir 32:45Imane Merga 32:51Teklemariam Medhin 32:542015(12 km)Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor 34:52Bedan Karoki Muchiri 35:00Muktar Edris 35:062017(9.858 km)Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor 28:24Leonard Barsoton 28:36Abadi Hadis 28:432019(10 km)Joshua Cheptegei 31:40Jacob Kiplimo 31:44Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor 31:552023(10 km)Jacob Kiplimo29:17Berihu Aregawi29:26Joshua Cheptegei29:372024(10 km)Jacob Kiplimo28:09Berihu Aregawi28:12Benson Kiplangat28:142026(10 km)Jacob Kiplimo28:18Berihu Aregawi28:36Daniel Ebenyo28:45
Senior Men's Team Medals