Bekele running at the 2002 World Cross Country Championships (© Getty Images)
After the last minute cancellation of the EAA Permit Cross Country race in Valladolid (Spain) owing to organizational problems, attention in Spain turns to the race in Elgóibar (Sunday 12 January) which thanks to a budget of 75,000 USD, has captured many of the world’s best distance running names.
Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele, the only male athlete to win both the long and short course races at a IAAF World Cross Country Championships (in Dublin 2002) will be the undisputed star in the ‘60th Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza’, with race organiser Antón Azpiazu having declared, ‘it’s a great honour for us to have the world’s best cross country runner performing here’.
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The 20-year-old Bekele who arrives in Elgóibar today (Friday), will face a powerful line-up including his fellow countryman Dagne Alemu, Tanzania’s John Yuda who was the runner-up in Dublin, Kenya’s Albert Chepkurui and Abraham Chebii, plus Spain’s José Manuel Martínez who is the European 10,000m Champion.
On the women’s side the most outstanding athletes will be the reigning World short course Champion, Kenya’s Edith Masai, and her compatriots Jane Omoro and Priscila Jepleting. Jepleting in particular is a fast emerging talent who placed second last Sunday in Amorebieta, behind the Ethiopian Teyeba Erkesso. Eritrea’s Nebiat Habtemarian and Portugal’s Jessica Augusto will also be in contention.
On Saturday, the day prior to the Elgóibar race, the organization will pay tribute to the figure of Mamo Wolde (born 12/06/32), who 40 years ago became the first international star to compete in Elgóibar. In an illustrious career the Ethiopian took the Olympic gold medal in the Marathon, as well as a silver in the 10,000m at the Mexico’68 Olympics, and still managed to win the Olympic Marathon bronze medal four years later in Munich at the age of 40!
In the tribute to Wolde, who died last year, his fellow countryman Bekele will be acting as the ‘Master of Ceremonies’, with a special ‘Mamo Wolde prize’ being inaugurated for this year’s race, providing a cash reward for the best male and female under 20-year-old athletes (300 USD for each).
Throughout its 60-year history no less than nine Olympic Champions have taken part in this meet.
Among the many victorious names of the past that we should underline are the five-time World Cross Country Champion Kenya’s Paul Tergat (1999), his fellow countryman Sammy Kipketer (2000), as well as former European champions like Portugal’s Paulo Guerra (1996) and Britain’s Jon Brown (1998). The last two women’s Olympic 10,000m champions, Portugal’s Fernanda Ribeiro and Ethiopia’s Derartu Tulu, have also won in Elgóibar. (1995 and 1996 respectively).
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
