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February 1999 MonacoThe IAAF Cross Challenge makes a rare excursion outside Europe
this Sunday (Feb 21) with the 34th edition of the Chiba International Cross in
Japan, less than two weeks before Maebashi welcomes the worlds best indoor
specialists for the first ever IAAF World Indoor Championships to be held in Asia.
Well organised and supported, the Chiba International has
no problems attracting a number of top athletes from outside Asia. This years
edition is noteworthy for the participation of the great Kenyan marathon runner Tegla
Loroupe, who ran 2:20:47 in Rotterdam last year, the fastest time ever recorded for the
distance.
Although primarily a road runner now, Loroupe started her career as a cross country runner
and has mentioned the possibility of trying to make the Kenyan team for Belfast: "I
won in Chiba in 1997 and really enjoy competing in Japan", she said in a telephone
interview from Chiba. "I dont know whether I will run in Belfast yet I
am getting a little old for this (she is now 26!), but will certainly be thinking about
it."
In Chiba, Loroupes toughest opponents over the 8km course could be one of the
Japanese contingent, led by Chiemi Takahashi and Kumiko Takemoto, or perhaps the Mexican
runner Nora Rocha, currently 7th in the Cross Challenge rankings.
The mens race will be enhanced by the presence of two great cross country
specialists -Wilson Boit Kipketer and Damian Kallabis. Boit Kipketer briefly held the
world record back in 1997 while Kallabis made a dramatic breakthrough last season to win
the European title and the World Cup in Johannesburg - where he surprisingly beat
Kenyas Bernard Barmasai. There is no great cross country tradition in Germany, so
Kallabis is bucking the trend, even if he fails to claim more Kenyan scalps this time.
Portugals Jose Regalo, currently 11th in the Cross Challenge rankings, is
the top man on paper - but that counts for less than usual in cross country.
Full results will be posted on www.iaaf.org