Cross Internacional Valle de Llodio
Encyclopedia
The Cross Internacional Valle de Llodio is an annual cross country running
competition that takes place in Llodio
in the Basque Country
, Spain
around late November. The event was first held in February 1985 and changed to an end-of-year competition soon after, holding its second edition in December 1985.
The competition is hosted by the Club de Atletismo de Laudio. The day's events comprise ten races – there are separate international, elite races for men and women over 9760 metres and 7640 m, respectively. Two further races over the same distances are held for amateur runners
and there are also three types of age-group races for both male and female runners. The races take place on grassy circuits around the Estadio Ellakuri and wet weather often makes the ground muddy, making the competition more difficult for runners. Around 1000 runners took part in the event in 2009.
The top-finishing runners in the elite races are mainly from Europe (particularly the host country, Spain) and East Africa
. Past winners of the competition include double Olympic champion Derartu Tulu
, former World Cross Country Champion
Gebregziabher Gebremariam and track World Champions Charles Kamathi
and Sally Barsosio
. Among the Spanish winners of the race are 1995 World Marathon Champion Martín Fiz
and Olympian Alessandra Aguilar
. Jon Brown
's win in 1996 preceded his victory at that year's European Cross Country Championships
.
The elite races currently hold permit status from the European Athletics Association and they are used as a selection meeting for the Spanish national team at the European Cross Country Championships
, which is held in December. The competition previously held IAAF status from 2004 to 2006. While the men's race has been continuously held over roughly 9–10 km, the women's race has gradually been extended since its inception. Women competed over 4.3 km throughout the 1990s until it was adjusted to a 5.6 km race from 2001 to 2005. Since 2006, the women's course has varied around the 7.5 km mark.
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
competition that takes place in Llodio
Llodio
Laudio/Llodio is a town and municipality located in the province of Álava, in the Basque Country, northern Spain. Laudio is the name in Basque language and Llodio in Spanish; both are used indistinctly.-Geography and Demography:...
in the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
around late November. The event was first held in February 1985 and changed to an end-of-year competition soon after, holding its second edition in December 1985.
The competition is hosted by the Club de Atletismo de Laudio. The day's events comprise ten races – there are separate international, elite races for men and women over 9760 metres and 7640 m, respectively. Two further races over the same distances are held for amateur runners
Fun run
A fun run is a friendly race that involves either road running or cross country running with participants taking part for their own enjoyment rather than competition. A fun run will usually be held to raise funds for a charity, with sponsors providing the revenue to cover organisational costs...
and there are also three types of age-group races for both male and female runners. The races take place on grassy circuits around the Estadio Ellakuri and wet weather often makes the ground muddy, making the competition more difficult for runners. Around 1000 runners took part in the event in 2009.
The top-finishing runners in the elite races are mainly from Europe (particularly the host country, Spain) and East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
. Past winners of the competition include double Olympic champion Derartu Tulu
Derartu Tulu
Derartu Tulu is an Ethiopian long distance track, road and marathon athlete.Derartu , a member of the Oromo ethnic group, grew up tending cattle in the village of Bekoji in the highlands of Arsi Province...
, former World Cross Country Champion
IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations , it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships...
Gebregziabher Gebremariam and track World Champions Charles Kamathi
Charles Kamathi
Charles Waweru Kamathi is a Kenyan long-distance runner. He is best known for winning the 10,000 metres distance at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton.-Early life and career:...
and Sally Barsosio
Sally Barsosio
Sally Barsosio is a Kenyan distance runner. , Barsosio is the youngest ever medallist at the World Junior Championships in Athletics...
. Among the Spanish winners of the race are 1995 World Marathon Champion Martín Fiz
Martín Fiz
Martín Fiz Martín is a former long-distance runner from Spain, who won the marathon at the 1994 European Championships in Athletics in Helsinki and repeated his success at the 1995 World Championships in Athletics in Gothenburg...
and Olympian Alessandra Aguilar
Alessandra Aguilar
Alessandra Aguilar is a Spanish long-distance runner who specialises in marathon running. She represented her country in the event at the 2008 Summer Olympics and at the World Championships in Athletics the following year....
. Jon Brown
Jon Brown
Jonathan Michael Brown is a former British athlete, now representing Canada. He specialises in the marathon....
's win in 1996 preceded his victory at that year's European Cross Country Championships
European Cross Country Championships
The European Cross Country Championships is an annual international cross country running competition. Organised by the European Athletic Association, it is the area championships for the region and is held in December each year...
.
The elite races currently hold permit status from the European Athletics Association and they are used as a selection meeting for the Spanish national team at the European Cross Country Championships
European Cross Country Championships
The European Cross Country Championships is an annual international cross country running competition. Organised by the European Athletic Association, it is the area championships for the region and is held in December each year...
, which is held in December. The competition previously held IAAF status from 2004 to 2006. While the men's race has been continuously held over roughly 9–10 km, the women's race has gradually been extended since its inception. Women competed over 4.3 km throughout the 1990s until it was adjusted to a 5.6 km race from 2001 to 2005. Since 2006, the women's course has varied around the 7.5 km mark.
Past senior race winners
| Edition | Year | Men's winner | Time (m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
Women's winner | Time (m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1985 | ? | ? | ||
| 2nd | 1985 | ? | ? | ||
| 3rd | 1986 | ? | ? | ||
| 4th | 1987 | ? | ? | ||
| 5th | 1988 | ? | ? | ||
| 6th | 1989 | ? | ? | ||
| 7th | 1990 | 29:09 | 12:37 | ||
| 8th | 1991 | 27:25 | 13:26 | ||
| 9th | 1992 | 30:44 | 15:00 | ||
| 10th | 1993 | 27:58 | 14:11 | ||
| 11th | 1994 | 28:41 | 14:08 | ||
| 12th | 1995 | 27:47 | 13:40 | ||
| 13th | 1996 | 31:03 | 15:17 | ||
| 14th | 1997 | 30:50 | 15:02 | ||
| 15th | 1998 | 30:57 | 15:44 | ||
| 16th | 1999 | 28:21 | 14:18 | ||
| 17th | 2000 | 30:01 | 15:07 | ||
| 18th | 2001 | 27:01 | 19:32 | ||
| 19th | 2002 | 26:57 | 19:33 | ||
| 20th | 2003 | 28:19 | 19:56 | ||
| 21st | 2004 | 26:36 | 18:08 | ||
| 22nd | 2005 | 29:29 | 21:02 | ||
| 23rd | 2006 | 27:08 | 26:13 | ||
| 24th | 2007 | 27:05 | 23:09 | ||
| 25th | 2008 | 29:31 | 25:12 | ||
| 26th | 2009 | 29:08 | 25:11 | ||
| 27th | 2010 | 31:24 | 28:02 | ||
| 28th | 2011 | 29:15 | 26:03 |