Cross de San Sebastián
DateLate January
LocationSan Sebastián, Spain
Event typeCross country
Distance9.6 km for men
7.6 km for women
Established1956
Official siteCross de San Sebastián

The Cross Internacional de San Sebastián, also known as the Cross Internacional de Donostia, is an annual cross country running event which is staged in late January in San Sebastián, Spain.

The competition was first held in 1956 as a men's only race and attracted top level runners from the outset, with Olympic gold medallists Emil Zátopek, Alain Mimoun and Mamo Wolde being among the winners in the first decade of the event.[1] A women's race was introduced in 1971 and two-time World Cross champion Carmen Valero took a record four back-to-back wins soon after. From the 1970s to 1980s, a mix of Iberian and British athletes topped the podium, but since the 1990s the race has been dominated by runners of East African origin.[2]

The grassy course is relatively flat and the distances for the elite races are 10 km for men and 5.3 km for women.[3][4] In addition to the professional races, there are also popular fun run races on the day's events programme; there are various age category races for children and youths, as well as a veteran's races for older runners.[5]

The Cross de San Sebastián has featured many of the world's most prominent names in long-distance running, including marathon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie, Olympic champions Derartu Tulu, John Ngugi and Rosa Mota, as well as world cross country champions such as Zersenay Tadese, Gebre Gebremariam and Benita Johnson. Among the Europeans to have topped the podium are former world record holders Carlos Lopes and David Bedford, as well as past European Cross champions Marta Domínguez, Paulo Guerra and Serhiy Lebid.[2] The competition has also incorporated the regional Gipuzkoan cross country championships in previous editions.[4]

Past senior race winners

Czech athlete Emil Zátopek won the third edition.
Rosa Mota of Portugal won three times consecutively in the 1980s.
Haile Gebrselassie won the 1994 men's race.
Many-time European champion Serhiy Lebid was the winner in 2005.
Hayley Yelling is one of four British women to win in San Sebastián.
Edition Year Men's winner Time (m:s) Women's winner Time (m:s)
1st 1956  Ken Norris (GBR) 39:37 Not held
2nd 1957  Antonio Amorás (ESP) 39:19.8
3rd 1958  Emil Zátopek (CZE) 39:54.3
4th 1959  Alain Mimoun (FRA) 38:38.8
5th 1960  Gerald North (GBR) 40:08.8
6th 1961  Ali Ben Lahcen (MAR) 41:36.8
7th 1962  Rhadi Ben Abdesselam (MAR) 38:51.8
8th 1963  Mamo Wolde (ETH) 30:33.4
9th 1964  Mamo Wolde (ETH) 29:48.1
10th 1965  Mohammed Gammoudi (TUN) 30:44.1
11th 1966  Nikolay Dutov (URS) 30:59.3
12th 1967  Mamo Wolde (ETH) 31:04.2
13th 1968  José Miguel Maíz (ESP) 33:07.6
14th 1969  Mike Tagg (GBR) 30:49.4
15th 1970  Mike Tagg (GBR) 30:48.0
16th 1971  Trevor Wright (GBR) 32:18.1  Zina Boniolo (ITA) ?
17th 1972  Lachlan Stewart (GBR) 32:04.0  Belén Azpeitia (ESP) ?
18th 1973  Dave Bedford (GBR) 33:15.8  Annie van Stiphout (NED) ?
19th 1974  Mariano Haro (ESP) 30:43  Carmen Valero (ESP) 10:06
20th 1975  Mariano Haro (ESP) 31:30.5  Carmen Valero (ESP) ?
21st 1976  Carlos Lopes (POR) 33:57.6  Carmen Valero (ESP) 10:35
22nd 1977  Fernando Fernández (ESP) 30:52  Carmen Valero (ESP) 12.28
23rd 1978  John Wild (GBR) 32:42  Joëlle De Brouwer (FRA) 13:35
24th 1979  Julian Goater (GBR) 31:58  Pilar Fernández (ESP) 13:25
25th 1980  Nathaniel Muir (GBR) 31:06  Christine Benning (GBR) 12:42
26th 1981  José Luis González (ESP) 31:07  Asunción Sinobas (ESP) 13:02
27th 1982  Eshetu Tura (ETH) 31:29  Rosa Mota (POR) 12:53
28th 1983  Mohamed Kedir (ETH) 29:59  Rosa Mota (POR) 12:18
29th 1984  Mohamed Kedir (ETH) 30:21  Rosa Mota (POR) 12:24
30th 1985  Wodajo Bulti (ETH) 31:17.2  Asunción Sinobas (ESP) 12:36.0
31st 1986  Constantino Esparcia (ESP) ?  Jane Shields (GBR) ?
32nd 1987  Paul Kipkoech (KEN) 30:35  Angela Tooby (GBR) 11:32
33rd 1988  John Ngugi (KEN) 31:42  Angelines Rodríguez (ESP) ?
34th 1989  Chala Kelele (ETH) 29:29.2  Jane Shields (GBR) 11:24.0
35th 1990  Paul Bitok (KEN) ?  Jeanne-Marie Pipoz (SUI) ?
36th 1991  Addis Abebe (ETH) 30:09  Susan Sirma (KEN) 18:58
37th 1992  Fita Bayisa (ETH) 29:38  Luchia Yishak (ETH) 18:35
38th 1993  Fita Bayisa (ETH) 29:12  Luchia Yishak (ETH) 18:42
39th 1994  Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) 30:23  Yelena Romanova (RUS) 19:06
40th 1995  Paulo Guerra (POR) 32:13  Elena Fidatov (ROM) 19:50
41st 1996  James Kariuki (KEN) 29:39  Derartu Tulu (ETH) 18:34
42nd 1997  Hillary Korir (KEN) 31:19  Derartu Tulu (ETH) 19:25
43rd 1998  Paulo Guerra (POR) 29:40  Anita Weyermann (SUI) 18:59
44th 1999  Jon Brown (GBR) 31:20  Helena Sampaio (POR) 20:04
45th 2000  Eduardo Henriques (POR) 29:47  Margaret Okayo (KEN) 19:14
46th 2001  Abraham Chebii (KEN) 30:42  Lydia Cheromei (KEN) 19:23
47th 2002  John Yuda (TAN) 28:44  Carla Sacramento (POR) 18:20
48th 2003  Zersenay Tadese (ERI) 32:48  Pamela Chepchumba (KEN) 19:44
49th 2004  Gebre Gebremariam (ETH) 30:48  Dorcus Inzikuru (UGA) 19:45
50th 2005  Serhiy Lebid (UKR) 30:50  Benita Johnson (AUS) 19:01
51st 2006  Zersenay Tadese (ERI) 29:28  Marta Domínguez (ESP) 20:22
52nd 2007  Ibrahim Jeilan (ETH) 29:38  Hayley Yelling (GBR) 17:51
53rd 2008  Josphat Menjo (KEN) 29:50  Eunice Jepkorir (KEN) 17:54
54th 2009  Teklemariam Medhin (ERI) 31:47  Anikó Kálovics (HUN) 18:45
55th 2010  Mike Kigen (KEN) 31:29  Anikó Kálovics (HUN) 19:45
56th 2011  Josphat Menjo (KEN) 31:06  Nuria Fernández (ESP) 18:54
57th 2012  Mike Kigen (KEN) 38:08  Nazareth Weldu (ERI) 27:18
58th 2013  Teklemariam Medhin (ERI) 31:59  Sofia Assefa (ETH) 22:23
59th 2014  Joseph Ebuya (KEN) 32:00  Milcah Cheywa (KEN) 24:21
60th 2015  Teklemariam Medhin (ERI) 30:54  Betsy Saina (KEN) 23:19
61st 2016  Imane Merga (ETH) 28:59  Hiwot Ayalew (ETH) 26:57
62nd 2017  Sadik Mikhou (BHR) 30:01  Bontu Rebitu (BHR) 29:19
63rd 2018  Aweke Ayalew (BHR) 32:54  Daisy Jepkemei (KEN) 27:52
64th 2019  Hassan Chani (BHR) 33:57  Irene Sánchez-Escribano (ESP) 31:40
65th 2021  Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 26:56  Zenebu Fikadu (ETH) 25:28
66th 2022[6]  Addisu Yihune (ETH) 25:28  Purity Chepkirui (KEN) 29:08

Victories by nationality

CountryMenWomenTotal
 Ethiopia 16 6 22
 Spain 7 12 19
 United Kingdom 11 7 18
 Kenya 10 8 18
 Portugal 4 5 9
 Bahrain 3 1 4
 Eritrea 2 1 3
 Morocco 2 0 2
 France 1 1 2
 Russia 1[7] 1 2
 Hungary 0 2 2
  Switzerland 0 2 2
 Burundi 1 0 1
 Czech Republic 1 0 1
 Tunisia 1 0 1
 Ukraine 1 0 1
 Australia 0 1 1
 Netherlands 0 1 1
 Italy 0 1 1
 Romania 0 1 1
 Uganda 0 1 1

References

  1. ↑ Gebremariam heads top five-way African clash in San Sebastián. IAAF (2004-01-23). Retrieved on 2011-02-04.
  2. 1 2 Cross de San Sebastián. Association of Road Racing Statisticians (2010-02-03). Retrieved on 2011-02-04.
  3. ↑ Valiente, Emeterio (2003-01-23). Third time lucky for Zersenay - race report updated. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-02-04.
  4. 1 2 El keniano Menjo y Nuria Fernández, vencedores del cross de San Sebastián (incluidos podios campeonato de Gipuzkoa). Atletismo a Tope/Diario Vasco. Retrieved on 2011-02-04.
  5. ↑ LV Cross Internacional de Donostia. Real Federación Española de Atletismo. Retrieved on 2011-02-04.
  6. ↑ "65th Cross Internacional de San Sebastian | World Athletics Cross Country Tour | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  7. ↑ This includes one victory by a Soviet athlete during the Cold War.
List of winners
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