Great Edinburgh International Cross Country
| Great Edinburgh International Cross Country | |
|---|---|
 The race takes place in the green backdrop of Holyrood Park | |
| Date | Early January |
| Location |
Edinburgh, Scotland  |
| Event type | Cross country |
| Distance |
8 km for men 6 km for women 4 km for men |
| Established | 2005 |
| Official site | Great Winter Run |
The Great Edinburgh International Cross Country is an annual cross country running competition that takes place every January in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is one of the competitions in the Great Run series of athletics events and is held alongside the Great Winter Run 5 kilometres mass participation race.[1] The event was first held in Edinburgh in 2005 after the city was awarded the Great North Cross Country which relocated from Durham.[2] The Great Edinburgh International Cross Country features three professional races: the men's 9 km long course, the men's 4 km short course, and the women's 6 km race.[3] It is an IAAF permit meeting, which means that performances can be used to qualify for the annual IAAF World Cross Country Championships.[4]
The grassy, occasionally muddy,[5] course in Holyrood Park runs in a circular, clockwise pattern.[6] The same venue was used to host the 2003 European Cross Country Championships and the 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.[7] It has had relatively difficult routes in the past, with runners twice having to climb and descend Haggis Knowe (a steep hill) in 2009.[8] The meeting attracts cross country athletes of the highest calibre, with past competitors including six-time World Champion Kenenisa Bekele, Gebregziabher Gebremariam, Tirunesh Dibaba and Eliud Kipchoge.[9][10]
The meeting is broadcast by the BBC annually,[10] and it has received sponsorship from VisitScotland (in 2006) and Bupa (from 2007 to present).[9][11][12]
A new team competition format was introduced for the 2011 event. The four teams assembled were Great Britain, Europe, the United States and Great Britain Under-23s. Britain's Mo Farah won the race but the Europeans, featuring all the reigning European Cross medallists, won the overall team challenge.[13]
Garrett Heath had three consecutive wins in the men's race from 2014 to 2016.[14]
Past winners
| Edition | Year | Men's winner | Time (m:s) | Women's winner | Time (m:s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2005 |  Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) |
27:43 |  Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) |
21:35 |
| 2nd | 2006 | Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) |
26:08 | Gelete Burka (ETH) |
19:01 |
| 3rd | 2007 | Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) |
28:14 | Gelete Burka (ETH) |
23:25 |
| 4th | 2008 | Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) |
27:42 | Gelete Burka (ETH) |
19:58 |
| 5th | 2009 | Abebe Dinkesa (ETH) |
26:51 | Linet Masai (KEN) |
19:02 |
| 6th | 2010 | Joseph Ebuya (KEN) |
28:41 | Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) |
21:37 |
| 7th | 2011 |  Mo Farah (GBR) |
25:41 | Linet Masai (KEN) |
20:24 |
| 8th | 2012 |  Ayad Lamdassem (ESP) |
25:44 |  Fionnuala Britton (IRL) |
21:32 |
| 9th | 2013 |  Bobby Mack (USA) |
24:27 | Fionnuala Britton (IRL) |
20:40 |
| 10th | 2014 | Chris Derrick (USA) |
24:11 | Gemma Steel (GBR) |
20:35 |
| 11th | 2015 | Chris Derrick (USA) |
25:31 | Emelia Gorecka (GBR) |
21:26 |
| 12th | 2016 | Garrett Heath (USA) |
25:29 | Kate Avery (GBR) |
21:05 |
| Edition | Year | Men's winner | Time (m:s) | Women's winner | Time (m:s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2005 |  Nick McCormick (ENG) |
12:22 | ||
| 2nd | 2006 | Nick McCormick (ENG) |
12:16 | ||
| 3rd | 2007 |  Serhiy Lebid (UKR) |
12:20 | ||
| 4th | 2008 | Andrew Baddeley (ENG) |
12:52 | ||
| 5th | 2009 | Andrew Baddeley (ENG) |
12:17 | ||
| 6th | 2010 | Ricky Stevenson (ENG) |
13:20 | ||
| 7th | 2011 | Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) |
13:12 | ||
| 8th | 2012 | Asbel Kiprop (KEN) |
9:20 (3 km) | ||
| 9th | 2013 | Genzebe Dibaba (ETH) |
9:46 (3 km) | ||
| 10th | 2014 | Garrett Heath (USA) |
11:51 (4 km) | ||
| 11th | 2015 | Garrett Heath (USA) |
12:11 (4 km) |
- All information taken from official website.[9]
References
- ↑ Hedley, Nicola (2007-12-20). Burka seeks third consecutive cross country win in Edinburgh. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-12-23.
- ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/3696972.stm
- ↑ Event Information. Great Run. Retrieved on 2009-12-23.
- ↑ IAAF Cross Country Permits. IAAF (2009). Retrieved on 2009-12-23.
- ↑ Ramsak, Bob (2005-01-15). Kipchoge and T. Dibaba carry off thrilling victories. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-12-23.
- ↑ The Course. Great Run. Retrieved on 2009-12-23.
- ↑ Bupa Great Edinburgh International Cross Country. Spikes Magazine. Retrieved on 2009-12-23.
- ↑ Landells, Steve (2009-01-10). Dinkesa shocks while Masai marches on in Edinburgh Cross Country. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-12-23.
- 1 2 3 History and Tradition. Great Run. Retrieved on 2009-12-23.
- 1 2 Ramsak, Bob (2005-01-14). Mighty list of cross country stars assemble in Edinburgh - Preview. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-12-23.
- ↑ Shaheen, Ochichi join Edinburgh cross country fields. IAAF (2006-01-03). Retrieved on 2009-12-23.
- ↑ Gillon, Doug (2006-01-14). Bekele survives searching challenge from Shaheen in Edinburgh. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-12-26.
- ↑ Wenig, Jorg (2011-01-08). Kipchoge and Masai prevail in snowy Edinburgh. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-01-09.
- ↑ Mulkeen, Jon (2016-01-09). Farah beaten as Heath secures hat-trick in Edinburgh. IAAF. Retrieved on 2016-01-10.
External links
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