The 2016

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 championships ...

was the 23rd edition of the

cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open coun ...

competition for European athletes. It was hosted in Chia, Italy.

Aras Kaya Aras Kaya (born Amos Kibitok on 4 April 1994 in Kenya) is a Turkish suspended long-distance runner. He won the silver medal in the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2016 European Athletics Championships. Kaya earned four individual medals at the E ...

won the men's senior title, making it three straight victories for Turkey in that event, following in the footsteps of fellow Kenyan-Turkish runners

Polat Kemboi Arıkan Polat Kemboi Arıkan (born 12 December 1990 in Cheptiret, Kenya) is a Turkish long-distance runner of Kenyan origin competing in the 3000 m and 5000 m events. (September 2011 – July 2015) The tall athlete, weighing , is a member of Enkaspor ...

and Ali Kaya.

Yasemin Can Yasemin Can (born Vivian Jemutai on December 11, 1996) is a Kenyan female long distance runner representing Turkey who specialises in the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres. She is the reigning European 10,000 m champion. Can is a five-time Europea ...

, became Turkey's first senior women's winner and also led her nation to the team title. Great Britain were the most successful in the team races, claiming the senior men's, under-23 women's and junior women's titles; the country reached the podium in all categories. The 2016 edition saw increased Kenyan dominance at the competition, with the top two runners in both senior races being Kenyan-born, as well as the men's under-23 winner.European Cross Country Championships: Callum Hawkins bronze helps GB secure team gold
BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 January 2017.

Race results

Senior men

Senior women

Under-23 men

Under-23 women

Junior men

Junior women

Medal table

;Key:

References

;Result
Senior Men
European Athletics. Retrieved 2017-01-02.
Senior Women
European Athletics. Retrieved 2017-01-02.
Under-20 Men
European Athletics. Retrieved 2017-01-02.
Under-20 Women
European Athletics. Retrieved 2017-01-02.
Under-23 Men
European Athletics. Retrieved 2017-01-02.
Under-23 Women
European Athletics. Retrieved 2017-01-02.

External links

Official website
{{European championships in 2016 European Cross Country Championships December 2016 sports events in Europe

International athletics competitions hosted by Italy Province of Cagliari Sport in Sardinia Cross country running in Italy