The BOclassic is an annual
road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road. This differs from track and field on a regular track and cross country running over natural terrain.
These events are usually classified as long-distance ...
competition over the distance of
10 kilometres for men and
5 kilometres for women. It is held on
New Year's Eve in
Bolzano
Bolzano ( or ; german: Bozen, (formerly ); bar, Bozn; lld, Balsan or ) is the capital city of the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third la ...
, Italy. The competition has only elite races, competed between a limited number of runners, but over 10,000 spectators gather in the streets each year to witness the race. The race has been broadcast live on television by Italian channel
Rai Sport Più.
It was first held in 1975 under the title Corsa Internazionale di San Silvestro – inspired by the
Saint Silvester Road Race
The Saint Silvester Road Race ( pt, Corrida Internacional de São Silvestre) is a long-distance running event, the oldest and most prestigious street race in Brazil.
Regarded as the main international event in Latin American athletics, the Brazi ...
in
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, it was the first European New Year's Eve road race (
Silvesterlauf). After nine editions as a 13 km race, the men's race settled on its 10 km format. A women's competition was included in the programme from 1977 onwards and it has been a 5 km race since 1987.
[Civai, Franco & Gasparovic, Juraj (2009-01-05)]
Corsa Internazionale di San Silvestro
Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2010-01-03. The Corsa Internazionale di San Silvestro changed its name in 1996: race president Kurt Putzer renamed it the BOclassic.
The course is in the centre of the town of Bolzano. It is a looped circuit, starting at Walther Square and heading west on Via della Mostra before turning onto Via Goethe and Via del Portici. The route then heads southwards along Via Laurin before looping back on itself to follow along Vaile della Stazione back to the starting point.
Past male competitors have included multiple European champion
Serhiy Lebid
Serhiy Lebid or Serhii Lebid ( uk, Сергій Лебідь; born 15 July 1975 in Dnipropetrovsk) is a Ukrainian long-distance runner.
Career
He has won the European Cross Country championships on nine occasions, winn ...
, Olympic marathon champion
Stefano Baldini
Stefano Baldini (born 25 May 1971 in Castelnovo di Sotto, Emilia-Romagna, Italy) is a retired Italian runner who specialized in the marathon. He was the Olympic champion in Athens and was twice European champion (1998 and 2006).
Biography
Baldin ...
while women such as World Half Marathon Champions
Tegla Loroupe
Tegla Chepkite Loroupe (born 9 December 1979) is a Kenyan long-distance track and road runner. She is also a global spokeswoman for peace, women's rights and education. Loroupe holds the world records for 25 and 30 kilometers and previously ...
and
Berhane Adere
Berhane Adere Debala ( Ge'ez: ብርሀኔ አደሬ born 21 July 1973 in Shewa) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specialises in the 10,000 metres and the half marathon. She was world champion over 10,000 m in 2003 and world champ ...
have won the women's section. The 2011 edition featured three reigning world champions in
Vivian Cheruiyot
Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot (born 11 September 1983) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in track and cross country running. She represented Kenya at the Summer Olympics in 2000, 2008, 2012, and 2016, winning a silver medal at the 5 ...
,
Imane Merga
Imane Merga Jida (ኢማነ መርጋ ጂዳ) (born 15 October 1988) is an Ethiopian professional long-distance runner who specializes in the 5000 and 10,000 metres. He won his first world title at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships ...
and
Wilson Kiprop
Wilson Kiprop (born 14 April 1987 in Soi, Uasin Gishu District) is a Kenyan long-distance runner, who specialises in the 10,000 metres and half marathon. He was the world champion at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 2010 and was th ...
.
Past winners
Key:
*
NB: The race course distances varied in the early years of the competition but the men's distance settled at 10 km from 1984 onwards and the women's race has been a 5K run since 1987.
*
2020 race distances: Men: 5 km, Women: 10k m
See also
*
Giro di Castelbuono
The Giro di Castelbuono (officially Giro Podistico Internazionale Castelbuono) is an annual road running competition over 10 kilometres which takes place in Castelbuono, on the island of Sicily, Italy. First held in 1912, the competition, whic ...
*
Memorial Peppe Greco
References
;General
Past Winners BOclassic. Retrieved on 2010-01-03.
;Specific
External links
Official website
{{coord, 46.4984, N, 11.3546, E, source:wikidata, display=title
10K runs
5K runs
Athletics competitions in Italy
Recurring sporting events established in 1975
Sport in South Tyrol
Bolzano
Annual sporting events in Italy
1975 establishments in Italy
Winter events in Italy