The Cross Internacional de San Sebastián, also known as the ''Cross Internacional de Donostia'', is an annual

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 cou ...

event which is staged in late January in San Sebastián,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. 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 Emil Zátopek (; 19 September 1922 – 21 November 2000) was a Czech long-distance runner best known for winning three gold medals at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. He won gold in the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres runs, but his final me ...

, Alain Mimoun and

Mamo Wolde Degaga "Mamo" Wolde ( amh, ማሞ ወልዴ; 12 June 1932 – 26 May 2002) was an Ethiopian long distance runner who competed in track, cross-country, and road running events. He was the winner of the marathon at the 1968 Summer Olympics. ...

being among the winners in the first decade of the event. 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 British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

athletes topped the podium, but since the 1990s the race has been dominated by runners of East African origin.Cross de San Sebastián
Association of Road Racing Statisticians (2010-02-03). Retrieved on 2011-02-04. The grassy course is relatively flat and the distances for the elite races are 10 km for men and 5.3 km for women.El keniano Menjo y Nuria Fernández, vencedores del cross de San Sebastián (incluidos podios campeonato de Gipuzkoa)
Atletismo a Tope/''

Diario Vasco ''El Diario Vasco'' (English: ''The Basque Daily'') is a Spanish morning daily newspaper based in San Sebastián, Basque Country. History and profile ''El Diario Vasco'' was founded in 1934 by the Sociedad Vascongada de Publicaciones, led by c ...

''. Retrieved on 2011-02-04. In addition to the professional races, there are also popular

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 pr ...

races on the day's events programme; there are various age category races for children and youths, as well as a

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that h ...

's races for older runners.LV Cross Internacional de Donostia
Real Federación Española de Atletismo. Retrieved on 2011-02-04. 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 Haile Gebrselassie ( am, ኀይሌ ገብረ ሥላሴ, ''haylē gebre silassē''; born 18 April 1973) is an Ethiopian retired long-distance track, road running athlete, and businessman. He won two Olympic gold medals and four World Champion ...

, Olympic champions

Derartu Tulu Derartu Tulu NL COL ( om, Daraartuu Tulluu, Amharic: ደራርቱ ቱሉ; born 21 March 1972) is an Ethiopian former long-distance runner, who competed in track, cross country running, and road running up to the marathon distance. She won 10,0 ...

John Ngugi John Ngugi Kamau (born 10 May 1962), is a former Kenyan long-distance runner, often called one of the greatest cross country runners of all time and winner of the 5000 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics, in Seoul South Korea. Career Born in Kigu ...

and

Rosa Mota Rosa Maria Correia dos Santos Mota, GCIH, GCM (; born 29 June 1958) is a Portuguese former marathon runner, one of her country's foremost athletes, being the first sportswoman from Portugal to win Olympic gold. Mota was the first woman to win m ...

, as well as world cross country champions such as

Zersenay Tadese Zersenay Tadese (Tigrinya: ዘርእሰናይ ታደሰ; born 8 February 1982) is an Eritrean long-distance track and road running athlete. He held the men's half marathon world record from 2010 to 2018. His bronze medal in the 10,000 metres ...

, Gebre Gebremariam and Benita Johnson. Among the Europeans to have topped the podium are former world record holders

Carlos Lopes Carlos Alberto de Sousa Lopes, GCIH (, born 18 February 1947) is a Portuguese former long-distance runner. He won the marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, becoming Portugal's first Olympic gold medalist and setting an Olym ...

and

David Bedford David Vickerman Bedford (4 August 1937 – 1 October 2011) was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music. He was the brother of the conductor Steuart Bedford, the grandson of the composer, painter ...

, as well as past European Cross champions

Marta Domínguez Marta Domínguez Azpeleta (born 3 November 1975) is a Spanish former runner and politician. She competes mainly in the steeplechase. She has represented Spain four times at the Olympics and has competed at the World Championships on six occasio ...

Paulo Guerra Paulo Alexandre Martins Guerra (born 21 August 1970 in Barrancos, Baixo Alentejo Province) is a Portuguese former long-distance runner who specialized in the 10,000 metres and cross-country running. After 2001 he mainly ran half marathons. Inte ...

and

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 ...

. The competition has also incorporated the regional

Gipuzkoa Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French depa ...

n cross country championships in previous editions.

Past senior race winners

Fotothek df roe-neg 0006305 010 Emil Zátopek bei einem Wettkampf

Victories by nationality

References

;List of winners
Cross de San Sebastián
Association of Road Racing Statisticians (2010-02-03). Retrieved on 2011-02-04.

External links

Official Gipuzkoa Athletics Federation website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cross de San Sebastian Cross country running competitions Athletics competitions in Spain Recurring sporting events established in 1956 San Sebastián Cross country running in Spain