Silvana Cruciata (born 15 February 1953) is a former
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
middle- and
long-distance runner
Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires endurance, stamina as well as mental strength.
Within e ...
.
[Silvana Cruciata]
Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2011-04-23. She represented Italy at the
1976 Montreal Olympics and shared medals with the Italian women's teams at the
IAAF World Cross Country Championships
World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the Int ...
. Her best of 18.084 km for the
one hour run
The one hour run is an athletics event in which competitors try to cover as much distance as possible within one hour. While officially recognized by World Athletics as a track event, it is rarely contested apart from occasional world record atte ...
set in 1981 was a
world record
A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...
for over seventeen years.
Among her other achievements were wins at the
Rome-Ostia Half Marathon
The Roma-Ostia Half Marathon ( it, Roma Ostia Mezza Maratona ''or'' it, Maratonina Roma-Ostia) is an annual half marathon road running event which takes place in early March in Rome, Italy. The course begins in the EUR district of the city and f ...
and
Stramilano road races and a bronze medal over
3000 metres
The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track.
It is debated whether the 3000m shoul ...
at the
1981 IAAF World Cup.
Biography
She began her career as a
cross country runner
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 ...
and was part of the
silver medal
A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...
-winning team in the long race at the
1974 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 1974 IAAF World Cross Country Championships was held in Monza, Italy, at the Mirabello Racecourse on 16 March 1974. A report on the event was given in the Glasgow Herald.
Complete results for men,
junior men,
women,
medallists,
a ...
, alongside race winner
Paola Pigni
Paola Pigni (30 December 1945 – 11 June 2021) was an Italian middle- and long-distance runner. She was a three-time world champion in cross country and held the world record over five distance running events on the track, from 1500m to 10,0 ...
and
Margherita Gargano
Margherita Gargano (born 18 November 1952 in Bagheria, Province of Palermo) is a former female middle distance runner from Italy.
Biography
She is best known for winning the gold medal at the 1979 Mediterranean Games
The 1979 Mediterranean G ...
. She won a second team silver at the
1976 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 1976 IAAF World Cross Country Championships was held in Chepstow, Wales, at the Chepstow Racecourse on 28 February 1976. A report on the event was given in the Glasgow Herald.
Complete results for men,
junior men,
women,
medallists ...
with a team of
Gabriella Dorio
Gabriella Dorio (born 27 June 1957 in Veggiano, Veneto) is an Italian former athlete and Olympic gold winner. She won two medals, at senior level, at the International athletics competitions.
Biography
She first participated in the 1976 Summer O ...
, and
Cristina Tomasini. She came 29th at the
1981 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, but this finish was enough to help the Italian women to the team bronze.
Cruciata represented Italy in the
1500 metres
The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run (typically pronounced 'fifteen-hundred metres') is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletic ...
at the
1974 European Athletics Championships
The 11th European Athletics Championships of 1974 were held from 2 September to 8 September in Italy, at Rome's Stadio Olimpico. Contemporaneous reports on the event were given in the Glasgow Herald.
Men's results
Complete results were pu ...
, but was eliminated in the heats. She made her only Olympic appearance at the
1976 Summer Olympics
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phi ...
in Montreal, and was again knocked out in the heats stage of the 1500 m.
[ She was fifth in the final over 1500 m at the ]1978 European Athletics Indoor Championships
The 1978 European Athletics Indoor Championships were held at Palasport di San Siro in Milan, Italy, between 11–12 March 1978. It was the first time the championships were held in Italy.
Medal summary Men
Women
Medal table
Participating n ...
. She won a number of national titles in this period, taking the 3000 metres
The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track.
It is debated whether the 3000m shoul ...
Italian title in 1975, a 3000 m/1500 m indoor double in 1978, and both the 3000 m and marathon
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
titles in 1981. She was the bronze medal
A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receive ...
list over 3000 m at the 1981 IAAF World Cup.
Cruiciata broke world records
A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...
for the women's one hour run
The one hour run is an athletics event in which competitors try to cover as much distance as possible within one hour. While officially recognized by World Athletics as a track event, it is rarely contested apart from occasional world record atte ...
in 1980 and 1981 – she managed a distance of 17.563 km in Milan in 1980 and improved upon this with a distance of 18.084 km in Rome the following year (also setting a best time of 49:44 minutes for the 15,000 m track run). Her hour run record was a long-standing achievement and the mark went unbeaten until 1998 when Kenyan 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 ...
broke the record. Cruciata's performance remains the best ever by a European
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
, as well as being the Italian national record. She also ran a career best of 4:24.6 minutes for the mile at the DN Galan
BAUHAUS-galan, formerly known as DN-Galan is an annual, international athletics meeting that takes place at the Olympic Stadium in Stockholm. Previously it was one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events until 2010, and has since been part of th ...
that year and this remains the stadium record for the event.
She also focused on 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 ac ...
events in her later career. She took three straight victories at the Stramilano Half Marathon
The Stramilano is an annual athletics event which takes place in Milan, Italy in spring. The event comprises three parts: the Stramilano International Half Marathon (a professional road running competition over 21.0975 km), the La Stramilano d ...
from 1976 to 1978, and took a fourth win in 1981. Her performances of 1:22:05 hours in 1977 and 1:18:44 hours in 1978 were world's best performances for women over the distance. She had her first wins over the marathon at the Monza Marathon in 1976 and 1977, but her career best came in 1980 at the San Silvestro Marathon in Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, where her time of 2:44:31 was a course record. In 1981 she won the Maratonina dei tre comuni, Rome-Ostia Half Marathon
The Roma-Ostia Half Marathon ( it, Roma Ostia Mezza Maratona ''or'' it, Maratonina Roma-Ostia) is an annual half marathon road running event which takes place in early March in Rome, Italy. The course begins in the EUR district of the city and f ...
and the Amatrice-Configno race. She had a consecutive victory at the Tre Comuni in 1982 and won the Rome-Ostia competition for a second time in 1984.
Achievements
National titles
She won five national championships at individual senior level.
*Italian Athletics Championships
The Italian Athletics Championships ( it, Campionati italiani assoluti di atletica leggera) are the national championships in athletics, organised every year by the Federazione Italiana di Atletica Leggera.
The first edition, four races only, wa ...
**3000 m: 1975, 1978, 1981
**Marathon: 1981
*Italian Athletics Indoor Championships
The Italian Athletics Indoor Championships ( it, Italian Athletics Indoor Championships) are the national championships in athletics of the indoor events, organised every year by the Federazione Italiana di Atletica Leggera from 1970 (first edition ...
**1500 m: 1978
See also
* Italian team at the running events
The Italian team at the running events represents Italy at senior level at the road running ( marathon, half marathon), racewalking, cross country running and track long-distance running (10,000 metres) events, such as World championships, World ...
* Italy at the IAAF World Cup
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cruciata, Silvana
Living people
1953 births
Athletes from Naples
Italian female middle-distance runners
Italian female long-distance runners
Italian female cross country runners
Italian female marathon runners
Olympic athletes for Italy
Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics
World record setters in athletics (track and field)
20th-century Italian women
21st-century Italian women