Antrim International Cross Country

The Antrim International Cross Country, formerly the Belfast International Cross Country, is an annual cross country running meeting which takes place every January in Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is one of the IAAF's cross country permit meetings, as well as being part of the UK Cross Challenge tour.[1][2] Previous winners include Paula Radcliffe, Paul Tergat and Steve Ovett.[3]

Antrim International Cross Country
The round tower in Antrim, where the meeting is held
DateJanuary
LocationAntrim, Northern Ireland
Event typeCross country
Distance9 km for men
5.5 km for women
Established1977

History

The meeting began in 1977 and was held in Mallusk, near Belfast, until 1996. At that point, the course moved for a two-year stint in Barnett Demesne before settling in Stormont in 1999. The course was again moved in 2009, when it became known as the Antrim International Cross Country.[4]

The meeting was held near Stormont Castle from 1999 to 2008.

In addition to having been held at numerous venues, the competition has been known under a large variety of names. It was called the Mallusk Crosscountry between 1977 and 1991, except a brief change to the Brooks International Crosscountry in 1989. The meeting was frequently renamed for sponsorship reasons, becoming the Milk International in 1986,[5] the Reebok International Crosscountry in 1992 and 1993, the Ulster Milk Games International in 1994, the Coca-Cola International Crosscountry from 1995 to 1999 and finally the Fila International Crosscountry for 2000–01.[4] During the meeting's time at Stormont it was known as the Belfast International Cross Country and it was in this period that the meeting was elevated to IAAF permit status.[6]

The race course of the meetings at Stormont was on the grounds surrounding Stormont Castle.[7] The current course for the race is on the grassy fields of the Greenmount Campus just outside Antrim town.[8] The races are currently held over 9 km for men and 5.6 km for women. This distance has significantly fluctuated on an annual basis. The men's race was an 8 km from the inaugural edition until 2003. The women's race—introduced in 1986—was previously a 4.8 km race during that period.[4]

Steve Ovett became the first athlete to win the meeting twice, winning in 1978 and 1984. The most successful athlete in the history of the competition is Paula Radcliffe, who has won a record four times (in 1994, 1996, 2000 and 2001). Around 1000 male and female athletes participate in the senior races each year.[4]

Past winners
Steve Ovett took the honours in the second and seventh editions.
Paula Radcliffe is a four-time meet winner.
Uganda's Moses Kipsiro won consecutively in 2007 and 2008.
Edition Year Men's winner Time (m:s) Women's winner Time (m:s)
1st 1977  Gerard Deegan (IRL) 28:00 Not held —
2nd 1978  Steve Ovett (ENG) 24:08 Not held —
— 1979 Not held — Not held —
3rd 1980  Nathaniel Muir (SCO) 24:33 Not held —
4th 1981  Barry Smith (ENG) 25:03 Not held —
5th 1982  John Treacy (IRL) 28:00 Not held —
6th 1983  David Taylor (IRL) 24:37 Not held —
7th 1984  Steve Ovett (ENG) 24:36 Not held —
8th 1985  Tim Hutchings (ENG) 22:06 Not held —
9th 1986  Roger Hackney (WAL) 26:12  Susan Tooby (WAL) 18:18
10th 1987  Roger Hackney (WAL) 24:23  Liz McColgan (SCO) 16:26
11th 1988  Dave Lewis (ENG) 25:22  Liz McColgan (SCO) 17:31
12th 1989  Steve Tunstall (ENG) 25:02  Jill Boltz (ENG) 17:21
13th 1990  Craig Mochrie (ENG) 24:50  Róisín Smyth (IRL) 17:43
14th 1991  Eamonn Martin (ENG) 24:42  Susan Sirma (KEN) 16:46
15th 1992  Ondoro Osoro (KEN) 22:37  Catherina McKiernan (IRL) 15:29
16th 1993  Simon Chemoiywo (KEN) 23:28  Catherina McKiernan (IRL) 15:49
17th 1994  Ismael Kirui (KEN) 23:44  Paula Radcliffe (ENG) 15:40
18th 1995  Ismael Kirui (KEN) 23:21  Rose Cheruiyot (KEN) 15:57
19th 1996  James Kariuki (KEN) 24:02  Paula Radcliffe (ENG) 16:02
20th 1997  Million Wolde (ETH) 23:37  Elena Fidatov (ROU) 15:39
21st 1998  Laban Chege (KEN) 26:16  Mariana Chirila (ROU) 17:59
22nd 1999  Hendrick Ramaala (RSA) 25:06  Anita Weyermann (SUI) 17:03
23rd 2000  Patrick Ivuti (KEN) 24:55  Paula Radcliffe (ENG) 17:18
24th 2001  Daniel Gachara (KEN) 24:18  Paula Radcliffe (ENG) 16:51
25th 2002  Julius Koskei (KEN) 25:06  Esther Kiplagat (KEN) 17:16
26th 2003  Serhiy Lebid (UKR) 24:45  Werknesh Kidane (ETH) 16:46
27th 2004  Paul Tergat (KEN) 28:27  Émilie Mondor (CAN) 18:52
28th 2005  Dathan Ritzenhein (USA) 29:26  Etalemahu Kidane (ETH) 20:26
29th 2006  Barnabas Kosgei (KEN) 28:05  Etalemahu Kidane (ETH) 19:09
30th 2007  Moses Kipsiro (UGA) 28:20  Etalemahu Kidane (ETH) 19:29
31st 2008  Moses Kipsiro (UGA) 30:19  Hayley Yelling (ENG) 21:20
32nd 2009  Imane Merga (ETH) 24:32  Stephanie Twell (ENG) 18:25
33rd[9] 2010  Mike Kigen (KEN) 27:49  Mary Cullen (IRL) 18:45
34th[10] 2011  Mike Kigen (KEN) 26:07  Charlotte Purdue (ENG) 17:57
35th[11] 2012  Mike Kigen (KEN) 34:48  Fionnuala Britton (IRL) 19:32
36th[12] 2013  Thomas Ayeko (UGA) 33:08  Fionnuala Britton (IRL) 18:17
37th[13] 2014  Japhet Korir (KEN) 28:40  Mimi Belete (BHR) 18:07
38th[14] 2015  Thomas Ayeko (UGA) 31:27  Birtukan Fente (ETH) 24:12
39th[15] 2016  Aweke Ayalew (BHR) 21:25  Alice Aprot (KEN) 18:05
40th[16] 2017  Conseslus Kipruto (KEN) 24:36  Caroline Kipkirui (KEN) 18:53
41st[17] 2018  Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN) 23:12  Margaret Kipkemboi (KEN) 19:55

Statistics
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References
  1. Mary Cullen enters big cross-country race at Greenmount. BBC Sport (19 January 2010). Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  2. McCain UK Cross Challenge Antrim. UK Athletics (23 January 2009). Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  3. European Champion to race in Antrim Cross Country International Archived 9 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Athletics Ireland (7 January 2010). Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  4. McCausland, Malcolm (5 January 2009). Antrim International Crosscountry. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  5. Rodda, John (4 January 1986). "England Debt to Lewis". The Guardian. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Frank, Bob (12 January 2003). Lebid eyes Lausanne after Belfast win. IAAF. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  7. Landells, Steve (9 January 2007). Moses Kipsiro – Uganda’s latest find. IAAF. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  8. Antrim International Cross Country Archived 20 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Athletics Ireland (24 January 2010). Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  9. Duffy, Cóilín (23 January 2010). Cullen and Kigen take the spoils in muddy Antrim. IAAF. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  10. Duffy, Cóilín (22 January 2011). Kigen repeats in foggy Antrim. IAAF. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  11. Duffy, Cóilín (21 January 2012). Kigen makes it a hat-trick; Britton takes women’s race win in Antrim. IAAF. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  12. Duffy, Cóilín (12 January 2013). Ayeko and Britton take the honours in Antrim. IAAF. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  13. Duffy, Cóilín and Minshull, Phil (4 January 2014). World champion Korir back to form with Antrim win. IAAF. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  14. Duffy, Cóilín (15 March 2015). Ayeko and Fente Alemu win in Antrim. IAAF. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  15. Aprot and Ayalew victorious in Antrim. IAAF (16 January 2016). Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  16. Kipruto and Kipkirui score Kenyan double in Antrim. IAAF (14 January 2017). Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  17. Cheruiyot and Kipkemboi take Kenyan double in Antrim. IAAF (9 January 2018). Retrieved 9 January 2018.
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