IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international Cross country running. It is held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations. It was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships.

The World Cross Country Championships consists of six events: long course, short course and youth race, for both men and women respectively. In addition, all events double as team competitions where results are calculated by positions of four best runners of each nation. The men's team event has been won by either Ethiopia or Kenya since 1981. Several athletes have won three or more individual titles, they are John Ngugi, Paul Tergat, Kenenisa Bekele, Grete Waitz, Lynn Jennings, Derartu Tulu, Gete Wami and Edith Masai.

Mombasa will be on the world spotlight again. Top world athletes will compete in Mombasa during the world cross country championships on 24th  march 2007.Expect to see world greats like Bekele, limo, kipchoge and dibaba.

The championship will be help at the Mombasa Golf club which has been described to have the ingredients of hosting a successful cross country event.

Top Performers'
Ethiopia not only took both the men’s and women’s top performers’ titles for the month of April, but did so by having two women share the best scores. Gelete Burka and Tirunesh Dibaba won the Short and Long Races respectively in Fukuoka at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, thereby scoring 1400 points.

Their compatriot Kenenisa Bekele added two more World crowns to his vast collection of titles by winning both distances - also worth 1400 points each - and so became the Top Men’s Performer of April.

Bekele may not participate in Mombasa but Kenyans should expect tough competition from the Ethiopians.

World rankings

Pl. (Pl.) Athlete Birth Nat Score

1. (1.) Kenenisa BEKELE 82 ETH 1449
2. (2.) Sileshi SIHINE 83 ETH 1360
3. (3.) Eliud KIPCHOGE 84 KEN 1358
4. (4.) Isaac Kiprono SONGOK 84 KEN 1355
5. (5.) Benjamin LIMO 74 KEN 1353
6. (6.) Boniface KIPROP 85 UGA 1335
6. (6.) Tariku BEKELE 87 ETH 1335
8. (8.) Augustine Kiprono CHOGE 87 KEN 1323
9. (9.) Moses MOSOP 85 KEN 1322
10. (11.) Joseph EBUYA 87 KEN 1301



Women's 5000 - 10 000m (3000m - 2 Miles - Cross Country)
24 July 2006 (17 July 2006) 


Pl. (Pl.) Athlete Birth Nat Score

1. (1.) Tirunesh DIBABA 85 ETH 1441
2. (2.) Meseret DEFAR 83 ETH 1421
3. (3.) Berhane ADERE 73 ETH 1384
4. (4.) Ejegayehu DIBABA 82 ETH 1376
5. (5.) Prisca Jepleting NGETICH 80 KEN 1337
6. (6.) Isabella OCHICHI 79 KEN 1335
7. (7.) Meselech MELKAMU 85 ETH 1330
8. (8.) Gelete Burika BATI 86 ETH 1317
9. (9.) Zakia Mrisho MOHAMED 84 TAN 1298
10. (10.) Irene Kwambai KIPCHUMBA 78 KEN 1292

 I will write more info about accommodation and transport during the championships.

If you are in Mombasa 2007 visit the nearby nyali beach and Mombasa town.