Frank Sando crossing the line to win the 1957 edition of the championships
The International Cross Country Championships was an annual international competition in cross country running. It was created in 1903 by the International Cross Country Union (ICCU) and it marked the first time that an annual international championships had been held for the sport.
It began its life as contest between the four Home Nations of the United Kingdom. The event became increasingly international over its history, beginning with the admittance of the first non-UK country in 1907 (France), the addition of several other Continental European countries in the 1920s, and then the introduction of Tunisia in 1958 which saw an African team compete for the first time.[1]
The championships featured only a senior men's race from 1903 to 1961, at which point an under-21s event was introduced. After some years as an unsanctioned competition, a women's race finally gained official acceptance in 1967.[1]
The event lasted from 1903 to 1972 – at the 1971 ICCU Congress members decided to transfer organisation of the event to the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF), a move which was finalised after the 1972 ICC Championships and led to the first IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 1973.[2]
The International Cross Country Championships featured a number of running greats, including: Alfred Shrubb (the inaugural race winner) and Jean Bouin in its early years, Frank Sando who won twice, as well as Jack Holden and Alain Mimoun who both won the race a record four times, and then Franjo Mihalić, Gaston Roelants and David Bedford in its later years. American runner Doris Brown was dominant in the short history of the women's race, winning all but two of the official women's races.[1]
Editions
Edition |
Year |
City |
Country |
Date |
Venue |
No. of
Countries |
No. of
Athletes |
Unofficial |
1898 |
Paris-Ville-d'Avray |
France |
March 20 |
|
2 |
16 |
1st |
1903 |
Hamilton, Lanarkshire |
Scotland |
March 23 |
Hamilton Park Racecourse |
4 |
45 |
2nd |
1904 |
St Helens, Lancashire |
England |
March 26 |
Haydock Park |
4 |
46 |
3rd |
1905 |
Dublin, Leinster |
Ireland |
March 25 |
Baldoyle Racecourse |
4 |
48 |
4th |
1906 |
Newport-Caerleon, Monmouthshire |
Wales |
March 10 |
Caerleon Racecourse |
4 |
44 |
5th |
1907 |
Glasgow |
Scotland |
March 23 |
Glasgow Agricultural Society Show Grounds, Scotstoun |
5 |
56 |
6th |
1908 |
Paris-Colombes |
France |
March 26 |
Stade de Matin |
5 |
54 |
7th |
1909 |
Derby, Derbyshire |
England |
March 20 |
Derby Racecourse |
5 |
51 |
8th |
1910 |
Belfast, Ulster |
Ireland |
March 26 |
Belvoir Park |
5 |
43 |
9th |
1911 |
Newport-Caerleon, Monmouthshire |
Wales |
March 25 |
Caerleon Racecourse |
5 |
45 |
10th |
1912 |
Edinburgh, Lothian |
Scotland |
March 30 |
Saughton Public Park |
5 |
44 |
11th |
1913 |
Paris-Juvisy-sur-Orge |
France |
March 24 |
Juvisy Aerodrome |
4 |
36 |
12th |
1914 |
Amersham, Buckinghamshire |
England |
March 28 |
Chesham Park |
5 |
45 |
Not held due to World War I |
13th |
1920 |
Belfast, Ulster |
Ireland |
April 3 |
Belvoir Park |
4 |
35 |
14th |
1921 |
Newport-Caerleon |
Wales |
March 19 |
Caerleon Racecourse |
4 |
36 |
15th |
1922 |
Glasgow |
Scotland |
April 1 |
Hampden Park |
5 |
45 |
16th |
1923 |
Paris-Maisons-Laffitte |
France |
March 25 |
Hippodrome de Maisons-Laffitte |
4 |
36 |
17th |
1924 |
Newcastle-on-Tyne, Northumberland |
England |
March 22 |
Gosforth Park |
6 |
52 |
18th |
1925 |
Dublin |
Ireland |
March 28 |
Baldoyle Racecourse |
5 |
42 |
19th |
1926 |
Bruxelles |
Belgium |
March 28 |
Hippodrome de Stockel |
6 |
53 |
20th |
1927 |
Newport-Caerleon, Monmouthshire |
Wales |
April 2 |
Caerleon Racecourse |
5 |
44 |
21st |
1928 |
Ayr, Ayrshire |
Scotland |
March 24 |
|
5 |
45 |
22nd |
1929 |
Paris-Vincennes |
France |
March 23 |
Hippodrome de Vincennes |
10 |
90 |
23rd |
1930 |
Leamington, Warwickshire |
England |
March 22 |
|
7 |
61 |
24th |
1931 |
Dublin (men) |
Ireland |
March 28 |
Baldoyle Racecourse |
6 |
54 |
Douai, Nord-Pas-de-Calais (women) |
France |
March 22 |
|
3 |
16 |
25th |
1932 |
Bruxelles (men) |
Belgium |
March 20 |
Hippodrome de Stockel |
6 |
52 |
Croydon, Surrey (women) |
England |
March 19 |
|
2 |
12 |
26th |
1933 |
Newport-Caerleon, Monmouthshire |
Wales |
March 25 |
Caerleon Racecourse |
6 |
54 |
27th |
1934 |
Ayr, Ayrshire |
Scotland |
March 24 |
Ayr Racecourse |
6 |
54 |
28th |
1935 |
Paris-Auteuil (men) |
France |
March 23 |
Hippodrome d'Auteuil |
7 |
61 |
Morecambe, Lancashire (women) |
England |
March 20 |
The Old Golf Links |
2 |
11 |
29th |
1936 |
Blackpool, Lancashire |
England |
March 28 |
The Stadium, Squires Gate |
6 |
54 |
30th |
1937 |
Bruxelles |
Belgium |
March 20 |
Hippodrome de Stockel |
6 |
54 |
31st |
1938 |
Belfast, Ulster (men) |
Northern Ireland |
April 2 |
Royal Ulster Showground |
7 |
63 |
Lille, Nord-Pas-de-Calais (women) |
France |
April 2 |
|
3 |
18 |
32nd |
1939 |
Cardiff, Glamorgan |
Wales |
April 1 |
Ely Racecourse |
7 |
63 |
Unofficial |
1940 |
Paris |
France |
March 24 |
Bois de Boulogne |
3 |
27 |
Not held due to World War II |
33rd |
1946 |
Ayr, Ayrshire |
Scotland |
March 30 |
|
6 |
54 |
34th |
1947 |
Paris-Saint-Cloud |
France |
March 30 |
Hippodrome de Saint-Cloud |
6 |
54 |
35th |
1948 |
Reading, Berkshire |
England |
April 3 |
Leighton Park |
6 |
54 |
36th |
1949 |
Dublin |
Ireland |
March 26 |
Baldoyle Racecourse |
7 |
62 |
37th |
1950 |
Bruxelles |
Belgium |
March 25 |
Hippodrome de Boitsfort |
10 |
88 |
38th |
1951 |
Newport-Caerleon, Monmouthshire |
Wales |
March 31 |
Caerleon Racecourse |
8 |
71 |
39th |
1952 |
Hamilton, Lanarkshire |
Scotland |
March 22 |
Hamilton Park Racecourse |
7 |
63 |
40th |
1953 |
Paris-Vincennes |
France |
March 21 |
Hippodrome de Vincennes |
10 |
89 |
41st |
1954 |
Birmingham |
England |
March 27 (men) |
Bromford Bridge Racecourse |
7 |
62 |
March 20 (women) |
|
2 |
12 |
42nd |
1955 |
San Sebastián, Euskadi (men) |
23x15px Spain |
March 19 |
Lasarte Hippodrome |
8 |
70 |
Ayr, Ayrshire (women) |
Scotland |
March 26 |
|
2 |
12 |
43rd |
1956 |
Belfast (men) |
Northern Ireland |
March 17 |
Royal Ulster Showground |
8 |
70 |
Upminster, Essex (women) |
England |
March 17 |
|
2 |
12 |
44th |
1957 |
Waregem, West-Vlaanderen (men) |
Belgium |
March 23 |
Hippodroom Waregem |
10 |
89 |
Musselburgh, East Lothian (women) |
Scotland |
March 30 |
|
2 |
12 |
45th |
1958 |
Cardiff, Glamorgan |
Wales |
March 22 |
Pontcanna Fields |
9 |
78 |
46th |
1959 |
Lisboa |
Portugal |
March 21 |
National Stadium |
9 |
78 |
47th |
1960 |
Hamilton, Lanarkshire |
Scotland |
March 26 |
Hamilton Park Racecourse |
8 |
71 |
48th |
1961 |
Nantes, Pays de la Loire |
France |
March 26 |
|
10 |
109 |
49th |
1962 |
Sheffield, Yorkshire |
England |
March 24 |
Graves Park |
10 |
126 |
50th |
1963 |
San Sebastián, Euskadi |
23x15px Spain |
March 17 |
Lasarte Hippodrome |
11 |
125 |
51st |
1964 |
Dublin |
Ireland |
March 21 |
Leopardstown Racecourse |
9 |
113 |
52nd |
1965 |
Oostende, West-Vlaanderen |
Belgium |
March 20 |
Hippodrome Wellington |
15 |
174 |
53rd |
1966 |
Rabat |
Morocco |
March 20 |
Souissi Racecourse |
15 |
134 |
54th |
1967 |
Barry, Glamorgan |
Wales |
March 18 |
|
12 |
152 |
55th |
1968 |
Tunis |
Tunisia |
March 17 |
Hippodrome de Kassar-Said (men) |
14 |
177 |
56th |
1969 |
Clydebank, Dunbartonshire |
Scotland |
March 22 |
Dalmuir Park |
14 |
193 |
57th |
1970 |
Vichy, Auvergne |
France |
March 22 |
|
17 |
211 |
Frederick, Maryland (alternate women's event) |
United States |
March 21 |
VFW Country Club |
58th |
1971 |
San Sebastián, Euskadi |
23x15px Spain |
March 20 |
Lasarte Hippodrome |
18 |
228 |
59th |
1972 |
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire |
England |
March 18 |
Coldhams Common |
15 |
200 |
Results
Men's individual results
Men's Team Results
Junior Men's Individual Results
Junior Men's Team Results
Women's Individual Results
Women's Team Results
References
External links
International Cross Country Championships
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