Wednesday, October 16, 2024, 1:49 p.m.
| Updated 1:55 p.m.
The fields of Jauregibarria will host this Sunday the best runners in the Amorebieta International Cross, which celebrates its 70th edition. In addition, the organization will pay a well-deserved tribute to three great athletes who died this year: Mariano Haro, Carmen Valero and Rebeca Cheptegei, who died this same year and who left a “deep mark” in the history of this event. The first, called “the father of cross country” was a six-time winner of the event between 1964 and 1977 and four times world runner-up. The event would also not be understood without the figure of Carmen Valero, the first Spanish female Olympic athlete, third in 1987 in the Amorebieta event and twice world champion in 1976 and 1977. For her part, the Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei was second a year ago. decade in the same test and this same month she died at the age of 33, four days after being attacked by her romantic partner, who doused her with gasoline and set her on fire. He had competed in the marathon at the Paris Olympics.
The sporting event remains at the top of the world cross country circuit, included in the top category of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold for the fourth consecutive year, attracting the best runners in the world and standing out as one of the most relevant sporting events in the world. Basque Country, along with the Elgoibar cross country.
The absolute international events will begin at 12:15 p.m. for women and at 1:00 p.m. for men. Among the favorites of the men’s event, we must highlight the runner from Burundi, Rodrigue Kwizera, champion in Amorebieta two years ago and first in the Soria cross country last year, in addition to taking the title on the world cross circuit circuit in 2022 .
Another of the candidates is the Ugandan Óscar Chelimo, who was already second in Amorebieta in 2019 and finalist at the Paris Olympic Games in the 5,000 meters. His compatriot Dan Kibet (U20) and the Burundi athlete, Egide Ntakarutimana, complete the list of candidates for the title, in addition to Keneth Kiprop (third in the U20 world championship) and the Ethiopian Abdisa Fayisa, U20 world champion. As for the national runners, Nassim Hassaous, Spanish cross country runner-up this year, and Fernando Carrillo, fourth in the national event, as well as an Olympian in Tokyo, will try to make it difficult for the internationals.
The Burundian, Francine Niyomukunzi, one of the big favorites
In the women’s category, the runner from Burundi, Francine Niyomukunzi, who already won in 2021, will be one of the big favorites, along with the Ecuadorian Katherina Tisalema and the Hungarian Lili Anna Vindics-Toth. In addition, the Spanish cross country champion, Carolina Robles and the runner-up, Angela Viciosa complete the list of favorites. As for the Basque runners, Majida Maayouf, a resident of Álava, will try to make it difficult for them after her seventeenth place in the last Olympic marathon. June Arbeo from Durango wants to forget last season’s injury and play at a high level.
This year, as in previous editions, cross country will have a wide variety of categories, from the youngest (Alevin, U12) to the absolute category for both men and women. In addition, a popular mixed race and tests for athletes with disabilities will be held, promoting the inclusion and participation of the entire public.
Furthermore, the Cross Zornotza continues to be a fundamental part of the Euskadiko Kros Liga, a circuit that brings together all the cross country events held in Euskadi, with the collaboration of the Basque Athletics Federation and the territorial federations of Álava, Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia. In addition, this year’s edition will be key for the Basque clubs, since it will be the qualifying event for the Spanish Club Cross Country Championship, which will take place on November 17 in Seville.
The Councilor for Culture and Sports, Koldo Bilbao; the director of Physical Activity and Sports of the Basque Government, Gorka Iturriaga; the mayor, Ainhoa Salterain; the president of the Zornotza Club and the Basque Athletics Federation, Juanjo Anderez; General Director of Sports in the Provincial Council, Carlos Sergio.
J.G.L
The director of Physical Activity and Sports of the Basque Government, Gorka Iturriaga, has highlighted the strength of the cross country modality, hosting international events. «It is the essence of our sport, a spectacular race and a complement for the little ones. We all have to take care of it and I am sure it will be a great success in this 70th edition. Let’s take care of our sport, it’s our instinct,” he said.
The father of cross country in Amorebieta, Miguel Bilbao
«We must highlight the importance of this test for grassroots sports, an incentive for children to see their idols and want to participate with them. It is one of the great benefits we have in Bizkaia, with great organizational capacity and always with that interest in contributing from the global to the local. Amorebieta, thanks to the work over these 70 years, has a permanent cross country circuit, for the benefit of all Biscayan and Basque citizens. It is the legacy that this type of tests leaves us and above all, the great future,” stressed the General Director of Sports in the Provincial Council, Carlos Sergio.
The president of the Zornotza Club and the Basque Athletics Federation, Juanjo Anderez, in the organization since 1986, highlighted the international prestige of the event and praised the great work carried out by one of its promoters, Miguel Bilbao. «He was the father of cross country and in the first editions, it was a race through the streets of Amorebieta. Then he moved to the Jauregibarria fields in the 90s. Those were different times, at the national level there were very few events and the best athletes in the 60s and 70s went to Amorebieta, being international for the first time in 1978. In 1991 he entered the world distance circuit, something that has remained until now. 49 athletes who have been absolute world champions have competed in Amorebieta,” he said.
