| 1956 International Cross Country Championships | |
| Organisers: | ICCU |
| Edition: | 43rd |
| Date: | 17 March |
| Host City: | Belfast, Northern Ireland (men) Upminster, Essex, England (women) |
| Location: | Royal Ulster Showground (men) |
| Nations Participating: | 8 (men) / 2 (women) |
| Athletes Participating: | 70 (men) / 12 (women) |
| Races: | 1 / 1 |
| Distances: | 9 mi (14.5 km) men / 1.9 mi (3.0 km) women |
| Previous: | 1955 San Sebastián |
| Next: | 1957 Waregem |
The 1956 International Cross Country Championships was held in Belfast, Northern Ireland, at the Royal Ulster Showground on 17 March 1956. In addition, an unofficial women's championship was held the same day at Upminster, England on 17 March 1956. A report on the men's event as well as the women's event was given in the Glasgow Herald.
Complete results for men, and for women (unofficial), medallists, and the results of British athletes were published.
| Individual | |||||||
| Men 9 mi (14.5 km) | Alain Mimoun | 45:18 | Frank Sando | 45:28 | Ken Norris | 45:28 | |
| Women 1.9 mi (3.0 km) | Roma Ashby | 13:05 | June Bridgland | 13:11 | Diane Leather | 13:12 | |
| Team | |||||||
| Men | | 42 | 59 |  | 131 | ||
| Women | 10 | 34 |
| Rank | Athlete | Nationality | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | 45:18 | |||
| 45:28 | ||||
| 45:28 | ||||
| 4 | 45:36 | |||
| 5 | | 45:42 | ||
| 6 | Lahcen Ben Allal | | 45:44 | |
| 7 | Frans Herman | | 45:46 | |
| 8 |  | 45:57 | ||
| 9 | Bakir Benaissa | | 46:00 | |
| 10 | Said Benmaguini | | 46:10 | |
| 11 | Amar Khallouf | | 46:11 | |
| 12 | John McLaren | 46:12 | ||
| 13 | Ken Gates | 46:13 | ||
| 14 | Pat Moy | 46:14 | ||
| 15 | Luis García | | 46:27 | |
| 16 | | 46:38 | ||
| 17 | Peter Driver | 46:41 | ||
| 18 | Maurits van Laere | | 46:45 | |
| 19 | Frans van der Hoeven | | 46:49 | |
| 20 | Albert Chorlton | 46:50 | ||
| 21 | | 46:52 | ||
| 22 | Chris Suddaby | 46:53 | ||
| 23 | Manuel Faria | 46:57 | ||
| 24 | António Ventura | 47:04 | ||
| 25 | Hélio Duarte | 47:05 | ||
| 26 | | 47:14 | ||
| 27 | Francisco Irizar | | 47:15 | |
| 28 | Charlie Owens | 47:28 | ||
| 29 | João Silva | 47:30 | ||
| 30 | José Araújo | 47:33 | ||
| 31 | Ken Huckle | 47:34 | ||
| 32 | Don Appleby | 47:34 | ||
| 33 | Eddie Bannon | 47:38 | ||
| 34 | Pierre de Pauw | | 47:44 | |
| 35 | David Richards Jun. | 47:46 | ||
| 36 | Davy Harrison | 47:47 | ||
| 37 | Denis Jouret | | 47:47 | |
| 38 | Joe Stevenson | 47:55 | ||
| 39 | Tom Stevenson | 47:56 | ||
| 40 | 48:03 | |||
| 41 | Bobby Calderwood | 48:06 | ||
| 42 | Sergio Bueno | | 48:09 | |
| 43 | Tommy Dunne | 48:11 | ||
| 44 | Lucas Larraza | | 48:15 | |
| 45 | Jim McCormack | 48:19 | ||
| 46 | 48:20 | |||
| 47 | Filipe Luis | 48:31 | ||
| 48 | 48:32 | |||
| 49 | Jose Castro Ruibal | | 48:41 | |
| 50 | Andy Brown | 48:43 | ||
| 51 | Alan Perkins | 48:48 | ||
| 52 | Jesús Hurtado | | 48:50 | |
| 53 | Jack Dougan | 48:53 | ||
| 54 | Julien Vandevelde | | 49:07 | |
| 55 | Augusto Silva | 49:15 | ||
| 56 | Jim Mahood | 49:26 | ||
| 57 | Terry Keegan | 49:31 | ||
| 58 | Jimmy Todd | 49:37 | ||
| 59 | Peter Bowden | 49:42 | ||
| 60 | Gordon Dunn | 49:47 | ||
| 61 | Dyfrigg Rees | 50:24 | ||
| 62 | Mariano Martin | | 50:53 | |
| 63 | Ken Flowers | 51:06 | ||
| 64 | William Butcher | 51:19 | ||
| 65 | Richard Morgan | 51:21 | ||
| — | Hamida Addéche | | DNF | |
| — | | DNF | ||
| — | Félix Bidegui | | DNF | |
| — | Derek Walker | DNF | ||
| — | Joaquim Santos | DNF |
| Rank | Athlete | Nationality | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13:05 | ||||
| 13:11 | ||||
| 13:12 | ||||
| 4 | 13:23 | |||
| 5 | Madeline Wooller | 13:25 | ||
| 6 | Maureen Bonnano | 13:51 | ||
| 7 | Anne Drummond | 14:35 | ||
| 8 | Anne Herman | 15:11 | ||
| 9 | Doreen Fulton | 15:17 | ||
| 10 | Mollie Ferguson | 15:18 | ||
| 11 | Elizabeth Steedman | 15:19 | ||
| 12 | Mary Campbell | 16:05 |
| Rank | Country | Team | Points | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | Alain Mimoun Hamoud Ameur Lahcen Ben Allal Bakir Benaissa Said Benmaguini Amar Khallouf | 42 | ||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | Frank Sando Ken Norris Fred Norris Ken Gates Peter Driver Albert Chorlton | 59 | ||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | Frans Herman Marcel Vandewattyne Maurits van Laere Frans van der Hoeven Pierre de Pauw Denis Jouret | 131 | ||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | John McLaren Pat Moy Eddie Bannon Joe Stevenson Tom Stevenson Bobby Calderwood | 177 | ||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | Manuel Faria António Ventura Hélio Duarte João Silva José Araújo Filipe Luis | 178 | ||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | Antonio Amoros Luis García Francisco Irizar Sergio Bueno Lucas Larraza Jose Castro Ruibal | 185 | ||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | Charlie Owens Don Appleby Davy Harrison Bertie Messitt Tommy Dunne Jack Dougan | 232 | ||
| 8 | align=left | align=left | Chris Suddaby Ken Huckle David Richards Jun. John Disley Peter Bowden Dyfrigg Rees | 256 |
| Rank | Country | Team | Points | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | 10 | |||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | Anne Drummond Anne Herman Doreen Fulton Mollie Ferguson | 34 |
An unofficial count yields the participation of 70 male athletes from 8 countries.
(9)An unofficial count yields the participation of 12 female athletes from 2 countries.