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| Date: | Mid-November |
| Location: | Oeiras, Portugal |
| Type: | Cross country |
| Distance: | 9 km for men 5 km for women |
| Est: | 2000 |
| Homepage: | Oeiras Cross Country |
The Oeiras International Cross Country (Portuguese: Crosse Internacional de Oeiras) is an annual cross country running competition that takes place in Oeiras, Portugal. Established in 2000,[1] it is usually held in mid-November and is traditionally the first competition of the IAAF's cross country season, which culminates each year in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.[2]
The Oeiras Cross Country has featured athletes such as Kenenisa Bekele, Paul Tergat, Gebregziabher Gebremariam and Felix Limo.[3] The race can be of high importance to Portuguese athletes as the results are often used to decide the national squad for the European Cross Country Championships.[4] [5] The men's race is 9 kilometres long, while the women's race is held over 5 km.[6] In addition to the professional senior races, there are also a number amateur races, including shorter cross country races for children, as well as junior and veteran races.[7]
The course in Jamor is adjacent the Estádio Nacional,[8] the home ground of Portugal's national football team,[9] and is the same circuit that was used for the 1997 European Cross Country Championships and the men's 1999 European Club's Cross Country Cup in 1999.[10] [11] The competition is organised by the same group which sets up the Lisbon Half Marathon and the Portugal Half Marathon – the Maratona Clube de Portugal.[12]
The race has previously been broadcast live on television and attracts over 600 runners for the senior races annually.[13] The competition has been sponsored by a number of patrons over its short history, including: Vodafone, Sport Zone, Banco Português de Negócios, Energias de Portugal and Finibanco.[14] [15]
Key:
| Edition | Year | Women's winner | Time (m:s) | Men's winner | Time (m:s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 2000 | 29:48 | 19:31 | |||
| II | 2001 | 26:10 | 15:33 | |||
| III | 2002 | 24:05 | 16:01 | |||
| IV | 2003 | 27:22 | 16:22 | |||
| V | 2004 | 26:28 | 16:34 | |||
| VI | 2005 | 26:27 | 17.36 | |||
| VII | 2006 | 26:19 | 17:22 | |||
| VIII | 2007 | 26:34 | 17:29 | |||
| IX | 2008 | 27:07 | 17:31 | |||
| X | 2009 | 24:41 | 15:39 | |||
| XI | 2010 | 28:33 | 20:01 |