World Cross Country Champs

World Cross Country (XC) Championships is a replacement event for International Cross Championships which dated back to the beginning of the century. IAAF inaugurated the World Championships for cross country running in 1973 in Waregem. Mainly European countries took part in the first event, only Tunisia and Morocco joined them from Africa.

Until 1980, European runners were crowned as senior men's race while some US contestants won women's and junior races. Norwegian great Grete Waitz was the first dominant champion in World XC while she took five titles in six years between 1978 and 1983. 

In Rome 1982, the African winning tradition has begun. That year, Moscow 1980 medallist Ethiopian Mohamed Kedir became the first African world champion in cross-country in the Italian capital, then Bekele Debele retain Ethiopian gold after historic four-way battle in Gateshead 1983. Meanwhile Portuguese legend Carlos Lopes, who narrowly missed the title to Debele, bounced back to victory in the following two editions. 

Lopes remains only one of two Europeans to have senior men's title after the African surge began in 1982, accompanied by Belgian Mohammed Mourhit, who crowned as World champion in 2000 and 2001. During the East African domination era, the podium was mainly invaded by Kenyan, Ethiopian or Eritrean runners. Some distance stars of the track emerged from this competition like 12-time winners Kenenisa Bekele and Paul Tergat. On the women's side Lynn Jennings, Derartu Tulu, Paula Radcliffe and Tirunesh Dibaba celebrated multiple titles in their era.

Hailed as one of the greatest XC runners of all time, Kenenisa Bekele has attended World XC during the double-race period (senior participants could be entered both short and long races) which brought him 12 individual gold in total. With the addition of team golds, he reached undisputable 27 medals with 16 golds. 

World XC Championships turned in a biannual circle from the 2011 edition. 

MOST MEDALS (only individuals)
13 Kenenisa Bekele (ETH), 12-1-0
8 Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH), 5-3-0
8 Worknesh Kidane (ETH), 2-3-3
7 Grete Weitz (NOR), 5-0-2
7 Paula Radcliffe (GBR), 3-3-1
6 Paul Tergat (KEN), 5-0-1
6 Meselech Melkamu (ETH), 1-0-5

MOST MEDALS (including team medals)
27 Kenenisa Bekele (ETH), 16-9-2
21 Werknesh Kidane (ETH), 11-6-4
20 Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH), 14-6-0
19 Gete Wami (ETH), 9-8-2
18 Meselech Melkamu (ETH), 9-4-5
16 Gebregziabher Gebremariam (ETH), 6-7-3
15 Merima Denboba (ETH), 6-7-2
14 Paul Tergat (KEN), 13-0-1
13 Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN), 5-7-1
12 John Ngugi (KEN), 12-0-0
12 Derartu Tulu (ETH), 6-5-1
11 Ismael Kirui (KEN), 8-1-2
11 Sally Barsosio (KEN), 7-2-2
11 Assefa Mezgebu (ETH), 1-8-2
11 Hailu Mekkonen (ETH), 2-4-5
11 Priscah Cherono (KEN), 3-8-0
10 Linet Masai (KEN), 5-4-1

WIN STREAKS IN EVERY EVENT 
(Consecutive gold medals)
Seniors Men: 8 - Kenya (1992-99)
Seniors Women: 7 - Kenya (2009-active)
Juniors (U20) Men: 4 - United States (1974-77)
Juniors (U20) Women: 3 - Kenya (2000-02) & Ethiopia (2003-05)
Seniors Men's Team: 18 - Kenya (1986-2003)
Seniors Women's Team: 7 - Ethiopia (2002-08)
U20 Men's Team: 13 - Kenya (1999-2011)
U20 Women's Team: 5 - Kenya (1993-97)

BIGGEST GAP ON FINISH (1-2 margin)
Seniors Men: 23 seconds (1989, Ngugi-Hutchins)
Seniors Women: 44 seconds (1980, Waitz-Bondarchuk)
U20 Men: 33 seconds (2001, Bekele-Lebo)
U20 Women: 27 seconds (2005, Burka-Wanjiru)

BEST POINTS
Seniors Men: 23, Kenya (1988) - Top six athletes
Seniors Men: 12, Kenya (1998, 1999) - Top four athletes
Seniors Women: 10, Kenya (2017)
U20 Men: 10, Kenya (1993, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2010)
U20 Women: 10, Kenya (1993, 2004, 2006, 2010)

LAST ATHLETE GASP*
(Breaker for equal points teams - Win by the last athlete to score)
1978 U20 Men: England d. Canada (53 pts)
1991 Senior Women: Kenya d. Ethiopia (36 pts)
2009 U20 Women: Ethiopia d. Kenya (18 pts)
2009 Senior Men: Kenya d. Ethiopia (28 pts)
2015 Senior Men: Ethiopia d. Kenya (20 pts)