World Cross Country Championships 1998

The 26th IAAF World Cross Country Championships the IAAF took place on 21 and 22 March 1998 in Marrakech ( Morocco instead). The venue was the Ghabat Chabab olive grove near the Menara Gardens . For the first time, short-distance competitions for adults were part of the program. The winners of the adult races were each offered $ 40,000 in prize money.

The event was negatively affected by the entry ban for the Israeli team, which was imposed despite the written guarantees given by the Moroccan government at the time of the application.

course

The course consisted of a small loop of 1415 m and a large loop of 2000 m. In all competitions a starting straight and a small loop were completed first. After that, there were five large ribbons for men, three large ribbons for women and juniors and one large ribbon for women and women in the short-distance competitions for men and women. The men covered a total of 12 km, the women and juniors 8 km, the juniors and the short distance runners 4 km. The ground consisted of naturally grown grass and, apart from four ramps, was flat and without obstacles.

Competitions

The junior women's race, the men's short-distance race and the women's long-distance race took place on March 21, and the other three races on the following day.

In the men's short-distance competition, the big favorite was the 3000 m world record holder and 5000 m world champion Daniel Komen . However, the race was determined by John Kemboi Kibowen , who until then had only emerged as a middle-distance runner, who was able to repel the attacks by Komen and won with a three-second lead over him. The next three places were also taken by Kenyans.

For the long haul, the local hero and silver medalist Salah Hissou had to cancel at short notice due to an injury. At the beginning of the last round, Paul Tergat took the lead with the Kenyan cross-country master Paul Koech and won his fourth title in a row with a furious final run.

Defending champion Derartu Tulu was absent from the women's endurance race . Last year's runner-up Paula Radcliffe took the lead on the fourth kilometer and ensured a high pace that only Sonia O'Sullivan could withstand on the last lap . 500 meters from the finish, O'Sullivan took the lead and became the first Irish cross-country world champion.

The following day, Sonia O'Sullivan completed her triumph with an undisputed victory over the short distance. With a fourth place, Anita Weyermann achieved the best placement ever for a Swiss woman at the cross-country world championships.

In the juniors, last year’s second Million Wolde won , who two years later was to become Olympic champion in the 5000 m.

Results

Men

Long haul

Individual evaluation

space	athlete	country	Time (min)
1	Paul Tergat	KEN	34:01
2	Paul Koech	KEN	34:06
3	Assefa Mezgebu	ETH	34:28
4th	Tom Nyariki	KEN	34:37
5	Wilson Boit Kipketer	KEN	34:38
6th	Christopher Kelong	KEN	34:41
7th	Ismael Kirui	KEN	34:41
8th	Mohammed Mourhit	BEL	34:44

Of the 181 athletes who started, 163 reached the finish.

Participants from German-speaking countries:

• 77: Viktor Röthlin ( SUI ), 37:09
• 117: Yan Orlandi ( SUI ), 38:39

Team evaluation

space	Country and athletes	Total points and individual placement
1	Kenya Paul Tergat Paul Koech Tom Nyariki Wilson Boit Kipketer	12 0 1 02 04 05
2	Ethiopia Assefa Mezgebu Habte Jifar Tesfaye Tola Ayele Mezgebu	57 0 3 13 20 21
3	Morocco Elarbi Khattabi Lahcen Benyoussef Brahim Lahlafi Khalid Boulami	60 11 14 17 18

A total of 27 teams were rated.

Short haul

Individual evaluation

space	athlete	country	Time (min)
1	John Kemboi Kibowen	KEN	10:43
2	Daniel Komen	KEN	10:46
3	Paul Malakwen Kosgei	KEN	10:50
4th	Benjamin soda	KEN	10:59
5	John Kosgei	KEN	11:04
6th	Brahim Boulami	MAR	11:06
7th	Marc Davis	United States	11:08
8th	Kipkirui Misoi	KEN	11:10

Of 103 athletes who started, 102 made it to the finish line.

Team evaluation

space	Country and athletes	Total points and individual placement
1	Kenya John Kemboi Kibowen Daniel Komen Paul Malakwen Kosgei Benjamin Limo	10 0 1 02 03 04
2	Morocco Brahim Boulami Hicham Bouaouiche Ali Ezzine Brahim Jabbour	42 0 6 09 12 15
3	Ethiopia Maru Daba Mohammed Awol Tewodros Shifer Semretu Alemayehu	60 10 13 17 20

A total of 16 teams were rated.

Women

Long haul

Individual evaluation

space	Athlete	country	Time (min)
1	Sonia O'Sullivan	IRL	25:39
2	Paula Radcliffe	GBR	25:42
3	Gete Wami	ETH	25:49
4th	Merima Denboba	ETH	25:56
5	Jackline Maranga	KEN	25:56
6th	Julia Vaquero	ESP	26:06
7th	Jane Omoro	KEN	26:07
8th	Leah Malot	KEN	26:16

Of the 97 athletes who started, 90 made it to the finish line.

Team evaluation

space	Country and athletes	Total points and individual placement
1	Kenya Jackline Maranga Jane Omoro Leah Malot Sally Barsosio	30 0 5 07 08 10
2	Ethiopia Gete Wami Merima Denboba Ayelech Worku Getenesh Urge	37 0 3 04 09 21
3	United Kingdom Paula Radcliffe Hayley Haining Vikki McPherson Liz Talbot	42 0 2 13 25 34

A total of 13 teams were rated.

Short haul

Individual evaluation

space	Athlete	country	Time (min)
1	Sonia O'Sullivan	IRL	12:20
2	Zahra Ouaziz	MAR	12:34
3	Kutre Dulecha	ETH	12:37
4th	Anita Weyermann	SUI	12:45
5	Restituta Joseph	TAN	12:46
6th	Beatrice Omwanza	KEN	12:47
7th	Rodica nail	FRA	12:48
8th	Elva Dryer	United States	12:51 pm

All 86 athletes who started reached the finish.

Team evaluation

space	Country and athletes	Total points and individual placement
1	Morocco Zahra Ouaziz Zhor El Kamch Saliha Khaldoun Seloua Ouaziz	57 0 2 13 18 24
2	Ethiopia Kutre Dulecha Genet Gebregiorgis Alemitu Bekele Yihunelesh Bekele	58 0 3 11 17 27
3	United States Elva Dryer Amy Rudolph Molly Watcke Kathy Franey	68 0 8 09 25 26

A total of 14 teams were rated.

Juniors

Individual evaluation

space	athlete	country	Time (min)
1	Million wolde	ETH	22:47
2	Richard Limo	KEN	22:50
3	Hailu Mekonnen	ETH	22:51

Of the 133 athletes who started, 128 made it to the finish line. Carlo Schuff from Germany was the only participant from a German-speaking country to come in 65th place (25:32).

Team evaluation

space	Country and athletes	Total points and individual placement
1	Ethiopia Million Wolde Hailu Mekonnen Yibeltal Admassu Alene Emere	16 0 1 03 04 08
2	Kenya Richard Limo Douglas Mumanyi Reuben Kamzee Titus Kipkemboi	20 0 2 05 06 07
3	Morocco Adil Kaouch Mustapha Mellouk Ahmed Baday Driss Benismail	62 10 13 18 21

A total of 20 teams were rated.

Juniors

Individual evaluation

space	athlete	country	Time (min)
1	Yemenashu Taye	ETH	19:32
2	Jeruto Kiptum	KEN	19:34
3	Werknesh Kidane	ETH	19:34

Of 122 athletes who started, 113 made it to the finish line.

Participants from German-speaking countries:

• 39: Sabrina Mockenhaupt ( GER ), 21:29
• 60: Melanie Schulz ( GER ), 22:02
• 61: Judith Heinze ( GER ), 22:03
• 84: Gabi Kästner ( GER ), 10:41 p.m.
• 88: Ulrike Leitheim ( GER ), 22:47
• 96: Katharina Schley ( GER ), 23:19

Team evaluation

space	Country and athletes	Total points and individual placement
1	Ethiopia Yemenashu Taye Werknesh Kidane Alemgena Bezabeh Merima Hashim	16 0 1 03 04 08
2	Kenya Jeruto Kiptum Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot Margaret Chepkemboi Agnes Jepkemboi Kiprop	20 0 2 05 06 07
3	Japan Emiko Kojima Yoshiko Fujinaga Risa Tanaka Miho Nakashima	68 0 9 14 20 25

A total of 16 teams were rated. The German team took eleventh place with 244 points.

Web links

• 26th IAAF World Cross Country Championships Marrakech '98 on the IAAF website
• Senior Men's race (Long course) ( Memento of October 16, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), Senior Men's race (Short course) ( Memento of October 16, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), Senior Women's race (Long course) ( Memento of 16. October 2007 in the Internet Archive ), Senior Women's race (Short course) ( Memento from November 15, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), Junior Men's race ( Memento from October 16, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), Junior Women's race ( Memento from October 16 2007 on the Internet Archive ) - results on the Athchamps website

Footnotes

1. ^ The New York Times : Cross-Country - World Championships; Kenyans Dominate In Men's 4,000-yard . March 22, 1998
2. ^ IAAF: IAAF states its position on the Israel case . March 25, 1998

Coordinates: 31 ° 36 '58 "  N , 8 ° 0' 37"  W.