# Cross della Vallagarina

The Cross della Vallagarina is an annual cross country running competition that is held in mid-January in Rovereto, Italy. The competition derives its name from the Vallagarina valley in which the city is located. It was first held in 1978 following the success of local runner Cristina Tomasini at the 1977 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. She was the inaugural winner of the Cross della Vallagarina, which was unusual in being a women's competition only – the men's race was added later in 1981.
The Cross della Vallagarina is part of the European Athletics permit meeting series, and has also previously been part of the Italian national circuit. It hosted the Italian Cross Country Championships in 2005 and 2007. The race is organised by the local sports club U.S. Quercia Rovereto, which also hosts the city's annual track and field meeting (Palio Città della Quercia) and Giro Podistico di Rovereto road race.
The current elite men's and women's races are held over 8.8 km and 5.5 km, respectively. The women's competition in 1978 began as a contest over 5 km and has remained roughly this distance throughout its history, except for a brief period where it was extended from 2005 to 2007. The men's race started as an 8 km event, but it has been mostly between 9–10 km for the majority of editions. The competition's looped course features a number of uphill and downhill sections along the valley's edge, making it a difficult race for some athletes. In addition to the elite level races, there are also several races for fun runners and amateurs, ranging from youth competitions to races for masters athletes.
Past winners of the event include some of Italy's most successful runners, including Olympic marathon champion Gelindo Bordin, 1987 World Champion Francesco Panetta, Gabriella Dorio (Olympic gold medallist in the 1500 m) and two-time 5000 m global medallist Roberta Brunet. Foreign winners of the event include multiple European Cross champion Serhiy Lebid, world steeplechase champions Wilson Boit Kipketer and Dorcus Inzikuru, and World Half Marathon champion Wilson Kiprop.

## Past senior race winners

Key:  National championship race
| Edition | Year | Men's winner | Time (m:s) | Women's winner | Time (m:s) |
| 1st | 1978 | Not held | Not held | Cristina Tomasini (ITA) | 17:37.0 |
| 2nd | 1979 | Not held | Not held | Agnese Possamai (ITA) | ? |
| 3rd | 1980 | Not held | Not held | Cristina Tomasini (ITA) | 16:08.5 |
| 4th | 1981 | Albert Rungger (ITA) | 25:25.1 | Agnese Possamai (ITA) | 15:14.5 |
| 5th | 1982 | Gelindo Bordin (ITA) | 25:32 | Cristina Tomasini (ITA) | 16:16.5 |
| 6th | 1983 | Mariano Scartezzini (ITA) | 26:39.5 | Gabriella Dorio (ITA) | 17:10.6 |
| 7th | 1984 | Sergio Pesavento (ITA) | 25:59.2 | Wilma Rusman (NED) | 16:10.0 |
| 8th | 1985 | Gelindo Bordin (ITA) | 25:36.2 | Wilma Rusman (NED) | 16:43.0 |
| 9th | 1986 | Gianni Demadonna (ITA) | 25:24.0 | Maria Curatolo (ITA) | 15:35.0 |
| 10th | 1987 | Francesco Panetta (ITA) | ? | Flavia Furlan (ITA) | ? |
| 11th | 1988 | Marco Gozzano (ITA) | 28:07.5 | Rosanna Munerotto (ITA) | 15:42.9 |
| 12th | 1989 | Francesco Panetta (ITA) | 27:54.9 | Maria Curatolo (ITA) | 15:04.9 |
| 13th | 1990 | Francesco Panetta (ITA) | 28:25.9 | Nadia Dandolo (ITA) | 15:46.7 |
| 14th | 1991 | Stephenson Nyamu (KEN) | 27:41.0 | Nives Curti (ITA) | 15:18.0 |
| 15th | 1992 | Jonah Koech (KEN) | 28:28.9 | Nadia Dandolo (ITA) | 15:40.9 |
| 16th | 1993 | Francesco Panetta (ITA) | 28:04.6 | Valentina Tauceri (ITA) | 16:02.3 |
| 17th | 1994 | Richard Kosgei (KEN) | 29:10 | Roberta Brunet (ITA) | 16:14 |
| 18th | 1995 | Umberto Pusterla (ITA) | 29:18 | Cristina Misaros (ROM) | 16:26 |
| 19th | 1996 | Angelo Carosi (ITA) | 28:37 | Florence Barsosio (KEN) | 15:40 |
| 20th | 1997 | Mark Bett (KEN) | 28:22 | Nadia Dandolo (ITA) | 15:22 |
| 21st | 1998 | Umberto Pusterla (ITA) | 28:43 | Elisa Rea (ITA) | 15:48 |
| 22nd | 1999 | Wilson Kipketer (KEN) | 27:38 | Sabrina Varrone (ITA) | 15:02 |
| 23rd | 2000 | Paul Kosgei (KEN) | 28:00.1 | Valentina Tauceri (ITA) | 15:47.3 |
| 24th | 2001 | Paul Kosgei (KEN) | 27:57.3 | Merima Denboba (ETH) | 15:04.3 |
| 25th | 2002 | David Makori (KEN) | 29:58.1 | Rita Jeptoo (KEN) | 17:29.5 |
| 26th | 2003 | Serhiy Lebid (UKR) | 26:44.4 | Dorcus Inzikuru (UGA) | 5:27.0 |
| 27th | 2004 | Serhiy Lebid (UKR) | 29:24.3 | Anikó Kálovics (HUN) | 19:02.7 |
| 28th | 2005 | Maurizio Leone (ITA) | 35:52 | Patrizia Tisi (ITA) | 27:07 |
| 29th | 2006 | Eliud Kirui (KEN) | 28:37.1 | Priscah Cherono (KEN) | 22:02 |
| 30th | 2007 | Giuliano Battocletti (ITA) | 30:44 | Renate Rungger (ITA) | 27:07 |
| 31st | 2008 | Wilson Kiprop (KEN) | 26:11.5 | Catherine Kurui (KEN) | 19:26.3 |
| 32nd | 2009 | Wilson Kiprop (KEN) | 25:25.1 | Federica Dal Ri (ITA) | 19:17.1 |
| 33rd | 2010 | Lema Abera (ETH) | 25:52 | Asmerawork Bekele (ETH) | 18:37 |
| 34th | 2011 | Thomas Longosiwa (KEN) | 26:06.6 | Birtukan Fente (ETH) | 18:58.4 |
| 35th | 2012 | Kinde Atanau (ETH) | 25:27 | Afera Godfay (ETH) | 19:16 |
| 36th | 2013 | Muktar Edris (ETH) | 26:43 | Silvia La Barbera (ITA) | 22:44 |
| 37th | 2014 | Robert Ndiwa (KEN) | 27:00 | Linah Cheruto (KEN) | 21:40 |
| 38th | 2015 | Andrew Kwemoi (KEN) | 27:07 | Silvia La Barbera (ITA) | 22:48 |
| 39th | 2016 | Rodgers Maiyo (KEN) | 26:39 | Alemitu Hawi (ETH) | 21:35 |
| 40th | 2017 | Robert Ndiwa (KEN) | 27:21 | Sara Dossena (ITA) | 22:24 |
| 41st | 2018 | Telahun Bekele (ETH) | 26:58 | Norah Jeruto (KEN) | 21:05 |
| 42nd | 2019 | Telahun Bekele (ETH) | 26:12 | Moira Stewartová (CZE) | 22:41 |
| 43rd | 2020 | Cesare Maestri (ITA) | 28:01 | Moira Stewartová (CZE) | 18:27 |
| — | 2021 | Did not held | Did not held | Did not held | Did not held |
| 44th | 2022 | Tadese Takele (ETH) | 27:08 | Klara Lukan (SLO) | 17:47 |
| 45th | 2023 | Egide Ntakarutimana (BDI) | 27:27 | Francine Niyomukunzi (BDI) | 17:41 |
| 46th | 2024 | Ibrahim Ezzaydouni (ESP) | 27:49 | Francine Niyomukunzi (BDI) | 17:35 |