# 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships

The 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships took place on March 29/30, 2003. The races were held at the L'Institut Équestre National in Avenches near Lausanne, Switzerland. Reports of the event were given in The New York Times, in the Herald, and for the IAAF.
Complete results for senior men, for senior men's teams, for men's short race, for men's short race teams, for junior men, for junior men's teams, senior women, for senior women's teams, for women's short race, for women's short race teams, for junior women, for junior women's teams, medallists, and the results of British athletes who took part were published.

## Doping

There were several doping positives at the championships.

### Positives at the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships

* Pamela Chepchumba Kenya – 2-year ban (EPO)
* Alberto García Fernandez Spain – 2-year ban (EPO)
* Soumiya Labani Morocco – 2-year ban
* Asmae Leghzaoui Morocco – 2-year ban (EPO)

## Medallists

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| Individual |||||||
| Senior men (12.355 km) | Kenenisa Bekele Ethiopia | 35:56 | Patrick Ivuti Kenya | 36:09 | Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam Ethiopia | 36:17 |
| Men's short (4.03 km) | Kenenisa Bekele Ethiopia | 11:01 | John Kibowen Kenya | 11:04 | Benjamin Limo Kenya | 11:06 |
| Junior men (7.92 km) | Eliud Kipchoge Kenya | 22:47 | Boniface Kiprop Uganda | 22:49 | Solomon Bushendich Kenya | 22:51 |
| Senior women (7.92 km) | Worknesh Kidane Ethiopia | 25:53 | Deena Drossin United States | 26:02 | Merima Denboba Ethiopia | 26:28 |
| Women's short (4.03 km) | Edith Masai Kenya | 12:43 | Worknesh Kidane Ethiopia | 12:44 | Jane Wanjiku Kenya | 12:46 |
| Junior women (6.215) | Tirunesh Dibaba Ethiopia | 20:21 | Peninah Chepchumba Kenya | 20:22 | Gelete Burka Ethiopia | 20:28 |
| Team |||||||
| Senior men | Kenya | 17 | Ethiopia | 23 | Morocco | 51 |
| Men's short | Kenya | 14 | Ethiopia | 31 | Morocco | 44 |
| Junior men | Kenya | 15 | Ethiopia | 28 | Uganda | 48 |
| Senior women | Ethiopia | 17 | Kenya | 30 | United States | 36 |
| Women's short | Kenya | 18 | Ethiopia | 24 | Russia | 76 |
| Junior women | Ethiopia | 14 | Kenya | 22 | Morocco | 78 |

## Race results
### Senior men's race (12.355 km)

* Note: Athletes in parentheses did not score for the team result (n/s: nonscorer)

### Men's short race (4.03 km)

* Note: Athletes in parentheses did not score for the team result (n/s: nonscorer)

### Junior men's race (7.92 km)

* Note: Athletes in parentheses did not score for the team result (n/s: nonscorer)

### Senior women's race (7.92 km)

* Note: Athletes in parentheses did not score for the team result (n/s: nonscorer)

### Women's short race (4.03 km)

* Note: Athletes in parentheses did not score for the team result (n/s: nonscorer)

### Junior women's race (6.215)

* Note: Athletes in parentheses did not score for the team result (n/s: nonscorer)

## Medal table (unofficial)

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Ethiopia | 6 | 5 | 3 | 14 |
| 1 | Kenya | 6 | 5 | 3 | 14 |
| 3 | Uganda | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | United States | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | Morocco | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 6 | Russia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (6 entries) | Totals (6 entries) | 12 | 12 | 12 | 36 |
* Note: Totals include both individual and team medals, with medals in the team competition counting as one medal.

## Participation

According to an unofficial count, 605 athletes from 65 countries participated. This is in agreement with the official numbers as published. The announced athletes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from Guinea, Lebanon, and Sierra Leone did not show.
* Algeria (20)
* Andorra (2)
* Argentina (1)
* Australia (8)
* Azerbaijan (1)
* Bahrain (3)
* Belarus (12)
* Belgium (24)
* Bolivia (1)
* Botswana (4)
* Brazil (2)
* Burundi (8)
* Canada (33)
* Central African Republic (1)
* Chile (2)
* China (9)
* Croatia (3)
* Denmark (1)
* Egypt (12)
* Eritrea (16)
* Ethiopia (28)
* France (22)
* Gibraltar (2)
* Guatemala (2)
* Hong Kong (1)
* Iran (4)
* Iceland (2)
* Ireland (14)
* Italy (18)
* Japan (2)
* Kazakhstan (2)
* Kenya (35)
* Kyrgyzstan (4)
* Libya (1)
* Malawi (3)
* Morocco (31)
* Netherlands (1)
* New Zealand (12)
* Peru (1)
* Poland (1)
* Portugal (24)
* Romania (4)
* Russia (12)
* Rwanda (7)
* Senegal (1)
* Seychelles (2)
* Slovenia (2)
* South Africa (8)
* Spain (36)
* Sudan (5)
* Switzerland (23)
* Tajikistan (5)
* Tanzania (6)
* Tunisia (12)
* Turkey (10)
* Turkmenistan (6)
* Uganda (7)
* Ukraine (3)
* United Kingdom (29)
* United States (35)
* U.S. Virgin Islands (2)
* Uzbekistan (12)
* Venezuela (1)
* Yugoslavia (1)
* Zimbabwe (3)