CROSS INTERNACIONAL JUAN MUGUERZA

Hi guys!

Juan Muguerza

In this post, I will write about one of the most important cross races all over the world. The "Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza" is an annual cross country running competition which takes place each January in Elgoibar, Basque Country, Spain. It is named after the local runner Juan Muguerza, who won multiple national championships in distances like 1,500 and 5,000 metres during 1920´s. However, his rising career ended soon as he was killed in 1937 at the age of 37 in the Spanish Civil War during the bombing of Mungia.

Regarding the competition, it was first held in 1943. Only national male runners took part. Nevertheless, this was changed on the 20th anniversary of the race in 1963, when the race became international. So, in this international era, people from other countries came to Elgoibar and mainly British showed their power. For instance, the scottish Lachlan Stewart and the english Roy Fowler were some of the few athletes that could win this race multiple times, which was a real challenge. Anyway, the Ethiopian runner Mamo Wolde was an outstanding runner, who won several races those years, becoming one of the best cross country runners ever. He became so popular that a monument in his memorial was built near the course.

Mamo Wolde during the race in Elgoibar

It wasn´t until 1971 that the Spanish runners won again. This victory was held by Mariano Haro, who was an extraordinary athlete able to run at the same level as those elite runners. During 1970´s and 1980´s all winners were Europeans (mainly British and Spanish), but all this changed when Africans started to participate again in 1987. Therefore, the level of the race increased significantly and winning became much more difficult.

Typically, the men´s race has been contested over distances varying from 9km to 11km. However, the current race is 10.8km long. In the women´s case, it wasn´t really fixed until 1972, when it was a 2km course. This distance gradually increased to the current distance of 6.6km.

Race route

Nowadays, the race is part of IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) races and so, its reputation has grown and it´s well-known worldwide. That´s why, runners the world over are willing to come to Elgoibar.

For any further information, here is the official webpage and I also add a map to let you know where the race takes place.

I really encourage you to come and enjoy watching the best athletes in the flesh.

Hope to see you there ;)