1997 World Cross Country Championships in Turin (ph. FIDAL)

Piemonte 1997: the World Championships

A great cross country event is back in Piemonte, twenty-five years after the 1997 World Cup. An edition that has gone down in history because it was hosted for the first time in the center of a big city, Turin, in the Valentino park. It seemed a gamble, almost a risk, but in the end it turned out to be a success: exciting challenges, crowds on the stands and path, the images of wonderful races that went around the world for the charm of an amazing scenery and for the breathtaking sprints, in the most popular edition ever, based on the number of nations present (72), up to that moment.

It is Paul Tergat again to win in the men's test, for his third consecutive title of what would later become a fantastic five. The king of cross-country repeats himself, despite some doubts on the eve due to a series of defeats accumulated in the approach races, unleashing an relentless progression in the last 200 meters with his characteristic elegant running style and unique smile.

Paul Tergat (ph. FIDAL)

At the end of a duel that fired up the cheering of the public, he closes with a two-second advantage over the Moroccan Salah Hissou, world record holder of the 10,000m, on the attack in the last lap looking for the greedy prize of 40 thousand dollars for the winner at Piemonte '97, as stated on the race bib. Bronze went to the other Kenyan Tom Nyariki, lead for a long time, ahead of Paul Koech, who instead seemed to be the main candidate for the podium.

Kenya confirms itself as catch all among men (four golds out of four, including juniors) and also wins the two youth women's titles, with the athletes of the under 20 teams running barefoot. But in the senior women's race Ethiopia celebrates: in the sprint, thanks to the amazing comeback of Derartu Tulu who already won two years earlier, and in teams, as had never happened before, with the third place of the outgoing champion Gete Wami. The protagonist is the British Paula Radcliffe, leader until a few meters from the finish line, who surprisingly wins her first world medal as a senior. Europe also in the fourth place with the Spanish Julia Vaquero and in the seventh one of Catherine McKiernan, team bronze with Ireland. For Italy the best individual placement is Nadia Dandolo, twentieth, with the women's team eighth, while the men finish in seventh place.

At the beginning of spring, on March 23rd a quarter of a century ago, the estimate is of 15 thousand spectators on a route that requires three weeks of work to cover half of the avenues with carpets of brought back grass, on the circuit of almost two kilometers alongside del Po, and which has a constant and selective climb of 250 meters up to an eleven percent gradient, shortly after the arrival area. Thus, one of the many dreams of Primo Nebiolo, then head of world athletics, comes true: the cross-country race in his Turin.

Turin 1997 (ph. FIDAL)