Udine 2007 logo (© c)
MonteCarloWhen the northern Italian city of Udine hosts the 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships on Sunday 14 October it will mark the second occasion on which Italy has hosted this annual battle for world road running supremacy.
The Sicilian city of Palermo, hosted the global road championships in 1999, when they were previously titled the 'World Half Marathon Championships'. Then the stars were Kenyans Paul Tergat and Tegla Loroupe, and, with their careers still in progress, they currently have amassed five titles between them: Tergat (1999/2000), Loroupe (1997/1998/1999).
The IAAF’s annual world title fixture for road runners has always attracted the cream of the discipline with the names like Skah, Baldini, Gebrselassie, Meyer, Radcliffe, Adere… among the many great champions who have also added this world trophy to their cabinets.
Last year’s winners over the 20km distance in Debrecen, Zersenay Tadesse and Lornah Kiplagat, who set a World record on that occasion, are returning. Now also boasting the mantle of World Cross Country Champions to supplement their already prodigious CVs, their entry emphasises that this year’s IAAF World Road Running Championships will be of the highest quality as ever.
Udine is an established road race venue. Its 7km lap in the central streets of the city is flat, apart from a slightly uphill stretch in the first kilometre and a downhill one to enter the "Piazza I Maggio", where the start and finish zone is located. The athletes repeat the lap three times plus a straight at the beginning to reach the half marathon distance.
Last year’s seventh edition of Udine’s annual race (25 Sep 2006) was won by Kenyan Evans Cheruiyot in 60:18 in a near dead heat from countryman Paul Kirui.
Cheruiyot returns to Udine as part of the Kenyan squad, and aside his own championship title and even World record aspirations, with the added presence of fellow Kenyan Samuel Wanjiru, the current men’s World record holder for half marathon, we can count on some fast times on 14 October.
“I am very happy with my win in Udine on a flat and fast course,” said Cheruiyot after his triumph last year. “Unfortunately I did not break the 60 minutes barrier, but I hope to do better in the next races. I want to come back next year to Udine for the World Road Running Championships (in 2007). It’s a very competitive course. Local people are very friendly and the organization is very good.”
Chris Turner for the IAAF
