Campaccio
Encyclopedia
The Campaccio is an annual cross country running
competition which takes place in early January in San Giorgio su Legnano
, Italy
. Organised by the Unione Sportiva Sangiorgese (Sangiorgese Sports Association), the event attracts participation from Olympic and world champions in athletics, in spite of the fact that the host town has a population of just over 6000. It is typically the first major athletics event of the year in Italy, and holds European Athletics Cross Country Permit status.
The event was first held in 1957 in a rough patch of farmland
in the town and derives its name from the word "Campasc", which means "uncultivated field" in the local dialect. The Campaccio began as a men's only race, but expanded to include a men's junior race in 1961. The first women's race was held in 1970, with Paola Cacchi
taking the inaugural honours, but it was not until 1975 that the women's contest became an annual fixture. The men's race was held over 12 kilometres for much of its history, but this was changed to a 10 km race in 2008. The women's race was initially around 3.5 km but settled on a 6 km format in the mid-1990s.
The competition has particular importance to Italian cross country runners as performances at the race, as well as the Italian national championships, often determine the national selection for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
. The organisers successfully bid to hold the 2006 European Cross Country Championships
in San Giorgio su Legnano, which coincided with the 50th edition of the Campaccio cross country race. In celebration of the anniversary, prominent Italian athletics journalist Ennio Buongiovanni published a book documenting the event's history: Campaccio e Dintorni - 50 Anni Di Storia (Campaccio and its Setting – 50 Years of History). As a result of the continental championships (scheduled in mid-December), independent Campaccio races were not held in either 2006 or 2007.
The men's race often features the top Kenyan and Italian runners, while the women's elite race attracts a greater variety of nationalities, particularly Europeans. Past winners on the men's side include world champions Paul Tergat
, Kenenisa Bekele
, Haile Gebrselassie
and Eliud Kipchoge
. The women's race has been won by world champions Jackline Maranga
, Ingrid Kristiansen
and Grete Waitz
, as well as prominent marathon
ers Uta Pippig
and Paula Radcliffe
. Some of Italy's best runners have taken victory at the Campaccio, such as steeplechase world champion Francesco Panetta
, Olympic marathon winner Gelindo Bordin
, Gabriella Dorio
(1984 Olympic champion) and Olympic medallist Paola Pigni-Cacchi.
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
competition which takes place in early January in San Giorgio su Legnano
San Giorgio su Legnano
San Giorgio su Legnano is a comune in the Province of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 20 km northwest of Milan....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Organised by the Unione Sportiva Sangiorgese (Sangiorgese Sports Association), the event attracts participation from Olympic and world champions in athletics, in spite of the fact that the host town has a population of just over 6000. It is typically the first major athletics event of the year in Italy, and holds European Athletics Cross Country Permit status.
The event was first held in 1957 in a rough patch of farmland
Farmland
Farmland generally refers to agricultural land, or land currently used for the purposes of farming. It may also refer to:*Arable land, land capable of cultivating crops*Farmland, Indiana, a town in the United States...
in the town and derives its name from the word "Campasc", which means "uncultivated field" in the local dialect. The Campaccio began as a men's only race, but expanded to include a men's junior race in 1961. The first women's race was held in 1970, with Paola Cacchi
Paola Cacchi
Paola Pigni-Cacchi is a former athlete from Italy, who mainly competed in the 1.500 metres. She competed for her native country at the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich, Germany, where she won the bronze medal in the women's 1.500 metres.-References:...
taking the inaugural honours, but it was not until 1975 that the women's contest became an annual fixture. The men's race was held over 12 kilometres for much of its history, but this was changed to a 10 km race in 2008. The women's race was initially around 3.5 km but settled on a 6 km format in the mid-1990s.
The competition has particular importance to Italian cross country runners as performances at the race, as well as the Italian national championships, often determine the national selection for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations , it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships...
. The organisers successfully bid to hold the 2006 European Cross Country Championships
2006 European Cross Country Championships
The 13th European Cross Country Championships were held at San Giorgio su Legnano in Italy on 10 December 2006. Mohammed Farah took the title in the men's competition, while Tetyana Holovchenko won the women's race.-Men individual 9.95km:...
in San Giorgio su Legnano, which coincided with the 50th edition of the Campaccio cross country race. In celebration of the anniversary, prominent Italian athletics journalist Ennio Buongiovanni published a book documenting the event's history: Campaccio e Dintorni - 50 Anni Di Storia (Campaccio and its Setting – 50 Years of History). As a result of the continental championships (scheduled in mid-December), independent Campaccio races were not held in either 2006 or 2007.
The men's race often features the top Kenyan and Italian runners, while the women's elite race attracts a greater variety of nationalities, particularly Europeans. Past winners on the men's side include world champions Paul Tergat
Paul Tergat
Paul Kibii Tergat is a Kenyan professional long distance runner. He held the world record in the marathon from 2003 to 2007, with a time of 2:04:55, and is regarded as one of the most accomplished long-distance runners of all time.Now concentrating exclusively on the marathon, Tergat won many...
, Kenenisa Bekele
Kenenisa Bekele
Kenenisa Bekele is an Ethiopian long-distance runner, who holds the world record and Olympic record in both the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres events...
, Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie is an Ethiopian long-distance track and road running athlete. He won two Olympic gold medals over 10,000 metres and four World Championship titles in the event. He won the Berlin Marathon four times consecutively and also had three straight wins at the Dubai Marathon...
and Eliud Kipchoge
Eliud Kipchoge
Eliud Kipchoge is a Kenyan long distance runner who has won medals at Olympic and World level....
. The women's race has been won by world champions Jackline Maranga
Jackline Maranga
Jackline Maranga is a retired Kenyan middle distance runner. She won a silver medal at the World Junior Championships at the age of 15, and also won silver medals in the two following Championships, being the only athlete to do so.She is perhaps best known for winning the 1500 metres gold at the...
, Ingrid Kristiansen
Ingrid Kristiansen
Ingrid Kristiansen née Christensen , was one of the best female long distance runners in the second half of the 1980s. She finished in fourth place in the first women's Olympic marathon race, at the 1984 Summer Olympics.-Career:Kristiansen started her career quite unremarkably, running 2:30 - 2:40...
and Grete Waitz
Grete Waitz
Grete Waitz was a Norwegian marathon runner and former world record holder. Waitz won nine New York City Marathons between 1978 and 1988, more than any other runner in history...
, as well as prominent marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
ers Uta Pippig
Uta Pippig
Uta Pippig is a female long-distance runner, and the first woman to win the Boston Marathon three consecutive times . She also won the Berlin Marathon three times , the New York City Marathon once , and she represented Germany in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics...
and Paula Radcliffe
Paula Radcliffe
Paula Jane Radcliffe, MBE is an English long-distance runner. She is the current women's world record holder in the marathon with her time of 2:15:25 hours...
. Some of Italy's best runners have taken victory at the Campaccio, such as steeplechase world champion Francesco Panetta
Francesco Panetta
Francesco Panetta is a former Italian long-distance runner, who won several medals at international championships in the 1980s. His greatest achievement was the victory at the World Championships' final over 3000m steeplechase in Rome 1987...
, Olympic marathon winner Gelindo Bordin
Gelindo Bordin
Gelindo Bordin is an Italian former athlete, winner of the marathon race at the 1988 Summer Olympics. Born at Vicenza, Bordin made his first breakthrough at the 1986 European Championships, where he won a gold medal....
, Gabriella Dorio
Gabriella Dorio
Gabriella Dorio is an Italian former athlete and Olympic gold winner. She first participated in the 1980 Summer Olympics, placing fourth in the 1500 metres race...
(1984 Olympic champion) and Olympic medallist Paola Pigni-Cacchi.
Past senior race winners
Key:| Edition | Year | Men's winner | Time (m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
Women's winner | Time (m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1957 | ? | Not held | ||
| 2nd | 1958 | ? | |||
| 3rd | 1959 | ? | |||
| 4th | 1960 | ? | |||
| 5th | 1961 | ? | |||
| 6th | 1962 | ? | |||
| 7th | 1963 | ? | |||
| 8th | 1964 | ? | |||
| 9th | 1965 | ? | |||
| 10th | 1966 | ? | |||
| 11th | 1967 | ? | |||
| 12th | 1968 | ? | |||
| 13th | 1969 | ? | |||
| 14th | 1970 | ? | ? | ||
| 15th | 1971 | ? | Not held | ||
| 16th | 1972 | ? | |||
| 17th | 1973 | 39:45 | |||
| 18th | 1974 | 38:30 | |||
| 19th | 1975 | 40:51 | 10:38 | ||
| 20th | 1976 | 37:17 | 14:24 | ||
| 21st | 1977 | 36:11 | 13:21 | ||
| 22nd | 1978 | 35:06 | 12:48.9 | ||
| 23rd | 1979 | 33:33.3 | 12:56 | ||
| 24th | 1980 | 37:26.9 | 13:46.8 | ||
| 25th | 1981 | 33:11 | 12:18 | ||
| 26th | 1982 | ? | ? | ||
| 27th | 1983 | ? | ? | ||
| 28th | 1984 | ? | ? | ||
| 29th | 1985 | 37:00 | 14:01 | ||
| 30th | 1986 | ? | ? | ||
| 31st | 1987 | ? | ? | ||
| 32nd | 1988 | 33:55 | 14:08 | ||
| 33rd | 1989 | 34:24.9 | 14:01.1 | ||
| 34th | 1990 | 34:42 | 16:19 | ||
| 35th | 1991 | 36:16 | 18:01 | ||
| 36th | 1992 | 34:10 | 17:02 | ||
| 37th | 1993 | 34:05 | 16:56 | ||
| 38th | 1994 | 37:39 | 22:41 | ||
| 39th | 1995 | 34:38 | 20:28 | ||
| 40th | 1996 | 36:58 | 22:29 | ||
| 41st | 1997 | 36:15 | 21:38 | ||
| 42nd | 1998 | 35:07 | 20:49 | ||
| 43rd | 1999 | 34:24 | 20:09 | ||
| 44th | 2000 | 35:41 | 19:33 | ||
| 45th | 2001 | 36:38 | 22:00 | ||
| 46th | 2002 | 34:51 | 21:03 | ||
| 47th | 2003 | 35:59 | 21:23 | ||
| 48th | 2004 | 34:36 | 20:42 | ||
| 49th | 2005 | 36:10 | 19:38 | ||
| 50th | 2006 | Held in conjunction with European Cross Country Championships 2006 European Cross Country Championships The 13th European Cross Country Championships were held at San Giorgio su Legnano in Italy on 10 December 2006. Mohammed Farah took the title in the men's competition, while Tetyana Holovchenko won the women's race.-Men individual 9.95km:... |
|||
| — | 2007 | Not held | |||
| 51st | 2008 | 29:46 | 19:55 | ||
| 52nd | 2009 | 29:54 | 20:33 | ||
| 53rd | 2010 | 28:52 | 20:17 | ||
| 54th | 2011 | 28:15 | 20:04 | ||
Further reading
- Buongiovanni, Ennio (2006). Campaccio e Dintorni - 50 Anni Di Storia. ISBN:9788887110968