Aregawi and Chebet won in the mud of Elgoibar

The parade of 900 people, wearing suspenders on the first Sunday of January, under heavy rain is the particular Three Kings parade that celebrates. Elgoibar since 80 years. An annual pilgrimage that purifies those who dare to run through the mud and cold in a town proud of its cross country, which forged its identity through work and love. In a hostile environment, surrounded by mountains where there is no level subway, next to the Deba River basin, its people advanced with their characteristic spirit of work, sacrifice and unity that was also transferred to their cross. And out of the mud he emerged triumphant Berihu AregawiEthiopian world silver medalist in the specialty, who floated like no other on the fields of Mintxeta to achieve his first txapela.

In the race women are dominant Beatrice Chebetwho came to the event after setting the world record for 5 kilometers on the road at Cursa dels Nassos from Barcelona. It was a day of emotions that culminated in a minute of silence in memory of Carmen Valerothe best Spanish athlete in history who left us this week and won this test in 1978. The test is named Juan Muguerzaa local athlete who became Spain’s great dominator in the early 20th century and died during the Civil War.

In Elgoibar there is a shared sense of ownership, where the crisis of the iron and steel industry in the 80s created a social need to encourage people to be comfortable. “Athletes feel the support they want to repeat,” he said. Zigor Diez -the director of Elgoibar Cross- while distributing the bibs to their owners, table by table, at the Txarriduna restaurant on the eve of the exam. That is after receiving the athletes with a respectful aurresque next to the City Hall, with the music of the local txistularis and a performance that is quite a party, like those that existed in its time when the Guass room was filled with atmosphere of the streets. An entertainment that is not lacking in the Mintxeta sports complex, the only cross where you have to check out (€6) and it also fills its stands. And it is with the help of more than 100 volunteers who are doing very important work to show this test all over the world. An atmosphere that more than explains it, must be experienced and dazzled by the greatest legends of this sport such as Kenenisa Bekele, Haile Gebrselassie, Abebe Bikila either Mamo Wolde.

Results
The

masculine perfect

1. Berihu Aregawi 30’34
2. Rodrigue Kwizera 30’39
3. Soufiane El Bakkali 30’41
4. Ismael Kipkirui 30’43
5. Adel Mechaal 30’47
6. Nassim Hassous 31’27
7. Daniel Arce 31’40
8. Abderahmane Aferdi 31’42
9. David Bascuñana 32’20
10. Mario Mola 32’22

completely feminine

1. Beatrice Chebet 26’08
2. Edinah Jebitok 26’10
3. Grace Nawowua 26’25
4. Niamh Brown 27’55
5. Sarah Astin 28’06
6. Lauren Hall 28’12
7. Carolina Robles 28’26
8. Isabel Barreiro 28’32
9. Irene Sánchez-Escribano 28’32
10. Asmarech Anley 28’44