View source for IAAF World Cross Challenge

{{Infobox sports league
|sport= [[Cross country running]]
|logo=
|founded=1990
|folded=2000
|continent=Global
|}}
The '''IAAF World Cross Challenge''' was an annual global series of [[cross country running]] competitions organized by the [[International Association of Athletics Federations]] (IAAF). Athletes accumulated points in the series' cross country meets during the season, which typically began in December and finished in March prior to the annual [[IAAF World Cross Country Championships]]. The series was based upon the [[IAAF Grand Prix]] [[track and field]] circuit and the IAAF hoped to similarly boost the sport of cross country running.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/19970223020239/http://www.iaaf.org/competition/wcc.html World Cross Challenge]. IAAF (archived). Retrieved 2019-09-23.</ref> The last series was held in 1999–2000,<ref>[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/xc.htm IAAF World Cross Challenge]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2019-09-23.</ref> after which point it was replaced by the [[IAAF Cross Country Permit Meetings]] series which featured similar races but did not have a point scoring format.<ref>[https://www.iaaf.org/Competitions/iaaf-cross-country-permit/calendar/1999 IAAF Cross Country Permit 1999]. IAAF. Retrieved 2019-09-23.</ref>

==Editions==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+IAAF World Cross Challenge editions
|-
!scope="col"| {{Abbr|Ed.|Edition}}
!scope="col"| Year
!scope="col"| Start date
!scope="col"| End date
!scope="col"| Meets
!scope="col" class="unsortable"|{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
!scope="row"| 1
| [[1990–91 IAAF World Cross Challenge|1990–91]] ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
!scope="row"| 2
| [[1991–92 IAAF World Cross Challenge|1991–92]] ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
!scope="row"| 3
| [[1992–93 IAAF World Cross Challenge|1992–93]] ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
!scope="row"| 4
| [[1993–94 IAAF World Cross Challenge|1993–94]] ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
!scope="row"| 5
| [[1994–95 IAAF World Cross Challenge|1994–95]] ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
!scope="row"| 6
| [[1995–96 IAAF World Cross Challenge|1995–96]] ||  ||  ||  || 
|-
!scope="row"| 7
| [[1996–97 IAAF World Cross Challenge|1996–97]] || {{dts|22 December 1996}} || {{dts|23 March 1997}} || 12 || <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/19970223025654/http://www.iaaf.org/rdb/xcc97/index.html 1996–97 IAAF Cross Country Challenge]. IAAF (archived). Retrieved 2019-10-20.</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| 8
| [[1997–98 IAAF World Cross Challenge|1997–98]] || {{dts|21 December 1997}} || {{dts|21 March 1998}} || 12 || <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/19981202103215/http://www.iaaf.org/rdb/xcc98/index.html 1997–98 IAAF Cross Country Challenge]. IAAF (archived). Retrieved 2019-10-20.</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| 9
| [[1998–99 IAAF World Cross Challenge|1998–99]] || {{dts|20 December 1998}} || {{dts|28 March 1999}} || 7 || <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20000525120822/http://www.iaaf.org/Results/xcc99/index.html 1998–99 IAAF Cross Country Challenge]. IAAF (archived). Retrieved 2019-10-20.</ref>
|-
!scope="row"| 10
| [[1999–2000 IAAF World Cross Challenge|1999–2000]] || {{dts|19 December 1999}} || {{dts|19 March 2000}} || 7 || <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20000616123124/http://www.iaaf.org/Results/xcc2000/index.html 1999–2000 IAAF Cross Country Challenge]. IAAF (archived). Retrieved 2019-10-20.</ref>
|}

==Meetings==
{{Sticky header}}{{Table alignment}}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sticky-header defaultcenter col2left col3left col4left"
|+IAAF World Cross Challenge meetings
|-
!scope="col"| # 
!scope="col"| Meeting
!scope="col"| City
!scope="col"| Country
!scope="col"| 1990–91
!scope="col"| 1991–92
!scope="col"| 1992–93
!scope="col"| 1993–94
!scope="col"| 1994–95
!scope="col"| 1995–96
!scope="col"| 1996–97
!scope="col"| 1997–98
!scope="col"| 1998–99
!scope="col"| 1999–2000
|-
!scope="row"| 1
|[[Lotto Cross Cup Brussels]]
|[[Brussels]]
|Belgium
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || X || X || X || X
|-
!scope="row"| 2
|[[Great North Cross Country]]
|[[Durham, England|Durham]]
|United Kingdom
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || X || X || X || X
|-
!scope="row"| 3
|[[Cross Internacional de Itálica]]
|[[Seville]]
|Spain
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || X || X || X || X
|-
!scope="row"| 4
|[[Almond Blossom Cross Country]]
|[[Vilamoura]]
|Portugal
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || X || X || X || X
|-
!scope="row"| 5
|[[Nairobi International Cross Country]]
|[[Nairobi]]
|Kenya
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || X || || X || X
|-
!scope="row"| 6
|[[Chiba International Cross Country]]
|[[Chiba (city)|Chiba]]
|Japan
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || X || X || X || X
|-
!scope="row"| 7
|[[IAAF World Cross Country Championships]]
|Various
|Various
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || X || X || X || X
|-
!scope="row"| 8
|[[Belfast International Cross Country]]
|[[Belfast]]
|Northern Ireland
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || X || X ||  || 
|-
!scope="row"| 9
|[[Cross Zornotza]]
|[[Amorebieta-Etxano]]
|Spain
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || X || X ||  || 
|-
!scope="row"| 10
|[[Cross Auchan]]
|[[Tourcoing]]
|France
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || X || X ||  || 
|-
!scope="row"| 11
|[[Eurocross]]
|[[Diekirch]]
|Luxembourg
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || X || X ||  || 
|-
!scope="row"| 12
|[[Cinque Mulini]]
|[[San Vittore Olona]]
|Italy
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || X || X ||  || 
|-
!scope="row"| 13
|[[Mombasa International Cross Country]]
|[[Mombasa]]
|Kenya
|  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || || X ||  || 
|}

==Results==
===Men===
{| {{MedalistTable|type=Season|columns=2}}
|-
|1990-91
|[[Ondoro Osoro]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 115
|[[Addis Abebe]]<br>{{flag|Ethiopia|1991}}|| 113
|[[Richard Chelimo]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}||  107
|-
|1991-92
|[[Fita Bayissa]]<br>{{flag|Ethiopia|1991}}|| 138
|[[Ondoro Osoro]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 97
|[[Dominic Kirui]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 88
|-
|1992-93
|[[Ismael Kirui]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 116
|[[Fita Bayissa]]<br>{{flag|Ethiopia|1991}}|| 110
|[[Dominic Kirui]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 103
|-
|1993-94
|[[Haile Gebrselassie]]<br>{{flag|Ethiopia|1991}}|| 107
|[[William Sigei]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 97
|[[Ismael Kirui]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 91
|-
|1994-95
|[[Ismael Kirui]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 135
|[[Paulo Guerra]]<br>{{flag|Portugal}}|| 130
|[[Salah Hissou]]<br>{{flag|Morocco}}|| 117
|-
|1995-96
|[[Paul Tergat]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 125
|[[James Kariuki]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 97
|[[Joseph Kimani]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 64
|-
|1996-97
|[[Paul Tergat]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 113
|[[Bernard Barmasai]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 102
|[[Jon Brown (runner)|Jon Brown]]<br>{{flag|UK|name=Great Britain}}|| 83
|-
|1997-98
|[[Paul Tergat]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 139
|[[Tom Nyariki]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 119
|[[Paul Koech]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 113
|-
|1998-99
|[[Paul Koech]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 118
|[[Paul Tergat]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 97
|[[Mohammed Mourhit]]<br>{{flag|Belgium}}|| 85
|-
|1999-00
|[[Paul Tergat]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 107
|[[Patrick Ivuti]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 104
|[[Assefa Mezgebu]]<br>{{flag|Ethiopia|1996}}|| 102
|}

===Women===
{| {{MedalistTable|type=Season|columns=2}}
|-
|1990-91
|[[Susan Sirma]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 125
|[[Jane Ngotho]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}||  123
|[[Derartu Tulu]]<br>{{flag|Ethiopia|1991}}|| 88
|-
|1991-92
|[[Catherina McKiernan]]<br>{{flagcountry|Republic of Ireland}}|| 141
|[[Albertina Dias]]<br>{{flag|Portugal}}|| 123
|[[Luchia Yishak]]<br>{{flag|Ethiopia|1991}}|| 122
|-
|1992-93
|[[Catherina McKiernan]]<br>{{flagcountry|Republic of Ireland}}|| 141
|[[Albertina Dias]]<br>{{flag|Portugal}}|| 138
|[[Esther Kiplagat]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 98
|-
|1993-94
|[[Catherina McKiernan]]<br>{{flagcountry|Republic of Ireland}}|| 141
|[[Albertina Dias]]<br>{{flag|Portugal}}|| 123
|[[Margareta Keszeg]]<br>{{flag|Romania}}|| 97
|-
|1994-95
|[[Catherina McKiernan]]<br>{{flagcountry|Republic of Ireland}}|| 135
|[[Rose Cheruiyot]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 126
|[[Catherine Kirui]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 100
|-
|1995-96
|[[Rose Cheruiyot]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 138
|[[Gabriela Szabo]]<br>{{flag|Romania}}|| 109
|[[Gete Wami]]<br>{{flag|Ethiopia|1996}}|| 104
|-
|1996-97
|[[Gete Wami]]<br>{{flag|Ethiopia|1996}}|| 132
|[[Elena Fidatov]]<br>{{flag|Romania}}|| 118
|[[Paula Radcliffe]]<br>{{flag|UK|name=Great Britain}}|| 99
|-
|1997-98
|[[Merima Denboba]]<br>{{flag|Ethiopia|1996}}|| 120
|[[Paula Radcliffe]]<br>{{flag|UK|name=Great Britain}}|| 104
|[[Jackline Maranga]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 98
|-
|1998-99
|[[Gete Wami]]<br>{{flag|Ethiopia|1996}}|| 144
|[[Merima Denboba]]<br>{{flag|Ethiopia|1996}}|| 79
|[[Paula Radcliffe]]<br>{{flag|UK|name=Great Britain}}|| 72
|-
|1999-00
|[[Lydia Cheromei]]<br>{{flag|Kenya}}|| 122
|[[Gete Wami]]<br>{{flag|Ethiopia|1996}}|| 119
|[[Ayelech Worku]]<br>{{flag|Ethiopia|1996}}|| 94
|}

==See also==
*[[IAAF Combined Events Challenge]]
*[[IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge]]
*[[IAAF Race Walking Challenge]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{International athletics}}
{{defunct athletics competitions}}

[[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1990]]
[[Category:Recurring sporting events disestablished in 2000]]
[[Category:Defunct athletics competitions|World Cross Challenge]]
[[Category:World Athletics competitions|Cross Challenge]]
[[Category:Annual athletics series]]