Cross Internacional de la Constitución is an annual cross country running event which is held in early December in Alcobendas, Spain. The competition was first held in 1982 and began attracting top-level elite distance runners from the 1990s onwards. Hosted by the Club de Atletismo Popular de Alcobendas, the Cross de la Constitución takes place in Parque de Andalucia near the industrial centre in the city. Almost 600 runners took part in the races in 2010.

The men's elite competition is held over roughly 10 km, while the women elite runners compete over approximately 6 km. The exact race distances of the courses on the park's looped circuit vary from year to year, thus no course record is kept. The women's race was previously about 5 km but has been around 6 km since 1999. The race day's events include nine categories of competition: six are youth races by age group, short and long course races are held for senior athletes, and a separate veteran's race is also held for older runners.

Winners of the competition have included a number of World Cross Country champions: Zersenay Tadese, Joseph Ebuya, Gebregziabher Gebremariam and Albertina Dias have all gone on to win the world title after victory in Alcobendas. Other winners of note include Spanish marathon world champion Martín Fiz and track world champions Benjamin Limo, Vivian Cheruiyot and Linet Masai. The meet previously received permit status from European Athletics, the continental body for the sport.

Past senior race winners

An aerial view of the host city and San Sebastián de los Reyes.
Tariku Bekele (left) and Abraham Chebii (center) have both won in Alcobendas.
Meselech Melkamu took consecutive titles in 2005 to 2006.
EditionYearMen's winnerTime (m:s)Women's winnerTime (m:s)
I1982Santiago Manguán (ESP)María del Mar Arrollaga (ESP)
II1983Karl Harrison (ENG)Alicia Silva (POR)
III1984António Leitão (POR)Leonor Costa (POR)
IV1985João Campos (POR)Alejandra Ramos (CHI)
V1986Manuel Matias (POR)Ana Isabel Alonso (ESP)
VI1987David Lewis (ENG)Conceição Ferreira (POR)
VII1988Domingos Castro (POR)Dolores Rizo (ESP)
VIII1989Carlos Monteiro (POR)27:50Ana Moreira (POR)13:36
IX1990William Mutwol (KEN)28:52Albertina Dias (POR)17:14
X1991Martín Fiz (ESP)32:05Tullia Orietta Mancia (ITA)19:22
XI1992Martín Fiz (ESP)29:36Lydia Cheromei (KEN)17:54
XII1993Ondoro Osoro (KEN)28:09Conceição Ferreira (POR)16:24
XIII1994Shem Kororia (KEN)29:12Merima Denboba (ETH)17:09
XIV1995Shem Kororia (KEN)29:52Sally Barsosio (KEN)18:20
XV1996Paul Koech (KEN)29:00Albertina Dias (POR)17:36
XVI1997Paul Koech (KEN)28:26Merima Denboba (ETH)16:30
XVII1998Daniel Gachara (KEN)28:01Genet Gebregiorgis (ETH)20:46
XVIII1999Benjamin Limo (KEN)30:27Lydia Cheromei (KEN)19:26
XIX2000Evans Rutto (KEN)29:15Rose Cheruiyot (KEN)18:28
XX2001Abraham Chebii (KEN)29:30Leah Malot (KEN)19:49
XXI2002Enock Mitei (KEN)30:42Salina Kosgei (KEN)20:13
XXII2003John Yuda (TAN)30:20Alice Timbilil (KEN)20:26
XXIII2004Fabiano Joseph (TAN)30:13Merima Hashim (ETH)19:26
XXIV2005Zersenay Tadese (ERI)29:14Meselech Melkamu (ETH)19:14
XXV2006Tariku Bekele (ETH)32:18Meselech Melkamu (ETH)21:16
XXVI2007Joseph Ebuya (KEN)29:08Eunice Jepkorir (KEN)19:40
XXVII2008Gebregziabher Gebremariam (ETH)29:08Linet Masai (KEN)18:59
XXVIII2009Gebregziabher Gebremariam (ETH)30:55Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN)19:53
XXIX2010Joseph Ebuya (KEN)29:37Mónica Rosa (POR)20:15
XXX2011Kidane Tadesse (ERI)30:10Priscah Cherono (KEN)20:06
XXXI2012Teklemariam Medhin (ERI)28:23Nazret Weldu (ERI)26:30
XXXII2013Emmanuel Bett (KEN)28:00Sofia Assefa (ETH)25:33
XXXIII2014Timothy Toroitich (UGA)28:36Doris Changeywo (KEN)26:49
XXXIV2015Tamirat Tola (ETH)29:28Linet Masai (KEN)28:41
XXXV2016Timothy Toroitich (UGA)30:52Fionnuala McCormack (IRE)28:18
XXXVI2017Aron Kifle (ERI)29:22Alice Aprot (KEN)27:20
XXXVII2018Jacob Kiplimo (UGA)30:01Eva Cherono (KEN)27:20
XXXVIII2019Thierry Ndikumwenayo (BDI)27:23Eva Cherono (KEN)27:10
XXXIX2021Abdessamad Oukhelfen (ESP)29:23Dolshi Tesfu (ERI)26:45
XL2022Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI)29:58Lucy Mawia (KEN)27:06
XLI2023Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI)29:34Likina Amebaw (ETH)26:34
XLII2024Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI)22:59Nadia Battocletti (ITA)26:14
XLIII2025Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI)22:58Yenenesh Shimket (ETH)25:34

Wins by country

CountryMen's raceWomen's raceTotal
Kenya141731
Ethiopia4913
Portugal5813
Spain437
Eritrea426
Burundi505
Uganda303
England202
Tanzania202
Italy022
Chile011
Ireland011

List of winners

External links