Giro di Castelbuono

The Giro di Castelbuono (officially Giro Podistico Internazionale Castelbuono) is an annual road running competition over 10 kilometres which takes place in Castelbuono, on the island of Sicily, Italy. First held in 1912, the competition, which holds IAAF Gold Label Road Race status, is one of the oldest road races in Europe,[1] which is the inspiration for the event's nickname – "La Corsa Più Antica" (The Oldest Race).[2] The race, typically held on (or around) July 26 to coincide with Saint Anne's Day, has been held almost every year since its inauguration, although the two World Wars interrupted the event over those periods.[3][4] The race has been broadcast every year for a decade by Italian television channel Rai Sport Più.[5]

Giro di Castelbuono
The Castello dei Ventimiglia sits at the centre of the small town
DateLate July
LocationCastelbuono, Italy
Event typeRoad
Distance11.2 km
Established2000
Official siteGiro di Castelbuono

From 2011 onwards, the race departed from its long-standing original distance of 11.3 kilometres and switched to a certified 10 km circuit.[6] From 1912 to 2010, the course of the race followed a looped pattern of ten laps of roughly 1.13 km around the historical centre of the town. The start and end point of the race was at Piazza Margherita. Beginning at the square, the route went south along Via Roma and into Via Mario Levante. It then went east along Via Camillo Benso Conte Di Cavour before heading back north along Via Vittorio Emanuele II. The course then followed Via Umberto I in a north-westerly direction which arrives back at the starting point.[7] The race is a challenging one for athletes as they must contend with a difficult uphill section on each lap.[8]

Over the history of the event, the Giro di Castelbuono has attracted many of the sport's top athletes. Among the past winners are former world record holders Khalid Khannouchi and Paul Tergat, three-time London Marathon winner Martin Lel, and four-time road running World Champion Zersenay Tadese. The pre-international era of the race also featured prominent runners, including Gelindo Bordin, Orlando Pizzolato, Venanzio Ortis, Franco Fava, as well as Sicily's own Luigi Zarcone.[5] While the competition has principally been a men's race throughout its existence, a women's race was featured on the programme from 1995 to 2004. Winners of this short-lived race included Rome Marathon winner Gloria Marconi, Florence Marathon winner Florence Barsosio and multiple Major Marathon champion Margaret Okayo.[9]

Past winners

National era

Edition Year Men's winner Time (m:s) Club
1st1912Giovanni Blanchetè51:36S.S. Ercole Palermo
2nd1913Giovanni Blanchetè50:15S.S. Ercole Palermo
3rd1914Sgr. Scelta48:20S.S. Sport Club Palermo
1915–1919Not held due to World War I
4th1920Ignazio Militello?S.S. Sport Club Termini Imerese
5th1921Agatino Mascali44:40S.S. Pro Etna Catania
6th1922Agatino Mascali42:50S.S. Pro Etna Catania
7th1923Agatino Mascali43:10S.S. Pro Etna Catania
8th1924Agatino Mascali42:10S.S. Pro Etna Catania
9th1925Gaetano Spreafico41:26S.S. Pro Patria Busto Arsizio
10th1926Gaetano Spreafico?S.S. Pro Patria Busto Arsizio
11th1927Gaetano Citarrella41:30Ferriera Ercta Palermo
12th1928Gaetano Citarrella41:55M.V.S.N. Palermo
1929–30Not held
13th1931Giuseppe Lombardo42:20F.G. Reggio Calabria
14th1932Domenico La Bianca41:08S.S. Unione S. Italia Palermo
15th1933Domenico La Bianca41:50S.S. Unione S. Italia Palermo
16th1934Domenico La Bianca41:00S.S. Unione S. Italia Palermo
17th1935Ercole Morello?S.S. Sport Club Palermo
1936Not held
18th1937Salvatore Merlino?F.G. Bagheria
19th1938Nicola Ruggeri?G.U.F. Messina
20th1939Nicola Ruggeri?G.U.F. Messina
1940–41Not held due to World War II
21st1942Antonio Fontana?VV.FF. Palermo
1943–45Not held due to World War II
22nd1946Sgr. Renda?G.P.U. Messina
23rd1947Giovanni Cultrone39:40S.S. Fiamma Vittoria
24th1948Giulio Panico38:35G.S. Sangiovannese Napoli
25th1949Giovanni Cultrone?S.S. Fiamma Vittoria
26th1950Giovanni Cultrone?S.S. Fiamma Vittoria
27th1951Pietro Balistreri39:45Corpo VV.FF. Palermo
28th1952Antonino Calderone?C.A.S. Termini Imerese
29th1953Antonino Calderone?C.A.S. Termini Imerese
30th1954Domenico Cappuccio?C.S.I. Maurolico Messina
31st1955Giovanni Cultrone?U.S. Fiamma Vittoria
32nd1956Stefano Bucolo?Alt. Falcone Novara
33rd1957Carmelo Di Stefano40:55C.S.I. Messina
1958Not held
34th1959Tommaso Assi38:17C.S. Ass. Generali Palermo
35th1960Mario Longo?Libertas Catania
36th1961Stefano Bucolo38:27Alt. Falcone Novara
37th1962Felice Scotto38:13U.S. Polimeni Reggio Calabria
38th1963Antonino Buffa41:09Libertas Catania
39th1964Francesco Sabatino38:11Libertas Catania
40th1965Benedetto Mastroieni37:42Telestar Palermo
41st1966Giuseppe Ardizzone37:06Mongibello Catania
42nd1967Benedetto Mastroieni39:00Corpo VV.FF. Palermo
43rd1968Francesco Amante37:00Libertas Catania
44th1969Vito Riolo36:40Libertas Catania
45th1970Gioacchino De Palma36:12CUS Bari
46th1971Francesco Amante36:17CUS Torino
47th1972Francesco Amante36:21CUS Torino
48th1973Giuseppe Ardizzone35:38S.S. Alco Rieti
49th1974Michelangelo Arena34:45Polisportiva Atletica Palermo
50th1975Paolo Accaputo34:54Fiamme Gialle Roma
51st1976Luigi Zarcone34:27CUS Palermo
52nd1977Franco Fava34:10Fiamme Gialle Roma
53rd1978Venanzio Ortis34:22Fiamme Oro Padova
54th1979Orlando Pizzolato34:40Lemar Schio
55th1980Claudio Solone33:45Carabinieri Bologna
56th1981Claudio Solone33:46Carabinieri Bologna
57th1982Michelangelo Arena34:07Fiamme Gialle Roma
58th1983Orlando Pizzolato34:50Champion Ferrara
59th1984Orlando Pizzolato33:34Champion Ferrara
60th1985Salvatore Nicosia33:56Fiamme Gialle Roma
61st1986Salvatore Nicosia34:03Fiamme Gialle Roma
62nd1987Gelindo Bordin33:27Alitrans Verona
63rd1988Gelindo Bordin33:27Alitrans Verona
64th1989Salvatore Bettiol32:45CUS Ferrara

International era

Kenyan Paul Tergat is a two-time men's winner.
Spain's Chema Martínez became the first European man to win in the international era in 2007.
  • The course distances are 11.3 km for men and 5.6 km for women, unless stated otherwise

Key:   Course record   10 km course   4.5 km course

Edition Year Men's winner Time (m:s) Women's winner Time (m:s)
65th 1990  Jonah Koech (KEN) 33:27 Not held
66th 1991  Boay Akonay (TAN) 33:11
67th 1992  Jonah Koech (KEN) 32:49
68th 1993  Joseph Cheromei (KEN) 32:36
69th 1994  Paul Tergat (KEN) 32:37
70th 1995  Germán Silva (MEX) 32:56  Maria Curatolo (ITA) 14:37
71st 1996  William Kiptum (KEN) 33:23  Florence Barsosio (KEN) 18:43
72nd 1997  David Chelule (KEN) 32:35  Florence Barsosio (KEN) 18:41
73rd 1998  Khalid Khannouchi (MAR) 33:17  Agata Balsamo (ITA) 18:57
74th 1999  Hendrick Ramaala (RSA) 33:05  Gloria Marconi (ITA) 19:07
75th 2000  Benson Barus (KEN) 33:23  Silvia Sommaggio (ITA) 18:27
76th 2001  Benson Barus (KEN) 33:01  Daniela Rodica (FRA) 18:11
77th 2002  Benson Barus (KEN) 34:21  Nadia Ejjafini (MAR) 19:13
78th 2003  Paul Tergat (KEN) 34:28  Merima Denboba (ETH) 19:03
79th 2004  Martin Lel (KEN) 33:46  Margaret Okayo (KEN) 18:54
80th 2005  Wilson Kebenei (KEN) 34:25 Not held
81st 2006  Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot (KEN) 35:14
82nd 2007  José Manuel Martínez (ESP) 34:19
83rd 2008  Ibrahim Jeilan (ETH) 34:44
84th 2009  Vincent Kipruto (KEN) 34:02
85th 2010  Zersenay Tadese (ERI) 34:20
86th 2011  Geoffrey Mutai (KEN) 29:05
87th 2012  Tariku Bekele (ETH) 30:01
88th 2013  Wilson Kiprop (KEN) 30:10
89th 2014  Ghirmay Ghebreslassie (ERI) 30:31

See also

References

  1. Zorzi, Alberto (2004-07-29). Lel and Okayo triumph in Castelbuono. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-08-08.
  2. Torna il Giro Podistico di Bisceglie, la corsa più antica d’Italia (in Italian). FIDAL (2009-07-22). Retrieved on 2010-08-08.
  3. Castellini, Ottavio (2007-07-24). Castelbuono: 95-years-on and still taking the breath away. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-08-08.
  4. Castellini, Ottavio (2009-07-24). Martinez takes on African charge in Castelbuono - Preview. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-08-08.
  5. Storia Del Giro (in Italian). Giro di Castelbuono. Retrieved on 2010-08-08.
  6. Sampaolo, Diego (2011-07-27). Geoffrey Mutai dominates in Castelbuono. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-07-30.
  7. Il percorso (The Course) (in Italian). Giro di Castelbuono. Retrieved on 2010-08-08.
  8. Zorzi, Alberto (2008-07-26). Jeilan powers to victory in Castelbuono. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-08-08.
  9. Monti, Dave & Civai, Franco (2010-07-27). La Corsa Piu' Antica 11.2 km (M) and 5.6 km (F). Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2010-08-08.
List of winners

Further reading

  • Lirio Abbate & Rosario Mazzola, La storia del giro podistico internazionale di Castelbuono, Promos Editore (1994). (in Italian)

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.