Posted: November 5, 2005

Athletics: Tadesse, Ochichi Headline Spanish Cross Country Kick-Off On Sunday

From David Monti

© 2005 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

by Bob Ramsak

Zersenay Tadesse of Eritrea, the reigning Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist and Kenyan Isabella Ochichi, the Olympic 5000m silver medallist, are the headline attractions at the 25th Cross Internacional Castellano-Manchego in Quintanar de la Orden as the high level Spanish cross country season commences on Sunday.

In his last race, the 23-year-old Tadesse ran a world best of 59:05 in the half-marathon on the slightly downhill course at the Great North Run in Newcastle, England in late September. Last August, Tadesse lowered his 10,000m personal best to 27:04.70 at the Van Damme Memorial in Brussels. During the 2004-05 cross country season, Tadesse, who is based in Spain, won four of his six cross country races prior to his runner-up finish in the long course race at the World Cross Country Championships last March.

The men's field also includes Spanish ace Juan Carlos de la Ossa, the runner-up at last year's European Cross Country Championships; Alberto García, the reigning European 5000m champion, and Mesfin Tesfayohanes of Eritrea, 12th at last month's World Half-Marathon Championships.

Ochichi, who beat a strong field in September's Dam tot Damloop 10 Miler in Amsterdam, will make her first cross country appearance of the season. Justyna Bak of Poland, second at last year's European Cross Country Championships and the Portugese duo of Analia Rosa and Ana Dias are also in the women's field.

In all, 32 national and international competitions will be held throughout Spain through the end of March, by far the most elite level cross country races hosted by any country.