Campaccio Kick Starts the 2016 IAAF Cross Country Permit Meetings

Published by IAAF on January 4, 2016

The 59th edition of the famous Campaccio cross country meeting, the first IAAF Cross Country Permit meeting of 2016, will feature an impressive men’s field including 2014 Campaccio winner Albert Rop, London 2012 Olympic Games 5000m Olympic bronze medallist Thomas Longosiwa, 2011 world cross country champion Imane Merga and his Ethiopian compatriot Yasin Haji on Wednesday (6).

Rop ran the second fastest 5000m time in the world in 2013, clocking 12:51.96 in Monaco. The following winter, the Bahraini runner won the Campaccio race in the Italian town of San Giorgio su Legnano and beat Japhet Korir and Merga. He finished 11th at the IAAF Cross Country Championships Guiyang 2015 last March. 

Longosiwa, from Kenya, is an infrequent cross country runner but has fond memories of Italian races. He won at the 2011 Vallagarina and the 2012 Cinque Mulini races.