The 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held at Myślęcinek Park in Bydgoszcz, Poland on 28 March 2010. It was the first time in over twenty years that Poland hosted the annual championships, having previously held them in Warsaw in 1987. Kenyan runners dominated the competition, taking all four individual titles and all four team titles at the competition. Kenyans took the top four spots in both junior men's and junior women's races to finish with a perfect team score.
In the absence of Zersenay Tadese and Kenenisa Bekele, the senior men's race was an opportunity for less-established runners. Joseph Ebuya won the gold (his first major medal), becoming the first Kenyan to win the men's race since Paul Tergat in 1999. Teklemariam Medhin of Eritrea took second place (also his first major medal) while Moses Ndiema Kipsiro of Uganda was third. Kenya won the senior men's team gold with ease and Eritrea won the team silver medal. Defending champion Gebregziabher Gebremariam only just made the top ten but led Ethiopia to the team bronze.
Florence Kiplagat was not present to defend the women's senior title, leaving Linet Masai and Tirunesh Dibaba as the favourites. However, a sprint finish by little-known runner Emily Chebet rendered Masai the silver medallist for a second year running. Meselech Melkamu of Ethiopia won the fourth World Cross Country bronze of her career as Dibaba finished outside the medals. Kenya and Ethiopia won the team gold and silver, respectively, while Shalane Flanagan led the United States women's team to a bronze medal.
The top four in both the junior men and women's races were all Kenyan, with Caleb Mwangangi Ndiku and Mercy Cherono the gold medallists. The dominance of the competition by Kenyan and East African runners was accompanied by a decline in the number of European teams that were entered for the tournament, with some historically strong countries sending no athletes at all.
Preparation
Bidding
The Bydgoszcz bid for the World Cross Country Championships was approved on 22 March 2009 at the spring IAAF Council meeting.
Qualification
Athletes could gain qualification into the World Championships through performances at either their national championships or through the following IAAF Permit Meetings:
Oeiras International Cross Country
Cross Internacional de Soria
Lotto Cross Cup Brussels
Great Edinburgh International Cross Country
Cross Internacional de Itálica
Antrim International Cross Country
Cinque Mulini
Chiba International Cross Country
KCB Nairobi Cross
Fukuoka International Cross Country Meet
Eurocross
Almond Blossom Cross
Pre-championship events
In order to raise awareness prior to the championships, the city and Polish athletics association organised a weekly cross country run (the Cross Bydgoski) every Sunday on the race course from 25 October onwards. Renowned Polish athletes were invited and Artur Kohutek and Marika Popowicz were among those who took to the course to compete alongside professional and amateur runners alike.
The Polish Cross Country Championships were held at the venue, acting as a pre-championship tester for the Myślęcinek Park course two weeks prior to the main event. Katarzyna Kowalska won the women's 8 km race while Marcin Chabowski won the men's 12 km event. The organising committee introduced an event mascot – a large grey squirrel called "Crossby".
Pre-race form
Before the event, the possible medallists of men's race were less predictable than in previous years – Kenenisa Bekele, who had won six long and five short course gold medals in the previous decade, was ruled out due to an injury and his nearest competitor, 2007 winner Zersenay Tadese, missed the championships to focus on road running instead.
Their absence suggested that a Kenyan runner might top the men's podium for the first time in over ten years. The largely untested Paul Tanui had established himself by summarily beating his more experienced counterparts by over half a minute at the Kenyan championships. Leonard Komon and Joseph Ebuya were other Kenyan men in strong form. Many of Ethiopia's top athletes were absent, although the defending champion Gebregziabher Gebremariam was a key medal contender and former junior champion Ayele Abshero was making his first try at the senior ranks. Outside the traditionally successful Ethiopian and Kenya teams, Samuel Tsegay of Eritrea and 2009 silver medallist Moses Ndiema Kipsiro of Uganda were medal possibilities, while the 2009 European Champion Alemayehu Bezabeh headed an improved Spanish team.