Gaston Roelants at the Cross Cup de Hannut (© Organisers)
The Cross Cup de Hannut (1941), one of the mainstays of the international cross-country season for more than 80 years, has been awarded the World Athletics Heritage Plaque (category: Competition) ahead of its next edition this Sunday (26).
The World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting, hosted by the municipality of Hannut in the province of Liege, Belgium, has annually attracted many of the world’s best runners beginning with Gaston Reiff, Belgium’s 1948 Olympic 5000m champion, who won the 1943 and 1947 editions. The most successful runner of all time in Hannut is the seven-time winner Gaston Roelants, the 1964 Olympic steeplechase champion and multiple world record-breaker.
The World Athletics Heritage Plaque is a location-based recognition, awarded for an outstanding contribution to the worldwide history and development of the sport of track and field athletics and of out of stadia athletics disciplines such as cross country, mountain, road, trail and ultra-running, and race walking.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe commented: “I am delighted that Hannut’s cross country running history is being recognised with this award. Over 80 years since its foundation, the annual Cross Cup Hannut has embedded itself into the culture of this small Belgian town which since 2022 has been a Gold member of the World Cross Country Tour.
“The event’s reputation for excellence, which consistently assembles top international elite fields, has not come by accident but thanks to the hard work and dedication of the organisers including long-term race director Jos Van Roy and his dedicated team, and the generous support the event receives from the municipality of Hannut and Golazo.
“Together they have understood the health and fitness aspirations of their community. Alongside the elite races there is a packed programme of supporting races for youth, junior and masters, which will ensure the event’s popularity for decades to come.”
Peruth Chemutai wins the CrossCup in Hannut (© David Pintens for CrossCup)
Small town with cross country in its heart
The Hannut cross country meeting is a remarkable international success story considering that Hannut is a small town of approximately 15,000 inhabitants.
The history of the event, which is annually staged at the Stade Lucien Gustin, the home of the local athletics club “FCHA - Hannut Athletisme”, is marked by two distinct periods.
The meeting was founded in 1941 and the initial period, spanning four decades and masterfully led by brothers Lucien and Roger Gustin alongside the driving force of the time, Leon Bolle, laid the foundation for what has become the most significant event in the Hesbaye region.
During this era, Belgium’s top athletes such as Marcel Van de Wattyne, Gaston Roelants and Emile Puttemans attracted huge crowds around the football stadium. Local athletes already faced fierce competition from Europe’s best, particularly British stars like Gordon Pirie, Ken Norris, Derek Ibbotson and Tim Johnston.
In 1977, a new period was ushered in with the introduction of a women’s race. The event’s growing reputation earned it a spot in the national CrossCup challenge in the early 1980s. This new milestone brought increased financial support, enabling the participation of young, talented athletes such as Kenenisa Bekele, Mathew Birir, Linet Masai, Sifan Hassan and Peruth Chemutai, many of whom went on to become world or Olympic champions. Belgium’s best, including Veronique Collard, Vincent Rousseau and Ruddy Walem, had to fight hard to secure podium finishes.
Year after year the prestige of the CrossCup in Hannut has soared, thanks to its exceptional roster of participants. In 2022, the Hannut organisation reached new heights by becoming part of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold, a challenge that brings together the most important cross-country events worldwide.
World Athletics Heritage
