2016 European Cross Country Championships 2016 European Cross Country Championships The 2016 European Cross Country Championships was the 23rd edition of the cross country running competition for European athletes. It was hosted in Chia, Italy. Aras Kaya won the men's senior title, making it three straight victories for Turkey in that event, following in the footsteps of fellow Kenyan-Turkish runners Polat Kemboi Arıkan and Ali Kaya. Yasemin Can, became Turkey's first senior women's winner and also led her nation to the team title. Great Britain were the most successful in the team races, claiming the senior men's, under-23 women's and junior women's titles; the country
2010 European Cross Country Championships record number of 34 nations competed at the event. The race took place on a purpose-built course near the city, which also hosts the annual Almond Blossom Cross Country. Albufeira was chosen as the host at the 120th European Athletics Council Meeting in October 2008, defeating a rival bid from Velenje (which was chosen for the 2011 edition instead). Hayley Yelling entered the race as the defending women's champion while Alemayehu Bezabeh, the reigning men's champion, did not take part in the competition. High-profile investigations into doping in Spain immediately preceded the championships and Bezabeh was among the athletes implicated