Foreword

by Dr Primo Nebiolo

President of the International Amateur Athletic Federation

It is with a mixture of pride and emotion that I salute Turin, my home town and host city of the 25^th IAAF - Pirelli World Cross Country Championships.

As Italy’s first capital and the home to the oldest sporting club in Italy: the Reale Società Ginnastica, Turin makes an ideal host for the first World Cross Country Championships to be run in a city centre.

Cross Country has its roots in the very origins of mankind and is reminiscent of man’s fight to survive through the pursuit of food and flight from the enemy. In this first urban edition of the event, some of the greatest distance runners in the world will be participating. One of their aims will be to win not only the recognition and medals which have traditionally been their due but also, for the first time, cash competition awards.

These two factors: bringing the sport to the people in an easily accessible and beautiful setting in the heart of a city and ensuring that the athletes’ efforts be justly rewarded are in my opinion the best possible ways of ensuring the survival of this ancient discipline.

As president of the "CUS Torino" - the Turin University Sports Club - since 1953, I have been closely associated with the development of athletic activities in Turin for many years and I am doubly happy that my idea of holding the World Cross Country Championships within the city bounds has been adopted so enthusiastically by the people of Turin and will take place in such a splendid setting as the Parco del Valentino.

My special thanks go to the Italian Athletics Federation, the Piemonte Region and the City of Turin whose support has been invaluable in the organisation of this event.

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