Launched at the beginning of the 1990/1991 season, the IAAF World Cross Challenge is a world-wide circuit of elite cross country events at which the world’s top runners can compete for a total of US$140,000. Athletes can score up to 25 points in each Cross Challenge race - providing the race is qualified as a scoring event as detailed in the rules of the IAAF World Cross Challenge*. The runners’ four best scores - plus the double points available at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships - will decide the overall IAAF World Cross Challenge awards for men and women.

Tie-breaking: If there is a tie in scores for an award after the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, the runner with the best placing at the world championships will receive the award. If neither of the tied athletes competed at the championships, the athlete with the superior win-loss record on the circuit will receive the award. If the tied athletes did not compete against each other on the circuit, the athlete with the highest individual placing, or series of placings, will receive the award. Athletes will share the award equally if the tie cannot be broken by the conditions above.

Points: Points will be awarded at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships (Long Course races only) as follows:

1^st place: 50 points; 2^nd: 44; 3^rd: 38; 4^th: 34; 5^th: 32; 6^th: 30; 7^th: 28; 8^th: 26; 9^th: 24; 10^th: 22; 11^th: 20; 12^th: 18; 13^th: 16; 14^th: 14; 15^th: 12; 16^th: 10; 17^th: 8; 18^th: 6; 19^th: 4; 20^th: 2

The points available at World Cross Challenge races are half of the above, i.e. 25 points for a win down to 1 for 20^th position.

Entry to IAAF World Cross Country Championships: Possession of IAAF World Cross Challenge points does not automatically qualify an athlete for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. However, an athlete ranked in the top 12 of the IAAF World Cross Challenge standings after the last competition before the championships whose National Federation have not entered the senior championships may be permitted to compete as an individual competitor. Such entries must be made by the National Federation and should be referred to the IAAF.

Award Money: The Cross Challenge Award money is as follows for men and women:

1^st place: $25,000; 2^nd: $15,000; 3^rd: $12,000; 4^th: $10,000; 5^th: $5000; 6^th: $3000.
Athletes not willing to compete in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships will only receive 50% of the award. (see rule 9.2*)

1997/8 IAAF World Cross Challenge Meetings

Dec 1997: 21, ASLK/CGER Crosscup, Brussels BEL;
Jan 1998: 3, Durham International Cross Country, Durham GBR; 11; Cross Internacional Zornotza, Amorebieta ESP; 18, Cross Internacional de Italica, Seville ESP; 24, Coca-Cola International, Belfast GBR; 31, Cross Auchan Lille Metropole, Tourcoing FRA
Feb 1998: 8, Almond Blossom Cross Country, Vilamoura POR; 15, Chiba International Cross Country, Chiba JPN; 15, Eurocross, Diekirch LUX; 28, Mombasa International Cross, Mombasa KEN
Mar 1998: 8, Cinque Mulini (Five Mills) Cross, San Vittore Olona ITA;

21-22, IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Marrakech, MAR

Prize Money: In addition to the World Cross Challenge awards, the following prize money will be on offer in all the senior races: 1^st place - $40,000; 2^nd - $20,000; 3^rd - $15,000; 4^th - $10,000; 5^th - $7000; 6^th - $5000

Full rules of the IAAF World Cross Challenge are given in the IAAF Winter Handbook 1997-1998