Giro Media Blenio

The Giro Media Blenio is an annual road running event over 10 kilometres which takes place in April in the village of Dongio, Switzerland. It was created in honour of Markus Ryffel's silver medal in the 5000 metres at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.[1]

The village of Dongio hosts the annual races.

The event, held in the district of Blenio, is divided into four race types. The 10 km Grand Prix is an elite, open class men's race, while the Giro provides an alternate 10 km for amateur fun runners. Shorter races are offered for young runners in the Mini Giro section and a separate race is held for people wishing to complete the course by walking and Nordic walking. The main 10 km race was included on the Post-Cup series of Swiss races for its 25th anniversary in 2009.[2]

The route for the elite Grand Prix race is a 1.25 km circuit around the streets of Dongio, which athletes complete eight times in the course of the race.[3] The fun run is a larger circuit, which passes the nearby settlements of Roccabella, Motto and Ludiano.[4] A total of 1000 runners (761 men and 229 women) took part in the Giro in 2011, while more than 1500 people participated in the day's other events.[5]

The Giro Media Blenio had its inaugural edition in 1985 and for its first nine years it featured an 11 km men's race and an 8 km race for women. From 1994 to 2006 the distances were set at 10 km for men and 5 km for women, but the women's race was dropped from the programme from 2007 onwards. Winners of the men's elite race include Haile Gebrselassie, Olympic champion Khalid Skah and World Cross Country Champions Paul Tergat and William Sigei. On the women's side, the first edition was won by Ellen Wessinghage, a former mile run world record holder, and she was later joined by 2003 world champion Berhane Adere, Olympic medallist Isabella Ochichi and world medallist Priscah Jepleting Cherono.[6]

Past elite winners
Kenya's Paul Tergat won the race on three occasions.
Edwin Soi won three times consecutively from 2006 to 2008.

Key:   Course record   11 km men's/8 km women's races

Edition Year Men's winner Time (h:m:s) Women's winner Time (h:m:s)
1st 1985  Dietmar Millonig (AUT) 33:31  Ellen Wessinghage (GER) 40:11 (11 km)
2nd 1986  Markus Ryffel (SUI) 33:07  Cornelia Bürki (SUI) 38:15 (11 km)
3rd 1987  Dietmar Millonig (AUT) 33:01  Debbie Elsmore (NZL) 38:19 (11 km)
4th 1988  Christoph Herle (GER) 32:36  Martine Oppliger (SUI) 29:12 (8 km)
5th 1989  Moses Tanui (KEN) 31:51  Isabella Moretti (SUI) 27:10
6th 1990  Mark Rowland (GBR) 32:59  Sandra Gasser (SUI) 27:29
7th 1991  Andrea Sambu Sipe (TAN) 32:21  Alena Močáriová (SVK) 26:57
8th 1992  Barnabas Korir (KEN) 33:23  Jane Ngotho (KEN) 27:26
9th 1993  Paul Tergat (KEN) 31:49  Pamela Chepchumba (KEN) 26:52
10th 1994  William Sigei (KEN) 27:34  Merima Denboba (ETH) 33:41 (10 km)
11th 1995  Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) 28:02  Sally Barsosio (KEN) 16:10
12th 1996  Paul Tergat (KEN) 28:36  Annemari Sandell (FIN) 15:48
13th 1997  Paul Tergat (KEN) 28:19  Lydia Cheromei (KEN) 15:43
14th 1998  Paul Koech (KEN) 28:30  Berhane Adere (ETH) 16:14
15th 1999  Evans Rutto (KEN) 28:37.4  Restituta Joseph (TAN) 16:07.9
16th 2000  Robert Kipkorir Kipchumba (KEN) 29:02.7  Rose Cheruiyot (KEN) 15:55.5
17th 2001  Paul Malakwen Kosgei (KEN) 28:13.4  Isabella Ochichi (KEN) 15:41.1
18th 2002  Benson Barus (KEN) 29:27.0  Merima Denboba (ETH) 16:23.3
19th 2003  John Yuda Msuri (TAN) 28:41.3  Joan Jepkorir Aiyabei (KEN) 16:02.7
20th 2004  Richard Limo (KEN) 28:51.5  Alice Timbilil (KEN) 15:55.4
21st 2005  Paul Kimaiyo Kimugul (KEN) 28:35.2  Alice Timbilil (KEN) 15:31.1
22nd 2006  Edwin Soi (KEN) 28:27.3  Priscah Jepleting Cherono (KEN) 15:54.2
23rd 2007  Edwin Soi (KEN) 28:24.8 — —
24th 2008  Edwin Soi (KEN) 28:59.7 — —
25th 2009  Moses Mosop (KEN) 28:52.6 — —
26th 2010  Imane Merga (ETH) 29:02.3 — —
27th 2011  Imane Merga (ETH) 28:17.8 — —
28th 2012  Edwin Soi (KEN) 28:31 — —
29th 2013  Muktar Edris (ETH) 28:10 — —
30th 2014  Cornelius Kipruto Kangogo (KEN) 28:14.9 — —

References
  1. Sampaolo, Diego (2011-04-26). Merga defends title in Dongio 10Km. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-04-29.
  2. Viktor Röthlin al Giro Media Blenio. Il Paese. Retrieved on 2011-04-29.
  3. Grand Prix (in Italian). Giro Media Blenio. Retrieved on 2011-04-29.
  4. Giro Archived 2012-01-24 at the Wayback Machine (in Italian). Giro Media Blenio. Retrieved on 2011-04-29.
  5. 27° Giro Media Blenio 2011, Dongio - classifiche. Data Sport (2011). Retrieved on 2011-04-29.
  6. Franco Civai et al. (2011-04-25). Giro Media Blenio 10 km + 5 km. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2011-04-29.
List of winners
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