Trofeo Alasport

5.5 km for women The Trofeo Alasport, also known as the Cross di Alà dei Sardi, is an annual cross country running competition which takes place in March in Alà dei Sardi on the Italian island of Sardinia. Unusually for a high-profile cross country event, it has often been held after the IAAF World Cross Country Championships which occurs in late March. The Trofeo Alasport is traditionally the final event of the cross country season in Italy.

The competition was initiated in 1973 by a local athletics enthusiast, Antonello Baltolu, and has been held on an annual basis since then by the local sports association, the Società Sportiva Alasport. It is one of the foremost competitions of its type in Italy, alongside the Cinque Mulini, and attracts international competitors of the highest calibre. Former winners of the event include numerous world cross country champions, such as Paul Tergat, John Ngugi, Kenenisa Bekele and Khalid Skah in the men's race, while Albertina Dias, Gete Wami and Jackline Maranga have won on the women's side.

The men's elite race is held over roughly 11 km while the women's competition is half that distance at around 5.5 km. The Trofeo Alasport began as a domestic event but quickly took on an international nature, with British Olympian John Bicourt becoming the first foreign winner at the fourth edition. Belgium's Léon Schots was the first world champion to take victory in Alà dei Sardi in 1983. African names came to dominate the winner's lists from the 1990s onwards, with Susan Sirma of Kenya ushering in the change with back-to-back victories in 1991 and 1992. In addition to these elite level races, amateur competitions are also featured on the programme of the day's events, as well as number of shorter youth-level races.

The competition has been held every year with the exceptions of 1980 and a brief suspension of the event between 2005 and 2007. Since 1986, the Trofeo Alasport has also been designated as the Trofeo Presidente della Repubblica, an honorific in recognition from the President of Italy.

Past elite race winners

Edition	Year	Men's winner	Time (m:s)	Women's winner	Time (m:s)	Not held	Race not held 2005–2007
1st	1973	Vincenzo Chessa	?	Caterina Corrò	?
2nd	1974	Giovanni Flore	?	Luisa Marci	?
3rd	1975	Luigi Zarcone	?	Margherita Gargano	?
4th	1976	John Bicourt	?	Cristina Tomasini	?
5th	1977	Luigi Zarcone	?	Margherita Gargano	?
6th	1978	Franco Fava	30:55.4	Margherita Gargano	11:17.7
7th	1979	Bronisław Malinowski	31:02.0	Gabriella Dorio	11:05.4
—	1980
8th	1981	Bogusław Mamiński	29:55.3	Cristina Tomasini	11:10.4
9th	1982	Venanzio Ortis	?	Cristina Tomasini	?
10th	1983	Léon Schots	32:14.1	Cristina Tomasini	11:54.1
11th	1984	Gerard Helme	34:14.8	Alba Milana	15:07.0
12th	1985	Bogusław Psujek	?	Kathy Carter-Binns	?
13th	1986	Bogusław Mamiński	?	Cristina Tomasini	?
14th	1987	Franco Boffi	?	Jane Shields	?
15th	1988	Eamonn Martin	32:44.9	Angela Tooby	14:43.5
16th	1989	Gary Staines	32:37.1	Yvonne Murray	14:23.0
17th	1990	Francesco Panetta	31:15	Jeanne-Marie Pipoz	13:45
18th	1991	Arturo Barrios	31:15.0	Susan Sirma	13:33.5
19th	1992	John Ngugi	30:43.7	Susan Sirma	13:48.7
20th	1993	Fita Bayisa	30:24.9	Rosanna Munerotto	16:58.1
21st	1994	Salah Hissou	30:23.7	Albertina Dias	17:26.6
22nd	1995	Fita Bayisa	30:28	Albertina Dias	17:18
23rd	1996	Khalid Skah	32:26	Lidia Camberg	18:38
24th	1997	Salah Hissou	30:57.8	Tegla Loroupe	17:23.4
25th	1998	Paul Tergat	32:25	Jackline Maranga	18:14
26th	1999	Paul Kosgei	30:39	Sarah Kavina	18:02
27th	2000	Paul Kosgei	30:19.6	Merima Denboba	17:11.2
28th	2001	Paul Kosgei	31:36.8	Gete Wami	17:13.2
29th	2002	Richard Limo	29:53.1	Merima Denboba	16:53.2
30th	2003	Kenenisa Bekele	31:55.9	Merima Denboba	18:22.0
31st	2004	Eliud Kipchoge	31:57	Meselech Melkamu	18:03
32nd	2008	Tariku Bekele	32:05	Mestawet Tufa	17:49
33rd	2009	Moses Mosop	31:59.4	Florence Kiplagat	17:33.5
34th	2010	Zersenay Tadese	31:38	Sule Utura	18:03
35th	2011	Imane Merga	32:11	Sylvia Kibet	18:02
36th	2012	John Kipkoech	32:11	Priscah Cherono	17:56