In one of distance running's greatest efforts, Kenya's Ismael Kirui ran 13:02 from the front to hold off Haile Gebrselassie and avenge his brother's controversial Olympic defeat to Khalid Skah.

After three straight runner-up finishes, Jerry Schumacher, Simon Bairu, Chris Solinsky, and the Wisconsin Badgers broke through to win their first title in 17 years. Plus a women's race packed with future stars.

2011 was far from Jenny Simpson's best year, but she wound up as a shock world champion in Daegu. Jonathan Gault explains how it happened.

Eighteen years ago, the three men who held the marathon WR from 1999 to 2011 - Geb, Tergat and Khannouchi - sparred on the streets of London in an epic race and Paula Radcliffe announced herself as a marathon star. It was the marathon's greatest day.

In honor of Jennings' 60th birthday, we throw it back to 1992, where Jennings won her third straight World XC title on the same course she claimed the Massachusetts state title in 1975. The other races were packed with stars as well. Kenya's John Ngugi became the first man to win five World XC titles, while the junior races featured future stars Paula Radcliffe, Haile Gebrselassie, and Hicham El Guerrouj. It was quite a day.

You know about Meb's silver and the attack on leader Vanderlei de Lima, but do you remember Stefano Baldini's incredible 28:59 close in 80+ degree temps that featured a 14:12 5k from 35k to 40k or the Austrian guy in a fuel belt? This remains the only Olympic marathon since 1980 not to feature an African in the top six -- and a reminder of how the Olympic marathon, with its hot weather and three-athlete-per-country limit, can produce unexpected results. No one would have predicted a podium of Italy, the United States, and Brazil in 2004. We can only guess what Sapporo has in store...

In honor of Craig Mottram's 40th birthday today, we revisit the race he called "the greatest race I have ever done in my life" -- his incredible duel with Kenya's Augustine Choge in the 2006 Commonwealth Games 5,000m final.

A duel between legends was the headliner, but did you know the future greatest marathoner in history ended up making a classic beginning runner's mistake? 2005 World XC also featured an impressive double from Tirunesh Dibaba, an appearance from 15-year-old Aliphine Tuliamuk, and the last world xc appearances for Galen Rupp, Jenny Simpson, and Dathan Ritzenhein 

After a runner that was "considerably heavier than the other marathoners" took an early lead, Benoit won the inaugural women's Olympic marathon thanks to a daring early breakaway, clocking the #3 time ever (at the time) and demolishing a field of studs (Grete Waitz, Ingrid Kristiansen, Rosa Mota) to cement her status as a legend.

In honor of the race's 19-year anniversary, Jonathan Gault revisits the day when Webb broke Jim Ryun's 36-year-old US high school mile record and took a Hayward Field victory lap with Hicham El Guerrouj.

A look back at Galen Rupp's first NCAA title (and an examination of his strange fashion choices) and the Oregon men's last team title, a historically loaded Oregon team, and why the Washington women were like the 1985 Chicago Bears. *MB: What's the most loaded NCAA men's xc team in history? Was 2008 Oregon with Rupp, Puskedra, Biwott, Centro and Wheating?

One week before the 2003 Worlds, the planet's best runner, Stephen Cherono, changed his name to Saif Saaeed Shaheen and switched nationality from Kenya to Qatar. The steeplechase final pit Shaheen against his brother Abraham (still angry over the move) and a young Ezekiel Kemboi and culminated with a thrilling home-straight duel.

Journey back to 1983, when America was a cross country superpower, the world's best runners including marathoners ran at World XC, and a guy named Bekele was the best XC runner in the world. In a field loaded with stars, the top four men were separated by just one second. The 4th place finisher? Alberto Salazar. The race also included the likes of Miruts Yifter, Pat Porter, Steve Jones, Rob de Castella, Alberto Cova. 

The 2003 Foot Locker Champs were an all-time classic and produced two amazing finishes, a legendary meme, and some of the biggest stars in running today, including Jenny Simpson, Galen Rupp, and Lopez Lomong.

The 2007 World XC meet was one of the most memorable in history. The UNBEATABLE Kenenisa Bekele was not only beat - he quit mid-race while in medal position with only 800 meters to go. A truly insane day of racing in the heat of Mombasa, Kenya, that featured future Olympic champions Asbel Kiprop, Mo Farah, Stephen Kiprotich, Taoufik Makhloufi, Vivian Cheruiyot, and Tirunesh Dibaba.

Jonathan Gault revisits one of the most-hyped races in the history of US high school cross country, in which the top three finishers all eventually became American record holders. Plus X-ray graphics, Discmen, hanging chads, and why Sara Hall's win in the girls' race was way better than you remember.

Jonathan Gault revisits the showdown between Adam Goucher, Bernard Lagat, and Abdi Abdirahman and an age when ponytails were everywhere, cross country courses featured covered bridges, and James Madison was good at XC.