The 58th White Cross was held at Ušće.

One of the most prestigious and longest-running running events in the region, the White Cross, was held for the 58th time in Belgrade, at Friendship Park in Ušće. A total of 246 competitors took part in eight races, covering distances of 1,500 meters, 4.5 kilometers, and 6 kilometers. The results achieved at the White Cross were also counted towards the World Cross Tour rankings.

In the senior men’s 6-kilometer race, Kenyan runner Shadrack Kiptoo Kimayo claimed first place with a time of 17 minutes and 39 seconds. Serbian athlete Nikola Mijailović finished second, while Tomislav Novosel from Croatia crossed the finish line in third place.
Among the senior women, Kenya’s Valentin Jepbet was the fastest, completing the race in 19 minutes and 24 seconds. Hungary’s Lili Bom secured second place, followed by her compatriot Zita Urban in third. The best Serbian representative, Milica Tomašević, finished in fourth place.

In the pioneer competition for athletes up to 16 years old, the best were Kaid Koca and Saida Mušović, while the first places in the junior category for athletes up to 20 years old were claimed by Mejra Mehmedović and Kabir Ziljkić. At the 58th White Cross, members of the military and police also competed, with Dejana Ivković and Dane Bukvić emerging victorious.

For the second consecutive year, the organizer of the White Cross was the Belgrade Marathon in collaboration with the Serbian Athletics Federation, with financial support for the event provided by the City of Belgrade, through the Secretariat for Sports and Youth, and the Ministry of Sports.

“We are generally satisfied with how everything went, and the weather conditions were good. The White Cross was previously held in January in Košutnjak. However, in discussions with the runners, we concluded that it would be more convenient for them to hold the White Cross at the end of February or the beginning of March because that is when they finish indoor competitions and preparations. Last year, the Belgrade Marathon handled the technical realization of this event for the first time in collaboration with the Serbian Athletics Federation right here at Ušće. It was also a test competition for the World Cross Country Championship. Our goal was to have as many competitors from Serbia and the region as possible, and I believe we succeeded in that,” said Darko Habuš, director of the Belgrade Marathon, and then added:

“We had the opportunity to see talented competitors from Serbia and exceptionally quality seniors from abroad. There were also promotional races for the military and police, with whom we generally collaborate regarding all events related to the Belgrade Marathon. Next year, we plan to include a veterans’ race as well, so these are all some nice and good things we will be working on. The idea is for the White Cross to grow and to restore the former glory of one of the most traditional athletic events in the country,” concluded Habuš.

The running season on the streets of our capital continues on April 6th, when the 38th Comtrade Belgrade Marathon will take place.