On Saturday (19), the day before the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbria, Spain, 100 celebrities from the running world took part in a 4km race on the world championship course to raise money for United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

Real Federacion Española de Atletismo (RFEA) President José Maria Odriozola was joined by fellow IAAF Council Member, Vice-President Sebastian Coe, the double Olympic 1500m champion, IAAF Ambassadors Wilson Kipketer, three-time 800m World champion and Fermin Cacho, 1992 Olympic 1500m champion, and a host of other World, Olympic and European road and track gold medallists including Rosa Mota, Sonia O’Sullivan, Martin Fiz, and Stefano Mei… plus many cross country greats such as twice World champion Carmen Valero, multiple medallist Mariano Haro and six-time European champion Paulo Guerra… to name but a few.

Members of the local organising committee, IAAF staff, and members of the media also took part in the race.

This 4km run was not about results; in fact to save some reputations we are not even publishing them! No, this fun occasion was instead all about the serious business of raising money for UNICEF to purchase water pumps - Bomba de agua manual - so we simply offer our congratulations to all 100 runners!

Following their run every participant planted a tree in their name with a permanent plaque inscribed with each name remaining beside the trees which were planted in front of the stadium in Punta Umbria.

IAAF President Lamine Diack and RFEA President José Maria Odriozola led off the tree planting in a ceremony which saw them placing trees in the names of the eventual winners of the following day’s senior men’s and women’s winners of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

IAAF