The BOclassic is an annual road running competition over the distance of 10 kilometres for men and 5 kilometres for women. It is held on New Year's Eve in Bolzano, Italy. The competition has only elite races, competed between a limited number of runners, but over 10,000 spectators gather in the streets each year to witness the race. The race has been broadcast live on television by Italian channel Rai Sport Più. It was first held in 1975 under the title Corsa Internazionale di San Silvestro – inspired by the Saint Silvester Road Race in Brazil, it was the first European New Year's Eve road race. After nine editions as a 13 km race, the men's race settled on its 10 km format. A women's competition was included in the programme from 1977 onwards and it has been a 5 km race since 1987. The Corsa Internazionale di San Silvestro changed its name in 1996: race president Kurt Putzer renamed it the BOclassic. The course is in the centre of the town of Bolzano. It is a looped circuit, starting at Walther Square and heading west on Via della Mostra before turning onto Via Goethe and Via del Portici. The route then heads southwards along Via Laurin before looping back on itself to follow along Vaile della Stazione back to the starting point. Past male competitors have included multiple European championSerhiy Lebid, Olympic marathon champion Stefano Baldini while women such as World Half Marathon Champions Tegla Loroupe and Berhane Adere have won the women's section. The 2011 edition featured three reigning world champions in Vivian Cheruiyot, Imane Merga and Wilson Kiprop.
Past winners
Key:
Edition
Year
Men's winner
Time
Women's winner
Time
1st
1975
39:59
Not held
N/A
2nd
1976
39:30
Not held
N/A
3rd
1977
38:33
47:45
4th
1978
38:46
46:25
5th
1979
39:09
22:46
6th
1980
38:32
21:11
7th
1981
38:48
22:28
8th
1982
38:03
22:54
9th
1983
37:45
21:34
10th
1984
29:10
17:03
11th
1985
29:31
14:54
12th
1986
29:25
14:54
13th
1987
28:46
16:02
14th
1988
28:34
15:54
15th
1989
28:27
16:11
16th
1990
28:38
16:04
17th
1991
28:02
15:34
18th
1992
28:25
16:05
19th
1993
28:43
16:01
20th
1994
28:33
15:49
21st
1995
28:19
15:49
22nd
1996
28:37
16:14
23rd
1997
28:08
16:02
24th
1998
28:10
15:44
25th
1999
28:24
15:50
26th
2000
28:27
16:08
27th
2001
28:41.5
16:26.4
28th
2002
29:02
15:50.6
29th
2003
28:36
15:49.9
30th
2004
28:23.1
16:14.7
31st
2005
28:38.9
15:53.6
32nd
2006
28:34.0
15:44.6
33rd
2007
28:50.7
16:01.6
34th
2008
28:55.5
15:59.7
35th
2009
28:44.3
16:11.4
36th
2010
28:32
15:52
37th
2011
28:16
16:03
38th
2012
29:12
16:21
39th
2013
28:43
16:00
40th
2014
29:07.1
15:49.4
41st
2015
28:29
15:58
42nd
2016
28:52
15:44
43rd
2017
28:45
15:30
43rd
2018
28:12
15:46
44th
2019
28:21
15:30
NB: The race course distances varied in the early years of the competition but the men's distance settled at 10 km from 1984 onwards and the women's race has been a 5K run since 1987.
