Storng line-up: Europe against Africa 

The international New Year's Eve run BOclassic in Bozen/Bolzano (Italy) does justice to its claim of being the best cast New Year's Eve run in the world.  Today, the definite line-up was presented: olympic medalists, World and European champions as well as three BOclassic winners of past years are going to start on Bozen's Walther Square on 31 December.

Today, the organising Läuferclub Bozen with OC-president Thomas Vonmetz were proud to present the line-up of the 35th edition of the New Year's Eve run in Bozen/Bolzano. The 35th edition of the BOclassic promises to be top-class and extremely pulsating with its several international top-runners. In his run towards his third victory in a row, the olympic bronze medalist Edwin Soi from Kenya has to beware of at least four runners. The last great athlete to be committed is the Ethiopian Merga Imane, fourth in the WC in Berlin (10,000 m) and winner of World Athletics Final. Furthermore, he beat Soi in Paris two days ago. The British European champion Mo Farah as well as record holder Serhiy Lebid from the Ukraine run also for the victory. Athlete's director Gianni Demadonna also counts on the mostly unknown Silas Kipruto. Even Italy's rising star Andrea Lalli may arrange for a surprise. The  European X champion Under 23 has recently won the IAAF-X in Brussels. "With the men's run, it is difficult to place a prediction. According to my opinion, there are at least five possible winners in the line-up. This is definitely going to be a very pulsating run" says Gianni Demadonna, who was himself on the  podium for three times in the 80ies. 

His endeavour for this year was to make the BOclassic more European. And he succeeded with Farah and Lebid with the men and Hayley Yelling, Aniko Kalovics and Christelle Daunay with the women. Yelling shows up as European X winner; Kalovics won the BOclassic in 2006. Daunay finished third in this year's New York City Marathon. However, the favourite seems to be the 19-year-old World Junior champion Sule Utura. Two days ago, the Ethiopian won the Corrida de Houilles in Paris. All in all, about 60 elite runners from 15 different nations will start.

The national TV channel Rai Sport Più (broadcasted also via satellite) broadcasts live from Walther Square from 2.50 to 4.15 pm. A Live streaming can be followed on http://www.raibz.rai.it . The elite run for women (5 km) begins at 3 pm, the elite run for men (10 km) at 3.30 pm.