Ivo Balabanov and Devora Avramova won the national cross country championship, which was held in Pirdop, BTA reports. Balabanov (Athlete Mezdra) returned to the track where he won the Balkan title for men in 2023, and triumphed in 10,000 meters with 31:15 minutes. Balabanov maintained a pace between 3:05 and 3:09 min/km.
Two years ago, he took gold at the Balkan Championship in 30:44 minutes with an impressive last kilometer of 2:52 minutes. Now his runner-up is Ismail Senandji (Ever Varna) with 31:46, and Ivan Andreev (Dunav Ruse) is third with 32:12.
Devora Avramova won the third title for Beroe Stara Zagora with her victory in the women's 8000 meters and a time of 27:41 minutes. Thus, she also improved her course record of 27:45 from the Balkan Cross Country Championship, when she finished second.
Silvia Georgieva (Aktiv 2013 Plovdiv) ran an excellent 28:45 for second place, and four-time Balkan marathon champion Marinela Nineva (Lokomotiv Dryanovo) took third place with 29:08 minutes.
Stanislav Rashkov (Etar Academic Veliko Tarnovo) is the champion in the under-23 category with 26:21 ahead of Konstantin Vassilev (Stratesh Athletic Lovech) with 26:29 and Nikolay Kaufman (Orhanie Botevgrad) with 27:05.
The most convincing champion of the championship was Svetlozara Grozdanova (St. Georgi Sofia) with 24:00 over 6 km in the under-23 category. Second was Daniela Georgieva (Lokomotiv 55 Gorna Oryahovitsa) 28:57, and third was Tanya Uzunova (Aktiv 2013 Plovdiv) with 29:05, according to the Bulgarian Athletics Federation.