WATCH: Italian XC race goes through an old house

We’ve seen odd cross-country races in the past, but the course at the 2023 Cinque Mulini race, just outside Milan, Italy, might take the cake. The runners had to run through an old farmhouse (mill) five times during the 10.5 km race.

The video of these world-class athletes running through the house looks straight out of a Scooby-Doo cartoon. See for yourself. We can only imagine how difficult it must be to pass other runners.

The farmhouse is a staple landmark at the 91st edition of the great Cinque Mulini XC race, which is a stop on the World Athletics Cross Country Tour. The building is called the Mulino Meraviglia and has been a characteristic symbol of the race since 1986.

The farmhouse was in use until the late 80s and dates back to 1606. Now, the building and equipment inside are preserved for local tourists.

Kenya’s Gideon Rono Kipkertich won the race ahead of the 2022 European 10,000m champion Yemen Crippa of Italy. Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet, the world 5,000m silver medallist, won the women’s race handily by 15 seconds.

Double win at Cinque Mulini in Italy.
One of the most famous Cross Country races of the World Cross Country Tour.

🥇Beatrice Chebet 🇰🇪
🏅Gideon Kipkertich Ronoh 🇰🇪

A day to remember!

📸: @lattugh_99@cinquemulini@Nike@WintecareSa#nike #nikerunning #rosassociati #wintecare pic.twitter.com/UsBw6CLj82

— Rosa & Associati (@rosassociati) January 15, 2023

Chebet won the U20 world title at the 2019 World XC Championships in Aarhus, Denmark. She will look to add another global medal to her collection when she heads to Bathurst, Australia, for next month’s world XC championships.

The 2022 European XC Championships in nearby Turin, Italy, also had runners go through a museum. So maybe a mix of indoor and outdoor running is common for Italian cross-country races.