Costa Rica’s Historic Debut at the University World Championship
The 2026 University World Cross Country Championship took place on March 14 and 15 in Cassino, Italy, organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and the University of Studies of Cassino and Southern Lazio.
It was the first time Costa Rica participated in this event, representing a milestone for the country’s university sport and opening the door to future participation in high-level international competitions. The Costa Rican delegation was made up exclusively of student-athletes from the Costa Rica Institute of Technology (TEC), in coordination with the University Sports Federation (FedeU).
The Athletes Who Represented the Country
Costa Rica was represented by three university athletes: Salma Villatoro Cantarero in the women’s category, and Marvin Araya Salazar and Marco Gómez Angulo in the men’s category, all of them students at TEC. Villatoro studies Industrial Production Engineering, Araya is enrolled in Business Administration, and Gómez is a student of Agribusiness Engineering — each combining their academic training with high-level athletic competition.
The team traveled accompanied by coach Johnny Loría Solano, who has more than three decades of experience in national athletics and was responsible for preparation and technical support in Italy.
Results and Competitive Experience in Italy
The Costa Rican athletes competed against university delegations from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, on cross country circuits designed to test both physical endurance and race strategy.
According to official results published by World Athletics and FISU, long-distance runner Marco Gómez completed his race finishing in 40th place, standing out among Latin American representatives in the men’s classification. Beyond the final standings, the participation was valued as a key formative experience, allowing the athletes to measure themselves against high-level rivals and gain international exposure.
Preparation, Oath Ceremony, and Institutional Support
The delegation’s preparation included specific cross country training sessions and an internal selection process at TEC, in coordination with the institution’s Culture and Sport Department. The official oath ceremony was held on February 27 at the Costa Rica Institute of Technology campus in Cartago, in an event organized by FedeU, where Vice President Rosaura Méndez presented the national flag to the athletes.
This institutional backing reflects the interest of Costa Rica’s public universities in promoting high-performance sport as a complement to academic training.
Outlook for Costa Rican University Sport
Participation in the 2026 University Cross Country World Championship is considered an important step toward consolidating high-level processes within Costa Rican university sport. FedeU and TEC have indicated that this experience will help improve planning, talent identification, and the development of athletes toward future university world championships and FISU-organized events.
The medium-term goal is for more Costa Rican higher education institutions to join these competitions, broadening the athlete base and the country’s international presence across different disciplines.
Official Sources
- Costa Rica Institute of Technology (TEC), article: “Three TEC Athletes Compete in University Cross Country World Championship in Italy.”
- University Sports Federation (FedeU), communiqués on Costa Rica’s participation in the 2026 University Cross Country World Championship.
- National press articles detailing the participation and context of the event, such as Delfino.cr and Semanario Universidad.
- Official results published on the World Athletics platform and links distributed by FISU for the University Cross Country World Championship.
