Stefano La Rosa

Stefano La Rosa (born 28 September 1985 in Grosseto) is an Italian long-distance runner. He is a five-time Italian champion (twice over 10,000 metres and three times over 5000 metres).

Biography

Of Sicilian descent, as a junior athlete, he came 52nd at the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. He came 16th over 5000 metres at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics, but managed a 1500 metres/5000 m double at the Italian junior championships. He won a team silver medal in the under-23 section of the 2006 European Cross Country Championships, courtesy of his tenth-place finish. He improved to fifth place in this category at the 2007 European race. Senior success came two years later in the form of a 5000 m silver medal at the 2009 Mediterranean Games in Pescara and a team bronze medal at the 2009 European Cross Country Championships alongside Daniele Meucci.

In his first major senior track final, he came tenth over 5000 m at the 2010 European Athletics Championships. He managed the same position in the 3000 m at the 2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships and secured the bronze medal over 5000 m at the 2011 Summer Universiade in Shenzhen. He was the first Italian finisher at the 2011 BOClassic 10K race, taking sixth place overall.