BRUSSELS, Belgium — The IAAF is looking into a request by three African long-distance runners to bring cross country back to the Summer Olympics.

Ethiopians Kenenisa Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie and Kenya's Paul Tergat made the request in a letter to the International Olympic Committee and the International Association of Athletics Federations.

Cross country was last contested at the 1924 Olympics.

"It would be wonderful to give the world's best cross country runners the chance to compete in the greatest of all sporting festivals," the three wrote.

The IOC has already referred the letter to the IAAF, since it is up to the international federation to ask for such a readmission.

An earlier attempt to bring cross country into the Winter Games has already been turned down.

"Now the question is whether we will seek entry into the Summer Games for cross country," IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said Wednesday.

The IAAF considers cross country a key part of its winter racing program, so it is unclear under what conditions the event could find a spot in the already bloated summer program.

Bekele has won three Olympic long-distance golds on the track, along with six long-distance cross country titles. Tergat has five world cross country titles, while Haile Gebrselassie won two Olympic 10,000-meter titles and holds the world record in the marathon.