Olympic 5000 metre and 10,000m champion, Beatrice Chebet, of Kenya and Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Berihu Aregawi of Ethiopia won the Internacional Juan Muguerza in Elgoibar, Spain.

Men’s race

Great Britain’s Alfie Manthorpe and Spaniard Adel Mechaal took an early lead, with favourites Aregawi, the defending champion and Rodrigue Kwizera close behind.

The lead pack completed the first loop of the total 9.7-kilometre course in a tactical 6:47, after which Mechaal increased his effort. Doing so, he spread the field. The contenders were Kwizera, Aregawi, Ethiopian Samuel Firewu, Spanish runners Mechaal, Miguel Baidal, Miguel Angel Martinez and British Trials winner Tomer Tarragano.

Aregawi took the lead with a little more than a lap to go. The remainder of the field began to string out being back two to three seconds.

Aregawi cruised in, never relinquishing the lead, clocking a final time of 29:36. However Kwizera finished just one second behind.

Women’s race

Chebet led from the gun to tape in the 7.6km race. She completed the opening lap in 1:22. IN pursuit were Melknat Wudu of Ethiopia, Francine Nyomokunzi of Burundi, and Carolina Robles of Spain.

After the initial short lap, Chebet extended her lead to three seconds. Chebet covered the second kilometre in 3:09 and expanded her lead to 24 seconds by the end of the first full km lap. She ran the 2.2kms in 7:04. The chase pack was now down to Nyomokunzi and Wudu.

Chebet was out in front alone and continued to turn the screws. She the second lap in 7:07. With 14:11 elapsed her gap was growing with every step. The two-time World Cross Country champion had a near one-minute lead on the field. And ran the third and final big lap at 7:02 to break the finish banner at 25:49.

The race is the 13th meet of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold.

Top 10 results

Men

  1. Berihu Aregawi (Ethiopia) – 29:36
  2. Rodrigue Kwizera (Burundi) – 29:37
  3. Samuel Firewu (Ethiopia) – 29:59
  4. Adel Mechaal (CT-18407) – 30:28
  5. Miguel Ángel Martínez Chazarra (Playas de Castellón) – 30:39
  6. Miguel Baidal (CT-23164) – 30:50
  7. Richard Slade (England) – 30:55
  8. Alfie Manthorpe (England) – 30:56
  9. Tomer Tarragano (England) – 31:08
  10. Jacob Cann (England) – 31:16

Women

  1. Beatrice Chebet (Kenya) – 25:49
  2. Melknat Wudu (Ethiopia) – 26:31
  3. Francine Niyomukunzi (Burundi) – 26:33
  4. Carolina Robles (Bilbao Atletismo) – 27:03
  5. Carla Arce (Bilbao Atletismo) – 27:26
  6. Holly Dixon (England) – 27:27
  7. Tugba Güvenç (Türkiye) – 27:39
  8. Angela Viciosa (Vicky Foods Athletics) – 27:40
  9. Marie Bouchard (France) – 27:42
  10. Blanca Fernández de la Granja (Playas de Castellón) – 27:54

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR