Seventeen-year-old Charity Cherop and Kenneth Kiprop win Cardiff Cross Challenge

World Under-20 5000-metre bronze medallist, Kenneth Kiprop, of Uganda defended his title at the Cardiff Cross Challenge. Seventeen-year-old Charity Cherop of Kenya clinched the title in 20:15.

The men’s race

The Cardiff edition is race number three of the World Athletics World Cross Country Gold Tour.

Kiprop barely bettered Vincent Mutai of Kenya during the final stages of the 10-kilometre race.

Uganda rules in Cardiff 💪

🇺🇬's Keneth Kiprop successfully defends his title at the Cardiff Cross Challenge, while compatriot Charity Cherop holds off a late challenge from 🇰🇪’s Sheila Jebet to take the win. #CrossCountryTourGold

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) November 9, 2024

A pack of 10 was initially led by Zak Mahamed of Great Britain. Not far behind was Niels Laros from the Netherlands. Laros finished sixth in the 1500m event at the Paris Olympic Games. But, Kiprop then took over, increasing the pace. Mutai made a made big surge at the end of the first lap.

In the latter stages of the race, Kiprop and Dan Kibet put a gap on the field, starting from the second lap. The intensity between the two ratcheted up as Kiprop and Mutai separated themselves from Kibet, running all out during the final turn. Kiprop went a step further and sprinted over the final stretch to win in the time of 27:06. Mutai finished two seconds adrift. Kibet finished in third place in the time of 27:15, ahead of Burundi’s Celestin Ndikumana who clocked a 27:19 performance while Emile Hafashimana recorded a 27:21 finish time.

The women’s race

In the women’s race, 17-year-old Charity Cherop of Kenya clinched the title in 20:15, narrowly defeating fellow Kenyan Sheila Jebet by one second.

Jebet made a late surge, but Cherop, a world under-20 5000 metre bronze medallist, dropped the pace to hold onto to her lead. Cherop had previously took fourth in the U-20 race at the 2022 World U-20 Cross Country Championships that took place in Belgrade, Serbia.

Cherop sat in a 10-athlete lead pack that formed early. Cari Hughes, Kate Axford, and Izzy Fry were among the top runners for a while. Cherop was having none of it and simply led for the entire lap — attempting to take the kick out of her competition’s legs.

With 1600m remaining, Cherop extended her lead by pushing the pace harder. Meanwhile, Jebet overtook Axford in the final minute and pulled ahead. The teenage Cherop held strong to finish first in the time of 20:15. Axford secured the third spot in 20:21, narrowly holding off Hughes who finished in 20:25.

Men’s results

Women’s results