Uganda&rsquo;s Jacob Kiplimo produced a performance of a lifetime to win gold in the men&rsquo;s U20 race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017, the country&rsquo;s first ever gold medal at a World Cross.
The world U20 10,000m bronze medallist last year, Kiplimo came into the race as the host country&rsquo;s best chance of an individual medal following his brilliant performance which saw him win the Ugandan Cross Country Championships on this same course.
Kiplimo covered the 8km course in 22:40, ending the Kenyan and Ethiopian dominance in the event to win the first global title of his career.
From the gun, Eritrean Yemane Haileselassie produced a fast start, working himself to the head of the leading pack which was composed of Ugandan Victor Kiplangat, Kenyans Wesley Ledama, Edwin Kiplangat Bett and Amos Kirui and Ethiopian Solomon Berihu with Kiplimo following suit.
At the end of the first lap, Haileselassie, the Eritrean record-holder in the steeplechase and 2016 world U20 silver medallist in the event, was at the front of a tightly wound 10-man pack and he led through the first lap alongside Berihu and the entire Kenyan squad.
On the second lap, Kenyan Richard Yator Kimunyan, the world U18 3000m champion, overtook the pack briefly, taking turns up front with Kiplimo and Ledama. Berihu and Kirui also remained in contact.
Soon after, Kiplimo took command.
Unconcerned about the hot conditions at the Kololo Grounds, and backed by his vociferous home fans, Kiplimo broke away from Kirui and Kiplangat going into the final lap, sending the crowd into a further frenzy.
As he powered on, Amdework Walelegn, who finished fourth in the 10,000m at last year&rsquo;s World U20 Championships, tried to save the day for Ethiopia, pushing hard to close the gap. He moved past Kirui and Kiplangat with Kiplimo his next target, but the Ugandan continued to hold his advantage.&nbsp;
Kiplimo went on to cross the finish line in 22:40 with Walelegn three seconds behind to bag silver. Kimunyan joined the podium finishers nine seconds further back.
Upon crossing the finish line, Kiplimo, who was congratulated by Uganda's President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, said: &ldquo;Yes yes yes, I always thought I could win. It was a very good race. When I decided to break away going into the last lap, I knew I was going to win.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I am happy but not satisfied with second spot," said Walelegn. "The crowd made it very difficult for me to run according to my plan.&rdquo;
Walelegn did however lead Ethiopia to the team title with 17 points, their second since 2013. Kenya was one point behind to take team silver. Eritrea was a distant third with 55, just one point better than Uganda, who was fourth.
Bonnie Mugabe for the IAAF

Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo produced a performance of a lifetime to win gold in the men's U20 race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017, the country’s first ever gold medal at a World Cross.

Kiplimo captures Uganda’s first world cross gold – IAAF World Championships Kampala 2017

Kenya&rsquo;s mixed relay secured the nation&rsquo;s first gold of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017 with an eight-second victory over east African rivals Ethiopia.
At yesterday&rsquo;s press conference Asbel Kiprop thanked the IAAF for introducing the mixed relay to this year&rsquo;s programme.
&ldquo;This is what brought me back to cross country,&rdquo; the three-time world 1500m champion told the press about his long awaited return to the championships after years of abstinence from the event.
On the first leg, all eyes were on the tall Kenyan as he was setting the pace over Ethiopia&rsquo;s first leg runner Welde Tufa. Team tactics were interesting to watch: Kenya clearly wanted to push the pace from the start, while Ethiopia had placed their two strongest runners on the final two legs.
Kiprop ran impressively and reached the changeover zone at the 2km mark in 5:19. He handed over to Winfried Nzisa Mbithe with a six-second lead over Ethiopa&rsquo;s Tufa, who passed the wristband to Bone Cheluke.
&ldquo;I knew I had to deliver this for the team, so I had to run fast,&rdquo; Kiprop said of his role to lead out the team.
Mbithe, fuelled on by the many Kenyan fans that had travelled to Kampala the day before and who were racing alongside the course to support their athletes, took off like a storm. Ethiopia&rsquo;s Cheluke went out more conservatively, looking to reel in the Kenyan further down the course. It represented a chance for the Turkish team and third leg runner Meryem Akdag as the European cross country medallist moved up to the Ethiopian&rsquo;s shoulder and into second.
Over the last 600m, Cheluke&rsquo;s conservative approach paid off as she moved her team back into silver position. Meanwhile, Mbithe produced a solid 6:07 to the Ethiopian&rsquo;s 6:16 to extend the lead Kiprop built to 15 seconds overall. Ethiopia, however, still had world indoor 3000m champion Yomif Kejelcha and 1500m world record-holder Genzebe Dibaba to come.
The Ethiopian went out hard to chase down Bernard Kipkorir Koros, closely followed by the Turkish relay in third, but Uganda&rsquo;s Ronald Musagala, who initially was set to run the host nation&rsquo;s final leg, surged from fifth towards the top three to the delight of the partial home crowd.
Kejelcha&rsquo;s long strides saw him slowly close the gap to Koros and away from Turkey and Uganda to leave the two nations battle for bronze. As Beatrice Chepkoech received the wristband from Koros (5:34) with a 12 second lead over Kejelcha (5:22), all eyes turned to Dibaba.
Chepkoech, aware of the threat of Dibaba closing in on her, regularly glanced over her shoulder. Dibaba was working hard to close down the gap between herself and the Kenyan. With 600m to go she was still about 15 metres behind the leader and not even her impressive 5:27 effort was enough to catch Chepkoech in the end. With arms aloft and cheered on by the rest of her team behind the finish line, Chepkoech crossed the line to take the first gold of the day for the Kenyan relay in 22:22, eight seconds clear from Ethiopia.
The battle for bronze went to Turkey in the end (22:37), where Yasmin Can produced a strong 5:29 effort on the last leg. Hosts Uganda finished in fourth (23:03), with Bahrain in fifth.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s good and will remain in history that we won the first mixed relay,&rdquo; a delighted Kiprop said after the race.
Michelle Sammet for the IAAF
*NOTE: Intermediate times are still unofficial

Kenya’s mixed relay secured the nation’s first gold of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017 with an eight-second victory over east African rivals Ethiopia.

Kenya prevails in inaugural mixed relay – IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017 

Start lists and athletes' biographies for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017 are now available.
- Men's senior race: <a href="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitioninfo/f663eb72-857c-4176-b5da-30e920bc6871.pdf">view</a> | <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/download/downloadresultinfo?filename=f663eb72-857c-4176-b5da-30e920bc6871.pdf&amp;urlSlug=official-start-list-iaaf-world-cross-countr">download</a> - Women's senior race: <a href="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitioninfo/d9530900-5942-4fb2-bfa8-886aabb5dd43.pdf">view</a> | <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/download/downloadresultinfo?filename=d9530900-5942-4fb2-bfa8-886aabb5dd43.pdf&amp;urlSlug=official-start-list-iaaf-world-cross-countr">download</a> - Men's U20 race: <a href="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitioninfo/a1e7c66d-5240-450e-9e51-c14b88757a6d.pdf">view</a> | <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/download/downloadresultinfo?filename=a1e7c66d-5240-450e-9e51-c14b88757a6d.pdf&amp;urlSlug=official-start-list-iaaf-world-cross-countr">download</a> - Women's U20 race: <a href="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitioninfo/cfdbbdb9-c848-433e-ab1c-57a29cdada1f.pdf">view</a> | <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/download/downloadresultinfo?filename=cfdbbdb9-c848-433e-ab1c-57a29cdada1f.pdf&amp;urlSlug=official-start-list-iaaf-world-cross-countr">download</a> - Mixed relay race: <a href="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitioninfo/aac125ed-5785-47b9-b7eb-016de0c63a03.pdf">view</a> | <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/download/downloadresultinfo?filename=aac125ed-5785-47b9-b7eb-016de0c63a03.pdf&amp;urlSlug=official-start-list-iaaf-world-cross-countr">download</a>
- Athletes' biographies: <a href="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitioninfo/c15f7ec9-ca6b-47d7-80bb-d33439911241.pdf">view</a> | <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/download/downloadresultinfo?filename=c15f7ec9-ca6b-47d7-80bb-d33439911241.pdf&amp;urlSlug=athletes-biographies-iaaf-world-cross-count">download</a>&nbsp;(updated version uploaded at 8:30am local time 26 Mar)
<div>Timetable (26 March, local time GMT+3):</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>14:00 - Mixed relay 14:30 - Women's U20 race 15:10 - Men's U20 race 15:55 - Women's senior race 16:55 - Men's senior race</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
Start lists can also be found on the <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-kampal-5837/timetable/byday">timetable/results</a> section of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017 mini-site.
IAAF

Starts lists and athletes' biographies for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017 are now available.

Start lists and athletes' bios available – IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017

Five-time world cross-country champion Paul Tergat knows what it means, not just to compete but excel in athletics&rsquo; oldest world championship event.
On the eve of the 42nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017, the retired Kenyan athlete told a press conference of his pride in his role as the event&rsquo;s ambassador. &nbsp;&ldquo;Cross country is in my veins, it runs through and when I got this opportunity to be an ambassador, I do it with commitment and passion.&rdquo; Tergat was also an ambassador for the 2013 world cross country edition in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
The slogan for Kampala 2017 is, a people&rsquo;s cross-country, a green cross-country.&nbsp; As a result the Kampala greening project is one of the championships legacy initiatives.&nbsp; Last month, Tergat participated in a tree-planting project with students from 15 schools in Uganda. The 47-year-old says the importance of this exercise was &ldquo;to engage school children that the effects of climate change are real and with us and we cannot run away from it.&rdquo; Tergat who was a road running star in his day also emphasised the importance of promoting environmental sustainability for athletics in general saying, &ldquo;if everyday you run there were no trees and air is polluted air, then you kill the sport.&rdquo;
Tergat also engaged with young children during his last visit to motivate them to take up cross-country running.&nbsp; Tergat&rsquo;s golden world cross-country era was between 1995 and 1999, when he became the first man to win five consecutive titles in the event. To the former king of the mud race, cross-country running played a key role in the foundation of his ensuing track and road-running career, and encourages young talents to embrace the event saying, &ldquo;I had a lot of satisfaction to make sure that kids would want to take up cross country as a way of transiting to other sports.&rdquo; Tergat also highlighting Uganda&rsquo;s athletics achievements over the last 10 years which include Stephen Kiprotich&rsquo;s 2012 Olympic marathon title and 2013 marathon world title.
A cross-country gold medal however remains elusive and on Sunday the 40 million plus population will hope this can finally change at the Kololo Independence Grounds.&nbsp; Kiprotich is part of the country&rsquo;s 28-member team who shoulder this burden. Tergat urged support for the host nation especially from high-flying neighbours Kenya, whose record at the World Cross Country Championships is the envy of many. The East Africans come into the competition defending both senior titles and arch-rivals Ethiopia is the only other team which boasts just as enviable a record at the World cross.&nbsp;
Tergat appreciated Uganda&rsquo;s desire for success within which he says his own country sometimes takes for granted.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Unlike Kenya where when we win six gold medals we still complain because we are used to winning, when Uganda win one gold they will celebrate a lot and this is what we want to see,&rdquo; the former marathon world record holder explained.
Backed by an expectant partisan crowd on a course they are familiar with are some factors Uganda hope can work in their favour as they bid to end the wait for a world cross country gold medal either in the team or individual event, in a competition where precedence of an East African nation&rsquo;s success has already been set.&nbsp;
Celestine Karoney for the IAAF

Five-time world cross-country champion Paul Tergat knows what it means, not just to compete but excel in athletics’ oldest world championship event.

Tergat: ‘Cross country is in my veins’

On the eve of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017, some of the world&rsquo;s top middle and long distance runners joined IAAF President Sebastian Coe, dignitaries from the Local Organising Committee and IAAF Ambassadors Tegla Loroupe and Paul Tergat at the pre-event press conference at the Sheraton Hotel in central Kampala on Saturday (25).
<h3>A &lsquo;Big moment for Uganda, for Africa&rsquo;</h3>
&ldquo;The quality of performances you will see tomorrow absolutely and quintessentially exemplifies the fact that this is a truly global sport,&rdquo; Coe said, speaking to more than 70 journalists gathered at the press conference.
&ldquo;557 athletes from 59 countries are here. This is a big moment. It&rsquo;s a big moment for Uganda because it&rsquo;s the first time the country is hosting a world athletics series event. It&rsquo;s a big moment for Africa. Because bringing our championships here was one of my commitments and was echoed amongst my Council colleagues. There&rsquo;s no greater heartland for that talent and that passion than Africa for these cross country championships.&rdquo;
&ldquo;This is a country, and this is a continent that takes cross country very seriously. And that&rsquo;s very close to my heart.&rdquo;
Charles Bakkabulindi, the LOC chairman &amp; Minister of State for Sports, echoed those sentiments.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so excited,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It began as a dream some years back that the World Cross Country Championships would be in Africa, in Uganda. The country is excited. We are looking forward to tomorrow at Kololo.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Kampala is very proud to host the 42nd edition of these championships,&rdquo; Andrew Kitaka, acting Executive Director of Kampala City Authority, added. &ldquo;The 557 athletes that have come here show the true recognition of the importance of this event.&rdquo;
<h3>Helping refugee communities</h3>
Coe and local organisers had hoped that a 60th squad representing an Athletes Refugee Team would be taking part in Sunday&rsquo;s championships, but administrative hurdles ultimately prevented the members from making the trip to Kampala.
Coe paid tribute to IAAF Ambassador Tegla Loroupe whose Peace Foundation initiated the refugee team concept in 2014, a project funded by the IAAF, and noted that efforts remain in motion to ensure that refugees are represented at future IAAF World Athletics Series events.
&ldquo;We will be doing everything we possibly can to have that refugee team represented and be with us at the IAAF World Relays in Bahamas in a few weeks time,&rdquo; Coe said.
&ldquo;Tegla came to the IAAF a few years ago with the concept that wherever possible, that the sport should reach out to challenged communities.
&ldquo;I take great pride that it was the IAAF that initially funded and saw the vision sitting behind Tegla&rsquo;s foundation. Had it not been for that initial work we would not have been celebrating the refugee team in Rio last year.&rdquo;
Loroupe underscored that the project is a critical long-term commitment of her foundation.
&ldquo;I really want to thank the IAAF for helping us with the refugee communities, knowing that one day they will be participating in this event,&rdquo; Loroupe said. &ldquo;As you all know it is difficult for refugees to travel.&rdquo;
&ldquo;But we are not discouraged,&rdquo; she added.
&ldquo;The IAAF has given great solidarity to the refugee athletes. It&rsquo;s all about using sport to bring our people together. (The IAAF) have given us the opportunity to show that the person who is a called a refugee is not a bad person. That they are not bad people. But that they are people who can contribute to society and to sport.&rdquo;
<h3>Mixed relay - &lsquo;A new experience&rsquo;</h3>
While this edition will not, unfortunately, see the participation of a refugee team, Kampala will introduce the inaugural mixed relay, a concept that helped bring Asbel Kiprop, a world and Olympic 1500m champion, back into the World Cross Country Championships for the first time since he won the junior race in Mombasa in 2007.
&ldquo;When the IAAF introduced the mixed relay, I must say thank you,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;This is what brought me back to cross country. It&rsquo;s a new experience and is going to be very interesting. This race, and the World Relays, is all also an important part of the build-up towards London.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;s also pleased that like in 2007, he didn&rsquo;t have to travel too far.
&ldquo;Having the world come to east Africa, I feel proud to come to these championships as an athlete.&rdquo;
So does Stephen Kiprotich, a former world and Olympic marathon champion, and the host nation&rsquo;s biggest star at these championships.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very happy for the world to come to my country,&rdquo; he said, expressing the home team&rsquo;s aspirations. &ldquo;This race is very important to us. If given the chance tomorrow, we&rsquo;re going to do our best (to win team gold).&rdquo;&nbsp;
Faith Kipyegon, the reigning Olympic 1500m champion and two-time winner at these championships in the junior ranks, is part of a strong Kenyan squad who have also arrived in the Ugandan capital with lofty ambitions.
&ldquo;I think we have trained well and I think we will do well,&rdquo; said. &ldquo;I think we are strong. And I&rsquo;m ready.&rdquo;
Also looking forward to the event is Kenyan cross country legend Paul Tergat, who raced to five consecutive world titles in the late 1990s.
&ldquo;Cross country is in my veins,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;So I am very proud of my work as an Ambassador. I do it with a lot of pride, commitment, and passion.&rdquo;
So does Canada&rsquo;s Sasha Gollish, this year&rsquo;s NACAC champion, who is part of her country&rsquo;s rising wave of internationally competitive talent.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a really exciting time in Canada,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Before it might have been that we one person competitive in each event, and now we have many more. There really is a change.&rdquo;
<h3>Challenging east African dominance</h3>
Globally however, mounting a serious challenge to east African overall dominance in cross country appears far from the horizon. Addressing a reporter&rsquo;s question about the decline in cross country participation and performance in some European countries, Coe&rsquo;s response was direct.
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s not remotely non-coincidental to the fact that cross country isn't taken seriously as it once was,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;It was a part of my staple diet, it was a part of the diet of my fellow countrymen that were performing extremely well. And if you went into most other European countries young athletes were brought up to believe that cross country was an inseparable part of their pathway to top performances. We've got to return to the fundamental belief among the younger generation of coaches that cross country is very important part of their programme.&rdquo;&nbsp;
On a more upbeat note, Coe also spoke to cross country&rsquo;s more universal appeal.
&ldquo;If there is one message from me this morning, it&rsquo;s to the new generation of coaches to recognise that cross country isn&rsquo;t just a physical or mental strength. It actually brings running communities together in one of the purest forms in our sport.&rdquo;
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

On the eve of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017, some of the world’s top middle and long distance runners joined IAAF President Sebastian Coe, dignitaries from the Local Organising Committee and IAAF Ambassadors Paul Tergat and Tegla Loroupe at the pre-event press conference at the Sheraton Hotel in central Kampala on Saturday (25). 

IAAF/LOC press conference highlights – IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017

The IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017 takes place at the Kololo Independence Grounds on Sunday (26), and you can follow all the action on the IAAF website.
<h3>Live action</h3>
<a href="http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-kampal-5837/timetable" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Live results</a>
<a href="http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-kampal-5837/live" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Live blog</a> (active during competition sessions)
<a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/radio/broadcast-schedule/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-kampal-5837">Live radio</a> (active during competition sessions)
<a href="http://twitter.com/iaaforg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Twitter updates</a>
IAAF app: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/it/app/iaaf.org/id681225974?l=en&amp;mt=8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">App Store</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.iaaf.applications.IAAF&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google Play</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/IAAF-IAAF-org/dp/B00ECCJL66/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1393595528&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=iaaf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Amazon appstore</a> If you already have the app, be sure to download the latest update to benefit from all the features.
<h3>Social media</h3>
Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/iaaforg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@iaaforg</a>
Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/WorldAthleticsClub" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IAAF World Athletics Club</a>
Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/iaaf_athletics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">iaaf_athletics</a>
Snapchat: iaaf_athletics
<h3>Coverage</h3>
<a href="http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-kampal-5837/news/preview" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Event-by-event previews</a>
<a href="http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-kampal-5837/news/report" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Event-by-event reports</a>
<a href="http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-kampal-5837/news/feature" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Athlete features</a>
<a href="http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-kampal-5837/multimedia" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Media gallery</a>
<a href="http://spikes.iaaf.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SPIKES</a>
<a href="http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-kampal-5837/athletes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Athletes</a>
<h3>Stats</h3>
<a href="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitioninfo/0963babe-54b8-4908-9932-358a00445069.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IAAF World Cross Country Championships Facts and Figures</a>
<a href="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitioninfo/e41e3ab7-561d-4c10-bc1f-6409064b8429.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Provisional entry lists</a>
<a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships/history" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Past results</a>
<a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-cross-country-permit/calendar/2017" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2016-2017 IAAF Cross Country Permit results</a>

The IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017 takes place at the Kololo Independence Grounds on Sunday (26), and you can follow all the action on the IAAF website.

Follow all the action at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017

Stephen Kiprotich may be better known for his accomplishments on the road, but the Ugandan distance running star has cross country in his blood.
Growing up in the rural and mountainous East African country, the 2012 Olympic and 2013 world marathon champion insists he has been weaned on running over the surface since childhood.
&ldquo;In Uganda we have a very strong tradition in cross country running,&rdquo; says Kiprotich. &ldquo;It has always been a key for any athlete preparing for track season. I have been competing in cross country from the start of my running career since I have been in school and it&rsquo;s very easy to find good places to train for cross country in Uganda.&rdquo;
<h3>Three U20 World Cross appearances set solid foundation</h3>
A highly gifted teenage athlete, Kiprotich made his debut at the 2006 World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. Competing in the U20 race at a windswept Seaside Park, he finished a respectable 24th and fourth counter for Uganda in what was a huge learning curve for the youngster.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Everything was new to me,&rdquo; he recalls. &ldquo;First time on a plane, first time in a hotel, first experience of a foreign language, first time to see so many people from different nationalities. I found it very interesting.
&ldquo;The race was tough as it was my first time competing in the winter; I didn&rsquo;t know about winter until then. I was happy with my performance as I was very proud to represent my country for the first time and gain international experience.&rdquo;
Twelve months later he returned for the 2007 edition of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, Kenya. In contrast to the cold of Fukuoka, athletes in Kenya faced sizzling temperatures of about 38C and humidity of 80%.
Despite the brutally tough conditions, Kiprotich stuck to his task to finish 19th behind Asbel Kiprop, the man who the next year would become Olympic 1500m champion and has subsequently gone on to become a three-time world 1500m champion.
&ldquo;I learned more in Mombasa as the conditions were so hot, and although so many people DNFd, this was a more difficult race,&rdquo; recalls Kiprotich.&nbsp;
With a growing level of maturity and experience, the Ugandan placed 12th in his final U20 experience at the 2008 edition of the World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh and picked up a team bronze medal.
He recalls the challenge of the connecting flight and long journey to the Scottish capital and the cold winter weather before the following year making his debut in the senior race at the 2009 event held in Amman, Jordan.&nbsp;
Facing the prospect of competing at the longer distance of 12km up from the 8km trip as an under-20 athlete, coupled with the additional challenge of higher quality athletes, it was no easy task.
However, on the Al Bisharat course, Kiprotich &ndash; still aged only 19 &ndash; produced a respectable run to finish 23rd behind Ethiopian Gebregziabher Gebremariam.
<h3>Punta Umbria helped form world and Olympic marathon champion</h3>
Kiprotich returned two years later to compete at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbria in Spain as preparation for his marathon debut just four weeks later in Enschede in the Netherlands.
And that day everything clicked as the Ugandan produced his most memorable cross-country outing to date, finishing just 17 seconds behind race winner Imane Merga of Ethiopia to place sixth. As the top Ugandan finisher, he led his country to a bronze medal finish in the team competition. It was an outstanding display and one he recalls with fondness.
&ldquo;For me, 2011 was great. The course, the weather, the race, my shape. At that time my coach Patrick Sang and my manager had planned a marathon debut for me, as I was an average track runner and didn&rsquo;t excel on that surface.
&ldquo;To me this performance was very motivating. I competed for the first time in my career at the highest level, battling for global medals. It confirmed what my coach and management have always told me, &lsquo;train hard, be committed to your goals and you&rsquo;ll achieve&rsquo;.&rdquo;
Buoyed by a new wave of confidence following this performance in Punta Umbria, just four weeks later &ndash; one day before his 22nd birthday &ndash; he blitzed to a Ugandan record of 2:07:20 to win his marathon debut in Enschede and so a great marathon career was born. &nbsp;
Later that year he placed eighth over the 42.2km distance at the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu. Then in 2012 he emerged as a superstar on the global running scene by storming to the Olympic marathon crown in London and 12 months later adding the world marathon title in Moscow.
With the 2017 IAAF World Cross Country Championships taking place in Kiprotich&rsquo;s homeland, the 27-year-old marathon great is buzzing with anticipation at the prospect of racing in Kampala. He believes the iconic event can act as the perfect springboard for his ambitions of running well at the Hamburg Marathon just four weeks later.
&ldquo;In the past I used to use cross as part of training towards the outdoor track season," explains Kiprotich. &ldquo;In my opinion, cross can serve as a build-up to compete on any surface or any competition. Whether you&rsquo;re preparing for road races, marathon or track, cross country will make you stronger and will make you a better athlete.&rdquo;
Steve Landells for the IAAF

Stephen Kiprotich may be better known for his accomplishments on the road, but the Ugandan distance running star has cross country in his blood.

World Cross memories – Stephen Kiprotich

With just three days to go before the athletics world's attention focuses fully on the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017, which takes place in the Ugandan capital on Sunday 26 March, our series of race previews have now been published.
<a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-kampal-5837/news/preview/men/senior-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&bull; Senior men</a> <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-kampal-5837/news/preview/women/senior-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&bull; Senior women</a> <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-kampal-5837/news/preview/men/u20-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&bull; U20 men</a> <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-kampal-5837/news/preview/women/u20-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&bull; U20 women</a> <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships-kampal-5837/news/preview/mixed/mixed-relay" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&bull; Mixed relay</a>
Further background information and complete coverage of the championships, including entry lists, previews, biographies, reports and results, can be found on our dedicated <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships">World Cross Country Championships competition mini-site</a>.
IAAF

With just four days to go before the athletics world's attention focuses fully on the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017, which takes place in the Ugandan capital on Sunday 26 March, our series of race previews begins today with a look at the men's U20, women's U20 and mixed relay competitions.

Race previews – IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017

Not since the five-year reign of Kenenisa Bekele from 2002 to 2006 has a senior man managed to win back-to-back world cross-country titles, but Geoffrey Kamworor will be aiming to do exactly that at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017 on Sunday 26 March.
Sunday&rsquo;s race will mark exactly one year since his triumph at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships Cardiff 2016, which also happens to be his most recent victory. In a somewhat disrupted past 12 months, Kamworor has raced just three times since then, finishing second over 5000m at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Eugene, placing 11th in the 10,000m at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and finishing third at last month&rsquo;s Kenyan Cross Country Championships.
But Kamworor isn&rsquo;t unduly concerned ahead of his title defence on Sunday. Cross country is one of his strengths, which he first displayed when winning the 2011 world U20 cross-country title. Combined with his ability to raise his game when it matters, Kamworor will be a formidable opponent in Kampala.
Leonard Barsoton won the senior men&rsquo;s race at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships, but that often counts for little when it comes to the World Cross. The last time the winner of the Kenyan Cross Country Championships went on to become the top Kenyan finisher at the World Cross Country Championships was back in 2007.
Nevertheless, the 2013 world U20 cross-country silver medallist should still be in the hunt for medals and will be keen to improve on his fifth-place finish from two years ago in Guiyang. Kampala&rsquo;s Kalolo Independence Grounds also holds good memories for Barsoton as it is where he won the 2014 African cross-country title.
Better known as a pace maker, Vincent Rono finished fourth at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships, just a few seconds behind Kamworor. He has never previously represented Kenya at an international championship, but now finally has a chance to shine as an athlete in his own right.
Leonard Komon took the senior men&rsquo;s silver medal back in 2008 and went on to break world records for 10km and 15km little more than two years later. After a few fallow years, Komon is regaining form and will be a valuable member of the Kenyan team on Sunday alongside Leonard Langat, Nicholas Kosimbei and Mark Bett.
Much like the curse of the Kenyan cross-country champion, the winner of the Ethiopian Cross Country Championships rarely goes on to be the country&rsquo;s top finisher at the World Cross. But national champion Getaneh Molla could be the man to break that trend.
Molla has never quite received the respect he deserves. National titles are hard to come by in Ethiopia, but Molla has four of them: two at 5000m and two at cross country. He also won the African Games 5000m title in 2015. But because he has never represented his country at a global championships, he is still a relatively unknown name internationally.
Team-mate Muktar Edris, meanwhile, is one of the more familiar faces on the international circuit. Two years after taking the U20 men&rsquo;s bronze medal at the 2013 World Cross Country Championships, he went on to win the same colour medal in the senior men&rsquo;s race just two years later in Guiyang. His results this year have been mixed, though. He won at the prestigious Campaccio meeting in January but finished a distant 40th at the Ethiopian Cross Country Championships, later complaining of &ldquo;injury and pain&rdquo; in the middle of the race.
Like Molla, Abadi Hadis could be on the verge of a breakthrough. He won the Ethiopian 10,000m title on his debut at the distance last year and went on to finish 15th in the event at the Olympic Games, aged just 19 at the time. He qualified for Kampala after finishing second to Molla in the trial race.
Mogos Tuemay and 2011 world 10,000m champion Ibrahim Jeilan are two of the more experienced members of the Ethiopian squad and will be aiming to help their country retain the senior men&rsquo;s team title.
<h3>Strong host nation hopes</h3>
The last time the World Cross was held in Africa also happens to be the last time an athlete outside of Ethiopia or Kenya won the senior men&rsquo;s race. If history were to repeat itself in that regard, then home favourite Joshua Cheptegei stands as good a chance as anyone at breaking up the traditional dominance.
The Ugandan won the world U20 10,000m title in 2014 but finished a somewhat disappointing 11th in the U20 men&rsquo;s race at the 2015 World Cross. He has improved significantly since then, though, finishing sixth in the 10,000m at last year&rsquo;s Olympics and winning the Ugandan cross-country title by a 22-second margin. He also convincingly beat a strong field at the Juan Muguerza meeting in January.
Should Cheptegei triumph on Sunday, he would become just the fourth senior men&rsquo;s winner to strike gold on home soil, joining the likes of 2001 winner Mohammed Mourhit of Belgium, 1985 winner Carlos Lopes of Portugal and 1979 winner John Treacy or Ireland.
Although he only finished fourth at the Ugandan Cross Country Championships in January, Timothy Toroitich won two high-quality international races in Spain earlier in the winter and has been named captain of the host nation&rsquo;s squad.
African cross-country silver medallist Phillip Kipyeko was runner-up to Cheptegei at the National Cross Country Championships and should bolster Uganda&rsquo;s chances of challenging for a team medal.
Bahrain took the team bronze medal two years ago in Guiyang and given the strength of their team this year, it wouldn&rsquo;t be a surprise if they were to repeat that performance.
Their team is led by Aweke Ayalew, who has finished no lower than second in all of his international races this past winter. Asian 5000m record-holder Albert Rop &ndash; who finished a close second to Mo Farah at the IAAF World Indoor Tour meeting in Birmingham last month &ndash; is also on the Bahraini team, alongside Abraham Cheroben and El Hassan Elabbassi.
USA&rsquo;s Leonard Korir heads to Kampala with an unbeaten record so far in 2017. He started the year with a triumph at the Great Edinburgh X-Country and followed it with victories at the Houston Half Marathon and the US Cross Country Championships. It may be a push for the US team to replicate their team silver medal from 2013, but they should at least be in contention for a podium spot.
Eritrea, as ever, will also be one of the strongest teams out on the course. Turkey, meanwhile, won&rsquo;t contend for team honours, but sole representative Polat Kemboi Arikan should figure among the lead pack.
Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

Not since the five-year reign of Kenenisa Bekele from 2002 to 2006 has a senior man managed to win back-to-back world cross-country titles, but Geoffrey Kamworor will be aiming to do exactly that at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017 on Sunday 26 March.

Senior men's preview – IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017

After Ethiopia prevented Kenya from winning a fifth successive senior women's team title two years ago in Guiyang, the east African powerhouse comes armed and ready to recoup from that loss and begin another streak at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017 on Sunday.
Heading the Kenyan squad is Agnes Tirop, the winner two years ago, who is bidding to become the first back-to-back champion since Tirunesh Dibaba in 2005-2006, before the championships shifted to its current biennial schedule.
The 21-year-old has struggled to distinguish herself since, however, although her fifth-place finish at the national championships last month was enough to earn the chance to defend her crown in a competition where she'll be part of a Kenyan all-star line-up.&nbsp;
There's Faith Kipyegon, just 23, and already the Olympic 1500m champion. While her Rio triumph was paved by world youth and junior titles over the distance, she's hardly a slouch off the track or at longer distances.
After a solid fourth-place showing in the junior race in her World Cross debut in 2010, she won back-to-back U20 titles in 2012 and 2013, and followed up with her first title in the senior ranks when she won the African crown in 2014.
This season she was second in San Giorgio su Lignano over 6km and third at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships over 10km.
Meanwhile, Alice Aprot brings solid credentials at 10,000m, having won the African Games title over the distance in 2015, the African title in 2016, and finishing fourth in Rio where her sub-30-minute run left her without a medal.
More recently, she won the always difficult Kenyan Prisons cross-country title in late January and finished fourth at the national championships a month ago to book her ticket to Kampala. This will be the 23-year-old's second appearance at a World Cross, after a ninth-place showing in the junior race in 2010. She also took the continental cross-country title last year.
Irene Cheptai brings experience with her third straight appearance in a Kenyan vest at these championships. The junior runner-up in 2008, she was 10th in the senior race in 2013 and seventh two year later. Boding well, she has won each of her three cross-country races this year, including the national title one month ago.
The squad also includes world steeplechase champion and Olympic silver medallist Hyvin Kiyeng, who is making her first appearance at the World Cross.
Meanwhile, Lilian Kasait, the 2013 world U18 champion at 3000m and still 19, finished second in both Eldoret and at the national championships to earn her spot.
And for good measure, the roster also includes Margaret Wambui, the world indoor and Olympic 800m bronze medallist.
The Ethiopian team is also potent, but by comparison, almost low-key.
<h3>Teferi leads Ethiopian hopes</h3>
Leading the squad is Senbere Teferi, who finished five seconds behind Tirop to take silver two years ago. Later that year she also took silver over 5000m at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015, and finished fifth over the distance in Rio last summer. She has impressed this cross-country season, taking victories in Seville and Elgoibar, Spain, on successive weekends in January.
Belaynesh Oljira, who&rsquo;ll be making her fifth straight appearance at a World Cross, brings the most experience after finishing 10th, fifth, third and ninth in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015.
Dera Dida, the runner-up in the junior race in Guiyang, returns for her first senior national team appearance. She has been busy on the roads; most recently she clocked a 1:08:06 lifetime best in January's Houston Half Marathon. Likewise with Gebeyanesh Ayele, the runner-up at January's Xiamen Marathon where she clocked 2:34:07.
Rounding out the team is Sentayehu Lewetegn, 20, runner-up at 5000m at the 2015 African Junior Championships, and 20-year-old Zerfie Limeneh whose best international appearance came at the African Cross Country Championships last year where she was seventh in the junior race.
Uganda finished third in the team race two years ago, and will be gunning for a similar performance on home soil. They'll need a strong performance from Mercyline Chelangat, still 19, who won the national title on this course in January to follow up her fourth-place finish in the 5000m at the World U20 Championships last July. Emily Chebet, who was part of the 2015 bronze medal team, returns as well.
Making a stronger case for a podium finish in the team hunt is Bahrain led by Olympic steeplechase champion Ruth Jebet. Ninth in the junior race two years ago, she has risen to an entirely different plane in the interim and could be a factor.
She will be backed up by Rose Chelimo, who was eighth in the Olympic marathon, Eunice Chumba, the Asian cross-country champion, and Bontu Rebitu, the world U20 5000m bronze medallist. In the latter half of January, Rebitu was third at the Cinque Mullini cross country and won in San Sebastian.
Elsewhere, the race will likely be among those with ambitions to break into the top 10, or at least, break through the east African wall.
Among the leading European hopes is Spanish champion Trihas Gebre, who also turned in top-three finishes in Amorbieta and Elgoibar in January.
Canada&rsquo;s Sasha Gollish arrives on the heels of her victory at the NACAC Championships.
Mao Ichiyama, 19, showed promise after winning the Japanese title last month.
Athletes from 34 countries are entered.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

After Ethiopia prevented Kenya from winning a fifth successive senior women's team title two years ago in Guiyang, the east African powerhouse comes armed and ready to recoup from that loss and begin another streak at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017 on Sunday.

Senior women's preview – IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017

While Kampala is expected to add to the rich tradition of IAAF World Cross Country Championships that now spans more than four decades, it will also add a new chapter from the moment the gun sounds the first race at the Kololo Independence Grounds on Sunday (26). That will signal the start of the inaugural mixed relay which will kick off the action-packed afternoon programme in the Ugandan capital.
The eight-kilometre race will be contested by teams composed of two men and two women who will each run a two-kilometre loop, in any order they wish. The runners will pass a wrist band that serves as the baton through a 20-metre long exchange, or takeover zone.
Quartets from a dozen countries have entered, but the maiden contest is expected to be a fierce battle between the world's two most dominant distance-running rivals, Kenya and Ethiopia, whose relay squads will arrive in Kampala powered by two of the best 1500m runners in history.
For the Kenyan quartet, that means Asbel Kiprop, a three-time world and 2008 Olympic champion over the distance who is hoping to collect another world cross gold to add to his triumph in the junior race in 2007 when he was just 17.
For Ethiopia, it means Genzebe Dibaba, the world 1500m world record-holder indoors and out, who'll be gunning for an eighth medal at these championships after having already added four gold, two silver and a bronze to her family's prodigious collection. With strong 3000m credentials &ndash; Dibaba has won two world indoor titles over the distance&nbsp;&ndash; it could be argued that she's best suited for 2000m, the distance she'll run here and the distance at which she set a world indoor best this winter.
Kiprop will team with Beatrice Chepkoech, the fourth-place finisher in the 3000m steeplechase at last year's Olympic Games; Winfred Nzisa Mbite, a World U20 Championships finalist last year; and 800/1500m runner Bernard Kipkorir Koros.
Dibaba meanwhile will join rising star Yomif Kejelcha, the 2014 world U20 champion and world indoor champion at 3000m; 17-year-old Welde Tufa, a fourth-place finisher at the 2015 World U18 Championships; and Bone Cheluke, a largely unknown quantity.
Hosts Uganda will bring a relatively experienced quartet to the line which includes World University Games 1500m champion Dorcus Ajok, Olympic 1500m finalist Ronald Musagala, national 800m record-holder Winnie Nanyondo and 800m runner Geofrey Ruto.
Others expected in the medal chase are Turkey, whose team card includes European 5000m and 10,000m champion Yasemin Can and 2015 European cross-country champion Ali Kaya.
The US squad, which includes Olympic 5000m silver medallist Paul Chelimo, could also figure in the medal hunt.
Besides national pride, there's also money on the line. A total prize pool of US$30,000 is on offer, with US$12,000 earmarked for the winning team. Here, the first four teams across the line will be awarded prize money.
So, will we see Kiprop and Dibaba, two of the generation's finest 1500m runners, going head-to-head? Possibly, but we won't know until race morning as the team&rsquo;s running order&nbsp;doesn't need to be declared until three hours before the start.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

While Kampala is expected to add to the rich tradition of IAAF World Cross Country Championships that now spans more than four decades, it will also add a new chapter from the moment the gun sounds the first race at the Kololo Independence Grounds on Sunday (26). That will signal the start of the inaugural mixed relay which will kick off the action-packed afternoon programme in the Ugandan capital.

Mixed relay preview – IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017

Gold medals in the U20 men&rsquo;s race proved to be just the beginning for the likes of Eliud Kipchoge, Kenenisa Bekele, Asbel Kiprop and Geoffrey Kamworor, so distance-running fans will understandably be keen to see which of the world&rsquo;s top teenage talents emerges as the victor at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017.
Many of the U20 men lining up on Sunday 26 March will have limited international experience, which makes predicting the outcome all the more difficult. But one certainty is that cross-country superpowers Kenya and Ethiopia will be prominent in the lead pack.
World U18 3000m champion Richard Kimunyan Yator won the U20 men&rsquo;s race by seven seconds at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships last month. Since the start of this year, he has been undefeated in U20 races and heads to the Ugandan capital full of confidence.
Fellow global champion Amos Kirui joins him on the Kenyan team. Kirui won the world U20 steeplechase title last year and, along with Yator, is one of the more experienced members of the Kenyan team.
World U20 5000m bronze medallist Wesley Ledama and African U20 cross-country silver medallist Ronald Kiprotich Kirui further bolster the Kenyan squad. Meshack Munguti Nzula and Edwin Kiplangat Bett are the least experienced members of the Kenyan team, but their respective second and fourth-place finishes at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships underlines their ability.
Tefera Mosisa leads the Ethiopian team, following his triumph at the National Cross Country Championships. He finished third behind Yator in the 3000m at the IAAF World Youth Championships Cali 2015 and will be seeking revenge in Kampala.
World U20 5000m champion Selemon Barega is also a genuine gold medal hope. He finished a close second to Mosisa at the Ethiopian Cross Country Championships and convincingly beat a strong senior field at the Cinque Mulini IAAF Cross Country Permit meeting earlier this year.
Namesake Selemon Berihun finished just two seconds behind Barega at the Ethiopian Cross Country Championships, while Amdework Walelegn &ndash; who finished fourth in the 10,000m at last year&rsquo;s World U20 Championships &ndash; was three seconds adrift of Berihun.
<h3>Team medals at stake</h3>
Since 1988, Kenya has won all but two of the team titles on offer in the U20 men&rsquo;s race, with Ethiopia breaking the Kenyan dominance in 1998 and 2013. Since 1985, only once has a team other than Kenya or Ethiopia finished in the top two in the U20 men&rsquo;s team competition, and that occurred when the championships was last held on African soil with Eritrea taking team silver in 2007.
The third spot on the podium tends to be more open and is often contested between the likes of Eritrea, Morocco and Uganda.
Nothing would delight the host nation more than to see their athletes picking up individual or team honours. World U20 10,000m bronze medallist Jacob Kiplimo perhaps represents their best chance of an individual medal after winning the U20 men&rsquo;s race by 28 seconds at the Ugandan Cross Country Championships.
Titus Kwemoi and Victor Kiplangat, the second and third-place finishers at their national championships, will help Uganda&rsquo;s chances of a team medal.
The Eritrean team is led by world U20 steeplechase silver medallist Yemane Hailesilassie, while Morocco&rsquo;s squad features national U20 cross-country champion Mohcin Outalha and world U20 steeplechase finalist Abdelkarim Ben Zahra.
Outside of the powerhouse nations, Brazil&rsquo;s sole representative Daniel do Nascimento could contend for the honour of being the first non-African runner past the finish line.
Several other nations, meanwhile &ndash; such as Spain, USA and Japan &ndash; should challenge for a top-six spot in the team contest.
Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

Gold medals in the U20 men’s race proved to be just the beginning for the likes of Eliud Kipchoge, Kenenisa Bekele, Asbel Kiprop and Geoffrey Kamworor, so distance-running fans will understandably be keen to see which of the world’s top teenage talents emerges as the victor at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017.

WORLD ATHLETICS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

With second world cross-country title secure, Kamworor now turns focus to London

Bursting from the shadows, Cheptai makes her presence known

Kamworor successfully defends senior men's title – IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017

Cheptai leads unprecedented top-six sweep for Kenya – IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017

Gidey cruises to second straight U20 women's title – IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017