Jacob Kiplimo at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Belgrade 24 (© Getty Images)
The World Athletics Cross Country Championships Tallahassee 26 may take place just 10 days into 2026, but the anticipated clash in the senior men’s race could stand up as one of the most compelling distance races of the entire year.
At the centre of it all stands Jacob Kiplimo, already one of the defining cross-country runners of his era and now chasing a rare slice of sporting immortality. Victory in Tallahassee would make the Ugandan just the fourth man in history to win three successive world cross-country titles, a feat previously achieved by John Ngugi, Paul Tergat and Kenenisa Bekele.
Since winning his second world cross-country title in 2024, Kiplimo has raced sparingly on the track and instead has focused more on the roads. Last year he placed second at the London Marathon in 2:03:37 on his debut at the distance, then went on to win the Chicago Marathon in a national record of 2:02:23, making him the seventh fastest man in history.
He hasn’t raced since then and will arrive in Tallahassee with fresh legs and the motivation to make history.
Berihu Aregawi has followed Kiplimo home for silver at both the 2023 and 2024 editions of the World Cross Country Championships, but the margins tell their own story. Nine seconds separated the pair in 2023; that gap shrank to just three seconds in 2024. It is a narrowing that hints at a rivalry reaching boiling point and at the tantalising possibility that the balance could yet tip.
The Ethiopian arrives in Tallahassee with unfinished business and the knowledge that, on his day, he has the strength and speed to finally deny Kiplimo a hat-trick. Having already won four global silver medals – two at cross country, one outdoors (10,000m at the 2024 Olympics) and one indoors (3000m at the 2025 World Indoor Championships) – the 24-year-old is long overdue a first global gold.
Ethiopia’s depth ensures that Aregawi will not be carrying the nation’s hopes alone. Bereket Nega emerged victorious at the Jan Meda Cross Country, which doubled as the Ethiopian trials, stamping his authority in a race that also saw Aregawi, Tadese Worku and Hagos Eyob finish close behind. That quartet gives Ethiopia a formidable blend of endurance, tactical nous and championship experience, keeping them firmly in the frame for the team title.
But Kenya – winner of the team title for the past two editions – brings a squad built for relentless pressure. World half marathon silver medallist Daniel Ebenyo leads the charge after a convincing victory at the Kenyan trials, supported by Kevin Chesang, Denis Kemboi and Shadrack Koech. With the Florida course expected to reward strength as much as speed, Kenya’s ability to apply sustained pressure over the closing laps could be crucial.
Uganda has made the team podium at the past four editions, but this year they’ll be without 2019 world cross-country champion Joshua Cheptegei. Dan Kibet, who finished 11th in 2024, should bolster Uganda’s chances alongside Kiplimo.
Beyond the traditional powerhouses, the contenders list reads like a roll call of modern distance running. World 10,000m champion Jimmy Gressier suffered a narrow defeat at last month’s European Cross Country Championships, where Spain’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo went on to take gold. They will both be in Tallahassee, ready not only to renew their continental rivalry but also to challenge for individual honours. Gressier is joined on the French team by 2023 European cross-country champion Yann Schrub.
Canada’s 2021 Olympic 5000m silver medallist Moh Ahmed makes his first appearance at the World Cross since 2013. World and Olympic finalist Adriaan Wildschutt, who holds the South African records from 3000m up to the half marathon, makes his World Cross debut. Australia’s Ky Robinson, who finished fourth over 5000m at last year’s World Championships, could also be one to watch.
Other contenders include Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay, runner-up at the 2023 Boston Marathon and 2022 Valencia Marathon, and Burundi’s Celestin Ndikumana, a regular on the World Athletics Cross Country Tour.
The US team is led by Parker Wolfe, the national champion, alongside Rocky Hansen, Wesley Kiptoo and outdoor US 5000m record-holder Nico Young. The home soil advantage could inspire them to a prominent team finish.
As ever in cross country, conditions, tactics and the willingness to suffer will shape the outcome. Yet all roads appear to lead back to Kiplimo and Aregawi, two athletes separated by seconds, history and an ever-tightening rivalry.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
