Marta Alemayo on her way to winning the U20 women's race at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Belgrade 24 (© Adam Nurkiewicz)
Over the past 25 years, all 54 individual medals contested in the U20 women’s race at the World Cross Country Championships have been won by Kenyan or Ethiopian athletes. It would be a surprise if that trend did not continue in Tallahassee on 10 January.
Many eyes will be on defending champion Marta Alemayo when she takes to the start line. The Ethiopian was just 15 years old when she won in Belgrade two years ago and will aim to become only the fourth woman in history to win back-to-back world U20 cross-country titles.
Viola Kibiwot, Genzebe Dibaba, Faith Kipyegon and Letesenbet Gidey have previously achieved that feat, although only the latter two have done so since the championships switched to a biennial format, introducing a two-year gap between titles.
Alemayo finished third at the Ethiopian trials for the World Cross, but the two athletes who beat her were among 14 members of the Ethiopian squad to be denied US visas. As a result, Ethiopia will field just three athletes in the U20 women’s race in Tallahassee, ruling them out of the team contest, for which a minimum of four athletes is required to score. That brings to an end Ethiopia’s run of making the team podium at every edition since 1991.
Despite that, both of Alemayo’s teammates are genuine individual medal contenders and will be aiming to replicate the medal sweep Ethiopia achieved in 2024, 2015 and 2004.
On current form, Yenenesh Shimket is arguably the pre-race favourite. She was the fastest U20 athlete in the world over 3000m last year, clocking a PB of 8:32.01, and has since won World Athletics Cross Country Tour meetings in San Vittore Olona and Alcobendas, beating world and Olympic medallist Nadia Battocletti comfortably in the latter.
Shimket and Alemayo are joined on the Ethiopian team by steeplechase specialist Wosane Asefa, whose 9:20.83 PB made her the second-fastest U20 athlete in the world last year.
With Ethiopia unable to contend for team honours, Kenya looks well placed to regain the title it last won in 2013. Their team is led by Cynthia Chepkirui, who won the highly competitive Kenyan trials in October before beating a senior international field at the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting in Cardiff two weeks later.
Miriam Kibet and Lonah Cherono, second and third respectively at the trials, complete the Kenyan team.
Uganda, a three-time team bronze medallist over the past 16 years, has a realistic opportunity to finish in the top two. Their Tallahassee line-up is led by Charity Cherop, who will also be in contention for an individual medal.
After finishing 11th at the last World Cross and helping Uganda secure team bronze, Cherop went on to claim 5000m bronze at the World U20 Championships later that year. In 2025 she set national U20 records over 3000m (8:49.96) and 5000m (15:06.84). She is joined on the Ugandan team by Bentalin Yeko, the East African U20 3000m champion.
Japan has secured 19 team medals from the 29 editions of the U20 women’s race at the World Cross and should again be in the mix in Tallahassee. Their team is led by East Asian U20 5000m champion Mei Hosomi.
The host nation advantage could inspire the USA to repeat its team podium finish from 2023. The squad features Daniela Scheffler, who was second at the US Cross Country Championships behind Victoria Garces, who is no longer an U20 athlete.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
