Dominant Alemayo retains U20 title, Uganda wins historic team gold in Tallahassee

Marta Alemayo retained her U20 title with a dominant performance at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Tallahassee 26 on Saturday (10).

The 17-year-old became the fifth woman to win back-to-back world U20 cross-country titles, clocking 18:52 to win the 6km race by 26 seconds.

She led an Ethiopian top two as Wosane Asefa won a fierce battle for the silver medal, gritting her teeth to edge Uganda’s Charity Cherop, 19:18 to 19:19. With that third-place finish, Cherop became the first athlete from a nation other than Kenya or Ethiopia to make the U20 women's podium since the 2000 edition – also becoming Uganda's first ever women's individual medallist at the World Cross Country Championships.

With four athletes in the top 10, Cherop led Uganda to a historic team title ahead of Kenya and Japan. It was incredibly close and Uganda clinched the team crown on countback – becoming only the third nation after Kenya and Ethiopia to ever win this team gold since the U20 race was introduced at the World Cross Country Championships in 1989.

With just three Ethiopian athletes in action – short of the four needed for team scoring – the nation’s run of making the team podium at every edition since 1991 came to an end.

But Alemayo made sure her presence was felt in the individual race and she went straight to the fore, leading that Ethiopian trio through a first kilometre that included the ‘rollercoaster’ hill and sand pit in 3:02. 

A pack of eight broke away by the end of the first 2km loop, Alemayo joined by her compatriots Asefa and Yenenesh Shimket, Kenya’s Cynthia Chepkirui and Joan Chepkurui, and Uganda’s Cherop, Felister Chekwemoi and Bentalin Yeko.

Alemayo kicked as they started the second loop and that move broke up the lead pack. By the third kilometre the defending champion was joined only by Chepkirui and Asefa, with Cherop following them, four seconds back.

As they reached ‘Alligator Alley’, with its carved log obstacles, Alemayo cleared the barriers with the most ease and she started to move away from her rivals. She had a seven-second advantage as she started the final 2km loop and the title looked hers to lose.

Alemayo remained well ahead as she reached the sand and water pits for the final time, with Chepkirui and Asefa locked in battle behind her. But they were nowhere to be seen as Alemayo hurdled the logs for the last time and she ran unchallenged to reach the finish line in 18:52, raising her hands in the air and looking to the sky as she completed her successful title defence.

"I am very happy with my second consecutive gold medal and to be joined by Wosane on the podium," said Alemayo, who joined Viola Kibiwot, Genzebe Dibaba, Faith Kipyegon and Letesenbet Gidey in winning two consecutive U20 titles. "We trained in cooler weather at home so we had to adjust. That was the biggest difference from the 2024 World Championships. We prepared as a team and I am glad we won gold and silver today.

"My next plan is to run indoors and I hope to compete at the World Indoor Championships in March."

Cherop closed hard to catch the chasers but steeplechase specialist Asefa held on to secure the silver after a sprint finish. Cherop gained a historic bronze and Chepkirui finished fourth in 19:22. Shimket rounded out the top five in 19:35.

The Ethiopian, Ugandan and Kenyan team members clinched the first 13 places, followed by Japan’s Yui Onotora in 14th. Blair Bartlett was the top finisher for the host nation, placing 16th.

Jess Whittington for World Athletics

U20 WOMEN'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
🥇	Marta Alemayo (ETH)	18:52
🥈	Wosane Asefa (ETH)	19:18
🥉	Charity Cherop (UGA)	19:19
4	Cynthia Chepkirui (KEN)	19:22
5	Yenenesh Shimket (ETH)	19:35
6	Joan Chepkurui (KEN)	19:43
7	Bentalin Yeko (UGA)	19:50
8	Mercy Chepngeno (KEN)	19:52
9	Felister Chekwemoi (UGA)	19:53
10	Peace Chebet (UGA)	19:54
Full results

 

U20 WOMEN'S TEAM RESULTS
🥇	Uganda	29
🥈	Kenya	29
🥉	Japan	87
Full results