Gold Level XC Meet

Silver Level XC Meet

Bronze Level XC Meet

2024/25

2023/24

2022/23

2021/22

Castlegar International Cross Country

TCS Lidingöloppet

Autumn Open International

70º Cross Internacional Zornotza

68º Cross Internacional de San Sebastián

92nd Cinque Mulini

Cross international Le Maine Libre-Allonnes-Sarthe

XLII Cross Internacional de Itálica

Festival du Cross-Country

Cross Champs

Cross Internacional de Alcobendas - Comunidad de Madrid

International Warandecross Tilburg

Amurrioko Nazioarteko Krosa - Cross Internacional de Amurrio

XXXVII Cross Internacional Ciudad de Valladolid

58th White Cross

XLI Cross Internacional de Italica

World Athletics Cross Country Tour

Rodrigue Kwizera wins the Cross Internacional de Soria

Nancy Chepleting wins in Calzadilla

Beatrice Chebet wins the Cinque Mulini

Edinah Jebitok notched up her third Gold-level victory in this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour while Yves Nimubona became the first Rwandan man to win at the Energyvision CrossCup Hannut on Sunday (21).
The two races played out in contrasting fashion, Jebitok taking the women&rsquo;s title by a 39-second margin, and Nimubona holding off a strong challenge from Eritrea&rsquo;s Merhawi Mebrahtu to win the men&rsquo;s race by one second.
In freezing conditions with snow covering the 9km course, Jebitok didn&rsquo;t hang around. Fellow Kenyans Pamela Kosgei and Faith Chepkoech did their best to stay with her in the first kilometre, but Jebitok soon made a break from her opponents and set off on a solo run.
With Jebitok pushing the pace out in front, the rest of the field soon became strung out behind her. Kosgei held on to second place throughout, but Britain&rsquo;s Megan Keith reeled in Chepkoech after 20 minutes to move into third place.
Jebitok was away and clear, though, and crossed the line in 31:01. Kosgei was a comfortable runner-up in 31:40, eight seconds clear of Keith. Chepkoech placed fourth in 32:34.
In the men&rsquo;s race, a five-man pack emerged on the first lap comprising Nimubona, Mebrahtu, Kibet Kandie, Guillaume Grimard and Rogers Kibet.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/65ad5606ed4c8e8ec1949d34.jpg" alt="Eventual winner Yves Nimubona leads the pack in Hannut" />
Eventual winner Yves Nimubona leads the pack in Hannut (&copy; AFP / Getty Images)
</div>
At the half-way point, Nimubona, Mebrahtu and Kandie had broken away to form a lead trio. Further back, Urugray&rsquo;s Santiago Catroffe had moved past Grimard into fourth place.
With 22 minutes on the clock, Mebrahtu moved into lead. Kandie had dropped back by this point, but Nimubona stayed on Mebrahtu&rsquo;s shoulder.
At the bell, Kandie was no longer in contention for victory but still had a comfortable lead over the rest of the field. With less than two minutes of running remaining, Nimubona regained the lead. Mebrahtu stayed close behind, but Nimubona kicked once the finish line was in sight and won in 28:29.
Mebrahtu finished one second behind, while Kandie took third place in 28:42, just holding off a fast-finishing Catroffe by one second.
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women (9km) 1 Edinah Jebitok (KEN) 31:01 2 Pamela Kosgei (KEN) 31:40 3 Megan Keith (GBR) 31:48 4 Faith Chepkoech (KEN) 32:34 5 Jana van Lent (BEL) 33:18 6 Lili Anna Vindics-Toth (HUN) 33:46
Men (9km) 1 Yves Nimubona (RWA) 28:29 2 Merhawi Mebrahtu (ERI) 28:30 3 Kibet Kandie (KEN) 28:42 4 Santiago Catroffe (URU) 28:43 5 Guillaume Grimard (BEL) 28:56 6 Isaac Kimeli (BEL) 29:14

Edinah Jebitok notched up her third Gold-level victory in this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Tour

Jebitok and Nimubona victorious in Hannut

Belgium&rsquo;s Isaac Kimeli will look to go one better than his runner-up finish last year while Kenya&rsquo;s Edinah Jebitok will target another World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting triumph at the CrossCup in Hannut on Sunday (21).
Kimeli finished second behind Yann Schrub of France when they raced in the snow-covered Belgian city in 2023. Kimeli&rsquo;s compatriot Guillaume Grimard was third on that occasion and the pair clash again over 9km in Hannut, but this time they will go up against a field including Uganda&rsquo;s Rogers Kibet, Rwanda&rsquo;s Yves Nimubona and Burundi&rsquo;s Egide Ntakarutimana.
Nimubona and Ntakarutimana opened their 2024 cross country campaigns at the Campaccio in San Giorgio su Legnano, Italy, on 6 January, respectively finishing third and fourth. Nimubona then raced over 10km on the roads in Valencia a week later, clocking a PB of 27:49.
Kibet was also in PB form in Valencia, finishing six spots ahead of Nimubona in eighth place, clocking 27:07. The 20-year-old finished 15th at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst last February.
Grimard is back in action after finishing sixth in San Giorgio su Legnano behind&nbsp;Nimubona and Ntakarutimana, while Kimeli will also be seeking a strong performance on home soil when he makes his season debut. After finishing second in Hannut last year, he went on to finish 13th in the 10,000m at the World Championships in Budapest and then 11th at the European Cross Country Championships in Brussels towards the end of the year.
In the women&rsquo;s 9km race, Jebitok has the chance to add another Cross Country Tour Gold meeting win to her CV this season, after her victories in Seville in November and Venta de Banos in December.
The 22-year-old, who placed eighth in Bathurst last year, then raced at the Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza in Elgoibar on 7 January and finished second there, just two seconds behind her Kenyan compatriot Beatrice Chebet, the world cross country champion.
Pamela Kosgei was also a medallist in Bathurst, having claimed bronze in the U20 women&rsquo;s race, and the 19-year-old is entered alongside her compatriot Jebitok for the race in Hannut.
They will be joined on the start line by Britain&rsquo;s Megan Keith, who finished third in Hannut last year and went on to win European U23 titles in the 5000m in July and cross country in December.
Like Kibet and Nimubona, 21-year-old Keith raced on the roads in Valencia and ran a PB of 31:22.
The field in Hannut also features Italy&rsquo;s Giovanna Selva and Hungary&rsquo;s Lili Anna Vindics-Toth, who placed third and fourth respectively at the Campaccio, plus Kenya&rsquo;s Faith Chepkoech and Belgium&rsquo;s Jana Van Lent.
<a href="https://www.runningresults.be/evenementen/2024crosscuphannut/271349deelnemersen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Entry lists</a>

Isaac Kimeli will look to go one better than his runner-up finish last year while Edinah Jebitok will target another World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting triumph

Jebitok and Kimeli eye CrossCup crowns in Hannut

World cross-country champion Beatrice Chebet and world cross-country silver medallist Berihu Aregawi lived up to their status as pre-race favourites by capturing commanding wins at the Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza &ndash; a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting &ndash; in the Spanish town of Elgoibar on Sunday (7).
The rain created a muddy surface and led to gruelling conditions, but Chebet managed to pull away in the closing stages, while Aregawi achieved his first cross-country victory on Spanish soil.
Newly-minted world 5km record-holder Chebet took command of the women's 7.62km race from the start and covered the opening lap on the track in 1:18 with just compatriots Edinah Jebitok and Grace Nawowuna plus Ethiopia's Asmarech Anley for company. British trio Lauren Hall, Sarah Astin and Niamh Brown were three seconds behind while Spain&rsquo;s Irene S&aacute;nchez-Escribano, Carolina Robles and Isabel Barreiro ran another couple of seconds adrift.
Chebet's relentless pace &ndash; 3:19 and 3:21 for the first two kilometres on a far from ideal circuit &ndash; soon paid off and Anley could not live with that pace, leaving the Kenyan contingent as a lead trio out in front. Chebet gradually increased her speed and clocked 7:02 for the penultimate lap, but 2021 Elgoibar winner Jebitok and Nawowuna still remained at her shoulder.
Just before the bell, Nawowuna &ndash; who finished fourth at last year&rsquo;s World Cross &ndash; briefly took the lead, but Chebet soon regained pole position. A struggling Anley, meanwhile, was overtaken on the last lap by the leading British and Spanish runners.
The key move came with one kilometre remaining when Chebet broke away from her compatriots to cover the final lap in 6:54, securing her first victory in Elgoibar in what was her third appearance. Jebitok dropped Nawowuna in the final kilometre to finish second, two seconds behind Chebet. Much further back, Britain&rsquo;s Brown claimed fourth place.
&ldquo;It was tough as the rain appeared just before the race but I'm satisfied with my Spanish tour as I managed a world record and my first win at such prestigious race like this,&rdquo; said Chebet, whose next race will be in Eldoret on 3 February before she turns her attention to defending her world cross-country title in Belgrade.
Spanish duo Adel Mechaal and Fernando Carro led during the early stages of the men&rsquo;s 9.71km contest. They covered the opening lap of the track in 1:08 with the main favourites in hot pursuit; Mechaal still led by the end of the initial 1km loop but he was being followed closely by Aregawi, Carro, Burundi's Rodrigue Kwizera, Morocco's world and Olympic steeplechase champion Soufiane El Bakkali, his compatriot Abderrahmane Aferdi and Kenya's world U20 cross-country champion Ishmael Kipkurui.
Before the leading pack completed the first big 2.2km big lap in 6:38, Aferdi and Carro had lost ground and five men remained at the helm: Mechaal, Aregawi, El Bakkali, Kwizera and Kipkurui. Roughly 14 minutes into the race, Aregawi moved into the lead for the first time, and his change of cadence forced his opponents to run in single file.
Just two minutes later, Aregawi had built a three-second gap on Kipkurui, El Bakkali and Kwizera with Mechaal further adrift by a couple of seconds.
Aregawi continued to extend his lead on the penultimate lap, but behind him the positions changed between El Bakkali, Kwizera, Kipkurui and Mechaal. By the bell, Aregawi&rsquo;s lead had grown to 70 metres, while his four closest challengers had regrouped as a chasing quartet. He threw in a speedy 2:50 kilometre, but then eased down in the closing stages, safe in the knowledge that he&rsquo;d done enough to win.
Aregawi eventually crossed the line in 30:30. In the battle for the remaining podium places, Kwizera broke away to leave behind El Bakkali, Kipkurui and Mechaal. The Burundian took second place in 30:34, two seconds ahead of El Bakkali.
Kipkurui settled for fourth, just one second behind El Bakkali, while Mechaal completed the top five. Spain's three-time world triathlon champion Mario Mola, who in recent months has focused on running, finished a fine 10th.
&ldquo;The course was extremely tough, so I preferred to be cautious for the first half,&rdquo; said Aregawi, who also intends to compete at the World Cross in Belgrade on 30 March before turning his attention to the Olympic Games.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women (7.6km) 1 Beatrice Chebet (KEN) 26:08 2 Edinah Jebitok (KEN) 26:10 3 Grace Nawowuna (KEN) 26:25 4 Niamh Brown (GBR) 27:55 5 Sarah Astin (GBR) 28:06 6 Lauren Hall (GBR) 28:12 7 Carolina Robles (ESP) 28:26 8 Isabel Barreiro (ESP) 28:32 9 Irene S&aacute;nchez-Escribano (ESP) 28:32 10 Asmarech Anley (ETH) 28:44
Men (9.7km) 1 Berihu Aregawi (ETH) 30:30 2 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 30:34 3 Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) 30:36 4 Ishmael Kipkurui (KEN) 30:37 5 Adel Mechaal (ESP) 30:43 6 Nassim Hassaous (ESP) 31:22 7 Daniel Arce (ESP) 31:33 8 Abderrahmane Aferdi (MAR) 31:38 9 David Bascunana (ESP) 32:20 10 Mario Mola (ESP) 32:22

World cross-country champion Beatrice Chebet and world cross-country silver medallist Berihu Aregawi lived up to their status as pre-race favourites

Chebet and Aregawi the victors in Elgoibar

Double world silver medallist Daniel Simiu Ebenyo and Burundi&rsquo;s Francine Niyomukunzi took the honours at the Campaccio, a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting, in San Giorgio su Legnano on Saturday (6).
On the first lap, Ebenyo was part of a 10-man lead pack alongside Uganda&rsquo;s Oscar Chelimo, Burundi&rsquo;s Celestin Ndikumana, Yves Nimubona and Edide Ntakaturimana, and several of the leading Italian contenders.
Chelimo was the first to attempt an attack, kicking ahead over a hilly part of the course on the second lap, but Ebenyo soon closed the gap. The lead duo opened up a lead over their pursuers on the third lap with Nimubona following a few metres behind in third place ahead of compatriot Ntakaturimana.
Ebenyo and Chelimo continued to run alongside one another until the fifth and final lap. The world 10,000m and half marathon silver medallist increased his pace to open up a lead on Chelimo on the last lap.
The Kenyan finished strongly and crossed the finish line in 29:16, six seconds ahead of Chelimo.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy that I won this race over a challenging course,&rdquo; said Ebenyo after contesting his first cross-country race in Europe. &ldquo;I knew that I was in good shape after breaking the world 25km best in Kolkata. I really enjoyed this race. The crowd cheered me on along the course, and I hope to return here next year.&rdquo;
Ebenyo aims to compete at the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade on 30 March, but first he&rsquo;ll have to secure his place on the Kenyan team. After that, he will target a fast half marathon clocking in April.
In similar fashion to the men&rsquo;s contest, the women&rsquo;s race soon became a two-person affair. Burundi&rsquo;s Francine Niyomukunzi and Italy&rsquo;s European cross-country silver medallist Nadia Battocletti were part of a four-woman lead group through the first 2km, covered in 6:54.
Battocletti moved into the lead on the second lap, closely followed by Niyomukunzi, and they went through 4km in 13:25 with a nine-second lead over Giovanna Selva. With one kilometre to go, Niyomukunzi increased her pace and build up a solid lead over Battocletti.
The Burundian finished strongly to win in 19:42, holding off Battocletti by four seconds. Selva finished third in 20:31.
Niyomukunzi, who lives and trains in Italy for most of the year, finished ninth in the 5km at the World Road Running Championships in Riga and improved her PBs in the 3000m, in the 5000m and 10,000m during a successful 2023 season.
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t think I was going to win,&rdquo; said Niyomukunzi. &ldquo;I am very emotional.&rdquo;
Diego Sampaolo for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Francine Niyomukunzi (BDI) 19:42 2 Nadia Battocletti (ITA) 19:46 3 Giovanna Selva (ITA) 20:31 4 Anna Vindics Toth (HUN) 20:50 5 Rebecca Lonedo (ITA) 21:00 6 Michela Cesar&ograve; (ITA) 21:27 7 Sara Nestola (ITA) 21:30 8 Neide Dias (POR) 21:57 9 Adele Roatta (ITA) 22:23
Men 1 Daniel Ebenyo (KEN) 29:16 2 Oscar Chelimo (UGA) 29:22 3 Yves Nimubona (BDI) 29:44 4 Edide Ntakaturimana (BDI) 29:53 5 Celestin Ndikumana (BDI) 29:54 6 Guillaume Grimard (BEL) 30:13 7 Mohamed Jhinaoui (TUN) 30:13 8 Iliass Aouani (ITA) 30:31 9 Pasquale Selvarolo (ITA) 30:39 10 Luca Alfieri (ITA) 30:44 10 Dhahri Rhab (Tunisia) 22:29

Double world silver medallist Daniel Simiu Ebenyo and Burundi’s Francine Niyomukunzi took the honours at the Campaccio

Ebenyo and Niyomukunzi triumph at Campaccio

Kenya's Beatrice Chebet and Ethiopia's Berihu Aregawi will be the marquee athletes at the Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza &ndash; the 10th World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting of the season &ndash; in the Spanish town of Elgoibar on Sunday (7).&nbsp;
Both distance stars proved that they are in top form on the roads last Sunday as Chebet set a world 5km record in Barcelona thanks to a 14:13 performance while Aregawi captured a commanding 10km win in Madrid timed at 27:15.
The women's 7.62km contest pits world cross country champion Chebet against her fellow Kenyan Edinah Jebitok. The 23-year-old Chebet made her debut in Elgoibar four years ago when, still 19, she finished as runner-up, only beaten by Hellen Obiri.&nbsp;
The world 5000m bronze medallist returned to Elgoibar in 2022 as the pre-race favourite but had to settle for second again behind Jebitok, so Chebet will be eager to take revenge on this occasion.&nbsp;
Sunday's race will mark Chebet&rsquo;s third appearance this season following her convincing wins in Atapuerca (29 October) and Barcelona (31 December).
As for Jebitok, who finished eighth at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, she is enjoying a fantastic cross country campaign as the 22-year-old kicked off her season with a third spot in Atapuerca prior to a winning streak of four races in San Sebastian (5 November), Seville (12), Eldoret (2 December) and Venta de Banos (17).&nbsp;
Another top Kenyan will be in contention as 20-year-old Grace Nawowuna is also in the line-up. The fourth-place finisher in Bathurst, who is holder of a remarkable 29:47.42 10,000m performance, should improve on her outing in Eldoret last month, when she could not go beyond seventh place, more than one minute adrift of Jebitok.
Ethiopia's Asmarech Anley will have the tough task of preventing a Kenyan sweep of the podium. The 18-year-old showed fine form over 10km last weekend in Madrid by taking second place thanks to a 30:31 clocking and should be a dangerous outsider on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Spanish trio of European cross country eighth-place finisher Irene Sanchez-Escribano, Olympic 3000m steeplechase finalist Carolina Robles and Isabel Barreiro will be aiming for strong performances alongside the British duo of Lauren McNeil and Sarah Astin.
<h2>Aregawi-Kwizera showdown</h2>
The men's 9.7km contest also boasts a mouth-watering field topped by Ethiopia's world cross country silver medallist Aregawi, fresh from a commanding win at the San Silvestre Vallecana last Sunday ahead of Spain's world 5000m silver medallist Mo Katir.
After three successful appearances on the roads, the world 5km record-holder will compete in cross country on Spanish soil for the first time.&nbsp;
His toughest opponent should be last year's World Athletics Cross Country Tour winner Rodrigue Kwizera of Burundi. The 24-year-old Spain-based athlete took eighth place at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst and was seventh over 10,000m at the World Championships in Budapest. Sunday will mark his fifth outing this cross country season, with two third places (Atapuerca and Seville) and another couple of victories (Soria and Alcobendas) under his belt.
Competing on the day of his 28th birthday, Soufiane El Bakkali should also be a factor on Sunday. The Moroccan has won the last three major gold medals in his specialist 3000m steeplechase as he triumphed at the Tokyo Olympics plus the Oregon and Budapest World Championships.&nbsp;
El Bakkali enjoyed an unbeaten season of five wins in steeplechase finals last year, capped by his world title and his impressive lifetime best of 7:56.68 set in Rabat. Despite not being a renowned cross country specialist, the Moroccan star will try to get a podium place but Kenya's world U20 cross country champion Ishmael Kipkurui will also be on show and should be a fierce rival.
The local contingent includes the in-form Aaron Las Heras, who came third at the San Silvestre Vallecana thanks to a 27:52 clocking. The US-based Spaniard will try to improve on his fifth place last year but he will take on Adel Mechaal, third on that occasion, and Morocco's Abderrahmane Afendi, fourth last year.&nbsp;
In addition to the elite events, there will be strong U20 races with representatives from Great Britain, Belgium, France and Portugal in the fight for the Mamo Wolde prize, an award created in 2003 in memory of Ethiopia&rsquo;s legendary Olympic marathon champion. He is fondly remembered in Elgoibar after winning four times in the 1960s.
Weather forecasters predict a rainy and cold race day, with temperatures ranging between 6-8 &deg;C at the time of the event.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

Kenya's Beatrice Chebet and Ethiopia's Berihu Aregawi will be the marquee athletes at the Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza

Chebet and Aregawi form part of formidable field in Elgoibar

Kenya&rsquo;s Daniel Simiu Ebenyo starts as the pre-event&nbsp;men&rsquo;s race favourite at the 67th edition of the Campaccio-International Cross Country, the Italian leg of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold series, in San Giorgio su Legnano on Saturday (6).
Ebenyo secured sixth place at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst last February and went on to win silver medals in the 10,000m at the World Championships in Budapest and in the half marathon at the World Road Running Championships in Riga.
The 28-year-old last raced on 17 December in Kolkata where he won the 25km event in a world best of 1:11:13 and he will be looking to carry that form through to 2024.
Among those wanting to challenge him will be Uganda&rsquo;s Oscar Chelimo, who will make his third appearance at the Campaccio after finishing third in 2021 and fourth in 2022. Chelimo, the younger brother of Jacob Kiplimo, won world 5000m bronze in Oregon in 2022 and finished third in the Cross Internacional de San Sebastian, a World Cross Country Tour Silver event, in November.&nbsp;
Celestin Ndikumana and Egide Ntakarutimana from Burundi will be looking to follow in the footsteps of their compatriot Rodrigue Kwizera, who won last year&rsquo;s race in San Giorgio su Legnano. Ndikumana claimed victory in the World Cross Country Tour Gold race in Amorebieta, while Ntakarutimana finished fifth in last year&rsquo;s edition of the Campaccio.
The Italian challenge is led by marathon runners Nekagenet Crippa, Iliass Aouani and Yohanes Chiappinelli. Crippa, who is the elder brother of Yeman Crippa, finished sixth in the Rome Marathon with 2:12:11 on his debut over this distance and improved his PB to 2:07:35 in Valencia in December, achieving a qualifying standard for the Olympic Games in Paris.
Aouani ran 2:08:34 on his marathon debut in Milan in 2022 and improved Eyob Faniel&rsquo;s Italian record to 2:07:16 in Barcelona in 2023 before finishing seventh at the New York Marathon in 2:10:54. He finished sixth in 2021 and eighth in 2022 in his previous two appearances at the Campaccio.
Chiappinelli, the 2018 European 3000m steeplechase bronze medallist, ran 2:09:46 on his marathon debut in Seville and finished 11th at the World Championships in Budapest in August.
The line-up of Italian runners is completed by Ala Zoghlami, a four-time Italian champion in the 3000m steeplechase.
The women&rsquo;s race features Italian distance running star Nadia Battocletti, who won silver at the European Cross Country Championships in Brussels in December on her debut in the senior category following her gold medals in the U20 category in 2018 and 2019 and in the U23 category in 2021 and 2022. Prior to that race in Brussels, she finished fifth in the 5km at the World Road Running Championships in Riga with a national record of 14:45.&nbsp;
Last weekend Battocletti won the 5km Boclassic in Bolzano, beating Nelly Chepchirchir and Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi to become the first Italian athlete to win the event since Maria Curatolo in 1988.&nbsp;
Her challengers this time include Francine Niyomukunzi from Burundi, who finished ninth in the 5km at the World Road Running Championships and improved her PB to 8:44.18 in the 3000m in Xiamen last September. Niyomukunzi&rsquo;s compatriot Micheline Niyomahoro will make her debut at Campaccio.
Other Italian contenders are Anna Arnaudo, the European U23 silver medallist in the 10,000m in 2021 and Italian half marathon champion in 2023; Federica Del Buono, European indoor bronze medallist in the 1500m in Prague in 2015; Valentina Gemetto, who finished third at the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold event in Soria; Giovanna Selva, European U23 team gold medallist in 2021 and fourth at the Boclassic; and Sara Nestola, European U23 silver medallist in the 10,000m.
Diego Sampaolo for World Athletics

Kenya’s Daniel Simiu Ebenyo starts as the pre-event men’s race favourite at the 67th edition of the Campaccio-International Cross Country

Ebenyo and Battocletti on hunt for Campaccio crowns

Kenya's Edinah Jebitok and Spain's Abdessamad Oukhelfen captured wins at the Cross Internacional de Venta de Ba&ntilde;os, the ninth Gold level meeting of this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour, on Sunday (17).
Racing on a cold day, Jebitok became an overwhelming victor, as she was two years ago, while Oukhelfen finished just one second ahead of his compatriot Fernando Carro.
The women's 9300m contest witnessed a solo run by the World Cross Country Championships eighth-place finisher Jebitok. The 22-year-old pushed hard from the gun to become a lonesome leader with 50 seconds on the clock. After the opening 1100m small lap, Jebitok had built a five-second lead on USA'S Katie Izzo and Ethiopia's Asayech Ayichew, while Kenya's Maurine Jemutai ran in fourth another two seconds adrift.
Jebitok covered the first 2200m big lap in 7:20 to extend her lead to 14 seconds over Izzo and Ayichew, the US athlete taking on most of the pacing duties. The pair of Jemutai and Hungary's Lili Anna Vindics-Toth travelled 45 seconds in arrears but five seconds clear of a Spanish group comprising Cristina Espejo, Cristina Ruiz, Marta Garcia and Angela Viciosa &ndash; all of them team medallists at last weekend's European Cross Country Championships in Brussels &ndash; plus Isabel Barreiro.
The leader's second loop was a slightly slower 7:30 but even so she increased her advantage to 21 seconds on Izzo and Ayichew, themselves 48 seconds clear of the Spanish group which had caught Vindics-Toth, while Jemutai began to falter and was never a factor. Jebitok covered the penultimate circuit in 7:35 to strenghten her margin to 30 seconds over the chasing tandem now headed by Ayichew, while the five Spaniards plus Vindics-Toth ran 1:34 behind the helm.
Over the closing lap Jebitok injected a brisker rhythm to further extend her leading margin, while Ayichew got rid of Izzo midway through that circuit and Vindics-Toth couldn't maintain the cadence of the five Spanish athletes.
At the tape the World Championships 1500m semifinalist Jebitok had built a 42-second advantage on Ayichew following a final 7:14 lap, the quickest by far. Izzo completed the podium 15 seconds behind Ayichew and the 21-year-old Viciosa, daughter of the 1998 European 5000m champion Isaac Viciosa, finished fourth another 57 seconds behind to become the first local athlete home after breaking away from Ruiz.
"It was a cold day but I felt fine throughout," said&nbsp;Jebitok. "I'll next race on 7 January in Elgoibar before coming back home to build up for the Kenyan trials for the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade."
<h2>Carro and Aferdi carve out race, Oukhelfen prevails</h2>
The men's 9300m event kicked off with an early lead by Carro, the Spanish 3000m steeplechase record-holder (8:05:69), closely followed by France's Fabien Palcau, who was a late addition to the field, and Morocco's Abderrahmane Afendi. They travelled a couple of seconds ahead of Oukhelfen, Aaron Las Heras, Abderrahman El Khayami and David Bascunana.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/657f42ed30266a10bee46853.jpeg" alt="Abdessamad Oukhelfen on his way to victory in Venta de Ba&ntilde;os" />
Abdessamad Oukhelfen on his way to victory in Venta de Ba&ntilde;os (&copy; Asociacion ADOC)
</div>
The opening 2200m lap was timed at 6:57, with Carro and Afendi always at the helm, Palcau in third and the rest of the Spanish athletes in close attendance. After another 6:49 circuit, first El Khayami and then Las Heras lost ground while Oukhelfen moved to the front for the first time.
The key move came exactly 19:30 into the race when Oukhelfen began to push hard and managed to break away from Afendi, Carro and Palcau. The leader's penultimate loop took a frantic 6:34 to produce an eight-second margin on the trio by the bell.
Over the closing lap attention moved to the fierce battle for the other places on the podium. Inside the final kilometre, Afendi&nbsp;lost touch with Carro and&nbsp;Palcau, whose stiff fight closed the gap on the leader.
At the tape, a relaxed Oukhelfen controlled his finish and his win was never at risk. The 24-year-old clocked 30:16, one second clear of Carro and&nbsp;Palcau, who delivered an epic final sprint, the Spaniard prevailing by inches over the European Cross Country Championships 10th-place finisher.
"I began conservatively as I faced a tough race in Brussels last Sunday and only decided to heat up my pace over the second half," said Oukhelfen. "Over the last kilometre I realised Carro and Palcau were approaching but everything was under control and I was only aiming for the win, no matter the margin.
"I'll compete next on 31 December at Cursa dels Nassos over 5km in Barcelona," added Oukhelfen, who gifted himself a prestigious victory on the eve of his 25th birthday. He moved to Soria in March 2022 to train under Enrique Pascual, mentor of Barcelona Olympic 1500m champion Fermin Cacho and double (1997 and 1999) world marathon champion Abel Anton, among others.&nbsp;
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Edinah Jebitok (KEN) 33:11 2 Asayech Ayichew (ETH) 33:53 3 Katie Izzo (USA) 34:08 4 Angela Viciosa (ESP) 35:05 5 Cristina Ruiz (ESP) 35:08 6 Marta Garcia (ESP) 35:11 7 Isabel Barreiro (ESP) 35:17 8 Lili Anna Vindics-Toth (HUN) 35:28 9 Cristina Espejo (ESP) 35:30 10 Lucia Rodriguez (ESP) 36:40
Men 1 Abdessamad Oukhelfen (ESP) 30:16 2 Fernando Carro (ESP) 30:17 3 Fabien Palcau (FRA) 30:17 4 Abderrahmane Afendi (MAR) 30:34 5 Aaron Las Heras (ESP) 30:54 6 David Bascu&ntilde;ana (ESP) 31:00 7 Abderrahman El Khayami (ESP) 31:11 8 Daniel Hernando (ESP) 32:17 9 Vicente Viciosa (ESP) 34:17 10 Daniel Saez (ESP) 34:41

Kenya's Edinah Jebitok and Spain's Abdessamad Oukhelfen captured wins at the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting

Jebitok and Oukhelfen victorious in Venta de Baños

Kenya&rsquo;s Edinah Jebitok is the standout name at the Cross Internacional de Venta de Ba&ntilde;os, the ninth Gold leg of this season's World Athletics Cross Country Tour, on Sunday (17).
Jebitok, the winner here in 2021, heads the cast in the women&rsquo;s 9.3km contest. The 22-year-old was a convincing victor two years ago, finishing 69 seconds ahead of her nearest rival. The 1500m specialist, who has represented Kenya at the World Championships and Olympics, has enjoyed a strong 2023 campaign so far. She placed eighth in the senior women&rsquo;s race at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, then set track PBs of 4:02.00 for 1500m and 14:52.28 for 5000m.
She now heads to Venta de Ba&ntilde;os off the back of cross-country wins in San Sebasti&aacute;n on 5 November and in Seville the following week after a thrilling sprint with Ethiopia's Senayet Getachew. Just two weeks ago, she notched up another victory, this time in Eldoret, where she beat a strong domestic field.
Asayech Ayichew appears to be Jebitok&rsquo;s fiercest opponent on Sunday. The Ethiopian will be making her third outing on Spanish ground having finished runner-up in Soria and Alcobendas last month. The 22-year-old, a 15:06.35 5000m performer, will be looking for her first cross-country win this season.
USA's Katie Izzo should be another podium contender. The 26-year-old finished second at the &lsquo;Cross Champs&rsquo; in Austin last month and holds a 15:13.09 5000m indoor lifetime best.
Kenya&rsquo;s Maurine Jemutai, who boasts a 1:08:55 half marathon career best, should also be in contention. In recent weeks she has finished second in Cantimpalos and first in Amurrio two days later.
Local hopes, meanwhile, rest mainly with Cristina Ruiz, who placed 13th at the recent European Cross Country Championships in Brussels, and Marta Garc&iacute;a, who finished fourth in Soria last month and 36th in Brussels. Both Spaniards earned team silver medals last weekend while &Aacute;ngela Viciosa finished a creditable fourth in the U23 race in Brussels to earn team bronze.
The men&rsquo;s 9.3km race looks set to be a competitive battle between some of the top Spaniards who took part at the recent European Cross Country Championships, including Abdessamad Oukhelfen, Fernando Carro, Aar&oacute;n Las Heras and Nassim Hassaous.
The former achieved arguably his best ever international performance in Brussels, placing seventh. The 2019 European U23 5000m and cross country bronze medallist has shown great consistency this winter season with top-10 places in Atapuerca, San Sebasti&aacute;n and Seville. Sunday's race could be his first win at a Gold level race on the eve of his 25th birthday.
Oukhelfen, runner-up last year here, will face the opposition of national steeplechase record-holder Fernando Carro who placed 26th at the Europeans, while US-based Las Heras took European U20 5000m gold in 2019 and U23 silver two years later and should be in the hunt for a podium place.
Hassaous, who placed 34th at the World Cross in Bathurst, will be eager to bounce back from his 60th-place finish at the recent European Cross after a solid cross-county season which includes seventh-place finishes in Atapuerca and Soria. European U23 10,000m bronze medallist Miguel Baidal will also be aiming for a high placing on Sunday following a fifth-place finish in the U23 race at the European Cross.
Morocco's Abderraahmane Aferdi, a 1:01:28 half marathon performer, will be trying to deny a Spanish podium sweep. He is fresh from an easy win in Alcal&aacute; de Henares earlier this month.
Despite having just 6500 inhabitants, the small Spanish village of Venta de Ba&ntilde;os has hosted this top-notch cross country event since 1980. Past winners here include the likes of Kenenisa Bekele, Letesenbet Gidey and Selemon Barega.
Weather forecasters predict a cold day with the thermometer in the 3-5C range by the time of the event.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

Kenya’s Edinah Jebitok is the standout name at the Cross Internacional de Venta de Baños

Past winner Jebitok returns to Venta de Baños

South Africa&rsquo;s Adriaan Wildschutt and USA&rsquo;s Katie Wasserman were victorious at the Cross Champs &ndash; this season&rsquo;s seventh World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting &ndash; in Austin, Texas, on Thursday (30).
Wildschutt kicked away from defending champion Edwin Kurgat of Kenya to win the men&rsquo;s title, while Wasserman held off her compatriot Katie Izzo to claim the women&rsquo;s crown after racing over 8km on a rainy morning at Camp Mabry.
Wesley Kiptoo went out hard from the start of the men&rsquo;s race, forcing the field to string out. A breakaway group of six ran single file before regrouping, with Kiptoo to the fore as the first mile was covered in 4:25. David Ribich held on to the back of the pack but when he was dropped that lead group was down to five, with Kiptoo, Kurgat and Wildschutt joined by Charles Hicks and Ahmed Muhumed.
Racing on a mile loop course, the second circuit was covered in 4:26 before Kiptoo moved to the back of the pack midway through the third lap, with Wildschutt pushing the pace.
From there Wildschutt, the 2021 NCAA Cross Country Championships runner-up who placed 14th in Austin last year, maintained the momentum and led through the three-mile mark in 13:12 after a 4:20 lap. The group covered the penultimate mile in 4:22, with Wildschutt, Kurgat, Hicks and Kiptoo all still in contention.
Then Wildschutt and Kurgat made a break and they were engaged in battle as the clock showed 20 minutes, while Kiptoo overtook Hicks to move into third place.
Looking determined, Wildschutt kicked again and glanced over his shoulder but there was no major threat and he crossed the line unchallenged to win in 22:08, four seconds ahead of Kurgat.
Kenya&rsquo;s Kiptoo, who finished 12th on his marathon debut in Chicago last month, held on for third place in 22:15, finishing narrowly ahead of Britain&rsquo;s 2022 NCAA champion Hicks, who recorded the same time for fourth. USA&rsquo;s Muhumed was fifth in 22:27.
&ldquo;Our plan for the team was to go out pretty hard and keep it honest,&rdquo; Wildschutt told RunnerSpace after leading Hoka NAZ Elite to the team title. &ldquo;I was just trying to see how it felt running under 4:30 for the first mile, to see how the course was. It&rsquo;s rainy, but it&rsquo;s not terrible, so I just tucked in there to see how long I could go.
&ldquo;When the pace started to slow down in the middle of the race I made sure to push it a little bit to keep it up there, because I think that&rsquo;s my strength. Coming around for the last two laps I thought okay, this is my chance. It was tough because obviously the competitors are fierce,&rdquo;&nbsp;added the multiple national record-holder, who finished 14th in the 10,000m at the World Championships in Budapest.
Now targeting the 10,000m at the Paris Olympics, Wildschutt hopes to race over 5000m indoors before preparing for the outdoor season.
In the women&rsquo;s race, Wasserman was always to the fore and she ran alongside Dana Klein at the front of a large lead group that covered the first mile in 5:35.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6568d991293e30aeca2d46d9.JPG" alt="Katie Wasserman (82) leads at the Cross Champs in Austin" />
Katie Wasserman (82) leads at the Cross Champs in Austin (&copy; Kevin Morris)
</div>
With 10 minutes on the clock the lead group had reduced to 11, led by Kassie Parker, but Wasserman looked in control as she took the pack through the two-mile mark in 10:57.
That pick up in pace led to a seven-strong breakaway pack featuring Wasserman, Izzo, Parker, Klein, Marisa Howard, Abby Nichols and Mercy Chelangat, and they forged ahead to cover the third circuit in 5:20.
Chelangat was alongside Wasserman as they reached four miles in 21:33 after a 5:16 penultimate loop. A group of four &ndash; Wasserman, Izzo, Chelangat and Nichols &ndash; then broke away over the hay bale section of the course on the final circuit and when Nichols couldn&rsquo;t maintain the pace, the race was down to three.
Although Wasserman ran wide and had to cross back on to the course in the closing stages, she had built enough of a lead to ensure that she could cross the finish line clear, clocking 26:50 to win by two seconds ahead of Izzo.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never run an 8km before so I was like, I have to make sure I can make it to the final lap before I decide to push,&rdquo; said Wasserman, who also led Hoka NAZ Elite to the team win. &ldquo;Then I was feeling good, so I was like okay, it&rsquo;s time to go!&rdquo;
Chelangat, who recently ran 1:11:37 on her half marathon debut in Boston, was third in 26:55, while Nichols was fourth in 27:09 and Howard fifth in 27:11.
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Katie Wasserman (USA) 26:50 2 Katie Izzo (USA) 26:52 3 Mercy Chelangat (KEN) 26:55 4 Abby Nichols (USA) 27:09 5 Marisa Howard (USA) 27:11 6 Dana Klein (USA) 27:12 7 Kassie Parker (USA) 27:30 8 Angelia Rafter (USA) 27:35
Men 1 Adriaan Wildschutt (RSA) 22:08 2 Edwin Kurgat (KEN) 22:12 3 Wesley Kiptoo (KEN) 22:15 4 Charles Hicks (GBR) 22:15 5 Ahmed Muhumed (USA) 22:27 6 Olin Hacker (USA) 22:59 7 Alec Basten (USA) 23:18 8 Casey Comber (USA) 23:20

South Africa’s Adriaan Wildschutt and USA’s Katie Wasserman were victorious at this season’s seventh World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting

Wildschutt and Wasserman win cross country crowns in Austin

US cross-country champion Ednah Kurgat will look to improve upon her third-place finish from last year when she lines up for the Cross Champs &ndash; the only US-based Gold stage of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour &ndash; in Austin, Texas, on Thursday (30).
Meanwhile, the likes of Wesley Kiptoo, Olin Hacker and Adriaan Wildschutt will also return to Austin where they&rsquo;ll face the likes of Charles Hicks.
Kurgat&rsquo;s last cross-country race was at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, where she placed 18th in the senior women&rsquo;s race. She went on to enjoy a strong track campaign in 2023, setting PBs for 5000m and 10,000m, and taking bronze in the latter distance at the Pan-American Games.
She has also excelled on the roads, winning the US 6km title and picking up national medals over 10km and 20km. Kurgat placed third in Austin last year, finishing 12 seconds adrift of eventual winner Alicia Monson, but she&rsquo;ll feel confident in her chances of improving upon that on Thursday.
She&rsquo;ll face stiff opposition from Kenya&rsquo;s Mercy Chelangat and USA&rsquo;s Krissy Gear.
Chelangat has won NCAA titles over 10,000m (2022) and at cross country (2020). She recently made her half marathon debut, clocking 1:11:37 in Boston earlier this month.
Gear, meanwhile, won the US steeplechase title earlier this year, clocking a PB of 9:12.81. Thursday&rsquo;s race will be her first competitive outing since the World Championships in Budapest.
Katie Izzo joined Kurgat on the USA&rsquo;s team for the World Cross earlier this year, eventually placing 31st. She heads to Austin in good form, having set PBs this year for 10,000m and the half marathon.
Marisa Howard is another entrant who has represented the USA at a World Cross, having competed at the 2017 edition. The steeplechase specialist was a bronze medallist at the 2019 Pan-American Games.
Mahelet Mulugeta, who represented Ethiopia over 800m at the 2017 World Championships, has moved up in distance in recent years and should be competitive on Thursday. USA&rsquo;s Emily Venters, who finished second over 10,000m at this year&rsquo;s NCAA Championships, should also be in contention.
Wesley Kiptoo and Olin Hacker were separated by just two seconds in the men&rsquo;s race in Austin last year, finishing sixth and seventh respectively. Both will be targeting podium places on Thursday, having enjoyed strong seasons so far in 2023.
Kiptoo, the 2021 NCAA indoor 5000m champion, made his marathon debut in Chicago last month, finishing 12th in 2:10:28. Earlier this year, he clocked a PB of 1:00:35 when finishing second at the Houston Half Marathon.
Hacker, the 2022 NCAA 5000m champion, has this year set PBs for the 1500m, mile, 3000m and 5000m. More recently, he placed 14th over 5km at the World Road Running Championships in Riga.
Britain&rsquo;s Charles Hicks will likely be a tough opponent. He won the European U23 5000m title earlier this year, but he excels at cross country too, having won two European U23 titles on that surface, as well as the 2022 NCAA title.
South Africa&rsquo;s Adriaan Wildschutt will also be difficult to beat. This year he has set national records at 3000m (7:39.25), 5000m (13:02.46) and 10,000m (27:23.10), and placed 14th in the 10,000m at the World Championships in Budapest. He was runner-up at the 2021 NCAA Cross Country Championships and placed 14th in Austin last year, but he&rsquo;d have gained confidence from his recent 10km victory in Cape Town, where he clocked 27:53 to win by more than a minute.
Other contenders include Tunisia&rsquo;s 2022 NCAA steeplechase champion Ahmed Jaziri, Kenya&rsquo;s 2018 NCAA 10,000m silver medallist Vincent Kiprop, and USA&rsquo;s Pan-American 1500m bronze medallist Casey Comber.

US cross-country champion Ednah Kurgat will look to improve upon her third-place finish from last year

Kurgat seeks redemption on return to Austin

Burundi&rsquo;s Rodrigue Kwizera and Ethiopia's Likina Amebaw confirmed their supremacy at the Cross Internacional de la Constitucion, the sixth Gold meeting in this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour, in Alcobendas, Spain, on Sunday (26).
In doing so, the 23-year-old Burundian retained his title in style while Amebaw managed her first win here after finishing third two years ago.
Held in pleasant weather conditions, the men's 10.1km contest opened with Eritrea's Filmon Kibrom taking an early lead, closely followed by Kwizera and Uganda's Martin Kiprotich. Once the third kilometre was over, the leading pack was compounded by the those three plus Eritrea's Aron Kifle, Burundi's Celestin Ndikumana, Rwanda's Yves Nimubona and the surprise Spaniard Andreu Blanes, a former world junior silver medallist in orienteering races who only took up athletics in 2018.
Kwizera moved to the front for the first time roughly 11 minutes into the race, but he didn't increase the cadence; the lead group covered the second big loop in 6:55, 12 seconds slower than the first. Despite that, Nimubona started to lose ground at halfway just before 20-year-old Kiprotich decided to increase the rhythm which could only be followed by Kwizera.
Having covered the third 2.3km lap in 6:37, Kiprotich still had Kwizera for company at the bell while Ndikumana and Kibrom were three seconds adrift of them with Blanes running alone in fifth.
On his fourth consecutive appearance in Alcobendas, Kwizera took advantage of his knowledge of the circuit to unleash a decisive change of speed with exactly one kilometre remaining. From then on, he extended his lead on Kiprotich to secure his third successive following a speedy 6:28 final lap. The in-form Kiprotich, who finished 18th at this year&rsquo;s World Cross, finished second and Ndikumana broke away from Kibrom midway through the closing circuit to place third.
It means the men&rsquo;s title in Alcobendas has been in Burundian hands since 2019 when Thierry Ndikumwenayo took the spoils; Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo was the last non-Burundian to win here back in 2018.
&ldquo;Honestly, it was not an especially difficult triumph for me as I'm in good shape now,&rdquo; said a confident Kwizera, whose next race will be in Venta de Ba&ntilde;os on 17 December.
Italy's multiple European U20 and U23 cross-country champion Nadia Battocletti set the pace in the women&rsquo;s 8.1km event. Shortly after reaching the opening kilometre, just six athletes remained in close attendance: compatriot Anna Arnaudo, the Ethiopian pair of Amebaw and Asayech Ayichew, Kenya's Lucy Mawia, Hungary's Lili Anna Vindics-Toth and France's Alessia Zarbo, the latter being the first casualty some seven minutes into the race.
The Italian's relentless cadence progressively paid off as firstly the Hungarian steeplechaser and then her compatriot Arnaudo could not live with her kind of pace and the race became a four-woman fight between Battocletti, Amebaw, Ayichew and Mawia when the clock read 11:30.
During the penultimate loop, it became apparent that Mawia hadn&rsquo;t fully recovered from the injury that forced her to drop out in the closing stages last weekend in Soria and began to falter while Ayichew emerged as a strong leader and pushed hard before reaching the bell, the last circuit taking 7:37. By then, Ayichew and Amebaw led with Battocletti a couple of seconds behind, but the Italian managed to reel in the Ethiopans and catch them a few hundred metres later.
With just over a kilometre left, Battocletti's resistence came to an end. Spain-based Amebaw made her decisive move with about 700 metres to go, gradually opening a big gap on Ayichew.
Amebaw eventually crossed the line five seconds clear of her compatriot thanks to a 7:18 superb last circuit. Ayichew placed second, 12 seconds ahead of Battocletti with Mawia taking fourth spot.
&ldquo;I felt a bit uneasy and heavy at the beginning but then I began to feel much better,&rdquo; said Amebaw. &ldquo;I like this kind of course, full of ups and downs, I really enjoy them; my next cross country competitions will be in Aranda de Duero (3 December) and Cantimpalos (10 December) before resuming the World Athletics Cross Country Tour in 2024. I'm also targeting a quick time over 10km in the coming months.&rdquo;
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women (8.1km) 1 Likina Amebaw (ETH) 26:33 2 Asayech Ayichew (ETH) 26:38 3 Nadia Battocletti (ITA) 26:50 4 Lucy Mawia (KEN) 27:26 5 Anna Arnaudo (ITA) 27:43 6 Cristina Ruiz (ESP) 27:58 7 Lili Anna Vindics-Toth (HUN) 28:12 8 Claudia Est&eacute;vez (ESP) 28:30 9 Azucena D&iacute;az (ESP) 28:40 10 Alessia Zarbo (FRA) 28:44
Men (10.1km) 1 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 29:30 2 Martin Kiprotich (UGA) 29:38 3 Celestin Ndikumana (BDI) 29:52 4 Filmon Kibrom (ERI) 29:54 5 Aron Kifle (ERI) 30:07 6 Andreu Blanes (ESP) 30:15 7 Yves Nimubona (RWA) 30:28 8 David Bascu&ntilde;ana (ESP) 30:52 9 Oliver L&ouml;fqvist (SWE) 30:56 10 Roberto Al&aacute;iz (ESP) 31:12

Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera and Ethiopia's Likina Amebaw confirmed their supremacy at the Cross Internacional de la Constitucion

Kwizera and Amebaw stamp their authority in Alcobendas

Burundi&rsquo;s Rodrigue Kwizera and Ethiopia's Likina Amebaw are the star names at the Cross Internacional de la Constitucion, the sixth Gold level event in this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour, to be held in Alcobendas on the outskirts of Madrid on Sunday (26).
Kwizera kicked off his cross country campaign with a third-place finish in Atapuerca against a mouth-watering field and the 23-year-old maintained the momentum with another third place in Seville two weeks later. Last year&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour victor was eager to triumph for the first time this season and he managed to do so in Soria last weekend after a thrilling final sprint with Kenya's Hillary Chepkwony.
The Castellon-based ace reached the finish line unchallenged at the past two editions of this race but he was disqualified in 2021 for not wearing the vest of his Spanish club, Playas de Castellon. He made amends last year with a commanding win.
Kwizera's fiercest opponent should be Martin Kiprotich as the 22-year-old Ugandan has shown great fitness, firstly in Seville where he came sixth, 20 seconds behind the Burundian, and also in Soria last Sunday when he fought for the win until the closing stages to finally finish fourth, some four seconds adrift of Kwizera.
Eritrea's Filmon Kibrom should also be in the hunt for victory. He showed that intent in Soria where the 20-year-old achieved arguably his finest ever race to take fifth place, seven seconds behind Kwizera. Having placed fourth in Amorebieta last month, Kibrom will be eager to claim his first podium place on the international senior scene and he will be joined by the much more experienced Aron Kifle, who is still rounding into form following a long halt due to an injury.
Watch out too for Celestin Ndikumana. The Burundian opened the cross country season in style with a convincing win in Amorebieta and he went on to finish fourth in Atapuerca the following week. However, the 21-year-old couldn't go beyond 13th place in Soria and will try to bounce back in Alcobendas.
With many of Spain&rsquo;s top distance runners preparing for the European Cross Country Championships on 10 December, Sergio Paniagua looks to be the best local hope. The 28-year-old has shown great consistency this season, with four top-10 finishes in Amorebieta, Atapuerca, Seville and Soria. Paniagua came second last year and will fight hard to manage another podium place over the 10,060m circuit in front of his home crowd.
<h2>Amebaw and Ayichew clash again</h2>
The women's 8040m race witnesses a rematch between Amebaw and Asayech Ayichew. The Ethiopian athletes battled hard for the victory last weekend in Soria, with the win eventually going to the former after a close sprint finish.
Amebaw has raced four times this cross country season with three podium places to her name in Amoberieta and Soria, where she won, plus her Cardiff runner-up spot. The Spain-based athlete will turn 26 years of age next week and will compete in Alcobendas fully recovered from the fever she suffered just before the Soria event. Having enjoyed an average training week at the altitude (1350m) of her base in Peguerinos (Avila), she will hope to be successful again on Sunday to improve on her 2021 third place.
As for Ayichew, the relatively unheralded Ethiopian will try to prove that her brilliant performance in Soria was no fluke.
Both will have stiff opposition provided by Kenya's defending champion Lucy Mawia. Last season's Cross Country Tour winner will aim to retain her 2022 title after being unable to finish in Soria last Sunday when she dropped out the race before reaching the closing kilometre.
The European response will come from Italy's Nadia Battocletti, the multiple European cross country medallist who finished fifth in the 5km at last month's World Road Running Championships in Riga. The Italian will run in the company of her compatriot Anna Arnaudo, the 23-year-old 32:09.54 10,000m performer, while France's Alessia Zarbo completes the international line-up.
Notable past winners here include Eritrea's former world half marathon record-holder Zersenay Tadese (2005), Kenya&rsquo;s Joseph Ebuya (2007 and 2010), Ethiopia&rsquo;s former world marathon champion Tamirat Tola (2015), Uganda&rsquo;s world half marathon record-holder Jacob Kiplimo (2018), Portugal's 1993 world cross country champion Albertina Dias (1996), Ethiopia's Meselech Melkamu (2005 and 2006), Kenya&rsquo;s Vivian Cheruiyot (2009) and her compatriot Linet Masai (2008 and 2015).
Weather forecasters predict a sunny and windless day on Sunday with temperatures ranging between 12-14&deg;C.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera and Ethiopia's Likina Amebaw are the star names at the sixth Gold level event in this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Tour

Calendar
Date	Meeting	Venue	Country
28 SEP 2024	Castlegar International Cross Country	Galway Race Course, Galway	IRL
28 SEP 2024	TCS Lidingöloppet	Lidingövallen, Lidingö	SWE
13 OCT 2024	Autumn Open International	Dublin	IRL
20 OCT 2024	70º Cross Internacional Zornotza	Amorebieta-Etxano	ESP
03 NOV 2024	68º Cross Internacional de San Sebastián	Hipódromo de San Sebastián, San Sebastián	ESP
17 NOV 2024	92nd Cinque Mulini	San Vittore Olona	ITA
17 NOV 2024	Cross international Le Maine Libre-Allonnes-Sarthe	Centre de Loisirs Port Belle Eau -Chaoué, Allonnes	FRA
17 NOV 2024	XLII Cross Internacional de Itálica	Santiponce	ESP
20–24 NOV 2024	Festival du Cross-Country	Site de Kerampuilh, Carhaix	FRA
21 NOV 2024	Cross Champs	Camp Mabry, Austin, TX	USA
24 NOV 2024	Cross Internacional de Alcobendas - Comunidad de Madrid	Parque Andalucia Alcobendas, Alcobendas	ESP
24 NOV 2024	International Warandecross Tilburg	Oude Warande, Tilburg	NED
22 DEC 2024	Amurrioko Nazioarteko Krosa - Cross Internacional de Amurrio	Amurrio	ESP
12 JAN 2025	XXXVII Cross Internacional Ciudad de Valladolid	Circuito de la Canada Real de Puente Duero, Valladolid	ESP
02 MAR 2025	58th White Cross	Park of Friendship, Beograd	SRB

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