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

Dorcus Chepkwemoi and Aaron Las Heras will start as the athletes to beat at the Cross Internacional de Venta de Banos, the 10th Gold leg of this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour, on Sunday (21).
Eighteen-year-old Kenyan Chepkwemoi enters the race fresh from a convincing victory at the Cross Country Tour Gold meeting in Eldoret two weeks ago, while 25-year-old Spaniard Las Heras arrives after securing a top-10 finish at the recent European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa.
Chepkwemoi may still be regarded as something of an unheralded performer, having clocked a modest-looking 15:41.57 for 5000m last summer in Kampala, but her emphatic 24-second win over fellow Kenyan Brenda Jepchirchir &mdash; who recently ran 30:05 for 10km in Lille &mdash; has propelled the teenager into the role of hot favourite for Sunday&rsquo;s 9.3km contest.
The Kenyan will face strong opposition from several leading Spanish specialists, including Mar&iacute;a Forero, Angela Viciosa, Carla Gallardo and Isabel Barreiro. Forero arrives as the newly crowned European U23 cross-country champion; the 22-year-old capped an outstanding 2025 campaign in Lagoa, having already claimed the European U23 5000m title in Bergen in July, one month after setting a lifetime best of 15:03.88 in Vienna. She led the Spanish U23 team to bronze, while Viciosa finished 18th in her first senior international appearance, some 26 seconds ahead of Spanish 10km record-holder Gallardo (31:11). Gallardo finished third here last season, just ahead of Viciosa.
Forero and Viciosa were named earlier this week in the Spanish team for the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee on 10 January. Barreiro, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back from a below-par performance in Lagoa, where she placed 51st after having been the second-best Spaniard at both Italica and Atapuerca. Portugal&rsquo;s Ana Marinho and Beatriz Rios will also be in contention.
The men&rsquo;s race, also over 9.3km, promises to be a closely fought duel between Aaron Las Heras and Nassim Hassaous. Las Heras will be seeking revenge after finishing runner-up to Hassaous here last year. The Spaniard has enjoyed a consistent cross country campaign, finishing sixth in Seville before placing ninth at the European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa. The 2019 European U20 5000m champion continues to build steadily across disciplines.
Hassaous, meanwhile, made an eye-catching marathon debut just two weeks ago in Valencia, clocking 2:08:44. The 31-year-old defending champion rested for a week after that outing and has since resumed training, aiming to secure back-to-back victories in Venta de Banos.
The international challenge will also feature Morocco&rsquo;s Abderraahmane Aferdi, Kenya&rsquo;s Brian Kiptoo and Burundi&rsquo;s Eric Nzambimana. The Spanish contingent includes national champion Yahya Aouina, as well as Ruben Leonardo &ndash; fourth in the steeplechase at this year&rsquo;s European U23 Championships &ndash; and Mesfin Escamilla, both members of the Spanish U23 team that earned bronze in Lagoa.
Despite having just 6,500 inhabitants, the small village of Venta de Banos has hosted this high-quality cross country meeting since 1980. Notable past winners include Ethiopians Kenenisa Bekele, Letesenbet Gidey and Selemon Barega.
Weather forecasts point to a cold and rainy day, with temperatures expected to range between 2-4C at race time.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

Dorcus Chepkwemoi and Aaron Las Heras will start as the athletes to beat at the Cross Internacional de Venta de Banos

Chepkwemoi and Las Heras to strike in Venta de Banos

Mathew Kipkoech stormed to victory in the senior men&rsquo;s race at the Great Chepsaita Cross Country Run, while Dorcus Chepkwemoi Ndiema claimed the women&rsquo;s title at the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting held in Eldoret on Saturday (6). Both athletes mastered a brutal course on Chepsaita&rsquo;s rolling hills that humbled hundreds of runners across categories.
Chepsaita, whose name in the local language refers to a place where &ldquo;droplets fall on to the ground&rdquo;, certainly lived up to its meaning &ndash; only this time, it was sweat providing the downpour. The cross-country course sits about 54km west of Eldoret along the Eldoret-Uganda highway, and nearly every winner mentioned just how tough it was as they caught their breath at the finish.
As promised by the organisers, this year&rsquo;s edition was bigger, more competitive, and undeniably more dramatic.
The senior men&rsquo;s 10km race drew the day&rsquo;s largest field with 364 entrants. It was also the fastest and arguably the most competitive, the leaders hitting the first lap counter in 6:34.
Kipkoech, currently world ranked No.3 in cross country, remained patient until the final lap, moving to the front with Kisa Kipserem, Vincent Kimaiyo and Cornelius Konor close behind. The last lap turned into a fierce, exhausted scramble for the line. Kipkoech summoned one last burst to win in 31:49 before collapsing as first-aid responders rushed over. Konor finished one second behind, with Kipserem third in 31:51. The top five were separated by a single second each.
&ldquo;Last year, I was third in Chepsaita, and I went back to the drawing board with the aim of coming back and improving my performance,&rdquo; said Kipkoech. &ldquo;I just put in more effort in training and remained focused. This win means a lot to me.&rdquo;
The senior women&rsquo;s 10km featured 175 runners. Faith Cherono led Dorcus Ndiema, Mercy Chepkemoi and Emmaculet Jepkosgei through the first lap in 7:31. Jepkosgei was the first to slip back, followed by Chepkemoi, leaving Ndiema and Cherono stride for stride at halfway.
But the afternoon heat and punishing terrain soon reshuffled the order. Ndiema pushed to the front and held it all the way to the finish, clocking 35:44. Brenda Jepchirchir surged from behind to take second in 36:08, while Cherono, visibly struggling and collapsing after the line, settled for third in 36:39.
Just like Kipkoech, Ndiema was already familiar with the course &ndash; an advantage she believes helped her clinch the title.
&ldquo;Last year, I was in the under-20 category and finished seventh,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;My transition to the senior category has been great.&rdquo;
Joan Chepkurui, who finished fourth over 3000m at the Kenyan trials for the African U20 and U18 Championships, won the U20 women&rsquo;s 6km title in 21:34. Kelvin Kariankei took the U20 men&rsquo;s 8km race in 25:20, winning comfortably by seven seconds.
Before the U20 events, younger age-group races served as curtain-raisers and a reminder of the depth of Kenya&rsquo;s future talent. Athletics icons Paul Tergat and Beatrice Chebet were among those presenting awards to the children.
Justin Lagat for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women (10km) 1 Dorcus Chepkwemoi Ndiema (KEN) 35:44 2 Brenda Jepchirchir (KEN) 36:08 3 Faith Cherono (KEN) 36:39 4 Christine Komen (KEN) 36:46 5 Sandrafelis Chebet Tuei (KEN) 36:51
Men (10km) 1 Mathew Kipkoech (KEN) 31:49 2 Cornelius Kipkosgei Konor (KEN) 31:50 3 Sammy Kisa Kapserem (KEN) 31:51 4 Vincent Kimaiyo (KEN) 31:52 5 Amos Kiprotich (KEN) 31:53

Mathew Kipkoech stormed to victory in the senior men’s race at the Great Chepsaita Run, while Dorcus Chepkwemoi Ndiema claimed the women’s title

Kipkoech and Ndiema shine at Great Chepsaita Cross Country Run

Uganda&rsquo;s&nbsp;Loice Chekwemoi will defend her title and Kenya&rsquo;s Ishmael Kipkurui will look to regain the crown he claimed in 2023 when The Great Chepsaita Cross Country Run &ndash; a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold event &ndash; takes place in Chepsaita, on the outskirts of Eldoret, on Saturday (6).
Competition director Kennedy Tanui confirmed that athletes from more than 20 countries have confirmed their participation. As well as Uganda and Kenya, the countries represented include Ethiopia, USA, China, Japan and Djibouti.
World U20 3000m steeplechase silver medallist Chekwemoi returns seeking a repeat win in the senior women's 10km. Last year's race featured a fascinating duel between the 18-year-old African 3000m steeplechase champion and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Mekides Shimeles, after the latter made an early surge only to be hunted down by Chekwemoi during the last lap.
This time, Rebecca Mwangi will be among the athletes hoping to bring the title back to Kenya. The 24-year-old claimed African 10,000m silver last year and became the national 5000m champion in June.
Rispa Cherop, who finished sixth in the classic race at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in September, will be another star from Uganda to watch out for.&nbsp;
Phemelo&nbsp;Matshaba, the 2023 African U20 3000m steeplechase silver medallist and South African champion, will be among those joining them to race the Chepsaita course.
The men&rsquo;s race will also be held over 10km and Kipkurui, who won during the first edition of The Great Chepsaita Cross Country Run, will be among those hunting for victory. The 20-year-old finished fourth in the 10,000m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.
The race is also set to feature a number of athletes currently in the Kenyan national camp preparing for the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee next month.
After securing a second-place finish over 6.9km at the&nbsp;Cross Internacional de San Sebastian Cross Country Tour Gold event at the start of November, Uganda&rsquo;s Martin Kiprotich will be another star to look out for.&nbsp;
Many track stars see the cross-country season&nbsp;as a build-up towards a successful track season, and some of the other notable names expected to be in action in Chepsaita include George Manangoi.
Lopang Oontse of Botswana, a two-time national champion in the 3000m steeplechase, and South Africa&rsquo;s Collins Kgadima will also be among those in action.
The land has been expanded since the first edition of the race in 2023. "Hills, valleys, a river and a shower point are all on the course,&rdquo;&nbsp;said Tanui. &ldquo;A good cross-country needs a vast space, and Chepsaita has offered that.&rdquo;
Not only has the land been expanded, but the prize-money structure has also grown.
According to event director Barnaba Korir, KES 750,000 ($5,800) is the prize on offer for the first-place finisher. The prizes go down to 10th place.
Justin Lagat for World Athletics

Loice Chekwemoi will defend her title and Ishmael Kipkurui will look to regain the crown he claimed in 2023 when The Great Chepsaita Cross Country Run takes place on Saturday

Past winners Chekwemoi and Kipkurui return to Chepsaita

Ethiopia&rsquo;s Yenenesh Shimket and Burundi&rsquo;s Rodrigue Kwizera stamped their authority at the Cross Internacional de la Constitucion &ndash; the sixth Gold meeting in this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour &ndash; in Alcobendas on Sunday (30).
On a cold but sunny day, 18-year-old Shimket beat Italy&rsquo;s world and Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Nadia Battocletti , while Kwizera overcame the challenge of Eritrea&rsquo;s Symon Amanuel to notch up his fourth victory in Alcobendas.
Battocletti and Britain&rsquo;s European 10,000m bronze medallist Megan Keith took an early lead in the women&rsquo;s 8.1km race while Shimket and Kenya&rsquo;s Sheila Jebet positioned themselves close behind.
Battocletti, the European cross-country champion, then began to increase the pace but Shimket and Jebet seemed to run comfortably at her shoulder with Keith towards the rear of the lead quartet. About 14 minutes into the race, Keith lost ground on the leaders while the Italian maintained her relentless pace, closely followed by Shimket and Jebet.
Shimket seized her opportunity with three kilometres to go on the toughest section of the course and pushed hard to break away from Jebet and Battocletti with ease. The Ethiopian covered the penultimate 2.2km lap in 7:15 to open a seven-second margin on Jebet, herself another three seconds clear of Battocletti.
On the final lap, Shimket proved her win in San Vittore Olona last weekend was no fluke as she extended her lead. Battocletti managed to catch and leave behind Jebet before embarking on the final kilometre.
Shimket, having covered the final lap in 7:10, crossed the finish line 11 seconds ahead of Battocletti. Further back, Jebet kept Keith at bay to claim third.
Italy&rsquo;s Yohanes Chiappinelli and Sweden&rsquo;s Oliver Lofqvist were the early leaders in the men&rsquo;s race, closely followed by Kwizera and Eritrean teenager Saymon Amanuel, two of the pre-race favourites.
At exactly the same hilly point of the course where Shimket had broken away from her rivals, 18-year-old Amanuel surged ahead of the field and quickly built a six-second margin on Kwizera and Uganda&rsquo;s Samuel Cherop. The penultimate lap took the Eritrean just 6:18; by then, Kwizera was four seconds in arrears with Cherop in third another two seconds behind.
In a thrilling finish to the 8.1km race, the Burundian put in a desperate chase to catch Amanuel and he finally did so with about 650m remaining. The 26-year-old went on to finish six seconds ahead of Amanuel while Uganda&rsquo;s Dismas Yeko overtook compatriot Cherop in the battle for third place.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very satisfied after my fourth win in a row here,&rdquo; said Kwizera. &ldquo;Although the Eritrean guy proved to be very strong, I remained confident of catching him and winning. After a busy November, tomorrow I&rsquo;m flying back to Burundi to spend a month with my family, then I&rsquo;ll travel to Ethiopia for a one-month stint before returning to Spain for the European Cross Country Team championships in February.&rdquo;
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Yenenesh Shimket (ETH) 25:32 2 Nadia Battocletti (ITA) 25:43 3 Sheila Jebet (KEN) 25:57 4 Megan Keith (GBR) 25:59 5 Micheline Niyomahoro (BDI) 27:25
Men 1 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 22:55 2 Saymon Amanuel (ERI) 23:01 3 Dismas Yeko (UGA) 23:09 4 Samuel Cherop (UGA) 23:16 5 Thierry Ndikumwenayo (ESP) 23:31

Ethiopia’s Yenenesh Shimket and Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera stamped their authority at the Cross Internacional de la Constitucion

Shimket and Kwizera triumph in Alcobendas

Italy&rsquo;s Nadia Battocletti and Burundi&rsquo;s Rodrigue Kwizera are the marquee athletes at the Cross Internacional de la Constituci&oacute;n &ndash; the sixth Gold level event of this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour &ndash; in Alcobendas on the outskirts of Madrid on Sunday (30).
Battocletti and Kwizera took commanding wins in Alcobendas last year on their way to winning the overall titles on the World Athletics Cross Country Tour.
World and Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Battocletti won convincingly in Atapuerca last weekend on her season&rsquo;s opener. This weekend the European cross-country champion will line up against a quality field which includes the likes of Kenya&rsquo;s Sheila Jebet, Great Britain&rsquo;s Megan Keith and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Yenenesh Shimket.
Jebet, a fifth-place finisher over 5000m at the 2024 World U20 Championships, finished runner-up to Battocletti in Atapuerca while Keith was fourth. Both Battocletti and European 10,000m bronze medallist Keith are building up for the European Cross Country Championships on 14 December and Alcobendas will be their last stops before that encounter in Lagoa.
Eighteen-year-old Shimket, fresh from a 35-second victory last Sunday in San Vittore Olona, has PBs of 8:32.05 for 3000m and 14:48 for 5km. The local challenge is led by Laura Luengo, who finished 11th in the marathon at the World Championships and recently clocked 30:59 on a downhill 10km course.
Kwizera has crossed the finish line in first place in Alcobendas for four years in a row (although his 2021 victory wasn&rsquo;t allowed to stand as he wasn&rsquo;t wearing his club&rsquo;s vest). The Spain-based Burundian kicked off this cross country campaign with a tight victory in Seville but then had to settle for the runner-up spot in Soria and Atapuerca.
This weekend the 25-year-old will be up against the likes of Eritrea&rsquo;s Saymon Tesfagiorgis, Italy&rsquo;s Yohanes Chiappinelli and Spain&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo. Eighteen-year-old Tesfagiorgis, who was a convincing winner in San Vittore Olona last weekend, competed in the 5000m at the World Championships. He has PBs of 13:01.85 for 5000m and 27:10 for 10km.
European 10,000m and cross-country bronze medallist Ndikumwenayo has placed fifth, fourth and third in his past three races. He won here in 2019 and will be keen to reclaim the top spot on the podium.
Former steeplechaser Chiappinelli will be racing for the first time since finishing sixth in the marathon at this year&rsquo;s World Championships. Ugandan duo Dismas Yeko and Samuel Cherop, fifth in the 5000m at last year&rsquo;s World U20 Championships, complete the international field.
Notable past winners here include Portugal's 1993 world cross-country champion Albertina Dias (1996), Eritrea's former world half marathon record-holder Zersenay Tadese (2005), Kenya&rsquo;s 2016 Olympic 5000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot (2009), Ethiopia&rsquo;s Olympic marathon champion Tamirat Tola (2015) and Uganda&rsquo;s two-time world cross country champion Jacob Kiplimo (2018).
Weather forecasters predict a partially cloudy and windless day on Sunday with temperatures ranging between 9-11C at the time of the event.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

Italy’s Nadia Battocletti and Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera are the marquee athletes at the Cross Internacional de la Constitución

Battocletti and Kwizera the athletes to beat in Alcobendas

Italy&rsquo;s Nadia Battocletti won the Cross Internacional de Atapuerca on her fourth attempt, while Kenya&rsquo;s Mathew Kipsang pipped Rodrigue Kwizera to victory at the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold event on Sunday (23).
Kazakhstan&rsquo;s defending champion Daisy Jepkemei took charge of the pacing duties right from the start of the women&rsquo;s 6.82km race and she led a five-strong group, followed by Battocletti, Kenya&rsquo;s Sheila Jebet, Great Britain&rsquo;s Megan Keith and Spain&rsquo;s Majida Maayouf.
The 36-year-old Spaniard began to lose ground shortly after the third kilometre, but she still ran clear ahead of a group of her compatriots which included Idaira Prieto, Isabel Barreiro, Marta Serrano and Angela Viciosa.
Keith moved to the front midway through the race but Battocletti looked comfortable running on her shoulder, followed by Jepkemei and Jebet. At the bell, with a 2km lap remaining, the lead quartet had built a 24-second margin over Maayouf, herself 25 seconds clear of Prieto, who was always at the helm of the chasing pack.
Some 17 minutes into the race, 20-year-old Jebet decided to push hard and her change of speed was only covered by Battocletti, while Jepkemei and Keith formed another pair way back.
Jebet led for just over a kilometre before the 25-year-old Italian made her move some 500 metres from home, breaking away from the Kenyan with incredible ease as she opened a sizeable advantage in a matter of a few strides.
She crossed the finish line unopposed in 22:21, 13 seconds ahead of Jebet. In a tough fight for the third place on the podium, Jepkemei prevailed over Keith by a couple of seconds, while Maayouf finished fifth.
&ldquo;My win might have seemed easy, but I felt frozen and the race was tough because of the cold and the wind,&rdquo; said Battocletti, the world 10,000m silver and 5000m bronze medallist this year in Tokyo. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s my fourth outing in Atapuerca and I finally managed to win here. That makes me extremely happy.&rdquo;
Boosted by the local crowd, as he was born just 30km away from Atapuerca, Spain&rsquo;s Daniel Arce was a lonesome leader at the start of the men&rsquo;s contest, also held over 6.82km. Although his margin never surpassed six seconds, Arce led for 2.6km before he was reeled in by the pack of favourites that was always led by Kwizera, while Kipsang travelled quietly in the middle of the large group.
Following a relatively slow penultimate 2km circuit, which took 5:56, Kwizera picked up the pace at the bell. His change of speed whittled down the lead group to six athletes, including Kipsang, Burundi&rsquo;s Emile Hafashimana and the Spanish trio of Thierry Ndikumwenayo, Said Mechaal and the national 10km record-holder Ilias Fifa.
Kwizera&rsquo;s pace soon paid off, as first Hafashimana then Mechaal and finally Fifa could not maintain the change of speed. The trio of Kwizera, Kipsang and Ndikumwenayo entered the closing kilometre in single file but the latter lost any chance of winning with some 350 metres remaining as he began to lose ground.
Kwizera tried desperately to lose Kipsang over the closing stages, but the in-form Kenyan managed to remain close to the Burundian despite a brisk circuit timed at 5:35.
Kipsang finally unleashed a powerful sprint to overtake Kwizera, as he had done a week earlier at the Cross Country Tour Gold meeting in Soria. As a result, the 30-year-old Kenyan remains unbeaten on his European cross-country tour as he has won successively in Cardiff, Soria and Atapuerca.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women (6.8km) 1 Nadia Battocletti (ITA) 22:21 2 Sheila Jebet (KEN) 22:34 3 Daisy Jepkemei (KAZ) 22:35 4 Megan Keith (GBR) 22:37 5 Majida Maayouf (ESP) 23:23
Men (6.8km) 1 Mathew Kipsang (KEN) 20:05 2 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 20:06 3 Thierry Ndikumwenayo (ESP) 20:14 4&nbsp;Ilias Fifa (ESP) 20:16 5 Said Mechaal (ESP) 20:20
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-cross-country-tour/calendar-results/7221535/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a>
&nbsp;
<h2>Shimket retains title, Amanuel beats Kipruto at Cinque Mulini</h2>
Yenenesh Shimket successfully defended her Cinque Mulini title, while Saymon Amanuel beat last year&rsquo;s winner Matthew Kipruto to win the men&rsquo;s race at the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting in San Vittore Olona on Sunday (23).
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Shimket broke away during the first of the three laps making up the 6.2km women&rsquo;s race and had a five-second advantage over Burundi&rsquo;s Elvanie Nimbona and Kenya&rsquo;s Sharon Chepkemoi by the end of that first loop.
Shimket&nbsp;continued to dominate, building a lead of 21 seconds by the end of the second lap and 35 seconds by the finish line, which she crossed in 19:11.
Nimbona, who finished fourth at the Cinque Mulini last year, improved by one place as she was pipped by Chepkemoi in the race for the runner-up spot. A single second separated them &ndash; Chepkemoi clocking 19:46 to Nimbona&rsquo;s 19:47.
Valentina Gemetto was the leading Italian athlete, finishing fourth in 20:19.
Amanuel secured the men&rsquo;s title by a similar margin to become the second Eritrean winner of the race after Zersenay Tadese who won in 2008.
The 18-year-old made his winning move during the third of the four laps and, after finishing fourth over 10.2km last year, he won this year&rsquo;s 8.2km contest in 22:48 &ndash; 32 seconds ahead of the defending champion Kipruto of Kenya.
Home star Iliass Aouani finished third in his first race since claiming marathon bronze at the World Championships in Tokyo, clocking 23:29. He joined Kipruto and Amanuel in the lead pack during the first couple of laps but was seven seconds back by the end of the second circuit.
Aouani was applauded over the finish line by Amanuel, as he held off his compatriot Luca Alfieri by two seconds to finish as the top Italian.
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women (6.2km) 1 Yenenesh Shimket (ETH) 19:11 2 Sharon Chepkemoi (KEN) 19:46 3 Elvanie Nimbona (BDI) 19:47 4 Valentina Gemetto (ITA) 20:19 5 Lucia Arnoldo (ITA) 20:25
Men (8.2km) 1 Saymon Amanuel (ERI) 22:48 2 Matthew Kipruto (KEN) 23:20 3 Iliass Aouani (ITA) 23:29 4 Luca Alfieri (ITA) 23:31 5 Osama Zoghlami (ITA) 23:34
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-cross-country-tour/calendar-results/7226076/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a>
&nbsp;
<h2>Fikadu and Gebrehiwet secure Ethiopian double in Allonnes</h2>
Milkesa Fikadu and Tirhas Gebrehiwet battled the wet conditions and their rivals to complete an Ethiopian double at the Cross International Le Maine Libre-Allonnes-Sarthe &ndash; the weekend's third World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting &ndash; on Sunday (23).
The 20-year-old Fikadu improved on his third-place finish from last year, covering the muddy 6.71km course in 21:13, while 18-year-old Gebrehiwet won the women&rsquo;s race &ndash; held over the same distance &ndash; in 24:05.
Due to the wet conditions, many athletes ran without their bibs meaning full results could not be confirmed on the day of competition, but the victories by Fikadu and Gebrehiwet were without doubt.
French athletes clinched the runner-up spots in both races, Fikadu finishing strongly to hold off Yann Schrub and Gebrehiwet winning five seconds clear of Alessia Zarbo.
Fikadu&rsquo;s compatriot Abrha Gebru and Kazakhstan&rsquo;s 2022 world steeplechase champion Norah Jeruto both finished fourth in Allonnes last year but this time they made the podium &ndash; each improving by one place to finish third.
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women (6.71km) 1 Tirhas Gebrehiwet (ETH) 24:05 2 Alessia Zarbo (FRA) 24:10 3&nbsp;Norah Jeruto&nbsp;(KAZ) 24:12
Men (6.71km) 1 Milkesa Fikadu (ETH) 21:13 2 Yann Schrub (FRA) 21:15 3 Abrha Gebru (ETH) 21:17
&nbsp;

Coverage of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meetings in Atapuerca, Allonnes and San Vittore Olona

Battocletti wins on fourth try, Kipsang pips Kwizera in Atapuerca

A strong field will be in action when the Cross Internacional de Atapuerca returns near the northern Spanish city of Burgos as one of three&nbsp;World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold&nbsp;meetings taking place on Sunday (23).
Italy&rsquo;s Nadia Battocletti makes her cross-country season debut, following a successful track campaign that included two medals at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 &ndash; 10,000m silver and 5000m bronze. The Olympic 10,000m silver medallist is also an accomplished cross-country runner and she made history last year as the first woman to collect individual gold medals in the U20, U23 and senior categories at the European Cross Country Championships.
She makes her fourth appearance in Atapuerca and will be eager to build on her 14th place in 2019, 12th place in 2021 and sixth place in 2022.
Battocletti&rsquo;s stiffest opposition should come from the in-form Ethiopian Likina Amebaw and last year&rsquo;s winner, Daisy Jepkemei of Kazakhstan. The former has already claimed two wins this season as she triumphed in Amorebieta and Soria, but she had to settle for third at the It&aacute;lica event where she was pipped by Jepkemei in the closing stages, in a fight for the runner-up place.&nbsp;
Amebaw&rsquo;s best performance in Atapuerca came in 2023 when she took fourth place, just ahead of Britain&rsquo;s Megan Keith. The world 10,000m 10th-place finisher won the European U23 cross-country title in Brussels two years ago by a record margin and she opened her cross-country campaign a fortnight ago in Cardiff, where she finished fourth. She was 20 seconds behind the runner-up on that occasion, Kenya&rsquo;s Sheila Jebet, who is also among the contenders in Atapuerca following her second place behind Amebaw in Soria last weekend.&nbsp;
Burundi&rsquo;s Micheline Niyomahoro completes the international line-up, while the local challenge will be led by European U23 3000m steeplechase silver medallist Marta Serrano, national 10km record-holder Carla Gallardo, Isabel Barreiro, Angela Viciosa and Carolina Robles.
The men&rsquo;s race offers a Soria rematch as Kenya&rsquo;s Mathew Kipsang and Burundi&rsquo;s Rodrigue Kwizera will clash again after their thrilling battle last Sunday, when the Kenyan won after a dramatic sprint finish.&nbsp;
It won&rsquo;t be an easy task for Kwizera to retain his title as the event distance has reduced from 9km to 7.3km for men and women and that would seem to play in favour of the world 5000m 11th-place finisher Kipsang, who was third in Atapuerca last year.&nbsp;
Watch out too for the Spanish pair of Thierry Ndikumwenayo and Said Mechaal. Ndikumwenayo is rapidly rounding into form and he finished just three seconds behind Kipsang in Soria, while&nbsp;Mechaal will try to replicate the form he demonstrated on the roads last month, when he took third place at the Paris 20km.
Kenya&rsquo;s Naibei Kiplimo Mayebei and the Burundian pair of Emile Hafashimana and Celestin Ndikumana will also be chasing top five finishes.
Sunday&rsquo;s races will also serve as the national cross country championships. Weather forecasters predict a windy and cold day with temperatures between 4-6&ordm;C by the time of the event.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<h2>Kipruto and Shimket defend Cinque Mulini crowns</h2>
Matthew Kipruto and Yenenesh Shimket will defend their Cinque Mulini titles when the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting is held in San Vittore Olona on Sunday (23).
Kenya&rsquo;s Kipruto, the world U20 cross-country bronze medallist, will return to Italy one week on from finishing third in the Cross Country Tour Gold race over 8km in Soria.
This time his competition in the 8.2km contest will include home star Iliass Aouani, who claimed marathon bronze at the World Championships in Tokyo, and his Italian compatriots Pietro Arese and Osama Zoghlami.
When he discovered that the last Italian winner of the men&rsquo;s race was Alberto Cova in 1986, Aouani told organisers: &ldquo;I'm coming to win.&rdquo;
Joining them on the start line will be Eritrea&rsquo;s Saymon Amanuel, who finished fourth last year in San Vittore Olona, and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Adehena Kasaye, a two-time world cross-country relay silver medallist.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Shimket leads the field for the women&rsquo;s 6.2km race. Last year she clinched victory ahead of Sheila Jebet and home favourite Nadia Battocletti, but this time both Jebet and Olympic and world 10,000m silver medallist Battocletti have decided to race at the Cross Country Tour Gold event in Atapuerca taking place on the same day.
Instead, Shimket will face Burundi&rsquo;s Elvanie Nimbona, who finished fourth at the Cinque Mulini last year, and Kenya&rsquo;s Sharon Chepkemoi. Italian athletes in action include Micol Majori and Gaia Colli.
&nbsp;
<h2>Schrub and Trapp return to Allonnes</h2>
Multiple European medallist Yann Schrub and Manon Trapp will be among the home hopes at the Cross International Le Maine Libre-Allonnes-Sarthe &ndash; a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting &ndash; on Sunday (23).
Schrub, the 2023 European cross-country champion, will look to follow in the footsteps of his French compatriot Jimmy Gressier, who won last year in Allonnes and returns this year to support the event, rather than race. Schrub opens his cross-country campaign in Allonnes as he races for the first time since finishing ninth in the 5000m at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. He placed seventh in Allonnes last year, and was runner-up in 2023.
He will go up against Ethiopia&rsquo;s Milkesa Fikadu and Abrha Gebru, who respectively finished third and fourth last year, as well as last year&rsquo;s fifth-place finisher Vincent Kimaiyo of Kenya. John Aimun, who beat his compatriot Kimaiyo to claim 10km victory in Lille last weekend, is also among the contenders.
Joining Schrub in racing on home soil are Hugo Hay and Fabien Palcau, who finished fifth behind Aimun and Kimaiyo in Lille.
The senior women's race features Trapp, who finished third in Allonnes last year &ndash; one place ahead of Kazakhstan&rsquo;s 2022 world steeplechase champion Norah Jeruto. The pair clash again on Sunday.
Trapp contested the marathon at the World Championships in Tokyo, while Jeruto placed sixth in the steeplechase. Last year&rsquo;s Cross International Le Maine Libre-Allonnes-Sarthe was Jeruto&rsquo;s first cross-country appearance since 2021 and she returns to open her season again in Allonnes.
They will face Kaoutar Farkoussi, who formed part of Morocco&rsquo;s silver medal-winning mixed relay team at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships, and Kenya&rsquo;s Alice Chemtai Loitasia, as well as France&rsquo;s Alessia Zarbo, Agathe Guillemot, Marie Bouchard and national marathon record-holder Mekdes Woldu.

Three World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meetings take place on Sunday

World Cross Country Tour Gold continues in Atapuerca, Allonnes and San Vittore Olona

Kenya&rsquo;s Mathew Kipsang and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Likina Amebaw claimed victory at the Cross Internacional de Soria &ndash; the fourth Gold-level meeting of this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour &ndash; held in the Spanish city of Soria on a sunny but windy Sunday (16).
Amebaw dominated the women&rsquo;s race, while world 5000m finalist Kipsang denied pre-race favourite Rodrigue Kwizera a fourth Soria victory after a dramatic final sprint.
The women&rsquo;s 8km began at a crawl: the opening 2km lap took 7:20 with Italy&rsquo;s Valentina Gemetto, Kenya&rsquo;s Sheila Jebet and Amebaw sharing the lead. Spain&rsquo;s Idaira Prieto briefly pushed to the front, but the pace barely lifted, the second lap clocking 7:11. About 200m into the third circuit, Amebaw finally injected real purpose, and only the 20-year-old Jebet could respond. A few seconds back ran Kenya&rsquo;s Noshin Kimuge, followed by Gemetto, Prieto and Spain&rsquo;s Mar&iacute;a Ure&ntilde;a.
Amebaw&rsquo;s surge produced a 6:20 third loop, though Jebet held firm until about a mile from home, when the young Kenyan finally began to fade. Amebaw pressed on alone, covering the final lap in 6:14 and finishing unchallenged in 27:25, 30 seconds clear of Jebet.
Behind them, Gemetto and Prieto caught Kimuge before the bell. The Italian then broke away with little more than a kilometre left, and Prieto soon distanced Kimuge to claim fourth.
&ldquo;Soria is my favourite cross-country race, so I&rsquo;m very pleased to take my second victory here,&rdquo; said Amebaw. &ldquo;It&aacute;lica was very tough and recovery hasn&rsquo;t been easy, so I started conservatively. When I kicked, I was surprised Jebet stayed with me so long, but fortunately she couldn&rsquo;t follow on the last lap. The circuit is very similar to where I train, so I feel comfortable here.&rdquo;
The men&rsquo;s 8km unfolded very differently. Kwizera set a brisk early pace, leading through the first 2km lap in 5:47 ahead of Spain&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo and Ilias Fifa, plus Kenyans Kipsang, Matthew Kipkoech Kipruto, Naibei Kiplimo Mayebei and Edwin Kiplangat Bett.
Midway through the second lap, world U20 cross-country bronze medallist Kipruto surged to the front, with Kwizera on his shoulder. The 5:52 lap trimmed the lead pack to Kipruto, Kwizera, Kipsang and Ndikumwenayo. The third lap, in 5:46, saw the four strung out in single file behind the still-leading Kipruto.
Inside the final 500m, three-time Soria champion Kwizera kicked hard. Kipruto and Ndikumwenayo lost ground, but Kipsang refused to budge. Kwizera still led with 200m remaining, yet Kipsang &mdash; despite slipping slightly on the downhill before the home straight &mdash; unleashed the superior track speed that carried him to a 7:33.23 PB for 3000m earlier this year. He swept past in the final metres to win by a single second, 23:10 to 23:11. Kipruto held off Ndikumwenayo for third.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m doubly happy,&rdquo; said Kipsang. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s my birthday and I&rsquo;ve won. I was third here last year, but my victory in Cardiff last weekend gave me confidence. I didn&rsquo;t want to set the pace; I saved everything for the finish and it paid off.&rdquo;
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women (8km) 1 Likina Amebaw (ETH) 27:25 2 Sheila Jebet (KEN) 27:55 3 Valentina Gemetto (ITA) 28:11 4 Idaira Prieto (KEN) 28:19 5 Noshin Mandoi Kimuge (KEN) 28:33 6 Mar&iacute;a Ure&ntilde;a (ESP) 28:54
Men (8km) 1 Mathew Kipchumba Kipsang (KEN) 23:10 2 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 23:11 3 Matthew Kipkpoech Kipruto (KEN) 23:13 4 Thierry Ndikumwenayo (ESP) 23:13 5 Naibei Kiplimo Mayebei (KEN) 23:45 6 Ilias Fifa (ESP) 23:47

Kenya’s Mathew Kipsang and Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw claimed victory at the Cross Internacional de Soria

Amebaw dominates while Kipsang outsprints Kwizera in Soria

Burundi&rsquo;s Rodrigue Kwizera and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Likina Amebaw lead the fields for the Cross Internacional de Soria, the fourth Gold level meeting of this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour, on Sunday (16).&nbsp;
Kwizera is a three-time victor in Soria, having triumphed in 2021, 2023 and 2024, and the 25-year-old is keen to maintain the momentum following his win at the Cross Internacional de Italica in Seville last weekend. His stiffest opposition looks to be Kenya&rsquo;s Mathew Kipchumba Kipsang and Spain&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo, but Kwizera appears ready to make history by becoming a four-time winner in Soria to break the tie with Uganda&rsquo;s Timothy Toroitich, who won three times in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Kipsang will compete on his 30th birthday, fresh from a fine win at the Cardiff Cross Challenge on Saturday. The Kenyan finished third in Soria last year and, after PBs of 7:33.23 (3000m) and 12:58.61 (5000m) this year, he should be a dangerous rival for Kwizera as the race will be held over the relatively short distance of 8km. The same goes for Ndikumwenayo &ndash; the 28-year-old Spaniard is still rounding into form and had to settle for fifth last weekend at the Italica meeting but he will be fighting hard to grab his second win in Soria following his 2022 victory.
Other contenders include Burundi&rsquo;s Emile Hafashimana, who won in Amorebieta and was ninth last weekend in Seville, plus Uganda&rsquo;s Martin Kiprotich and Samuel Cherop, and Kenya&rsquo;s Edwin Kiplangat Bett and Naibei Kiplimo Mayebei.
Kiprotich finished 14th at the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade and has shown great versatility in clinching silver in the classic race at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in September. More recently, the 22-year-old resumed his cross-country career and finished second in San Sebastian, just ahead of Mayebei and Bett. As for Cherop, he placed fifth in the 5000m at last year&rsquo;s World U20 Championships in Lima. The local challenge will be led by Ilias Fifa, who showed he is in form with a Casablanca 10km win in 27:51 last month.
<h2>Amebaw versus Jebet</h2>
The women&rsquo;s race will also be held over 8km and promises a showdown between Amebaw and Kenya&rsquo;s Sheila Jebet. Amebaw will be making her third appearance of this cross-country season as she won in Amorebieta last month and finished third last weekend at the Italica. She won in Soria in 2023 and aims for her third podium spot following her 2021 runner-up finish.
Jebet secured second place in Cardiff last weekend and seeks her first win on the European cross-country circuit. The 20-year-old finished fourth in the U20 race at the last World Cross Country Championships and then placed fifth in the 5000m at the World U20 Championships.
Local hopes rest on Idaira Prieto and Marta Perez. Spanish 1500m record-holder Perez has been living and training in Madrid for the last 14 years but she is a Soria native and will enjoy the support of her home crowd as she did last year when she placed fifth. She competed at the World Championships in Tokyo, as did Prieto, who is coached by her father Antonio Prieto, a two-time fifth-place finisher at the World Cross Country Championships.
Illustrious past winners in Soria include 2000 Olympic 5000m champion Million Wolde, 2001 world 10,000m gold medallist Charles Kamathi, 1997 world 10,000m champion Sally Barsosio, 2007 world cross country champion Zersenay Tadese, 2010 world cross country gold medallist Joseph Ebuya, 2009 world 10,000m champion Linet Masai and two-time world cross country gold medallist Jacob Kiplimo.
The venue of the event will be the Monte Valonsadero circuit, a beautiful forest on the outskirts of Soria. Weather forecasters predict a wet and windy day on Sunday, with the temperature ranging between 10-12&deg;C by the time of the event.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

Kwizera is a three-time victor in Soria, having triumphed in 2021, 2023 and 2024

Kwizera and Amebaw head fields in Soria

Bahrain&rsquo;s Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Winfred Yavi and Burundi&rsquo;s Rodrigue Kwizera were the winners at the Cross Internacional de Italica &ndash; a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting &ndash; held on the outskirts of Seville on Sunday (9).
While Yavi became an overwhelming victor of the women&rsquo;s race, two-time Cross Country Tour champion Kwizera prevailed in a much tighter finish over his Kenyan rivals.
The women&rsquo;s 9.2km contest saw last year&rsquo;s runner-up Daisy Jepkemei of Kazakhstan take an early lead, closely followed by Yavi, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Likina Amebaw and Kenya&rsquo;s Celestine Jepkosgei Biwott. By just one minute into the race, that quartet travelled clear of a chasing group headed by Portugal&rsquo;s Mariana Machado and leading Spaniards Isabel Barreiro and European U23 cross country silver medallist Maria Forero.
The first 2.3km lap took 7:19, with Jepkemei always at the helm and Biwott beginning to struggle as the chase group travelled 33 seconds in arrears. The second circuit was slightly quicker (7:15) and Biwott soon lost any chance of a podium place, while the distance between the lead trio and the local pack increased to 1:08.
It was at the beginning of the third lap when Yavi began to dictate the pace and it soon paid off as Jepkemei could not live with the cadence and the race became a battle between Yavi and Amebaw. They both again clocked 7:15 for the penultimate loop, while Jepkemei ran four seconds behind at the bell.
Yavi unleashed a devastating change of speed some 200 metres into the final lap to break away from Amebaw, opening up a sizeable margin on the Ethiopian in a matter of a few hundred metres. From there, Yavi displayed an impressive solo run to strengthen her lead over her pursuers and finish unopposed after a blistering final lap of 6:58.
Attention turned to the fight for the other podium places. Amebaw looked to be a safe bet for second place but Jepkemei came through to pip her rival, just one second &ndash; 30:36 to 30:37 &ndash; separating the pair. A lonesome Biwott secured fourth place, while Forero dropped Barreiro and Machado over the closing lap to take fifth place.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so happy to win on my debut in Italica,&rdquo; said Yavi. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m quite strong now as I&rsquo;ll be competing at the Islamic Games in Riyadh next week.&rdquo;
Unlike the women&rsquo;s race, the men&rsquo;s event started at a moderate pace, the first kilometre being ruled by the Kenyan pair of world U20 5000m champion Andrew Alamisi and Titus Kibet. Pre-race favourite Kwizera moved to the front four minutes into the race, the first lap being covered in 6:28.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6910d9e2b37dadea6de29ece.jpeg" alt="Rodrigue Kwizera leads during the Cross Internacional de Italica" />
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Rodrigue Kwizera leads during the Cross Internacional de Italica (&copy; Diputaci&oacute;n de Sevilla)
</div>
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The second circuit had no remarkable changes, the Burundian athlete setting a steady pace to leave him joined by 10 athletes including Spain&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo, Aaron Las Heras and national champion Yahya Aouina following a 6:34 lap.
After a similar third lap which took 6:41, Kwizera&rsquo;s front tactics finally paid dividends as only Alamisi and Dennis Kipkoech, third at the Kenyan trials held in Eldoret a fortnight ago, managed to follow his footsteps. Alamisi took the lead with around a kilometre left to run, but Kipkoech and Kwizera covered the break. The key movement came some 500 metres from home when the Spain-based Kwizera found another gear on the downhill section to open a shy but significant margin on the Kenyan duo.
Kwizera eventually clinched the win ahead of Alamisi and could afford to smile as they both clocked 26:10, with Kipkoech finishing one second back.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so honoured to win here for the second time after my victory in 2021,&rdquo; said Kwizera. &ldquo;This year the circuit has changed and there were some tough hills. Despite leading for much of the race, I still kept energy for the last section. I knew I had a change of speed and decided to execute it some 500 metres to go. It proved to be enough, although it&rsquo;s true the Kenyan boys pushed me to the end.&rdquo;
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women (9.2km) 1 Winfred Yavi (BRN) 28:58 2 Daisy Jepkemei (KAZ) 30:36 3 Likina Amebaw (ETH) 30:37 4 Celestine Jepkosgei Biwott (KEN) 30:41 5 Mar&iacute;a Forero (ESP) 31:07 6 Isabel Barreiro (ESP) 31:26 7 Mariana Machado (POR) 31:30 8 Angela Viciosa (ESP) 31:35 9 Marta Serrano (ESP) 31:35 10 Carolina Robles (ESP) 31:44
Men (9.2km) 1 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 26:10 2 Andrew Alamisi (KEN) 26:10 3 Dennis Kipkoech (KEN) 26:11 4 Titus Kibet (KEN) 26:23 5 Thierry Ndikumwenayo (ESP) 26:26 6 Aaron Las Heras (ESP) 26:26 7 Naibei Kiplimo (KEN) 26:26 8 Egide Ntakarutimana (BDI) 26:35 9 Emile Hafashimana (BDI) 26:35 10 Yahya Aouina (ESP) 26:38
&nbsp;

Bahrain’s Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Winfred Yavi and Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera were the winners at the Cross Internacional de Italica 

Yavi and Kwizera win in Seville

World 5000m finalist Mathew Kipsang kicked to victory at the Cardiff Cross Challenge, while 17-year-old compatriot Cynthia Chepkirui made it a Kenyan double at the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold event at Llandaff Fields on Saturday (8).
The senior men&rsquo;s 9.6km contest began with a large lead group setting a steady early pace. After 2.5km, Kenyan trio Stephen Kimutai, Victor Kimosop, and Mathew Kipsang were joined at the front by Britain&rsquo;s Zakariya Mahamed, forming a quartet that quickly established control.
By halfway, Britain&rsquo;s Jacob Cann and Richard Slade had bridged the gap, creating a breakaway pack of six. Kipsang took command at about 6km, gradually stretching the lead as the chasing group began to splinter. One kilometre later, Cann and Slade began to fade, leaving Kipsang, Kimosop, Kimutai, and Mahamed to battle it out for the podium.
Mahamed started to lose contact soon after, turning the closing stages into a Kenyan duel. With less than a kilometre remaining, Kimosop surged to the front, but Kipsang bided his time, waiting until the final straight to unleash a decisive kick. The 29-year-old powered ahead to take victory in 28:12, with Kimosop second and Kimutai completing the all-Kenyan podium. Mahamed finished fourth, just ahead of Cann.
Cynthia Chepkirui, the African U18 3000m champion, announced herself in style with a dominant performance in the senior women&rsquo;s 6.4km race.
Defending champion Megan Keith led during the early stages from Canada&rsquo;s Ceili McCabe, Jess Gibbon, Chepkirui, and Sheila Jebet, a world U20 finalist and winner in Hannut earlier this year. Gibbon soon lost touch, leaving a leading quartet to dictate the pace through the second kilometre.
At about the halfway mark, Chepkirui started to make her move and gradually opened up a gap on Jebet and McCabe while Keith was forced to stop briefly to adjust her shoe.
Chepkirui never looked back, extending her lead over the final kilometres to win decisively in 20:11. Jebet secured second place in 20:31, three seconds ahead of McCabe, while Keith finished fourth in 20:51.
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women (6.4km) 1 Cynthia Chepkirui (KEN) 20:11 2 Sheila Jebet (KEN) 20:31 3 Ceili McCabe (CAN) 20:33 4 Megan Keith (GBR) 20:51 5 Poppy Tank (GBR) 21:09 6 Sofia Thogersen (DEN) 21:16
Men (9.6km) 1 Mathew Kipsang (KEN) 28:14 2 Victor Kimosop (KEN) 28:19 3 Stephen Kimutai (KEN) 28:27 4 Zakariya Mahamed (GBR) 28:28 5 Jacob Cann (GBR) 28:29 6 Richard Slade (GBR) 28:41

Mathew Kipsang kicked to victory at the Cardiff Cross Challenge, while 17-year-old compatriot Cynthia Chepkurui made it a Kenyan double

Kipsang and Chepkirui secure Kenyan double in Cardiff

Two World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meetings take place this weekend &ndash; the Cardiff Cross Challenge on Saturday (8) and the Cross Internacional de Italica in Santiponce on the outskirts of Seville on Sunday (9).
The Cardiff event will welcome athletes from Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Ireland, Kenya, Netherlands, Morocco and Spain to Llandaff Fields.
The men&rsquo;s race features world 5000m finalist Mathew Kipsang and his Kenyan compatriot Stephen Kimutai, who returns to the Welsh capital after finishing fifth at the Oysho Cardiff Half Marathon in October in 1:01:32. &nbsp;
Victor Kimosop is another promising young Kenyan athlete in action after he won the Betika Cross Country Series meeting last month.
They will be joined by Morocco&rsquo;s 17-year-old Osama Er Redouani, who was seventh at last year&rsquo;s World U20 Championships over 3000m and competed at the 2024 World Cross Country Championships.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Kadar Omar is a regular racer in South Wales and is a previous winner of the Cardiff Half Marathon, while Jesse Fokkenrood and Nathan Houwaard will be in action for the Netherlands. Fokkenrood finished 13th&nbsp;in Cardiff last year.
Irish cross-country champion Keelan Kilrehill adds further strength to the field, as does Great Britain&rsquo;s Zakariya Mahamed who has twice finished runner-up on the course and scored a notable victory at the Northern Ireland International in 2022.
Welsh 5km record-holder Osian Perrin and Dafydd Jones lead Welsh hopes. &nbsp;
Great Britain&rsquo;s world 10,000m 10th-place finisher Megan Keith is back in Cardiff looking to regain a title she claimed in 2023. She followed that victory by becoming the European U23 cross country champion in Brussels.&nbsp;
Kate Axford was the leading British finisher last year, placing third, and she also returns, as does Kenya&rsquo;s 2024 runner-up Sheila Jebet, this time as a winner of the Cross Cup De Hannut &ndash; another Cross Country Tour Gold event &ndash; in January.
Her 17-year-old compatriot Cynthia Chepkirui hopes to take a step towards January&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Championships Tallahassee 26 when she races in Cardiff. &nbsp;
Their competition will include Canada&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase record-holder Ceili McCabe, who won the NCAA indoor 3000m title earlier this year, and Denmark&rsquo;s Sofia Thogersen, the multiple European age-group track medallist who competes in Cardiff for the third time.
Maria Urena of Spain and Ireland&rsquo;s Mary Mulhare also form part of the international entry list.
Welsh hopes lie with Cari Hughes, who was fourth last year. Other British entries include Amelia Quirk, Holly Dixon, Poppy Tank, Jess Gibbon and Hannah Irwin.
The mile races return for 2025, incorporating the Great Britain trial for the mixed relay at the European Cross Country Championships in Portugal. Entries include Revee Walcott-Nolan, Sarah Calvert, Abbie Ives, Sarah McDonald, Holly Dixon, Will Barnicoat, Callum Elson, Joe Wigfield, Henry Jonas and Corentin Tixier.
European U20 cross country champion Innes FitzGerald headlines the U20 races, joined by William Rabjohns who was an U20 winner in Cardiff last year.
Alex Donald for World Athletics 
<h2>Yavi and Kwizera in action in Seville</h2>
The Cross Internacional de Italica always attracts a quality line-up and this year&rsquo;s race features the most prominent field so far this season.
Entries for the women&rsquo;s race, contested over 9.2km, are headed by the in-form Ethiopian Likina Amebaw who has improved her PBs over a range of distances this year and kicked off her cross-country campaign with a win at the Amorebieta meeting three weeks ago.
Yet the most decorated woman in contention will be Bahrain&rsquo;s Winfred Yavi. Despite racing cross country sparingly, the Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion should be among the athletes hunting for a podium place.
Maurine Jebor tops Kenya&rsquo;s list of entries, following her win at the recent national trials for the World Cross Country Championships. She will be joined by Celestine Jepkorir who is fresh from a comfortable victory at the San Sebastian Silver Cross Country Tour meeting on Sunday.
Watch out too for Kazakhstan&rsquo;s Daisy Jepkemei, the runner-up in Seville last year who placed sixth at the 2024 World Cross Country Championships.
Mariana Machado will also be in action as she prepares for next month&rsquo;s European Cross Country Championships in her native Portugal. Norway&rsquo;s Kristin Eikrem, fresh from a half marathon PB of 1:10:32 in Valencia a fortnight ago, will also try to get a top-five spot.
The local charge will be led by the promising duo of Marta Serrano and Maria Forero.
The men&rsquo;s event will also be held over 9.2km and promises to be a thrilling clash between training partners Rodrigue Kwizera of Burundi and Spain&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo. Kwizera is a two-time Cross Country Tour winner and has a proven record at the Italica meeting having placed first (2021), second (2022), third (2023) and runner-up again last year, when he was beaten by Ndikumwenayo, who also succeeded in 2022.
Both athletes live and train in Castellon under the guidance of Lluis Torla. Kwizera finished second at the recent Valencia Half Marathon in national record of 58:39, while world 10,000m ninth-place finisher Ndikumwenayo is still rounding into form as he spent October in his native Burundi where her wife gave birth to their first daughter. He returned to action at the Castellon cross country race last Sunday, pushing Kwizera to the line before settling for second place.
There will be a large Kenyan squad comprising Denis Kipkoech Kemboi, Robert Koech, Edwin Kiplangat, Naibei Kiplimo, Titus Kibet and Andrew Alamisi. Kemboi, Koech and Kiplangat finished third, sixth and seventh respectively at the Kenyan trials for World Cross Country Championships, while Kibet got the win last weekend in San Sebastian where Kiplimo took third and Kiplangat fourth.
Tunisia&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechaser Mohamed Amin Jhinaoui, who was fourth at the Paris Olympics, is also in action along with Burundi&rsquo;s Egide Ntakarutimana and Emile Hafashimana, who opened his cross country season with a victory in Amorebieta last month.
Joining Ndikumwenayo are other Spanish hopes Aaron Las Heras and Dani Arce, plus Olympic and world 800m finalist Mohamed Attaoui who will take advantage of his high mileage at this early stage of the season to make a rare appearance over 9.2km.
Weather forecasters predict a sunny day with temperatures in the 18-20&ordm;C range by the time of the elite races on Sunday.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

Two World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meetings take place this weekend

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Yavi and Aregawi the favourites in Elgoibar

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