Rodrigue Kwizera wins in Alcobendas (© Equipo Deporte)
The Cross Internacional de Itálica in Santiponce on the outskirts of the Spanish city of Seville always boasts a quality line-up and the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting on Sunday (8) is no exception, with Likina Amebaw, Rodrigue Kwizera and Berihu Aregawi among the entries.
Ethiopia’s Amebaw has had a fantastic year, topped by her win at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest in September. That came just a few days prior to her world 5km win in Copenhagen. The 28-year-old, who trains under the guidance of Spanish coach Alberto García, ended the track season as the world 5000m leader thanks to her PB of 14:18.41 in Rome. She then kicked off her cross-country campaign in style in Amorebieta where she won by more than half a minute ahead of Burundi’s Francine Niyomukunzi, an 8:33.27 3000m athlete who will also be in attendance on Sunday.
Yet the toughest opposition for the favourite Amebaw in the 9.5km race might come from a top-10 finisher at January’s World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Kenya’s Maurine Chebor who is fresh from a commanding win in San Sebastián.
In addition, four of the top five athletes from the U20 race in Tallahassee will also race. Ethiopia’s Wosane Asefa was runner-up in Tallahassee and was also the 3000m silver medallist at the World U20 Championships in Oregon, while Uganda’s Charity Cherop claimed a bronze medal in Tallahassee before taking 5000m gold and 3000m bronze in Oregon. Kenya’s Cynthia Chepkurui was fourth and Ethiopia’s Yenenesh Shimket fifth in Tallahassee. Shimket went on to run a world U20 10km best of 30:21 in Brasov. They will all be joined in Santiponce by Birtukan Molla, a 30:50 10km specialist.
Local hopes rest on European U23 cross-country and 5000m champion María Forero who placed second in San Sebastián last weekend, five seconds behind Chebor. She again faces France’s European 3000m steeplechase record-holder Alice Finot, three weeks on from Forero beating the Spain-based French athlete at the Aranda de Duero cross-country race. There they clocked 30:26 and 30:36 to finish third and fourth, respectively.
The men’s event features Ethiopia’s three-time world cross-country silver medallist Berihu Aregawi. Having not competed since his cross-country win in Elgoibar in January, Aregawi’s form is unknown but the Olympic 10,000m silver medallist should be eager to take revenge from his loss in Santiponce two years ago when he had to settle for third place behind Thierry Ndikumwenayo and Kwizera.
Ndikumwenayo and Kwizera proved to be in excellent shape at the Valencia Half Marathon last month. Kwizera won in a Spanish record of 58:03, while Ndikumwenayo finished second in a massive career best of 58:09. They train together in Castellón and each will be aiming for a third victory in Itálica as Kwizera won in 2021 and 2025 and Ndikumwenayo triumphed in 2022 and 2024. Kenenisa Bekele is so far the only athlete with three victories under his belt from the 2000s.
Last year’s podium will gather again as Kenya’s runner-up Andrew Alamisi and third-place finisher Denis Kipkoech Kemboi Kipkemoi join the cast. The latter showed fine shape last Sunday in San Sebastián where he secured a sprint victory over Uganda’s Samuel Simba Cherop, who ran a 27:26 10km in Brasov last month. He will be joined by his compatriot Dismas Yeko, holder of a 27:24 10km career best set in Lille last April.
Itálica will also witness the much-awaited senior cross-country debut of Kenya’s Frankline Kibet. The 19-year-old opened his year with a convincing world U20 victory in Tallahassee and he also clinched the world U20 5000m title in Oregon.
His fellow Kenyan Charles Kiboino will also be in show, while the Ethiopian contingent features world U20 5000m bronze medallist Demitew Kebede and Wegene Adisu, third in San Sebastián last weekend.
Watch out too for Spain’s Aarón Las Heras. The 26-year-old made a promising half marathon debut in Valencia with a 1:00:08 performance and will be chasing a top-10 spot on Sunday.
Famous previous winners in Santiponce include Fernando Mamede (1984 and 1985), Paul Kipkoech (1987 and 1988), Paul Tergat (1998 and 1999), Kenenisa Bekele (2003, 2004 and 2007), Leonard Komon (2010 and 2011), Joshua Cheptegei (2018), Jacob Kiplimo (2019), Paula Radcliffe (2001), Linet Masai (2010 and 2012) and Faith Kipyegon (2016).
Weather forecasters predict a mild day with temperatures in the 20-22°C range and a 90% chance of rain by the time of the event.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
