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Sweden&rsquo;s Andreas Almgren and Kenya&rsquo;s Brenda Jepchirchir claimed impressive victories at the 10K Valencia Ibercaja by Kiprun, a World Athletics Label road race, held in near perfect conditions on Sunday (11). In the men&rsquo;s race, world 10,000m bronze medallist Almgren won in 26:45 to take eight seconds off his own European record, set when winning here last year. Jepchirchir, still only 20, produced a standout performance in the women&rsquo;s race, lifting herself to fourth on the world all-time list.
The men&rsquo;s race had been billed as a record attempt by the European mark holder, and the Tokyo world 10,000m bronze medallist delivered emphatically. With Ethiopia&rsquo;s Urgesa Negasa setting the pace, the opening kilometres were covered at between 2:40 and 2:42, taking the field through 3000m in 8:04. By that point, only three athletes remained at the front: Almgren, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Khairi Bejiga and Kenya&rsquo;s Victor Kipruto.
Once the pacemaker stepped aside, Almgren assumed control, closely shadowed by Bejiga and Kipruto. The trio passed halfway in a brisk 13:29, projecting a sub-27:00 finish, albeit slightly outside the European record. Shortly before 6km, Kipruto began to lose contact, leaving Almgren and the 19-year-old Bejiga &ndash; who came in with a personal best of 26:54 &ndash; to contest the lead, with the Swede dictating the tempo.
Bejiga briefly moved to the front at about 8km, but his surge was short-lived. Almgren reclaimed the lead just before the final kilometre, still hunting his own continental mark. The decisive move came exactly at 9km, when Almgren found another gear and quickly pulled clear. A blistering final kilometre of 2:32 sealed the deal, as he powered home in 26:45, six seconds clear of the fast-finishing Ethiopian, who also set a personal best. Kipruto completed the podium in 27:16.
&ldquo;I knew I was in great shape &ndash; even better than last year &ndash; and I was confident of breaking the record,&rdquo; said Almgren. &ldquo;Valencia is like a second home for me; I never have a bad race here. It was tough setting the pace from the third kilometre onwards and there was some headwind in places, but overall it was a perfect race. I&rsquo;m immensely happy.&rdquo;
In addition to the area records, there were national records for: Mohamed Abdilaahi (Germany) 27:22, Magnus Tuv Myhre (Norway) 27:22, Said Mechaal (Spain) 27:25, Jose Carlos Pinto (Portugal) 27:37, Joe Wigfield (Great Britain) 27:38, Efrem Gidey (Ireland) 27:38 and Baldvin Magnusson (Iceland) 27:40.
The women&rsquo;s race began at a blistering pace, with Brenda Jepchirchir &ndash; previously a 30:04 performer &ndash; surging clear early. Running among a large group of male athletes, she set a relentless tempo of about 2:54 per kilometre, opening a small gap over Ethiopia&rsquo;s Likina Amebaw. Behind them, Kenya&rsquo;s Clare Chemtai and Faith Cherono ran in close formation.
Jepchirchir passed through half way in 14:32, with Amebaw four seconds back and the Kenyan chasing pair clocking 14:41. Eilish McColgan reached halfway in eighth place in 15:04, holding a 27-second advantage over fellow Briton Alex Bell.
In the second half, Jepchirchir eased slightly, covering the remaining kilometres in the 2:56&ndash;2:58 range. Amebaw mirrored her pace and remained within five seconds throughout, but was unable to close the gap. Jepchirchir crossed the line in 29:25, elevating her to equal fourth on the world all-time list.
The Spain-based Amebaw took second in 29:30, improving her personal best by 10 seconds and moving to equal sixth on the all-time lists, while Chemtai claimed third in 29:46.
McColgan, meanwhile, produced a perfectly judged run. The 35-year-old Scot clocked identical splits of 15:04 to finish in a European record of 30:08, taking two seconds off the mark set just a week earlier by Belgium&rsquo;s Jana Van Lent.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Brenda Jepchirchir (KEN) 29:25 2 Likina Amebaw (ETH) 29:30 3 Clare Chemtai Ndiwa (KEN) 29:49 4 Wede Kefale (ETH) 29:55 5 Girmawit Gebrzihair (ETH) 30:02 6 Faith Cherono (KEN) 30:06 7 Miriam Chebet (KEN) 30:08 8 Eilish McColgan (GBR) 30:08 9 Debash Kelali&nbsp; (ETH) 30:21 10 Alice Chemati (KEN) 30:38
Men 1 Andreas Almgren (SWE) 26:45 2 Kahiri Bejiga (ETHI) 26:51 3 Victor Kipruto (KEN) 27:16 4 Valentin Soca (URU) 27:21 5 Mohamed Abdillaahi (GER) 27:22 6 Magnus Tuv Myhre (NOR) 27:22 7 Said Mechaal (ESP) 27:25 8 Isaac Kimeli (BEL) 27:29 9 Jose Carlos Pinto (PORI) 27:37 10 Kipkandie Mkulia (KEN) 27:38
&nbsp;

Sweden’s Andreas Almgren and Kenya’s Brenda Jepchirchir claimed impressive victories at the 10K Valencia Ibercaja by Kiprun

Almgren and Jepchirchir victorious in Valencia

Ruti Aga and Dawit Wolde successfully defended their titles at the Xiamen Marathon &ndash; the first World Athletics Platinum Label road race of the year &ndash; leading Ethiopian sweeps of both podiums on Sunday (11).
Aga crossed the line in 2:22:45, finishing comfortably ahead of compatriots Meseret Abebayehu (2:25:15) and Fikrte Wereta (2:25:31). Li Meizhen was the top Chinese finisher, placing fifth in a PB of 2:27:24.
Aga adopted different tactics compared with her previous record-setting run, opting to stay patient within a larger group rather than pushing from the outset.
&ldquo;Last year I brought my personal pacer here, so I was pushing from the beginning,&rdquo; said Aga, who clocked 2:18:46 here in 2025 &ldquo;This year, I was running with the official pacers and some of male athletes. I was just concentrating on winning. I'm so happy to defend the title here in Xiamen.&rdquo;
Wolde timed his effort to perfection in the men&rsquo;s race, stopping the clock at 2:09:18 after a closely contested finish that saw three Ethiopians separated by just four seconds. Hailemaryam Kiros followed in 2:09:20, with Addisu Gobena third in 2:09:22, as the leading pack remained tightly bunched deep into the final kilometres.
Having broken the course record 12 months earlier with 2:06:06, Wolde adopted a more measured approach this time, prioritising victory over speed. The 34-year-old explained that his focus was on managing the race rather than forcing the pace early, a strategy that proved decisive in the closing stages.
&ldquo;What I wanted to do this year is just to keep my title, not to break my course record, so I had no reason to push it early,&rdquo; said Wolde, who also welcomed subtle changes to the course, notably the removal of a late U-turn, which he felt made the closing kilometres smoother.
&ldquo;This year when I came as the defending champion, I put a lot of pressure on me. I did it, so I'm happy.&rdquo;
National record-holder Yang Shaohui emerged as the leading Chinese man, finishing sixth overall in 2:11:14 after holding contact with the front group for more than 30km.

Ruti Aga and Dawit Wolde successfully defended their titles at the Xiamen Marathon

Aga and Wolde retain Xiamen Marathon titles

For the third edition in a row, Uganda&rsquo;s Jacob Kiplimo won the senior men&rsquo;s title ahead of Ethiopia&rsquo;s Berihu Aregawi at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Tallahassee 26 on Saturday.
In so doing, Kiplimo confirmed his status as one of the great distance runners of his generation as the Ugandan proved untouchable when it mattered most, opening up a staggering 18 seconds on his fellow medallists on the final lap alone.
Aregawi once again had to settle for silver individually, but he gained some consolation by leading Ethiopia to gold in the team contest. Kenya&rsquo;s Daniel Ebenyo claimed individual bronze behind Aregawi.
<div><a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6960404b3c5238afe2617368.jpg" alt="WXC Tallahassee 26 highlights" /></a></div>
As he has done so often on the world stage, Kiplimo allowed the race to develop before asserting control with a devastating surge in the closing stages. He also led Uganda to their best ever medal haul &ndash; seven in total, including two gold &ndash; at a World Cross Country Championships.
The early pace was set by USA&rsquo;s Wesley Kiptoo, who surged to the front from the gun and covered the opening lap in 5:39, establishing a two-second advantage over a chase pack led by Uganda&rsquo;s Dan Kibet and Australia&rsquo;s Ky Robinson. The move briefly stretched the field, but by 3km (8:39) Kiptoo had been reeled in as the leading group began to take shape.
At 4km, the complexion of the race was a familiar one, with Kenyan, Ethiopian and Ugandan athletes filling the top 12 positions. Ethiopia&rsquo;s Tadese Worku led at that stage, closely followed by Uganda&rsquo;s Dolphine Chelimo and Kenya&rsquo;s Daniel Ebenyo, while Kiplimo moved into fourth place, calmly tracking the front and making his presence known.
Worku attempted to force the pace as the race approached halfway, adding a burst of pace that briefly gave him a narrow cushion over Kiplimo and Ebenyo, with Aregawi sitting just behind. The effort, however, proved short-lived. By 6km, Worku had been brought back as Kiplimo edged to the front at the end of the third lap, leading a tightly packed group that included Ebenyo, Worku and Aregawi. Biniam Mehary and Ishmael Kipkurui followed in fifth and sixth, while European cross-country champion Thierry Ndikumwenayo ran further back in seventh.
The fourth lap marked another turning point. Kipkurui was the first to lose contact, followed soon after by Worku, reducing the medal battle to four men: Kiplimo, Ebenyo, Mehary and Aregawi. As the bell sounded for the final lap, the race distilled further with Mehary falling behind, leaving the three pre-race favourites to contest the podium places.
It was then that Kiplimo made his decisive move. Digging deep, the Ugandan opened up a gap of eight seconds over the next kilometre, breaking clear of Aregawi and Ebenyo. His authority grew with each stride, and he continued to stretch his advantage relentlessly, gaining 18 seconds on the final lap alone.
Kiplimo crossed the line in 28:18 to become the fourth man in history to win three consecutive world cross-country titles, matching feats previously achieved by John Ngugi, Paul Tergat and Kenenisa Bekele. His victory also marked the biggest winning margin in the senior men&rsquo;s race since 2007.
"I didn't expect to win, but I was happy to cross the finish line first for the third consecutive time," said Kiplimo. "The course was really nice. I'm happy for my gold, but also for the team.
"The key to my success is consistency in training and belief in what you're doing," added Kiplimo, whose last race prior to today was his 2:02:23 victory at the Chicago Marathon in October. "Many more Ugandan runners are catching up."
Aregawi secured his fifth global silver medal, and his third at the World Cross, in 28:36, while world half marathon silver medallist Ebenyo added another major honour to his collection by claiming bronze in 28:45.
Worku, Kipkurui and Mehary completed the top six. Ndikumwenayo finished eighth, while world 10,000m champion Jimmy Gressier placed 15th, four positions behind his French teammate Yann Schrub. US cross-country champion Parker Wolfe was the leading home finisher in 12th. Ethiopia won the team title ahead of Kenya and Uganda.
Jon Mulkeen&nbsp;for World Athletics 
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #222222; border-style: solid;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center;" colspan="3">SENIOR MEN'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968;">Jacob Kiplimo (UGA)</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968;">28:18</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9;">Berihu Aregawi (ETH)</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9;">28:36</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e;">Daniel Simiu Ebenyo (KEN)</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e;">28:45</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; text-align: center;">4</td>
<td style="width: 60%;">Tadese Worku (ETH)</td>
<td style="width: 30%;">28:49</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; text-align: center;">5</td>
<td style="width: 60%;">Ishmael Kipkurui (KEN)</td>
<td style="width: 30%;">28:53</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; text-align: center;">6</td>
<td style="width: 60%;">Biniam Mehary (ETH)</td>
<td style="width: 30%;">29:03</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; text-align: center;">7</td>
<td style="width: 60%;">Dolphine Chelimo (UGA)</td>
<td style="width: 30%;">29:07</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; text-align: center;">8</td>
<td style="width: 60%;">Thierry Ndikumwenayo (ESP)</td>
<td style="width: 30%;">29:16</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; text-align: center;">9</td>
<td style="width: 60%;">Denis Kipkoech Kemboi Kipkemoi (KEN)</td>
<td style="width: 30%;">29:18</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; text-align: center;">10</td>
<td style="width: 60%;">Keneth Kiprop (UGA)</td>
<td style="width: 30%;">29:20</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-cross-country-championships/tallahassee26/results/men/senior-race/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
<table style="width: 677.25px; border-color: #222222; border-style: solid;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center; width: 662.453px;" colspan="3">SENIOR MEN'S TEAM RESULTS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 53.1797px; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 392.109px; background-color: #e9c968;">Ethiopia</td>
<td style="width: 189.57px; background-color: #e9c968;">30</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 53.1797px; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 392.109px; background-color: #ced4d9;">Kenya</td>
<td style="width: 189.57px; background-color: #ced4d9;">34</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 53.1797px; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 392.109px; background-color: #bd895e;">Uganda</td>
<td style="width: 189.57px; background-color: #bd895e;">39</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #34495e; width: 662.453px;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-cross-country-championships/tallahassee26/results/men/senior-race/final/team" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

46th World Athletics Cross Country Championships

For the third edition in a row, Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo won the senior men’s title ahead of Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi

Meeting Name	Venue		Date
10K Valencia Ibercaja by Kiprun	Valencia	ESP	11 Jan 2026
48. Cross della Vallagarina	Villa	ITA	11 Jan 2026
Glynis Nunn Shield & Queensland Combined Events Championships	QSAC	AUS	10 Jan 2026
46th World Athletics Cross Country Championships	Tallahassee,	USA	10 Jan 2026
Lovelock Classic	Aorangi	NZL	10 Jan 2026

World Athletics Series

Beijing

Kujawy Pomorze

Oregon

Tallahassee

Brasilia

Gaborone

Copenhagen

One-Day Meeting Circuits

Doha

Hastings

Reno, NV

Elgoibar

El Vendrell

Tallinn