You have to go back to 1991 for the last time an athlete from somewhere other than Kenya or Ethiopia won the world cross country junior men&rsquo;s title, but Uganda might have the man to end this quarter-century-long dominance at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Guiyang 2015 in the shape of Joshua Cheptegei.Whether it&rsquo;s against junior or senior opposition, the 18-year-old has excelled over the past 12 months. Cheptegei, who hails from the same region in Uganda as Olympic and world marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich, upset his East African rivals over 10,000m at the IAAF World Junior Championships before repeating over the same distance at the African Junior Championships earlier this month.At cross country, his win in the junior race at his domestic championships was a formality and against top-level senior opposition, the highly-vaunted Ugandan finished fifth and third respectively in IAAF Permit races at the Spanish venues of Seville and Elgoibar.Since Boniface Kiprop won a bronze medal in 2002, Ugandan runners have picked up four more individual medals but the title has been a perpetual pass-the-parcel affair between Kenya and Ethiopia since Andre Sambu won for Tanzania in 1991. A first title for Uganda will surely raise the excitement levels back home, as Kampala will be staging the 2017 edition of the World Cross Country Championships.The only returning finisher from the top 20 in the junior race two years ago is Yihunilign Adane, who defeated more than 400 runners to win the Ethiopian junior cross-country title in February.That performance alone, plus the fact he has two more years of training and experience in the bank, indicates he could improve substantially on his 13th-place finish from Bydgoszcz, although he was by no means confident he would even make the journey to Guiyang.&ldquo;I was so doubtful and was even worried about being left out of the Ethiopian team,&rdquo; said Adane, sixth over 10,000m at the World Junior Championships last year, after sealing his place on the team.<h3>Ethiopian team lack of experience </h3> On the whole, the Ethiopian team is a largely inexperienced one although Yasin Haji, who finished second to Adane at the Ethiopian Championships, will be chasing another international medal after winning silver over 5000m at the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships.Likewise, the Kenyan team is lacking in substantial international experience but it would be unwise to write off their chances of individual and team honours.&nbsp; From their team of six, only John Langat and Moses Koech boast some international credentials. Langat was fourth in the junior race at the African Championships last year while Koech, 17, will be making his second trip to China after winning bronze over 3000m at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing last summer.Trials winner Dominic Kiptarus, who ran sub-8:30 for the 3000m steeplechase at altitude last year, will be making his first appearance in a Kenyan vest.Bahrain is yet to claim any sort of individual medal at the World Cross Country Championships but this could change courtesy of the talented duo of Evans Chematot and Birhanu Balew.Chematot won a bronze medal in the steeplechase at the 2014 World Junior Championships, while his little-known team-mate finished second in a top-level senior race in Hannut in preparation for Guiyang.The Eritrean challenge is led by national junior champion Aron Kifle, who defeated world junior 10,000m fourth-place finisher Berhane Afework for domestic supremacy last month.It will also be interesting to see how European junior cross-country champion Yemaneberhan Crippa fares on the global stage. The 18-year-old easily won that title on the snow in the Bulgarian resort town of Samokov in December. He also ran out victorious in the junior race&nbsp;&ndash; albeit against non-African opposition &ndash; at the IAAF Cross Country Permit meeting in Edinburgh a month later.Crippa, who is joined on the Italian team by Samokov bronze medallist Said Ettaqy, might find the medals just beyond his reach but he could challenge for a top-10 finish. Steven Mills for the IAAF

You have to go back to 1991 for the last time an athlete from somewhere other than Kenya or Ethiopia won the world cross country junior men’s title, but Uganda might have the man to end this quarter century-long dominance at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Guiyang 2015 in the shape of Joshua Cheptegei.

Junior men’s preview – IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Guiyang 2015

Athletics Kenya selectors have made their final choices for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Guiyang 2015.World cross-country champion Japhet Korir had been given a wildcard to join the national squad after finishing 48th at the Kenyan Trials, but he did not make the cut for the final selections after attending their pre-championships training camp in Kigari.But fellow world cross-country champion Emily Chebet, who was also given a wildcard after a disappointing showing at the trials, has been named on the senior women&rsquo;s final team, following the withdrawals from national champion Faith Kipyegon and Alice Aprot. The senior men&rsquo;s team is led by national champion Bedan Karoki, who will be making his first appearance at the World Cross, having previously represented Kenya in the 10,000m at the 2012 Olympics and 2013 World Championships.He is joined by world junior cross-country silver medallist and African cross-country champion Leonard Barsoton, world half-marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor, African junior cross-country champion Moses Mukono, 2012 Hannover Marathon champion Joseph Kitum and Phillip Langat.Chebet is one of four athletes on the senior women&rsquo;s team to have previous won medals at the World Cross.The two-time world cross-country champion will be joined in Guiyang by world junior cross-country silver medallist Agnes Tirop, 2008 world junior cross-country silver medallist Irene Cheptai, Commonwealth 5000m and African cross-country silver medallist Janet Kisa, 2011 African junior 1500m bronze medallist Stacy Ndiwa and Margaret Kipkemboi.The junior men&rsquo;s team includes national trials winner Dominic Kiptarus and Youth Olympic 3000m bronze medallist Moses Koech.Youth Olympic and world youth steeplechase champion Rosefline Chepngetich leads a powerful junior women&rsquo;s team. Joining her is 2012 world junior steeplechase champion Daisy Jepkemei and Youth Olympic 1500m silver medallist Winfred Mbithe.IAAF<h3>Kenyan team for Guiyang 2015</h3> Senior men: Leonard Barsoton, Geoffrey Kamworor, Bedan Karoki, Joseph Kitum, Phillip Langat, Moses Letoyie MukonoSenior women: Emily Chebet, Irene Cheptai, Agnes Tirop, Margaret Kipkemboi, Janet Kisa, Stacy NdiwaJunior men: Rodgers Chumo, Dominic Kiptarus, Moses Koech, Geoffrey Korir, John Langat, Alfred NgenoJunior women: Rosefline Chepngetich, Joyline Cherotich, Daisy Jepkemei, Gladys Kipkoech, Winnie Koima, Winfred Mbithe

Athletics Kenya selectors have made their final choices for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Guiyang 2015.

Chebet and Karoki lead Kenya’s final team for World Cross

World cross-country champion Japhet Korir was the biggest casualty of the meeting after being forced down the finishing order while two-time world cross-country champion Emily Chebet had to rely on a wildcard selection as Kenya named a provisional squad of 26 for next month&rsquo;s IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang.The junior races served their own thrilling tales, particularly the men&rsquo;s 8km rumble that saw Dominic Kiptarus, the 19-year-old brother of 800m Olympian Anthony Chemut, edge a five-way mad dash for the finish with only two seconds separating them as Rosefline Chepngetich fulfilled her favourite role in the corresponding women&rsquo;s 6km event.Baking conditions took their toll as the day progressed as established names perished in the dry mostly flat course that was watered before the start to make a soft underfoot.<h3>Karoki repeats</h3> With the focus on Korir and the star-studded Kenya Police team as the show-stopping 12km senior men&rsquo;s showdown beckoned, it was Japan-based Bedan Karoki who achieved the rare feat of holding on to the national title. The defending champion unleashed a powerful kick to the tape over the last 800m to stop the clock in 35:08.Karoki prevailed over world half-marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor (35:19) with African cross-country champion Leonard Barsoton (35:28) rounding out the podium.&ldquo;The race was tough but I gave myself the belief I could do something,&rdquo; said Karoki, who declined the chance to compete at the African Cross Country Championships after winning the national title last year. &ldquo;This time, I will not let the opportunity go; I have enough stamina and I know I will do well in China. Sometimes, I speak to (John) Ngugi who tells me cross country is the best build up and I hope I will become the next runner from Nyahururu after him to win the World Cross.&rdquo;Karoki, who hails from the same region as five-time winner John Ngugi, showed amazing powers of recovery after a stomach acid infection last month meant he could not train for two weeks.&ldquo;For the first three weeks, I did not feature in any race,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;I had almost given up hope, but after recovering I stepped up training and I knew if I was still within at the last kilometre, then I would give it my all.&rdquo;African junior cross-country champion and world junior 5000m bronze medallist Moses Mukono (35:51) graduated to the senior ranks in style by clinching the last automatic selection place just outside the podium with Phillip Langat (35:55) and Joseph Kiptum (36:02) wrapping the top six who made the Guiyang team.<h3>Kipyegon peerless</h3> As other luminaries melted in the intensity of pressure and all around Uhuru Gardens, Faith Kipyegon once again had an obstructed view of the finish after edging an intense encounter of wits, hard front running and tact against the determined Agnes Tirop, the world junior 5000m bronze medallist, with another display of her devastating finishing kick over the last 600m that brought her home in 26:24.&ldquo;We had many juniors who had graduated to senior and I struggled until I was able to win,&rdquo; said Kipyegon, winner of the past two junior world cross-country titles. &ldquo;I was not expecting to win because everyone was strong. At the bell there were 10 and it came down to individual strength and who could run for it. I&rsquo;m happy I made it.&rdquo;Tirop, who last year succeeded Kipyegon as the African junior cross-country champion, came home just a second shy of the winner in a race where the top six finishers represented Kenya at the World Cross as juniors between 2009 and 2013.&ldquo;Having come from running 6km, I did not even believe I could make the team,&rdquo; said Tirop, who finished right behind Kipyegon in the junior race at the 2013 World Cross. &ldquo;I will not fear running against seniors; it just means I should step up training. There&rsquo;s no big difference between running 8km and 6km. I come from a sunny place and trained there so the heat here did not affect me at all.&rdquo;Commonwealth silver medallist Janet Kisa (26:30), Irene Chebet (26:32), Alice Aprot (26:34) and Stacy Ndiwa (26:43) rounded the top six who were named to the World Cross squad with world cross-country champion Chebet (27:20) being forced down to 14th but given wildcard selection.&ldquo;The coaches will determine whom to drop from the seven after training since we will only carry six,&rdquo; said Athletics Kenya vice president David Okeyo.<h3>Kiptarus comes of age</h3> Dominic Kiptarus was watching on television when his village-mate and friend from Kericho, Korir, made history by winning the World Cross in 2013. A year before, his elder sibling Anthony Chemut had urged him to accompany him to training after breaking into the Kenyan Olympic team for London.As they stretched on Saturday morning on the sidelines of the course, Korir told his younger friend: &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t go in front and don&rsquo;t stay at the back. Stay within the leaders and when the time comes, go for it.&rdquo;Heeding his advice, Kiptarus emerged from the finishing heap victorious as five athletes came shoulder to shoulder for the honours in the most astonishing of finishes that had the sparse crowd to their feet in 23:34.John Langat (23:34), Alfred Ngeno (23:35), Rodgers Chumo (23:35), Geoffrey Korir (23:36) and Moses Koech (23:37) followed each other in that order to nail Guiyang tickets in a race that was too close to call, even with the tape in sight.In the opening race of the day, world youth steeplechase champion Rosefline Chepngetich (19:56) was unchallenged, taking control of the front in the second kilometre and motoring away purposefully to the finish, easing off in the last 400m for the challengers to come to view with her win and place in the team assured.Winnie Koima (20:05), 2012 world junior steeplechase champion Daisy Jepkemei (20:08), Youth Olympic Games silver medallist Winfredah Nzisa (20:10), Joyline Cherotich (20:12) and Gladys Koech (20:16) came home in that order for the top six.World youth 3000m champion Lilian Rengeruk finished 10th in 20:33 but was rewarded for her consistency with wildcard selection to the squad where coaches will once decide whom to drop from the seven.The selected team that will be under experienced head coach David Letting will report to their traditional camp at St Mark&rsquo;s Teachers Training College in Kigari on 21 February.Mutwiri Mutuota (Capital FM) for the IAAFAll top-six finishers plus Emily Chebet (senior women) and Lilian Kasait (junior women) named in the provisional Kenyan team for the World Cross<h3>Leading results</h3> Senior men (12km) 1 Bedan Karoki 35:08 2 Geoffrey Kamworor 35:19 3 Leonard Barsoton 35:28 4 Moses Mukono 35:51 5 Phillip Langat 35:55 6 Joseph Kiptum 36:02 7 Joseph Chacha 36:06 8 James Gitahi 36:10Senior women (8km) 1 Faith Kipyegon 26:24 2 Agnes Jebet Tirop 26:25 3 Janet Kisa 26:30 4 Irene Chebet 26:32 5 Alice Aprot 26:34 6 Stacy Ndiwa 26:43 7 Margaret Jelimo 26:51 8 Viola Kibiwot 26:55Junior men (8km) 1 Dominic Kiptarus 23:34 2 John Langat 23:34 3 Alfred Ngeno 23:35 4 Rodgers Chumo 23:35 5 Geoffrey Korir 23:36 6 Moses Koech 23:37Junior women (6km) 1 Rosefline Chepngetich 19:56 2 Winnie Koima 20:05 3 Daisy Jepkemei 20:08 4 Winfredah Nzisa 20:10 5 Joyline Cherotich 20:16 6 Gladys Koech 20:17

Once again, the IAAF Permit/Athletics Kenya National Cross Country Championships showed no love for reputations on Valentine’s Day as Bedan Karoki and world junior cross-country champion Faith Kipyegon successfully defended their titles at Nairobi’s Uhuru Gardens on Saturday (14).

Junior men’s preview – IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Guiyang 2015

Chebet and Karoki lead Kenya’s final team for World Cross

Karoki and Kipyegon successfully defend Kenyan cross-country titles