Turkey&rsquo;s Yasemin Can and Burundi&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo secured respective victories at the Cross Internacional de It&aacute;lica on the outskirts of Seville in what was the sixth World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting of the season, on a sunny and pleasant Sunday (20).
While Can prevailed over Uganda's Peruth Chemutai in a thrilling clash, Ndikumwenayo unleashed a sprint victory over his training partner Rodrigue Kwizera and a star-studded line-up.
The women&rsquo;s contest was held over the slightly longer distance of 10.1km, but that was no barrier for Olympic steeplechase champion Chemutai, who took control of the race from the start. After just one minute into the race, only Kenya&rsquo;s Purity Chepkirui and Nancy Jepleting, Yasemin Can and Ethiopia's Meselu Berhe managed to stay close to the 23-year-old Ugandan. Berhe was the first casualty as she began to lose ground before the second kilometre.
While Chemutai made most of the pacing duties at 3:18/km pace, 2021 world U20 1500m champion Chepkirui ran closest to her shoulder with four-time European cross-country champion Can in third and Jepleting in fourth. The first serious move came just before the fourth kilometre when Chemutai's relentless rhythm began to pay off as firstly Jepleting and then Chepkirui began to falter, leaving Can as Chemutai&rsquo;s only rival.
Way behind the top-five, Spain's Isabel Barreiro, the winner in Amorebieta, headed a five-woman chase pack which also included steeplechase specialists Irene S&aacute;nchez-Escribano and Olympic finalist Carolina Robles, plus 5000m specialists Marta Garc&iacute;a and Portugal's Mariana Machado.
After successive 2.5km loops of 7:56 and 7:54, Can decided to take charge of the race, moving ahead of Chemutai with Chepkirui 14 seconds in arrears. Midway through the penultimate lap, Barreiro injected a brisker pace in pursuit of Jepleting and Berhe.
Can and Chemutai, timed at 8:01 for the penultimate lap, were locked in battle as they set off on the final lap. The Ugandan, who placed fifth at the 2019 World Cross in Aarhus, tried to get rid of Can on an uphill section with 750 metres remaining, but the Turk held off her challenge to regain the lead, launch her attack some 450 metres from home, eventually crossing the finish line unopposed in 32:31 to the Ugandan's 32:34.
More than a minute further back, Chepkirui secured third place while Barreiro displayed the form of her life as she passed Jepleting and Berhe to finish fourth. A fast-finishing Garc&iacute;a was a creditable fifth as she pipped Berhe in the home straight.
At the finish line, Can expressed her happiness at the win and felt optimistic about her chances at the European Cross Country Championships in Turin on 11 December, the day of her 26th birthday.
<h2>Ndikumwenayo maintains momentum</h2>
The men's race started with Spain's 2017 European cross-country silver medallist Adel Mechaal at the front of the pack. The 32-year-old led a large group with all the main favourites such as Ndikumwenayo, his fellow Burundian Rodrigue Kwizera and the Kenyan pair of Stanley Waithaka and Levy Kibet in close attendance.
With the clock reading 11:00, the in-form Ndikumwenayo moved to the front for the first time to head a group of eight. Ndikumwenayo heated up the pace as the leading group covered the second lap in 7:09 for the opening cicuit's 7:21. By halfway, Spain's world 1500m bronze medallist Mohamed Katir was in second place ahead of Kwizera and Waithaka, but midway through the penultimate circuit Eritrea's Merhawi Mebrahtu took the lead and his frantic pace whittled down the lead group to six men. After another swift lap, which only took 7:04, Kwizera led at the bell with Ndikumwenayo and Katir closest to him.
The Castell&oacute;n-based Kwizera pushed hard throughout the closing lap, setting a cadence that Katir could not maintain before entering the final kilometre. Shortly afterwards, 19-year-old Mebrahtu lost any chance of a podium place and the race became a double Burundian-Kenyan affair, a duel resolved in favour of the former as Kwizera and Ndikumwenayo managed to build a sizeable margin on the Kenyan pair some 500 metres from home.
The two leaders completed the final lap in a brisk 6:50 before negotiating the tricky final bend. Once again, Ndikumwenayo &ndash; who ran a world-leading 7:25:93 for 3000m earlier this year &ndash; produced a speedy finish and prevailed over Kwizera, but only just as both were credited with the same time, 28:51. Six seconds back, Kibet took third place after overtaking Waithaka in the closing stages.
&ldquo;This is my third win a row this cross country season,&rdquo; said a delighted Ndikumwenayo. &ldquo;I'm surprised because I only began to train a couple two months ago after the summer break but I feel great both physically and mentally. I'll now stop competing and will do a 25-day training camp in the altitude of Sierra Nevada (3479m). My next event might be a New Year&rsquo;s Eve race in Spain but it's not confirmed yet.&rdquo;
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Yasemin Can (TUR) 32:31 2 Peruth Chemutai (UGA) 32:34 3 Purity Chepkirui (KEN) 33:47 4 Isabel Barreiro (ESP) 33:57 5 Marta Garc&iacute;a (ESP) 34:07 6 Meselu Berhe (ETH) 34:08 7 Carolina Robles (ESP) 34:11 8 Irene S&aacute;nchez-Escribano (ESP) 34:21 9 Laura Luengo (ESP) 34:30 10 Manuela Machado (POR) 34:34
Men 1 Thierry Ndikumwenayo (BDI) 28:51 2 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 28:51 3 Levy Kibet (KEN) 28:57 4 Stanley Waithaka (KEN) 29:00 5 Merhawi Mebrahtu (ERI) 29:08 6 Mohamed Katir (ESP) 29:17 7 Nassim Hassaous (ESP) 29:27 8 Sergio Paniagua (ESP) 29:29 9 Adel Mechaal (ESP) 29:34 10 Roberto Alaiz (ESP) 29:36

Close finishes in Seville

Can and Ndikumwenayo claim Itálica titles

The 18th Cross Internacional de Atapuerca, the fifth Gold standard meeting in this season's World Athletics Cross Country Tour, witnessed commanding wins by Beatrice Chebet and Thierry Ndikumwenayo on Sunday (13).
Kenya's world 5000m silver medallist Chebet became a clear winner in a women's race that saw the last-minute withdrawal of Uganda's Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Peruth Chemutai through illness, while Ndikumwenayo ended the win streak of his training partner Rodrigue Kwizera in the men's event.
<h2>Chebet heads Kenyan top three</h2>
The women's 7810m contest kicked off at a comfortable 3:17 pace, with Kenya's Lucy Mawia and Turkey's Yasemin Can at the helm. The rest of the favourites, including Kenya's Purity Chepkirui, the Ethiopian duo of Zerfe Wondemagegn and Meselu Berhe, and Israel's Selamawit Teferi, were in close attendance.
Eight athletes remained in contention midway through the race (6:31 for the second lap), that lead group including Italy's European U23 5000m and cross country champion Nadia Battocletti.
The first serious move came early into the third lap, when Chebet injected a brisker pace, one that could only be followed by her fellow Kenyans Mawia and Chepkirui, the 2021 world U20 1500m champion. This trio travelled together to reach the bell in 19:30 after a 6:24 2000m circuit, but the world silver medallist Chebet decided to break away at the beginning of the closing lap and her compatriots could not respond as she opened a sizeable margin in a matter of a few hundred metres.
Once it became clear that Chebet would be the eventual victor, attention turned to the fierce battle for the other places on the podium.
Mawia opened a small gap on Chepkirui but the latter, who always remained at the back of the leading group, showed her track pedigree to launch a ferocious attack on the home straight. She overtook Mawia, who at least managed to keep a fast-finishing Teferi at bay to secure third place.
<h2>Ndikumwenayo shows awesome form</h2>
It was Spain's Daniel Arce who attacked the 9750m men's race at the start. The local athlete lives and trains very close to the race venue and wanted to give the home crowd something to cheer about as he covered the opening kilometre in a brisk 2:47. All the favourites ran close to the European Championships steeplechase fourth-place finisher and once he was reeled in, youngsters Peter Maru of Uganda and Ethiopia's Addisu Yihune took command to clock 5:39 for the first 2000m loop.
Twelve athletes remained in the leading group over the second circuit, including four Spaniards in Abdessamad Oukhelfen, Nassim Hassaous, Carlos Mayo and Mohamed Katir, but the world 1500m bronze medallist soon began to lose ground.
Shortly after completing the second lap (5:40) the Burundian Kwizera moved to the front but his lead was short-lived as Kenya's Levy Kibet soon emerged as the new leader to clock 5:45 for the third circuit. By then Yihune was showing a hint of weakness, as he fell to the back of the leading group.
That group whittled down bit by bit as firstly the Spaniards and then the Ugandans Dismas Yeko, Thomas Ayeko and Maru could not live with Kibet's frantic cadence.
Midway through the penultimate lap, only Kwizera, Ndikumwenayo and Eritrea&rsquo;s world U20 5000m silver medallist Merhawi Mebrahtu managed to remain at the Kenyan's shoulder as the quartet covered that section in 5:29.
Rather than wait until the latter stages to unleash his devastating kick, Ndikumwenayo surprisingly took charge of the race just before the bell to leave his opponents behind with 2000m still to run. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637131810f3abe9f63fa8103.jpg" alt="Thierry Ndikumwenayo celebrates his win at the 18th Cross Internacional de Atapuerca" />
Thierry Ndikumwenayo celebrates his win at the 18th Cross Internacional de Atapuerca (&copy; Ricardo Ordonez)
</div>
 Ndikumwenayo, the seventh-fastest 3000m athlete on the world all-time list, opened a shy margin on his closest pursuer Kibet, while Kwizera and Mebrahtu travelled behind them.
Inside the final kilometre, 2021 world 5000m silver medallist Kibet caught the leader and even overtook him, but Ndikumwenayo found another gear with incredible ease some 250m from the finish.
The Burundian was left to run home as a clear winner (5:23 for the final lap) ahead of Kibet, while Kwizera had to settle for third as he was handed his first defeat of this cross country campaign to complete a quality podium, finishing three seconds behind Kibet and seven seconds ahead of Mebrahtu.
Oukhelfen proved to be a master tactician as he made his way through the field to finish fifth, a further 21 seconds in arrears.
&ldquo;I felt great throughout the race, that's why I attacked with one lap still to go,&rdquo; said Ndikumwenayo.
&ldquo;Even being caught by Kibet, I was confident of my victory. I'll next race at the XL Cross Internacional de Italica on Sunday.&rdquo;
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics 
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Beatrice Chebet (KEN) 25:39 2 Purity Chepkirui (KEN) 25:52 3 Lucy Mawia (KEN) 25:52 4 Selamawit Teferi (ISR) 25:52 5 Zerfe Wondemagegn (ETH) 26:10 6 Nadia Battocletti (ITA) 26:17 7 Meselu Berhe (ETH) 26:18 8 Yasemin Can&nbsp; (TUR) 26:28 9 Naima Ait Alibou (ESP) 26:34 10 Isabel Barreiro (ESP) 26:34
Men 1 Thierry Ndikumwenayo (BUR) 27:58 2 Levy Kibet (KEN) 27:59 3 Rodrigue Kwizera (BUR) 28:02 4 Merhawi Mebrahtu (ERI) 28:09 5 Abdessamad Oukhelfen (ESP) 28:30 6 Peter Maru (UGA) 28:34 7 Thomas Ayeko (UGA) 28:40 8 Nassim Hassaous (ESP) 28:57 9 Dismas Yeko (UGA) 29:07 10 Addisu Yihune (ETH) 29:09

The fifth Gold standard meeting in this season's World Athletics Cross Country Tour saw commanding wins by Beatrice Chebet and Thierry Ndikumwenayo

Chebet and Ndikumwenayo victorious in Atapuerca

Burundi&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo and Kenya&rsquo;s Lucy Mawia Muli won at the Cross Internacional de Soria &ndash; the fourth Gold standard meeting of this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour &ndash; held at altitude (1100m) in Soria, Spain, on a sunny but windy Sunday (6).
It means the men's crown remains in Burundian hands, while Mawia retained her title in style as she was an overwhelming winner, building a huge one-minute margin over her closest pursuer.
The men's 10km event was a thriller from the beginning as Italian cross-country champion Iliass Aouani started like a bullet and was a lonesome leader barely 30 seconds into the race. The 27-year-old marathon specialist set a steady pace in the 2:48/50-per-kilometre range to cover the opening 2km loop in 5:38 while the rest of the field were 13 seconds behind, headed by Uganda's Peer Maru.
Over the following circuit, covered in 5:40, the Italian strengthened his lead to 16 seconds. By then the chasing group had been whittled down to four men: Maru, his fellow Ugandan Dismas Yeko, Eritrea's Merhawi Mebrahtu and Ndikumwenayo, who remained at the back of the chasing group.
Aoauni's cadence decreased on the third (5:46) and fourth (5:50) laps, and his lead was reduced to seven seconds as he embarked on the final lap. Maru's patience finally paid off as the chase pack caught Aouani with 1.5km remaining. World U20 5000m silver medallist Mebrahtu took charge of the pace soon after, and only Ndikumwenayo could live with the Eritrean&rsquo;s speed as first Yeko and then Maru began to lose ground.
The Burundian, who set a world-leading time of 7:25.93 over 3000m earlier this year, didn't wait until the home straight to launch his attack, and he unleashed a powerful kick about 500 metres from the finish to overtake Mebrahtu with relative ease.
Ndikumwenayo was timed at 28:34 to Mebrahtu's 28:36. Maru completed a classy podium eight seconds adrift.
&ldquo;It was a tough race because of the annoying wind,&rdquo; said 25-year-old Ndikumwenayo, who has been living in the Spanish city of Castell&oacute;n for the past seven years. &ldquo;The Italian guy ran away from the start but I decided to keep my mind cold and wait how the race developed. Fortunately, we could reel him in and, over the closing kilometre, I felt very confident of my final speed.&rdquo;
Ndikumwenayo&rsquo;s next race will be in Atapuerca next Sunday. He is aiming to compete at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst next year, though he may also do some indoor races.
From the gun, the 8km race became a two-woman contest between Kenya's defending champion Lucy Mawia and Burundi's Cavaline Nahimana. The duo broke away from the rest to open a gap of about 100 metres by the end of the opening kilometre, which was covered in 3:22.
Further back, a large pack of local athletes raced together alongside Argentina's Maria Luz Tesuri. After successive 2km laps of 6:53 and 6:51, the lead pair &ndash; with Mawia always in charge of pacing duties and the Burundian running at her shoulder &ndash; had built a margin of more than a minute on the chasing group, headed by Olympian and marathon specialist Laura M&eacute;ndez and Laura Luengo, a 1:12:39 half marathon specialist.
On the penultimate circuit, Mawia started to pull away from Nahimana while Tesuri increased her pace to leave the leading Spaniards way back within a matter of a few hundred metres. By the bell, the Kenyan was already a virtual victor as her advantage on Nahimana had risen to 30 seconds, the Burundian another 22 seconds clear of Tesuri, herself barely three seconds faster than the Spanish duo of Luengo and Marta Garc&iacute;a.
While Mawia continued to pull away, Nahimana began to falter dramatically on the closing lap and midway through the circuit was overtaken by Luengo, Garc&iacute;a and Tesuri who had been reeled in by the Spaniards.
Mawia reached the finish line 61 seconds ahead of Garc&iacute;a, the runner-up after passing Luengo in the final 200 metres with the Argentinean in fourth. "I kicked off fast to make sure I would be on the podium,&rdquo; said Mawia. &ldquo;I'm very satisfied as I managed to win again here.&rdquo;
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Men 1 Thierry Ndikumwenayo (BDI) 28:34 2 Merhawi Mebrahtu (ERI) 28:36 3 Peter Maru (UGA) 28:44 4 Iliass Aouani (ITA) 28:53 5 Dismas Yeko (UGA) 29:19 6 Thomas Ayeko (UGA) 29:26 7 Nassim Hassaous (ESP) 29:27 8 Santiago Catrofe (URU) 29:28 9 Yahya Aouina (ESP) 29:30 10 Ilias Fifa (ESP) 29:50
Women 1 Lucy Mawia Muli (KEN) 27:02 2 Marta Garc&iacute;a (ESP) 28:03 3 Laura Luengo (ESP) 28:04 4 Maria Luz Tesuri (ARG) 28:12 5 Cristina Ruiz (ESP) 28:19 6 Naima Ait Alibou (ESP) 28:24 7 Marta P&eacute;rez (ESP) 28:27 8 Esther Navarrete (ESP) 28:29 9 Lidia Campo (ESP) 28:51 10 Beatriz &Aacute;lvarez (ESP) 28:52

Mawia retains her title, world 3000m leader Ndikumwenayo launches impressive finish

Ndikyumwenayo and Mawia confirm supremacy in Soria

In the hours before the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco began, thunder rolled across the Cote d&rsquo;Azur. But it was left to two of the fastest women in the world &ndash; Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Faith Kipyegon &ndash; to provide the lightning on Wednesday (10).
World 100m champion Fraser-Pryce is affectionately known as Mommy Rocket, and Kipyegon has adopted the logo Mother Stronger. They both make a mockery of the theories of a previous age that mothers could not be great athletes.
Tonight Olympic and world champion Kipyegon broke every 1500m record in the book, except the one she most desired, as she flew around the track in a different race from the rest of the field.
The diminutive Kenyan tracked the pacemakers through the first 900m, by which time she had left the other competitors far in her wake. For the last 600m she had only the pacing lights for company and knew she was within touching distance of Genzebe Dibaba&rsquo;s 2015 world record of 3:50.07. 
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 When Kipyegon crossed the finish line, she had broken the Kenyan record, the meeting record and her personal best, but had fallen an agonising 0.3 short of the world mark. She remains the second-fastest in history but is getting closer to No.1 with every attempt.
&ldquo;I have been chasing the time for quite some time but I am happy with the personal best,&rdquo; she said.
&ldquo;I knew this was the best place to get the world record so I am disappointed I lost it in the last metres.&rdquo;
The world record is the only honour to elude Kipyegon, who has won both the Olympic and world 1500m titles after returning from the birth of her first child in 2019.
Second-placed Heather MacLean was more than eight seconds behind but still under four minutes (3:58.89), as was her US compatriot Elise Cranny in third (3:59.06).
World 100m champion Fraser-Pryce continued to defy the aging process, setting a world-leading 10.62 to win by a full metre from world 200m champion Shericka Jackson, who set a personal best of 10.71 as she tried to keep pace with her compatriot. 
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 With this performance, Fraser-Pryce became the first woman to break 10.7 six times in one season.
&ldquo;To be able to run 10.6 consistently means a lot to me,&rdquo; she said.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s remarkable. It is very hard to keep the speed on this high level. I&rsquo;m in my late thirties and I think I feel like I have more to give. I look forward to doing my personal best (10.60) for the rest of the season.&rdquo;
Fraser-Pryce also inspired an African record from Marie-Jose Ta Lou (10.72) in third place and an equal personal best of 10.81 from Aleia Hobbs in fourth.
The world champions also collided in the men&rsquo;s 200m, where Noah Lyles prevailed over 400m specialist Michael Norman at his specialist distance in 19.45, but could not quite reproduce his breath-taking speed in Oregon (19.31).
Lyles, who broke his own meeting record by 0.2, described his run as &ldquo;kind of wobbly&rdquo; and said he hoped to improve at his next start in Lausanne.
Exciting teenager Erriyon Knighton (19.84) split the two world champions with Norman third (19.95). 
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 In the third clash of the Oregon titans, 1500m winner Jake Wightman triumphed over 1000m in 2:13.88, to move to No.9 on the world all-time list over the rarely-raced distance. Canada&rsquo;s world 800m bronze medallist Marco Arop was the only one to follow the world-record pace, with Wightman 20 metres behind him in no-man&rsquo;s-land for much of the race. However, Wightman began to reel in the Canadian with 200 metres to go and passed him 10 metres before the finish line.
Wightman said this was a perfect tune-up for next week&rsquo;s European Championships in Munich, where he will step down to the 800m and shapes as a serious threat on this evidence.
The women&rsquo;s 800m saw Natoya Goule slip under 1:57 for the first time this season, clocking 1:56.98 to win from US duo Sage Hurta (1:57.84) and Olivia Baker (1:58.05).
World champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo also had it all her own way in the 400m (49.28) winning by more than half a second from Candice McLeod (49.87) and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sada Williams (50.10).
In the men&rsquo;s 3000m, Burundi&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo produced the most surprising result of the day, overhauling last year&rsquo;s Diamond League champion Berihu Aregawi in the home straight to win in a world-leading 7:25.93, a nine-second personal best, Diamond League record and national record. Aregawi (7:26.81) also set a personal best in second, as did Grant Fisher in third (7:28.48, a North American record). 
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 Meanwhile, novice steeplechaser Werkuha Getachew continued to build her reputation after claiming the silver medal in Oregon last month, winning the women&rsquo;s 3000m steeple in Monaco in 9:06.19, from fellow Ethiopian Zerfe Wondemagegn (a personal best of 9:06.63) and Elizabeth Bird in a British record of 9:07.87.
The Olympic and world champion and world record-holder Sydney McLaughlin was an interested face in the crowd rather than on the track for the women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles, having withdrawn from the meeting last week. In her absence, Jamaica&rsquo;s 2019 world bronze medallist Rushell Clayton took the win in a personal best of 53.33, from her compatriot Janieve Russell (53.52).
In the high hurdles, world 110m champion Grant Holloway dipped under 13 seconds for the first time this season, winning in 12.99. World silver medallist Trey Cunningham ran him close (13.03) as did Olympic champion Hansle Parchment (13.08).
<h2>Barshim wins a jump off</h2>
In contrast to his famous Olympic high jump victory, shared with Gianmarco Tamberi, after they declined to break their tie, Qatar&rsquo;s Mutaz Barshim was forced to endure a jump-off to claim the win in Monaco.
At the end of the regular competition, world champion Barshim and world silver medallist Woo Sanghyeok had identical scorecards, both having maintained clean sheets to 2.32m, where both failed to clear the bar. A fourth attempt at that height also eluded them before Barshim made the only successful attempt at 2.30m to secure the victory.
World and Olympic triple jump champion Yulimar Rojas was also forced to work for the win after runway issues left her without a mark after three rounds. It wasn&rsquo;t until the fifth round that Rojas finally found the take-off board and her one decent jump (15.01m) was enough to maintain her winning streak. World silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts led through most of the competition after a first-round leap of 14.91m and finished second, five centimetres ahead of USA&rsquo;s Tori Franklin, as they reproduced the World Championships podium. 
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 Cuba&rsquo;s Maykel Masso took an early lead in the men&rsquo;s long jump when he soared to a season&rsquo;s best of 8.35m in the second round and despite the presence of two of the three men who trumped him for the medals in Oregon, neither of them could best him.
Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou responded in the third round with 8.31m, as did USA&rsquo;s Marquis Dendy, but neither could improve their positions in the subsequent rounds. Tentoglou took second place on a countback from Dendy.
The women&rsquo;s pole vault was also a tight affair with the top three women all clearing 4.66m. Commonwealth Games champion Nina Kennedy&rsquo;s first-time clearance gave her a first-time Diamond League victory from world indoor champion Sandi Morris and 2016 Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi. 
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 Kennedy was one of two Australian winners in the Stade Louis II as world javelin champion Kelsey-Lee Barber extended her hot streak.
In contrast to her usual final-round heroics, Barber set the standard early tonight, taking the lead with a first-round throw of 62.96m. The Commonwealth Games champion improved to 64.50m in the third round and that was enough to take the win from Japan&rsquo;s Haruka Kitaguchi (62.37m) and fellow Australian Mackenzie Little (61.76m).
Nicole Jeffery for World Athletics

Faith Kipyegon comes within 0.3 of world 1500m record, Fraser-Pryce dashes to 10.62 over 100m

Kipyegon and Fraser-Pryce continue hot streak in Monaco

The Cross Internacional de Soria, the third Gold standard meeting of this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour, will take place on Sunday (28) at the Monte Valonsadero circuit, a beautiful forest on the outskirts of Soria, well known for having been a frequent training venue for 1992 Olympic 1500m champion Ferm&iacute;n Cacho and 1997 and 1999 world marathon champion Abel Ant&oacute;n.
The men&rsquo;s 10km contest features three top-10 finishers from the 2019 World Cross Country Championships: Ugandan duo Thomas and Joel Ayeko (no family ties) and Burundi&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo.
While Thomas Ayeko was forced to withdraw from the Amorebieta contest last week due to visa issues, it&rsquo;s confirmed he will head the line-up on Sunday. Joel, meanwhile, made it to Amorebieta and finished fourth, so he will be eager to make it on to the podium in Soria.
Ndikumwenayo, who finished in between the two Ayekos in Aarhus two years ago, placed second in Soria in 2019. He will be making his first outing of the current cross-country campaign and will be joined by his younger compatriot Rodrigue Kwizera, who placed 11th at the 2019 World Cross.
Eritrea&rsquo;s Yemane Hailesilassie, who finished fifth in the steeplechase at the Tokyo Olympics, proved to be in fine form last weekend in Amorebieta with a third-place finish and should once again be in contention for a podium placing in Soria.
Local hopes will rest with Ayad Lamdassem. The 40-year-old Spaniard will be contesting his first race since finishing fifth in the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics. Compatriot Daniel Mateo, a 2:08:22 marathon performer who placed 10th at the 2019 World Championships, will compete on his daily training venue.
The women&rsquo;s 8km field is headed by recent Amorebieta winner Francine Niyomukunzi of Burundi, who&rsquo;ll be contesting her fifth race of the month. Earlier in October she set a 10km lifetime best of 31:46 in the Italian city of Forli where she won ahead of Kenya&rsquo;s Lucy Mawia Muli, another entrant for Sunday&rsquo;s race. Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ayel Likina Amebaw is another who should be in contention for victory in Soria.
Portugal&rsquo;s Mariana Machado, the 2019 European U20 cross-country bronze medallist, will be joined by compatriot Lia Lemos. Both 20-year-olds clashed recently at a 5km road race in Lisbon with Machado winning by four seconds in 16:14.
Soria-born Marta P&eacute;rez, who set a lifetime best of 4:00.12 to finish ninth in the Olympic 1500m final earlier this year, leads the local contingent.
Notable past victors in Soria include the likes of Ethiopia&rsquo;s 2000 Olympic 5000m champion Million Wolde, Kenya&rsquo;s 2001 world 10,000m champion Charles Kamathi, 1997 world 10,000m champion Sally Barsosio, Eritrea&rsquo;s 2007 world cross-country champion Zersenay Tadese, 2010 world cross-country champion Joseph Ebuya and 2009 world 10,000m champion Linet Masai.
Weather forecasters predict a rainy and windy day on Sunday but a pleasant temperature of 15C by the time of the event.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

Spanish city hosts third Cross Country Tour Gold meeting of the season

Ndikumwenayo and Ayeko ready to roll again in Soria

Burundi&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Likina Amebaw Ayel were victorious at the Almond Blossom Cross Country, the third and final meeting in the truncated 2021 World Athletics Cross Country Permit series, in Albufeira on Sunday (18).
Ndikumwenayo, who finished ninth at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, was ultimately a comfortable winner of the men&rsquo;s race. Portugal&rsquo;s Rui Teixeira, Uganda&rsquo;s Hosea Kiplangat, Ireland&rsquo;s Sean Tobin and Spain&rsquo;s Fernando Carro joined Ndikumwenayo in the lead pack in the early stages, covering the first of four two-kilometre laps in 6:32.
Teixeira was dropped before the half-way point, leaving the four other men to reach the end of the second lap in 12:53. Tobin then had a brief stint at the front the pack on the third lap while Carro faded out of contention.
But Ndikumwenayo moved up a gear on the final circuit and opened up a gap over Kiplangat and Tobin, completing the 8.1km course in 25:22. 20-year-old Kiplangat took second place in 25:30 and Tobin placed third in 25:39. 
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Likina Amebaw wins at the Almond Blossom Cross Country in Albufeira</div>
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Amebaw&rsquo;s victory was also decisive. The Spain-based Ethiopian ran with the pack for the first lap, covering it in 7:54, but by the time she had covered the second lap, she had opened up a three-second lead on Spanish Olympian Maria Azucena Diaz.
Amebaw continued to extend her lead on the final loop, reaching the finish line of the 6.1km course in 22:42. Diaz maintained her runner-up spot, clocking 22:51, while Clara Vinaras was third in 23:03.
&ldquo;This is the last big international cross country competition of the year, so I am very happy to win it,&rdquo; said Amebaw. &ldquo;This is amazing for me.&rdquo;
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women (6.1km) 1 Likina Amebaw Ayel (ETH) 22:42 2 Maria Azucena Diaz (ESP) 22:51 3 Clara Vinaras (ESP) 23:03 4 Carla Martinho (POR) 23:26 5 Beatriz Rodrigues (POR) 23:55
Men (8.1km) 1 Thierry Ndikumwenayo (BDI) 25:22 2 Hosea Kiplangat (UGA) 25:30 3 Sean Tobin (IRL) 25:39 4 Rui Pinto (POR) 25:55 5 Fernando Carro (ESP) 26:26

Burundi’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo and Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw Ayel were victorious at the Almond Blossom Cross Country, the third and final meeting in the truncated 2021 World Athletics Cross Country Permit series, in Albufeira on Sunday (18).

Ndikumwenayo and Amebaw win in Albufeira

The condensed 2021 World Athletics Cross Country Permit season will come to a close in Albufeira, Portugal, on Sunday (18), with a reduced field racing at the 44th edition of the Almond Blossom Cross Country.
The entry lists feature 40 athletes in the men&rsquo;s race and 20 in the women&rsquo;s, with Thierry Ndikumwenayo of Burundi, Uganda&rsquo;s Hosea Kiplangat, Spain&rsquo;s Fernando Carro and Azucena Diaz and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Likina Amebaw among those competing in Portugal&rsquo;s Algarve.
Ndikumwenayo, who finished ninth in the 2019 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, won the Cross Internacional de la Constituci&oacute;n in Alcobendas, Spain, that same year. He will be joined in the men&rsquo;s race by Ugandan cross-country champion Kiplangat &ndash; sixth in the under-20 race in Aarhus &ndash; and Spanish Olympian Carro, who also raced at the World Cross and claimed European 3000m steeplechase silver in 2018.
Bulgaria&rsquo;s Mitko Tsenov and Estonia&rsquo;s Deniss Salkauskas are also entered along with Brazil&rsquo;s Paulo Paula and Emil Danielsson of Sweden.
Rui Pinto was the top Portuguese finisher in this event last year, when he placed fourth in a race won by Kenya&rsquo;s Davis Kiplangat. He returns, as does Rui Teixeira, who finished one place behind his compatriot in 2020, and Eduardo Mbengani &ndash; sixth at the last edition.
Carro&rsquo;s fellow Spanish Olympian Diaz is also in action after her seventh place at the Spanish Cross Country Championships and is joined by her compatriot Clara Vinaras.
Amebaw will be returning to the country after a win over 10km on the roads in Ibiza in a 32:40 PB at the end of last month.
A live stream of the event &ndash; which is named after the white blossom which appears on the almond trees in the region &ndash; will be available to watch via the Algarve Athletics Association website at <a href="https://www.aaalgarve.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aaalgarve.org</a>, starting at 09:45 local time.
World Athletics

The condensed 2021 World Athletics Cross Country Permit season will come to a close in Albufeira, Portugal, on Sunday (18), with a reduced field racing at the 44th edition of the Almond Blossom Cross Country.

Athletes set for Cross Country Permit season finale in Albufeira

Burundi&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo and Kenya&rsquo;s Eva Cherono captured convincing victories at the 38th Cross Internacional de la Constituci&oacute;n in Alcobendas, Spain, on Sunday (24), the third stop of the 2019-20 World Athletics Cross Country Permit series held over a dry surface despite the previous days&rsquo; rains.
A creditable ninth at this year&rsquo;s World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, the 22-year-old from Burundi managed his first win of the season in his third appearance on Spanish soil this cross country campaign while Cherono was an overwhelming victor ahead of Bahrain&rsquo;s Rose Chelimo to become the second woman to take back-to back titles in the history of the event alongside Ethiopia&rsquo;s Meselech Melkamu.
In the men&rsquo;s 10.06km race, Uganda&rsquo;s Thomas Ayeko set the early pace, closely followed by compatriots Maxwell Rotich and Timothy Toroitich, plus the Burundian pair of Ndikumwenayo and Rodrigue Kwizera while Spain&rsquo;s Abdessalam Oukhelfen still travelled in the leading pack by the third kilometre.
After successive 2.3km loops covered in 6:46 and 6:38, Ayeko had opened a 10-metre gap on Ndikumwenayo, himself two seconds clear of Rotich, while Kwizera, who finished 11th in Aarhus, and Toroitich travelled another 10 metres behind.
Ndikumwenayo caught Ayeko half way around the penultimate circuit while Kwizera overtook Rotich to move into third. By the bell (6:45 for the lap) the Burundian led with Ayeko running at his shoulder while the 19-year-old Kwizera passed six seconds behind the leader but two ahead Rotich.
Over the closing loop, the Spain-based Ndikumwenayo managed to get rid of Ayeko and just 1.2km home it became clear he would be the eventual victor. Compatriot Kwizera broke away clearly from a fading Rotich with Toroitich back in fifth but still ahead of European U23 5000m bronze medallist Oukhelfen.
At the tape the victor was timed at 29:23 to finish four seconds ahead of Ayeko with Kwizera completing a classy podium another four seconds adrift.
Speaking in reasonable Spanish, having lived for three years in the Mediterranean city of Castell&oacute;n de la Plana, Ndikumwenayo said: &ldquo;This is my first success at a World Athletics event so I&rsquo;m more than joyful. I would like to compete at the World Indoors in Nanjing next March over 3000m and then I&rsquo;ll prepare to compete in the 5000m at the Tokyo Olympics&rdquo;.
Coached in Italy under the guidance of Massimo Pegoretti, who is also the coach of European 10,000m bronze medallist Yemaneberhan Crippa, Ndikumwenayo also spoke of his weekly routine. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m working hard with daily double sessions for an overall 170-180 kilometres,&rdquo; said the winner, who has a 3000m PB of 7:41.04 but failed to finish the 10,000m at the World Championships in Doha.
<h3>Cherono in a class of her own</h3>
In the women&rsquo;s race, Portugal&rsquo;s European U20 3000m bronze medallist Mariana Machado set the early pace alongside 2017 world marathon champion Rose Chelimo. After the opening kilometre this pair was marginally ahead of Portugal&rsquo;s Carla Salom&eacute; Rocha and Cherono, who had decided to take it easy in the early stages.
However, the 23-year-old Kenyan soon took command of the race and with seven minutes on the clock heated up the rhythm to open a sizeable margin over the rest in a matter of few hundred metres. 
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Eva Cherono in action in Alcobendas</div>
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A 7:42 2.3km loop from Cherono effectively ended the hopes of any other competitor as she had built a 10-second margin over Chelimo and Machado by halfway, this tandem another eight seconds clear of Rocha. At the bell, with 2.3km left, the World Cross seventh-place finisher had a clear lead over Chelimo, who had finally managed to break away from the 19-year-old Machado while her fellow Portuguese Rocha had been caught by Spain&rsquo;s steeplechase specialist Irene S&aacute;nchez-Escribano.
At the tape Cherono had increased her lead to 18 seconds on Chelimo, herself 21 seconds ahead of Machado, while Rocha finally got the better of the Spaniard over the last kilometre.
&ldquo;I think today&rsquo;s win has been much easier than last year&rsquo;s when the circuit was really muddy,&rdquo; said 23-year-old Cherono, who was fresh from a 48:15 15km performance in Nijmegen for third last Sunday. &ldquo;My next event will likely be a road race in Vienna next month but for now I&rsquo;ll return to Kenya. I would like to make the Kenyan team (for the Olympics), but the standard is extremely high. I still have to decide on whether I&rsquo;ll pick the 5000m or the 10,000m.&rdquo;
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Men (10.06km) 1 Thierry Ndikumwenayo (BDI) 29:23 2 Thomas Ayeko (UGA) 29:27 3 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 29:31 4 Maxwell Rotich (UGA) 29:54 5 Timothy Toroitich (UGA) 30:03 6 Abdessalam Oukhelfen (ESP) 30:13 7 Fernando Carro (ESP) 30:54 8 Hamid Ben Daoud (ESP) 30:56 9 Mohamed Ali Jelloul (ESP) 31:02 10 Jos&eacute; Ignacio Gim&eacute;nez (ESP) 31:10
Women (8km) 1 Eva Cherono (KEN) 27:10 2 Rose Chelimo (BRN) 27:31 3 Mariana Machado (POR) 27:39 4 Carla Salome Rocha (POR) 27:56 5 Irene S&aacute;nchez-Escribano (ESP) 28:02 6 Mar&iacute;a Jos&eacute; P&eacute;rez (ESP) 28:29 7 Beatriz &Aacute;lvarez (ESP) 28:30 8 Azucena D&iacute;az (ESP) 28:38 9 Diana Mart&iacute;n (ESP) 28:45 10 Dunia Mahassim (ESP) 28:51

Burundi’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo and Kenya’s Eva Cherono captured convincing victories at the 38th Cross Internacional de la Constitución in Alcobendas, Spain, on Sunday (24), the third stop of the 2019-20 World Athletics Cross Country Permit series held over a dry surface despite the previous days’ rains.