"Great North"
Gete Wami and Million Wolde of Ethiopia started the year on a high note in Durham this afternoon, with victories in the Great North Cross Country.
Gete Wami made it look easy, ahead of a world class field which included the former and the reigning European Cross Country Champions, Annemari Sandell (Finland) and Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain). Wami found the fast course to her liking, and just flew up and down the steep hills, the picture of relaxation. The course did however take its toll over the Bedford star, Paula Radcliffe, who in her own words "was missing a lap" in Durham today. She struggled in the final stages of the course, slipping from the lead to fourth place. The young Finnish runner, Annemari Sandell had plenty to smile about on her twenty-second birthday, with an excellent third place behind Thomas Nyariki’s wife, Jackline Maranga the 1500m Commonwealth Champion.
The reigning IAAF World Junior Cross Country Champion, Million Wolde eased away in the closing stages for victory over Kenya's Thomas Nyariki. The Ethiopian clocked 27 minutes 2 seconds to come home a mere 2 seconds ahead of Nyariki, and 3 seconds ahead of Canadian based British marathon star, Jon Brown. The teenager scuttled away from the rest of the field in the final metres of the 9.5 km race. For a while, it looked as if Jon Brown would manage the hat trick after victories in the last two editions, when he took the lead in the final lap. However, Wolde’s youth prevailed in the sprint finish. Brown who is preparing for the 1999 London Marathon is also looking forward to competing on British soil, in Belfast, for the upcoming IAAF World Cross Country Championships. His confidence will certainly be boosted by his excellent performance here, which he qualified after as his "best run ever here in Durham".
Gete Wami leads the IAAF World Cross Challenge with maximum points (50), ahead of Annemari Sandell with 41 points. The men’s Challenge is led by Thomas Nyariki with 39 points, with the Moroccan born Belgian, Mohammed Mourhit, second with 30 points. The next event will take place in Seville, January 17th.
