Keneth Kiprop in Cardiff Cross Challenge action (© Paul Stillman)
Dutch star Niels Laros will take on defending men’s race champion Keneth Kiprop, Dan Kibet and Celestin Ndikumana, while Charity Cherop and Sheila Jebet head the women’s start list for the Cardiff Cross Challenge, part of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold, on Saturday (9).
The men’s race in the Welsh capital takes place over 9600m and the women’s contest is run over 6400m of the winding and technical course at Llandaff Fields. It hosts the first fixture in the UK Athletics Cross Challenge Series and weather conditions look set to be far better than in 2023.
Uganda’s Kibet overcame the 2023 winner from Cardiff, his compatriot Kiprop, at the Cross Internacional Zornotza where they finished third and fifth respectively in October. This could be a sign of how things will go on Saturday. Kibet also proved his cross country pedigree by finishing 11th at the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade in March, while 19-year-old Kiprop claimed 5000m bronze at the World U20 Championships in Lima in August and will be looking to retain his title in Cardiff.
The 2023 Principality Cardiff Half Marathon winner Vincent Mutai of Kenya was the runner-up last time and returns looking for victory in 2024.
The 2023 winner in Zornotza, Burundi’s Ndikumana, and his compatriot Emile Hafashimana warmed up for this race in San Sebastian last weekend, finishing in third and fifth place. Steeplechaser Younes Kniya of Morrocco will also be in action.
They will go up against Laros of the Netherlands, silver medallist in the U20 race at the European Cross Country Championships in Brussels last December. More recently, the 19-year-old finished sixth in the 1500m final at the Paris Olympics, setting a European U20 record of 3:29.54.
Joining the world U20 1000m record-holder are his compatriots Robin van Riel, Juan Zijderlaan, Rick van Riel, Jesse Fokkenrood and Stefan Nillessen, who finished ninth in the Olympic final. Irish half marathon record-holder Efrem Gidey began his cross country season in Atapuerca and will also line up in Cardiff.
Leading domestic hopefuls include Zak Mahamed, who finished fourth at last year’s event, and the British indoor 3000m silver medallist Charles Wheeler, joined by his twin brother George. Road running specialist Jake Smith and Welsh athletes Dafydd Jones and James Heneghan will also be likely to feature in the battle of the top British athletes.
The senior women’s race also boasts an impressive international field and perhaps offers more depth in the domestic line-up.
Kenya’s Jebet finished fourth in the U20 race at the World Cross Country Championships and fifth in the 5000m at the World U20 Championships this year, while Cherop of Uganda claimed bronze in that world U20 5000m final in Peru. Ethiopia’s Tsige Teshome was the 1500m silver medallist at the Ethiopian U20 Championships, earning her a place at the World U20 Championships.
Sofia Thogersen is a two-time European U20 Championships silver medallist on the track and was runner-up in the U20 race at last year’s European Cross Country Championships, a month after finishing seventh in Cardiff. The Danish athlete returns on Saturday.
As in the men’s race, there will be a strong Dutch presence, this time in the shape of five-time national steeplechase champion Veerle Bakker, national 1500m bronze medallist Femke Rosbergen and Emmy van den Berg, who was ninth in the European Cross Country Championships U23 race.
Amelia Quirk was the runner-up in Cardiff in 2022 and returns, joined by her British compatriot Izzy Fry, who won gold at the 2022 World Universities Cross Country Championships. Fry was also the sixth-place finisher in Cardiff 12 months ago.
The 2014 European cross country champion Gemma Steel finished second here in 2013 and will be in action alongside Charlotte Alexander, Lauren Church, Holly Dixon, Amy Griffiths and 2022 English National cross country champion Jess Gibbon.
Sarah Astin and Kate Axford showed current form steering their Belgrave team to the English Cross Country Relays title last weekend and add further strength to the women’s field.
Home favourite Cari Hughes has chalked up personal bests at 1500m, 3000m and 5000m on the track this season, and is no stranger to the Cardiff Cross Challenge having finished third in the U20 race in 2018.
The age group races on Saturday are particularly strong in the U20 women’s race where young British talent Innes FitzGerald is unlikely to be troubled having won double gold at last year’s European Cross Country Championships, claiming the individual title in the U20 race and helping her team to victory. FitzGerald is joined here by European U18 silver medallist over 1500m, Isla McGowan.
Alex Donald (Welsh Athletics) for World Athletics
