Battocletti and Kwizera excel in Alcobendas

Italy’s Nadia Battocletti and Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera confirmed their supremacy at the Cross Internacional de la Constitucion – the eighth Gold meeting in this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Tour – in Alcobendas, Spain, on Sunday (24).

On a pleasant sunny day, Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Battocletti achieved her first win at this event, while Kwizera became the only athlete to claim victory three consecutive times.

The women’s 8.04km contest witnessed an early lead by the two main favourites: the eventual winner and Germany’s 2022 European 5000m champion Konstanze Klosterhalfen, competing in Alcobendas for the first time. That duo built a 20-metre advantage on the rest of the field some four minutes into the race, with the Italian taking on pacing duties and the German trailing in her wake.

Battocletti’s relentless rhythm paid off before they reached the third kilometre and it was then that the European cross country silver medallist broke away from Klosterhalfen with ease. By midway, they were separated by 14 seconds, the German another 28 seconds ahead of the chasing group headed by Italy’s Federica Del Buono.

The second half of the race became a solo run for Battocletti as she extended her margin on Klosterhalfen. By the bell, with 2.3km left after a powerful 7:20 loop, the gap had grown to 40 seconds, with Klosterhalfen another 38 seconds clear of her distant pursuers. Finally, Battocletti ran home unopposed – a 7:18 closing lap seeing her win by 1:13 ahead of Klosterhalfen.

Attention turned to the battle for the third place on the podium, with five athletes fighting hard. Del Buono was up against Ecuador’s Ruth Tisalema and the Spanish trio of Alicia Berzosa, Claudia Estevez and Claudia Arce, the latter finally prevailing after unleashing a strong change of speed over the last 200 metres.

“I was not sure of winning today as Klosterhalfen is a great athlete but I felt strong and managed to win,” said Battocletti. “Honestly, I love the Alcobendas circuit; it’s so tough but at the same time a perfect dress-rehearsal for the Europeans which are usually held two weeks later.” 

Asked about her ambitions for the European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, the 5000m and 10,000m European champion said: “I would like to medal there.”

The Italian’s next competitions will be a 5km race on home soil on 31 December and the Campaccio cross country race on 6 January.

Kwizera unchallenged

Right from the start, Ugandan teenager Samuel Cherop picked up the pace to open a small advantage over Ethiopia’s Abrham Sime and Kwizera, with Uganda’s Martin Kiprotich and Kenya’s Mathew Kipsang completing the leading pack. Shortly after covering the opening kilometre, Kiprotich moved to the front to take turns with his fellow Ugandan Cherop in trying to leave Kwizera behind but, on his fifth consecutive appearance in Alcobendas, Kwizera ran effortlessly in third.

Some 10 minutes into the race the Spanish-based Burundian took charge of the pacing duties and soon Sime and Kipsang began to lose ground. Kwizera’s tactics also left Cherop way back before the fifth kilometre, when the contest became a battle between the two-time winner here and Kiprotich, as was the case last year. 

The lead duo covered the penultimate 2.3km circuit in a brisk 6:30 to build an 11-second gap on a lonesome Cherop and the key movement came with just over a kilometre remaining when Kwizera produced a powerful attack to get rid of Kiprotich in a matter of a few strides.

Kwizera reached the finish line in 22:58, comfortably clear of Kiprotich (23:09), while Cherop completed the podium another 24 seconds back.

“It’s my third win in a row here – four counting the year I was disqualified for not wearing my club’s shirt – so I have to be satisfied,” said Kwizera.

“The circuit is not easy but my experience here plays in my favour. I have used my usual tactics, to wait and see in the first half, then to move to the front to assess my rivals’ energies to finally attack over the closing kilometre. I’ll next run at the Aranda de Duero cross country permit next Sunday.”

Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

Leading results

Women 
1 Nadia Battocletti (ITA) 26:14
2 Konstanze Klosterhalfen (GER) 27:27
3 Claudia Arce (ESP) 27:50
4 Ruth Tisalema (ECU) 27:54
5 Federica Del Buono (ITA) 28:01
6 Alicia Berzosa (ESP) 28:03

Men 
1 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 22:58
2 Martin Kiprotich (UGA) 23:09
3 Samuel Cherop (UGA) 23:31
4 Mathew Kipsang (KEN) 23:37
5 Yahya Aouina (ESP) 23:38
6 Abrham Sime (ETH) 23:46

Kipruto and Chemutai win in Carhaix-Plouguer

Kenya’s Matthew Kipkoech Kipruto secured his second successive win of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold season, while Uganda’s Belinda Chemutai got her campaign off to a successful start at the Festival du Cross-Country meeting in Carhaix-Plouguer, France, on Sunday (24).

One week on from winning the 10.2km senior men’s race at the Cinque Mulini meeting in Italy, 19-year-old Kipruto secured top spot after racing the 7.31km event at the Site de Kerampuilh.

Kipruto, who claimed world U20 cross country bronze in Belgrade in March, this time clocked 22:35 to win by 12 seconds ahead of his compatriot Robert Kiprop Koech and Kipruto’s fellow teenager Harbert Kibet of Uganda, who finished fifth in the 3000m at the World U20 Championships in Lima in August. Koech and Kibet both clocked 22:47, with Koech getting the nod for the runner-up spot, while it was also close for fourth place as Kenya’s Vincent Kimaiyo and Uganda’s Titus Musau both ran 23:07.

Chemutai was also a clear winner in the women’s 7.31km race. Clocking 25:51, she won by seven seconds ahead of another close battle for second place. Kenya’s Maurine Jepkoech Chebor secured the runner up spot as she clocked 25:58, the same time as Ethiopia’s Asmarech Anley in third place.

Ethiopia’s Robe Dida was fourth, one place ahead of Kazakhstan’s 2022 3000m steeplechase champion Norah Jeruto.

Leading results

Women
1 Belinda Chemutai (UGA) 25:51
2 Maurine Jepkoech Chebor (KEN) 25:58
3 Asmarech Anley (ETH) 25:58
4 Robe Dida (ETH) 26:00
5 Norah Jeruto (KAZ) 26:03
6 Flavie Renouard (FRA) 26:29

Men
1 Matthew Kipkoech Kipruto (KEN) 22:35
2 Robert Kiprop Koech (KEN) 22:47
3 Harbert Kibet (UGA) 22:47
4 Vincent Kimaiyo (KEN) 23:07
5 Titus Musau (UGA) 23:07
6 Saymon Amanuel (ERI) 23:09

Results