Kenya runs away with mixed relay gold in Belgrade

Kenya retained their mixed relay title with a dominant display at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Belgrade 24.

Following a competitive first leg, Kenya’s lead grew with each lap and they eventually won by 28 seconds from arch rivals Ethiopia, while Great Britain & Northern Ireland took bronze.

Kenyan teenager Reynold Cheruiyot led for most of the first lap. Uganda’s Hosea Kiprop tried his best to match the world U20 1500m champion for the first half of the circuit, but the Kenyan proved too strong.

Morocco’s Hafid Rizqy and Ethiopia’s Taresa Tolosa were close behind Cheruiyot, while Serbia’s Elzan Bibic was also in contention, much to the delight of the home supporters lining the course.

On the final bridge, Bibic briefly moved into second place, just a few strides behind Cheruiyot, but Ethiopia’s Tolosa then came through in the closing stages and handed over almost level with Cheruiyot.

Virginia Nyambura took up the running for Kenya on the second leg. The African cross-country silver medallist maintained a lead of about five metres over Ethiopia’s Dahdi Dube for most of the way as the lead duo carved out a 17-second lead over the rest of the field.

By the end of the second lap, which Nyambura reached in 11:43, Kenya held a one-second lead over Ethiopia while Ella Donaghu had moved the USA up into third place.

Kyumbe Munguti, reprising his role as third-leg runner for Kenya, produced another strong run and opened up a significant lead. Ethiopia’s Adehana Kasaye ran a decent leg to maintain second place, but as he entered the exchange zone to hand over to teammate Birri Abera, Kasaye stepped on Abera’s foot, causing the anchor leg runner’s shoe to come off. She tried to put it back on, but eventually cast it aside and ran shoeless on her left foot.

Purity Chepkirui, the 2021 world U20 1500m champion, ran the anchor leg for Kenya. Abera’s shoe mishap had resulted in a 20-second lead for Kenya, but Chepkirui extended that on the final leg.

Striding down the final straight unopposed, Chepkirui crossed the line in 22:15 to secure gold for Kenya. Abera held on to second place in 22:43, while Bethan Morley ran a strong final leg to earn bronze for Great Britain & Northern Ireland – the country’s first senior medal at the World Cross in 20 years.

Morocco came through to take fourth (23:08), finishing just ahead of Uganda (23:10) and France (23:17).

"The competition on the first leg was strong," said Cheruiyot. "The pace was fast and I knew I had to open fast."

"I felt confident and I knew anything was possible," added Nyambura. "Whether I started my leg in first, second or third place, I believed I could finish it in the lead."

Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

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