East Africans Dominate At World Athletics’ Cross Country Championships

By: Gyang Dakwo

East African runners proved their superiority in world long distance by putting up an impressive performance on Saturday 30 March, at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Belgrade 24.

Runners from Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda dominated both the men’s and women’s as well as the mixed relay, winning all but one medal -bronze- which was won by Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Little known Ethiopian Marta Alemayo upset the pre-race favourites to emerge victorious in the U20 women’s race.

The 15-year-old, who finished fourth at the Ethiopian trials, punched her hand in the air when crossing the finish line in 19:28 in a humid 24°C Friendship Park.

The teenager led an Ethiopian medal sweep, with Asayech Ayichew and Robe Dida finishing second and third in 19:32 and 19:38 respectively. After winning the three medals, Ethiopia successfully defended the individual title and also got the team title for the fifth consecutive edition since 2015.

Just minutes after watching the Ethiopian team sweep the podium places in the U20 women’s race, Kenya’s U20 men were determined not to let the same happen in their race.

Samuel Kibathi ensured the individual and team titles remained in Kenyan possession, producing a well-timed finish to win double U20 men’s gold in 22:40

Mezgebu Sime of Ethiopia came second with a time of 22:41, then Kenyan Matthew Kipkoech Kipruto who came third in 22:46.

In the mixed relay, Kenya retained the title with a dominant display winning with a huge margin over second placed Ethiopia.

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

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.

In the seniors, Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet successfully defended her senior women’s title, becoming the first senior female athlete to win the title back-to-back since Tirunesh Dibaba in 2006.

The 24-year-old conquered an extremely strong field of her Kenyan compatriots when she broke away from Lilian Kasait Rengeruk just 400m from the finish line to win in 31:05. Rengeruk secured silver in 31:08, while Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi won bronze in 31:09.

Kenyan atheletes made a historic sweep of the top five positions – a feat that was last witnessed at the Kampala edition in 2017 when Kenya swept the top six positions in the senior women’s race.

Likewise, Jacob Kiplimo retained his senior men’s title, joining an illustrious list of athletes to have successfully defended a world cross-country title.

The Ugandan now sits alongside the likes of Kenenisa Bekele, Geoffrey Kamworor and Paul Tergat as winners of the senior men’s title.

Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi, also repeated his finish from the last edition to take silver, while Kenya’s Benson Kiplangat earned a surprise bronze.