Reigning World Cross-country champion Beatrice Chebet has announced her next race days after breaking the 5km world record in Barcelona.
Newly-crowned world 5km record holder Beatrice Chebet is not resting on her laurels as she eyes more success at the Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza – the 10th World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting of the season – in the Spanish town of Elgoibar on Sunday.
The reigning World Cross-country champion has proven to be in top form owing to her dominant exploits on the roads last Sunday as she set the world 5km record in Barcelona, however, her time is yet to be ratified.
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The women’s race, the 7.62km contest, has attracted one of the strongest fields in history and will see Chebet take on another formidable opponent Edinah Jebitok. The 23-year-old Chebet has sweet memories since she made her first appearance there and finished second behind Hellen Obiri.
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She made a return back in 2022 and was forced to settle for second place behind Jebitok but this time around, she heads there with the hope of winning. The race will be Chebet’s third in the cross-country series following previous wins in Atapuerca and Barcelona.
On her part, Jebitok has enjoyed an amazing cross-country campaign after kicking off her season with a third spot in Atapuerca before a winning streak of four races in San Sebastian, Seville, Eldoret, and Venta de Banos.
Another threat will be 20-year-old Grace Nawowuna who goes into the race after enjoying an amazing 2023 season. In her debut at the 2023 World Cross-country Championships, she finished fourth and she has already proven to be a force to reckon with when it comes to road races.
Ethiopia's Asmarech Anley will have the tough task of preventing a Kenyan sweep of the podium. The 18-year-old showed fine form over 10km last weekend in Madrid by taking second place thanks to a 30:31 clocking and should be a dangerous outsider on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Spanish trio of European cross-country eighth-place finisher Irene Sanchez-Escribano, Olympic 3,000m steeplechase finalist Carolina Robles and Isabel Barreiro will be aiming for strong performances alongside the British duo of Lauren McNeil and Sarah Astin.
Meanwhile, the men’s context will also prove to be a battle of titans with Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi, fresh from a commanding win at the San Silvestre Vallecana looking to extend a winning streak.
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The Kenyan 23-year-old improved on the previous women-only world record of 14:29 set by Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi in Herzogenaurach on 12 September 2021.
He will face off against Rodrigue Kwizera of Burundi who finished eighth at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst.
Competing on the day of his 28th birthday, Soufiane El Bakkali should also be a factor on Sunday. In addition to the elite events, there will be strong U20 races with representatives from Great Britain, Belgium, France, and Portugal.