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Beatrice Chebet's preparations for defending her World Cross-country title are on course since she just opened her season with a stunning win at the Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza.
Reigning World Cross-country champion Beatrice Chebet is certainly in the form of her life that saw her kick off the season with a striking win in Spain.
The World 5000m bronze medallist reigned supreme at the Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza – a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting – in the Spanish town of Elgoibar on Sunday.
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Chebet managed to pull away despite the heavy rains that created a muddy course and made the race a bit difficult.
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The Kenyan took charge from the start enjoying the company Edinah Jebitok and Grace Nawowuna with Ethiopia's Asmarech Anley also in the mix.
Chebet's relentless pace paid off and Anley could not live with that pace, leaving the Kenyan contingent as a lead trio out in front. Chebet gradually increased her speed and clocked 7:02 for the penultimate lap, but 2021 Elgoibar winner Jebitok and Nawowuna still remained at her shoulder.
Just before the bell, Nawowuna briefly took the lead, but Chebet soon regained pole position. A struggling Anley, meanwhile, was overtaken on the last lap by the leading British and Spanish runners.
With one kilometre remaining, Chebet broke away from her compatriots to cover the final lap in 6:54, securing her first victory in Elgoibar in what was her third appearance. Jebitok dropped Nawowuna in the final kilometre to finish second, two seconds behind Chebet.
“It was tough as the rain appeared just before the race but I'm satisfied with my Spanish tour as I managed a world record and my first win at such prestigious race like this,” said Chebet as per World Athletics.
Meanwhile, the Spanish duo of Adel Mechaal and Fernando Carro led during the early stages of the men’s 9.71km contest. Mechaal still led by the end of the initial 1km loop but he was being followed closely by Berihu Aregawi, Carro, Burundi's Rodrigue Kwizera, Morocco's world and Olympic steeplechase champion Soufiane El Bakkali, his compatriot Abderrahmane Aferdi and reigning World U20 cross-country champion Ishmael Kipkurui.
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After sometime, Mechaal, Aregawi, El Bakkali, Kwizera and Kipkurui had now taken charge. Aregawi then moved into the lead for the first time, and his change of cadence forced his opponents to run in single file.
Just two minutes later, Aregawi had built a three-second gap on Kipkurui, El Bakkali and Kwizera with Mechaal further adrift by a couple of seconds.
Aregawi continued to extend his lead on the penultimate lap and his lead kept growing. The Ethiopian then threw in a speedy 2:50 kilometre, but then eased down in the closing stages, safe in the knowledge that he’d done enough to win.
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Aregawi eventually crossed the line in 30:30. In the battle for the remaining podium places, Kwizera broke away to leave behind El Bakkali, Kipkurui, and Mechaal. The Burundian took second place in 30:34, two seconds ahead of El Bakkali.
Kipkurui settled for fourth, just one second behind El Bakkali, while Mechaal completed the top five.
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