The 34th Cross Internacional de Italica, an IAAF Cross Country Permit meeting held in Santiponce on the outskirts of the Spanish city of Seville, will boast a star-studded field on Sunday (17).

Just like the senior men’s race two years ago, which produced more than its fair share of surprises, the event at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Guiyang 2015 is shaping up to be more than a straight-forward contest between Ethiopia and Kenya.

Bronze medallist in 2013 and silver medallist in 2010, Eritrea’s Teklemariam Medhin hopes to complete the set at this month’s IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Guiyang 2015.

Eritrea’s Teklemariam Medhin confirmed his status of favourite to pull out a convincing victory at the 72th Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza, the sixth of this winter’s IAAF Cross Country Permit meetings, in the Spanish town Elgoibar on Sunday (25).

Despite being one of the most famous cross-country races in the world, you have to look hard to find the small Basque town of Elgoibar on a map – it has a population of barely 11,000 – but it will have its profile raised immeasurably when the 72nd edition of the Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza takes place on Sunday (25).

Eritrea’s Teklemariam Medhin and Kenya’s Emily Chebet captured respective brilliant victories at the 33rd Cross Internacional de Italica – the second Spanish leg of this season’s IAAF Cross Country Permit series – on Sunday (18) held under gruelling conditions with rain, gusts of wind of up to 60km/h and underfoot mud in some areas of the circuit.

The Cross Internacional de Itálica in Santiponce on the outskirts of the Spanish city of Seville once again boasts a mouth-watering field. This year’s edition of the IAAF Cross Country Permit meeting on Sunday (18) will feature three of the top seven finishers from the 2013 World Cross.

Two-time world cross-country medallist Teklemariam Medhin from Eritrea handed Uganda’s Timothy Toroitich a rare defeat this winter at the 60th edition of the Cross Internacional de San Sebastian at the Lasarte racecourse on Sunday (11).

Ethiopia’s Hiwot Ayalew and Eritrea’s Teklemariam Medhin will line up for the Cross de Atapuerca looking to add another victory to their tally when the IAAF Cross Country Permit series gets underway in Burgos on 16 November.

Kenya’s Emmanuel Bett and Ethiopia’s Sofia Assefa took the victories at the 32nd Cross Internacional de la Constitución in the Madrid suburb of Alcobendas on Sunday (24).

The 10th Cross Internacional de Atapuerca, the second of three Spanish races scheduled for the IAAF Cross Country Permit Series 2013-14, will take place next Sunday (17).

Eritrea’s Zersenay Tadese can expect tough opposition from a talented Kenyan contingent as well a rival closer to home at the Hervis Prague Half Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on 6 April, after the race organisers announced more of their elite field on Tuesday (26).