World Athletics and World Masters Athletics have reached a historic agreement that will see masters championships held for the first time alongside the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst next year.

Applying different running tactics, Johnatas de Oliveira and Genevive Lalonde made history for Brazil and Canada respectively by earning their country’s first ever senior title at the 4th Pan American Cross Country Cup in Langford, Canada, on Saturday (29).

Davis Kiplangat and Lydia Lagat took the top honours at the 43rd edition of the Almond Blossom Cross Country, the final stage of the World Athletics Cross Country Permit series, held in Albufeira on Sunday (2).

Steeplechase specialists Leonard Kipkemoi Bett of Kenya and Winfred Mutile Yavi of Bahrain took the honours at the 88th Cinque Mulini in San Vittore Olona, the seventh leg of this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Permit series on a sunny Sunday (26).

Ethiopia’s teen phenomenon Tadese Worku and Kenya’s world 5000m silver medallist Margaret Chelimo captured convincing victories at the Cross Internacional de Itálica in Santiponce, near the Spanish city of Seville, the sixth leg of this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Permit series, on Sunday (19).

Kenya’s world cross-country champion Hellen Obiri and Ethiopia’s world U20 cross-country silver medallist Tadese Worku captured commanding wins at the 77th Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza, the fifth leg of the current World Athletics Cross Country Permit series, in the Spanish town of Elgoibar on Sunday (12).

It was a day for defending champions at the European Cross Country Championships in Lisbon on Sunday (8), with five of the six individual titles retained by last year’s gold medallists.

Burundi’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo and Kenya’s Eva Cherono captured convincing victories at the 38th Cross Internacional de la Constitución in Alcobendas, Spain, on Sunday (24), the third stop of the 2019-20 World Athletics Cross Country Permit series held over a dry surface despite the previous days’ rains.

The Cross Internacional de Soria, the second leg of this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Permit series, will take place on Sunday (17) at the Monte Valonsadero circuit, a beautiful forest on the outskirts of Soria, well known for having been a frequent training venue for 1992 Olympic 1500m champion Fermín Cacho and 1997 and 1999 world marathon champion Abel Antón.

Spain’s Ouassim Oumaiz and Ethiopia’s Senberi Teferi captured commanding victories at the 16th Cross Internacional de Atapuerca, the opening leg of the 2019-20 IAAF Cross Country Permit series held in windy conditions on Saturday (9) in Burgos, Spain.

The 2019-20 IAAF Cross Country Permit series will kick off in Burgos on Saturday (9) with the Cross de Atapuerca, one of five stops in Spain, where Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi will chase an unprecedented fourth win in the women’s race.

Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi will aim to win her fourth successive title at the Cross de Atapuerca in Burgos on 9 November, the opening fixture on the 2019-2020 IAAF Cross Country Permit calendar.