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, Australia, next year.
The World Athletics Council approved the proposal last week while confirming the competition timetables for both Bathurst and the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Yangzhou 2022.&nbsp;
World Athletics, World Masters Athletics and the Bathurst Local Organising Committee will work together to organise the inaugural World Masters Cross Country Championships (short course) on the weekend of 19-20 February 2022.
"We have worked hard over the last few years to develop closer relationships with the various sectors of the global running community, including recreational running, mountain and trail running, and parkrun, because that makes our athletics community stronger, so I&rsquo;m delighted to announce this new initiative in cooperation with World Masters Athletics," World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said. "We look forward to welcoming passionate runners of all ages and abilities to Bathurst next year for what promises to be a unique festival of cross country running."
World Masters Athletics president Margit Jungmann added: "We are&nbsp;excited to offer this new opportunity for masters athletes around the world to come together and celebrate their love of running and competition, and to join with the best cross country runners in the world to test themselves on the scenic Mt Panorama course at Bathurst in Australia. We are pleased to be working with World Athletics to make this a uniquely memorable event for all the masters athletes who attend."
Originally scheduled to take place in March 2021 before the Covid-19 pandemic led to its postponement, the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst will now be held on 19 February 2022. The timetable is as follows:
14:35 U20 women&rsquo;s 6km 15:15 U20 men&rsquo;s 8km 16:25 mixed relay 17:05 senior women&rsquo;s 10km 18:05 senior men&rsquo;s 10km
The World Masters Cross Country Championships will include a mixed 4 x&nbsp;2km relay, tentatively scheduled before the World Athletics events on Saturday, 19 February, and a series of age group races on Sunday, 20 February.
<h3>World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Yangzhou 2022</h3>
The timetable for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships, scheduled to take place in Yangzhou, China, on 27 March 2022, is as follows:
9:30 women&rsquo;s race 10:00 men&rsquo;s race, followed by mass race
As with previous editions, there are no entry standards for the competition. A maximum of seven athletes may be entered by a member federation, but only five can start the race. The top three finishers for each member federation will count towards the team competition.
For the fifth successive edition, the World Half Marathon Championships will feature a mass race, giving thousands of recreational runners the chance to run in the footsteps of the best athletes in the world.
World Athletics

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.

Timetables confirmed for Bathurst and Yangzhou

Applying different running tactics, Johnatas de Oliveira and Genevive Lalonde made history for Brazil and Canada respectively by earning their country&rsquo;s first ever senior title at the 4th Pan American Cross Country Cup in Langford, Canada, on Saturday (29).
Lalonde, the Pan American Games and Canadian record holder for the steeplechase, dominated the women&rsquo;s race almost from start to finish, moving away from the rest of the field just 10 minutes into the race.
The 28-year-old found no opposition through the three remaining laps of the five-loop course along the gold course at Bear Mountain Resort and crossed the finish line in 37:37, 32 seconds ahead of her next competitor, Carrie Verdon of the USA. Peru&rsquo;s Lizaida Thalia Valdivia overtook Canada&rsquo;s early leader Natasha Wodak in the final stages to secure bronze in 38:12.
&ldquo;This is a good start to the 2020 season and looking to the lead up to the Olympic Games,&rdquo; Lalonde told Athletics Canada. &ldquo;Going up the hill, I kept my rhythm and kept it smooth and I took it out more than I expected. We&rsquo;re here to inspire you so we&rsquo;re going to keep running, keep racing.&rdquo;
Having moved to the west coast of Canada a month earlier, Lalonde&rsquo;s dominant display came as no surprise, considering the two-time national cross-country champion finished 20th at last year&rsquo;s World Cross Country Championships, making her the highest-placed woman from the Americas.
In the men&rsquo;s race, the Brazilian duo of Johnatas de Oliveira and national champion Daniel Ferreira took the early pacing, closely followed by USA&rsquo;s four-time NCAA champion Anthony Rotich, in a group that included 12 men from Brazil, Peru, Mexico and five USA runners.
Some 21 minutes into racing, De Oliveira and Rotich started to separate themselves from the rest of the field, setting the stage for the final lap. With the last 180 metres of the race in elevation, De Oliveira took a narrow edge. Rotich launched his sprint on the home stretch and both crossed the finish line in 32:50. The photo finish determined the gold for the unheralded Brazilian, second at the National Cross Country Championships a month earlier.
&ldquo;This is the most important result of my career,&rdquo; De Oliveira told the Brazilian Athletics Confederation. &ldquo;I have only been a competitive runner for four years. It was a sensational finish, but I was not going to give up, especially all I went through in this cold weather (8C).&rdquo;
The 29-year-old, who competed at least year&rsquo;s World Cross, improved on his silver medal performance at the 2019 South American Cross Country Championships.
Peru&rsquo;s Paul Ramirez bided his time and moved into the bronze medal position in the final lap, securing the fourth individual bronze medal for his country on the day.
Gilberto Silvestre Lopes, twice a silver medallist at continental events, finished 10th this time.
In the U20 races, the USA finished 1-2 in the men&rsquo;s 8km with Corey Gorgas (27:15) and Evan Bishop (27:20). Peru&rsquo;s Alejandro Alania overtook Mexico&rsquo;s Cesar Daniel Gomez at the line for bronze. Both were timed at 27:35.
In the U20 women&rsquo;s 6km race, the first one of the championships, USA&rsquo;s Brooke Rauber took gold in 23:12, ahead of Canada&rsquo;s Sadie Sigfstead (23:23) and Peru&rsquo;s Jhenifer Melchor (23:46).
The Pan American Championships, held in North America for the first time, is held in even years as the South American and NACAC events in odd years. Athletes from The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, El Salvador, Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama, also competed at the biennial event, first held in 2015.
Javier Clavelo Robinson for World Athletics

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).

De Oliveira and Lalonde crowned Pan American cross-country champions

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).
Held in sunny and warm (21C) conditions, the races provided different stories for the thousands of spectators. From the first kilometre of the men&rsquo;s race, it was a battle between two Kenyan runners: Davis Kiplangat, representing Sporting Clube de Portugal, and Richard Yator.
Kiplangat, who had finished fourth in the 3000m (7:42.58) at the World Athletics Indoor Tour meeting in Karlsruhe just two days prior, was always at the front pushing the pace, while Yator was close behind, responding to all changes in pace.
But Kiplangat, who finished second in Albufeira last year, knows the course and took the lead on the final bend to gain a small advantage over Yator, winning by one second in 27:11.
After a long sprint with Portugal&rsquo;s Rui Pinto, Eritrea&rsquo;s Yemane Haileselassie finished a distant third in 28:33.
The women&rsquo;s race was a different story. Lydia Lagat took the lead in the early stages and her pace was too strong for the opposition. By the half-way stage of the race, her victory was a foregone conclusion.
Lagat, the 2017 world U18 800m bronze medallist, eventually won in 20:20, finishing 20 seconds ahead of Eritrean teenager Rahel Daniel and Portugal&rsquo;s Salom&eacute; Rocha, the winner in Albufeira in 2016 and 2018.
Ant&oacute;nio Manuel Fernandes for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Men (9.32km) 1 Davis Kiplangat (KEN) 27:11 2 Richard Yator Kimunyan (KEN) 27:12 3 Yemane Haileselassie (ERI) 28:33 4 Rui Pinto (POR) 28:38 5 Rui Teixeira (POR) 29:11 6 Eduardo Mbengani (POR) 29:33 7 Miguel Marques (POR) 29:44 8 Andralino Furtado (POR) 30:00
Women (6.09km) 1 Lydia Lagat (KEN) 20:20 2 Rahel Daniel (ERI) 20:40 3 Carla Salom&eacute; Rocha (POR) 20:59 4 Catarina Ribeiro (POR) 21:39 5 Katsiaryna Kerneyenka (BLR) 21:46 6 Edna Barros (POR) 23:14 7 Vera Fernandes (POR) 23:29 8 Ana Dias (POR) 23:57

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).

Kiplangat and Lagat secure Kenyan double in Albufeira

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&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Permit series on a sunny Sunday (26).
In the men&rsquo;s 11km race, Ethiopian 18-year-old Tadese Worku led a seven-man pack including Kenya&rsquo;s Leonard Kipkemoi Bett, Jackson Kavesa Muema, Uganda&rsquo;s Oscar Chelimo, Burundi&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo, Morocco&rsquo;s Abdelati Iguider and Italian 10,000m record-holder Yeman Crippa during the first lap.
Worku, the world U20 cross-country silver medallist who won back-to-back races in Elgoibar and Seville earlier this month, stepped up the pace during the second lap and kept the lead for most of the race, closely followed by Muema, Bett, Ndikumweanayo, Chelimo and Crippa. Worku went through the second lap mark in 8:39 with a gap of one second over Muema, Bett, Ndikumwenayo and Crippa. The Italian running star was dropped by seven seconds after the halfway mark.
The leading group was whittled down to Worku, Bett and Muema, who pulled away from Ndikumwenayo after the bell and battled it out for the win during the final lap.
Worku and Bett ran neck-to-neck for most of the last lap before it came down to a final sprint with Bett overtook Worku on the final straight to cross the line in 32:08, holding off his Ethiopian rival by just one second. Muema finished third in 32:10.
Bett won the 2017 world U18 steeplechase title and followed it with silver at the following year&rsquo;s World U20 Championships. Last year he finished fourth in the U20 race at the World Cross Country Championships and ninth in the steeplechase final at the World Championships in Doha.
&ldquo;Cross country is the perfect build-up for running the 3000m steeplechase,&rdquo; said Bett after securing the 16th win for Kenya in the history of the Cinque Mulini in what was his first cross country race outside of his home country. Bett plans on competing at the African Cross Country Championships in preparation for the Olympic season.
In the women&rsquo;s race, a pack featuring 2013 world 5000m silver medallist Mercy Cherono, Gloria Kite, double European U20 cross-country champion Nadia Battocletti, defending champion Winfred Mutile Yavi and Jackline Jerono took the early lead on the first lap.
Kite went to the front and went through the first lap mark in 8:59. Battocletti, still aged just 19, managed to keep the pace with the leading quartet on the first two laps.
The smooth-striding Yavi pulled away from Kite and Jerono during the third lap to increase her lead over her opponents. By the time she reached the finish line in 17:22, her lead had grown to 11 seconds.
Kite finished second in 17:33, three weeks after her third place finish at the Campaccio in San Giorgio su Legnano. Jerono completed the podium, taking third place in 17:34 ahead of Cherono (17:47). Battocletti was fifth in 17:56.
&ldquo;I am improving race after race,&rdquo; said Yavi, whose victory last year came in a race held in totally different conditions with snow and freezing temperatures. &ldquo;My second consecutive win at Cinque Mulini means a lot. I enjoy running on this course.&rdquo;
Diego Sampaolo for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Men (11km) 1 Leonard Bett Kipkemoi (KEN) 32:08 2 Tadese Worku (ETH) 32:09 3 Jackson Kavesa Muema (KEN) 32:10 4 Thierry Ndikumwenayo (BDI) 32:29 5 Oscar Chelimo (UGA) 32:47 6 Yemaneberhan Crippa (ITA) 33:15
Women (6km) 1 Winfred Yavi Mutile (BRN) 17:22 2 Gloriah Kite (KEN) 17:33 3 Jacklne Jerono (KEN) 17:34 4 Mercy Cherono (KEN) 17:47 5 Nadia Battocletti (ITA) 17:56 6 Jasmijn Bakker (NED) 18:24

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).

Bett and Yavi claim Cinque Mulini victories

Ethiopia&rsquo;s teen phenomenon Tadese Worku and Kenya&rsquo;s world 5000m silver medallist Margaret Chelimo captured convincing victories at the Cross Internacional de It&aacute;lica in Santiponce, near the Spanish city of Seville, the sixth leg of this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Permit series, on Sunday (19).
Held on a pleasant and dry afternoon with the temperature about 16C, the men&rsquo;s 9.9km event didn&rsquo;t kick off particularly fast as a large pack covered the opening two kilometres in 5:48, led by Worku, Burundi&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo and Eritrea&rsquo;s world half marathon bronze medallist Aron Kifle. Surprisingly neither European cross-country champion Robel Fsiha of Sweden nor European cross-country silver medallist Aras Kaya of Turkey featured in the lead pack.
The following 1.95km circuit took a faster 5:26 with 11 men, including Spain&rsquo;s Carlos Mayo, still in the heading group. The first serious move came with eight minutes on the clock when USA&rsquo;s Olympic 5000m silver medallist Chelimo heated up the pace. Only three men &ndash; Worku, Kifle and USA&rsquo;s Shadrack Kipchirchir &ndash; could live with his Chelimo&rsquo;s speed while Kenya&rsquo;s Richard Yator and Morocco&rsquo;s world steeplechase bronze medallist Soufiane El Bakkali dropped from the leading pack.
After a 5:24 circuit, Worku and Kifle took turns in the lead and shortly afterwards, with 15 minutes on the clock, Worku easily broke away from the rest to cover the next loop in 5:20 to build a four-second margin on Kifle, himself another three seconds clear of the trio compounded by the US duo and Yator while El Bakkali and Mayo ran together way back.
The 17-year-old leader effectively ended the race during the penultimate loop when he opened a handsome margin on Kifle, who was 13 seconds in arrears by the bell with Chelimo and Yator 20 seconds behind Worku and Kipchirchir in fifth, 24 seconds adrift.
Covering the closing couple of laps in 5:18, Worku romped home unopposed in 27:31, holding a huge 100-metre margin on his chasers. Kifle seemed to be a safe runner-up during the final kilometre, but the World Cross fourth-place finisher began to falter dramatically in the closing stages and was overtaken first by Chelimo and then by Yator, the Eritrean having to settle for fourth place.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really pleased with the win, the circuit and the people,&rdquo; said Worku. &ldquo;I felt very strong throughout, as was the case last Sunday in Elgoibar. I&rsquo;ll now return to my base in Addis Ababa where I train with Selemon Barega and Telahun Haile Bekele, among others.&rdquo;
Worku, whose athletics idol is Kenenisa Bekele, has big goals for the 2020 track season: &ldquo;I would like to make the national team for the Tokyo Olympics over 5000m.&rdquo;
Chelimo in a class of her own
All the main contenders in the women&rsquo;s 9.2km race set off conservatively, the lead group comprising the Kenyan quartet of world cross-country champion Hellen Obiri, world U20 cross-country champion Beatrice Chebet, world 5000m silver medallist Margaret Kipkemboi Chelimo, and Eva Cherono, plus the Ethiopian duo of World Championships 5000m fourth-place finisher Tsehay Gemechu and Tsige Abreha.
Chebet did most of the early pacing duties while Bahrain&rsquo;s 2017 world marathon champion Rose Chelimo was never a factor and was some way behind the leaders from the second kilometre.
By halfway Chebet led with Obiri, Chelimo and Gemechu tucked behind, but just before the sixth kilometre Obiri seemed to be in trouble as she was five metres adrift of the leading three. Shortly afterwards, her chances of a podium finish appeared to disappear completely, much to the surprise of the crowd.
About 300 metres before the bell, Chelimo put in a surge and quickly built a sizeable margin on Chebet, Gemechu and Obiri, who ran in single file behind the world silver medallist. Over the final circuit a dominant Chelimo increased her advantage over her opponents with Obiri slowing down her pace considerably.
At the tape, the in-form Chelimo clocked 28:37 to take a commanding win 12 seconds ahead of Chebet, herself 11 seconds clear of Gemechu. Obiri, who later revealed she experienced some discomfort in her back, crossed the finish line limping, some 50 seconds behind the victor.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Men (9.9km) 1 Tadese Worku (ETH) 27:31 2 Paul Chelimo (USA) 27:47 3 Richard Yator (KEN) 27:48 4 Aron Kifle (ERI) 27:55 5 Shadrack Kipchirchir (USA) 28:26 6 Carlos Mayo (ESP) 28:29 7 Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) 28:53 8 Enyew Mekonen (ETH) 28:56 9 Thierry Ndikumwenayo (BDI) 28:57 10 Yemane Haileselassie (ERI) 29:13
Women (9.1km) 1 Margaret Chelimo (KEN) 28:37 2 Beatrice Chebet (KEN) 28:49 3 Tsehay Gemechu (ETH) 29:00 4 Hellen Obiri (KEN) 29:27 5 Eva Cherono (KEN) 29:41 6 Tsige Abreha (ETH) 29:47 7 Rose Chelimo (BRN) 30:31 8 Muriel Coneo (COL) 30:49 9 Irene S&aacute;nchez-Escribano (ESP) 30:51 10 Kate Avery (GBR) 31:03

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).

Worku maintains momentum as Chelimo reigns supreme in Seville

Kenya&rsquo;s world cross-country champion Hellen Obiri and Ethiopia&rsquo;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).
The 17-year-old Worku was head and shoulders clear of his classy opponents, while Obiri prevailed by six seconds over compatriot Beatrice Chebet, the world U20 cross-country champion. In doing so, Obiri became the first woman to achieve back-to-back wins in Elgoibar since the contest became an international event in the early 90s.
The women&rsquo;s 7.6km event started at a moderate pace (1:17 for the opening 400m on the track) led always by the double world 5000m champion Obiri with her compatriots Chebet, Eva Cherono and Bahrain&rsquo;s Rose Chelimo tucked behind. Of those, 2017 world champion Chelimo was the first casualty as she couldn&rsquo;t keep with the Kenyans&rsquo; pace after the first six minutes.
Obiri was timed at 7:00 for the first long lap and was never headed by Chebet who ran close to her illustrious compatriot but never surpassed her. Cherono lost ground during the penultimate lap, which Obiri and Chebet covered in a quicker 6:50. At the bell Cherono trailed the lead duo by nine seconds while Chelimo was a further 50 seconds adrift.
The key move came with about 1.5km remaining when Obiri easily broke away from her 19-year-old compatriot to retain her title in 25:10. Chebet, the world U20 5000m champion, took a comfortable second place six seconds behind. Cherono, who was eighth at the 2019 World Cross, completed the star-studded podium 38 seconds adrift of Obiri.
Chelimo was fourth in 26:40, five seconds ahead of Spain&rsquo;s Irene S&aacute;nchez-Escribano, the first European finisher.
&ldquo;I expected to win again this year so I&rsquo;m very satisfied,&rdquo; said Obiri, whose next outing will be at next Sunday&rsquo;s Cross Country Permit in Seville, the Cross Internacional de It&aacute;lica. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll train hard and will be ready for the Olympics, but I have to see how the season and my training develop before deciding whether I try to double (5000m/10,000m) there or I focus on a sole event.&rdquo;
<h3>Teenager Worku wins against the odds</h3>
After a brisk start to the men&rsquo;s race (1:06 for the opening 400m), Eritrea&rsquo;s Aron Kifle took charge but he was closely followed by the rest of favourites: Ethiopian duo Worku and world U20 cross-country champion Milkesa Mengesha, USA&rsquo;s Paul Chelimo, Kenya&rsquo;s Richard Yator and Turkey&rsquo;s Aras Kaya. Spain&rsquo;s Toni Abad&iacute;a and Carlos Mayo were also in the leading group by the third kilometre.
Shortly afterwards Worku upped the pace and his tactics soon paid off as only Kifle and Chelimo managed to stick with him. The young Ethiopian effectively ended the race with a frantic fifth kilometre which he covered in 2:50. He clocked 6:00 for the next 2.1km lap to swing the race even more in his favour as Kifle trailed by eight seconds with Yator and Chelimo another two seconds adrift.
Worku maintained his relentless speed on the penultimate loop and despite slowing down a bit (6:05) he increased his advantage to 18 seconds over Kifle and Yator, now running together, while Chelimo was a solitary fourth, another seven seconds behind that duo.
The knowledgeable crowd assembled on a perfect sunny day talked about the impressive solo run by Worku, who continued his dominant display to reach the tape 24 seconds ahead of Yator while Kifle had to settle for third after being beaten by the Kenyan in the closing 200m.
Worku, who has PBs of 7:43:24 for 3000m and 13:18.17 for 5000m, will also compete in Seville next weekend, one day before his 18th birthday.
Portugal&rsquo;s Etson Barros and Lia Lemos earned the prestigious &lsquo;Mamo Wolde&rsquo; Trophy by taking respective victories in the U20 events.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Men (10.8km) 1 Tadese Worku (ETH) 31:39 2 Richard Yator (KEN) 32:03 3 Aron Kifle (ERI) 32:06 4 Paul Chelimo (USA) 32:22 5 Milkesa Mengesha (ETH) 32:48 6 Aras Kaya (TUR) 32:49 7 Toni Abad&iacute;a (ESP) 32:53 8 Carlos Mayo (ESP) 33:07 9 Fernando Carro (ESP) 33:25 10 Soufiane Bouchikhi (BEL) 33:25
Women (7.6km) 1 Hellen Obiri (KEN) 25:10 2 Beatrice Chebet (KEN) 25:16 3 Eva Cherono (KEN) 25:48 4 Rose Chelimo (BRN) 26:40 5 Irene S&aacute;nchez-Escribano (ESP) 26:45 6 Kate Holt (GBR) 26:51 7 Gema Mart&iacute;n (ESP) 27:12 8 Lauren Hall (GBR) 27:14 9 Mar&iacute;a Jos&eacute; P&eacute;rez (ESP) 27:17 10 Cristina Ruiz (ESP) 27:20

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).

Obiri and Worku take the spoils in Elgoibar

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&rsquo;s gold medallists.
Turkey&rsquo;s Yasemin Can won her fourth successive title in the senior women&rsquo;s race with commanding ease, while Sweden&rsquo;s Robel Fsiha claimed glory in the senior men&rsquo;s race. Anna Moller of Denmark and Jimmy Gressier again proved peerless in the U23 categories, while Norwegian wunderkind Jakob Ingebrigtsen won his fourth straight title in the U20 men&rsquo;s race. The U20 women&rsquo;s title was won again by Italy&rsquo;s Nadia Battocletti.
On an undulating course with very little flat ground, the best track performers nonetheless shone brightest. None more so than Can, who tracked her chief rival Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal through the first lap of the senior women&rsquo;s race. But Can soon stamped her supremacy, powering clear well before the halfway mark and running alone to the finish, which she reached in 26:52, 15 seconds clear of Grovdal, who won her first silver medal at this event after four successive bronzes. &ldquo;The course was hilly but I was ready for it because where I come from it is like that,&rdquo; said Can.
Sweden&rsquo;s Samrawit Mengsteab claimed bronze in 27:43, overtaking two-time champion Fionnuala McCormack of Ireland and edging her to the podium by two seconds. Great Britain and Northern Ireland won the team title ahead of Ireland and Portugal.
The senior men&rsquo;s race seemed a wide-open affair and so it proved until the halfway point, with little to separate the leading pack. However the race for gold soon whittled down to three athletes: Aras Kaya of Turkey, Robel Fsiha of Sweden and Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy.
Fsiha and Kaya broke clear of Crippa on the penultimate lap, and a vicious injection of pace by Fsiha on the final lap carried him to the finish in splendid isolation. He hit the line in 29:59 to come home 11 seconds clear of Kaya, with Crippa third, a further 11 seconds back.
&ldquo;It was a really good field here, and I was expecting it so I prepared myself by training really hard,&rdquo; said Fsiha. &ldquo;My focus was to take gold. I've been working hard on my hill workouts, so I'm pleased with the result.&rdquo;
Great Britain and Northern Ireland won the team title ahead of Belgium and Spain. 
<div id="5ded823d7e898402e4ab5289" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/c0d78f91-0ad7-4282-ae58-ed1e95c59e62.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
Robel Fsiha wins the senior men's race at the European Cross Country Championships</div>
&nbsp;
The widest margin of victory all day came from Danish athlete Anna Moller, who was simply superfluous in the U23 women&rsquo;s race, floating up the hills like an athlete with several gears still held in reserve. She made her move slightly after halfway and hit the line in 20:30, a whopping 39 seconds clear of runner-up Jasmijn Lau of the Netherlands. Ireland&rsquo;s Stephanie Cotter claimed bronze in 21:15, helping her nation to silver in the team event behind the Dutch.
&ldquo;It feels amazing to win again, I love winning,&rdquo; said Moller. &ldquo;It's all you want to do as athlete so I'm pleased the race went the way I hoped for. I could have run in the senior race but this is my last year in U23, and I have lots of years to go as a senior runner, so I just wanted to have another go in U23 while I could.&rdquo;
There was a similar sense of inevitability about the U23 men&rsquo;s race, where France&rsquo;s Jimmy Gressier again proved peerless. He typically saves his best for the final straight but this time around he moved early, racing clear of Serbia&rsquo;s Elzan Bibic on the penultimate lap. Gressier powered across the line in 24:17 to claim his third straight title, with Bibic not far behind, crossing in 24:25. Spain&rsquo;s Abdessamad Oukhelfen claimed bronze in 24:34.
&ldquo;I felt great today, and I knew I had to be patient so I went for it at the right time without making it too hard for myself,&rdquo; said Gressier. &ldquo;I kept telling myself to be calm, to be in control. I knew my legs could do it and when I moved to the front I kept this image in my head that I could win.&rdquo;
Gressier helped France to victory in the team contest with just 17 points, with Italy second and Germany third.
Norway&rsquo;s Jakob Ingebrigtsen coasted to his fourth successive title in the U20 men&rsquo;s race, bringing the curtain down on one of the most successful teenage careers in European athletics history.
He toyed with his opposition through the opening half and only began to turn it on with a little over a mile to run. From there he ran at a pace that was simply unfathomable for his peers, hitting the line in 18:20. His nearest pursuer, Turkey&rsquo;s Ayetullah Aslanhan, was 38 seconds behind, edging Ireland&rsquo;s Efrem Gidey into third by three seconds.
Great Britain and Northern Ireland won the team title ahead of Norway and Portugal.
&ldquo;It looked like it was going to be a difficult race, but after the first lap you already know who's bringing it and who's not,&rdquo; said Ingebrigtsen. &ldquo;I'm already looking forward to racing in the future. Of course I remember my first win, it's always the first (win) I'm most proud of. After a couple of years you feel like you've been there and done it all but now I'm looking forward to not being in the junior (U20) category anymore.&rdquo;
Italy&rsquo;s Nadia Battocletti utilised a powerful finish to take victory in the U20 women&rsquo;s race for the second successive year. She hit the line in 13:58, three seconds clear of Slovenia&rsquo;s Klara Lukan, who was in turn nine seconds clear of Portugal&rsquo;s Mariana Machado.
&ldquo;I didn't feel much pressure coming here, I was probably more nervous at the European U20 Championships in Boras this summer,&rdquo; said Battocletti. &ldquo;I don't know exactly what it feels like to be the reigning champion, it was probably better the first time, but I'm very happy about this win.&rdquo;
Great Britain and Northern Ireland won the team title ahead of Italy and France.
In the mixed 4x1.5km relay, Great Britain and Northern Ireland reigned supreme, their quartet of Sarah McDonald, James McMurray, Alexandra Bell and Jonny Davies clocking 17:55 to come home six seconds clear of Belarus, with France third.
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

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.

Can retains title while Fsiha breaks through at European Cross in Lisbon

Burundi&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo and Kenya&rsquo;s Eva Cherono captured convincing victories at the 38th Cross Internacional de la Constituci&oacute;n 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&rsquo; rains.
A creditable ninth at this year&rsquo;s World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, the 22-year-old from Burundi managed his first win of the season in his third appearance on Spanish soil this cross country campaign while Cherono was an overwhelming victor ahead of Bahrain&rsquo;s Rose Chelimo to become the second woman to take back-to back titles in the history of the event alongside Ethiopia&rsquo;s Meselech Melkamu.
In the men&rsquo;s 10.06km race, Uganda&rsquo;s Thomas Ayeko set the early pace, closely followed by compatriots Maxwell Rotich and Timothy Toroitich, plus the Burundian pair of Ndikumwenayo and Rodrigue Kwizera while Spain&rsquo;s Abdessalam Oukhelfen still travelled in the leading pack by the third kilometre.
After successive 2.3km loops covered in 6:46 and 6:38, Ayeko had opened a 10-metre gap on Ndikumwenayo, himself two seconds clear of Rotich, while Kwizera, who finished 11th in Aarhus, and Toroitich travelled another 10 metres behind.
Ndikumwenayo caught Ayeko half way around the penultimate circuit while Kwizera overtook Rotich to move into third. By the bell (6:45 for the lap) the Burundian led with Ayeko running at his shoulder while the 19-year-old Kwizera passed six seconds behind the leader but two ahead Rotich.
Over the closing loop, the Spain-based Ndikumwenayo managed to get rid of Ayeko and just 1.2km home it became clear he would be the eventual victor. Compatriot Kwizera broke away clearly from a fading Rotich with Toroitich back in fifth but still ahead of European U23 5000m bronze medallist Oukhelfen.
At the tape the victor was timed at 29:23 to finish four seconds ahead of Ayeko with Kwizera completing a classy podium another four seconds adrift.
Speaking in reasonable Spanish, having lived for three years in the Mediterranean city of Castell&oacute;n de la Plana, Ndikumwenayo said: &ldquo;This is my first success at a World Athletics event so I&rsquo;m more than joyful. I would like to compete at the World Indoors in Nanjing next March over 3000m and then I&rsquo;ll prepare to compete in the 5000m at the Tokyo Olympics&rdquo;.
Coached in Italy under the guidance of Massimo Pegoretti, who is also the coach of European 10,000m bronze medallist Yemaneberhan Crippa, Ndikumwenayo also spoke of his weekly routine. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m working hard with daily double sessions for an overall 170-180 kilometres,&rdquo; said the winner, who has a 3000m PB of 7:41.04 but failed to finish the 10,000m at the World Championships in Doha.
<h3>Cherono in a class of her own</h3>
In the women&rsquo;s race, Portugal&rsquo;s European U20 3000m bronze medallist Mariana Machado set the early pace alongside 2017 world marathon champion Rose Chelimo. After the opening kilometre this pair was marginally ahead of Portugal&rsquo;s Carla Salom&eacute; Rocha and Cherono, who had decided to take it easy in the early stages.
However, the 23-year-old Kenyan soon took command of the race and with seven minutes on the clock heated up the rhythm to open a sizeable margin over the rest in a matter of few hundred metres. 
<div id="5ddac1453236d60940b73d80" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/369a96a6-54f5-4865-87ae-819b99177248.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
Eva Cherono in action in Alcobendas</div>
&nbsp;
A 7:42 2.3km loop from Cherono effectively ended the hopes of any other competitor as she had built a 10-second margin over Chelimo and Machado by halfway, this tandem another eight seconds clear of Rocha. At the bell, with 2.3km left, the World Cross seventh-place finisher had a clear lead over Chelimo, who had finally managed to break away from the 19-year-old Machado while her fellow Portuguese Rocha had been caught by Spain&rsquo;s steeplechase specialist Irene S&aacute;nchez-Escribano.
At the tape Cherono had increased her lead to 18 seconds on Chelimo, herself 21 seconds ahead of Machado, while Rocha finally got the better of the Spaniard over the last kilometre.
&ldquo;I think today&rsquo;s win has been much easier than last year&rsquo;s when the circuit was really muddy,&rdquo; said 23-year-old Cherono, who was fresh from a 48:15 15km performance in Nijmegen for third last Sunday. &ldquo;My next event will likely be a road race in Vienna next month but for now I&rsquo;ll return to Kenya. I would like to make the Kenyan team (for the Olympics), but the standard is extremely high. I still have to decide on whether I&rsquo;ll pick the 5000m or the 10,000m.&rdquo;
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Men (10.06km) 1 Thierry Ndikumwenayo (BDI) 29:23 2 Thomas Ayeko (UGA) 29:27 3 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 29:31 4 Maxwell Rotich (UGA) 29:54 5 Timothy Toroitich (UGA) 30:03 6 Abdessalam Oukhelfen (ESP) 30:13 7 Fernando Carro (ESP) 30:54 8 Hamid Ben Daoud (ESP) 30:56 9 Mohamed Ali Jelloul (ESP) 31:02 10 Jos&eacute; Ignacio Gim&eacute;nez (ESP) 31:10
Women (8km) 1 Eva Cherono (KEN) 27:10 2 Rose Chelimo (BRN) 27:31 3 Mariana Machado (POR) 27:39 4 Carla Salome Rocha (POR) 27:56 5 Irene S&aacute;nchez-Escribano (ESP) 28:02 6 Mar&iacute;a Jos&eacute; P&eacute;rez (ESP) 28:29 7 Beatriz &Aacute;lvarez (ESP) 28:30 8 Azucena D&iacute;az (ESP) 28:38 9 Diana Mart&iacute;n (ESP) 28:45 10 Dunia Mahassim (ESP) 28:51

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.

Ndikumwenayo and Cherono prevail in Alcobendas

The Cross Internacional de Soria, the second leg of this season&rsquo;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 Ferm&iacute;n Cacho and 1997 and 1999 world marathon champion Abel Ant&oacute;n.
The men&rsquo;s 10km contest features the whole podium from last Saturday&rsquo;s permit meeting in Atapuerca where Spain&rsquo;s Ouassim Oumaiz was a surprise victor, getting the better of Ugandan duo Thomas Ayeko and Timothy Toroitich.
Oumaiz, born in Spain to Moroccan parents, moved to the High Performance centre in Madrid two years ago to train under the guidance of Antonio Serrano. The 20-year-old is the European U23 cross-country silver medallist and proved to be in stellar form in Atapuerca. Soria will be his last stop before the European Cross Country Championships in Lisbon on 8 December.
The Spaniard will be eager to confirm his win last weekend was no fluke; meanwhile Ayeko and Toroitich will be trying to extend the Ugandan domination in Soria as the East African nation has claimed six successive victories thanks to Dickson Hiru (2013), Toroitich (2014-16) and Jacob Kiplimo, a commanding winner in 2017 and 2018.
Their compatriots Albert Chemutai, a 2017 world 3000m steeplechase finalist, and Maxvell Rotich, a 1:01:11 half marathon performer, will also be in contention on Sunday alongside Burundi&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenavo, sixth in Atapuerca, and Eritrean steeplechaser Yemane Haileselassie.
The Spanish contingent also includes Nassim Hassaous, a creditable ninth in Atapuerca, 2016 European 10,000m bronze medallist Toni Abad&iacute;a, Javier Guerra, a 2:08:33 marathon runner, European steeplechase silver medallist Fernando Carro, and Soria local Daniel Mateo, who finished 10th in the marathon at the recent World Championships.
Spain&rsquo;s Teresa Urbina and Bahrain&rsquo;s Rose Chelimo should be regarded as the main favourites in the women&rsquo;s 8km contest.
The 34-year-old Spaniard finished eighth in Atapuerca last Saturday and boasts a 9:41:95 PB in her specialist event, the 3000m steeplechase. She beat Chelimo, the 2017 world marathon champion, by 17 seconds in Atapuerca, so the Bahraini will try to bounce back from that defeat on Sunday.
Spain&rsquo;s Ana Lozano, who holds a 15:14.23 5000m PB, should also be in the hunt for the podium places.
Notable past victors in Soria include the likes of Ethiopia&rsquo;s 2000 Olympic 5000m champion Million Wolde, Kenya&rsquo;s 2001 world 10,000m champion Charles Kamathi, 1997 world 10,000m champion Sally Barsosio, Eritrea&rsquo;s 2007 world cross-country champion Zersenay Tadese, 2010 world cross-country champion Joseph Ebuya and 2009 world 10,000m champion Linet Masai.
Weather forecasters predict a rainy and cold day on Sunday with a temperature no higher than 5C by the time of the event.
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF

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.

Oumaiz aims to maintain momentum in Soria

Spain&rsquo;s Ouassim Oumaiz and Ethiopia&rsquo;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.
In doing so, Teferi notched up her fourth consecutive victory here and she is just one win behind her compatriot Imane Merga&rsquo;s record tally of five. 20-year-old Spaniard Oumaiz, meanwhile, was a totally unexpected winner to achieve the first local victory since 2008.
The women&rsquo;s 8km event, which preceded the men&rsquo;s race, kicked off conservatively as the opening two kilometres were covered in a comfortable 6:55 with nine women at the front, headed by Kenya&rsquo;s Eva Cherono with Britain&rsquo;s Charlotte Arter and Venezuela&rsquo;s Joselyn Brea near the back of the pack.
Cherono&rsquo;s relentless pace soon whittled down the main group to five women, with only her compatriot Gloria Kite, the Ethiopian tandem of Teferi and Fikadu Zenebu plus Uganda&rsquo;s Peruth Chemutai for company.
It was midway the third and penultimate two-kilometre loop that Teferi first took command of the race, although she didn&rsquo;t increase the pace as the leaders covered that lap in 6:33 compared to the previous one&rsquo;s 6:24. Even so, Chemutai lost ground and by the bell the race witnessed the usual Kenyan-Ethiopian battle in the guise of Cherono and Kite versus Teferi and Zenebu.
Some 1.3km from home, Teferi stepped up the pace to open a 15-metre margin on Cherono while Zenebu and Kite ran in single file way back. Although Teferi&rsquo;s advantage over the Kenyan was never big, the Ethiopian&rsquo;s win didn&rsquo;t seem in jeopardy at any time and she crossed the line first for the fourth time in as many appearances in Atapuerca. While Cherono secured the runner-up spot, Zenebu outsprinted Kite in a thrilling sprint to take the third place on the podium.
Arter was the first European home, head and shoulders clear of Spain&rsquo;s Teresa Urbina in seventh and eighth place respectively.
&ldquo;It was a tough race because of the cold and wind but I felt comfortable throughout and managed to unleash my attack over the last kilometre and win,&rdquo; said Teferi, the 2015 world 5000m and cross-country silver medallist. &ldquo;I hope to return next year to match my compatriot Imane Merga&rsquo;s five victories. After my wins at the Valencia Half Marathon and today, I now plan to return to Ethiopia.&rdquo;
<h3>Oumaiz upsets the favourites</h3>
The men&rsquo;s 9km race always looked wide open, but nobody would have imagined that four of the top 10 finishers from this year&rsquo;s World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus would be beaten by rising Spaniard Ouassim Oumaiz, the European U20 cross-country silver medallist.
Right from the start it was Uganda&rsquo;s Thomas Ayeko who made most of the pace with his compatriot Timothy Toroitich and Eritrea&rsquo;s Aron Kifle always in close attendance.
Successive two-kilometre circuits covered in 5:46 and 5:50 left a six-man heading pack also including Burundi&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenavo and the Spanish duo of Oumaiz and European U23 5000m bronze medallist Abdessamad Oukhelfen.
To the surprise of the crowd, Oumaiz moved to the front with the clock reading 16:00 and first Ndikumwenavo and then Oukhelfen began to falter, losing any winning chance.
Shortly before the bell, the Spaniard fell when he was negotiating a tight bend, allowing Ayeko, Kifle and Toroitich to open a 30-metre gap. It seemed as though the victory would be contended by that lead trio, but the Spaniard bounced back and rejoined the pack. In the final kilometre Oumaiz made his move with a brisker pace that the other three men couldn&rsquo;t follow. 
<div id="5dc6fffc6fbb1c088c0e8f71" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/23aac3b2-07ab-488b-9c3c-c7cbee6cacbf.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
Ouassim Oumaiz wins at the Cross de Atapuerca</div>
&nbsp;
The leader romped home unopposed, clearly ecstatic by the fact he had defeated some of the world cross country cr&egrave;me on home soil.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m over the moon,&rdquo; said Oumaiz, who finished 20th in Aarhus earlier this year. &ldquo;Obviously, I knew my fitness was fine and was expecting a good performance today, but I didn&rsquo;t dream of winning against some of the best specialists in the world. Unfortunately I picked up an injury after the World Cross and missed the track campaign. I had to settle for watching the World Championships on TV and was eager to come back to competition.
&ldquo;My short-term goal is the European Cross in Lisbon on 8 December; I&rsquo;m still eligible for the under-23 category but I&rsquo;ll contest the senior race and hope to fight for the podium places. I&rsquo;ll next run in Soria on Sunday 17 November.&rdquo;
Asked on whether he had chatted with his podium mates today, Oumaiz laughed and said: &ldquo;yes, Toroitich congratulated me and said, &lsquo;now it&rsquo;s your time, guy&rsquo;.&rdquo;
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Men (9km) 1 Ouassim Oumaiz (ESP) 25:54 2 Thomas Ayeko (UGA) 25:56 3 Timothy Toroitich (UGA) 25:56 4 Aron Kifle (ERI) 25:59 5 Abdessalam Oukhelfen (ESP) 26:09 6 Thierry Ndikumwenavo (BUR) 26:15 7 Carlos Mayo (ESP) 26:17 8 Awet Habte (ERI) 26:18 9 Nassim Hassaous (ESP) 26:20 10 Hassan Chani (BRN) 26:24
Women (8km) 1 Senbere Teferi (ETH) 25:38 2 Eva Cherono (KEN) 25:42 3 Fikadu Zenebu (ETH) 25:44 4 Gloria Kite (KEN) 25:45 5 Deborah Samun (KEN) 26:15 6 Peruth Chemutai (UGA) 26:19 7 Charlotte Arter (GBR) 26:29 8 Teresa Urbina (ESP) 27:14 9 Jenny Nesbitt (GBR) 27:18 10 Celia Ant&oacute;n (ESP) 27:19

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.

Teferi takes title No.4 while Oumaiz defeats the favourites in Atapuerca

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&rsquo;s Senbere Teferi will chase an unprecedented fourth win in the women&rsquo;s race.
Already a three-time winner here, the 2015 world cross-country and 5000m silver medallist showed she was in great form two weeks ago in Valencia where she broke her own national half marathon record with her 1:05:32 victory.
Teferi is completing a solid 2019 season which also includes a sixth-place finish in the 10,000m at the World Championships in Doha. An accomplished track runner with PBs of 4:01.86 for 1500m and 14:23.33 for 5000m, Teferi&rsquo;s knowledge of the Burgos circuit should play in her favour.
But the same applies for Kenya&rsquo;s Margaret Chelimo, the runner-up over the past two years. The 26-year-old Kenyan earned the 5000m silver medal at the recent World Championships, improving her lifetime best to 14:27:49, and then won a low-key 4km race in the Italian city of Biella eight days later.
The toughest opposition for Teferi could come from Kenya&rsquo;s world U20 cross-country and 5000m champion Beatrice Chebet, who holds a 14:46.12 performance for the distance, and Uganda&rsquo;s Peruth Chemutai, who finished fifth in the steeplechase at the World Championships.
Norah Tanui, the third-place finisher last year, will also be in contention. The 24-year-old Kenyan is one of just five women to have bettered nine minutes in the 3000m steeplechase, a feat she achieved in 2018 thanks to her 8:59:62 performance in Brussels. She is also the only woman this year to beat world record-holder and world champion Beatrice Chepkoech in the steeplechase.
Fellow Kenyan Gloria Kite should fight for a top-five spot after her fourth-place finish last year. Still 20 years of age and a winner in Soria last year, she produced a fine 30:26 10km clocking in Valencia in January. The Kenyan contingent also includes Eva Cherono, a cross-country specialist who finished eighth at this year&rsquo;s World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus and first in Alcobendas last year.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Zenebu Fikadu, 10th in Aarhus, and Bahrain&rsquo;s 2017 world marathon champion Rose Chelimo also cannot be discounted.
<h3>Wide open men's race</h3>
The men&rsquo;s 9km contest features four athletes who finished in the top 10 at this year&rsquo;s World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus: Eritrea&rsquo;s Aron Kifle, Ugandan duo Thomas and Joel Ayeko and Burundi&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo.
The Spain-based Kifle finished a creditable fourth in Aarhus and should be eager to improve on his runner-up spot from 12 months ago in Burgos. The 21-year-old is also a renowned road specialist, having earned bronze at the 2018 World Half Marathon Championships.
After a below-par performance at the World Championships in Doha where he was hampered by a stomach infection and finished 15th in the 10,000m, Kifle returned to competition two weeks ago and finished 10th at the Valencia Half Marathon in 1:00:25. He will compete alongside his compatriot and training partner Yemane Hailesilassie, a steeplechase specialist who holds the national record, claimed silver at the 2016 World U20 Championships and reached the 2016 Olympic final.
Thomas Ayeko was seventh in Aarhus, his best senior performance to date at a World Cross, and should be one of the athletes to beat on Sunday. The 27-year-old has fond memories of racing on Spanish soil as he earned the U20 men&rsquo;s silver medal at the 2011 World Cross in Punta Umbr&iacute;a. His last outing came three weeks ago when he clocked a half marathon season&rsquo;s best of 1:00:56 for third in Lisbon.
Joel Ayeko, no relation to Thomas, finished 10th at this year&rsquo;s World Cross and earned the team gold medal. More recently he set a 10-mile career best of 46:42 to finish third in Zaandam.
They will be joined by Timothy Toroitich, a multiple winner at Spanish cross-country permit meetings in recent seasons. The 28-year-old set a lifetime best of 1:00:53 at last month&rsquo;s Lisbon Half Marathon, finishing three seconds ahead of Thomas Ayeko.
The Ugandan contingent also includes Albert Chemutai, holder of an 8:12:29 steeplechase best, and watch out for Burundi&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo, a surprise top-10 finisher in Aarhus.
The best Spaniards entered include national champion Ouassim Oumaiz, 2017 European cross-country silver medallist Adel Mechaal, world steeplechase finalist Fernando Carro, Daniel Mateo, who finished 10th in the marathon at the World Championships, Javier Guerra, Toni Abad&iacute;a and Carlos Mayo.
More than 6000 athletes from 16 countries will take part in the event in what promises to be an athletics party on Saturday. Weather forecasters predict a rainy and windy day with temperatures between 6-8C.
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF

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.

Cross Country Permit season gets underway in Atapuerca

Ethiopia&rsquo;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.
The 2015 world 5000m and cross-country silver medallist made history with her victory at last year&rsquo;s Cross de Atapuerca, becoming the first woman to win three times in Burgos. More recently, Teferi broke her own Ethiopian half marathon record with her 1:05:32 victory in Valencia last weekend.
Teferi&rsquo;s 24:48 clocking in Burgos in 2016 &ndash; beating the then world cross-country champion Agnes Tirop &ndash; is the fastest time ever recorded on the women&rsquo;s 8km course. In 2017 and 2018 Teferi finished just ahead of world 5000m silver medallist Margaret Kipkemboi to win.
The Cross de Atapuerca is one of eight meetings in the 2019-2020 IAAF Cross Country Permit series, which once again includes some of the most prestigious international cross-country races in the world.
After Burgos, the series will take in four other Spanish meetings alongside two stops in Italy before reaching its conclusion in the Portuguese city of Albufeira on 15 March 2020.
Organisers for the IAAF

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.