Milkesa Mengesha timed his race to perfection to lead an Ethiopian 1-2 finish in the U20 men&rsquo;s race at the IAAF/Mikkeller World Cross Country Championships Aarhus 2019.
With Uganda&rsquo;s Oscar Chelimo taking bronze, it was the first time since 1984 that Kenya came away from the U20 men&rsquo;s race at the World Cross without an individual medal. Their third-place finish in the team standings was also their lowest since 1984.
The hotly-tipped Kenyan contingent seemed to struggle from the outset on the 7.728km course, comprising one lap of 1.972km, two laps of 1.872km and one lap of 2.012km. The temperature was slowly increasing but so too was the strength of the wind, making the climb up the Moesgaard Museum roof even tougher.
Uganda&rsquo;s Samuel Kibet, surrounded by Ethiopia&rsquo;s Mengesha, Tadese Worku, Tsegay Kidanu and Dinkalem Ayele, led through the first lap in 6:06. A large pack of 12 men were still together at the end of the second lap with double European champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen sitting at the back of the group. 
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Uganda's Samuel Kibet and Dan Chebet lead the U20 men's race at the IAAF/Mikkeller World Cross Country Championships Aarhus 2019</div>
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A couple of minutes later, Worku and Mengesha upped the pace and whittled the group down to eight athletes as three-time European U20 cross-country champion Ingebrigtsen was among the runners to drop behind.
Worku, Mengesha and Kidanu continued to lead throughout the first lap, making easy work &ndash; relatively speaking &ndash; of the hills. Ugandan U20 cross-country champion Hosea Kiplangat was also in the lead pack alongside compatriot Oscar Chelimo and Kenyan trio Samwel Chebolwi Masai, Leonard Bett and Edwin Kiplangat Bett.
Mengesha had saved an extra gear for the final circuit, though, and soon broke up the lead pack. Worku followed a couple of seconds behind with Chelimo moving into third ahead of the Kenyan contingent. 
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Ethiopia's Tsegay Kidanu and Tadese Worku lead the U20 men's race at the IAAF/Mikkeller World Cross Country Championships Aarhus 2019</div>
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The 18-year-old had narrowly missed out on medals at the 2017 World U18 Championships and 2018 African Cross Country Championships, but it was third time lucky for Mengesha in Aarhus as he powered towards the finish to win in 23:52.
With the finish line in sight, Chelimo put in a sprint finish but couldn&rsquo;t catch Worku as the Ethiopian took silver in 23:54 to the Ugandan&rsquo;s 23:55. A depleted Leonard Bett followed seven seconds later.
With four athletes in the top 10, Ethiopia comfortably retained their team title. Uganda took silver, their highest ever finish in a team competition at the World Cross, while Kenya had to settle for bronze. Ingebrigtsen, meanwhile, finished 12th in 24:39.
&ldquo;It was a very difficult race,&rdquo; said Mengesha. &ldquo;I have never tried anything quite like this before, but I guess it&rsquo;s the same for everyone, and that was what I kept telling myself. It was an amazing experience, and I would like to thank everyone out here, and of course my team. We train very hard for this, so it is very nice to bring them the gold.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I am not used to running cross country, so it was a surprise to finish this high,&rdquo; added Chelimo, the bronze medallist. &ldquo;My results from last year were a motivation to keep pushing, and I am so grateful now. Even though the route felt all uphill, this was amazing.&rdquo;
Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

Milkesa Mengesha timed his race to perfection to lead an Ethiopian 1-2 finish in the U20 men’s race at the IAAF/Mikkeller World Cross Country Championships Aarhus 2019.

U20 men’s report: Mengesha leads Ethiopian 1-2 in Aarhus

In one of the closest finishes in the history of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Kenya's world U20 5000m champion Beatrice Chebet added the world U20 cross country title to her growing list of honours.
After just under six kilometres of running, the first three athletes - Chebet and Ethiopian pair Alemitu Tariku and Tsigie Gebreselama - crossed the line together, all being awarded the same time of 20:50. It looked like Chebet had broken the tape first and she raised her arms in celebration, only for Tariku to initially be announced as the winner. However, after analysis of the photo finish, the result was revised with Chebet finally confirmed as the winner.
&ldquo;At first I was disappointed, as I was told I was third and I thought I had won, but now I am happy," said the 19-year-old, who was the dominant winner at last month's Kenyan trials. "I felt strong when I sprinted to the line. My country will be happy and celebrating that I have won.&rdquo;
&ldquo;The competition was fast and I worked hard. I am proud,&rdquo; said Tariku, who was making her debut at the World Cross Country Championships.
&ldquo;We are pleased to win medals,&rdquo; Gebreselama added.
It didn't take long for Ethiopia and Kenya to stamp their authority at the head of the field. However, even though the two distance running powerhouses had won all of the 26 previous women's U20 team titles, Uganda made it clear that they were not going to let their East African rivals have it all their own way, also packing well at the front of the field from the outset.
At the end of the first two-kilometre lap reached in 7:14, it was Uganda's Sarah Chelangat who was leading the pack, the 17-year-old who took gold in the 3000m/cross country event at the Youth Olympic Games last year. However, she was closely followed by Tariku and Jackline Rotich, who would eventually place ninth, heading a leading group of about 20, which also consisted of four Japanese athletes, an early indication that they would be in the hunt for a team medal.
Up the hill on the second lap, the leading group was comprising of Kenyans, Ethiopians and one Ugandan, with a small gap to two Japanese and further back, European U20 champion Nadia Battocletti leading the European charge. Chelangat was still at the head of affairs, closely tracked by Tariku and Gebreselama, with Chebet in fourth and Ethiopia's 2018 African U20 cross country champion Girmawit Gebrizihair, who also won the Ethiopian Trials last month, in fifth.
As they approached the water pit on the third and final lap, Chelangat was still in the lead, but Chebet was looking relaxed in second while the lead group was reduced to six and soon to five, as Kenyan Betty Kibet dropped off with about one kilometre to go.
As they approached the final straight, Chebet and Tariku attempted to make a break but Chelangat and Gebreselama were not giving up, with Chelangat finishing one second adrift with 20:51 in fourth, having made much of the running.
As had been expected, the innovative, man-made course provided its share of challenges.
&ldquo;It was tough with the obstacles,&rdquo; confirmed Chebet. &ldquo;There was uphill, downhill, water, mud, sandpits. It was challenging, it was competitive and it was about perseverance. I enjoyed it.&rdquo;
For the Ethiopians, they were unanimous about the most difficult element of the two-kilometre loop &ndash; the mud. &ldquo;It was a hard course, with the uphill, but the mud was the hardest bit,&rdquo; they both agreed.
Placing second, third, fifth and backed up by Mizan Alem in seventh, Ethiopia took the team title, edging another step closer to Kenya in the team stakes, with Kenya boasting 15 titles and Ethiopia now 12 titles.
Kenya took silver, with Japan edging Uganda by one point in the race for bronze, led by Ayuka Kaama and Ririka Hironaka in 14th and 15th.
Emily Moss for the IAAF

In one of the closest finishes in the history of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Kenya's world U20 5000m champion Beatrice Chebet added the world U20 cross country title to her growing list of honours.

U20 women's report: Chebet prevails in dramatic finish in Aarhus

It has been 25 years since a European athlete last finished in the top 10 in the U20 men&rsquo;s race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. The last individual medallist &ndash; a gold one at that &ndash; from Europe came 10 years before that.
But Jakob Ingebrigtsen&nbsp;(1500m world rank: 8; 5000m world rank: 14) could be capable of rewriting both of those statistics when he lines up for the U20 men&rsquo;s race in Aarhus.
The 18-year-old Norwegian caused a stir last year when he won the 1500m and 5000m at the senior European Championships in Berlin, setting a continental U20 record of 13:17.06 in the latter. One month prior he had set a European U20 1500m record of 3:31.18 in Monaco.
After winning his third consecutive European U20 cross-country title in December, he beat world indoor record-holder Samuel Tefera over 1500m in Dusseldorf in February and went on to win 3000m gold and 1500m silver at the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow.
Ingebrigtsen boasts the fastest track PBs of the field and has considerably more international racing experience. But he has never raced farther than 6.3km and could become something of a target if some of the stronger nations utilise team tactics.
All 39 individual medals on offer in the U20 men's race from the past 13 editions have been shared between Kenya (23), Ethiopia (10) and Uganda (6). The same three nations once again look poised to battle it out for individual and team medals.
Unsurprisingly, the Kenyan team appears to be the strongest. Led by national U20 cross-country champion Samuel Chebolei (5000m world rank: 52), the team also includes Commonwealth Youth Games 3000m champion Edwin Kiplangat Bett, who finished eighth in the U20 men&rsquo;s race two years ago in Kampala, and Leonard Bett (3000m SC world rank: 11), the world U18 steeplechase champion.
Leonard Bett, who finished third at Kenyan Cross Country Championships, is the most accomplished of the Kenyan squad. He is the world U20 steeplechase silver medallist and made a couple of appearances on the IAAF Diamond League circuit last year, clocking a PB of 8:16.97 in Birmingham to top the 2018 world U20 list.
The Kenyan team also includes Cleophas Kandie (3000m SC world rank: 78), who took silver behind Bett in the steeplechase at the 2017 World U18 Championships, and the unheralded Emmanuel Kiprotich Korir, who finished a surprise second in the U20 race at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships.
But despite Kenya&rsquo;s undeniable depth, they have struggled &ndash; relatively speaking, of course &ndash; in the U20 men&rsquo;s race at recent editions of the World Cross. They won 23 of the 24 team titles on offer between 1988 and 2011, but haven&rsquo;t had an individual winner since then.
Ethiopia, meanwhile, has won two of the three most recent team crowns, and they will once again be a big threat to Kenya in the team stakes.
Their biggest U20 star, Selemon Barega, is contesting the senior men&rsquo;s race in Aarhus, leaving Tsegay Kidanu, the runner-up in the U20 men&rsquo;s race at the Ethiopian Cross Country Championships, to lead their team.
Milkesa Mengesha, who finished fifth in the U20 men&rsquo;s race at last year&rsquo;s African Cross Country Championships and fourth in the 3000m at the 2017 World U18 Championships, is another of Ethiopia&rsquo;s leading contenders.
Uganda&rsquo;s Oscar Chelimo&nbsp;(5000m world rank: 69) came away from last year&rsquo;s Youth Olympic Games with a bronze medal after finishing first in the 3000m and third in the cross-country race. He is also the African U20 3000m silver medallist and finished seventh in a high-quality 5000m race at last year&rsquo;s World U20 Championships.
Chelimo also won in Valladoid earlier this year, finished a close second in Amorebieta, and placed fifth at the Cinque Mulini, just behind world steeplechase silver medallist Soufiane El Bakkali.
He is joined on the Ugandan team by Hosea Kiplangat and Dan Chebet. Kiplangat recently narrowly beat Chebet to the national U20 cross-country title, but Chebet is the world junior mountain running champion and could find the testing course in Aarhus to his liking.
Although Eritrea is yet to win an individual medal in the U20 men&rsquo;s race, they have earned team medals at five of the past nine editions. Their team this year is led by Yohans Kifle, who ran 28:31 for 10km in December.
Burundi&rsquo;s Jean De Dieu Butoyi finished fourth in the cross-country race at last year&rsquo;s Youth Olympic Games, so can be expected to feature near the front of the pack in Aarhus.
National U20 cross-country champion Shuaib Aljabaly leads a strong US team. Canada&rsquo;s NACAC U20 cross-country champion Evan Burke and New Zealand&rsquo;s Oceania U20 cross-country champion Murdoch McIntyre carry the hopes of their respective continents.
Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

It has been 25 years since a European athlete last finished in the top 10 in the U20 men’s race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. The last individual medallist – a gold one at that – from Europe came 10 years before that.

U20 men’s preview: Ingebrigtsen aims to make history in Aarhus

Between them, Ethiopia and Kenya have won all of the 26 women's U20 team titles in IAAF World Cross Country Championships history. Kenya has taken the top spot in 15 editions to Ethiopia's 11, and in all but six editions they have occupied the top two spots.
You have to go back 24 years to 1995 to find the last individual winner not from either of these countries too, when Annemari Sandell of Finland struck gold in Durham and the two countries have enjoyed a clean sweep of the individual podium in every edition since 1999, when Japanese athlete Yoshiko Fujinaga made the podium in third.
But there's a chance the Kenya-Ethiopia party could be spoiled at the IAAF/Mikkeller World Cross Country Championships Aarhus 2019.
Uganda's Sarah Chelangat (5000m world rank: 81) took gold at the Youth Olympic Games last year after winning the 3000m and cross-country races. The 17-year-old also finished second at the African Youth Championships and fourth at the World U20 Championships.
Chelangat formed part of Uganda's bronze medal-winning team in Kampala two years ago and she once again forms part of a strong national squad.
But Chelangat certainly won't have an easy ride. World U20 5000m champion Beatrice Chebet (5000m world rank: 54) won the Kenyan Cross Country Championships in dominant fashion last month and will start as one of the favourites to take the global title in Aarhus. She will be backed up by Betty Kibet and Jackline Rotich, second and third at the Kenyan Championships respectively.
Girmawit Gebrzihair (5000m world rank: 116), the 2018 African U20 cross-country champion, took the Ethiopian title last month and will be hoping to keep the individual title in her nation, as well as lead the Ethiopian squad to their third successive team title, backed up by Alemitu Tariku, Tsige Gebreselama, Meselu Berhe and Wede Kefale, who all finished within eight seconds of each other in the Ethiopian Trials.
European U20 cross-country champion Nadia Battocletti (5000m world rank: 138) of Italy was the top European two years ago in Kampala in 34th and will be among those leading the continental charge in Aarhus 2019, too. Her background in mountain running may stand her in good stead for the challenging hills on the course in Aarhus.
Switzerland's Delia Sclabas (800m world rank: 79; 1500m world rank 82), the European U20 cross-country silver medallist, could also be among the challengers. Canadian Taryn O'Neill (1500m world rank 231) starts in good form too, fresh from her NACAC victory last month, where she led teammates Charlotte Wood and Makenna Fitzgerald to a podium sweep.
Host country Denmark boasts a full team, fielding six athletes ready to take on the innovative course over the rooftop of the Moesgaard Museum in front of what is expected to be a large and supportive crowd.
Japan has taken 15 team bronze medals in U20 race history so should not be ruled out, despite the fact that only one of their team members from two years ago, sixth scorer Hikari Ohnishi (1500m world rank: 302), is on the start list.
Athletes from 29 countries are entered.
Emily Moss for the IAAF

Between them, Ethiopia and Kenya have won all of the 26 women's U20 team titles in IAAF World Cross Country Championships history. Kenya have taken the top spot in 15 editions to Ethiopia's 11 and in all but six editions, they have occupied the top two spots. You have to go back 24 years to 1995 to find the last individual winner not from either of these countries too, when Annemari Sandell of Finland struck gold in Durham and the two countries have enjoyed a clean sweep of the individual podium in every edition since 1999, when Japanese athlete Yoshiko Fujinaga made the podium in third.

U20 women's preview: Chelangat to challenge Kenyan and Ethiopian dominance

Ethiopia&rsquo;s Letesenbet Gidey became the fourth woman to win back-to-back U20 titles at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
The 19-year-old won gold in Kampala in much the same way she clinched her first title on her debut two years ago in Guiyang, China, only this time she couldn&rsquo;t lead an Ethiopian podium sweep.
As temperatures rose in the Ugandan capital on Sunday afternoon, 108 athletes set off in the six-kilometre contest. The group featured a mix of international competition debutants and those who were winding up their age-group careers.
Lornah Kiplagat, the 2007 world cross-country champion, had described the Kololo Independence Grounds course as one which would give each athlete a chance, but it was still the Kenyans and Ethiopians who set the early pace. The rainy conditions that had been forecast stayed away, much to the relief of the athletes and fans who turned up to watch the country host its first international athletics event.
At the two-kilometre mark the race was stretched out to a leading pack of 10 athletes, six Kenyans and four Ethiopians. Defending champion Gidey was tucked in within the group, which also had world U18 and U20 steeplechase champion Celliphine Chespol of Kenya.
With no previous international competition experience, Kenya&rsquo;s Hellen Lobun hung on to the lead on the winding course with Chespol and Gidey as the rest dropped off the pace. Like she did in 2015, Gidey matched the two Kenyans stride for stride as she waited to make a move.
The Ethiopian cross-country champion injected a burst of pace almost 500 metres into the final two-kilometre loop and raced on to win her second major international U20 title.
&ldquo;The course was somehow challenging because of the grown grass and many barriers but I am delighted with the victory,&rdquo; Gidey said.&nbsp;
Hawi Feysa, who was third at the Ethiopian Cross Country Championships, worked her way back up the field to take silver while Chespol came home in bronze medal position and Lobun wound up a distant fifth. &nbsp;
In a top 10 dominated by Ethiopians and Kenyans, Uganda&rsquo;s Peruth Chemutai, a 2016 Olympian in the steeplechase, stood out after finishing seventh. The first non-African finisher was Japan&rsquo;s Tomomi Takamatsu in 15th place.
Gidey now joins compatriot Genzebe Dibaba (2008 and 2009) and Kenyans Viola Kibiwott (2001 and 2002) and Faith Kipyegon (2011 and 2013) as an athlete to have successfully defended an U20 women's cross-country title. The 5000m runner hopes this can be a launch pad to a successful senior career.
&ldquo;I want to compete at the World Championships in London later this year and this performance gives me great motivation,&rdquo; she explained.
Gidey&rsquo;s past track experience hasn&rsquo;t produced much success; she finished just outside the medals at the 2015 World U18 Championships, but at 19 years she still has time to work on it.
Ethiopia beat Kenya to the team title by one point after scoring 19 to take the gold. Uganda&rsquo;s 62 points was enough for the bronze medal, the country&rsquo;s second team medal in the category following their bronze in 2010.
There was a pile up at the finish line of the race as athletes collapsed due to exhaustion. Australia&rsquo;s Georgia Evans attributed it to the rising temperatures, saying: &ldquo;It's very hot and the hills on the course put a lot of lactic in the legs and so everyone lost a lot of water generally.&rdquo;
The competition featured 30 nations, 16 fielding full teams.&nbsp;
Celestine Karoney for the IAAF

Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey became the fourth woman to win back-to-back U20 titles at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

Gidey cruises to second straight U20 women's title – IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017

Uganda&rsquo;s Jacob Kiplimo produced a performance of a lifetime to win gold in the men&rsquo;s U20 race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017, the country&rsquo;s first ever gold medal at a World Cross.
The world U20 10,000m bronze medallist last year, Kiplimo came into the race as the host country&rsquo;s best chance of an individual medal following his brilliant performance which saw him win the Ugandan Cross Country Championships on this same course.
Kiplimo covered the 8km course in 22:40, ending the Kenyan and Ethiopian dominance in the event to win the first global title of his career.
From the gun, Eritrean Yemane Haileselassie produced a fast start, working himself to the head of the leading pack which was composed of Ugandan Victor Kiplangat, Kenyans Wesley Ledama, Edwin Kiplangat Bett and Amos Kirui and Ethiopian Solomon Berihu with Kiplimo following suit.
At the end of the first lap, Haileselassie, the Eritrean record-holder in the steeplechase and 2016 world U20 silver medallist in the event, was at the front of a tightly wound 10-man pack and he led through the first lap alongside Berihu and the entire Kenyan squad.
On the second lap, Kenyan Richard Yator Kimunyan, the world U18 3000m champion, overtook the pack briefly, taking turns up front with Kiplimo and Ledama. Berihu and Kirui also remained in contact.
Soon after, Kiplimo took command.
Unconcerned about the hot conditions at the Kololo Grounds, and backed by his vociferous home fans, Kiplimo broke away from Kirui and Kiplangat going into the final lap, sending the crowd into a further frenzy.
As he powered on, Amdework Walelegn, who finished fourth in the 10,000m at last year&rsquo;s World U20 Championships, tried to save the day for Ethiopia, pushing hard to close the gap. He moved past Kirui and Kiplangat with Kiplimo his next target, but the Ugandan continued to hold his advantage.&nbsp;
Kiplimo went on to cross the finish line in 22:40 with Walelegn three seconds behind to bag silver. Kimunyan joined the podium finishers nine seconds further back.
Upon crossing the finish line, Kiplimo, who was congratulated by Uganda's President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, said: &ldquo;Yes yes yes, I always thought I could win. It was a very good race. When I decided to break away going into the last lap, I knew I was going to win.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I am happy but not satisfied with second spot," said Walelegn. "The crowd made it very difficult for me to run according to my plan.&rdquo;
Walelegn did however lead Ethiopia to the team title with 17 points, their second since 2013. Kenya was one point behind to take team silver. Eritrea was a distant third with 55, just one point better than Uganda, who was fourth.
Bonnie Mugabe for the IAAF

Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo produced a performance of a lifetime to win gold in the men's U20 race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017, the country’s first ever gold medal at a World Cross.

Kiplimo captures Uganda’s first world cross gold – IAAF World Championships Kampala 2017

Gold medals in the U20 men&rsquo;s race proved to be just the beginning for the likes of Eliud Kipchoge, Kenenisa Bekele, Asbel Kiprop and Geoffrey Kamworor, so distance-running fans will understandably be keen to see which of the world&rsquo;s top teenage talents emerges as the victor at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017.
Many of the U20 men lining up on Sunday 26 March will have limited international experience, which makes predicting the outcome all the more difficult. But one certainty is that cross-country superpowers Kenya and Ethiopia will be prominent in the lead pack.
World U18 3000m champion Richard Kimunyan Yator won the U20 men&rsquo;s race by seven seconds at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships last month. Since the start of this year, he has been undefeated in U20 races and heads to the Ugandan capital full of confidence.
Fellow global champion Amos Kirui joins him on the Kenyan team. Kirui won the world U20 steeplechase title last year and, along with Yator, is one of the more experienced members of the Kenyan team.
World U20 5000m bronze medallist Wesley Ledama and African U20 cross-country silver medallist Ronald Kiprotich Kirui further bolster the Kenyan squad. Meshack Munguti Nzula and Edwin Kiplangat Bett are the least experienced members of the Kenyan team, but their respective second and fourth-place finishes at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships underlines their ability.
Tefera Mosisa leads the Ethiopian team, following his triumph at the National Cross Country Championships. He finished third behind Yator in the 3000m at the IAAF World Youth Championships Cali 2015 and will be seeking revenge in Kampala.
World U20 5000m champion Selemon Barega is also a genuine gold medal hope. He finished a close second to Mosisa at the Ethiopian Cross Country Championships and convincingly beat a strong senior field at the Cinque Mulini IAAF Cross Country Permit meeting earlier this year.
Namesake Selemon Berihun finished just two seconds behind Barega at the Ethiopian Cross Country Championships, while Amdework Walelegn &ndash; who finished fourth in the 10,000m at last year&rsquo;s World U20 Championships &ndash; was three seconds adrift of Berihun.
<h3>Team medals at stake</h3>
Since 1988, Kenya has won all but two of the team titles on offer in the U20 men&rsquo;s race, with Ethiopia breaking the Kenyan dominance in 1998 and 2013. Since 1985, only once has a team other than Kenya or Ethiopia finished in the top two in the U20 men&rsquo;s team competition, and that occurred when the championships was last held on African soil with Eritrea taking team silver in 2007.
The third spot on the podium tends to be more open and is often contested between the likes of Eritrea, Morocco and Uganda.
Nothing would delight the host nation more than to see their athletes picking up individual or team honours. World U20 10,000m bronze medallist Jacob Kiplimo perhaps represents their best chance of an individual medal after winning the U20 men&rsquo;s race by 28 seconds at the Ugandan Cross Country Championships.
Titus Kwemoi and Victor Kiplangat, the second and third-place finishers at their national championships, will help Uganda&rsquo;s chances of a team medal.
The Eritrean team is led by world U20 steeplechase silver medallist Yemane Hailesilassie, while Morocco&rsquo;s squad features national U20 cross-country champion Mohcin Outalha and world U20 steeplechase finalist Abdelkarim Ben Zahra.
Outside of the powerhouse nations, Brazil&rsquo;s sole representative Daniel do Nascimento could contend for the honour of being the first non-African runner past the finish line.
Several other nations, meanwhile &ndash; such as Spain, USA and Japan &ndash; should challenge for a top-six spot in the team contest.
Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

Gold medals in the U20 men’s race proved to be just the beginning for the likes of Eliud Kipchoge, Kenenisa Bekele, Asbel Kiprop and Geoffrey Kamworor, so distance-running fans will understandably be keen to see which of the world’s top teenage talents emerges as the victor at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017.

U20 men's preview – IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017

Since the inception of the junior/U20 contests at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 1989, dozens of countries have grappled with one simple question: how do you beat Kenya and Ethiopia in the team chase? And in each of those 25 editions, the answer has proven elusive. That east African stranglehold looks unlikely to change this year.
Case in point: the two countries have won each of the 25 women's U20 team titles, Kenya 15 to Ethiopia's 10. In all but four editions, one or the other has taken team silver. The last individual winner who wasn't from Kenya or Ethiopia? Annemari Sandell of Finland, the winner in 1995, some three year before any of this weekend's runners were born.
Ethiopia swept the podium in 2015, a feat Kenya last achieved in 2010. This year Kenya arrives primed to retake the team title it last won in 2013.
The formidable squad is led by Celliphine Chepteek Chespol, the world U18 and U20 champion in the steeplechase. The U20 runner-up at this year's Kenyan Cross Country Championships, she'll be a strong favourite to finish on the podium on Sunday &ndash; just three days after 18th birthday.
The winner at those trials was Sandra Tuei, who also arrives with solid international credentials. Second to Chespol at the 2015 World U18 Championships in Cali, she was fifth in the 3000m at last year's IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz.
Sheila Chelangat was also on the Cali and Bydgoszcz teams, racing to bronze in the 3000m in 2015 and finishing sixth over the same distance last year. She was third at the national cross country championships.
The team also includes Emmaculate Chepkirui, the 5000m silver medallist in Bydgoszcz, and Joyline Cherotich, ninth over 1500m in Bydgoszcz and bronze medallist over the distance in Cali. She's also the only returning member of the 2015 team that won silver in Guiyang.
<h3>Gidey primed for title defence</h3>
Although less experienced on paper, Ethiopia will be led by a top gun with Letesenbet Gidey returning to defend her title. Showing that she's clearly ready, the 19-year-old romped to a 20-second victory at the Ethiopian Cross Country Championships last month. A gold medal in Kampala will make her just the fourth woman in history to win back-to-back U20 titles at the World Cross, joining Viola Kibiwott, Genzebe Dibaba and Faith Kipyegon.
Two years ago Gidey followed up her Guiyang heroics with a strong fourth-place finish over 1500m at the World U18 Championships and last year impressed with a 14:45.63 run over 5000m, moving up to sixth on the world U20 all-time list.
Another standout on the squad is Fotyen Tesfay, who was fourth at 3000m at last year's World U20 Championships. Less is known about teammates Zeynaba Yimer, Hawi Feyisa and Wude Kefale, but based on their 2-3-4 finish at the national championships, they'll provide solid backup.
In the team battle, keep an eye on Japan who has collected 15 team bronze medals in the U20 ranks, most recently in 2011.
Their entrants include Wakana Kabasawa, a 1500m finalist at the 2015 World U18 Championships, and Rika Kaseda, a 5000m finalist last year in Bydgoszcz.
Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the bronze medallists in this race in 2013, will be headed up by UK Inter County champion Anna MacFadyen, Scottish champion Gillian Black and European cross-country team gold medallists Victoria Weir and Amelia Quirk.
Uganda meanwhile will be led by Peruth Chemutai, a 2016 world U20 finalist and 2016 Olympian in the steeplechase who knows the course well. In January she pounced to victory at the Kololo Independence Grounds, winning the national junior title by 19 seconds.
Athletes from 30 countries are entered. Sixteen countries are fielding full teams.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

Since the inception of the junior/U20 contests at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 1989, dozens of countries have grappled with one simple question: how do you beat Kenya and Ethiopia in the team chase? And in each of those 25 editions, the answer has proven elusive. That east African stranglehold looks unlikely to change this year.

U20 women's preview – IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017

Ethiopian youngsters were to the fore at the Cross Ouest France in Le Mans on Sunday (17) with reigning world junior cross country champion Letesenbet Gidey, 17, claimed top honours when winning the women&rsquo;s 6.3km race in 20:56.She came home ahead of fellow Ethiopian teenagers Alemitu Hawi (21:00) and Dera Dida (21:01); the latter had finished second to Gidey in Guiyang last March.The leading French finisher behind no less than six Ethiopians was Aurore Guerin, who pipped European 10,000m silver medallist Clemence Calvin for the domestic honours in seventh place. They shared the same time of 21:35.In the men&rsquo;s 10.4km, 17-year-old Abadi Embaye &ndash; who can already boast a 5000m best of 13:13.17 &ndash; claimed victory in 30:36 ahead of Kenya&rsquo;s Cornelius Kangogo (30:39) and Bahrain&rsquo;s Birhanu Yemataw (30:41).Gidey and Embaye are both eligible for the IAAF World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, this summer and the junior races at the 2017 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, Uganda.At the other end of the age spectrum, 42-year-old Veerle Dejaeghere won the Abdijcross in Kerkrade in the Netherlands. Competing over 7.4km, the Rio-bound Belgian claimed victory in 26:54 ahead of Poland&rsquo;s Dominika Napieraj (27:01) and fellow Belgian Almensh Belete (27:21).Dejaeghere first competed at the 2000 Olympics in the 1500m where she narrowly missed out on a place in the final but the veteran will be contesting the marathon later this year after clocking a qualifying time of 2:31:56 on her debut in Berlin last autumn.In the men&rsquo;s race, Belgian-based Ethiopian Dame Tasama won the men&rsquo;s 10.5km in 33:06 ahead of Dutchmen Khalid Choukoud (33:17) and Michel Butter (33:26).&nbsp;Butter missed the Dutch marathon qualifying standard of 2:11:00 by an agonising eight seconds in the Amsterdam Marathon in October but the 30-year-old, whose PB of 2:09:58 dates back to 2012, is getting ready for the Rotterdam Marathon this coming April, where he will be endeavouring to finally secure the qualifying mark.&nbsp;Steven Mills for the IAAF

Ethiopian youngsters were to the fore at the Cross Ouest France in Le Mans on Sunday (17) with reigning world junior cross country champion Letesenbet Gidey, 17, claimed top honours when winning the women’s 6.3km race in 20:56.

Ethiopian teenagers triumph in Le Mans – cross-country round-up

Yasin Haji finished second at the Ethiopian Trials at the Jan Meda International Cross Country in February but he had the beating of his compatriots &ndash; and the rest of the world&nbsp;&ndash; in the junior men&rsquo;s race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Guiyang 2015 on Saturday (28).Back home, the 19-year-old is a member of the Federal Police sports club&nbsp;&ndash; the same club as Ethiopian greats Tirunesh Dibaba, Sileshi Sihine and Derartu Tulu&nbsp;&ndash; and Haji unleashed a fearsome sprint finish which his aforementioned club mates would have produced at their pomp.Although prominent in the leading bunch, the Kenyan team didn&rsquo;t start as quickly as their team-mates in the junior women's race but they were nevertheless well to the fore through the first lap, which was completed in 5:48. On the second lap, the Kenyans were the only country to boast a full complement of six runners in the leading group which was principally led by Geoffrey Korir and Alfred Ngeno.The twists and undulations on the 1980-metre course made it difficult to maintain a consistent pace&nbsp;&ndash; and one muddy corner in particular caused mainly runners to slip and lose their footing&nbsp;&ndash; but the overall tempo remained consistent through the first two laps in 11:43, with the second one timed at 5:55.By the third lap, the overall Ethiopian challenge, spearheaded by trials winner Yihunilign Adane, had largely petered out, although Haji remained tucked in behind a Kenyan triumvirate which also included Kenyan Trials winner Dominic Kiptarus, who was competing internationally for the first time.After a slower third lap of 5:59, with a split of 16:42, Korir and Ngeno made a marked surge at the bell, which dropped both Kiptarus and Uganda's world junior and African junior 10,000m champion Joshua Cheptegei, who had been tipped to become the first non-Kenyan or Ethiopian winner of this race since 1991.Korir and Ngeno tried in vain to drop Haji, the world junior 5000m silver medallist, who was more than content to play the waiting game. The Ethiopian didn&rsquo;t touch the front until the finish-line came in to view around the final bend and, cheered on by his compatriots who dominated the junior women&rsquo;s race at the start of the programme, Haji&rsquo;s fearsome pace in the last 250 metres took him comfortably away from his front-running Kenyan rivals who couldn&rsquo;t raise their rhythm. Following in the footsteps of Hagos Gebrhiwet, Haji ensured the junior men&rsquo;s title remained in Ethiopian hands as he took the title after 8010m of running in 23:42 with Korir, who was only fifth at their national trials in Nairobi last month, taking silver in 23:47 and Ngeno third in 23:54.With Kiptarus and Rodgers Chumo fourth and 10th respectively, Kenya did gain a modicum of revenge on the Ethiopians by reclaiming the team title from their neighbours and rivals with 19 points to Ethiopia&rsquo;s 33. Sixth-placed Abraham Habte led Eritrea to the team bronze medals, returning to the junior men&rsquo;s podium after being absent since Amman in 2009. Bahrain&rsquo;s Evans Chematot was the leading non-African finisher in fifth in 24:03 while Italy&rsquo;s European junior cross-country champion Yemaneberhan Crippa was the leading European in 19th in 24:52. Steven Mills for the IAAF

Yasin Haji finished second at the Ethiopian Trials at the Jan Meda International Cross Country in February but he had the beating of his compatriots – and the rest of the world – in the junior men’s race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Guiyang 2015 on Saturday (28).

Haji defends Ethiopian honour to win junior men's title in Guiyang

Ethiopian cross-country trials winner Letesenbet Gidey took an impressive junior women's victory at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Guiyang 2015 in her first international race outside of Ethiopia on Saturday (28).Gidey led her team to a clean sweep of the individual medals as she sped to victory over the final metres in 19:48.It is the first time since Meselech Melkamu won the junior race in 2004 that the Ethiopian women filled that podium and they were also easy winners of the team competition.As the 101 runners from 28 countries stormed off for first race of the day, it was initially the Kenyans who took charge of the leading pack. At the front, heading down the first big dip on the opening 2km lap were three Kenyans, Winfried Mbithe, Gladys Kipkoech and world youth and Olympic youth steeplechase champion Rosefline Chepngetich, with only one Ethiopian in sight. However, with each of the three laps of the 6030m course, the Kenyans in the leading pack of 12 runners dropped back as the Ethiopians slowly took charge. Bahrain&rsquo;s Ruth Jebet managed to hold on until halfway point, going through the two-lap mark in second place, before falling behind along with early leader Gladys Kipkoech, of Kenya.Meanwhile, Gidey &ndash; who only turned 17 just eight days before the race and so became the youngest junior women&rsquo;s winner in 15 years &ndash; maintained a comfortable third position throughout the majority of the race, splitting the first lap in 6:23, while the favoured Kenyans one-by-one paid the price for their early fast pace.With one lap remaining, Kenya&rsquo;s 2012 world junior steeplechase champion Daisy Jepkemei was at the front but chased around the winding mountainous course by five Ethiopians. Not even her fellow compatriots, who supporting her along the course and running most of the distance armed with Kenyan flags, could help her being swallowed up by the Ethiopian force behind her.With 500 metres to go, Gidey took off, immediately opening a three-second gap, with Dera Dida and Etagegne Woldu following closely. Dida caught up with Gidey close to the line, finishing just one second in arrears behind her teammate, while Woldu was only four seconds behind. Jepkemei, after all her hard work, finished an unrewarding fourth in 19:59, but collected vital points for her Kenyan team, who took away the team silver medals.With Bahrain&rsquo;s Desi Mokonin and world junior steeplechase champion Jebet finishing in eighth and ninth respectively, representing the only nation outside East African in the top 10, the Bahraini team managed to clinch their first ever medal in this category, taking the team bronze medals behind Ethiopia and Kenya. Japan, who had been in the team medals in 11 of the past 15 junior women&rsquo;s races at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, finished in fifth place on this occasion while 2013 bronze medallists and 2014 European junior team winners Great Britain wound up in a disappointing 15th.Michelle Sammet for the IAAF

Ethiopian cross-country trials winner Letesenbet Gidey took an impressive junior women's victory at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Guiyang 2015 in her first international race outside of Ethiopia.

Gidey gets Guiyang gold in first international race

No less than US$280,000 in prize money will be paid out by the IAAF to the leading runners in the two senior races at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Guiyang 2015 on Saturday 28 March. At the 41st edition of the championships, but the first to be held in China, a first prize of US$30,000 will be awarded to each individual winner of the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s senior races, with money available down to sixth place.In total, US$140,000 is on offer for individual prizes.&nbsp; In the team contest in both senior races, there is another prize pool of US$140,000. This is distributed with US$20,000 going to the first team home in each race, descending to sixth place in both races, where the pay out by the IAAF is US$4000. Prize Money (in US$) &ndash; senior men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s races only.* Individual 1st &ndash;&nbsp; 30,000 2nd &ndash; 15,000 3rd &ndash;&nbsp; 10,000 4th &ndash;&nbsp; 7000 5th &ndash;&nbsp; 5000 6th &ndash;&nbsp; 3000Team 1st &ndash;&nbsp; 20,000 2nd &ndash; 16,000 3rd &ndash;&nbsp; 12,000 4th &ndash;&nbsp; 10,000 5th &ndash;&nbsp; 8000 6th &ndash;&nbsp; 4000* No prize money paid for the junior races. The payment of prize money in the senior races is dependent upon the athletes clearing the usual anti-doping procedures. Extensive background information and complete coverage of the 2015 IAAF World Cross Country Championships can be found on our <a href="http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-cross-country-championships">dedicated competition site</a>.IAAF

No less than US$280,000 in prize money will be paid out by the IAAF to the leading runners in the two senior races at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Guiyang 2015 on Saturday 28 March. 