Merima Denboba of Ethiopia in Lausanne (bronze medal) (© Getty Images)
Ethiopia's Merima Denboba, 30, who has a brace of individual World Cross Country Championship medals to her name, will compete in the Belfast International Cross Country race on Saturday 8 January 2005. The Northern Island event will be the fourth of the current 2004/2005 series of IAAF permit races.
Denboba who most recently took a bronze medal in the long race behind compatriot Werknesh Kidane and USA’s Deena Drossin in the 2003 World Cross in Lausanne, also took a silver in the 1999 edition of the Championships which were held in Belfast. On that occasion she was beaten by another countrywoman Gete Wami, and in a desperately close finish sneaked ahead of Britain’s Paula Radcliffe with both runners being credited with the same time.
11 top-ten finishes – six team golds
Denboba has been a regular member of the Ethiopian cross country team since first running in the senior race as a 17 year-old in 1991, when she finished in 18th position. In the course of a total of 12 appearances at the World Cross Country Championships (she doubled in 2001 and 2003, running both long and short races), she has amassed 11 top-ten finishes and six team gold medals.
However, the 30 year-old has never been able to transform this consistency to the track with a African Championship bronze at 5000m in 2000 her only major medal to date. She was 13th in the World Championships 5000m in Edmonton the following year.
Denboba has started to show some form on the road improving her half marathon personal best from 75:00 (2003) down to 69:36 with a third place finish in the spring Lisbon Half Marathon this year, and more recently on the 26 September a fourth place showing in 71:55, again on the streets of the Portuguese capital, in the annual autumn half marathon.
The organisers of the Belfast race have also announced that Kenyan teenager Moses Masai will take part in the men’s race. The 18 year-old sped to a national junior 10,000m record in the Brussels TDK Golden League meet on 3 September in a time of 27:07.29, and had earlier taken the Hanover Marathon title in 2:12:28 on 2 May this year.
