Chebet leads Kenya's cross country podium sweep in Spain

World 5000m silver medalist Beatrice Chebet led her compatriots Purity Chepkirui and Lucy Mawia to a clean podium sweep at the Cross Internacional de Atapuerca in Spain, the fifth Gold standard meeting of this season's World Athletics Cross Country Tour.

Chebet cut the tape at 25:39, with Chepkirui and Mawia coming close of each other to finish at 25:52 with a very narrow margin separating the two.

The Kenyans would have squared it out with Uganda's Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Peruth Chemutai but the latter withdrew at the last minute due to illness.

The trio pulled away from the rest in third lap with Chebet bringing into use her track experience to lead the pack, with Mawia and Chepkirui, the 2021 world U20 1500m champion, following. The three took the bell in 19:30 after a 6:24 2000m circuit, but the world silver medallist Chebet decided to break away at the beginning of the closing lap and her compatriots could not respond as she opened a sizeable margin in a matter of a few hundred metres.

Mawia opened a small gap on Chepkirui but the latter, who always remained at the back of the leading group, showed her track pedigree to launch a ferocious attack on the home straight. She overtook Mawia, who at least managed to keep a fast-finishing Teferi at bay to secure third place.

In the men's race, Levy Kibet was sandwiched in second by two Burundians in the race won by Thierry Ndikumwenayo on 27:58, with Rodrigue Kwizera settling for a third-place finish.

Wanyonyi's smooth transition puts him in contention for Rising Star award

Kibet came home a second after the race winner, clocking 27:59 while Kwizera finished at 28:02.