Grace Loibach to battle Burundian opponent in Atapuerca on Sunday
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 26.10.24. | 07:45
The 20-year-old recently clocked 30:33 over 10km in Brasov, and ran 1:07:16 on her half marathon debut in Cardiff
Kenya’s Grace Loibach Nawowuna will be up against Burundi’s Francine Niyomukunzi in a thrilling 8km race at The International cross-country race in Atapuerca, Northern Spain on Sunday 27 October.
The race will be the second Gold leg in this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Tour, and will involve more than 3500 athletes from 15 countries.
Nawowuna finished fourth at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, and went on to clock a PB of 29:47.42 over 10,000m.
She then placed ninth over that distance at the World Championships in Budapest.
More recently, she clocked 30:33 over 10km in Brasov, and ran 1:07:16 on her half marathon debut in Cardiff.
Niyomukunzi, meanwhile, is fresh from a highly convincing victory in Amorebieta.
In other highlight matchups, double Cross Country Tour winner Rodrigue Kwizera will face 2022 world 5000m bronze medalist Oscar Chelimo in the men’s 9km race.
The duo will be joined by Ugandan Martin Kiprotich, fresh from his victory over 10km in Trieste last week.
In addition, World U20 cross-country silver medalist Mezgebu Sime will lead a strong Ethiopian contingent that includes steeplechase specialist Hailemariyam Amare, who finished one place behind Kwizera at last year’s World Cross Country Championships, and teenager Ayele Tadesse, who lowered his 10km PB to 27:40 in Brasov last month.
Weather forecasters predict a cloudy day with temperatures between 6-8C and 90% chance of rain.
Additional reporting by World Athletics.
