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Kenya's Sheila Jebet reigns in Hannut Cross Country meet
Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 27.01.25. | 07:14
The Kenyan, who earlier this year scooped the 6km AK Cross Country title in Iten, led at the end of the second lap all the way to victory
Kenya’s Sheila Jebet avenged her close defeats last year to claim the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting in Hannut on Sunday.
Jebet, 19, turned the tables on Ethiopia’s Yenenesh Shimket and Uganda’s Charity Cherop in the women’s race to claim top spot in a winning time of 31:01.
🇧🇪 Cross Cup de Hannut (#CrossCountryTour Gold):
— Athletics Central (@Athletics_Cntrl) January 26, 2025
Senior Women’s Race (9000m):
🥇 🇰🇪 Sheila Jebet 31:01
🥈 🇪🇹 Yenenesh Shimket 31:07
🥉 🇰🇪 Charity Cherop 31:22#Athletics #CrossCountry #XC 🇧🇪 #Hannut @WorldAthletics
The Kenyan, who earlier this year scooped the six kilometer AK Cross Country title in Iten, led at the end of the second lap, a gap that she never relinquished.
Having come close to winning in Cardiff in November, Jebet, followed by Shimket, was well away by the fourth loop when Kenya’s Gloria Jepkirui ended her race after appearing to lose a shoe.
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Jebet looked comfortable as she moved away from Shimket, and she had a clear lead with one loop remaining.
She glanced over her shoulder but couldn’t sense any immediate danger and pushed on, eventually finishing six seconds clear.
The fourth-place finisher at the U20 World Cross Country race last year was followed by Shimket in 31:07 and Cherop in 31:22.
The Belgian duo of Roxane Cleppe and Chloe Herbiet meanwhile completed the top five.
In the men’s race, Gideon Rono was the sole Kenyan in the top five after finishing third in a time of 27:29 behind leaders Rogers Kibet of Uganda, who timed 27:03, and Burundi’s Celestin Ndikumana in second (27:23).
Kibet strung the lead group out during the second lap and made a decisive move on the third loop, kicking away to leave Ndikumana and Rono among his chasers.
The Ugandan continued to move away on the slippery muddy course and led ahead of Ndikumana, Rono and Belgium’s Robin Hendrix with two laps to go.
While the top two spots looked decided, Rono and Hendrix were locked in battle for a place alongside them on the podium.
As Kibet strode away to victory and Ndikumana followed, Rono finished strongly to clinch third place ahead of Hendrix and his Belgium compatriot Nicolai Sake, who slid on his stomach over the finish line.
Additional information by World Athletics.
