Kipsang chasing fourth Cross Country Tour victory in Madrid
Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 23.11.24. | 13:06
In the women's race Italy's Nadia Battocletti, Olympic 10,000m silver medalist is the favourite
Kenya's Mathew Kipchumba Kipsang will face a herculean task in his quest for a fourth win on the World Athletics Cross Country Tour when he lines up for the Cross Internacional de la Constitución.
The eighth Gold level event this season is set for Sunday 24 November in Alcobendas on the outskirts of Madrid.
Kipsang has achieved podium finishes in Atapuerca, Soria and San Vittore Olona in recent weeks and is keen to keep the streak alive as the season conclusion nears.
Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera is the favourite in the men’s contest held over 8.04km. He suffered his first defeat of the current cross-country season last weekend when he was outsprinted by Thierry Ndikumwenayo at the Cross de Itálica.
The 25-year-old reached the finish line first at the past three editions of this race, although he was disqualified in 2021 for not wearing the vest of his Spanish club, Playas de Castellón. He made amends with victories in 2022 and 2023, and so goes into this weekend’s race as the hot favourite.
Others in contention are Ethiopia’s Abrham Sime and Ugandan duo of Martin Kiprotich and Samuel Cherop. Kiprotich was fifth in Atapuerca. Cherop, who was 11th in the U20 race at the World Cross Country Championships earlier this year, is fresh from a 13:46 run over 5km in Lille. Sime, who has a highly respectable steeplechase PB of 8:02.36, clocked 13:36 in Lille for fifth.
In the women's race Italy's Nadia Battocletti, Olympic 10,000m silver medalist is the favourite.
The European cross-country silver medalist opened her winter campaign last Sunday at the Cinque Mulini, where she finished third. Having finished third in Alcobendas last year and second in 2022, Battocletti hopes that this weekend’s race will be third time lucky.
Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen, the 2022 European cross-country silver medallist, will also be in contention in the women’s 8.04km race. The 27-year-old last raced four weeks ago at the Valencia half marathon, where she finished ninth in 1:07:07.
Federica del Buono will also be a contender. The versatile Italian competed over 10,000m at the European Championships, then dropped down to the 1500m at the Paris Olympics. She placed 10th at the Cinque Mulini, 19 seconds ahead of Hungary’s Lili Anna Vindics-Toth, also entered for Sunday’s race. Alicia Berzosa, who finished 12th in the 10,000m at the European Championships, should lead the Spanish challenge.
Additional reporting by World Athletics
