Majestic Purity Chepkirui and Levy Kibet place third in Seville Cross Country

Kenya’s Purity Chepkirui and Levy Kibet fought to make it to the podium as Turkey’s Yasemin Can and Burundi’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo secured respective victories at the Cross Internacional de Itálica on the outskirts of Seville in what was the sixth World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting of the season, on Sunday 20 November.

The women’s contest was held over the slightly longer distance of 10.1km, but that was no barrier for Olympic steeplechase champion Chemutai, who took control of the race from the start.

After just one minute into the race, only Chepkirui and Nancy Jepleting, Can and Ethiopia's Meselu Berhe managed to stay close to the 23-year-old Ugandan. Berhe was the first casualty as she began to lose ground before the second kilometre.

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While Chemutai made most of the pacing duties at 3:18/km pace, 2021 world U20 1500m champion Chepkirui ran closest to her shoulder with four-time European cross-country champion Can in third and Jepleting in fourth.

The first serious move came just before the fourth kilometre when Chemutai's relentless rhythm began to pay off as firstly Jepleting and then Chepkirui began to falter, leaving Can as Chemutai’s only rival.

After successive 2.5km loops of 7:56 and 7:54, Can decided to take charge of the race, moving ahead of Chemutai with Chepkirui 14 seconds in arrears. Can and Chemutai, timed at 8:01 for the penultimate lap, were locked in battle as they set off on the final lap.

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The Ugandan, who placed fifth at the 2019 World Cross in Aarhus, tried to get rid of Can on an uphill section with 750 metres remaining, but the Turk held off her challenge to regain the lead, launch her attack some 450 metres from home, eventually crossing the finish line unopposed in 32:31 to the Ugandan's 32:34.

More than a minute further back, Chepkirui secured third place.

Meanwhile, the men's race started with Spain's 2017 European cross-country silver medalist Adel Mechaal at the front of the pack. The 32-year-old led a large group with all the main favourites such as Ndikumwenayo, his fellow Burundian Kwizera and the Kenyan pair of Stanley Waithaka and Kibet in close attendance.

Ndikumwenayo, who ran a world-leading 7:25:93 for 3000m earlier this year, produced a speedy finish and prevailed over Kwizera, but only just as both were credited with the same time, 28:51. Six seconds back, Kibet took third place after overtaking Waithaka in the closing stages.

“This is my third win a row this cross-country season,” said a delighted Ndikumwenayo. “I am surprised because I only began to train a couple two months ago after the summer break but I feel great both physically and mentally. I'll now stop competing and will do a 25-day training camp in the altitude of Sierra Nevada (3479m). My next event might be a New Year’s Eve race in Spain but it's not confirmed yet.”

Leading results

Women

1 Yasemin Can (TUR) 32:31

2 Peruth Chemutai (UGA) 32:34

3 Purity Chepkirui (KEN) 33:47

4 Isabel Barreiro (ESP) 33:57

5 Marta García (ESP) 34:07

6 Meselu Berhe (ETH) 34:08

7 Carolina Robles (ESP) 34:11

8 Irene Sánchez-Escribano (ESP) 34:21

9 Laura Luengo (ESP) 34:30

10 Manuela Machado (POR) 34:34

Men

1 Thierry Ndikumwenayo (BDI) 28:51

2 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 28:51

3 Levy Kibet (KEN) 28:57

4 Stanley Waithaka (KEN) 29:00

5 Merhawi Mebrahtu (ERI) 29:08

6 Mohamed Katir (ESP) 29:17

7 Nassim Hassaous (ESP) 29:27

8 Sergio Paniagua (ESP) 29:29

9 Adel Mechaal (ESP) 29:34

10 Roberto Alaiz (ESP) 29:36

Additional reporting by World Athletics