They were the big favorites and did not disappoint at all. The Ugandan athlete Jacob Kiplimo and the Kenyan Beatrice Chebet revalidated their title as world cross country champions in Belgrade (Serbia), in a morning in which Spain completed an outstanding team performance and finished fourth in the men's category and fifth in the women's category. , with the Playas de Castellón athletes Thierry Ndikumwenayo and Aaron las Heras as the best classified Spaniards.
The half marathon world record holder, Jacob Kiplimo, once again celebrated, at 23 years old, his third world cross country title after his victory in the sub20 in 2017 and in the absolute in 2023.
Kiplimo fully met expectations, he mastered the race with ease and stopped the clock at 28m9s, three seconds less than the Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi (28m12s), and five seconds ahead of the Kenyan Benson Kiplangat (28m14s). third.
On the other hand, the one who stayed away from the victory and the podium was another bellwether athlete like the Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei, world champion of 10,000 on the track in Budapest 23. He could not resist the devilish pace of the athletes in the lead and ended up reaching finish sixth with 28m24s.
Thierry Ndikumwenayo, who was ninth in 2019 representing Burundi, completed a very good race and repeated the position from five years ago with a time of 28m36, which means the best position for a Spaniard since 1989. His good tone, together with that of Aaron Las Heras (17th with 29m8s) allowed Spain, by team, to be fourth and first non-African nation after Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia. The Spanish team was completed by Fernando Carro (34th with 29m51s), Miguel Baidal (39th with 29m59s) and Nassim Hassous (61st with 30m41s).
As for the women's category, Chebet, 24, knew how to wait for her moment to win in the Friendship Park in Belgrade, where she set a record of 31m5s, after leaving her compatriots behind in the last meters. The top five finishers were Kenyans.
Second in the ten kilometers of the circuit was Lilian Kasait Rengeruk with 31m8s and third Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi with 31m9s.
The current Spanish champion, Carolina Robles, had a good race finishing in 24th position with 33m36s. Behind Irene Sánchez Escribano (26th with 33m55s), the Spanish marathon record holder, Majida Maayouf (37th with 34m36s) and Isabel Barreiro (39th with 34m37s). The Spanish finished fifth as a team.
