Chebet and Aregawi Triumph at the World Cross Country Tour Gold Race in Elgoibar

Double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet of Kenya and Olympic 10,000 meters silver medalist Berihu Aregawi from Ethiopia clinched victories at the Internacional Juan Muguerza in Elgoibar, marking the 13th leg of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold.

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From the onset of the women’s 7.6 km race, Chebet established a commanding lead. She completed the opening lap in 1:22, closely pursued by Melknat Wudu of Ethiopia, Francine Nyomokunzi of Burundi, and Carolina Robles of Spain.

Chebet extended her lead to three seconds over her competitors after the initial short circuit. The two-time world cross country champion maintained a strong pace, covering the second kilometer in 3:09 and expanding her advantage to 24 seconds by the end of the first 2.2 km lap, timed at 7:04. Nyomokunzi and Wudu matched strides with Robles in the chase pack.

The Kenyan star continued her dominance, completing the second lap in 7:07 and widening the gap to 46 seconds. Chebet's swift pace persisted, finishing the fastest lap in 7:02 to seal her victory in 25:49.

Nyomokunzi accelerated in the final stages, with only Wudu able to keep pace. Robles started to fall back, and Wudu narrowly edged out Nyomokunzi by two seconds in a thrilling sprint finish, clocking 26:31.

Beatrice Chebet shared her thoughts post-race: “Honestly, I expected to win. This circuit, with its numerous challenges and variations, is one of the toughest I’ve encountered. However, it’s also ideal for building up for championships. After my victory here last year, I went on to win the world title in Belgrade. I’m now heading back to Kenya to continue my training. I don’t have any races scheduled until the Lisbon 10k on March 9th. While Agnes Ngetich’s world record over this distance is impressive, I am not sure I can break it. My goal is simply to win,” said Chebet.

Men's Race Overview:

Spain’s Adel Mechaal and Great Britain’s Alfie Manthorpe set the early pace in the men’s 9.7 km race, with favorites Aregawi and Rodrigue Kwizera in close pursuit.

The leading pack completed the first loop in a conservative 6:47, after which Mechaal increased the tempo, reducing the lead group to seven: Kwizera, Aregawi, Ethiopian 3000 meters steeplechase specialist Samuel Firewu, Spanish runners Mechaal, Miguel Baidal, and Miguel Angel Martinez, and British Trials winner Tomer Tarragano.

Aregawi took charge in the subsequent loops, covering the penultimate lap in a brisk 6:12 and establishing a two-second lead over Kwizera, who himself was three seconds ahead of Firewu. Mechaal trailed by 15 seconds.

In the final lap, Aregawi maintained his lead, finishing in 29:36—just one second ahead of Kwizera.

Aregawi became only the third athlete to achieve consecutive victories in Elgoibar, following Abraham Chebii (2001 and 2002) and Leonard Komon (2010 and 2011). This win also marked Aregawi's second consecutive victory on Spanish soil, following his recent triumph at the San Silvestre Vallecana in Madrid on December 31st.

Reflecting on his strategy, Aregawi commented, “Having competed earlier this week in Madrid on a demanding course, I opted for a cautious approach in the first half before increasing the pace. It was crucial to outlast Kwizera, who is a formidable competitor.”