Battocletti and Kipsang Claim Brilliant Victories at the Cross Internacional de Atapuerca
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Italy’s Nadia Battocletti and Kenya’s Matthew Kipsang lit up a cold and windy morning in Burgos, taking commanding wins at the prestigious Cross Internacional de Atapuerca, one of the crown jewels of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour.
Women’s Race: Battocletti Delivers on Her Fourth Attempt
Nadia Battocletti finally got her long-awaited Atapuerca triumph, powering to victory in 22:21 and pulling clear of Kenya’s Sheila Jebet, who clocked 22:34 for second place. It was the Italian superstar’s fourth appearance at the event — and the one that sealed her long-desired win.
The race opened fast with defending champion Daisy Jepkemei pushing the pace from the gun. The Kenyan broke away early, building a five-second advantage on a formidable chase pack featuring Battocletti, Jebet, Great Britain’s Megan Keith, and Spanish marathon record holder Majida Maayouf.
Maayouf later drifted off the back of the group, though she still led the Spanish contingent of Angela Viciosa, Idaira Prieto, Isabel Prieto and Marta Serrano.
At halfway, Keith surged to the front, but Battocletti shadowed every move as Jepkemei and Jebet stayed close. With 2 km to go, the quartet had carved out a 24-second lead over Maayouf.
Jebet made the decisive move with 17 minutes on the clock, cranking up the tempo. Only Battocletti could stay with her, while Jepkemei and Keith slipped into a chase pairing.
Then came the knockout blow: with 500 metres to go, Battocletti unleashed her trademark finish, surging away from Jebet and stretching her lead all the way to the line. She won by 13 seconds, with Jepkemei outkicking Keith for third in 22:35. Maayouf rounded out the top five in 23:37.
The victory adds to Battocletti’s growing résumé, which includes Olympic silver in the 10,000m (Paris 2024) and World Championship silver (10,000m) and bronze (5000m) in Tokyo 2025.
“My win might have seemed easy, but I felt frozen and the race was tough because of the cold and the wind. It’s my fourth outing in Atapuerca and I finally managed to win here. That makes me extremely happy,” Battocletti said.
Men’s Race: Kipsang Edges Kwizera in a Dramatic Sprint Finish
The men’s 6.8 km race delivered one of the most exciting finishes of the season. Spain’s Daniel Arce thrilled the home crowd early, seizing the lead for the first 2 km before the main pack — led by Burundi star Rodrigue Kwizera — reeled him in. Matthew Kipsang remained tucked in the middle of the group, patiently waiting for the right moment.
Kwizera injected serious pace at the bell after a slow penultimate lap. His surge trimmed the lead group to five: Kipsang, Emile Hafashimana, Thierry Ndikumwenayo, Said Mechaal and Spanish 10 km record holder Ilias Fifa.
One by one, Hafashimana, Mechaal and Fifa fell off the pace. With 1 km remaining, only Kwizera, Kipsang and Ndikumwenayo remained in contention. Ndikumwenayo eventually faded with 350 metres left.
Kwizera tried repeatedly to break Kipsang, accelerating hard into the final stretch. But the Kenyan stayed glued to his shoulder — and when the finish came into sight, he struck.
Kipsang unleashed a blistering sprint to overtake Kwizera in the final metres, sealing the win in 20:05, just one second ahead of the Burundian. The victory extends Kipsang’s incredible streak to three straight wins, following triumphs in Cardiff and Soria.
