Winfred Yavi and Berihu Aregawi Lead Star-Studded Juan Muguerza Cross Country in Elgoibar
.jpg/cross-elgoibar%20(1)__600x338.jpg)
Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Winfred Yavi of Bahrain and Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Berihu Aregawi of Ethiopia will headline the Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza in Elgoibar, the 11th World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting of the season.
Yavi will be aiming for her first victory in Elgoibar after finishing third at the race in 2023. She arrives in strong form, having won the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting in Seville last November and claimed a distance double over 3000m and 5000m at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh. In 2024, Yavi produced one of the greatest steeplechase performances in history, clocking 8:44.39 at the Golden Gala in Rome — the second-fastest time ever — before winning at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene with 8:45.25.
Among her main challengers is 20-year-old Kenyan Sheila Jebet, fifth in the 5000m at the World Under-20 Championships in Lima 2024. Jebet has enjoyed a consistent cross-country campaign this season, placing strongly in Cardiff, Soria and Atapuerca, and finishing third in Alcobendas.
Another leading contender is Tunisia’s Marwa Bouzayani, fourth in the 3000m steeplechase at the World Championships in Tokyo, where she set a personal best of 9:01.46. Bouzayani recently finished runner-up to Belgium’s Jana Van Lent at the Soest Cross Country.
Spain will be well represented by Marta Serrano, silver medallist in the U23 race at the European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa, Isabel Barreiro, who set a 10km personal best of 31:31 in Valencia, and Ángela Viciosa, 18th at the European Cross Country Championships. Also returning to competition is Irene Sánchez-Escribano, who makes her comeback after becoming a mother last year. Sánchez-Escribano improved her personal best to 9:10.43 when finishing 11th in the Olympic steeplechase final in Paris 2024.
Men’s race
Olympic silver medallist Berihu Aregawi returns to Elgoibar as the defending champion after back-to-back victories in 2024 and 2025, both times defeating Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera. Aregawi also claimed his third consecutive world cross country silver medal in Tallahassee earlier this year.
He will face strong opposition from Thierry Ndikumwenayo, the reigning European cross country champion from Lagoa, who finished eighth at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee.
One of the most exciting young talents in the field is 18-year-old Eritrean Saymon Amanuel, winner of the Cinque Mulini in San Vittore Olona and third in Alcobendas. Amanuel owns personal bests of 13:01.85 for 5000m and 27:10 for 10km.
Kenya’s leading hope is Matthew Kipkoech Kipruto, who finished second in both Soria and the Cinque Mulini last November — behind Amanuel — and later won the Chepsaita Cross Country in Eldoret.
Spain’s strongest representatives include Aarón Las Heras, ninth at the European Cross Country Championships, Spanish half-marathon record holder Carlos Mayo, and Nassim Hassaous, fifth at the San Silvestre Vallecana in Madrid.
