Rwanda and Kenya dominate Cross Country in Spain

Burundi’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo and Kenya’s Eva Cherono were convincing winners at the 38th Cross Internacional de la Constitución in Alcobendas, Spain, on Sunday.

It was the third stop of the 2019-20 World Athletics Cross Country Permit series and was staged over a dry surface despite the previous days’ rains.

After creditable ninth at this year’s World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, the 22-year-old from Burundi managed his first win of the season in his third appearance on Spanish soil this cross country campaign.

Cherono was an overwhelming victor ahead of Bahrain’s Rose Chelimo to become the second woman to take back-to-back titles in the history of the event alongside Ethiopia’s Meselech Melkamu.

Ndikumwenayo has lived for three years in the Mediterranean city of Castellón de la Plana and knew the terrain.

“This is my first success at a World Athletics event so I’m more than joyful. I would like to compete at the World Indoors in Nanjing next March over 3000m and then I’ll prepare to compete in the 5000m at the Tokyo Olympics.”

Cherono said conditions were easier than last year.

“I think today’s win has been much easier than last year’s when the circuit was really muddy,” said Cherono, who was fresh from a 48:15 15km performance in Nijmegen for third last Sunday.

“My next event will likely be a road race in Vienna next month but for now I’ll return to Kenya. I would like to make the Kenyan team (for the Olympics), but the standard is extremely high. I still have to decide on whether I’ll pick the 5000m or the 10,000m.”

Leading results, Men (10.06km):
1 Thierry Ndikumwenayo (BDI) 29:23
2 Thomas Ayeko (UGA) 29:27
3 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 29:31
4 Maxwell Rotich (UGA) 29:54
5 Timothy Toroitich (UGA) 30:03
6 Abdessalam Oukhelfen (ESP) 30:13
7 Fernando Carro (ESP) 30:54
8 Hamid Ben Daoud (ESP) 30:56
9 Mohamed Ali Jelloul (ESP) 31:02
10 José Ignacio Giménez (ESP) 31:10

Women (8km):
1 Eva Cherono (KEN) 27:10
2 Rose Chelimo (BRN) 27:31
3 Mariana Machado (POR) 27:39
4 Carla Salome Rocha (POR) 27:56
5 Irene Sánchez-Escribano (ESP) 28:02
6 María José Pérez (ESP) 28:29
7 Beatriz Álvarez (ESP) 28:30
8 Azucena Díaz (ESP) 28:38
9 Diana Martín (ESP) 28:45
10 Dunia Mahassim (ESP) 28:51

In partnership with ANA and Sports Leo