Chebet extends Kenyan run of women’s individual gold medals to nine in a row, with Kiplimo making it three straight men’s crowns for Uganda; Kenya sweeps top five spots in women’s race, with Kelati achieving 15th for U.S., and winning men’s lineup has five of first eight finishers in Serbia

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

For the first time since 2005-06, both individual champions repeated in the men’s and women’s 10-kilometer races Saturday at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships at the Park of Friendship in Belgrade, Serbia.

Kenya also secured back-to-back team titles, sweeping the top five spots in the women’s competition to score 10 points and placing five athletes in the top eight in the men’s race.

Beatrice Chebet made it nine consecutive individual gold medals for Kenya, running 31 minutes, 5 seconds to defend her championship from last year in Australia, the first female athlete to repeat since Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba achieved the feat in 2005 in France and 2006 in Japan.

Lilian Rengeruk ran 31:08 for silver and Margaret Kipkemboi clocked 31:09 for bronze for Kenya, which earned all three medals for the first time since 2017 in Uganda. Emmaculate Anyango was fourth in 31:24 and Agnes Ngetich achieved fifth in 31:27 for Kenya.

Although Jacob Kiplimo captured back-to-back golds in 28:09, giving Uganda three in a row including Joshua Cheptegei winning in 2019 in Denmark, the Kenyan men’s lineup prevailed with 19 points, the lowest winning score since the nation triumphed with 14 points in 2011 in Spain.

Kiplimo is the first back-to-back men’s individual winner since Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor in 2015 and 2017. Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia won five titles in a row from 2002-06.

Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi secured silver in 28:12 and Kenya’s Benson Kiplangat took bronze in 28:14.

The United States finished fourth in the women’s competition with 113 points, led by Weini Kelati finishing 15th in 32:53.

Following Kenya’s perfect score, Ethiopia earned silver with 41 points and Uganda grabbed bronze with 44 points.

Kelati was in the top 10 for the majority of the competition, but still improved on her 21st-place performance from last year in Australia.

Allie Ostrander achieved 30th in 34:11, Abby Nichols was 33rd in 34:27, Emma Grace Hurley took 35th in 34:32, with Cailie Logue placing 58th in 36:14 for the American women. Katie Camarena was unable to finish the race.

The U.S. men secured seventh place with 120 points, led by Anthony Rotich grabbing 22nd in 29:22.

After Kenya had three competitors in the top five and another pair finishing seventh and eighth, Uganda captured silver with 31 points and Ethiopia earned bronze with 40 points.

Nicholas Kipkorir was fourth in 28:16, Samwel Masai clocked 28:18 to place fifth, with Sabastian Sawe and Gideon Rono both clocking 28:31 for Kenya.

Spain, Australia and Eritrea also finished ahead of the Americans, who had Emmanuel Bor take 25th in 29:37, Ahmed Muhumed and Christian Allen achieved 36th and 37th in 29:53 and 29:54, respectively, with Anthony Camerieri placing 52nd in 30:21 and Reid Buchanan grabbing 58th in 30:27.

The mixed relay lineup of Kasey Knevelbaard, Ella Donaghu, John Reniwiecki and Katie Izzo earned eighth for the Americans, clocking 23:21.

Reynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot, Virginia Nyambura, Kyumbe Munguti and Purity Chepkirui helped Kenya repeat in 22:15, with Ethiopia capturing silver in 22:43 and Great Britain taking bronze in 23:00.

The U.S. has finished no higher than fourth in its four appearances in the mixed relay, since it was added to the World Championships schedule in 2017 in Uganda.