Steeplechase specialist Leonard Kipkemoi Bett romped to victory at the seventh leg of this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Permit series in Cinque Mulini, Italy on Sunday.
Bett clocked 32:08 to finish ahead of Ethiopia's Tadese Worku coming a close second in 32:09. Another Kenyan Jackson Muema completed the podium in 32:10
The men's 11km race saw Ethiopia's 18-year-old Tadese Worku led a seven-man pack including Kenya’s Leonard Kipkemoi Bett, Muema, Uganda’s Oscar Chelimo, Burundi’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo, Morocco’s Abdelati Iguider and Italian 10,000m record-holder Yeman Crippa during the first lap.
Worku, the world U-20 cross-country silver medallist who won back-to-back races in Elgoibar and Seville earlier this month, stepped up the pace during the second lap and kept the lead for most of the race, closely followed by Muema, Bett, Ndikumweanayo, Chelimo and Crippa.
Worku went through the second lap in 8:39 with a gap of one second over Muema, Bett, Ndikumwenayo and Crippa. The Italian running star was dropped by seven seconds after the half- way mark.
The leading group was whittled down to Worku, Bett and Muema, who pulled away from Ndikumwenayo after the bell and battled it out for the win during the final lap. Worku and Bett ran neck-to-neck for most of the last lap before it came down to a final sprint with Bett overtaking Worku on the final straight to cross the line .
Bett won the 2017 world U-18 steeplechase title and followed it up with silver at the following year’s World U20 Championships. Last year, he finished fourth in the U- 20 race at the World Cross Country Championships and ninth in the steeplechase final at the World Championships in Doha.
“Cross country is the perfect build-up for running the 3000m steeplechase,” said Bett after securing the 16th win for Kenya in the history of the Cinque Mulini in what was his first cross country race outside of his home country.
Bett plans to compete at the African Cross Country Championships in preparation for the Olympic season.
In the womens's category Gloria Kite came home second in 17:33 in the race won by Baharain's Wilfred Mutile in 17:22. Jackline Cherono was third in 17:34 while Mercy Cherono was fourth in 17:47 .
