World Cross Country champion Beatrice Chebet led a Kenyan 1-2 in the women's 5km race at the inaugural World Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia, on Sunday.
Chebet timed her run to perfection and her strong kick in the final kilometre saw her clock 14:35 to win gold with compatriot Lilian Kasait edging Ethiopia's Ejgaheyu Taye of Ethiopia to win silver in 14:39. The Ethiopian settled for bronze in 14:40.
The race started in warm conditions and from the start, it was going to be an Ethiopia v Kenyan showdown with Chebet, Kasait, and Taye breaking from the pack alongside Medina Eisa of Ethiopia by the end of the first kilometre.
The quartet ran together for the remainder of the race with none willing to break until the final five hundred metres when Chebet engaged a different gear to motor away to victory.
In the men's race, Nicholas Kipkorir settled for bronze in 13:16 .
Kipkorir started the race brilliantly, keeping pace with the eventual winner Hagos Gebrhiwet and Yomif Kejelecha but fell away in the final two kilometres as the Ethiopians took charge.
Gebrwihet timed his race to perfection and outsprinted Kejelecha in the final 100m to post 12:59 with Kejelcha winning silver in 13:02. Portugal's David Seare came home fourth in 13:21 with Cornelius Kemboi fifth in 13:24.
