World cross-country champion Beatrice Chebet on Sunday won the World Athletics Cross Country Tour at the Cross Internacional de Atapuerca, Spain to retain her title.
This was the second Gold standard meeting in this season's World Athletics Cross Country Tour.
Chebet clocked a time of 25:21 to defend her title followed closely by Uganda’s Sarah Chelangat (25:36) and Edinah Jebitok (25:44) in third place.
Right from the start of the women's 8km contest, Chebet took control with fellow Kenyans Jebitok and Lucy Mawia for company.
The latter soon lost ground and was caught by Uganda's Chelangat by the end of the opening kilometer to go on and seal her second-place finish.
The 23-year-old first stepped into the limelight in 2017 during the World U-18 championships held in Nairobi where she placed fourth in the 3,000m race.
She would later clinch the top spot in 5,000m at the 2018 World U-20 Championships in Tampere, Finland.
She won gold in the 2019 edition of the Africa U-20 Championships held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Chebet won silver in the 5,000m during the 2022 World Athletics Championships held in Eugene, Oregon in the USA.
She later went on to win the African Championships 5,000m title in the same year in Saint Pierre Mauritius before recording a season’s best of 14:38.21 in the same event at the Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, England.
In 2023, Chebet placed third in the 5,000m of the World Athletics championships held in Budapest, Hungary.
Chebet expressed her satisfaction having managed back-to-back titles in Atapuerca and confirmed her next appearance will be in Seville for the 'Cross Internacional de Itálica' on November 12.
“I am pleased with the results and to be able to defend my title. Next up for me is the cross-country race in Spain in November," she said.
The men’s race was won by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo who clocked 26:00 followed by Kenya’s Ronald Kwemoi (26:15) and Rodrigue Kwizera (26:16) of Burundi capping off the top three.
