Elijah Chelimo (KEN) in the centre of the podium in Atapuerca (© Diputación de Burgos)
Kenya’s Elijah Chelimo and Eritrea’s Simret Sultan captured fine victories in the fourth edition of the ‘Cross Internacional de Atapuerca’ held yesterday as the new Spanish cross country season got underway on a nice day for weather.
MEN – Chelimo out-sprints Bezabeh
The men’s field featured a couple of in-form Africans in the guise of Eritrea’s Yonas Kifle and Zimbabwe’s Cuthbert Nyasango who finished 5th and 10th respectively at the recent IAAF World Road Running Championships held in Udine, Italy (14 October). Yet the big question mark on the eve of the competition was whether Zersenay Tadese’s training partners in Madrid had recovered from their demanding Half Marathon effort, which provided them respective PBs of 59.30 for Kifle and 1:00.26 for Nyasango. In addition, Kifle made a brilliant Marathon debut by clocking 2:07.34 for fifth the following Sunday (21 Oct.) in Amsterdam.
Spain’s José Ríos and European 5000m champion Jesús España built a 10 metres gap in the very early stages of the race before being reeled in by a chasing group comprising among others Kenya’s Elijah Chelimo, Ethiopia’s Alemayehu Bezabeh and Spain’s European 10,000m silver medallist Chema Martínez. By halfway still eight men were in contention with Martínez trying to leave his opponents behind but to no avail.
The key movement of the 8.9km race occurred at the start of the final lap (1.9km) when Martínez, Chelimo and Bezabeh pulled away from the rest with ease but the battle soon became a clash between the two Africans who managed to leave Martínez, himself fresh from a runner-up place at a 10-mile run in Portsmouth last Sunday (28 Oct.) behind the reigning World Marathon champion Luke Kibet of Kenya.
Over the last 400m the 20-year-old Chelimo stamped his authority over the Madrid-based Bezabeh thanks to his track pedigree (8:16.28 PB for the 3000m Steeplechase). Chelimo’s winning margin was 4 seconds (24:23 to 24:27) while Martínez, 36 years of age, completed the podium and proved to be on the right path for the next European Cross Country championships to be held in Toro, Spain on 9 December.
There was a fierce fight for fourth place with Portugal’s Rui Pedro Silva, España and Kifle given the same time, some 15 seconds adrift of the winner.
Spain’s three-time European XC silver medallist Juan Carlos de la Ossa - who underwent surgery last 10 August - only managed to be tenth still looking for his best shape.
WOMEN – Sultan prevails over Augusto
The women’s 4.1km race featured a couple of top-ten athletes from this year’s World championships in the guise of Eritrea’s Simret Sultan, who placed ninth in Mombasa last March at cross country and Spain’s Rosa Morató, eight in the 3000m Steeplechase at the Osaka summer Worlds.
From the gun it was Portugal’s Jessica Augusto (a creditable 12th in Mombasa) who dictated the pace of the race with only Sultan for company while the chasing group was led by Morató.
Shortly after the halfway point Sultan injected a brisker pace which let her break clear of Augusto to romp home unopposed with the handsome margin of 10 seconds over the brave Portuguese who held off the challenge of a fast finishing Morató to take second place just two seconds ahead of the Spaniard.
Results
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
RESULTS
Men (8.9 km)
1. Elijah Chelimo (Ken) 24:23
2. Alemayehu Bezabeh (Eth) 24:27
3. Chema Martínez (Esp) 24:34
4. Rui Pedro Silva (Por) 24:38
5. Jesús España (Esp) 24:38
6. Yonas Kifle (Eri) 24:38
7. José Ríos (Esp) 24:45
8. Cuthbert Nyasango (Zim) 24:59
9. Javier Guerra (Esp) 25:01
10. Juan Carlos de la Ossa (Esp) 25:05
Women (4.1 km)
1. Simret Sultan (Eri) 13:13
2. Jessica Augusto (Por) 13:23
3. Rosa Morató (Esp) 13:25
4. Alessandra Aguilar (Esp) 13:27
5. Sonia Bejarano (Esp) 13:30
6. Dolores Checa (Esp) 13:33
7. Jacqueline Martín (Esp) 13:35
8. Ana Dias (Por) 13:41
9. Sara Moreira (Por) 13:47
10. Isabel Checa (Esp) 13:51
