Just six days after clocking a personal best of 8:45.77 minutes for fourth place in the 3000m final of the European Indoor Championships there was more success for Sabrina Mockenhaupt on a different surface. She won the German Cross Country Championships in Ohrdruff (Thüringen) at the weekend (10).
Clocking 17:21 minutes for the 5.3km distance Mockenhaupt was in control of the race right from the start. In the end there was a big gap to second placed Simret Restle (17:47). Julia Hiller took third in 18:23.
The expected duel with Irina Mikitenko did not take place. Mikitenko had bad luck in Ohrdruff. There was a small stone in the sole of her spikes shoe which she could not get rid of during running. Mikitenko could not run properly and to avoid a possible injury she dropped out after about 1.5k. While Mikitenko will now concentrate on preparing for the Berlin Half Marathon on 1 April Sabrina Mockenhaupt’s next goal is the European 10,000m Challenge in Ferrara (Italy) on 7 April. To achieve qualification for the world championships in Osaka she has to run 31:40 minutes.
Stephan Hohl won the men’s 9.8 k race in Ohrdruff with 28:53 minutes. Additionally there was a shorter 3.8 k race for the men. Wolfram Müller took this one in 11:20 minutes.
Jörg Wenig for the IAAF
