Benita Johnson takes historic win for Australia - women's long race (© Getty Images)
Race organisers have been able to bring together some of the international cross country crème for the ‘51th Cross Internacional Zornotza’ - EAA permit - which takes place in Amorebieta, Spain, this Sunday 9 January.
It is very much a matter of Australia versus Africa in both the women's and men's races, as Benita Johnson and Craig Mottram battle against many of East Africa's best.
MEN – Can Mottram hold off the African challenge?
The men’s field comprises no less than five top-ten men from last year’s World Cross Country Championships - Australia’s Craig Mottram (9th, short race), Qatar’s Abdullah Ahmad Hassan (4th, short race), Tanzania’s Fabiano Joseph (7th, long race), Eritrea’s Yonas Kifle (9th, long race) and Uganda’s Boniface Kiprop (runner-up in the junior race).
The in-form Mottram is arguably the best non-African distance runner and is fresh from a commanding win over Kenya’s World Marathon record holder Paul Tergat in Madrid on 31 December.
Hassan, formerly known as Albert Chepkurui will fly from his European-base in London and try to repeat his 2002 win in his second apperance in Spain this winter following his second place to Eritrea’s Zersenay Tadesse at the EAA permit race in Soria (21 Nov). Hassan clinched the bronze medal at the World Half Marathon championships in New Delhi (3 Oct) behind Joseph.
The reigning World Junior 10,000m champion Kiprop will also be in contention. However the Ugandan distance star, who took fourth place at the Athens Olympics over 10,000m, doesn’t seem to be in the kind of form which led him to an overwhelming victory here in Amorebieta last year. He has recently been defeated twice in road races at the end of December on Spanish soil by the unheralded Kenyans Kiprono Menjo and Peter Kamais.
The Kiprop-Joseph showdown this Sunday will have additional interest since they snatched gold and silver respectively at last year’s IAAF World Junior championships held in Grosseto over10,000m.
Joseph’s target should be to keep his winner’s status after a sprint victory last 5 December in Alcobendas ahead of John Cheruiyot Korir, while Eritrea’s Yonas Kifle should be regarded as a dangerous outsider capable of making the top three.
Spain’s European 10,000m bronze medallist José Ríos and National 5000m champion Carlos Castillejo are the main local hopes.
WOMEN – World champions clash
The women’s race will also be of the highest calibre as both reigning World Cross Country champions Australia’s Benita Johnson (long race) and Kenya’s Edith Masai (short) will be in action in what promises to be a fierce and thrilling fight.
No less than 12 years of age (25 Johnson for Masai’s 37) separate these gold medallists but they have one thing in common: a recent win in Spain as the Australian beat Ndereba to take an easy victory in Madrid last Friday (32.35 for 10k on road), while Masai succeeded yesterday (6 January) in San Sebastián.
To add more drama to the clash, the distance on Sunday (6km) will be just in the middle with regard to the 4k (Masai) and 8km (Johnson) at which they took World honours in Brussels last March.
World 10,000 silver medallist Ethiopia’s Werknesh Kidane was due to compete on Sunday but it was announced on Wednesday that she will stay at home to attend Kenenisa Bekele’s fiancée’s funeral.
Trying to deny Johnson and Masai top spot will be the Kenyan pair of Alice Timbilil and Fridah Domongole, 4th and 9th respectively at the Worlds in Brussels.
On the European side Britain’s European Cross Country champion Hayley Yelling will have the opportunity to assess her level on the world scene alongside another Briton like Kathy Butler, and the Portuguese contingent which includes Jessica Augusto, Helena Sampaio, Marina Bastos and 1997 World 1500m champion Carla Sacramento.
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
