Benita Johnson wins Hannut Cross Country (© Geert Hoste)
Hannut, BelgiumBenita Johnson and Luke Kipkosgei won their women’s and men’s races at the 62nd international Lotto Crosscup of Hannut - EAA permit - with great ease, their opponents never giving any impression that they could threaten them today (Sun 23 Jan).
For Australia’s Benita Johnson, who will have one more race in Europe next week before going back to Australia to contest the national 10,000m track trials for the World Championships, the race in Hannut was in reality no more than a training run. Her main challenger, the Ethiopian Teyiba Erkesso had problems with her visa and never showed up to race.
Despite the cold wind and the mud, the women’s long race World Cross Country champion attacked the field early on in the race, and only the Moroccan Bouchra Benthami, who was second here last year, even tried to stay with her.
After 2km Johnson was alone in her run to a certain victory, finishing 12 seconds ahead of her Moroccan challenger, and 37 seconds in front of the Belgian Veerle Dejaeghere.
Men – Kipkosgei wins with ease
The men’s race was very nearly an entirely Kenyan’s affair. Four athletes immediately pulled away from the pack taking Belgian talent Hans Janssens and Samson Keftemarian of Eritrea with them.
Luke Kipkosgei, Barnabas Kosgei, Nicolas Monze and Ben Mutai ran at the front of this small lead group and soon opened a gap with the rest. In the last 3 km, Kipkosgei, the 2003 World Indoor 3000m bronze medallist, left his comrades behind to win with a 21 seconds advantage over Kosgei and Monze an even more distant third.
Jos Segaert for the IAAF
Results:
Women (5.65km)
1. Benita Johnson (Aus)18:34
2. Bouchra Benthami (Mor) 18:48
3. Veerle Dejaeghere (Bel) 19:11
4. Mieke Geens (Bel) 19:30
5. Fatiha Baouf (Bel) 19:36
6. Magmalile Mukunzi (Ken) 19:47.
Men (11.15km)
1. Luke Kipkosgei (Ken) 34:53
2. Barnabas Kosgei (Ken) 35:14
3. Nicolas Monze (Ken) 35:26
4. Samson Keftemarian (Eri) 35:31
5. Andrew Letterby (Aus) 35:34
6. Hans Janssens (Bel) 35:39
7. Ben Mutai (Ken) 35:51
8. Joshua Kimei (Ken) 35:51
9. Peter Desmet (Bel) 35:56
10. Evans Cheruiyot (Ken) 36:03
