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2024 WORLD ATHLETICS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

📍 Belgrade, Serbia 🇷🇸
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Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo, 23, produced a calculated approach in a tactical race to retain his senior World Cross Country title in Serbia's capital Belgrade on Saturday, as compatriot and 2019 winner Joshua Cheptegei settled for sixth.

After remaining conservative for most periods of the grueling five-lap race, half marathon world record holder Kiplimo eventually slapped on the afterburners in the final stages of the race to storm to familiar victory in a time of 28:09.

Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi (28:12) took silver while Kenyan Benson Kiplangat (28:14) settled for bronze in an intense conclusion.

Team Kenya firmly on top

At the end of the one-day competition, it was Team Kenya that once again collectively rose highest above the rest of the teams — including within the familiar mini three-way East African rivalry featuring Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia.

Overall, Kenya placed top on 119 points, Ethiopia followed on 83 points while Uganda was third on 43 points. United States (15 points) and Japan (13 points) completed the top five nations at the 2024 edition.

Kenya led the medal table with a total haul of 11 medals (six gold, two silver and three bronze), Ethiopia was second with 10 medals (two gold, six silver and two bronze), Uganda was third on five medals (one gold, one silver and three bronze) while Great Britain was the only other remaining medalist with one bronze.

Kiplimo stamps his authority

It was a yet another successful outing for Team Uganda after flying their nation's flag high.

Kiplimo, the only individual medal winner on the team in Belgrade, will particularly relish yet another achievement at such an early age of his life. He won the senior men's race at the last edition in Bathurst (Australia) in 2023, with Cheptegei taking bronze in that one.

The edition before that one in Aarhus (Denmark) in 2019 saw Cheptegei take senior men's gold ahead of Kiplimo, who took silver.

Fast-forward to Saturday, Kiplimo once again reigned supreme over the cross country surface while compatriot Cheptegei finished five places behind him in a time of 28:24.

Under sweltering temperatures in one of Belgrade's largest parks, the Park of Friendship, the final event of the day featured an illustrious cast involving the two Ugandan star athletes.

But it was a strategically conservative start for Kiplimo and Cheptegei, who were keen on not making any early moves. This approach allowed the likes of Ethiopian Chimdessa Debele to once take charge early in the race.

But then the inevitability happened as the race began to wear on.

As the runners chipped away on the five-lap cross country circuit, the gears soon started to shift as the favourites began to make their mark going into the final two laps.

In the fourth lap, the status quo, — predictably — was restored as Cheptegei and Kiplimo surged into the lead, with the Kenyans breathing hard behind their collective back, and Ethiopians not far back themselves.

When the bell went for the fifth and final lap, Kenyan Benson Kiplangat took the lead, with Cheptegei and Kiplimo in second and third, respectively, to set up an interesting conclusion.

As Kiplimo moved back into the lead and teammate Cheptegei fell farther behind, Ethiopian Aregawi stepped up and slotted himself into second place ahead of Kiplangat. 

Eventually, that would be the final look of the podium as the three rival nations each had a hand on one of the medals.

Here, below, is a summary of the top finishers in Saturday's different races in Belgrade: 👇🏽

 U20 WOMEN (6KM) 

Uganda takes team bronze 🥉

First up was the junior women's race, which eventually saw an Ethiopian clean sweepn as Marta Alemayo (19:28) took gold, Asayech Ayichew (19:32) was in close second for silver while compatriot Robe Dida (19:38) settled for bronze to punctuate the Ethiopian dominance in this event.

For this impressive performance, Ethiopia took the team gold for U20 Women while the Kenyans, who had the 4th, 5th, 7th and 12th finishers, bagged team silver.

Uganda took team bronze.

This how the Ugandans performed: Nowel Cheruto (10th/20:04), Charity Cherop (11th/20:23), Keziah Chebet (13th/20:47), Vicky Chekwemboi (14th/20:49), Isella Chebet (27th/21:40).

 U20 MEN (8KM) 

Another team bronze for Uganda 🥉

It was the same East African rivalry in the junior men's race, as Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda took the team medals.

But individually, the contest was whittled down to the Kenya-Ethiopia superiority.

Kenyan Samuel Kibathi (22:40) won the race to win gold narrowly ahead of Ethiopia's Mezgebu Sime (22:41), who took silver while Matthew Kipkoech Kipruto (22:46) ensured a Kenyan double podium finish to settle for bronze.

Kenya took the team gold, Ethiopia bagged team silver while Uganda won team bronze.

This how the Ugandans performed in this one: Simba Samuel Cherop (11th/23:23), Dolphine Chelimo (12th/23:25), Sailas Rotich (14th/23:36), Hosea Chemutai (15th/23:47) and Titus Musau (18th/24:16).

 MIXED RELAY (4x2KM) 

Kenya dominant

The mixed relay was the third event on the day's packed schedule, featuring 13 nations with four runners each.

Audiences following the event from around the world must have felt an instant sense of déjà vu, as the Kenyans and Ethiopians once again proved the teams to beat, putting on show the juggernaut that they are in this one-day competition.

Kenya retained their mixed relay title, with the team of Reynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot, Virginia Nyambura, Kyumbe Munguti and Purity Chepkirui comfortably pulling through in 22:15 to take gold.

Once again, it was an Ethiopian mixed relay silver as it was in Bathurst. The four-team of Taresa Tolosa, Dahdi Dube, Adehena Kasaye and Birri Abera (who lost a shoe, by the way) ensured a podium finish with a time of 22:43.

Great Britain took bronze in this race, thanks to the collective effort of Thomas Keen, Alexandra Millard, Adam Fogg and Bethan Morley, who achieved a time of 23:00.

Uganda, meanwhile, finished in fifth place in 23:10. The runners here were Hosea Kiprop, Linda Chebet, Sam Kapkerung Kiprotich and Knight Aciru.

 SENIOR WOMEN (10KM) 

🥉 Team bronze for Uganda as Kenya shines

The Kenyan overall dominance continued into the senior women's race, as it also did in the mini-East African rivalry, as they threw down the gauntlet with a superb performance that saw they take all the top five spots.

5,000m world champion Beatrice Chebet (31:05) retained her cross country senior title to clinch a familiar gold ahead of second-placed Lilian Kasait Rengeruk (31:05) and Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi (31:09) in third.

Crossing the line while beaming and way ahead of her closest challenger, Chebet must have known that she had just become the first senior woman to win back-to-back world cross country gold since Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba way back in 2006.

For their superiority, team gold in this event went to Kenya while Ethiopia took team silver and Uganda bagged team bronze.

The Ugandan runners: Sarah Chelangat (6th/32:00), Loice Chekwemoi (9th/32:24), Rachael Zena Chebet (13th/32:45), Annet Chemengich Chelangat (16th/32:56), Joy Cheptoyek (18th/33:13) and Belinda Chemutai (19th/33:16).

 SENIOR MEN (10KM) 

Team silver for Uganda 🥈

Kiplimo (28:09) proved he remains the man to beat on the cross country turf when he secured back-to-back senior gold.

Ethiopian Aregawi (28:12) took silver while Kenyan Kiplangat (28:14) completed the podium placement to bag bronze.

Former winner Cheptegei finished in sixth in a time of 28:24.

His other compatriots in the same race finished as follows: Dan Kibet (11th/28:45), Hosea Kiplangat (13th/28:50), Martin Magengo Kiprotich (14th/28:56) and Leonard Chemutai (18th/29:10)