Chebet and Kwizera win 2023-2034 Cross Country Tour

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At the conclusion of 2023-2024 World Athletics Cross Country Tour, Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet and Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera were at the summit of the women's and men's standings, respectively.

In a statement, World Athletics said athletes are ranked according to their best three cross-country performance scores achieved between September 2023 and March 31, of which at least two had to come from World Cross Country Tour meetings.

Chebet produced victories at the Gold level meetings in Atapuerca (Spain) in October, then in Elgoibar (Spain) in February. 

The 24-year-old Kenyan followed that by successfully defending her title at the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Belgrade (Serbia) last Saturday (March 30), which propelled her into the lead in the overall standings with a score of 3,880.

Chebet’s compatriot Edinah Jebitok – winner in Seville (Spain), Venta de Banos (Spain) and Hannut (Belgium) – shared second place in the standings with Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw, who achieved victories in Amorebieta (Spain), Soria (Spain) and Alcobendas (Spain).

Meanwhile, Burundian Kwizera, who shared the lead in the Cross Country Tour standings last season, this time ended the tour as the sole winner of the men’s contest. 

He was victorious at the Gold level meetings in Soria and Alcobendas last November, then was runner-up in Elgoibar earlier this year, giving him an overall score of 3,700.

Fellow Burundian Celestin Ndikumana was second in the overall standings, helped by his victory in Amorebieta, and Kenya’s Ronald Kwemoi was third.

Uganda's Martin Magengo Kiprotich finished fourth in the men's rankings with a score of 3,590.

According to World Athletics, prize money is awarded to the top six finishers in the series, with the winners each receiving €10,000 (sh41.7 million).

 Final standings

Women

1 Beatrice Chebet (Kenya) 3,880

2 Edinah Jebitok (Kenya) 3,720

3 Likina Amebaw (Ethiopia) 3,720

4 Asayech Ayichew (Ethiopia) 3,660

5 Nadia Battocletti (Italy) 3,640

6 Megan Keith (Great Britain) 3,600

Men

1 Rodrigue Kwizera (Burundi) 3,700

2 Celestin Ndikumana (Burundi) 3,620

3 Ronald Kwemoi (Kenya) 3,610

4 Martin Magengo Kiprotich (Uganda) 3,590

5 Yves Nimubona (Rwanda) 3,585

6 Ishmael Kipkurui (Kenya) 3,580