Chebet, Mawia clash in Spain as cross country tour continues

World 5000m silver medalist Beatrice Chebet leads a strong Kenyan contigent in the Cross Internacional de Atapuerca, the fifth Gold standard meeting of this season's World Athletics Cross Country Tour. 

Slated for Sunday 13 November near the northern city of Burgos, the event features the most prominent line-up so far this campaign with Chebet the standout athlete in the women's race. 

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The 22-year-old was runner-up last year in Atapuerca and Elgoibar and then finished third in Seville, so Atapuerca could be the venue of her first success on Spanish ground. 

Chebet enjoyed a successful track season earlier this year, winning the 5000m at the African Championships, Commonwealth Games and Wanda Diamond League Final.

She goes up against fellow Kenyans Lucy Mawia and Purity Chepkirui with the former likely to put up a spirited fight for the title.

Mawia already has wins in Bydgoszcz and Soria to her credit so far this season, while world U-20 1500m bronze medallist Chepkirui won last Sunday in San Sebastián where Ethiopia's 2018 world U-20 3000m silver medallist Meselu Berhe, also set to compete on Sunday, finished second.

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Kenya's stiffest opponent in Sunday’s 7.81km event should be Olympic steeplechase champion Peruth Chemutai. 

The Ugandan’s track campaign was cut short after the Commonwealth Games after she suffered a heavy fall in the steeplechase final, but three months on from that she is ready to race again. 

Sunday's race will mark the second clash between Chebet and Chemutai after their cross country duel in Hannut last February when the Ugandan won and finished 13 seconds ahead of the Kenyan.

Turkey’s Yasemin Can, winner of seven European titles on the track and cross country, is also one to watch. 

Italy's Nadia Battocletti, who finished seventh over 5000m at the Tokyo Olympics, should also be in contention for a top-five finish, as will Israel's Selamawit Teferi, also an Olympic finalist over 5000m.

More than 6400 runners from 16 countries will take part in the event which promises to be an athletics festival with weather forecasters predicting a sunny but windy day. 

Additional information by World Athletics.