Team Kenya U20 women keen to reclaim elusive World Cross Country title
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 10.01.26. | 07:30
Kenya's charge is headlined by Cynthia Chepkirui, who won the highly competitive national trials in October
With Ethiopia unable to contend for team honours, Team Kenya looks well placed to regain the U20 women’s title at the World Cross Country Championships set for Saturday, 10 January, a medal last won in 2013.
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Ethiopia will field just three athletes in the U20 women’s race in Tallahassee, ruling them out of the team contest, for which a minimum of four athletes is required to score. This as 14 members of the Ethiopian squad were denied US visas.
Kenya's charge is headlined by Cynthia Chepkirui, who won the highly competitive national trials in October before beating a senior international field at the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting in Cardiff two weeks later.
Miriam Kibet and Lonah Cherono, second and third respectively at the trials, complete the Kenyan team.
Despite Ethiopia's predicament, defending champion Marta Alemayo, 15 years old when she won in Belgrade two years ago, will aim to become only the fifth woman in history to win back-to-back world U20 cross-country titles, following in the footsteps of Letesenbet Gidey (2015, 2017), Faith Kipyegon (2011, 2013), Genzebe Dibaba (2008,2009), and Viola Kibiwott (2001, 2002).
Meanwhile, Uganda, a three-time team bronze medalist over the past 16 years, has a realistic opportunity to finish in the top two. Their Tallahassee line-up is led by Charity Cherop, who will also be in contention for an individual medal.
After finishing 11th at the last World Cross and helping Uganda secure team bronze, Cherop went on to claim 5000m bronze at the World U20 Championships later that year. In 2025 she set national U20 records over 3000m (8:49.96) and 5000m (15:06.84). She is joined on the Ugandan team by Bentalin Yeko, the East African U20 3000m champion.
Japan has secured 19 team medals from the 29 editions of the U20 women’s race at the World Cross and should again be in the mix in Tallahassee. Their team is led by East Asian U20 5000m champion Mei Hosomi.
The host nation advantage could inspire the USA to repeat its team podium finish from 2023. The squad features Daniela Scheffler, who was second at the US Cross Country Championships behind Victoria Garces, who is no longer an U20 athlete.
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