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Daniel Simiu has promised fireworks this season after opening his campaign with a solid win at the Campaccio Cross-country in Italy.
Reigning World Half Marathon silver medallist Daniel Simiu destroyed a strong field to claim top honours in the men’s race at the Campaccio, a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting, in San Giorgio su Legnano on Saturday, January 6.
The World 10,000m silver medallist surely meant business as he promised to go for wins this season and his campaign has started on a high note.
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At the start of the men’s contest, Simiu was part of a 10-man lead pack alongside Uganda’s Oscar Chelimo, Burundi’s Celestin Ndikumana, Yves Nimubona and Edide Ntakaturimana, and several of the leading Italian contenders.
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The Ugandan was the first to attempt an attack, kicking ahead over a hilly part of the course on the second lap, but Simiu soon closed the gap and now the duo were running together in the leading pack.
Simiu and Chelimo continued to run alongside one another until the fifth and final lap where the Kenyan increased his pace to open up a lead on Chelimo on the last lap. He crossed the finish line in 29:16, six seconds ahead of Chelimo.
“I’m happy that I won this race over a challenging course. I knew that I was in good shape after breaking the world 25km best in Kolkata.
"I really enjoyed this race. The crowd cheered me on along the course, and I hope to return here next year,” he said in a post-race interview as per World Athletics.
Meanwhile, the women’s race was dominated by Burundi’s Francine Niyomukunzi. The Burundian and Italy’s European cross-country silver medallist Nadia Battocletti were part of a four-woman lead group through the first 2km, covered in 6:54.
However, with one kilometre to go, Niyomukunzi increased her pace and built up a solid lead over Battocletti.
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The Burundian finished strongly to win in 19:42, holding off Battocletti by four seconds. Selva finished third in 20:31.
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