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During the final lap Nawowuna attempted to move into the lead but it was short-lived.
Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera and Kazakhstan’s Daisy Jepkemei triumphed at the Cross Internacional de Atapuerca in Spain in this season's second gold meeting of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour on October 27.
Kwizera, who had never won in Atapuerca, lived up to expectations to claim his first win in the men’s race while Jepkemei outsprinted Kenya’s Grace Nawowuna to secure the women’s title.
Jepkemei, a 9:06.66 steeplechaser, took command with only Nawowuna and Burundi’s France Niyomukunzi for company. After three kilometres, lead duo Jepkemei and Nawowuna had built a 10-second advantage on the Burundian. There were few changes on the penultimate 2km circuit. During the final lap Nawowuna attempted to move into the lead but it was short-lived.
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Then, with about 200 metres remaining, Jepkemei finally broke away from the Kenyan to win in 25:00, finishing two seconds ahead of Naowuna. Niyomukunzi took third place, more than a minute behind the victor.
Spanish steeplechaser Daniel Arce, boosted by the local crowd, was the early leader from Adel Mechaal in the men’s 9km event. Pre-race favourites Kwizera, 2022 world 5000m bronze medallist Oscar Chelimo and fellow Ugandan Martin Kiprotich initially sat behind the Spanish duo but soon caught up and passed them.
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08:40 - 21.10.2024
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The women's winner achieved her feat after cutting the tape by more than one minute against the second-placed opponent
Kiprotich’s third kilometre split of 2:49 proved too much for Mechaal. Chelimo moved into the lead just before the half-way point to help ease the pressure on his compatriot, while a quiet Kwizera remained in third place, looking ominously comfortable. When the lead pack reached the bell, Kwizera moved to the front for the first time and increased the pace which could only be followed by Chelimo and Kenya’s Mathew Kipsang with Kiprotich losing any chance of a podium place
With just over a kilometre remaining, Chelimo tried to launch an attack but Kwizera soon covered the gap and then unleashed a powerful change of speed to break away from the Ugandan, finishing in 25:37, two seconds ahead of Chelimo with Kipsang completing the podium another seven seconds adrift.
"The race wasn’t easy because of the rain and some muddy sections difficult to negotiate,” said 25-year-old Kwizera. “As usual, I preferred to stay in the middle of the group for much of the race before launching my attack far away from home as there always are very fast finishers.”
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