Former world Youth 3,000m champion Lilian Kasait Rengeruk and little known James Kibet were the winners of this today’s 61st edition of Campaccio cross country championships, an IAAF permit in San Giorgio.
The reigning world cross-country bronze medalist Kasait won in 19:02 beat her Kenyan counterpart 10,000m bronze medalist Agnes Tirop (19:03) by one second in a close contest with world 5,000m champion and defending champion Helen Obiri, Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai and Ethiopia’s Gete Alemayehu.
Rengeruk will compete at the IAAF Cross Country Permit races in Elgoibar and Seville later this month before attempting to qualify for Kenya’s 5000m team for the Commonwealth Games.
But little known Kibet won a close men’s 10km race in 29:34 holding off Ethiopian Tesfaye Deriba and Olympic 5000m silver medalist Paul Chelimo in a thrilling final sprint.
Kibet and Tesfaye broke away from Chelimo and battled it out for the win with Kibet eventually getting the victory in 29:34, the same time as Tesfaye. Chelimo finished third in 29:38, beating Ande by two seconds.
Collated Results
Men (10km)
1 James Kibet (KEN) 29:34
2 Tesfaye Deriba (ETH) 29:34
3 Paul Chelimo (USA) 29:38
4 Filmon Ande (ERI) 29:40
5 Mande Bushendich (UGA) 29:49
Women (6km)
1 Lilian Rengeruk (KEN) 19:02
2 Agnes Tirop (KEN) 19:03
3 Gete Alemayehu (ETH) 19:23
4 Hellen Obiri (KEN) 19:28
5 Peruth Chemutai (UGA) 19:34