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≡ ALL EYES ON TALLAHASSEE ≡
For the first time in 34 years, the World Athletics Cross Country Championships will be in the U.S., this time in Tallahassee, Florida at Apalachee Regional Park on Saturday morning. The last time was in 1992 in Boston, with Kenya sweeping the men’s and women’s team titles and that could happen again.
Despite some significant entry visa problems for the Ethiopian team in particular, a total of 485 athletes are entered from 52 national federations for men’s and women’s senior-level races (10 km), a 4 x 2 km mixed relay and junior races for men over 8 km and women over 6 km. The schedule (times Eastern):
● 9:45 a.m.: Mixed Relay
● 10:20 a.m.: U-20 women
● 10:55 a.m.: U-20 men
● 11:35 a.m.: Women
● 12:20 p.m.: Men
A look ahead:
Men (145 entered from 43 federations):
An African runner has won this race every time beginning in 2002: that’s 16 in a row. All of the winners have come from Ethiopia, Kenya or Uganda, with Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) winning the last two and ready to go for a third.
He will be assisted by Dan Kibet, who finished 11th in 2024; Uganda was second in the team race in 2024, third in 2023 and won it in 2019. Kiplimo will certainly be challenged for the race win by France’s World 10,000 m winner Jimmy Gressier and Spain’s European Cross champ Thierry Ndikumwenayo.
Ethiopia won three in a row in 2013-15-17, then second in 2019-23 and third in 2024 and even with the visa issues, could win again. Berihu Aregawi was second in the 2023 and 2024 races and would prefer a victory this time. He has Tadese Worku, 12th in 2024, back again and Biniam Mehary, fifth in the Paris Olympic 5,000 m in 2024.
Kenya has won the last two men’s team titles and is led by 2023 World 10,000 m silver winner Daniel Ebenyo, but with new faces on the team for 2026.
The U.S. hasn’t won a team medal since 2013, but has a competitive squad with national champ Parker Wolfe, Paris Olympian Nico Young and ex-NCAA cross champ Graham Blanks.
Women (101 entered from 30 federations):
Kenyans have won this race nine years in a row, but two-time winner Beatrice Chebet won’t try for a third as she is out for maternity. Agnes Ngetich, the bronze winner in this race in 2023 and fourth in 2024, is back to lead the squad, plus national cross champion Maurice Chebor.
Ethiopia has an all-new senior team, but Senayet Getachew won the U-20 race in 2023. Uganda has Sarah Chelangat, fifth in 2024, and Joy Cheptokyek, 17th in 2024 as the squad leaders.
Kenya has won the women’s title seven of the last nine times and two in a row; Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda have been the medal winners in three of the last four Worlds.
The U.S. last won a team medal in 2011 (bronze) and has two-time national champ Weini Kelati back; she was 14th in the 2024 Worlds. Edna Kurgat, the 2022 U.S. cross champ is on the squad, along with 2024 squad member Allie Ostrander (27th) and Paris Olympian Karissa Schweizer, a member of the 2019 U.S. Worlds Cross team.
Mixed Relay (15 national teams entered):
This will be the fifth time for the Mixed 4×2 km relay, with Kenya winning in 2017, 2023 and 2024, all three times over Ethiopia, which won in 2019.
The Kenyans will be favored again with World 1,500 m bronzer Reynold Cheruiyot, Purity Chepkirui and Kyumbe Munguti returning from the 2024 winners.
There is prize money; for the senior races, it’s $30,000-15,000-10,000-7,000-5,000-3,000 for the top six in each gender, and team prizes of $20,000-16,000-12,000-10,000-8,000-4,000 for the top six. The Mixed Relay has prizes of $12,000-8,000-6,000-4,000 for the top four.
This is the third time the Cross Worlds are in the U.S., previously in 1992 in Boston and in 1984 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
In terms of U.S. broadcasting, NBC has it with live coverage from 9:35 a.m. Eastern on its Peacock streaming service and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern on NBC and Peacock and then from 1-2 p.m. Eastern on Peacock.
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