KENYANS RULE IN ITALY RACE: Birech, Kipyegon win winter's IAAF Cross Country Permit series

Kenya's Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon celebrates after winning the silver medal in the women's 1500m final at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2015. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Kenyan stars Jairus Birech and Faith Kipyegon took honours at the 84th edition of the famous Cinque Mulini meeting, the sixth in this winter’s IAAF Cross Country Permit series, in the northern Italian town of San Vittore Olona on Sunday.

Birech, the 2014 and 2015 Diamond Race 3000m steeplechase winner, held off Bahrain’s Aweke Ayalew to win by two seconds in 34:38 after a sprint finish at the end of the 11.5km race. They went through the first lap mark in 8:08 carving out an eight-second lead over World Cross Country Championships junior silver medallist Geoffrey Korir.