Cheptai, Ayalew take the spoils in Elgoibar cross country

Kenya’s Irene Cheptai and Bahrain’s Aweke Ayalew produced convincing victories at the 73rd Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza, the fifth of this winter’s IAAF Cross Country Permit meetings, in the Spanish town of Elgoibar on Sunday.

Cheptai, who finished seventh at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang, China, last year, set her preparations on course for the 10,000m national Olympics trials to atone for her perennial outside medal finishes in major championships –apart from the silver medal at the 2008 world cross country junior championships in Edinburgh, Scotland.

She returned to form after disappointing seventh place finishes in China –at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang (in March) and the World Championships 5,000m race in Beijing last August.

“I am now preparing for the Africa cross country championships (in Yaoundé, Cameroon) and Rio Olympics next year, where I will compete in the 10,000m,” Cheptai said after winning Baringo 10km run last November.

It was Ayalew’s successive win in the IAAF Cross Country Permit series, as the 22-year-old had won in Antrim last Sunday.

Held on a sunny early afternoon, the men’s 10.8km race started at a moderate pace as the opening 400m lap on the track was covered in 1:05.