Berihu Aregawi lives up to his status with a commanding victory at Elgoibar Cross Country meeting

Addis Ababa, January 8, 2024 (FBC) – World cross-country silver medallist Berihu Aregawi lived up to his status as a pre-race favourite by capturing commanding win at the Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza – a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting – in the Spanish town of Elgoibar on Sunday (7).

The rain created a muddy surface and led to gruelling conditions, but Berihu Aregawi achieved his first cross-country victory on Spanish soil.

Spanish duo Adel Mechaal and Fernando Carro led during the early stages of the men’s 9.71km contest. They covered the opening lap of the track in 1:08 with the main favourites in hot pursuit; Mechaal still led by the end of the initial 1km loop but he was being followed closely by Aregawi, Carro, Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera, Morocco’s world and Olympic steeplechase champion Soufiane El Bakkali, his compatriot Abderrahmane Aferdi and Kenya’s world U20 cross-country champion Ishmael Kipkurui.

Before the leading pack completed the first big 2.2km big lap in 6:38, Aferdi and Carro had lost ground and five men remained at the helm: Mechaal, Aregawi, El Bakkali, Kwizera and Kipkurui. Roughly 14 minutes into the race, Aregawi moved into the lead for the first time, and his change of cadence forced his opponents to run in single file.

Just two minutes later, Aregawi had built a three-second gap on Kipkurui, El Bakkali and Kwizera with Mechaal further adrift by a couple of seconds.

Aregawi continued to extend his lead on the penultimate lap, but behind him the positions changed between El Bakkali, Kwizera, Kipkurui and Mechaal. By the bell, Aregawi’s lead had grown to 70 metres, while his four closest challengers had regrouped as a chasing quartet. He threw in a speedy 2:50 kilometre, but then eased down in the closing stages, safe in the knowledge that he’d done enough to win.

Aregawi eventually crossed the line in 30:30. In the battle for the remaining podium places, Kwizera broke away to leave behind El Bakkali, Kipkurui and Mechaal. The Burundian took second place in 30:34, two seconds ahead of El Bakkali.

“The course was extremely tough, so I preferred to be cautious for the first half,” said Aregawi, who also intends to compete at the World Cross in Belgrade on 30 March before turning his attention to the Olympic Games.