News Archive

African 5000m champion Etalemu Kidane (Ethiopia) sprinted to

her second successive victory at the Belfast International cross

country meeting on the Stormont Estate this afternoon. Kidane, who won

a thrilling race by millimetres 12 months ago, finished a relatively

comfortable three metres clear of her compatriot, Deribe Alemu, this

time with Ashu Kasim completing an Ethiopian 1-2-3 in the 5930 metres

race after Ireland’s Mary Cullen had bravely led to halfway. 

While Cullen held on strongly to take fourth place, she was followed

home by 23-year-old Kate Reed, from Bristol, enjoying another fine run

a month after helping the Norwich Union GB Team to the silver medals at

the European Cross Country Championships in Tilburg, Netherlands.

The

men’s race became a battle between two 19-year-olds and ended with

Barnabas Kosgei (Kenya) surprisingly out-sprinting Moses Kipsiro

(Uganda) to register Africa’s 13th win in the last 15 years of this

meeting.

Kipsiro, whose track times suggested he would be favourite on the

firm going, finished five metres adrift of the strong-finishing Kosgei,

who was motivated by his determination to improve on his third place

last year.

The defending champion, Dathan Ritzenhein (USA) finished third after

making the pace for most of the first threequarters of the race.

Ireland’s Alistair Cragg, the European indoor 3000m champion, also

faded after a strong start but hung on determinedly for sixth place.

Results

Men’s 9810m:

1 B Kosgei (Kenya) 28:05; 2 M Kipsiro (Uganda) 28:0; 3

D Ritzenhein (USA) 28:20; 4 S Kiflemariam (Eritrea) 28:43; 5 T Shiffraw

(Ethiopia) 28:45; 6 A Cragg (Ireland) 29:09; 7 R Whalley (England)

29:11; 8 P Julian (USA) 29:12; 9 S Plummer (Scotland) 29:13; 10 S Power

(Ireland) 29:16.

Women’s 5930m:

1 E Kidane (Ethiopia) 19:09; 2 D Alemu (Ethiopia)

19:10; 3 A Kasim (Ethiopia) 19:14; 4 M Cullen (Ireland) 19:20; 5 K Reed

(Bristol and West) 19:23; 6 O O’Mahoney (Ireland) 19:58.

DAVID MARTIN