James Kibet wins the men's race at Campaccio on January 6, 2017. [PHOTO: IAAF]
James Kibet and Lilian Rengeruk claimed a Kenyan double at the 61st edition Campaccio on a rainy and cold day at the IAAF Cross Country Permit meeting in San Giorgio su Legnano.
Kibet won a close men’s 10km race in 29:34 holding off Ethiopia Tesfaye Deriba and Olympic 5000m silver medalist Paul Chelimo in a thrilling final sprint.
In a similar close women’s race, world cross-country bronze medalist Rengeruk edged world 10,000m bronze medalist Agnes Tirop by one second.
A leading group formed by Kibet, Chelimo, Deriba, Uganda’s Mande Bushendich, Italian steeplechase specialist Italo Quazzola, European marathon record-holder Sondre Moen, Abdi Bashir from Belgium, Filmon Ande from Eritrea and European under-23 cross-country bronze medalist Yeman Crippa took the lead in the early stages, going through the first lap in 6:11.
Pre-event favourite Chelimo went to the front after two laps in 12:06 closely followed by Kibet, Crippa, Bashir, Bushendich, Ande, Moen and Deriba.
Rengeruk and Tirop battled in out in the final sprint with 300 metres to go. Tirop took the lead in the back straight at the entrance of the Angelo Alberti athletics track but Rengeruk launched a kick to overtake her compatriot in the final straight, crossing the finish-line first in 19:02 to hold off Tirop by one second.