Africa-Press – Kenya. The 68th Cross International Zornotza, the first Spanish stop of this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold, takes place in Amorebieta on Sunday.
Peter Njeru should be a factor following a recent half marathon PB of 1:00:29 clocked while winning the Telesia 21k International Half Marathon. Njeru also placed second at the Zagreb Half Marathon in a time of 1:02:27.
Njeru is bound to face tough competition from Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera. Sunday’s 8700m race will be Kwizera’s second outing of this cross country campaign. As recently as last Sunday, he was marginally beaten in Castellon by his compatriot Thierry Ndikumwenayo.
Italy’s Iliass Aouani also looks to be Njeru’s toughest opponent. The 27-year-old who enjoyed a promising debut over the marathon distance by clocking 2:08:34 in Milan in April. He, however, had to settle for 19th place at the European Championships having timed 27:59.62 for the 10,000m in between.
Burundi’s Celestine Ndikumana is the only other non-Spanish athlete on show, while local hopes rest on Daniel Arce and Nassim Hassaous. Arce finished fourth at the European Championships in Munich in the 3000m steeplechase and has a career best of 8:14.31 set in Rome this year.
As for Hassaous, the 27-year-old achieved a strong cross country campaign, topped by a seventh place finish at the European Cross Country Championships in Dublin, leading the Spanish team to a silver medal.
The women’s field in Amorebieta is headed by Britain’s Aimee Pratt. The 25-year-old had a busy outdoor season, competing at three major championships. First she excelled at the World Championships in Oregon where she broke the British 3000m steeplechase record twice, improving it to 9:15.64 in the final to finish seventh.
Burundi’s Cavaline Nahimana, Rwanda’s Clementine Mukandanga and Portugal’s Lia Lemos should also aim for a podium place in the 6700m contest.
Nahimana clocked 2:31:21 in the marathon only a couple of weeks ago, while Mukandanga has already raced twice this month with two half marathon efforts to her credit, topped by a lifetime best of 1:10:25 set on 9 October. Spain’s Isabel Barreiro and Cristina Ruiz will battle for top-five places after improving their 5000m PBs to 15:27.47 and 15:34.49 respectively this season.
Amorebieta hosted the World Cross Country Championships back in 1993. That year the victors were Kenya’s William Sigei and Portugal’s Albertina Dias, while a little-known legend-to-be, Britain’s former world marathon record-holder Paula Radcliffe, placed 18th as a 19-year-old in her international senior debut.
The list of illustrious past winners in Amorebieta include Ukraine’s Sergey Lebed (2000), Kenya’s Joseph Ebuya (2011 and 2012), Portugal’s Rosa Mota (1986), Ethiopia’s Gete Wami (1999 and 2000) and Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot (2007 and 2008).
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