Hellen Onsando Obiri of Kenya crosses the finish line to win gold in the Women’s 5000 metres final during day ten of the 16th IAAF World Athletics Championships London 2017 at The London Stadium on August 13, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images for IAAF)
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SAN GIORGIO SU LEGNANO, Italy, Dec 17- One year on from smashing the Campaccio course record, Hellen Obiri will defend her title at the IAAF Cross Country Permit meeting in San Giorgio su Legnano on January 6.
The world 5000m champion won the 2017 edition of the race by four seconds from fellow Kenyan Faith Kipyegon, the world and Olympic 1500m champion.
It marked the first of many victories for Obiri in 2017 as the 28-year-old went on to win the world and IAAF Diamond League titles for 5000m.
In what looks set to be a high-quality race, Obiri will take on world 10,000m bronze medallist and 2015 world cross-country champion Agnes Tirop of Kenya, two-time world U20 cross-country champion Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia, and world cross-country bronze medallist Lilian Rengeruk of Kenya.
USA’s Paul Chelimo leads the men’s field. The Olympic 5000m silver medallist will line up alongside Norway’s Sondre Nordstadt Moen, who recently broke the European marathon record with 2:05:48, and Italy’s 2014 European marathon champion Daniele Meucci.
