NAIROBI, Kenya, November 17 – World Cross Country junior bronze medalist Matthew Kipruto led a Kenyan podium sweep in the men’s race at the Cinque Mulini Cross Country on Sunday in San Vittore, Italy.
Kipruto clocked 27:26 to clinch first place, ahead of World Under 20 5000m champion Andrew Alamisi, who timed 27:29 in second place.
In third place was Matthew Kipchumba who clocked 27:45.
The win was Kipruto’s first since May 2022 when he ran 3:49.66 to win the men’s 1500m at the Ishikawa Championships in Ishikawa, Japan.
The 19-year-old’s last race was at the Birell 10km race in Praha, Czech Republich where he timed 27:50 to claim third place.
For Alamisi, the race was his second since he won gold at the World Under 20 Championships in Lima, Peru.
In the women’s race, Sheila Jebet clocked 18:48 to finish second in the women’s 6.2km race.
Ethiopia’s Yenenesh Shimket ran 18:35 to emerge victorious whereas Olympic 10,000m silver medalist Nadia Battocletti of Italy came third in 18:49.
Jebet’s performance came a week after she also finished second at the Cardiff Cross Country Challenge in Wales, clocking 20:16.
It also marks her second podium finish in 2024 after a year in which she has come so close yet so far from making the top three.
The 18-year-old finished fifth in the women’s 5000m at the World Under 20 Championships after clocking 15:51.93.
