The World X-Country Champs in Mombasa, Kenya, certainly dished up its fair share of surprises and unexpected results.
The Kenyan authorities and general public seemed to have gone the extra mile to provide a showcase. The masses that arrived for the event was phenomenal and the African carnival atmosphere was tangible for all to experience. The heat played its part in providing extremely hot conditions over a course which was not designed for rhythm runners but more to the like of the home country runners who like to mix up the pace at will.
The big shock of the day came in the final race of the afternoon where Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele retired from the race with less than 1k to run. The circumstances were somewhat bizarre as he had broken away from Eritrea's Zersenay Tadesse and looked set for an unprecedented 6th win, when he simply began jogging before leaving the course. The reason given was stomach problems however it still leaves many unanswered questions about Ethiopia's preparations for this event.
In the Women's event, Kenyan-born Lornah Kiplagat (and now representing Holland/The Netherlands) captured the title with a pillar to post victory followed by pre-race favourite and defending champion Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia. The manner of victory was convincing and Ethiopia had to be satisfied with winning the team event which was to prove to be their only Gold medal of the Championships.
The wins of Tadesse and Kiplagat are certainly pleasing to me as they have both been there or thereabouts over the past few years. The win for Kiplagat couldn't have come sooner as this was her last race over the country as she turns her focus to the London Marathon in April. For Tadesse, the forthcoming World Track Championships in Osaka, Japan beckons.
The Ed
