Chepchirchir and Ntakarutimana win in Pforzheim | REPORT

Kenya’s Caren Chepchirchir and Burundi’s Egide Ntakarutimana clinched narrow victories as the Sparkassen Cross Pforzheim made its debut as a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting in Germany on Saturday (14).

The U23 race was combined with the senior 7.5km contest and 17-year-old Chepchirchir sprinted away from Burundi’s Francine Niyomukunzi to win overall as she contested the first major cross-country race of her career.

The middle-distance track specialist, who claimed 1500m bronze at the World U20 Championships in Oregon in August, made a successful step up in distance as she won in 22:50, two seconds ahead of Niyomukunzi. Italy’s Elvanie Nimbona was third and Germany’s defending champion Elena Burkard fourth.

The men’s 7.5km race was even closer, Ntakarutimana beating his compatriot Célestin Ndikumana in a dramatic finish after they both took a late wrong turn, both athletes clocking 19:14.

Niyomukunzi went straight to the front in the women’s race, spearheading a spread-out line of athletes after the first minute. Controlling the contest, she led a breakaway group of four, followed by Nimbona, Chepchirchir and Burkard.

That quartet was well away with five minutes on the clock, Niyomukunzi continuing to push as she moved a few strides ahead of her rivals.

Nimbona and Chepchirchir then moved alongside Niyomukunzi as they zig-zagged their way up and down the tight, winding undulations of the course, but Niyomukunzi held firm.

Chepchirchir made a move with 13 minutes on the clock, passing Niyomukunzi as they strode away from Nimbona, followed by Burkard. Niyomukunzi and Chepchirchir continued to trade the lead and it looked set to be a two-way fight to the finish.

Niyomukunzi kicked on the final circuit, picking up the pace with the finish line in sight. But she couldn’t respond as Chepchirchir attacked with a sprint of her own, the teenager raising her arms as she reached the finish line to win in 22:50.

Niyomukunzi was second in 22:52, while Nimbona was clear in third in 23:19. Burkard finished fourth in 23:27, while Germany’s Pia Schlattmann was fifth in 23:36.

Ntakarutimana took charge of the men’s race in the opening stages, striding to the front before being followed in single file by Ndikumana and their fellow Burundians Tharcisse Nizigiyimana and Elie Sindayikengdera, plus Ethiopia’s Moges Dargie Mengesha and Yihun Fantahun, and Belgium’s Isaac Kimeli.

Ntakarutimana and Ndikumana were well ahead as they hit the zig-zag section for the first time, followed by Nizigiyimana and Mengesha. That quartet broke away and Germany’s Nick Jäger led the chase pack.

Ndikumana then took over at the front, with Ntakarutimana tracking and Nizigiyimana chasing in third ahead of Great Britain’s Rory Leonard, Kimeli and Jäger.

Leonard moved into third placed as they looped back around with 11:45 on the clock and at the front, as in the women’s race, the lead kept switching between the top two.

As they completed another circuit, Kimeli – running just ahead of Leonard and Jäger – took a wrong turn and had to be called back, while Ntakarutimana and Ndikumana continued for their final loop, untroubled.

But there was drama at the end as the two leaders ran on as if to do another circuit, Ndikumana narrowly in the lead, before they were called back and engaged in a battle to the finish line.

Ntakarutimana reached it first, chased by Ndikumana, both athletes clocking 19:14. Leonard was third in 19:30, Jäger fourth in 19:34 and Mads Meijer of the Netherlands finished strongly for fifth place in 19:41.

Leading results

Women (7.5km)
1 Caren Chepchirchir (KEN) 22:50
2 Francine Niyomukunzi (BDI) 22:52
3 Elvanie Nimbona (ITA) 23:19
4 Elena Burkard (GER) 23:27
5 Pia Schlattmann (GER) 23:36
6 Veerle Bakker (NED) 23:44
7 Antonia Schiel (GER) 24:06
8 Carolin Hinrichs (GER) 24:09

Men (7.5km)
1 Egide Ntakarutimana (BDI) 19:14
2 Célestin Ndikumana (BDI) 19:14
3 Rory Leonard (GBR) 19:30
4 Nick Jäger (GER) 19:34
5 Mads Meijer (NED) 19:41
6 Isaac Kimeli (BEL) 19:45
7 Efrem Gidey (IRL) 19:46
8 Elie Sindayikengdera (BDI) 19:48