Uganda’s Rogers Kibet and Kenya’s Sheila Jebet were clear winners at the Cross Cup de Hannut a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting Kibet went one better than his runner-up finish in Hannut in 2022 claiming a dominant victory in the men’s race ahead of Burundi’s Celestin Ndikumana and Kenya’s Gideon Rono Jebet turned the tables on Ethiopia’s Yenenesh Shimket and Uganda’s Charity Cherop in the women’s race claiming the top spot after finishing second to Shimket at the Cinque Mulini and Cherop in Cardiff in November Kibet made his presence felt early on in the men’s race He was among the early leaders and was to the fore as they completed the first of the six loops He strung the lead group out during the second lap and made a decisive move on the third loop kicking away to leave Ndikumana and Rono among his chasers Kibet continued to move away on the slippery muddy course and led ahead of Ndikumana Rono and Belgium’s Robin Hendrix with two laps to go Rono and Hendrix were locked in battle for a place alongside them on the podium As Kibet strode away to victory and Ndikumana followed Rono finished strongly to clinch third place ahead of Hendrix and his Belgium compatriot Nicolai Sake who slid on his stomach over the finish line 20 seconds ahead of Ndikumana who claimed another runner-up finish after placing second at the Campaccio on 6 January In the women’s race it was Belgium’s Roxane Cleppe who took an early lead and she was followed by her compatriot Chloe Herbiet and a group featuring Jebet and Shimket near the front who finished fourth in the U20 race at the World Cross Country Championships last year then led an attack and held the lead by the end of the second lap Shimket was the only one who managed to go with her and they were followed by her fellow 17-year-old Cherop Kenya’s Glorious Jepkirui and Cleppe Jebet and Shimket were well away by the fourth loop but Jepkirui’s race came to an end as she pulled up after appearing to lose a shoe Jebet looked comfortable as she moved away from Shimket and the 19-year-old had a clear lead with one loop remaining Jebet glanced over her shoulder but couldn’t sense any immediate danger and pushed on Her winning time was 31:01 and she was followed by Shimket in 31:07 and Cherop in 31:22 Women1 Sheila Jebet (KEN) 31:012 Yenenesh Shimket (ETH) 31:073 Charity Cherop (UGA) 31:224 Chloe Herbiet (BEL) 31:385 Roxane Cleppe (BEL) 31:41 Men1 Rogers Kibet (UGA) 27:032 Celestin Ndikumana (BDI) 27:233 Gideon Rono (KEN) 27:294 Robin Hendrix (BEL) 27:415 Nicolai Sake (BEL) 27:44 Fresh off a national 10km record in Valencia Isaac Kimeli will aim for another strong performance when he returns to the Cross Cup de Hannut The 30-year-old will face some tough opposition with the field for the 9km men’s race also featuring the likes of Uganda’s Dan Kibet and Burundi’s Celestin Ndikumana who both currently sit in the top seven on the World Cross Country Tour standings Ethiopia’s Yenenesh Shimket will go up against her fellow 17-year-old Charity Cherop of Uganda both 2024 World Cross Country Tour Gold meeting winners The field also features Anna Bankowska-Gosk of Poland on the hunt for her third Cross Cup de Hannut victory Olympic 5000m finalist Kimeli ran 27:10 to improve the Belgian 10km record and finish fifth in Valencia a month on from his fourth-place finish at the European Cross Country Championships.  Ndikumana was five places behind Kimeli in Valencia in a PB of  27:23 and six days before that he finished second in the Campaccio cross country meeting in San Giorgio su Legnano Kibet opened his season with a cross country win in Spain after a year in which he finished 11th at the World Cross Country Championships and claimed podium places in Amorebieta-Etxano and Cardiff Other contenders include Kenya’s Stanley Waithaka Mburu eighth in last year’s World Cross Country Championships Uganda’s Rogers Kibet returns to Hannut after a second-place finish here in 2022 while Robin Hendrix and Ruben Querinjean join Kimeli in racing on home soil Shimket claimed her World Cross Country Tour Gold meeting win at the Cinque Mulini in November and she picked up from where she left off Making her season debut on the same day but in Spain was Cherop the world U20 5000m bronze medallist who won the Cardiff Cross Challenge in November she is the leading athlete on the World Cross Country Tour standings going into the race Kenya’s Sheila Jebet was second to both Shimket at the Cinque Mulini and Cherop in Cardiff and she is among their rivals again in Hannut The 19-year-old finished fourth in the U20 race at the World Cross Country Championships last year who claimed her two wins at the event in 2019 and 2020 They will all be joined by Britain’s Jessica Gibbon who won the Cross Cup in Roeselare in October plus Belgium’s Chloe Herbiet and Roxane Cleppe Hannut's cross country history received recognition two days before this year's race, when the Cross Cup de Hannut was awarded a World Athletics Heritage Plaque we're delighted to have selected an England team to take part in this CrossCup series; a World Athletics World Tour Gold Level event with strong entries from across Europe and Africa Selected by the England Cross Country Association their main aim is to provide opportunities to both up-and-coming athletes and athletes who are showing progress within the sport Senior Men's team manager Eamonn Martin said: "This event sits nicely in the calendar of a packed domestic winter fixture list - although inevitable clashes happen (this year with area championships) we continue to give overseas opportunities to athletes to gain different experiences of racing abroad on typically very different courses." Picked as a replacement for David Stone at the Elgoibar Cross Country Matthew Seddon) went on to finish a commendable 7th in Elgoibar on his England cross country debut - beating the rest of his fellow countrymen in the process Previously 21st in the English National in September and 14th in the London UK Cross Challenge last January this has been a step up for Richard this winter Having spent much of his time in the US in more recent years Jacob Cann (Newham & Essex Beagles) was 17th in the English National in September before finishing 8th in the Liverpool European Trial - narrowly missing out on selection He has recently made his debut for England in Elgoibar and now moves on to Hannut to test himself again Andy Hobdell) was 15th at the Liverpool European Trial having finished 23rd in last March’s World Cross Country Trial at Wollaton Park He is a previous winner on several occasions of the Metropolitan Cross Country league Having finished 9th in the CAU Inter Counties at Loughborough in 2023 he is making steps in the right direction David Bedwell) has always been a solid performer over the country having finished 8th in the World Trial at Woolaton Park last March With a 4th in the Belgian CrossCup in Diest last season he came into this winter with promise After finishing 8th in the National at Weston Park in September he then came 10th in the Belgian CrossCup in Roeselare in October Jess Gibbon (Reading AC) finished 6th in the European Trial at Liverpool gaining her selection for GB in the European Cross Country Championships in Turkey Jess had a great race finishing second Briton home to score for a team silver medal Jess started her cross country season running for England at one of the first EnergyVision CrossCups in Diest where she came away with an impressive win (pictured top) Jess has won the EnergyVision CrossCup in Hannut the last 2 years and she is in form to run well again this year Sophie Wallis (Lincoln Wellington) gains her selection from her impressive 8th placed run at the European Trial in Liverpool Sophie has shown great improvement in 2024 gaining considerable PBs over 3000m 10,000m and on the road over 5 miles and 10k Hannut sees Sophie making her England Cross Country debut Luke Gunn) is another athlete to have a successful year of PBs on the track and road over 1500m 3000m and 5000m; this great form was carried through to the ECCA Cross Country Relays at Mansfield where Lucy finished first on leg 1 for her club Lucy has also been selected for her great performance in the European Trial at Liverpool and joins Sophie making her England cross country debut Mick Woods) is an experienced cross country runner competing in European and World Cross Country in 2023 Amelia showed great form going into the European Cross Trial this year finishing 9th at the Cardiff Cross Challenge but after an incident during the race she did not finish where expected Amelia’s win at Telford 10k shows she has returned to great form Ian Grime) is the youngest member of the team and is making good progress as an endurance athlete He finished 2nd in the CAU Inter County Championships (which included the British Athletics Cross Challenge) in Wollaton Park in March 2024 He then built on this when he won the London Mini Marathon in April Evan then turned his attentions to the track and was successful in making the European U18 Championships (1500m) in Slovakia The summer went well and Evan reduced his 1500m time to a respectable 3:47.72 This season’s cross country is going well with a 2nd U17 finish in the British Athletics Cross Challenge in Liverpool Wendy Miell-Ingram) has continued to develop as a cross country runner with an excellent 3rd place in EnergyVision CrossCup - Roeselare running in the first ECCA fixture of the season at the end of October This was followed with a 4th place in the British Athletics Cross Challenge in Cardiff two weeks later These two races helped Quinn prepare for the British Athletics Cross Challenge (which included the Euro Trials) in Sefton Park where he finished 5th securing a place in the Great Britan European team for Antalya 48th place in Antalya does give a true picture Quinn's cross country pedigree Mick Woods) has made great strides in the last twelve months and is now ready to take the next step by running for England Matthew ran very well in last year’s EnergyVision Diest CrossCup finishing in a creditable 6th place when running for the South of England Last summer he had a 12th place finish in the rearranged ECCA Saucony English National Cross Country Championships (4th placed Junior) Ian Grime) is a natural cross country runner; he finished 5th in both the ECCA Saucony English National Cross Country Championships and CAU Inter County Championships last winter Jack has started this season well finishing 6th in the junior race (2nd U17) in the British Athletics Cross Challenge in Cardiff He followed this up with a 13th place finish (1st U17) in the British Athletics Cross Challenge This run placing him at the top of a very strong group of U17 cross country runners this winter Isobelle Jones (Wolverhampton & Bilston) finished 5th in the European Cross Trial at Liverpool gaining selection for GB&NI at the European Cross Country Championships in Antalya Last year Isobelle represented England on the road at 5k in Italy where she finished 2nd and also represented England Cross Country at the Home Countries International finishing 9th In the 2024 track season Isobelle ran a 3000m PB of 9:20.62 Tom Craggs) represented GB&NI at the World Country Cross Country Championships in Belgrade Prior to that Eliza was runner up at the both the Inter Countries at Wollaton Park and the Home Countries International at Parliament Hill Eliza did not compete in the summer track season due to injury but is now fully fit again and no doubt will show her cross country credentials in Hannut Lauren Russell (Highgate) gains her first England cross country vest following her 11th position at the European Trial at Liverpool In the 2024 season Lauren was runner up in Diest competing for the South of England Other notable performances include finishing 7th at the English Schools' Cross Country Championships and 9th at the Inter countries In 2023 Lauren represented GB&NI at the World Cup U18 championships finishing 6th Andy Henderson) finished 3rd at the European Cross Trial at Liverpool securing selection for GB & NI at the European Cross Country Championships in Antalya Earlier in the current cross country season Lizzie finished 2nd in the Cardiff Cross Country Challenge In the summer Lizzie represented GB&NI at 5000m at the World Junior Track and Field Championships in Lima Typically held throughout the winter months the CrossCup competition was created as a men's only event in 1941 and in its first decade a number of Belgian champions competed including Gaston Reiff and Marcel Vandewattyne It became increasingly international in nature and the 1950s saw Olympic medallists top the podium Gaston Roelants (the 1964 Olympic steeplechase champion) was dominant at the competition in the 1960s and two more Belgian Olympians extended the national-level success from the mid-1970s through to the 1990s A women's race was introduced in 1977 and attracted high level foreign competition from 1990 onwards Reason: Plaque Category – Competition The Hannut cross country meeting is a remarkable international success story considering that Hannut is a small town of approximately 15,000 inhabitants which is annually staged at the Stade Lucien Gustin the home of the local athletics club “FCHA - Hannut Athlétisme” The meeting was founded in 1941 and the initial period spanning four decades and masterfully led by brothers Lucien and Roger Gustin alongside the driving force of the time laid the foundation for what has become the most significant event in the Hesbaye region.  Belgium’s top athletes such as Marcel Van de Wattyne Gaston Roelants and Emile Puttemans attracted huge crowds around the football stadium Local athletes already faced fierce competition from Europe’s best particularly British stars like Gordon Pirie a new period was ushered in with the introduction of a women’s race The event’s growing reputation earned it a spot in the national CrossCup challenge in the early 1980s This new milestone brought increased financial support many of whom went on to become world or Olympic champions had to fight hard to secure podium finishes Year after year the prestige of the CrossCup in Hannut has soared thanks to its exceptional roster of participants the Hannut organisation reached new heights by becoming part of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold a challenge that brings together the most important cross-country events worldwide Jebet turned the tables on Ethiopia’s Yenenesh Shimket and Uganda’s Charity Cherop in the women’s race claiming the top spot in a time of 31:01 The 19-year-old finished second to Shimket at the Cinque Mulini and Cherop in Cardiff in November Belgium’s Roxane Cleppe took an early lead and was followed by her compatriot Chloe Herbiet and a group featuring Jebet and Shimket near the front Jebet and Shimket were well away by the fourth loop but Jepkirui’s race came to an end as she pulled up after appearing to lose a shoe The Kenyan looked comfortable as she moved away from Shimket and had a clear lead with one loop remaining. She glanced over her shoulder but couldn’t sense any immediate danger and pushed on Jebet was followed by Shimket in 31:07 and Cherop in 31:22 while Herbiet and Cleppe completed the top five Gideon Rono finished third after cutting the tape in 27:29 who clocked 27:03 and Burundi’s Celestin Ndikumana who came in second in 27:23 who bettered his performance in Hannut in 2022 where he finished runner-up, strung the lead group out during the second lap and made a decisive move on the third loop England Athletics is delighted to announce the England teams who will compete at the Lotto Cross Cup de Hannut on 22 January which takes place in the province of Liège in Belgium attracts an elite international field and has seen a wealth of Olympic champions on the podium since its inception in the 1940s "England frequent Belgium most seasons to compete in various venues whichever fits the England Cross Country schedule for that season This season we visit Hannut for the Cross Cup event in January With a range of successes over many seasons including victories in all ages at the various Cross Cup venues we will once again travel to Belgium with expectation of success More importantly enabling all the athletes to gain experience and confidence in an event which has been held since the 1940’s A twisting winding multi-lap typical Belgian course will test our athletes once again." Jack has run for England many times and steps in very late for Hugo Milner who has a minor niggle that will prevent him racing Jack ran the Valencia 10k last week so is race ready He finished 9th in the Inter-counties cross country last March and was 21st at the Liverpool European cross trial in November having finished 11th in the Cardiff cross challenge (October) and 10th in the home countries international in Milton Keynes on November defeating Mo Farah into 2nd place in the Vitality London 10k winning in 28:40 He was 3rd in the European Clubs cross country in Portugal on February 22 He came 2nd in the Great South Run in October clocking 47:32 for 10 miles He followed that by running the fastest on leg three in the ECCA Cross Country relays in November (3rd fastest of the day) He then went on to finish 14th at the Euro Cross Country Trial in Liverpool and secured a second reserve slot Ellis was drafted into the team at late notice and had a fine run in Turin with little mental preparation to be 4th senior man to finish in 37th place Joe was 1st home on leg one at the ECCA National Cross Country relays at Mansfield in November He had a lean racing season prior to this after missing the whole of 2021 He previously won the BUCS cross country in 2020 Joe then made the Euro Cross U23 team at the Liverpool trial in November finishing 10th (3rd U23) He followed that with a superb 13th place in the European Cross U23 in Turin where the GB U23 team won gold medals Ned was 9th in the Junior Mens National Cross Country in February 22 and has shown good from as he has stepped up to the senior ranks 16th place in the European trials at Liverpool in November (8th U23) meant he missed out on selection for the U23 European Team despite having beaten athletes who made the team two weeks before the trial when he won the Birmingham League He recently won his Sussex County Championships again beating a strong field to show he is in good form currently Sarah finished 10th (7th Senior) in the European Cross Trial at Liverpool and just missed out being part of the GB team in Turin This was an impressive performance off the back of PB’s this summer in 1500m and 3000m on the track Sarah’s cross Ccuntry season started at the prestigious Atapeurca XC in Burgos This along with last year’s 4th in the Southern and 13th National Cross Country sees a good cross country season ahead Lauren’s first cross country race this season was in the European Trial in Liverpool where she finished 19th/7th U23 and just missed out on GB selection Lauren has had a positive year gaining PB’s in 3000 & 5000m on the track and 5k and half marathon on the road Lauren also finished 2nd on leg one in the ERRA National Road Relays close behind Abbie Donnelly A great season so far for Alex with her podium 3rd place in the European U23 XC in Turin Alex started her Cross Country season in the Dublin Open International finishing 3rd and then went on to win Milton Keynes Her great form continued with an 8th place finish at Liverpool (3rd U23) gaining her GB selection in the European Cross Country Team winning the Junior National Cross Country Title 10th in Elgoibar running as a Senior for England PB’s in 800/1500/3000/5000m and winning the 3000m at the Loughborough International Amelia’s start to the Cross Country season saw her finish 2nd in the Cross Challenge in Cardiff behind Pamela Kosgei from Kenya Her 6th place in last year’s European Trial at Liverpool and 12th place U23 finish at the European Cross Country in Dublin in 2021 gives Amelia great cross country experience backed up with her 5000m PB on the track this summer She missed this year’s Liverpool trial with illness but is now bidding for a successful second half of the winter To say Luke is enjoying an excellent cross country season is an understatement Luke started his season back in November with victory at this year’s Home Countries International when representing the South of England This was followed up with a 3rd place in Liverpool which booked his place on the team for the European Cross-Country Championships in Turin where he finished in 5th place As the second eligible junior in Turin Luke has satisfied the selection criteria for the World Cross Country Championships in February James enjoyed a good 2021 - 2022 cross-country season with the highlight being his silver medal in the ESAA English Schools Championships in March James clearly likes the English Schools Championships as he won gold in the 3000m in July before going on to take silver in SIAB Schools International T&F Competition a week later in Belfast James was 13th in Liverpool which in this case is a lucky number Jacob is another one of our fine crop of younger juniors He finished 3rd in the ECCA Under 17 National Cross Country Championships in February before concluding his season with another 3rd place in the Under 17 Inter-Counties in March Jacob has clearly taken a step up this season with a 4th place finish in Liverpool which booked his place on the team for the European Cross Country Championships in Turin where he finished in 28th place Daniel has put down a marker this winter with a much-improved run in Cardiff (4th Englishman) illness has delayed his progress this winter but he is now back on track and looking to maintain his development and upward trajectory Innes won all schools races in 2022 including the Schools International Athletic Board 3000m and the Cross Country Championships This cross country season she won the Cardiff Cross Country Challenge in October She then won the European Cross Trial at Liverpool gaining selection for GB Junior team at the European Cross Country championships in Turin where she finished an excellent 4th place Rebecca finished 3rd in the English Schools Track & Field Championships in the 3000m In last season’s cross Country season she was 3rd at the North of England Championships and following this result she was 5th in the Inter Counties This season Rebecca has continued to improve finishing second in the World Mountain & Trial Running Championships in the Junior group At the Cross Country Trials she finished 5th gaining selection for the European Cross Country Championships where she ultimately finished 18th Yasmin came 15th in the U17 English Schools Cross Country Championships 2022 4th U17 at the National Cross Country Championships 2022 2nd U17 (9th overall) at the Cross Country Challenge at Milton Keynes 1st U17 at the South of England Inter Counties Championships and is the U17 Sussex County Champion for 2023 Hattie won the South of England Championships in the under 17 age group This form carried on as she finished second in the National Under 17 Championships This cross country season she has picked up where she left off last season finishing 7th at the recent Cross Country Challenge at Milton Keynes At the European Cross Country Trials she finished 13th With these good results Hattie finished second in the South of England Inter-County Championships under 20 in December Yann Schrub strode to his first World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold triumph while Rahel Daniel recovered from a fall to continue her winning ways at the snow covered CrossCup in Hannut on Sunday (22) France’s European 10,000m bronze medallist Schrub made a late decision to compete in the Belgian city and it paid off as the 26-year-old overpowered Isaac Kimeli to deny him a win on home soil Schrub won the 9km men’s race by 19 seconds and Kimeli’s compatriot Guillaume Grimard completed the podium Grimard and Kenya’s Gideon Rono broke away on the first of the four 1500m loops One week on from his Cinque Mulini win in San Vittore Olona Rono couldn’t stick with the pace and was dropped at around the halfway mark As athletes took on the last couple of laps Schrub had built a five-second lead by the time the bell sounded for the final 1500m loop and increased his advantage to 19 seconds by the finish line Taking his sunglasses off and raising a finger in celebration Rono (29:07) and Britain’s Ned Potter (29:08) I knew I was in good shape after a period at the end of last year when things did not feel completely right,” said Schrub who formed part of France’s winning senior men’s team at the European Cross Country Championships in Italy in December “During the past few weeks I have been preparing my next couple of races under the Portuguese sun and this race was a last-minute decision I’m glad it was worth the trip to snowy Belgium “I do hope to combine both cross country and indoors this winter yet the main goal remains the summer season It did not feel like revenge for the European Cross Country Championships where Isaac Kimeli won bronze and I did not end up on the podium But most of all I’m happy to take the win here especially with the lovely feeling I had in my legs.” While his Hannut victory was a first Cross Country Tour Gold win for Schrub Eritrea’s Daniel is an experienced campaigner and was on the hunt for her third consecutive win this year after success in San Giorgio su Legnano and Elgoibar Sweden’s Sarah Lahti and Britain’s Megan Keith joined Daniel at the front of the field over the first couple of 1km laps with Lahti pushing the pace and Daniel happy to follow Rahel Daniel and Sarah Lahti at the Cross Cup in Hannut (© Tomas Sisk for organisers) Conditions were tough during the 8km race as the snow continued to fall and Daniel slipped But she got back on her feet and caught up with Lahti and Keith Netherlands’ Veerle Bakker completing the leading quartet Daniel forged ahead with three 1500m laps remaining but Lahti winner of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Silver meeting in Mol in November it was European U23 cross country silver medallist Keith who pushed on during the penultimate lap the Eritrean had enough left for a final surge that would carry her to victory and she eventually won by four seconds Keith third in 28:49 and Bakker fourth in 28:58 20 seconds ahead of fifth-place finisher Chloe Herbiet of Belgium "The snow and mud made it very difficult today,” said Daniel “I really had to dig deep to grab the victory The result means Daniel will head to the World Athletics Cross Country Championships unbeaten this year with the 21-year-old next planning to race at the global event in Bathurst on 18 February “I feel ready for my next race,” she added “I'm excited for my trip to Australia.” There was a Great Britain double in the earlier U20 races European Cross Country Championships fourth-place finisher Innes FitzGerald winning the women’s race by a minute ahead of her compatriots Rebecca Flaherty and Luke Birdseye claiming men's race victory ahead of his fellow Briton Jacob Deacon and Ireland's Jonas Stafford Women (8km)1 Rahel Daniel (ERI) 28:412 Sarah Lahti (SWE) 28:453 Megan Keith (GBR) 28:494 Veerle Bakker (NED) 28:585 Chloe Herbiet (BEL) 29:18 Men (9km)1 Yann Schrub (FRA) 28:292 Isaac Kimeli (BEL) 28:483 Guillaume Grimard (BEL) 28:594 Gideon Rono (KEN) 29:075 Ned Potter (GBR) 29:08 Results Chebet and Rono claim Kenyan double at Cinque.. Daniel and Barega take the spoils in Elgoibar Edinah Jebitok notched up her third Gold-level victory in this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Tour while Yves Nimubona became the first Rwandan man to win at the Energyvision CrossCup Hannut on Sunday (21) The two races played out in contrasting fashion Jebitok taking the women’s title by a 39-second margin and Nimubona holding off a strong challenge from Eritrea’s Merhawi Mebrahtu to win the men’s race by one second In freezing conditions with snow covering the 9km course Fellow Kenyans Pamela Kosgei and Faith Chepkoech did their best to stay with her in the first kilometre but Jebitok soon made a break from her opponents and set off on a solo run With Jebitok pushing the pace out in front the rest of the field soon became strung out behind her but Britain’s Megan Keith reeled in Chepkoech after 20 minutes to move into third place Kosgei was a comfortable runner-up in 31:40 a five-man pack emerged on the first lap comprising Nimubona Eventual winner Yves Nimubona leads the pack in Hannut (© AFP / Getty Images) Mebrahtu and Kandie had broken away to form a lead trio Urugray’s Santiago Catroffe had moved past Grimard into fourth place but Nimubona stayed on Mebrahtu’s shoulder Kandie was no longer in contention for victory but still had a comfortable lead over the rest of the field With less than two minutes of running remaining but Nimubona kicked once the finish line was in sight and won in 28:29 just holding off a fast-finishing Catroffe by one second Women (9km)1 Edinah Jebitok (KEN) 31:012 Pamela Kosgei (KEN) 31:403 Megan Keith (GBR) 31:484 Faith Chepkoech (KEN) 32:345 Jana van Lent (BEL) 33:186 Lili Anna Vindics-Toth (HUN) 33:46 Men (9km)1 Yves Nimubona (RWA) 28:292 Merhawi Mebrahtu (ERI) 28:303 Kibet Kandie (KEN) 28:424 Santiago Catroffe (URU) 28:435 Guillaume Grimard (BEL) 28:566 Isaac Kimeli (BEL) 29:14 Belgium’s Isaac Kimeli will look to go one better than his runner-up finish last year while Kenya’s Edinah Jebitok will target another World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting triumph at the CrossCup in Hannut on Sunday (21) Kimeli finished second behind Yann Schrub of France when they raced in the snow-covered Belgian city in 2023 Kimeli’s compatriot Guillaume Grimard was third on that occasion and the pair clash again over 9km in Hannut but this time they will go up against a field including Uganda’s Rogers Kibet Rwanda’s Yves Nimubona and Burundi’s Egide Ntakarutimana Nimubona and Ntakarutimana opened their 2024 cross country campaigns at the Campaccio in San Giorgio su Legnano Nimubona then raced over 10km on the roads in Valencia a week later finishing six spots ahead of Nimubona in eighth place The 20-year-old finished 15th at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst last February Grimard is back in action after finishing sixth in San Giorgio su Legnano behind Nimubona and Ntakarutimana while Kimeli will also be seeking a strong performance on home soil when he makes his season debut After finishing second in Hannut last year he went on to finish 13th in the 10,000m at the World Championships in Budapest and then 11th at the European Cross Country Championships in Brussels towards the end of the year Jebitok has the chance to add another Cross Country Tour Gold meeting win to her CV this season after her victories in Seville in November and Venta de Banos in December then raced at the Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza in Elgoibar on 7 January and finished second there just two seconds behind her Kenyan compatriot Beatrice Chebet Pamela Kosgei was also a medallist in Bathurst having claimed bronze in the U20 women’s race and the 19-year-old is entered alongside her compatriot Jebitok for the race in Hannut They will be joined on the start line by Britain’s Megan Keith who finished third in Hannut last year and went on to win European U23 titles in the 5000m in July and cross country in December 21-year-old Keith raced on the roads in Valencia and ran a PB of 31:22 The field in Hannut also features Italy’s Giovanna Selva and Hungary’s Lili Anna Vindics-Toth who placed third and fourth respectively at the Campaccio plus Kenya’s Faith Chepkoech and Belgium’s Jana Van Lent Entry lists Kenya’s Norah Tanui arrived in Rovereto fresh from a 10km lifetime best of 31:17 in Valencia last weekend and the 22-year-old demonstrated she is an athlete for all surfaces with a dominant victory at the Cross Internazionale della Vallagarina on Sunday (22) Tanui – who improved her 3000m steeplechase lifetime best from 9:25.07 to 9:03.70 last summer and ran 9:05 or faster three times in the space of six days in August – broke clear in the second kilometre and opened up a winning margin which increased to more than one minute ahead of a largely domestic line-up The African steeplechase champion covered the undulating 6.44km course in 21:05 with mountain running specialist Sara Bottarelli an isolated second in 22:29 Last year’s winner Sara Dossena had to settle for third in 22:36 The men’s 8.8km was a more competitive affair with late entrant Telahun Bekele becoming the first Ethiopian to claim the men’s title since world 5000m champion Muktar Edris in 2013 Bekele used the final incline to his advantage breaking away from Uganda’s world steeplechase finalist Albert Chemutai to win by five seconds in 26:59 Ethiopia’s 2015 world U20 cross-country champion Yasin Haji Belgium’s Soufiane Bouchikhi continued his excellent run of form on this terrain with another dominant win on home soil at the Easykit Cross Cup in Hannut Little more than a week after finishing fourth against a strong line-up at the Great Edinburgh XCountry Bouchikhi turned the tables on last year’s winner Andy Vernon from Great Britain Vernon had to settle for second in 29:27 with 2016 European U23 cross-country champion Isaac Kimeli a distant third in 30:00 who has also claimed notable wins in Mol and Roeselare this winter is targeting the 10,000m this summer at the European Championships in Berlin Ethiopian steeplechaser Birtukan Adamu retained her title in the women’s 6km winning in 23:31 by six seconds ahead of Romania’s Roxana Barca At the Abdijcross in Kerkrade on Sunday (22) Spain’s Chakib Lachgar won the senior men’s 10.5km in 34:02 ahead of a field which included Denmark’s Abdi Ulad Hakin (third in 34:04) and Michel Butter from the Netherlands (fourth in 34:14) while Denmark’s Sylvia Medugu won the senior women’s 7.4km in 27:17 Two respected road-running specialists clashed at the Elgeyo-Marakwet County Cross Country Championships at the Iten Grounds on Saturday (21) with Joan Chelimo prevailing ahead of Prague Marathon winner Valary Jemeli who set a half marathon lifetime best of 1:06:25 last September and has been named on Kenya’s team for the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia in March broke clear of Jemeli at about the six-kilometre mark Chelimo’s main focus before the World Half Marathon Championships is the prestigious Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on 9 February “It’s a first course and I’m eyeing a podium finish and a personal best,” she told reporters after the race Benard Kimeli defeated his training partner Josphat Tanui in the senior men’s 10km There was a surprise in the U20 8km as Vincent Kiprotich handily defeated world U18 3000m silver medallist Edward Zakayo while Agnes Jebet Ngetich won the U20 6km in 19:55 At the eighth race of the Athletics Kenya Cross Country series in Baringo on Saturday (20) 20-year-old Alfred Barkach prevailed in 32:04 ahead of 2015 world U18 3000m champion Richard Kimunyan (32:11) Two of Kenya’s brightest prospects prevailed in the U20 races with world U18 2000m steeplechase silver medallist Cleophas Kandie winning the U20 men’s 8km in 25:45 while world U18 800m silver medallist Lydia Jeruto stepped up in distance to win the U20 women’s 6km in 22:50 Steven Mills (with assistance from Kip Evans) for the IAAF Edinah Jebitok notched up her third Gold-level victory in this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Tour wintry backdrop of a snow-laden 9km course,  Jebitok's performance  was nothing short of spectacular after taking the women’s title by a 39-second margin Kibet Kandie clocked 28:42 to finish third in a race won by Rwandan Yves Nimubona who crossed the finish line in 28:29 the England cross country team took the Eurostar to Belgium before travelling onward to the Belgium Cross Cup race venue in Hannut With snow and very cold temperatures forecast it was set to be an exciting and challenging day of cross country racing The Belgium Cross Cup has been running for around 80 years with the undulating course featuring tight hairpin turns As the women lined up to start the race the snow started to fall making the already tough conditions more of a challenge The senior women’s race included two 1km laps and four 1.5km laps in a twisty varied course with three jumps to contend with The field quickly split with a leading group of five followed by a small gap which Amelia Quirk (Mick Woods followed closely by Sarah Astin (Geoff Watkin After getting boxed in amongst the other runners at the very narrow start Lauren McNeil (Hallamshire) did not panic but worked her way through the field - catching Sarah and Alex by the second lap it was a very strong run from all the women The senior men had a total of seven laps of the course to complete Less than 100 metres after the start the course narrowed quickly to a ‘pinch point’ followed by a steep drop immediately after -  making the sprint from the start line all the more important An exceptional start by Joe Wigfield (Craig Winrow Wirral AC) getting through the first technical parts of the course unscathed and in the top five was motivation enough for Ned Potter (Sonia McGeorge Newham & Essex Beagles) to chase closely after him They were followed by Ellis Cross (Mick Woods Aldershot Farnham & District) and Jack Gray (Mark Vile Cross and Gray were all competing here just one week after the warm and fast conditions of the Valencia road race The first kilometre lap passed very quickly and the runners were back in what seemed a flash with Ned Potter and Joe Wigfield battling it out in 9th and 10th position respectively both looking very good and in the mood for a tough slog Further back Ellis Cross and Jack Gray were also battling it out with Jack moving through the field As is often the case the second and third lap saw little change at the front but Gray had moved up and was clearly running well with Cross beginning to struggle as he later revealed he lost a shoe at around 400m and had to stop and put this back on the pace was relentless at the front - and running well not too far behind were Potter and Wigfield in 7th and 8th really having a battle and holding their own As the leaders kept pushing and the gaps grew slightly the hurdles added another dimension of complexity to this course Joe Wigfield was looking good in around 8th and just holding on to Ned Potter; however on hearing the bell for the last lap Joe threw himself round the hairpin and down the hill he was full of energy and determined to have his best ever cross country on his England senior debut Joe Wigfield pushed hard despite his miscounting the laps and further back Jack Gray had looked strong and hung on - gradually picking runners off lap after lap Ellis Cross retired from the race at around 4km As they came back into view towards the finish Ned Potter’s sustained running had earned him 5th position and Joe Wigfield dug deep on the last lap to finish 8th The England women took the race by storm with Innes Fitzgerald (Gavin Pavey Exeter Harriers) finishing on top of the podium with Rebecca Flaherty (Bingley) close behind in second place At the race start Innes Fitzgerald went straight to the front dictating the pace as she usually does in her races The others followed behind with Hattie Reynolds (Tim Ash City of Norwich) leading the way whilst sadly Yasmin Kashdan (Vince Golding Crawley AC) dropped out of the race at the end of the first lap Innes continued her dominance leaving Rebecca and Hattie mixed with a couple of representatives of Ireland Rebecca had an issue having suffered a previous ankle injury but continued in the race Going into the larger last lap Innes dominated Rebecca had moved into second place with Hattie fighting hard during the final lap to finish fourth The course had a short steep drop off after just 100m so the athletes stormed away from the start to get to the front and in doing so have a clear view of the first of several obstacles First to show was Luke Birdseye (Shireen Higgins Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) closely followed by Jacob Deacon (Katie Hewison Aldershot Farnham & District) and Daniel Maydew (Simon Prior was not going to let the Englishmen have it all their own way and as the first of the shorter 1km laps ended Safford was looking like he could challenge for a podium spot The second and third lap saw little change at the front with Birdseye James Dargan was hanging on just a few metres off the pack and looked determined to make the most of his chance to represent England Further back Daniel Maydew was equally determined to do well With 3000m remaining the likely outcome was difficult to call but with the longer lap including a series of hurdles there was a feeling amongst those who knew him that the latter half of the race would suit steeplechaser Luke Birdseye This proved to be the case with first Deacon and then Birdseye breaking the brave challenge of the Irishman The bell rang loudly and as Luke negotiated the tight turn at the start of the final 1500m lap he made his move The gap between him and fellow Englishman Jacob Deacon opened very quickly Luke said afterwards that he had planned to take the tight bend into the final lap quickly and then just keep his foot down for the whole of the final 1500m The tactic worked like a dream as he ran out a clear winner Jacob chased hard and in doing so he broke clear of the tenacious Irishman (Jonas Stafford) The gaps had opened over the challenging final 1500m with a resurgent James Dargan taking a clear and very respectable 4th place behind Ireland’s Jonas Stafford Further down the field Daniel Maydew held 12th place View full results online A report on the Cardiff Cross Challenge, where Jess Judd and Dewi Griffiths were among the winners, can be found here Andy Vernon was a clear winner of the men's 9km race in 26:54 ahead of Souffiane Bouchiki with 27:07 and European under-23 cross-country champion Isaac Kimeli with 27:17 Vernon later wrote on Twitter: "Pleased to take the win today in Hannut Sarah McDonald clocked 4:32.06 to finish third in the mile event and move to 10th on the UK indoor all-time list Lily Partridge clocked 72:12 to finish third behind Kenya's Antonina Kwambai (69:49) and Ethiopia’s Bizunesh Gudeta (71:31) Rio Olympian Jess Martin was top Brit in fifth as she finished ahead of Kate Maltby Ross Millington placed 10th in the men's race Kyle de Escofet won the 60m in 6.61 to equal his PB and go top of the UK rankings Bethan Partridge cleared a 1.88m PB in the high jump The 2014 world junior 200m finalist Thomas Somers returned to win the 400m in a PB 47.93 in just his second race since February 2015 The 2016 world junior semi-finalist Ryan Gorman won the 200m in an indoor PB 21.61 Carole Filer missed her UK W60 indoor long jump record by a few centimetres with a leap of 4.48m Abel Tsegay won the men's race in 52:48 while top W45 Maria Heslop easily won the women's race in 60:40 Paul Martelletti was first man by over three minutes in a course record 50:50 while W45 Jo Kent was first woman in 63:00 David Bell was a clear men's winner in 69:44 with Katie Judd first woman in a PB 86:19 who won the M40 race in the Masters International at Glasgow Paul Cousins was easily first in the M50 race in 31:49 Former English 10km champion Caroline Hoyte easily won the women's race in 26:08 South West under-17 champion Finn Birnie narrowly won the senior boys race from South West under-15 champion Harris Mier M35 Richard McDowell easily won in 25:07 from M50 winner Tony Tuohy (25:46) and M55 champion Gary Ironmonger (26:12) There were also good wins for M60 Alan Camp (27:40) and M70 Peter Giles (32:03) W40 Elizabeth Stavreski was first woman in 29:19 with second place going to W55 winner Ange Norris (29:54) Alasdair Kinloch won a quality senior boys race in 22:10 from Jake Berry who was tenth running for Britain in Edinburgh two weeks earlier easily beat Kent under-20 champion Jessica Keene and under-17 champion Holly Page in a time of 13:18 Karl Darcy easily won the men's race in 37:49 from M45 Ian Grime Laura Riches won a competitive women's race in 29:52 John Newsom won his 12th successive league race with a clear win in 34:46 » Check out Athletics Weekly’s online news section and online global update reports for more of the latest from the world of the sport Jess Judd and Dewi Griffiths among Cardiff Cross Challenge winners Kendra Harrison clocks 7.75 60m hurdles - global update Manx runner Sarah Astin has been named in the England squad for an international competition in Belgium later this month Astin will be one of the senior women's competitors representing the nation at the Lotto Cross Cup du Hannut in Liege which takes place on Sunday The cross-country race has attracted a high-calibre international field since it was first founded in the 1940's Sarah only narrowly missed out on a place in the Great Britain squad for last month's European Cross-Country Championships in Turin It's after she managed a strong tenth-place finish at the Liverpool Cross Challenge in Sefton Park which fell just outside the top times to make the GB squad That display came off the back of Sarah managing personal best times last summer on the track in the 1500m and 3000m We are delighted to announce the athletes who have been selected to represent England at the 2025 Home Countries International The race will form part of the UK Athletics Cross Challenge England will compete against athletes from Northern Ireland Scotland and Wales as well as regional teams from the North This event will also incorporate the Celtic Cross with athletes from the Republic of Ireland also participating "It is a great concept to have the Home Countries International and area races combined with the Celtic Cross to raise the standard of the event This has allowed us to select an additional under-17 team for this fixture Although they will not be scoring in the Celtic match it still puts them up against other nations and is a great experience." African junior cross-country champion Agnes Tirop dispatched a high-calibre senior field at the 24th edition of the Eldoret Discovery Cross Country race held in windy conditions at the Eldoret Sports Club on Sunday (25). In one of her first races as a senior, two-time world junior 5000m bronze medallist Tirop won the women’s 6km in 19:41 by a healthy margin ahead of Commonwealth steeplechase champion Purity Cherotich and Viola Kibiwott in 19:59 and 20:04 respectively. In the men’s 10km, little-known Peter Emase won in 29:44 over Stephen Arita and Kenneth Kipkemboi. Two-time world 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop ran the first 8km of the senior race before dropping out. Sandra Chebet, who has been in the in-form runner on the domestic circuit this season, chalked up another win in the junior women’s 6km in 20:18 while Richard Kimunyan won the junior men’s 8km in 23:53. The rapidly improving Louise Carton, 20, became the first Belgian winner of the women’s race in 14 years at the Lotto Cross Cup de la Province de Liege in Hannut on Sunday. Carton, who finished adrift of the top 10 in this race 12 months ago, decisively won the 6km race in 22:04 to follow in the footsteps of Anje Smolders, who was the last Belgian winner in Hannut back in 2001. At opposing ends of the age spectrum, world youth 1500m champion Tigist Gashaw, 18, was second in 22:20 with former winner Veerle Dejaeghere, 41, third in 22:26. Former world junior steeplechase record-holder Birtukan Adamu, who eked out a one-second victory in last year’s race, was fourth this time in 22:40. In the men’s 10km, Belgian-based Ethiopian Tasame Dame improved on his second-place finish from last year with victory in a well-contested race on a muddy course. Dame and Birhanu Yemataw from Bahrain separated themselves from the rest of the group in the early stages but Dame, who boasts much more experience in this sort of environment, pulled away for victory in the last 400m in 32:52 to Yemataw’s 32:54. Bernard Bett from Kenya comprised the podium in 33:30 with Isaac Kimeli the first Belgian finisher in fourth in 33:34. At the 38th edition of the Cross Memorial Jesus Luis Alos in Huesca, Nguse Amlosom ran out a comfortable winner in the 10.56km race. Since Zersenay Tadese won back in 2006, Eritreans have dominated the men’s senior race in particular, and Amlosom’s victory was the eighth triumph by an Eritrean since Tadese’s initial win nearly a decade ago. Amlosom, the African 10,000m champion on the track last summer, won in 31:03 to defeat two-time European cross-country champion Alemayehu Bezabeh on home soil by 16 seconds. In the women’s race, Rehima Jewar from Ethiopia took top spot in the 6.42km race in 22:06 ahead of local runners Raquel Garcia (22:08) and Jacqueline Martin (22:22). Kirui and Busienei cause upsets at Defence Fo... Medhin maintains momentum while Chebet breeze... Kamworor wins third consecutive Police cross-... Medhin extends winning streak while Belete su... Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. help with constipation and work as an anti-inflammatory — as well as stopping people getting so drunk I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Drinking pear juice before starting alcohol could keep hangovers at bay and lower the blood alcohol level, according to new research. The hangover preventative — drinking 200ml of pear juice before having alcohol, though eating the pears themselves could also work — has been found to effectively limit the effects of hangover, and lower the levels of alcohol in people’s blood. The scientists measured the success of the hangover cure by using a scale of 14 common symptoms. That scale found that the effects of the hangover were “significantly reduced” by drinking the Korean pear juice, and that it was most effective in avoiding “trouble concentrating”. The researchers make clear that the effects only seem to happen when the pear juice is consumed before the drinking, not after. Researchers have only studied the Korean or Asian pear, which has long been used as a traditional hangover cure, so far. But they plan to find out whether the same results can be seen in other kinds of pear, which have a number of differences in their composition. Scientists still aren’t sure what the pears do that make them such effective ways of avoiding hangovers. “It appears that the factors in Korean pears act on the key enzymes involved in alcohol metabolism, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) to speed up alcohol metabolism and elimination or inhibition of alcohol absorption,” professor Manny Noakes, who led the study, said in a statement. “In particular, reductions were seen in blood acetaldehyde levels, the toxic metabolic thought to be responsible for the hangover symptoms, with pear juice consumption.” The findings were produced by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency. It worked with Horticulture Innovation Australia to look at the effects of drinking pears on those that are consuming alcohol. The fruit has also been found to “lower cholesterol, relieve constipation and have anti-inflammatory effects”. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies scientists say","description":"Pears can keep cholesterol down the Grand Operation will also feature a 64-player version of the Rush game mode; a mode which will only be available for a limited time as a standalone Like the other Grand Operations which already feature in Battlefield 5, the new one will take place over the course of 3-4 in-game days. Day 1 will be an Airborne match on the newly-reworked Panzerstorm map. Day 2 will also be on Panzerstorm, but will be a Breakthrough match. Then, Day 3 will switch to the Arras map for a 64-player Rush match Day 4 will resolve the operation in a Final Stand match on Arras irrespective of Rush’s featuring as a limited-time mode; a special version of Rush will take place on Day 3 of the Battle of Hannut Grand Operation This version of Rush features double the usual number of players; 64 which is not one of the maps which the standard Rush will be available on part of the Battle of Belgium which took place in 1940 it was the largest tank battle to ever take place The Battlefield 5 Panzerstorm map is the game’s ninth The map’s size falls into DICE’s “Very Large” bracket making it joint largest in the game alongside Hamada The pace of gameplay in Panzerstorm is faster than in Hamada Both Aircraft and Tanks feature in Panzerstorm but the emphasis really is on Tanks in a significant way Up to 17 tanks can be active on the map at once Panzerstorm is dominated by vehicle combat with infantry often playing the role of anti-tank skirmishers the new Panzerstorm map is inspired by the Battle of Hannut a famous battle from the early years of the Second World War Hannut took place at the climax of the Battle of Belgium; the German invasion of Belgium which lasted just eighteen days in May of 1940 German forces faced resistance from French defenders in what was at the time the largest tank battle ever; almost 1,200 tanks took part in the enormous three-day battle With German forces preparing to invade Belgium dispatched the French First Army into the country The army boasted a fully mechanised Cavalry Corps and had orders to bolster the Belgian defence and Luxembourg were all officially neutral at that stage of the war; they would remain so until the Germans invaded there was no time for the French to dig in along the Belgians’ defences the Cavalry Corps were ordered to delay the German advance the Germans were preparing to launch a spearhead with two entire Panzer divisions to break the Allied lines prematurely the Allied forces had around 520 tanks and armoured cars and over 20,000 infantry On the German side there were 618 tanks and over 25,000 infantry the Germans had some distinct advantages; they had much more artillery support as well as hundreds of Luftwaffe bombers and fighter planes The air force was so large that it included over 1,200 aircraft more than the number of tanks on both sides Concerned by the threat of the Luftwaffe and the scale of the German tank forces; French commander René Prioux made a pivotal mistake Falling back to join incoming reinforcements before the battle he chose a battlefield which offered relatively little anti-tank defences The French army’s own cavalry manual considered a near identical example and advised retreat but Prioux instead dug in his forces with his reinforcements arriving shortly after to shore up the line the German forces arrived and immediately moved to attack While the German infantry and artillery hurried to catch up a major tank battle took place all around Hannut with aircraft from both sides flying hundreds of sorties The Germans launched more tank assaults throughout the 13th of May Prioux’s choice of battlefield and defensive layout was beginning to cause problems The French forces began to get outmanoeuvred and pinned down at several points where the French succeeded in repulsing a massed force of Panzers the fighting came to a head nearby at Medorp where dozens of tanks were disabled or destroyed The Battle of Hannut came to an end the next day Although the Germans were able to break through the French lines at one stage a successful rearguard action bought time for the French to regroup completing the objective which the Cavalry Corps had been sent to buy time for The Cavalry Corps thus fell back to Gembloux and prepared for the next battle defeat of the First Army would have changed the course of the war drastically; the army would go on to delay the Germans at the Siege of Lille buying time for the pivotal British evacuations at Dunkirk later that month As part of DICE’s constant communication with its player base, the studio has posted a new “This Week in Battlefield V” message on Reddit where the studio outlines what fans can expect this week in terms of official announcements and news The big one this week is the Battlefield 5 Chapter 2 Event 4 start date which is planned for tomorrow In other Battlefield V news, don’t forget that the Armoured Fist Assignment has been reworked by DICE and the studio has also tweaked some of the upcoming Assignments based on community feedback