Ethiopian runner  Kenenisa Bekele celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the men's races at the IAAF World Cross Country (Photo by Allsports)

Bekele snatches fifth IAAF World Cross Country title
Saturday April 1, 2006

FUKUOKA, Japan - Ethiopian super-star distance runner  Kenenisa Bekele won the IAAF World Cross Country Short Race title for the fifth time on Saturday on a chilly afternoon here t the Seaside Park in Fukuoka.

Bekele, the World and Olympic 10,000-metre champion, broke away from the pack after the last turn to finish the 4-kilometre race in 10 minutes, 54 seconds.

"It was a very close race," said Bekele. "This course is flat and there was a lot of wind today and that was the reason."

Kenya's Isaac Kiprono Songok finished in second place, one second back of Bekele, while Morocco's Adil Kaouch was third with a time of 10:57.

On Sunday, Bekele will be gunning for victory in the 12-kilometre race, which he has also won for the past four years.

If he wins Sunday's long race, Bekele will have won both races five years in a row, something that has never been achieved in the cross country world championships.

Kenya's Paul Tergat, who has never won the short race, won the long race five consecutive times from 1995. The short race was introduced in 1998.

"I was not trying to save any energy for tomorrow's race," said Bekele. "The short race is the tougher race and this was the one I was concerned about."

The Fukuoka meet marks the last time that both the short and long distance competitions will be staged at the world championships.

When the championships return to Mombassa, Kenya, for the 35th edition in 2007, the format will revert to the one-day event with the short races for both women and men dropped from the programme.

Adam Goucher of the United States finished sixth with a time of 11:02. World junior cross-country champion Augustine Choge of Kenya was seventh in 11:03.

In the women's long race, defending champion Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia covered the 8-kilometre course in 25:21 to top here competitors in a race where European Cross Country Champion Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands came very close to snatching the title.

"I knew that I could win in the last lap, with about a half-lap left," said Dibaba. "I knew I had better finishing speed, so I was not demoralized to see her taking the lead.

"I wasn't feeling very well. I had some stitches, and that was the reason (for letting her hold the lead). I won with God's will, and it was very hard...I hope to take many more medals in cross country

Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands was five seconds off the pace to finish second, while Ethiopia's Meselech Melkamu was third in 25:38.

Kenya finished first in the team standings with 21 points, followed by Ethiopia (48) and Morocco (53).

In the women's team standings, Ethiopia was first with 16 points. Kenya finished second with 39 followed by host Japan (80).

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