by Justin Lagat
This is the view from Kenya! Justin Lagat, Senior writer for RBR in Kenya, wrote this piece, remotely, on the Tallahassee 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships! Thanks, Justin!
Dominant performances by Agnes Ngetich and Jacob Kiplimo in Tallahassee 26 World Cross Country Championships, by Justin Lagat for RunBlogRun
In two different versions, Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich and Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo ran dominantly to win the senior world cross country titles on a beautiful and sunny day in Tallahassee, Florida.
Ngetich appeared intent on securing the victory early in the race, as she remained with a small pack of three runners in the leading pack during the first lap. Ethiopians Senayet Getachew and Asayech Ayichew, and Uganda’s Joy Cheptoyek went with her through the first 2km marker in 6:03.
Ngetich was soon running alone at the front. She was 25 seconds ahead at 5km, 31 seconds at 6km, 35 seconds at 7km, 40 seconds at 8km, going into the last lap. After the bell, she increased the gap to 45 seconds at 9km, but the battle for the silver place behind her caused the closest chaser to reduce the gap by three seconds.
Ngetich crossed the finish line in 31:28 as Cheptoyek finished second in 32:10 ahead of Getachew in 32:13.
Kiplimo, on the other hand, remained patient in the men’s senior race till the last lap before comfortably beginning to stretch the gap to break away from Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi and Kenya’s Daniel Ebenyo.
The 2023, 2024 reigning champion easily extended the gap to successfully defend his title in a dominant version as he celebrated hundreds of meters away from the finish line, where he crossed at 28:18. Aregawi followed in 28:36 while Ebenyo was happy with a third place in 28:45.
TALLAHASSEE, USA – JANUARY 10: World Athletics Cross Country Championships Tallahassee 26 on January 10, 2026 in Tallahassee, Florida, USA. (Photo by Sergio Mateo María for World Athletics)
In an exciting mixed relay race that started the day at the championships, the Australian team of Oliver Hoare, Linden Hall, Jack Anstey, and Jessica Hull won gold in 22:23. France won silver in 22:26, and Ethiopia won bronze in 22:34.
In a similar version to the women’s senior race, the leader in the last stages had only the shadow of a camera drone for company in the women’s U20. Marta Alemayo, who was the defending champion, had broken away from Kenya’s Cynthia Chepkirui and her compatriot Wosana Asefa at the 4 km point, and continued to extend the lead.
She won the 6 km race in 18:52 ahead of Asefa in 19:18. Uganda’s Charity Cherop overtook the fading Chepkirui in around the last 200m of the race to take home the bronze medal.
allahassee 26, 2026, Cross Country, World Cross Country Championships, 10 Jan 2026
Ethiopia fielded a team of only three runners in this race, but they finished in the top two.
If there was one race dominated by a single nation, it was the men’s U20 race. Three Kenyans broke away in the last lap of the men’s 8 km race to stay clear ahead. A clean podium sweep by the Kenyans was apparent even with 2 km to go. If anyone had any worries about the chasers closing their gap, the fears would have been allayed by another Kenyan following them!
Frankline Kibet led the Kenyans through the finish line in 23:18. Emmanuel Kiprono followed in 23:20. Andrew Alamisi was third in 23:28, with Andrew Kiptoo making it a 1-2-3-4 finish for Kenyans in 23:42.
