by Alfonz Juck
Leonard Korir, photo by PhotoRun.net
Yasmin Can, photo by PhotoRun.net
Callum Hawkins, photo by PhotoRun.net
USA beat Europe and GBR
EDINBURGH (GBR, Jan 7): The United States (149) defeated Europe (152) and Great Britain (208) in the team competition at the Great Edinburgh XCountry (EA CC Permit). Leonard Korir won the men’s 8km in a sprint finish ahead of front running Callum Hawkins, 24:03 to 24:04, with European cross country champion Aras Kaya third in 24:21. Reigning champion Garrett Heath finished sixth in 24:43 while Mo Farah was never a factor and finished a distant seventh on his season’s debut in 24:49. European cross country champion Yasemin Can won the senior women’s 6km in 20:36 ahead of Fionnuala McCormack (20:57) and Meryam Akdag (21:02) with USA’s Emily Lipari fourth in 21:17. Former European cross country champion Gemma Steel was a DNF. Brit Harriet Knowles-Jones and American Noah Affolder won the junior races while Laura Muir anchored the British team to victory in the 4x1km relay with a 2:53 anchor leg.
RunBlogRun opines: What more can I say about this? My visit in 2014 was one of my favorite events that I have ever visited. The course, the team aspect, the city of Edinburgh all make it, plus the citizen race the next day. It is creativity like this that needs to be used to nurture cross country back from the brink.
