Senayet Getachew sprints to under-20 women’s world cross title

Ethiopian one-two in junior women’s race in Bathurst as Pamela Kosgei is third and the United States win team bronze led by Ellie Shea

With a powerful finishing burst in the last quarter-mile, Senayet Getachew won the under-20 women’s title in 20:53 at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst on Saturday.

Aged 17, Getachew had placed third in the Ethiopian junior championships earlier this year. But here she rose to the occasion with an inspired performance.

With team-mate and runner-up Medina Eisa seven seconds behind it meant Ethiopia finished one-two and took the team gold too.

In third – just one second behind Eisa – was Pamela Kosgei of Kenya, who had led through the tyres section on the final lap but was no match for the fast finishing Ethiopians on the final section to the finish of the 6km course.

Kosgei is the sister of world marathon record-holder Brigid Kosgei, who coincidentally was racing on the same day several thousand miles away in the United Arab Emirates placing fourth RAK Half-Marathon behind winner Hellen Obiri.

With Faith Cherotich in fourth, Kenya won the team silver medals as east African runners filled the first nine places. Lemlem Nibret, the Ethiopian junior champion, finished fifth.

Racing in warm conditions on a tough, undulating course, the Kenyans in particular were taking water on board during the race – an unusual sight in cross-country running – and several runners staggered over the finish line exhausted.

Behind the flying Ethiopians and Kenyans, the United States made the podium in this race for the first time with a terrific bronze after Ellie Shea led her team home in a fine 10th place with Irene Riggs 12th and Karrie Baloga 13th backing her up.

Shea, 17, is from Belmont, Massachusets, and was runner-up at the US trials behind Riggs. In Bathurst she even fell on the first lap but got up to enjoy the race of her life.

Rebecca Flaherty led the British team home in 23rd place in 23:11, just ahead of team-mate Hannah Ryding as Zoe Gilbody was 33rd and Megan Harris 40th.

It meant the Brits finished seventh (and first Europeans) in the team stakes.

» Subscribe to AW magazine here