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Teamwork is key to Beatrice Chebet’s repeat at 2024 World XC Championships in Belgrade

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by Clay Shaw
Photography by Clay Shaw and Karen Mitchell

3.30.24 Belgrade, Serbia—Beatrice Chebet of Kenya became the first back-to-back senior women’s champion since Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia did it in 2006.  Chebet won in 31:05, as Kenya with their ultra strong team, took the first five places overall!  Lilian Kasait Rengeruk was second in 31:08 and Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi was third in 31:09.  Emmaculate Anyango Achol was fourth in 31:24. Agnes Jebet Ngetich was fifth in 31:27.  The three medal winners were within four seconds of each other.

After the race, Chebet told interviewers:

“It wasn’t easy because Kenya has a strong team . . . We all train together, we live together, we do everything together . . . Team work definitely makes the dream work for sure! . . . There is a lot of pressure on you when you are the defending champion and I was not sure I could win again . . . Running in the heat here felt like competing in Kenya . . . At the last lap it was really hard, but I pushed myself until the very end of it. . . My tactics was simply to persevere and when we were still together with 500m to go I decided to go for it. . . I really want to congratulate my colleagues for everything they’ve done, I want to thank my coach, my management for the support. . . I wouldn’t be here without them! And lastly, I want to thank my parents for their support and for believing in me and my country and everyone that supported me in all of this! Now I’m prepping for the Paris Olympic games. My dream is to take gold there!”

Sarah Chelangat of Uganda led the rest of the world in sixth place in 32:00.  Daisy Jepkemei of Kazakhstan was seventh in 32:04.  Jepkemei, who was born in Kenya, switched allegiance to Kazakhstan in 2022.

Kenya obviously won the team competition, Ethiopia was second, and Uganda was third.

Team USA women finished fourth, their best showing since 2011 in Punta Umbria, Spain.  Starting in the lead pack and staying there through the first half of the race, Weini Kelati moved back to 7th, holding that spot into the 5th lap, and finishing fifteenth in 32:53, giving it her all.  Allie Ostrander ran a great race, too, moving up in the standings throughout; she was the second American, in 30th place in 34:11. Abby Nichols was third USA and 33rd in 34:27.  Emma Grace Hurley was fourth USA and 35th in 34:32.  The top four athletes from each team score for the team competition.

Results

Top 30 Women

  1. 31:05 Beatrice Chebet, Kenya
  2. 31:08 Lilian Kasait Rengeruk, Kenya
  3. 31:09 Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi, Kenya
  4. 31:24 Emmaculate Anyango Achol, Kenya
  5. 31:27 Agnes Jebet Ngetich, Kenya
  6. 32:00 Sarah Chelangat, Uganda
  7. 32:04 Daisy Jepkemei, Kazakhstan
  8. 32:14 Bertukan Welde, Ethiopia
  9. 32:24 Loice Chekwemoi, Uganda
  10. 32:27 Mebrat Gidey, Ethiopia
  11. 32:29 Tadelech Bekele, Ethiopia
  12. 32:30 Sisay Meseret Gola, Ethiopia
  13. 32:45 Rachael Zena Chebet, Uganda
  14. 32:49 Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal, Norway
  15. 32:53 Weini Kelati Frezghi, USA
  16. 32:56 Annet Chemengich Chelangat, Uganda
  17. 33:02 Cintia Chepngeno, Kenya
  18. 33:13 Joy Cheptoyek, Uganda
  19. 33:16 Belinda Chemutai, Uganda
  20. 33:17 Abbie Donnelly, Great Britian
  21. 33:22 Girmawit Gebrzihair, Ethiopia
  22. 33:24 Miku Sakai, Japan
  23. 33:26 Anjelina Nadai Lohalith, Athlete Refugee Team
  24. 33:36 Carolina Robles, Spain
  25. 33:43 Bekelech Teku, Ethiopia
  26. 33:55 Irene Sanchez-Escribano, Spain
  27. 34:00 Erika Tanoura, Japan
  28. 34:07 Kyla Jacobs, South Africa
  29. 34:09 Azusa Mihara, Japan
  30. 34:11 Allie Ostrander, USA
World Athletics World Cross Country Championships Belgrade 2024 Senior Race Women 10k starts with 88 athletes.
The early front pack in the Senior Women’s 10k included 3-time Euro XC champ and recent NYC Half-marathon champion Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal of Norway and USA XC champ Weini Kelati of the United States.
Kenyan women controlled the race from the start. Here Emmaculate Achol, Beatrice Chebet, and Agnes Ngetich front the dozen or so group on lap two.
Weini Kelati of the USA raced with the lead pack for the first half of the race. Kelati finished 15th in 32:53 and was first American on the fourth place team.
Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal of Norway was 14th and first European athlete in 32:49.
Emma Grace Hurley and Abby Nichols of the USA scored for USA; Team USA finished fourth among teams. Karabo Mailula of South Africa joins them.
USA runners Katie Camarena, and Cailie Logue race with Cacisile Sosibo of South Africa and Bekelech Teku of Ethiopia in Friendship Park in Belgrade.
These five Kenyan women broke away from the field 33 seconds ahead of sixth place. Beatrice Chebet (right) won in 31:05. Lilian Rengeruk (left) was second in 31:08. Emmaculate Achol was fourth. Agnes Ngetich was fifth in 31:27. The athlete barely visible, Margaret Kipkemboi was third in 31:09.
Azusa Mihara of Japan, Irene Sanchez-Escribano of Spain, Glenrose Xaba of South Africa, Paige Campbell of Australia, and Carolina Robles of Spain form a group of five at World XC.
Allie Ostrander of the USA finished second American and 30th overall in 34:11. Ostrander moved up throughout the race to help Team USA earn 4th place.
Emma Grace Hurley of the United States strides by the spectators on her way to 35th place in 34:32, scoring for the 4th place USA team.
Katelyn Ayres of Canada was 44th in 35:04.
Abby Nichols of the United States was 33rd in 34:27.
Abby Nichols of the USA races Kyla Jacobs of South Africa and Ankita of India.
Katie Newlove of Canada races to 61st place in 36:19. The women from Canada placed eighth among the teams.
Karoline Bjerkeli Grodval of Norway, the 3-time Euro XC champ, was the first European runner. Karoline was 14th in 32:49
Cailie Logue and Allie Ostrander of the USA race with Niamh Brown of Great Britain early in the 10k.
Abbie Donnelly of Great Britain was 20th and second from Europe.
Beatrice Chebet of Kenya gives a big smile crossing the finish in 31:05. It was her second straight World Athletic World Cross Country Championship (Bathurst, AUS in 2023).
USA runners Abby Nichols, Allie Ostrander, and Emma Grace Hurley give us some smiles after a hard race. The USA women did well finishing 4th (their best since 2011).
Layla Almasri of Palestine says hey after her 64th place. She is the lone representative of Palestine in the Women’s senior race.
Team Espana (Spain) was fifth, led by Carolina Robles, Irene Sanchez-Escribano, Isabel Barreiro, and Majida Maayouf.
The team from South Africa was seventh, led by Cacisile Sosibo, Glenrose Xaba, Kyla Jacobs, and Karabo Mailula.
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