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Kenya, Ethiopia, Great Britain teams win medals in mixed relay

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By Clay Shaw

3.30.2024 Belgrade, Serbia, Mixed Relay, World Athletics World Cross Country Championships—The Mixed Relay has established itself as one of the five races and a fan favorite! It starts after the U20 races and before the senior races.  The four-person team is the men running the first and third loop, and the women running the second and fourth loop.  Each athlete does one full circuit of the main loop, with the first and fourth athletes on each team running a slightly longer run to account for the stretches from the start line to the main loop (1st runner) or the main loop to the finish line (4th runner).

Kenya and Ethiopia ran virtually tied after one loop.  Elzan Bibic of Serbia ran a fast first loop to put the “home team” in third just three seconds back.  As the race continued, Kenya and Ethiopia had pulled away from the other teams.  With Kenya comfortably ahead, Ethiopia’s third athlete, Adehena Kasaye, while handing off to final runner Birri Abera, accidently stepped on the back of her shoe.  Not being able to get it back on Abera ran the final lap with one shoe.  The distance from Kenya was too much to make up, and the distance to the trailing teams was too much as well.  Ethiopia held second place.

USA was in third place after strong middle laps.  But it was Great Britain who took over with great final laps by Adam Fogg and Bethan Morley.  Great Britain earned the bronze, the only medals of the day outside of the Rift Valley countries of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda, who just simply dominate at World Cross Country.

Winner – KENYA Reynold Cheruiyot (1st leg). “We came here well prepared as a team. We worked hard for this. Now that we defended our title, my goal is to prepare for Paris.”

Third – Great Britain & NI Adam Fogg (3rd leg, a 3:53 miler) “My short term goal for today was to get the medal and we managed to pull that off. Thankfully we had a great day today and to win the medal, that is all we could ask for. We would be happy if we won any place, so the third place doesn’t bother us.” 

10th – SERBIA Teodora Simovic (team anchor). “Of course I’m happy with our result and with the whole race overall. I think every one of us gave our best in this race; the competition was really strong. I’m really proud of my whole team and the energy was amazing during the race.”

Mixed Relay Results

  1. 22:15 Kenya
  2. 22:43 Ethiopia
  3. 23:00 Great Britain
  4. 23:08 Morocco
  5. 23:10 Uganda
  6. 23:17 France
  7. 23:18 Japan
  8. 23:21 United States
  9. 23:37 South Africa
  10. 24:31 Serbia
  11. 25:06 Mexico
  12. 25:31 Kazakhstan
  13. 28:51 Fiji
Elzan Bibic of Serbia warms up prior to the relay. He ran a strong first lap that had Serbia in third place just behind Kenya and Ethiopia.
Reynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot of Kenya leads the way on lap one. Hosea Kiprop of Uganda, Elzan Bibic of Serbia, Hafid Rizqy of Morocco, and Thomas Keen of Great Britain are chasing.
Kasey Knevelbaard of the USA races on lap one of the popular Mixed Relay.
Virginia Nyambura of Kenya, and Dahdi Dube of Ethiopia start lap two with an urgency. Milica Tomasevic of Serbia starts in third place.
Ella Donaghu of the USA starting lap two, ran the second fastest time on lap two.
Margarita Hernandez Flores starts lap two for Team Mexico.
Tatyana Neroznak of Kazakhstan starts lap two of the Mixed Relay.
Charlotte Mouchet of France leads Danielle Verster of South Africa on lap two of the Mixed Relay.
Johnathan Reniewicki of USA starts lap three of the Mixed Relay.
Boikanyo Motlhamme of South Africa strides on lap three of the Mixed Relay.
Adam Fogg of Great Britain ran the second fastest lap three of the Mixed Relay, which helped set up Team GBR for the Bronze.
Birri Abera of Ethiopia was clipped by male teammate in the handoff zone. Abera had to run lap four with one shoe. She couldn’t catch team Kenya, but nobody caught her either. Ethiopia held second place. Kudos to Ms. Abera.
Katie Izzo of the USA starts lap four of the Mixed Relay.
Bethan Morley of Great Britain ran a strong lap four to help gain Great Britain the Bronze medals in the Mixed Relay.
Bronze winning smile by Bethan Morley, as team Great Britain earned the only non-Rift Valley medals of the day.
Kaoutar Farkoussi of Morocco ran a strong final lap to give Team Morocco fourth place in the Team Relay.
Earning the bronze was Team Great Britain. Bethan Morley, Thomas Keen, Adam Fogg, and Alexandra Millard earn the only Non Rift Valley medal of the day.
The USA team was eighth. Johnathan Reniewicki, Kasey Knvelbaard, Katie Izzo, and Ella Donaghu.
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