Beatrice Chebet is gearing up for the Seville Cross Country on November 17, marking the start of her 2024/2025 season. The 24-year-old Kenyan, a two-time world cross-country champion and double Olympic gold medalist, is looking to build on a stellar 2023-2024 campaign. Last year, Chebet dominated the international scene, securing victories in both the 5000m and 10,000m at the Paris Olympics. Her remarkable season also included a groundbreaking performance in the 10,000m, where she became the first woman to break the 29-minute barrier, clocking a time of 28:54.14 in Eugene in May.
This race will be Chebet’s third appearance at the Seville Cross Country, having previously competed in 2020 and 2021, finishing second and third, respectively. It will also mark her first race since she triumphed in the 5000m at the Diamond League Final in Brussels with a time of 14:09.82. As the reigning world champion and world record holder in the road 5km, Chebet enters the race as the clear favorite. However, she will face strong competition from several accomplished runners, including her Kenyan compatriot Mercy Chepkemoi and Kazakhstan’s Daisy Jepkemei.
Jepkemei, who finished seventh at the 2024 World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, has recently shown impressive form, securing a dominant victory at the Atapuerca race last month. Chepkemoi, meanwhile, enters the race after a solid win in Cardiff and a fourth-place finish in the 5000m at the World U20 Championships in Lima in August. She finished just behind Uganda’s Charity Cherop, who will also compete in Seville, adding another layer of competition.
The race in Seville will also feature other top athletes, including Diana and Sharon Chepkemoi, both of whom represented Kenya in the steeplechase at the World U20 Championships in Lima. Diana finished third in the event, while Sharon placed seventh. Both women also competed in the Soria race, with Diana finishing third and Sharon taking fourth. Their inclusion further strengthens the competitive field for the event.
France’s Alice Finot will be another notable contender. Finot made history earlier this year by setting a European record of 8:58.67 in the steeplechase at the Paris Olympics. This will be only her second cross-country race in seven years, making her participation particularly intriguing. Portuguese athlete Mariana Machado, who finished sixth in Atapuerca, will also be racing in Seville. Machado’s result placed her between the Spanish national cross-country champion Carolina Robles and Olympic 1500m finalist Agueda Marques, who finished fourth and seventh, respectively, in Atapuerca. These athletes will once again face off in Seville, with a chance to renew their rivalries on the cross-country course.
Additionally, Spain’s Marta García, the European 5000m bronze medalist, will make her only cross-country appearance of the winter before focusing on the indoor season. With such a competitive lineup, the Seville Cross Country promises to be a thrilling event. Chebet, as the favorite, will be looking to continue her winning ways, while the other athletes will seek to challenge her dominance and make their mark in the opening race of the season.
This event will be an important test for many of these runners as they prepare for the cross-country season ahead, and Chebet, with her extraordinary track record, will undoubtedly be the athlete to watch.
