Under Armour Dark Sky’s Weini Kelati, fresh off getting the Olympic standard in the 10,000 meters two weeks ago, mixed it up with the Kenyan women Saturday at the World Cross Country Championships in 81-degree heat in Belgrade, Serbia.
For nearly four laps, Kelati held on to seventh place, which, had she maintained, would have been the highest United States finish in more than a decade. But the heat — and the fast early pace — seemed to get to Kelati, who faded to 15th in the fifth and final lap. She looked spent in the final 200 meters, weaving near the finish line.
In the men’s race, NAU senior Aaron Las Heras, running for Spain, finished an impressive 17th in 29:08, an incredible run given the weather conditions and the fact Las Heras is coming off a busy indoor season.
For Kelati, was a gutsy race. She has been training in 40-degree weather in Flagstaff and suddenly found herself in 81-degree weather. Kelati covered the 10K course, mostly flat but featuring hay bales, mud pits and a bridge, in 32:53. Kenya took the top five spots for a perfect score, with Beatrice Chebet winning 31:06. It was the first time in 18 years a woman has won back-to-back titles.
Kelati helped lead the U.S. women to a fourth-place finish, with Hoke NAZ Elite’s Abby Nichols (34:27) 33rd overall and the third American, behind Allie Ostrander (34:11). Kelati was in seventh place through the third of the five laps. But, as Kelati faded, Nichols and Ostrander ran an even pace. Nichols was in 41st place after two laps, 40th after three laps and 36th going into the final lap.
NAZ Elite’s Ahmed Muhumed was the third American in the men’s race, finishing 36th. The U.S. men were seventh overall. Kenya won the team title.
The mixed relay, which featured Dark Sky’s Kasey Knevelbaard, the U.S. placed eighth.
Leave a Reply