Jacob Kiplimo retained his world cross-country title by winning the senior men’s championship at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.
Kiplimo completed the race in 28:09 minutes, beating stiff competition from Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi, who won silver just like in the previous edition, while Kenya’s Benson Kiplangat earned bronze.
It should be noted that Kiplimo also won the same race at the 2023 World Cross Country Championship in Bathurst, Australia.
The 23-year-old now joins an illustrious list of athletes who have successfully defended a world cross-country title. He now sits alongside the likes of Kenenisa Bekele, Geoffrey Kamworor, and Paul Tergat as back-to-back winners of the senior men’s title.
Meanwhile, Joshua Cheptegei, who won the title in 2019, finished some way out of the individual medals in sixth place (28:24), but he earned silver in the team contest. Kenya claimed the team gold, Uganda took bronze, and Ethiopia secured team bronze.
The other Ugandans in the race, Dan Chibet, Hosea Kiplangat, and Martin Magengo Kiprotich, settled for 11th, 13th, and 14th positions respectively.