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Kamworor defeated at Kenyan national cross-country championships

Kamworor finished fifth at the Kenyan championships in Eldoret yesterday. He didn't win a national title in 2015 or 2017 either, yet still went on to win the world championships

Geoffrey Kamworor

Geoffrey Kamworor, who will defend his world cross-country title next month in Aarhus, Denmark, was defeated in the senior men’s 10K race at Saturday’s Kenyan Cross Country Championships by 21-year-old steeplechaser Amos Kirui. Kirui, whose last win was at the 2016 U20 world championships (steeplechase), finished seven seconds ahead of runner-up Evans Keitany, in 29:51. Kamworor was fifth, in 30:04.

RELATED: Kamworor to defend world cross-country title

Geoffrey Kamworor
Kamworor approaching the finish line at the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon. Photo: Kelly Doyle

Kamworor won the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon and has won the world half-marathon championships three times (in 2014, 2016 and 2018).

In the senior women’s race at the Eldoret Sports Club, reigning world 5,000m champion and Olympic silver medallist Hellen Obiri won handily in 33:15, as did Beatrice Chebet in the U20 race. Beatrice Mutai, the 2016 African cross-country bronze medallist, finished 10 seconds behind Obiri, while steeplechase world record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech finished third, in 33:55.

Rodgers Kwemoi Chumo, who won the U20 10,000m title at the 2016 world championships, finished third in the senior men’s race, and Richard Yator, who won the 2015 world U18 3,000m title, was fourth. The top six finishers secured spots on Kenya’s national team for worlds.

Samuel Chebolei won the U20 men’s race in 24:10, with Emmanuel Kiprotich in second (24:18) and Leonard Bett third in 24:25.

RELATED: Video: Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor gets trampled on start line and still wins gold

The world cross country championships get underway in Denmark on March 30.

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