Du Plooy rubs shoulder with world's best runners

Athletics
Andrew Poolman
  • 19 Hours Ago
Namibia’s sole representative gave his all at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, USA, on Saturday.

Divan du Plooy finished the 10-kilometre route in 32 minutes 52 seconds to cross the finish line in 81st position.

The 24-year-old former Namibian national triathlon champion, who was born in Walvis Bay, also represented his American running club Saint Mary’s College from Moraga, California.

Namibia Athletics coach Henk Botha commented: “Although he was involved in a collision at the start, Divan made us proud with the 81st place (in the) first really big international cross-country event for him. He gave his all!”

In sunny and warm conditions Jacob Kiplimo, 25, of Uganda ran full of confidence and steamrolled his rivals to claim a historic third consecutive title, as a follow-up to his win in the Chicago Marathon last October.

He ignored the fast, early pace set by American Wesley Kiptoo who led for the first three kilometers in 8:39. Kiplimo stayed back in the chase pack where he could keep his eyes on his primary rivals, Berihu Aregawi of Ethiopia and Daniel Ebenyo of Kenya.

For the bell lap with two kilometres to go it was down to Kiplimo, Ebenyo and Aregawi for the medals. Kiplimo saved his best running for the final circuit, and in the ninth kilometer he took the lead for good.

With relative ease he left Aregawi (silver) and Ebenyo (bronze) behind, and by the finish he had built an 18-second margin.

The Ugandan won in 28:18 – an incredibly fast time for this course, which included sand, a mud pit, a water hazard, and a series of logs which had to be hurdled.

“It was not easy; it was tough,” Kiplimo said when asked by a reporter if he was surprised at how easily he won the race. “Those guys were strong. For me, I have to believe in the training I have been doing.”



Dominant women’s winner

In the women’s senior race Agnes Ngetich of Kenya wasn’t interested in hanging around. Running steadily – even through the obstacles – the 24-year-old expanded her lead with every lap.

“After one lap I was like, it’s a little bit slow,” she told reporters. “So let me try to push.”

On the final lap her only company were the fans lining the course and a handful of lapped runners. She flew down the finish straight alone and won in 31:28 –a time which would win many 10,000m track races– and had a whopping 42 seconds on her closest rival, Joy Cheptoyek of Uganda. That was the second-largest winning margin in the history of these championships.

The gold medal represented Ngetich’s first individual global title.

– Additional reporting from Runblogrun.com