Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
Kenyans Joseph Ebuya and Linet Masai notched comfortable victories at the 21st Cross de l'Acier in Leffrinckoucke, France, on Sunday (28).
Ebuya, the reigning World Cross Country champion, covered the snowy 9.95Km course in 28:08 to handily outdistance Imane Merga of Ethiopia, a three-time winner at this race. It was the third Cross Country victory in four races for Ebuya this fall.
Merga, the Diamond Race winner in the 5000m in the inaugural Samsung Diamond League series, finishe 29 seconds behind. Kenyans Mike Kigen and Jacob Chesari and finished third and fourth, in 28:42 and 28:52, respectively.
Masai, the reigning World 10,000m champion and World Cross Country silver medallist, had an easy time as well, beating Ethiopian Emebet Anteneh by 19 seconds over the 6.55Km course, clocking 21:40. Anteneh, 18, struck silver in the 3000m at the World Junior Championships last summer.
Seventeen-year-old Kenyan Purity Rionoripo, the 2009 World youth champion in the 3000m, was third, finishing four seconds behind Anteneh.