Kigen had to overcome a strong challenge from his Kenyan compatriots and also testing weather conditions, with dense fog prevailing over the 9km course. His winning time was 26:07.Titus Mbishei, a silver medallist in the World Junior Cross Country Championships two years ago, took second spot in 26:13, with Jacob Cheshari (26:21) making it a 1-2-3 for Kenya.
Kigen, who turned 25 last week, impressively beat his time of 12 months ago (27:49) in what was a fast-paced race.
Last year's second-placed finisher, Andy Vernon of Great Britain, came home in a disappointing seventh place, although he finished over a minute quicker than his 2010 time.
Kigen's win ensured that first place was taken by an African athlete for the 19th time in 20 years. Indeed, the top six positions were filled by Africans today.
READ ON...
ShareThis