Spain’s Playas de Castellon were once again the dominant force at the European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country taking no less than five of the nine titles on offer in Albufeira, Portugal on Sunday (25).
In addition to both senior individual titles, Playas de Castellon retained their senior men’s and mixed relay team titles and also regained the U20 men’s team crown last won in 2018.
Ndikumwenayo makes ECCC history
Reigning Spanish cross country champion Thierry Ndikumwenayo became the first man to win ECCC Cross Country titles as both a senior and U20 athlete when he surged with just 300 metres to go to shake off his clubmate and defending two-time champion Rodrigue Kwizera as well as Atletica Noceta’s Oscar Chelimo, who was second in 2023.
Ndikumwenayo crossed the line after 9130m of running over a challenging and undulating course, which including several uphill sections and also stretches of running on sandy terrain, in 27:18. Chelimo and Kwizera both give the same time of 27:19 although with the verdict for second place was given to the Ugandan 2022 world championships 5000m medallist who runs for the Italian club.
With two men in the first three, it was now a question of waiting to see when Playas de Castellon’s third scorer would arrive.
Nervous moments ensured as three runners from the French club De Athle came home in sixth, ninth and 11th place but they eventually had to settle for second place and miss out on the title by just five points as Angel Martinez finished 14th overall – which was adjusted to 12th in the team standings as two individual international runners competing in the concurrent World Athletics Cross Country Tour event – to give the Spanish club the team title for the second consecutive year-
With this year's win, it was the 18th time a Spanish senior men’s team had triumphed in the 59 editions of the ECCC Cross Country.
Amebaw back on top
Playas de Castellon’s 2022 individual senior women’s winner Likina Amebaw was the most convincing winner of the day when she romped away to regain her title in 30:45, a massive 32 seconds in front of CUS Pro Patria’s Francine Niyomukunzi.
With just two laps to go, a five-women group was still together but shortly afterwards Amebaw - who finished a disappointing sixth on home soil in Oropesa del Mar 12 months ago in the defence of her title -started to go through the gears and leave her rivals training in her wake.
¡Qué exhibición de Likina!
— CA Facsa Playas de Castellón (@atletismoplayas) February 25, 2024
🥇Likina Amebaw se ha impuesto en la carrera absoluta femenina
🍫 Por equipos, nos hemos quedado a tan solo 6 puntos del podio
🏆 23 Batman Petrol
🥈 26 Barga
🥉 34 Bilbao Atletismo
🍫 40 Facsa Playas de Castellón pic.twitter.com/DTkwrqjKeC
However, on this occasion Amebaw couldn’t help her club get on the podium let alone retain their 2023 team title with victory going to the Turkish club Batman Petrol.
Atalu Zelalem, Sultan Haydar and Bahar Atalay crossing the line in fourth, fifth and 14th place respectively for the Turkish club while, in a reversal of fortunes with Amebaw from last year, 2023 runaway winner Anjelina Nadai Lohalith, running for the Israeli club Hapoel Tel-Aviv AC, could only finish a distant ninth this time 1:10 behind the winner.
Playas' El Khayami runs outstanding mixed relay leg
The final event of the day did, however, see another Playas de Castellon team win as the quartet of Mohamed Reda, Carla Jimenez, Abderrahman El Khayami and Mireya Arnedillo retained their title.
Most of the plaudits for the victory must go to El Khayami, who has a 1500m best of 3:37.11 and ran 7:49.04 indoors earlier this month, after he clawed back a 10-second deficit at the start of his third leg, covering his lap of just over 1500m in 4:00 and five seconds faster than anyone else.
He gave Arnedillo the wristband level with Emilie Girard of the French club Decines Meyzou but the Spaniard, a 2021 European U20 1500m bronze medallist, pulled away from her rival with around 250 metres to go to win in 18:16 with Decines Meyzou coming home two seconds behind.
DECIDLO BIEN ALTO
— CA Facsa Playas de Castellón (@atletismoplayas) February 25, 2024
🏆🏆🏆 SOMOS TRICAMPEONES DE EUROPA 🏆🏆🏆
🏆 Sub20 masculino
🏆 Absoluto masculini
🏆 Relevo mixto
E N H O R A B U E N A @Facsa_es @dipcas @FTA_CV @AjuntCastello pic.twitter.com/wKlQ6R7XpQ
Lionel Nihimbazwe, racing for the Italian club Toscana, was out on his own from the halfway point in the U20 men's race and came home a clear winner in 17:00 over the 5620m course.
However, Playas de Castellon’s Unai Naranjo was an impressive second place and finished in 17:10, putting eight seconds between himself and Fenerbahce’s Ali Tunc after the pair heard the bell while running shoulder-to-shoulder.
The U20 men’s team contest was the closest of the day with both Playas de Castellon and Toscana having 21 points but the Spanish club taking the title which they had previously won in 2017 and 2018 by virtue of having a better-placed third scorer.
Kocek shows her cross country credentials
The one category in which Playas de Castellon didn‘t take a title was in the U20 women's race and it was Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce who reigned supreme as they returned to the top of the podium in both the U20 women’s individual and team contests.
2023 European U20 1500m champion Dilek Kocek and 2022 European U18 3000m bronze medallist Edibe Yagiz worked together to pull away from their nearest rivals at almost exactly the halfway point in the 5620m, midway through the second of three laps, and quickly built up a commanding lead.
However, early in the third and final lap it was clear that Kocek was the stronger of the Turkish pair and, as Yagiz started to visibly tire, she started her move for home just inside the final kilometre.
Kocek crossed the line in 19:42, 15 seconds in front of her compatriot who finished second in 19: 57 with Clermont Auvergne Margot Dajoux third in 20:15, the third consecutive year the Frenchwoman had taken the bronze medal at this event.
Kocek and Yagiz didn’t have to wait long for confirmation that they would be returning to the top of the podium a second time as Melek Pinar finished fifth to mean Fenerbahce clinched the gold medal with just eight points.
Phil Minshull for European Athletics