The 2018-19 European Athletics Cross Country Permit Meeting series drew to a close on Sunday (20) and European athletes enjoyed success in the three remaining races on the calendar.
Fitwi and Gehring secure a German double in Kerkrade
At the Abdijcross in Kerkrade in the Netherlands, there was a German double as Samuel Fitwi and Anna Gehring both improved on their silver medals from the U23 race at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships last month.
The silver medallist behind France’s Jimmy Gressier in Tilburg, Fitwi produced his first victory since graduating out of the U23 ranks, winning over 10.5km in 32:58 ahead of Saudi Arabia’s Tarik Ahmed el Amri (33:11) with Sweden’s David Nilsson making it two Europeans on the podium in third in 33:18.
Gehring broke away in the early stages of the senior women’s 7.4km and won by an even bigger margin ahead of Ruth van der Meijden - 25:58 to 26:18 - with Danish-based Kenyan Sylvia Medugu third in 26:33.
Both Fitwi and Gehring were part of the victorious European team at the Simplyhealth Great Stirling XCountry last Saturday.
Gosk leads a Polish one-two in Hannut
Polish athletes took a one-two in the senior women’s 6km at the AA Drink CrossCup in Hannut. Fourteenth at the European Cross Country Championships, Anna Gosk ran out victorious in 19:29 ahead of Katarzyna Rutkowska in 19:37.
There was some home success to toast as Nina Lauwaert pipped the experienced Romanian Roxana Barca to reach the podium, 19:49 to 19:50.
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Isaac Kimeli went one better for the hosts in the senior men’s race but the European cross country silver medallist was a distant second as Uganda’s Thomas Ayeko enjoyed a gun-to-tape victory over 9km in 25:26.
Kimeli came in just over half-a-minute adrift in 25:57, one second ahead of Robin Hendrix.
Dieter Kersten won the 3km in 8:29.
There was a Czech winner at the Cross della Vallagarina in Rovereto as Moira Stewartova won the senior women’s 6.5km in 22:41 ahead of Hungary’s Lilla Bohm in 22:48.
Competing against the seniors, reigning European U20 mountain running champion Angela Mattevi, 18, had the beating of her domestic senior rivals, finishing third in 22:54.
Ethiopian youngster Telahun Haile won the senior men’s 9km in 26:12 by three seconds ahead of Kenya’s Jairus Birech. Cesare Maestri was the best of the Italians in fourth in 27:44.