Edwin Kurgat of Kenya and Emily Venters from the United States took top honours at the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold event in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, November 21, 2024.
In the men’s 8km race, Kurgat made a strong move in the final kilometres to overtake early leader Athanas Kioko. Although Kioko started strong, opening up a small lead early on, Kurgat stayed in close pursuit. By the third lap, Kurgat had closed the gap to just four seconds. He surged ahead in the final stretch, finishing in 22:51, five seconds ahead of Kioko, who finished second in 22:56. Mexico’s Eduard Herrera, the 1500m record-holder, took third place with a time of 23:14.
In the women’s 6km race, Venters showed dominance from the start. She quickly built an 8-second lead by the end of the first lap, and her advantage only grew with each passing kilometre. Venters crossed the finish line in 26:03, 24 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Mercy Chelangat, who clocked 26:27. Katie Izzo finished in third with a time of 26:32.
Both Kurgat and Venters delivered standout performances, proving their strength and endurance in a field of top international talent at this prestigious World Athletics event.
Results:
Men
1 Edwin Kurgat (KEN) 22:51
2 Athanas Kioko (KEN) 22:56
3 Eduard Herrera (MEX) 23:14
4 Cruz Gomez (USA) 23:19
5 Damien Dilcher (USA) 23:20
Women
1 Emily Venters (USA) 26:03
2 Mercy Chelangat (KEN) 26:27
3 Katie Izzo (USA) 26:32
4 Amy Cashin (AUS) 26:41
5 Everlyn Kemboi (KEN) 26:47
