Kidane sprints to Belfast win again

(07/01/2006)

Ethiopia's Etalemahu Kidane has won the Belfast International Cross Country meeting on the Stormont Estate for the second successive year.

Kidane outsprinted her rivals at the end to lead home her compatriots Deribe Alemu and Ashu Kasim in an Ethiopian 1-2-3.

The 22-year-old former African 5,000m champion, who also won last year race with a sprint-finish in 20:26, crossed the line in 19 minutes and 09 seconds, Alemu second in 19 minutes and 10 seconds while Kasim was third in 19 minutes and 14 seconds.

Kenya's Barnabas Kosgei, who was third last year, won the men's race in 28 minutes and 05 seconds ahead of Uganda's Moses Kipsiro (second in 28:06) and defending champion American Dathan Ritzenheim (third in 28:20).

The South African-born Irish star Alistair Cragg, 25, who is the reigning European indoor 3,000m champion, finished a disappointing sixth in 29:09.

Results

Men
1. Barnabas Kosgei (Kenya) 28:05
2. Moses Kipsiro (Uganda) 28:06
3. Dathan Ritzenhein (USA) 28:20
4. Samson Kiflemariam (Eritrea) 28:43
5. Tewodros Shiffraw (Ethiopia) 28:45
6. Alistair Cragg (Ireland) 29:09

Women
1. Etalemahu Kidane (Ethiopia) 19:09
2. Deribe Alemu (Ethiopia) 19:10
3. Ashu Kasim (Ethiopia) 19:14
4. Mary Cullen (Ireland) 19:20