The greatest cross-country runners in the history of the sport pass through Santiponce (Seville) every November, and this Sunday it will be demonstrated once again at the Itálica Cross with the presence of Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi, the current Olympic silver medallist over 10,000 metres and a three-time world silver medallist in the discipline, the most recent of which came in January, always finishing behind Jacob Kiplimo, the Ugandan who already made his mark in this race in 2019.
The event can be watched live on Canal Sur and RTVE Play, as well as on the Itálica Cross YouTube channel, with the junior races starting from 9:00 a.m. The international races, covering a distance of 9,550 metres, will take place at 11:40 a.m. for the female category and at 12:25 p.m. for the male category.
AREGAWI, ANTE LOS DOMINADORES DE LAS ÚLTIMAS EDICIONES
The 25-year-old athlete will aim to join the prestigious list of champions and disrupt the third victory among the Roman ruins of the Spaniards Thierry Ndikumwenayo, winner in 2022 and 2024, and Rodriguez Kwizera, winner in 2021 and 2025. In his sole appearance two years ago, he finished third behind the Castellón-based athletes, for whom Itálica will mark the season’s cross debut after Kwizera’s Valencia Half Marathon clocking 58:03, a Spanish record and the eighth fastest mark in history, and Ndikumwenayo’s 58:09 for second place.
Kwizera pursues his first victory as a Spaniard in Itálica after his naturalisation last spring and arrives having dominated the cross world circuit in recent seasons with wins in Alcobendas and Albufeira, in addition to triumphing in Itálica last winter. Ndikumwenayo, for his part, is gearing up to defend his European cross title on December 13 in Belgrade.
A large group of Spain’s best in the discipline will also run in Santiponce, seeking to earn credentials to compete at that European Championship, starting with Nassim Hassaous, the current national champion and seventh in 2022, or Yahya Aouina, national king in 2025 and 10th last year, Dani Arce, who comes from being the best Spanish finisher last Sunday in San Sebastián, or Fernando Carro, an international obstacle medalist and a 2h09m marathoner. To those names we must add Alejandro Quijada, sixth in the 3,000 metres obstacles at the last European, or Aarón Las Heras, ninth at the last European cross and one of the finest in grass and mud.
Gran parte de los mejores españoles de la especialidad correrán también en Santiponce buscando hacer méritos para competir en ese Europeo, empezando por Nassim Hassaous, vigente campeón de España y 7º en 2022 o Yahya Aouina, rey nacional en 2025 y 10º el año pasado, Dani Arce, que viene de ser el mejor nacional el pasado domingo en San Sebastián o Fernando Carro, medallista internacional en obstáculos y maratoniano de 2h09. A esos nombres habrá que sumar a Alejandro Quijada, 6º en los 3.000m obstáculos del último Europeo, o Aarón Las Heras, 9º en el último Europeo de cross y uno de los mejores especialistas en la hierba y el barro.
Más allá de Aregawi y de una nómina de atletas noruegos, mejicanos o italianos, a Itálica llega un batallón de siete atletas africanos de 19 y 20 años dispuestos a meterse en los primeros puestos entre los que destacan los kenianos Frankline Kibet, campeón mundial sub-20, y Andrew Alamisi y Denis Kipkoech Kemboi, segundo y tercero en Itálica el año pasado. El último viene además de ganar el pasado domingo en San Sebastián.
LA CARRERA FEMENINA CORONARÁ A UNA NUEVA CAMPEONA EN ITÁLICA
The Itálica Cross will surely crown a new winner, and the list of favourites to triumph is led by Likina Amebaw, an Ethiopian based in Ávila who comes from winning the Amorebieta Cross and finished 3rd in last year’s Santiponce edition, in addition to starring in a strong season finale on the track with a Diamond League victory and the World Ultimate title in the 5,000 metres and the 5-kilometre road world title.
Amebaw will face the Ethiopian Wosane Asefa and the Ugandan Charity Cherop, silver and bronze at the World U20 Cross in Tallahassee (USA) last January, the Kenyan Cynthia Chepkirui, winner of the Cardiff Cross last year, the Ethiopian Yenenesh Shimket, who recently broke the under-20 world record for the 10 kilometres on the road just over a month ago, the Burundian Francine Niyomukunzi, second three weeks ago in Amorebieta, or the Kenyan Maurine Jepkoech Chebor, winner this Sunday in San Sebastián.
Another notable athlete will be the Frenchwoman Alice Finot, European champion and 4th place in the 2024 Olympic Games in the 3,000 metres steeplechase, who will race against the Huelva-born Maria Forero, European U20 and U23 champion in the event and runner-up a few days ago in Donosti. Among the rest of the Spaniards are the Sevilla-born Carolina Robles, national cross-country gold medallist in 2024 and 2025 and three times among the top ten at Itálica, Angela Viciosa, Marta Serrano and Carla Gallardo, 8th, 9th and 11th in the last edition.
