Team Uganda Third In World Cross Country Event

Uganda have finished third overall in the 2017 World Cross Country Championship that climaxed at the Kololo Independence ground on Sunday.

Team Uganda finished with 35 points after bagging one goal medal and two bronze medals. Kenya who dominated the competition won the overall team event with three gold medals, four silver medals and two bronze medals to bag 79 points.

Ethiopia who won the last competition in China were second with 58 points. Baharain and Eritrea were fourth and fifth respectively.

Kenya was dominant in the mixed relay, Senior women and senior men races at the Kololo Independence grounds.

Kenya's team of Asbel Kiprop, Winfred Nzisa Mbithe, Bernard Kiprorir Koros and Beatrice Chepkoech started off the day in style by winning the first ever mixed relay (8km) gold medal.

In the second race of the day women's U-20 race (6km) saw Ethiopia win gold, while Kenya was second to settle for silver and hosts Uganda in third place with a bronze medal.

Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo was in good form as he bagged the country first ever World Cross Country gold medal when he won the U-20 men's race with a time of 22.40 over 8km.

The Kenyans who were cheered on by over 200 traveling fans dominated the women's senior race with six runners occupying the first six places. Irene Chepet Cheptai won the race with a time of 31:57, while Alice Aprot Nawowuna came second.

In the men's senior race Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei dominated most of the race, but was unlucky to get tired later as Kenya's Geoffrey Kamworor retained his gold medal he won in China at the previous Championship. Ethiopia however won the team event gold medal, while Kenya picked silver and Uganda a bronze medal.