The Catalan mediator Adel Mechaalrunner-up in Europe cross country In 2017, he imposed his law this Sunday in the 43rd edition of the Cross San Juan Evangelistadisputed over a route of 8,000 meters in the San Gregorio de Sonseca circuit with the participation of a thousand runners from all categories.
The “cross of marzipan”, as it is known for the star product that is manufactured in this town in Toledo, had Mechaal as a great favorite, who had been left out of the Spanish team for the European Championships next Sunday in Turin and could, consequently, freely compete a week before.
Mechaal, current Spanish cross-country champion (he was also in 2017) and several times 1,500 and 5,000 on the track, as well as a European record holder for 3,000 meters on the indoor track (7:30.82)presented an impressive record compared to that of its rivals and on a windy morning, with intermittent rain, the forecast was good.
Fifth in the 1,500m final of the Tokyo 2021 Games, Antonio Serrano’s disciple set a strong pace at the beginning, then let Abderrahmane Aferdi (At. Noves) do it and He ended up winning with a 34-second advantage over him.
Jorge González (Capex) completed the podium with a time of 23:51, followed by Eduardo Menacho and Pablo Quijada.
Jessica Castany (At. Albacete), with a time of 33:00 overwhelmingly dominated the women’s race, which only had four contenders. Isabel Martínez (Tarancón) finished second, three and a half minutes behind the winner, and Mariam García Ochoa (San Ildefonso) finished third, with 38:11.
Catrofe makes history and Nahimana prevails in Granollers
The Uruguayan Santiago Catrofe (Playas de Castellón) with a time of 29:49 minutes (10,000 meters) and that has allowed him to revalidate the title, as well as the Burundian Cavaline Nahimana (28:09 in 8,000 meters). have prevailed in the 56th edition of the Ciutat de Granollers International Cross Country that this Sunday was held with the participation of 1,100 athletes from nine nations.
The low temperature (9ºC) with a thermal sensation of 7ºC, due to the high humidity (85%), pRovoke by the rains tonight and with overcast skies, it has not led to good times, but the favorites have set a strong pace from the start.
In the men’s category, over a distance of 10,000 meters (5 laps of the 2,000-meter circuit), there has been a great race, especially between Catrofe and the Spanish-Moroccan Ilias Fifa (AA Catalunya), since both have remained in an initial group of ten riders in the lead. On the fourth lap both riders have already left the group behind and have gone ahead.
Unlike last week at the Jean Bouin in Barcelona, when Ilias Fifa gave a change of pace to leave Catrofe behind, Today it was the Uruguayan who left him behind 500 meters from the finish line to win with 29:48, followed 15 seconds behind by Ilias Fifa (30:03). The Burundian runner, Celestine Ndikuma, was third with 30:17.
In the women’s 8,000 meters, Burundian runner Cavaline Nahimana, 25, with a time of 28:09, took the race with 29 seconds. ahead of the Kenyan Nancy Kerubo, second with 28:38 and with whom she has been side by side since the start.
Nahimana came from being second in the past Amorebieta cross and had also been second in the classic Jean Bouin in 2018. Third place on the podium went to the Valencian María Ureña (Cárnicas Serrano), with 28:55, followed by Blanca Batllé (AA Palamós) with 29:13.
Ndikumewnayo and Ruiz win the Aranda de Duero cross
The Spanish-Burundian Thierry Ndikumewnayo and the Burgos Cristina Ruiz have won the thirty-sixth edition of the Cross of the Constitutionwhich was held this afternoon in Aranda de Duero (Burgos).
In the elite men’s category, Ndikumewnayo, who has arrived in the riverside capital after winning in Atapuerca (Burgos) and Itálica (Seville), He has shown why he came out with the label of favourite: he has remained in the lead in a compact group that also included the three-time world triathlon champion, Mario Mola, or Daniel Arce from Burgos.
It has been in the fourth of the five laps when he has accelerated a pace that only the young Sergio Jiménez has followed him and with 500 meters remaining to complete the 9,200-meter route of the circuit, he has hit the final leap that has led him to cross the finish line with a time of 00:30:11.
Jiménez entered second place, just a second later, closing the podium, El Mehdi El Nabaoui, with 00:30:22.
In the women’s category, Cristina Ruiz has shown her superiority from the first meters in which she has been at the head of a peloton that has remained united until the penultimate lap.
The woman from Burgos has been gradually gaining laps until making a difference that she has maintained until the finish line and has covered the 7,550 meters of the route with a time of 00:27:58.
Behind her came Laura Santos, with 28:12, and Laura Luengo, with 00:28:22.
