NAIROBI — Two-time defending champion Beatrice Chebet will not compete at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, on January 10. The omission, confirmed in today’s official team announcement, officially ends Chebet’s bid to become the first Kenyan woman in history to secure three consecutive senior world cross-country titles.
Beatrice Chebet, the reigning Olympic and World champion at both 5,000m and 10,000m, was looking to join an elite circle of only two other women to achieve the “three-peat”: Norway’s Grete Waitz and America’s Lynn Jennings.
The “Reserve” Status Ends
The 5,000m world record holder had been a subject of intense speculation after skipping the Kenyan selection race in Eldoret on October 25. While Athletics Kenya (AK) initially listed her as a reserve, their final decision adheres to the strict policy that athletes must participate in the national trials to be eligible for the travelling squad.
Kenya’s Defensive Lineup
Despite the loss of their marquee star, Kenya remains the favourite to defend the team titles they swept in 2023 and 2024. The women’s senior squad will now be spearheaded by Agnes Jebet Ngetich, the current road 10K world record holder and 2023 individual bronze medalist.
Ngetich is joined by a formidable roster featuring:
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Maurine Chebor: The newly crowned Kenyan national XC champion.
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Brenda Kenei & Joyline Jepkemoi
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Rebecca Mwangi & Caren Chebet
The Stakes in Tallahassee
The 46th edition of the championships sees Kenya attempting to maintain its global dominance in the discipline. With Chebet sidelined, the spotlight shifts to whether the Kenyan women can maintain their collective “gold standard” against rising threats from Ethiopia and Uganda without their most decorated leader.
