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 Former Africa 3,000m steeplechase champion Norah Jeruto won the Cross Internacional de Italica, a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting, in Santiponce on the outskirts of Seville in 24:22 on Sunday holding off world 5,000m silver medallist Margaret Kipkemboi Chelimo by just one second in a very close sprint finish.

Jeruto set the third fastest time in the world in the 3,000m steeplechase in Eugene and won the Diamond League trophy over this distance in Zurich in September. Beatrice Chebet, the 2018 world under-20 5,000m champion crossed the finish-line in third place in 24:35. 

Right from the start of the women’s 7.9km contest, Jeruto took commandof the race and led a quartet that included compatriot Chebet, Ethiopia’s 5km world record holder Senbere Teferi and recent Atapuerca winner Rahel Daniel. Margaret Chelimo, the defending champion, was a few seconds adrift of the leaders within the first few kilometres.

While Jeruto and Chebet took charge of the pacing duties, Teferi and Daniel ran at the back of the lead pack. 

Just before the halfway point, Chelimo made contact with the lead group and moved to the front alongside Chebet and Jeruto. Daniel, meanwhile, began to lose contact after the fourth kilometre as the race became a duel between the Kenyan trio and Teferi.