Kenya’s Pamela Kosgei (pictured) won bronze in the Women U20 World Cross Country Championships as Ethiopian teenager Senayet Getachew upset the pre-race favourites to win a close and arduous U20 women’s race.

Getachew, 17, who finished third in her national junior cross-country trial, claimed gold in the rough-and-tumble 6km encounter.

 Ethiopian compatriot Medina Eisa, 18, finished close on her teammate’s heels to snatch the silver. Just a breadth away in third was Kenya’s Pamela Kosgei, 15.

 The podium times reflect the closeness of the race which featured steep downhills, mud and slush, taxing climbs and challenging mounds with Getachew clocking 20:53, Medina 21:00 and Kosgei 21:01.

 Getachew credited her Ethiopian teammates with assisting her breakthrough victory.

 “We were preparing ourselves for this world championship and our team spirit was good,” Getachew said. “When we run together in this race, that team spirit helped me to win.”

– Athletics Kenya media

Sixty-one athletes from 16 countries started the event and there was drama right from the start with the world’s leading juniors slipping and tumbling in the mud. At the end of the first of three 2km laps, nine runners were bunched together, clocking 7:10 at the turn.