Nicholas Kimeli will be looking to accumulate more points during the Kenyan leg of the World Cross Country Tour set for February 12 in Eldoret.

 This is after a commanding win at the 78th Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza, a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting, in the Spanish town of Elgoibar on Sunday.

 Kimeli, who finished fourth in the Tokyo Olympics in the 5000m,  clocked 33:47 and will be hoping to improve his world cross country ranking points at home.

 Ethiopia’s Addisu Yihine finished second in 33:53 as Rodgers Kibet of Uganda completed the podium in 34:05.

 The 23-year-old Kimeli, who was running on Spanish soil for the first time, said: “Today’s race has been one of my hardest ever races because of the mud and the high calibre field.

Sh43 million

 “At the Tokyo Olympics I narrowly missed a medal but I’m determined to win one at either the World Championships in Eugene or the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.”

 He added: “I now go back to Kenya to continue my training for the Diamond League meetings set to start in May.”

 Kimeli who hails from Eldoret says it was a huge honour for Kenya to be given one of the legs of the prestigious event. 

 “It is the first time such an event is coming to Africa. For us athletes, it is such a delight to face top athletes from other parts of the world here at home,” he said.

 According to World Athletics, out of the $400,000 (Sh43m) prize money for the star performers, $75,000 (Sh8m) will be set aside for the best male and female runners in the cross country tour. 

 Kenya will mark the 14th and final leg of the Tour meetings. Other stops are in Oceania, North America, Europe and Asia.

 Furthermore, the best performers in the tour will acquire world cross country ranking points.