Meet the Kenyan dream team, where a 28:57 10k might only be good enough for third
The Kenyan team that will line up in Belgrade on Saturday is one of the most formidable in the history of this meet, a mix of proven veterans and emerging talent. Just look at the resumes of the six women on the squad, listed in order of finish at the Kenyan trials on March 2:
Agnes Ngetich, 23 years old: Perhaps the next great global distance talent. Just ran a road world record of 28:46 for 10k on January 14. 3rd at 2023 World XC.
Emmaculate Anyango, 23 years old: Her emergence is even more surprising than Ngetich's. Had pbs of 15:22/32:51 until five months ago, when she ran 30:01 for 10k in Lille. Then took 1+ minute off that pb by running 28:57 in Valencia on January 14.
Lilian Rengeruk, 26 years old: The only woman on both the 2017 and 2024 dream teams, Rengeruk has pbs of 8:25/14:23/29:32 (the latter coming in the same Valencia road race as Ngetich and Anyango). Rengeruk was 3rd at World XC in 2017 and 2nd at the world road 5k champs last year.
Beatrice Chebet, 24 years old: The most accomplished athlete on the team, Chebet is the reigning World XC champ and has earned silver and bronze in the 5,000 at the last two Worlds. Last year she ran 14:05 on the track to become the third-fastest woman in the history of the 5,000, then won the 5k at the world road champs in October.
Margaret Kipkemboi, 31 years old: Kipkemboi (8:21/14:23/29:50 pbs) has finished in the top 5 at the last four Worlds on the track, including 5k silver in 2019 and 10k bronze in 2022. Last year she earned silver at the World Half. She has not run World XC since 2015, when she finished 13th in Guiyang.
Cintia Chepngeno, 23 years old: Chepngeno, who DNF'd World XC last year, may be Kenya's #6 runner, but Kenya's #6 is better than almost any other country's #2. In Valencia on January 14, she ran 30:08 for 10k. For reference, the US 10,000m record (on the track) is 30:03.
Prior to the super shoe era, one would think that roster was part of a bizarre dream. Think about it. In the year 2015, if you dreamed that there would be a women's cross country team with its projected final scorer (4 score at World XC) possessing a 14:05 5000 pb, that would have been a wild dream. Now it's reality.
So who is the favorite? Is it the defending champ Chebet who also has a 14:05 pb? Or is it Agnes Ngetich who ran 28:46 on the roads recently?
Vote in our poll in our article and tell us who you voted for below