| U20 men's race at the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships | |
|---|---|
| Organisers | World Athletics |
| Edition | 45th |
| Date | 30 March 2024 |
| Host city | Belgrade, Serbia  |
| Events | 1 |
| Distances | 8 km – U20 men |
| Participation | 91 athletes from 24 nations |
The U20 men's race at the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships was held in Belgrade, Serbia on 30 March 2024, at 11:25 AM local time. [1] Samuel Kibathi won the individual race, one second ahead of Mezgebu Sime. [2]
Despite only starting five out of the allowable six runners, Kenya won the team race. The teams were scored by the sum of the top four runners' placings, with ties being broken on the fifth runner's position. [3]
| Rank | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
 |  Kenya | 15 |
 |  Ethiopia | 21 |
 |  Uganda | 52 |
| 4 |  Japan | 77 |
| 5 |  South Africa | 114 |
| 6 |  Morocco | 114 |
| 7 |  United States | 153 |
| 8 |  Spain | 159 |
| 9 |  Australia | 166 |
| 10 |  United Kingdom | 175 |
| 11 |  France | 180 |
| 12 |  New Zealand | 234 |
| 13 |  Canada | 264 |
| 14 | Serbia | 299 |
Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner. Kipyegon is the current world record holder for the 1,500 metres and mile, and the former world record holder for the 5,000 metres. Kipyegon is the only three-time Olympic champion in the 1500 metres race, having won a gold medal each at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics. She also won a gold medal in the 1,500 m at the 2017, 2022 and 2023 World Athletics Championships and in the 5,000 m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Kipyegon became the first athlete ever to win three consecutive gold medals in the 1500m women's race, where she also set a new Olympic record. Kipyegon had earlier on in the 2024 Paris Olympics also earned a silver medal in the women's 5000m race, an event marked by controversy. Initially disqualified for obstruction, Kipyegon's second-place finish was later reinstated. Beatrice Chebet edged her out to win the gold.
Gudaf Tsegay Desta is an Ethiopian middle- and long-distance runner. She is the current women’s world record holder for 5,000 m (14:00.21), set at the 2023 final Diamond League event, the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon. Eugene is also where she won the World Athletics Championships on 5,000 m in 2022. At the World Athletics Championships, Gudaf also won the gold medal for 10,000 metres in 2023; a bronze for the 1,500 metres in 2019, and silver in 2022. She is the 2020 Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist in the women's 5,000 metres. She is a two-time World Indoor Championship 1,500 m medallist, claiming bronze in 2016 and gold in 2022. She is also the world indoor record holder for the 1,500 m, setting previously in this event world under-18 (current) and U20 (former) records.
Aron Kifle Teklu is an Eritrean long-distance runner. He is the bronze medallist from the 2018 World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia. Aron is also the silver medallist in the 10000m from both the 2016 World U20 Championships and the 2019 All-African Games.
Jacob Kiplimo is a Ugandan long-distance runner. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and the 2022 World Athletics Championships, Kiplimo won a bronze medal in the 10,000 m events. Kiplimo won gold medals in the 5000 m and 10,000 m events at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and he won a silver and gold medal at the 2019 and 2023 World Cross Country Championships, respectively. He was also the winner of the 2020 World Half Marathon, and is the former world record holder in the half marathon, which he held from 2021 to 2024 with a time of 57:31.
Selemon Barega Shirtaga is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. He won the gold medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, silver for the 5,000 metres at the 2019 World Championships in Doha and bronze in the 10,000 metres at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. Selemon is a two-time 3,000 metres World Indoor Championship medallist, taking silver in 2018, and a gold in 2022.
Rhonex Kipruto is a Kenyan long-distance runner. Kipruto won the bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 2019 World Athletics Championships and was the world record holder for the 10 km road race, until he was stripped of both titles in June 2024 due to “a deliberate and sophisticated doping regime”. Prior to his result being annulled, Kipruto placed third on the half marathon world all-time list.
Beatrice Chebet is a Kenyan long-distance runner who is the world record holder in the 10,000 m and the gold medalist at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the 5000 m and 10,000 m races, becoming the third woman in history to win both events at the same Olympic games.
Lamecha Girma is an Ethiopian athlete who specialises in the 3,000 metres steeplechase. He is the 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medallist in the event and won silver medals at the 2019, 2022 and 2023 World Athletics Championships. Lamecha also won a silver in the 3,000 metres at the 2022 World Indoor Championships. He is the world indoor record holder for the 3,000 metres, which was set in February 2023. In June 2023 at the Meeting de Paris of the Diamond League, he broke the world record for the men's 3,000 metres steeplechase.
The Junior women's race at the 2019 IAAF World Cross Country Championships was held at the Aarhus in Denmark, on March 30, 2019. Beatrice Chebet from Kenya won the gold medal edging Ethiopian runners Alemitu Tariku and Tsigie Gebreselama. All three medalists finished so tightly, they all were given the same finish time of 20:50. Even 4th place Ugandan Sarah Chelangat was within a second of the winner.
Berihu Aregawi Teklehaimanot is an Ethiopian long-distance runner and the current world record holder in the 5000 m road race and the 10,000 m road race.
Ejgayehu Taye is an Ethiopian Olympic long-distance runner. She won the bronze medal for the 3000 metres at the 2022 World Indoor Championships. She also held the mixed world record 5 km road race from 2021 to 2024, with a time of 14:19.
Philemon Rono, nicknamed the "baby police", is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon. He holds the Canadian all-comers' record in the marathon, having run the fastest marathon ever in Canada of 2:05:00 to win the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Rono is a three-time winner of this marathon, having won the race in 2016, 2017 and 2019.
Samwel Chebolei Masai is a Kenyan middle-distance runner.
Samuel Kibathi Wanjiru is a Kenyan long distance and cross country runner.
Robe Dida is an Ethiopian long distance runner.
Mezgebu Sime is an Ethiopian long distance runner.
The Senior men's race at the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships was held at Belgrade, Serbia, on March 30, 2024. Jacob Kiplimo from Uganda won the gold medal by 3 seconds over Ethiopia's Berihu Aregawi and Kenya's Benson Kiplangat, who finished third.
The Senior mixed relay race at the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships was held at Belgrade, Serbia, on March 30, 2024. Reynold Cheruiyot, Virginia Nyambura Nganga, Kyumbe Munguti, Purity Chepkirui from Kenya won the gold medal by 28 seconds over Ethiopia's team.
The Senior women's race at the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships was held at Belgrade, Serbia, on March 30, 2024. Beatrice Chebet from Kenya won the gold medal by 3 seconds over Kenya's Lilian Kasait Rengeruk and Kenya's Margaret Kipkemboi, who finished third.
The U20 women's race at the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships was held in Belgrade, Serbia on 30 March 2024, at 11:00 AM local time. Marta Alemayo won the individual race, four seconds ahead of Asayech Ayichew. Two of the Kenyan U20 team members were denied immigration visas by the hosts, allowing Ethiopia to win the team title.
