Ugandan runner Jacob Kiplimo delivered a stellar performance at the Nationale-Nederlanden San Silvestre Vallecana in Madrid, Spain, finishing shoulder-to-shoulder with Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi in an entertaining conclusion to the men’s elite 10-kilometer race.
The duo clocked a blistering 26 minutes and 33 seconds, the third-fastest time in the race’s history. Ultimately, Aregawi was declared the winner as he edged Kiplimo by mere fractions of a second at the finish line.
From the outset, Kiplimo and Aregawi demonstrated their dominance, pulling away from the pack in the first three kilometers, completed in a swift 8:02.
Their relentless pace kept competitors at bay, including Spain’s Adel Mechaal, who secured third place in 27:40. The top two runners passed the halfway mark at 13:12 and covered 8 kilometers in 21:57 before their dramatic sprint to the finish.
Kiplimo has continued to solidify his position among the global elite. His performance in Madrid caps off a stellar year which included successfully defending his senior men’s title at the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade.
While the men’s race featured a historic battle, Spain’s Marta García stole the spotlight in the women’s event, becoming the first Spanish winner of the race since 2008. García clocked 27:37, defeating Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich in a remarkable upset.
