Ugandan blasts to senior mens title ahead of Berihu Aregawi, Joshua Cheptegei and Geoffrey Kamworor
With storm clouds ominously gathering overhead, Jacob Kiplimo whipped through the testing world cross course like a tornado. After taking bronze at the last championships in Aarhus four years ago, the 22-year-old came of age in Bathurst with a dominant victory.
Following warm temperatures at the start of the championship programme, the weather began to take a turn for the worst as the final race the senior mens 10km event approached. This led to concerned organisers bringing the start time forward by several minutes as they were eager for the race to take place before the heavens opened.
Amid increasing winds and rain, the 118-strong field got underway, but one man rose above them all Kiplimo as he made a decisive move with around one mile to go before coming home in 29:17.
The world half-marathon record-holder is a man for all seasons as he also won the Commonwealth 5000m and 10,000m double last summer. Here he made light work of the undulating, twisting and varied terrain as he coasted to the title.
Birhanu Aregawi of Ethiopia took silver in 29:26 with reigning champion Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda taking bronze in 29:37.
Geoffrey Kamworor, the 2015 and 2017 winner, was fourth in the same time as Cheptegei.
Senior men plough through the Bathurst mud (Getty)
Three more Kenyans followed in fifth to seventh places Kibiwott Kandie, Daniel Ebenyo and Sabastian Sawe before Rodrigue Kwizera of Burundi in eighth.
Kenya won the team gold with Ethiopia silver and Uganda third.
READ MORE: World Cross coverage from Bathurst
First non-African was Sam Chelanga of the United States in 21st, followed closely by Aaron Las Heras of Spain.
The lone British runner, Zak Mahamed, had a tough day back in 76th in 34:05.