Oljira to defend Cross de Atapuerca title in Burgos

Ethiopia’s  Belaynesh Oljira will return to the scene of her 2014 Cross de Atapuerca triumph when she returns to the IAAF Cross Country Permit meeting in Burgos on 15 November.

The 25-year-old was a comfortable winner in the Spanish town last year, finishing ahead of Mercy Cherono and two-time winner Hiwot Ayalew.

Oljira, who finished second in this competition in 2011, will now bid to become the third back-to-back winner of the women’s race in Burgos, following in the footsteps of Ayalew and Tirunesh Dibaba.

In 2013 Oljira took bronze medals at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and over 10,000m at the IAAF World Championships. This year she finished ninth at both the World Cross Country Championships and the World Championships, but has had more success on the roads, winning competitive 10km races in San Juan and Bogota.

Source: IAAF.org