Feyisa Lilesa & Hiwot Ayalew win at Jan Meda International

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - World Marathon bronze medallist Feyisa Lilesa and steeplechaser Hiwot Ayalew took impressive victories at the 30th Jan Meda International – Ethiopia’s trials for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships – here on Sunday.

Hagos Gebrhiwet, the World junior record-holder for the indoor 3,000m and outdoor 5,000m, continued his impressive early season form by winning the men’s junior race, while Alemitu Haroye took the honours in the corresponding women’s race.

Lilesa holds off Demelash’s dash as Merga drops out

The Ethiopian trials may have been missing some of the country’s more illustrious cross-country athletes, but there was no shortage of thrills and excitement in another action-packed event at the Jan Meda race course.

Victories for Feyisa Lilesa and Hiwot Ayalew will capture the headlines, but equally enthralling was the list of high-profile athletes who found the going tough and dropped out of the contest with defending World cross-country champion Imane Merga, former World indoor 1500m champion Gelete Burka and World youth 3000m champion Gotytom Gebreslase topping the list of casualties. Read more on IAAF.org