Bekele strikes back, Burka defends - Edinburgh Cross Country report
International Association of Athletics Foundation, Monaco - January 12, 2008

A trademark late burst of acceleration by Kenenisa Bekele secured a hat-trick of BUPA Great Edinburgh International Cross Country titles and avenged his 2007 IAAF World Cross Country defeat at the hands of Zersenay Tadese.

Question marks had been raised over Bekele’s long-held superiority on the country after he abandoned the race in the latter stages of last year’s IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa last March when Tadese snatched gold.

However, at an icy Scottish capital the ten-time IAAF senior World Cross Country champion delivered a firm swipe at any critics by opening up a gap on the testing climb of Haggis Knowe, to accelerate to victory in the 9.3km test from Tadese and long-time leader Eliud Kipchoge ...

Burka defends decisively - Women’s race

In the women’s race, Gelete Burka also secured a hat-trick of titles as she cruised to a 15-second win from IAAF World Junior Cross Country champion Linet Masai.

Burka kicked ahead on the first of two long laps at Haggis Knowe and the Ethiopian powered clear of her rivals for the most decisive win of the day.

Burka’s accomplishments in Edinburgh mark her out as a serious contender for gold when she returns to the Scottish capital in March. A winner of the IAAF World Cross Country short course title in 2006, the Ethiopian struggled last summer with an Achilles tendon injury and missed three months training but she showed she has fully recovered with a blistering run.

“The cold is different,” she said diplomatically of the icy weather she faced in Edinburgh. “The injury is okay, and it is good to be a three-time winner" ...