The first day of action in Copenhagen produced drama in all four of the races on the schedule, with Eritrea’s Dawit Seare storming late to win the men’s 5k title on Saturday at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen.
Seare held off Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen and crossed the line first in a dramatic 12:56 victory on a day when three of the events came down to the closing moments.
An aggressive lead group held tight through the first four kilometers when Mezgebu Sime suddenly broke free at 10:24 in a bold move to clear space for himself, but Seare stayed close. The pack was trimmed into a single file of chasing Sime, who began to fade as Seare saw his chance to lock down the win but was passed by Ingebrigtsen.
But in the closing steps, Seare accelerated and cruised in for the victory as Ingebrigtsen took second in 12:59 and Eritrea’s Saymon Amanuel finished third in 13:00.
The women’s 5k took a decidedly different tone as Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw dominated in a 14:41 win in a race where she wasted little time establishing her position on the course. Just six days after her win at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Amebaw set the tone on Saturday after the first kilometer and only faced a minor threat from fellow Ethiopian Aleshign Baweke and Kenya’s Caroline Gitonga just before three kilometers.
But the race came down to Amebaw and Gitonga, who briefly were shoulder to shoulder through four kilometers before Amebaw shifted gear and put the competition out of reach and opened a huge lead on her way to the win as she celebrated before even crossing the line.
“I’m coming straight from Budapest, but the shift from track to road was not really difficult as I have been training both at the same time,” Amebaw said. “The track was a bit difficult for me so running the 5km today was better and I felt good – I had prepared for road racing.”
Gitonga took second in 14:48 and Australia’s Rose Davies was third in 14:50.
In the men’s mile, Germany’s Robert Farken pulled off a stunner as he kicked late to upset Team USA’s Yared Nuguse with a 3:51.80 world lead.
Nuguse set out to lead from the opening steps as the chase group appeared to be battling for the final two podium spots behind a pace that only escalated well through the midway point of the race.
But with 400 meters remaining, the mood grew frantic and the pack set out to challenge Nuguse with the finish line in sight. Farken pulled up next to a fading Nuguse and pumped his arms as he took the come-from-behind victory and world-leading mark.
Nuguse was a close second in 3:52.33 and Luxembourg’s Ruben Querinjean was third in 3:52.77.
“I knew I needed to stay close to him and find some shelter from the wind a few places back,” Farken said. “I’ve raced a road mile before and it felt so much longer than I expected, so today I took it bit by bit. I kept telling myself to wait, wait, wait. Then in the end I just put everything into it and ran.”
France’s Agathe Guillemot made sure she was part of the world lead action as she bolted to a 4:22.74 win in the women’s mile after a patient presence in a deep lead pack paid off with a final sprint.
With Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu and Team USA’s Addison Wiley guiding the pace as they crossed the halfway point with the other leaders at 2:18 and no one taking a chance on making a move too early.
Hailu then showed that she was prepared to take control of the race and inched forward, but Guillemot asserted herself after taking a cautious approach for the bulk of the event and surged to the win and world lead. Hailu was second in 4:24.35 and Kenya’s Mirriam Cherop finished third in 4:25.71.
“It’s nice to finish with a medal – and even nicer to finish with gold,” Guillemot said. “It has been a very long season, with a lot of races and some difficult moments. It wasn’t a perfect season, but it had a perfect ending.”
Men’s 5k
1. Dawit Seare (Eritrea) – 12:56
2. Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Norway) – 12:59
3. Saymon Amanuel (Eritrea) – 13:00
4. Ky Robinson (Australia) – 13:04
5. Keneth Kiprop (Uganda) – 13:04
6. Addisu Yihune (Ethiopia) – 13:07
7. Mezgebu Sime (Ethiopia) – 13:08
8. Mathew Kipchumba Kipsang (Kenya) – 13:11
9. Egide Ntakarutimana (Burundi) – 13:12
10. Maxime Chaumeton (South Africa) – 13:13
Women’s 5k
1. Likina Amebaw (Ethiopia) – 14:41
2. Caroline Gitonga (Kenya) – 14:48
3. Rose Davies (Australia) – 14:50
4. Tayla Kavanagh (South Africa) – 14:51
5. Aleshign Baweke (Ethiopia) – 14:53
6. Marta García (Spain) – 14:59
7. Georgia Griffith (Australia) – 15:01
8. Samiya Hassan Nour (Dijbouti) – 15:04
9. Hannah Gapes (New Zealand) – 15:06
10. Hannah Nuttall (Great Britain) – 15:08
Men’s Mile
1. Robert Farken (Germany) – 3:51.80
2. Yared Nuguse (USA) – 3:52.33
3. Ruben Querinjean (Luxembourg) – 3:52.77
4. Anass Essayi (Morocco) – 3:53.28
5. Flavien Szot (France) – 3:53.44
6. Ollie Hoare (Australia) – 3:53.65
7. Pietro Arese (Italy) – 3:54.37
8. Vincent Ciattei (USA) – 3:54.62
9. Jude Thomas (Australia) – 3:54.92
10. Tshepo Tshite (South Africa) – 3:55.66
Women’s Mile
1. Agathe Guillemot (France) – 4:22.74
2. Freweyni Hailu (Ethiopia) – 4:24.35
3. Mirriam Cherop (Kenya) – 4:25.71
4. Annemarie Nissen (Denmark) – 4:26.78
5. Naomi Korir (Kenya) – 4:29.15
6. Adelle Tracey (Jamaica) – 4:29.30
7. Linden Hall (Australia) – 4:29.36
8. Lucia Stafford (Canada) – 4:29.51
9. Gabriela DeBues-Stafford (Canada) – 4:30.59
10. Addison Wiley (USA) – 4:31.02
