Kwizera wins third Itálica cross-country title as Amebaw takes women’s race

Rodrigue Kwizera won the men’s Itálica race in Santiponce, near Seville, on Sunday, his first cross-country victory as a Spaniard.

He covered the 9.55-kilometre course in 27:36 and beat Kenyan Charles Kiboino by one second after a close sprint to the finish.

The win was Kwizera’s third at Itálica, matching Kenenisa Bekele’s race record; both are the only runners to have won three times in the event’s 44 editions.

Kwizera became a Spanish citizen this year, but is still waiting for clearance to represent Spain at the European Cross Country Championships in Belgrade on December 13.

In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw won in 30:41, finishing eight seconds ahead of Uganda’s Charity Cherop.

The meeting drew a record 5,057 runners across all categories, and Kwizera’s eligibility for the European championships remains unresolved.