World Cross Country Championship 2024: Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo Defending Champion in Men’s Competition

The World Cross Country Championships are set to take place in Belgrade, Serbia on Saturday, March 30, with live coverage available on the BBC. A team of 22 athletes will represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland, aiming for individual and team medals in the competition.

The senior women’s team will be led by European bronze medallist Abbie Donnelly, along with Jessica Warner-Judd, who finished eighth in the 10,000m at the World Championships last August. On the men’s side, Will Barnicoat, the Under-23 European Cross Country champion, will make his senior debut for the team.

The mixed relay team includes Adam Fogg, Thomas Keen, Alex Millard, and Bethan Morley, who will be looking to secure the first medal in the event at the tournament. European champion Innes Fitzgerald will lead the women’s under-20 side.

Defending champions Beatrice Chebet of Kenya and Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda will be looking to retain their titles in the senior women’s and men’s competitions, respectively. Kiplimo will face tough competition from his compatriot and 2019 champion Joshua Cheptegei.

Unfortunately, Olympic champion Sifan Hassan has withdrawn from the championships to focus on representing the Netherlands at the Paris Olympics.

The schedule for the World Cross Country Championships will run from 10:30 to 15:30 GMT, with coverage available on BBC iPlayer, Red Button, the BBC Sport app, and website. Stay tuned to see if Great Britain and Northern Ireland can bring home some medals from this prestigious event.