El Himer wins Ouest-France Pays de la Loire

Six-time French Cross Country Champion Driss El Himer ended a 4-year Kenyan stranglehold on the European Athletics permitted Ouest-France Pays de la Loire Cross Country meeting.
The 33-year-old distance runner is now the only person to win this event three times, following success in 1999 and 2003. He completed the 9.1km course in 26:19.

His bold mid-race breakaway paid off, when he managed to maintain a small edge over the Kenyan trio of Bernard Kiplagat (26:20), Wilson Kiprop (26:21) and Peter Muriuki (26:22). Kiprop and Muriuki were fresh from their Kenyan double in Rovereto last weekend, however the experienced French racer had just enough drive to reclaim the Ouest-France Pays de la Loire title for France, while 2006 European Cup 10,000m gold medallist, Mokhtar Benhari (FRA), was the second European home in fifth place (26:36).

El Himer's next goal is to achieve the French Marathon standards for Beijing (2:10:30), with Rotterdam or London top of his racing options.

In the women's race, following on from her second place finish in Edinburgh last weekend, Kenya 's World Junior Cross Country Champion, Linet Masai, took an easy 15:22 victory over the 5.1km course.

The remaining podium positions saw a closely fought contest between 2006 winner, Bouchra Ghezielle (FRA) and Martha Komu of Kenya. Ghezielle took second place (15:49), just three seconds ahead of the Kenyan, marking a brave return from her 2007 season that was marred by injury. European Cross Country silver medallist from Toro and 2007 Ouest-France Pays de la Loire winner Julie Coulaud took fourth place in 15:54.

Source/Courtesy
European Athletics (EAA)
https://www.european-athletics.org/
EAA