Gebrehiwot out to prevent more German success in Diekirch

German runners have a distinguished record in the women's race at the ING Eurocross in Diekirch and Sabrina Mockenhaupt will be in contention to become the fourth German winner at the IAAF Cross Country Permit meeting on Sunday (9).

With victories from Uta Pippig in 1990, followed by Irina Mikitenko in 1999 and 2000 and Susanne Hahn (nee Ritter) in 2006, Mockenhaupt will be keen to be the next German woman on that list.

Mockenhaupt has put a greater focus on the roads in recent years but the 33-year-old, who was a top-ten finisher in the New York and Boston Marathons last year, has proved she is a runner for all surfaces by twice finishing in the top five at successive editions of the European Cross Country Championships.

However, the winner of 37 German titles suffered a rare domestic defeat to Eleni Gebrehiwot at the national cross-country championships last year and the German-based Ethiopian also scored victory by a margin of 42 seconds in Diekirch last year.