Ng’etich: Pressure to defend Kenya’s crown fueled my World Cross-Country win

Newly crowned World Cross-Country champion Agnes Jebet Ng’etich has revealed the immense pressure she felt to deliver for Kenya after reigning champion Beatrice Chebet withdrew from the senior women’s race.

Chebet, a double defending world champion, is expecting her first child and opted out of the race, shifting Kenya’s title hopes to Ng’etich. Stepping up, the 24-year-old added to her two team golds and individual bronze from the previous two World Championships.

Ng’etich, who finished fifth in Belgrade in 2024, admitted she had to give her all to maintain Kenya’s dominance.

“When Beatrice withdrew the weight to bring the title to Kenya fell on my shoulders. I was like if I want the title to remain in Kenya I have to fight for it,” she said.

At Florida’s Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, USA, Ng’etich, the reigning 10 km world record holder, dominated the course on Saturday, finishing in 31:28 to claim her first individual senior world title.

She broke away from the pack at the third kilometer, leading Uganda’s Joy Cheptoyek by six seconds, and extended the gap to 30 seconds by the 8km mark.

Her winning margin of 42 seconds is the second-largest in the history of any World Cross-Country Championship.

“I’m so happy to win this title. This is my first time to win an individual title and I’m so elated. It comes from the hard work that I have put in place,” Ng’etich said in a post-race interview.

“I never gave up after failing to be on the podium on a number of occasions and finally I emerged victorious today. This is a special moment for me.”

Although her time of 31:28 was one second slower than her timing in Belgrade in 2024, Ng’etich described the Tallahassee course as one of the toughest she has ever faced, noting the challenge of climbing barriers and navigating the technical terrain.

“The course was tough and climbing those barriers was so difficult but I gave my best. I felt the race was slow after the first lap.”

Her triumph also marks Kenya’s 10th consecutive senior women’s title at the World Cross-Country Championships.

With the road season now complete, Ng’etich will turn her focus to the track, targeting the upcoming Diamond League meetings as she builds toward a stellar 2026 season.