Italy’s Valentina Gemetto produced one of the results of her senior career at the Cross Internacional de Soria, finishing a superb third in the women’s 8km behind Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw and Kenya’s Sheila Jebet.
The 27-year-old - who was ninth in the 10km at the inaugural Brussels–Leuven 2025 European Running Championships in April - ran a controlled race at the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting.
After staying calm through a slow early pace, she moved strongly in the final kilometres, dropping Spain’s Idaira Prieto to secure the top European finish in 28:11.
The result will give the Italian 10km champion some confidence ahead of the Lagoa 2025 SPAR European Cross Country Championships on 14 December, where she will have individual and team ambitions, particularly after supporting Nadia Battocletti to team gold last year in Antalya 2024, as well on the roads at Brussels-Leuven 2025.
Ndikumwenayo misses podium in thriller
In the men’s 8km race, Spain’s European cross country bronze medallist Thierry Ndikumwenayo once again proved his consistency at the elite level. He battled throughout a hard, four-way contest against Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera and Kenyan duo Matthew Kipruto and Mathew Kipsang.
In a sprint finish, Kipsang prevailed by a single second in 23:10 from Kwizera. Kipruto and Ndikumwenayo were both timed just behind in 23:13 with the Kenyan just ahead in third.