World 3000m steeplechase finalist Ruben Querinjean upset world 5000m silver medallist Isaac Kimeli in the senior men’s race at the Belgian Cross Country Championships in Hulshout on Sunday (30).
The pair were evenly matched in the senior men’s 7.82km but Querinjean, who has dual nationality and competes internationally for Luxembourg, pulled away in the latter stages for a clear victory over Kimeli - 22:12 to 22:15 - who was racing for the first time since winning a breakthrough silver in the 5000m in Tokyo.
"Still, I'm satisfied with my level, especially considering I've only been training properly for three weeks. My form is gradually returning, although I was a bit short at the end. I still have two weeks until the European Cross Country Championships," said Kimeli as quoted by Sporza.be.
Kimeli has a long and successful affiliation with the SPAR European Cross Country Championships. He has won individual medals at U20, U23 and senior level and was also famously part of Belgium’s gold medal-winning team in the senior men’s race on home soil in Brussels 2023
With Querinjean representing Luxembourg at the 2025 SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa on 14 December, Kimeli will spearhead a strong Belgian team which is also likely to include John Heymans and Ruben Verheyden who were third (22:16) and fourth (22:21) respectively.
Rooms surprises Van Lent for the senior women’s title
In the senior women’s 7.82km, Lisa Rooms defeated European 10,000m Cup winner and multiple Belgian record-holder Jana Van Lent for the title, 24:51 to 24:53.
"Even as an athlete, I was nervous. I was really determined to win this title. It's so nice when your work pays off. On paper, Jana is stronger, but I refuse to start thinking: I'll finish second or third here," said Rooms.
Van Lent and Rooms finished fourth and 17th respectively at the 2024 SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, leading Belgium to a bronze medal in the team race.
European half marathon champion Chloe Herbiet rounded off the podium in third in 25:08. And even though she will be running in the Valencia Marathon next weekend, Herbiet has expressed her desire to be part of the Belgian team at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa on 14 December.
Despite sustaining a heavy fall in training in recent weeks which left him with a broken elbow, European U20 5000m champion Willem Renders was a comprehensive winner of the U20 4.72km race in 13:24, winning by nine seconds from Sem Serrano.
