Gebremariam wins Ethiopian cross country championships, Dibaba runner-up in junior race

ADDIS ABABA, ETH - Gebregziabher Gebremariam, the reigning African Champion at 10,000m, came away with a sprint victory over relative newcomer Feyissa Lelisa in the senior men's 12km race at the Ethiopian Cross Country Championships. Gebremariam, who has two World Cross Country Championship silver medals to his credit, stayed on the back end of a pack that included Tadesse Tola, Tariku Bekele and Abebe Dinkessa. Once there were only 150m remaining in the race, Gebremariam sprinted to the front and successfully held off Lelisa and the rest of the pack, at one point gaining 20m on his competitors. Gebremariam, one of Ethiopia's more decorated cross country runners, will be one of the leading contenders for the individual title at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, to be held March 28 in Amman, Jordan.

In the women's junior race, Genzebe Dibaba, the reigning IAAF World Junior Cross Country Champion from last year, led the 6km race with fellow up and comer Sule Utura, until Utura broke past Dibaba in the final 200m to win her second junior title. Dejen Gebremeskel, the IAAF World Junior Championship bronze medalist at 5000m, qualified for his second World Cross Country team by virtue of his thrid place finish in the Junior Men's 8km race.

List of top GAM finishers at the 2009 Ethiopian Cross Country Championships:

Gebregziabher Gebremariam - 1st, Men's 12km
Sentayehu Ejigu - 5th, Women's 8km
Genzebe Dibaba - 2nd, Junior Women's 6km
Dejene Gebremeskel - 3rd, Junior Men's 8km