Jakob Ingebrigtsen put in a late surge but was unable to hold on for gold in the 5000m at the World Road Running Championships, with the Norwegian pipped to the line by Eritrea’s Dawit Seare.
A quick race was led out by Frenchman Flavien Szot, with the lead chopping and changing until Ethiopia’s Mezgebu Sime charged to the front with around a kilometre to go in Copenhagen.
He strung out the field behind him but Seare was quickly onto his shoulder and stormed clear – but Ingebrigtsen, in scenes reminiscent of his charge to 5000m gold on the track at the European Championships last month, made up a huge gap to the 21-year-old.
He came around Seare in the final 200m and victory looked inevitable but he faded just 100m later and Seare pounced, reeling him back in and celebrating by pointing to the sky as he crossed the line in a national record time of 12:56. Ingebrigtsen’s silver medal came with a consolation prize of a national record of his own, 12:59.
Seare’s compatriot Saywon Amanuel was third in a personal best of 13 minutes flat.
Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw continued a brilliant end to her season a week after clinching Ultimate gold in the 5000m, sprinting clear of the field to win the women’s 5k in a season’s best time of 14:41.
She was seven seconds clear of Kenya’s Caroline Makandi Gitonga, with Rose Davies of Australia completing the podium in an area record 14:50. Britain’s Hannah Nuttall was down in 10th but nonetheless finishing strong in a personal best 15:08.
Seare pulled away from Ingebrigtsen in the final 100m (AP)
Earlier on Saturday Agathe Guillemot won the women’s mile with a stunning run to overhaul frontrunner Freweyni Hailu – who had stretched out the field – in the closing couple of hundred metres.
The Frenchwoman stuck with her before powering away to win the world title in a world-leading time of 4:22.74, with Hailu unable to respond to her kick. She dropped to the ground and screamed in delight and shock before she was congratulated by her rivals.
Ethiopia’s Hailu took silver in a season’s best time of 4:24.35, with Kenyan Mirriam Cherop third in a season’s best 4:25.71. Home hopeful Annemarie Nissen was delighted as she finished fourth in a new personal best of 4:26.78.
There was a shock in the men’s mile as the USA’s Yared Nuguse led from the start but was reeled in by Germany’s Robert Farken in the latter stages, winning in a world-leading 3:51.80, with Nuguse forced to settle for silver in a season’s best 3:52.33. Luxembourg’s Ruben Querinjean set a new national record as he took bronze, 3:52.77.
Britain’s Jake Heyward was 11th in a new personal best, 3:55.76.
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