NAIROBI, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- There will be no love lost as teammates Alice Aprot and Lilian Kasait of Kenya clash with Olympic 3,000m steeplechase champion and world record-holder Ruth Jebet from Bahrain in quest for the Cross de Atapuerca in Spain on Nov. 12.
Jebet, who opted to compete for Bahrain, trains in Iten together with Kasait and Aprot, the world cross country silver medalist, but that partnership will be forgotten when they line up in Spain on Sunday for the start of the IAAF cross country permit circuit.
They will face a strong field including reigning champion Senbere Teferi from Ethiopia.
The men's race includes world 5,000m champion Muktar Edris from Ethiopia, teammate and five-time winner Imane Merga and reigning champion Aweke Ayalew from Bahrain.
The Cross de Atapuerca will be the first of seven IAAF Cross Country Permit meetings for the 2017-2018 season.
The series has seven individual meetings in four different countries. Other races will be in Antrim (Britain), San Giorgio (Italy), Elgoibar, Seville (Spain), San Vittore Olona (Italy) and the final will be in Albufeira (Portugal).
Last year, Ayalew put an end to Imane Merga's winning streak. Following five successive wins, Ethiopia's Merga could only finish a distant third last year as Ayalew and Uganda's Timothy Toroitich finished almost level with one another.
