Bahrain's Ruth Jebet, who achieved gold in the 3,000m steeplechase at 2016 Rio Olympic Games will be facing Kenya's Alice Aprot on 17 December, Sunday during the international cross country meet in Marca, Spain.
Earlier on 12 November both featured together in Seville, where Africa Cross Country silver medallist Aprot emerged the winner.
However, that will count for nothing when the two meet in Marca, the third stop of the seven International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Cross Country Permit meetings for the 2017-2018 season.
"It is down to your preparations. I have done mine well and believe in the strides of my legs. Jebet is a strong challenger, and we have clashed severally on the track, but I have always had better endurance," said Aprot.
Alongside Aprot, Jebet will face Spain's Trihas Gebre and Portugal's Ines Monteiro.
Both Aprot and Jebet are eyeing a slot in their national teams to compete at respective continental cross country meets.
Jebet will compete in Jordan for the Asian Cross Country championships while Aprot is hopeful she will be selected to compete in Chlef, Algeria for the Africa Cross Country Championships. Both events are going to take place in March and will be the culmination of the cross country season.
The IAAF cross country 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) in February.
(With inputs from IANS)
