The women's senior title also went to Kenya, with 19-year-old Agnes Tirop becoming the youngest winner of the event since 1985, when 18-year-old Zola Budd, running for Britain, held off the formidable challenge of Norway's Ingrid Kristiansen.

But Kenya's East African rivals Ethiopia earned overall bragging rights in team competition, where they won three of the four events run, including the men's junior race, thanks to Yasin Haji, and the women's junior race, where Letesenbet Gidey led a clean sweep of the medals.

The 22-year-old Kamworor, winner of the men's junior title at this event four years ago, produced his usual front-running tactics against a field which included leading Ethiopians Hagos Gebrhiwet, the 2013 junior winner and world 5,000 metres silver medallist, and 2012 world junior 5,000m champion Muktar Edris.

Also contending was the fellow Kenyan who has twice won the National Championships - outsprinting Kamworor over the final 800m in Nairobi last month -  Bedan Karoki Muchiri.

Kenya's Geoffrey Kamworor adds the IAAF World Cross Country senior men's title in Guiyang, one day short of a year after winning the World Half Marathon in Copenhagen ©Getty Images

Rain which had been forecast failed to arrive in Guiyang, and conditions underfoot were firm  as Kamworor, Karoki - wearing his second name, Muchiri, on his running bib - and in-form fellow Kenyan Philip Langat pushed the pace.

Gebrhiwet, who has raced only once this winter due to sickness and injury, dropped off during the fourth of the six laps, but Edris remained with Kamworor and Karoki as they pulled clear.

Edris was only a second adrift as they went into the final lap, but soon fell back as Kamworor, who is more of a marathon specialist, attempted to run the finish out of his Kenyan rival, who was making his debut in the event.

The two men were level with 400m to go, however - but then it was Kamworor who was able to produce the telling sprint to finish the 12 kilometres race in 34min 52sec, with Karoki eight seconds adrift.

Edris took bronze in 35.06.

The women's junior race gets underway at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships ©Getty Images




Tirop, winner of the silver in the women's junior race two years ago and who is also possessor of two world junior 5,000m bronze medals, defeated a field which included Kenya's double world cross country champion Emily Chebet and a cluster of strong fellow Ethiopians to finish five seconds clear over the 8km course in 26:01.

"I am very happy to have won Kenya's 300th medal," Tirop said.

"I was trying to push the pace from the start.

"I had no fear.

"I was just trying to run my own race."

Ethiopia's Senbere Teferi, just a few months older than her Kenyan rival, was the main challenger, losing out over the final 200m before talking silver in 26:06, five seconds clear of her compatriot Netsanet Gudeta.

Haji's victory in the men's junior race maintained a proud Ethiopian tradition, as he is a member of the Federal Police sports club which also produced Olympic and world champions Tirunesh Dibaba and Derartu Tulu.

Haji won the title Gebrhiwet had claimed two years earlier in 23:42sec, with Kenya's Geoffrey Korir and Alfred Ngeno respectively in silver and bronze position in 23:47 and 23:54.

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