Conseslus Kipruto (left) won the men's race at the IAAF Antrim International Cross Country ©IAAF

The Kenyan duo of Conseslus Kipruto and Caroline Kipkiru won the respective men's and women's races at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Antrim International Cross-Country at Greenmount today.

Kipruto, the Rio 2016 3,000 metres steeplechase Olympic champion, won the men's competition in a time of 24 min 36sec.

Bahrain's Abraham Cheroben, who set a personal best when he finished 10th in the 10,000m race at Rio 2016, finished narrowly behind Kipruto in second.

Kipruto got the better his rival on the home straight as Cheroben crossed the line just a second after the Kenyan in 24:37.

Great Britain's Andy Vernon, a member of the gold medal winning men's team at the 2016 European Cross Country Championships in Chia in Italy, completed the top three with his time of 24:56.

Ireland's Fionnuala McCormack was unable to claim a third win of the season in the women's race today.

Caroline Kipkiru secured Kenyan dominance as she won the women's race ©IAAF
Caroline Kipkiru secured Kenyan dominance as she won the women's race ©IAAF

Kenya's Kipkiru, the 10,000m track specialist, was the fastest over the 5.6 kilometres course in what also marks the fourth stop on the IAAF Cross Country Permit series.

Kipkiru joined her compatriot Kipruto on top of the podium as she emphatically crossed the line first in 18:53, 42sec quicker than her closest rival.

Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia finished in second in 19:35 while her compatriot Birtukan Adamu, who finished third in Antrim in 2015, once again completed the podium three seconds behind Gebreslase.

McCormack narrowly missed out on the podium as she finished in fourth in 19:39, a second behind Adamu.

Romania's Ancuta Bobocel, though to be a strong contender after a fourth place finish at the European Cross Country Championships last month, finished back in seventh in 20:08.