Nibret Melak will be defending his Cinque Mulini title in tomorrow's race ©Getty Images

Ethiopia's Nibret Melak is set to defend his men's Cinque Mulini crown at tomorrow's World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold race in San Vittore Olona while a fierce battle between Kenyans Teresiah Muthoni Gateri and Zenah Jemutai Yego is expected in the women's event.

Melak won this race for the first time last year following a second-place finish at the Campaccio in San Giorgio su Legnano the week before.

The 22-year-old enjoyed a fruitful season which also saw him set a 5,000 metres personal best of 12min 54.22sec.

Compatriot Tadese Worku is expected to be among Melak's principal challengers.

Worku won gold in the 3,000m and silver in the 5,000m at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Nairobi in August.

The 19-year-old was the runner-up in the 2021 Cinque Mulini.

Tadese Worku is thought to be a contender for the men's gold medal at the Cinque Mulini ©Getty Images
Tadese Worku is thought to be a contender for the men's gold medal at the Cinque Mulini ©Getty Images

This season, Worku was second at the Cross de Italica in Seville and won the Boclassic 10 kilometres road race on New Year's Eve.

In the women's event, a rematch of the 3,000m duel between Gateri and Yego at last year's World Under-20 Championships is in store.

Both will be looking to become the first Kenyan woman to win the race in six years, since Faith Kipyegon triumphed just months before winning the first of her two consecutive Olympic 1500m gold medals at Rio de Janeiro 2016.

Fellow Kenyan Lucy Mawia Muli will be aiming for her third podium finish on the World Athletics Cross Country Tour this season after finishing first in Soria and second in Alcobendas.

Nadia Battocletti leads a strong Italian contingent.

The Cinque Mulini has been held every year since 1933 and is staged on a loop measuring 2 kilometres, which passes through the Cozzi and Meraviglia mills.