The event is the sixth gold-level race of this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Tour.
This marks the pair’s second meeting of the season, after Battocletti prevailed in their November 23 clash at the Cross International de Atapuerca in Spain.
Jebet clocked 22:34 over 6.8km to finish second behind the Italian’s 22:21.
Despite that setback, the 19-year-old heads to Madrid in sparkling form.
She has been in an irresistible rhythm on rugged cross-country terrain since the start of her 2025 campaign.
On January 19, Jebet finished second over 6km at the International La Mandria Cross Country in Italy in 21:19, narrowly behind Ethiopia’s Yenenesh Shimket (21:18).
She then stormed to victory in Belgium at the Cross Cup de Hannut, winning the 9km race in 31:01 ahead of Shimket (31:07) and Uganda’s Charity Cherop (31:22).
Earlier, she recorded a second-place finish over 6.4km at the Cardiff Cross Challenge (20:31) and eight days later was runner-up again over 8km at the XXXI Campo a Traves Internacional de Soria in Spain, clocking 27:55 behind Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw (27:25).
Battocletti has also impressed on the European circuit, with wins at the Campaccio International Cross Country (21:14), the Italian Cross Country Championships (27:22), and her decisive Atapuerca triumph.
Sunday’s race will also feature Ethiopia’s 18-year-old Shimket, fresh from victory at the 93rd Cinque Mulini Cross Country in Italy (19:11 over 6.2km).
The home challenge will be led by Laura Luengo, who finished 11th in the marathon at the Tokyo World Championships in 2:30:55.
In the men’s contest, Burundi’s cross-country specialist Rodrigue Kwizera will be the star attraction.
The 26-year-old arrives in Madrid off strong form, having won the XLIII Cross International de Italica (26:10) and finished second at both the XXXI Campo a Traves meeting (23:11) and the Cross International de Atapuerca (20:06).
by TEDDY MULEI
