Karan finishes strong at World cross country championship

Yeshnil Karan finished 83rd among 123 athletes in the senior men’s 10km event at the 2026 World Cross Country Championships.

The Pacific Games gold medallist delivered a commendable performance held in Tallahassee, recording Fiji’s best-ever finishing position at the event since the country’s debut in 1988.

Karan was placed ahead of competitors from established athletics nations including China (four athletes), Mexico (two), India, New Zealand (two), Canada, Argentina and South Africa. He clocked an impressive 32 minutes 55 seconds, with splits of 9:26 at 3km and 16:09 at 5km, on a course widely regarded as one of the most demanding in recent years.

The Tallahassee course tested athletes with repeated laps over steep hills, natural terrain, sand sections, mud, and barrier jumps, highlighting the unique challenges of cross country running, a discipline that rewards endurance, strength, agility and tactical awareness rather than pace alone.

This marked Karan’s first appearance at World Cross Country level and formed an important part of his preparatory build-up towards the Oceania Athletics Championships and the Commonwealth Games.

Also representing Fiji, Ben Ashe completed the course in 37 minutes 7 seconds, improving on his performance from the 2023 World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst. After several years away from competition due to injury recovery, Ashe’s return to form provides a positive platform heading into upcoming regional events, including the Oceania Championships.

Adding to the occasion, Australia secured victory in the Mixed Relay, with Ben’s partner, Linden Hall, a member of the gold-medal-winning team. The result marked a significant achievement for Australia in a discipline that has traditionally been dominated by African distance-running powerhouses. Yeshnil Karan’s steady progress, shaped through consistent training and competing alongside several Australian distance athletes and national team members, is increasingly proving to be an effective formula for sustainable performance gains.

Fiji’s performances in Tallahassee underline steady progress in distance running on the international stage and signal encouraging momentum as preparations continue toward major competitions in 2026.

- Athletics Fiji

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