Breker and Jones Shine at Belgrade at World Championships

Apr 03, 2024

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Minnesota alumni Noah Breker and Aidan Jones demonstrated their exceptional talent and determination at the prestigious U20 World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. Competing against a field of 89 top runners from around the globe, Breker displayed his endurance and skill, finishing 45th with a time of 25:22. Not far behind, Jones showcased his speed and resilience, crossing the finish line 54th with a time of 25:48.

Their performances were not only impressive on an individual level but also contributed significantly to Team USA, as they finished as the #3 and #4 runners, respectively, for the United States in the race. This helped Team USA finish 7th out of the 14 teams in the U20 Race.

U20 XC World Championships - USA Results (8K)

Finish	Runner	Time
24th	Kevin Sanchez	24:31
30th	Kole Mathison	24:49
45th	Noah Breker	25:22
54th	Aidan Jones	25:48
68rth	Birhanu Harrman	26:13
DNF	Berkley Nance	---

The race was won by Kenya's Samuel Kibathi, who completed the course with an impressive time of 22:40. He was closely followed by Ethiopia's Mezgebu Sime, who finished second with a time of 22:41. Rounding out the top three was Kenya's Matthew Kipkoech Kipruto, who crossed the finish line in third place with a time of 22:46.

The duo of Kibathi and Kipruto led Kenya to a dominate 15 point victory, with the other scorers being Johana Erot and Charles Rotich who finished 5th and 6th respectively. Team USA was the top western hemisphere country at the meet, scoring 153 points to finish 7th overall.

U20 XC World Championships - Team Results

Rank	Country	Score
1	Kenya	15
2	Ethiopia	21
3	Uganda	52
4	Japan	77
5	South Africa	114
6	Morocco	114
7	USA	153
8	Spain	159
9	Australia	166
10	Great Britain	175
11	France	180
12	New Zealand	234
13	Canada	264
14	Serbia	299

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It was very different races for both Breker and Jones, with Jones running a more consistent race and Breker running among the top USA men, until the last lap.

Noah Breker	Total Time	Aidan Jones	Total Time
Lap 1	6:07 (41st)	Lap 1	6:19 (72nd)
Lap 2	11:55 (27th)	Lap 2	12:22 (66th)
Lap 3	17:54 (30th)	Lap 3	18:31 (55th)
Finish	25:22 (45th)	Finish	25:48 (54th)

Breker and Jones have once again proven themselves as formidable athletes, representing both Minnesota and Team USA with pride at the U20 World Cross Country Championships. As they continue their athletic careers, we hope this is not their last time representing Team USA, and we eagerly anticipate seeing them compete on the track this spring. Their dedication and achievements inspire us all, and we look forward to witnessing their future successes.