Fast-improving Australian Patrick Tiernan has finished an impressive 13th at the world cross-country championships in Uganda.
The 22-year-old stayed with the leaders for the opening half of the 12km race, eventually crossing the line in 29 minutes and 17 seconds, less than a minute behind gold medallist and defending champion Geoffrey Kamworor from Kenya.
Tiernan and 11th-placed Samuel Chelanga, a Kenyan-born American, were the only non-African runners in the top 19.
The only Australian men to have ever finished higher than Tiernan in a event long dominated by the African distance running powerhouses are Rob de Castella, Steve Moneghetti, Craig Mottram and Collis Birmingham.
Tiernan's standout run lifted Australia to eighth spot in the men's team event, with Jack Rayner (40th) and Sam McEntee (49th) also recording top-50 finishes.
Rio Olympian Tiernan rose to prominence last year, winning the NCAA cross-country championship in the United States and the Australian 10,000m title.
Anna Kelly was the leading Australian in the senior women's 10km race in Kampala, finishing 31st in 35:20.
Irene Cheptai claimed gold in 31:57 as Kenyan runners claimed an unprecedented sweep of the top six places.
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