He has won the European Cross Country championships on nine occasions,[2] winning in 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2010.

[3] In October he was the best performing European at the Giro al Sas 10K in Trento as he finished third behind Edwin Soi and Wilson Busienei with a time of 28:48.3.

[4] He won his record ninth title in the men's race at the 2010 European Cross Country Championships, taking the lead in the final stages after a moderately paced start.

[6] He secured a second career win at the Lotto Cross Cup Brussels later that month, holding off the Kenyan challengers.

[7] A fourth-place finish at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country in January helped the Europeans to the team title,[8] and he was the first European home at the Cross Internacional de San Sebastián with a third-place finish.