In cold and tough conditions on a muddy, old fashioned 10 kilometres cross country course, the adopted Turkish duo broke clear early on to rapidly open an unassailable lead, with only Spain's defending champion Alemayehu Bezebah capable of maintaining contact.

The trio remained locked together until the closing stages when Arikan, runner-up in this race last year after switching nationality in 2011, broke clear with a superb sprint finish to win in 32 minutes 19 seconds.

Kaya, the 20 year-old prodigy who won the junior title last year and subsequently took 10,000 metres bronze behind British duo Mo Farah and Andy Vernon at the European Championships in Zürich, had to settle for second place.

This was enough to propel Turkey to a comfortable team gold.

Bezebah meanwhile, the Ethiopian refugee who won last year after returning from a two-year doping suspension, crossed the line third, helping Spain to team silver, while Italy took bronze.

Different nations were to the fore in the women's race as 2013 silver medallist Gemma Steel and Kate Avery, who last month became the first British winner of the United States' National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships since 1995, eased clear midway through.

The two ran shoulder to shoulder with neither giving an inch but, just when it seemed as if Avery had the race won, Steel fought back with 50m to go to catch her compatriot on the line and snatch a thrilling victory over the 7.7km course.

Gemma Steel pips team mate Kate Avery to the women's title ©Getty Images



Meraf Bahta, an Eritrean-born Swede, was third, as Britain finished ahead of Spain and Ireland in the team stakes. 

There was more British success in the under 23 women's race as Rhona Auckland took a breakthrough gold, although Russia, days after the German TV documentary accusing the national athletics team of "systemic" doping, excelled with a male and female team double.

In the men's race Ilzigar Safiulin led home a Russian clean-sweep to win individual gold ahead of team mates Igor Maksimov and Vladimir Nikitin. 

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