Running News Daily

The second fastest marathoner in history will not face Kipchoge at Berlin after all.

The 2023 Chicago Marathon revealed on Tuesday morning that Kiptum will make his North American marathon debut on Oct. 8, postponing the highly anticipated potential clash against Eliud Kipchoge, who will appear at the 2023 Berlin Marathon.

In the last eight months, Kiptum has emerged as one of the world’s fastest marathoners. In December, he made his marathon debut at the 2022 Valencia Marathon, securing a commanding victory in a remarkable 2:01:53, the fastest debut in history. He continued his dominance at the 2023 London Marathon, where he shattered Kipchoge’s course record and came remarkably close to the world record, with a 2:01:25 finish.

Despite his achievements in London, Kiptum remains relatively unknown on the major marathon scene. The 23-year-old from Eldoret, Kenya, is self-coached and did not enter marathoning from a prolific track career like Kipchoge, or Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele.

In June, Kiptum was selected for Team Kenya in the 2023 World Athletics Championships marathon. However, he declined the invitation to focus on a fall marathon instead. With Kiptum eyeing either Chicago or Berlin, many anticipated a head-to-head battle between the two Kenyan titans in Berlin, renowned for its flat and incredibly fast course, having been the location where the previous eight men’s marathon world records were set.

Choosing Chicago, which takes place two weeks after Berlin, clearly indicates Kiptum’s intent to vie for a victory and target Kipchoge’s world record of 2:01:09. Chicago’s primarily flat course, with only 70 metres of elevation gain, offers a promising setting. 

However, a win in Chicago won’t come easy, as Kiptum will face off against one of the best tactical marathoners in the world and the reigning champion, Benson Kipruto. Kipruto comes off a second-place finish at the 2023 Boston Marathon, where he was runner-up to his training partner, Evans Chebet. Ethiopia’s Seifu Tura, who knows the Chicago course well, having won the race in 2021 and finished as runner-up to Kipruto last fall, will also return. Among the other elite names in the men’s field are Galen Rupp, Conner Mantz and Belgian 2020 Olympic marathon bronze medallist Bashir Abdi.

Paris, France — August 24, 2003.

The Stade de France witnessed far more than a World Championship 10,000m final that night. It witnessed the beginning of a new era.

For years, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia had stood virtually untouchable at the summit of world distance running. He arrived in Paris as a two-time Olympic champion and four-time World Champion over 10,000m, carrying the reputation of a man who had dominated the track for much of the previous decade.

But waiting in the same race was a 21-year-old Ethiopian whose running style looked remarkably familiar.

His name was Kenenisa Bekele.

The younger Ethiopian had already shown flashes of extraordinary potential, but Paris was where potential became reality.

As the race unfolded, Gebrselassie ran aggressively, repeatedly applying pressure in an attempt to break the field and shake off his young compatriot. One by one, the world's best distance runners were dropped, including a strong Kenyan contingent.

Yet Bekele refused to disappear.

He stayed glued to Gebrselassie's shoulder, matching every surge and every change of pace. Behind them, Sileshi Sihine of Ethiopia remained in contention, setting the stage for what would ultimately become a historic Ethiopian sweep.

Then came the decisive moment.

With only 200 metres remaining, Bekele made his move.

Gebrselassie, famous for his devastating finishing speed, tried to respond. But this time, there was no answer. Bekele powered away down the final straight, creating daylight between himself and his legendary compatriot.

The changing of the guard had arrived.

Bekele crossed the finish line in 26:49.57, becoming the first athlete to break 27 minutes at these World Championships and setting a championship record.

Behind him, Gebrselassie finished second in 26:50.77, while Sihine completed an extraordinary Ethiopian clean sweep with 27:01.44.

It was not simply a victory for Bekele.

It was the moment the young star announced that he was ready to inherit the throne.

Paris 2003 — Men's 10,000m Final

1. Kenenisa Bekele — Ethiopia — 26:49.57 CR

2. Haile Gebrselassie — Ethiopia — 26:50.77

3. Sileshi Sihine — Ethiopia — 27:01.44

4. Ahmad Hassan Abdullah — Qatar — 27:18.28

5.  John Cheruiyot Korir — Kenya — 27:19.94

6. Wilberforce Talel — Kenya — 27:33.60

7.  Charles Kamathi — Kenya — 27:45.05

8.  Kamiel Maase — Netherlands — 27:45.46

9.  Karl Keska — Great Britain — 27:47.89

10. Ismail Sghyr — France — 27:54.87

11. David Galván — Mexico — 27:55.31

12. John Yuda Msuri — Tanzania — 27:56.21

13. Fabiano Joseph Naasi — Tanzania — 28:06.36

14. Alan Culpepper — United States — 28:14.92

15.  Teodoro Vega — Mexico — 28:31.71

16. Mebrahtom Keflezighi — United States — 28:35.08

17. Cathal Lombard — Ireland — 28:36.43

18. Tomoo Tsubota — Japan — 28:37.10

19. Dan Browne — United States — 29:01.60

Bekele's Paris triumph proved to be the beginning of something much bigger. He went on to win Olympic 10,000m gold in Athens the following year and established himself as the dominant track distance runner of his generation.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he completed the extraordinary 5,000m and 10,000m double, cementing his place among the greatest distance runners in history.

Gebrselassie, meanwhile, successfully reinvented himself beyond the track. He turned increasingly toward the 10km, half marathon and marathon, where he continued rewriting the record books and building another extraordinary chapter of his career.

But Paris remains special.

On August 24, 2003, one Ethiopian legend was still fighting to protect his kingdom while another was stepping forward to claim it.

Kenenisa Bekele didn't simply win a World Championship gold medal that night. He announced the arrival of a new era in distance running.

Usain Bolt has added another unforgettable milestone to an extraordinary life — and this time, there was no finish line, stopwatch or Olympic medal involved.

The Jamaican sprinting icon is officially engaged to his longtime partner, Kasi Bennett, after turning his 40th birthday celebration into a deeply personal and romantic moment in Kingston.

Bolt popped the question on Friday, August 21, during his birthday celebrations at One Belmont, where family and close friends gathered to mark the milestone. The eight-time Olympic champion got down on one knee in front of Bennett and asked her to become his wife, transforming an already special evening into a celebration of love and commitment.

And Bolt certainly did not arrive empty-handed.

Bennett was presented with a spectacular five-carat diamond engagement ring, with reports describing the centre stone as pear-shaped. Images from the occasion captured the emotional aftermath as the couple embraced, while Bennett later gave fans a glimpse of the unforgettable moment on social media.

The proposal marks a significant new chapter in a relationship that has lasted for more than a decade.

Bolt and Bennett began dating in 2013, eventually becoming one of Jamaica's most recognisable sporting couples. Their relationship became more widely known around the 2016 Rio Olympics, but much of their family life has remained away from the constant glare of the spotlight.

Together, they have built a family of their own, raising three children — daughter Olympia Lightning and twin sons Thunder and Saint Leo. Olympia was born in 2020, while the twins arrived in 2021.

Before the surprise proposal, Bennett had already marked Bolt's 40th birthday with a heartfelt tribute, celebrating not simply the global superstar known for rewriting sprinting history, but the partner and father behind the legend.

She described him as her love, her home and her forever, while expressing pride in the life they have created together.

For Bolt, whose career was defined by spectacular moments under the world's brightest lights, this may be one of his most meaningful victories yet.

He conquered the 100 metres. He dominated the 200 metres. He collected eight Olympic gold medals and established himself as one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen.

Now, at 40, the world's most famous sprinter has made another decisive move — this time toward forever.

After 13 years together and three children, Usain Bolt and Kasi Bennett are officially taking their love story to its next chapter.

From breaking records to making memories, the fastest man in history has finally found a race he wants to take all the way to the finish. 

Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson has withdrawn from this week’s Diamond League meeting in Zurich, where she was scheduled to headline a star-studded women’s 800m field.

The British middle-distance star confirmed that her body is not yet ready for another race following the European Championships, prompting her and her team to make the decision to skip Thursday’s August 27 meeting and focus on a full recovery ahead of her next outing.

“The body isn't quite ready to race again after the European Championships, so we've made the decision to skip this race and get ready for the next one,” Hodgkinson said.

The decision comes as a disappointment for fans who had been eagerly anticipating Hodgkinson’s return to the track in Zurich, particularly because the race was set to feature a formidable line-up of international 800m talent.

Hodgkinson had been due to face unbeaten European champion Audrey Werro of Switzerland, Commonwealth champion Georgia Hunter Bell of Great Britain, reigning world champion Lilian Odira of Kenya and European bronze medallist Femke Broeders-Bol of the Netherlands.

The meeting had also promised a highly anticipated rematch between Hodgkinson and Werro following the dramatic European Championships in Birmingham, where the Swiss star produced a stunning performance to upset the field and claim the European title.

That result added even more intrigue to their scheduled Zurich showdown, with Hodgkinson expected to have another opportunity to respond on the Diamond League stage. Her withdrawal, however, means that much-awaited battle will have to wait.

Despite missing one of the season’s biggest meetings, Hodgkinson is choosing caution over a rushed return. After the physical demands of championship racing, the Olympic champion believes the right approach is to allow her body sufficient time to recover before stepping back onto the track.

“I’m sad to miss it, hopefully see you next year!” Hodgkinson added.

Her absence will undoubtedly take some of the spotlight away from the Zurich 800m, but the race remains packed with quality. Werro, Hunter Bell, Odira and Broeders-Bol will still provide a compelling contest, with each athlete carrying an impressive championship pedigree into the race.

For Hodgkinson, meanwhile, the focus now shifts away from Zurich and towards making sure she is fully prepared for her next appearance.

The Olympic champion may be missing from Thursday’s start line, but her decision reflects a bigger priority: returning to competition healthy, sharp and ready to perform at her best rather than risking a premature comeback.

And when Hodgkinson does return, the prospect of another clash with Werro—and a renewed battle among the world’s leading 800m runners—will undoubtedly be one of the most anticipated moments of the season.

Ethan Strand delivered one of the most impressive finishes of the Silesia Diamond League meeting, producing a spectacular final lap to storm to victory in the men’s 1500m in a season-best 3:30.77.

The American’s triumph was not simply about speed—it was a carefully executed comeback built on patience, belief and a powerful reserve of energy saved for the closing stages.

Strand admitted afterwards that he had found himself well back in the field during the race, but remained confident that he had enough left to make his move.

“I was pretty far back and had a lot left, and I had to do a lot of work up through the third lap, and I had enough left,” Strand said after his winning performance.

That reserve proved decisive.

As the race entered its final lap, Strand began to close the gap with increasing urgency. He continued to pick off his rivals before unleashing his biggest acceleration down the home straight, powering away from the chasing pack and crossing the line in style.

His emphatic celebration reflected the significance of the performance—a season's best time and a major victory over a field packed with elite 1500m talent.

Phanuel Koech produced a superb performance of his own to finish second in 3:31.14, narrowly holding off reigning Olympic champion Cole Hocker, who crossed the line third in 3:31.16.

Just behind them was Norwegian superstar Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who made his first 1500m appearance since Tokyo last September. Ingebrigtsen clocked 3:31.19 to finish fourth in a race where less than half a second separated the top four athletes.

The result made Strand the man of the moment in Silesia. While others battled for position throughout the race, the American trusted his strength, stayed composed despite being deep in the field and unleashed his decisive move when it mattered most.

His victory was a powerful reminder that a race can change dramatically in its final 400 metres. Strand may have been “pretty far back,” but he knew he had something left—and when the moment arrived, he produced exactly the kind of finishing speed required to defeat an Olympic champion and some of the world's finest middle-distance runners.

From being buried in the pack to flying down the home straight, Ethan Strand turned patience into victory—and finished the night with a celebration that said it all. 

3:30.77. Season’s best. Silesia champion.

At 60, retired Newcastle teacher Jon Strong is preparing to complete a marathon challenge 12 years in the making — and there is just one letter left to tick off.

Strong has already completed 25 marathons, with each race beginning with a different letter of the alphabet. Now, only J remains.

The final chapter will be written at the Jersey Marathon on October 4, where Strong will line up for the 26th and final race of his remarkable A-to-Z marathon project, which he began in 2014.

For Strong, however, completing the alphabet has been about more than simply finding 26 races. His commitment to environmentalism means he does not fly, making travel to certain marathons considerably more complicated.

That was precisely why the letter J remained unfinished for so long.

The Jersey Marathon takes place on a Sunday, and for years the ferry schedule made the trip difficult to combine with his teaching commitments. Getting back in time for school on Monday morning was simply not possible.

That changed when Strong retired this summer after an impressive 28-year career teaching French, German and Spanish at Dame Allan’s Schools in Newcastle, where he most recently served as Head of Modern Languages.

With his teaching career now behind him, the final piece of the puzzle could finally fall into place.

His alphabet marathon journey has taken him to races across Europe, including the Venice Marathon, Rotterdam Marathon, Germany’s X-ray Marathon and Spain’s Quijote Marathon, named after the legendary character Don Quixote.

Many of those races have been completed in under three hours and 30 minutes, while Strong’s marathon personal best stands at an impressive 2:58.

There is also one unusual ritual that has accompanied him throughout the journey: beetroot juice.

Strong drinks it three hours before every marathon — a routine he has followed for so long that he jokes he would not dare stop now.

After 25 marathons, countless training miles and years of travelling by ferry rather than plane, the finish line in Jersey will represent far more than the end of another 26.2-mile race.

It will complete an extraordinary 12-year quest to run a marathon for every letter of the alphabet.

On October 4, the long-awaited J will finally be ticked off.

One alphabet. Twenty-six marathons. Twelve years. One final letter.