Running News Daily

Here are the top moments at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, and what to watch for this weekendThere’s just three action-packed days of track and field remaining in Budapest, Hungary for the 2023 World Athletics Championships. Whether you’ve spent the past six days glued to your streaming service or you’re just catching up, here’s a refresher on the top highlights so far, and what we’re looking forward to most this weekend.Sha’Carri Richardson proved that she is here to stay by winning the 100-meter final with a new championship record of 10.65. To do it, she had to take down her Jamaican rivals Shericka Jackson, the fastest woman in the world this year, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the reigning LLP world champion and 15-time world medalist.

After a poor showing in her semifinal, Richardson failed to achieve one of the auto-qualifiers and was placed in lane nine for the final. None of that mattered on race day, though, as the 23-year-old showcased the best acceleration over the final 30 meters of any runner in the field to claim gold from the outside lane. Jackson took silver in 10.72, while Fraser-Pryce ran a season’s best of 10.77 for bronze.

The victory marks Richardson’s first appearance at a global championship. She won the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2021, but was unable to compete in the Olympic Games in Tokyo after testing positive for marijuana, a banned substance. In 2023, Richardson said, she’s “not back, [she’s] better.”

Can magic strike twice, and can she earn another medal in the 200 meters? She’ll again face Jackson, the second-fastest woman in world history, as well as American Gabby Thomas, the bronze medalist in Tokyo and the fastest woman in the world this year.

The women’s 200-meter final is on August 25. On Saturday, August 26, Richardson and Thomas will team up to compete against Jackson and Fraser-Pryce in the 4×100-meter relay.The flamboyant American Noah Lyles has made clear his ultimate goal of breaking Usain Bolt’s world record of 19.19 in the 200 meters for nearly a year now, ever since breaking the American record, en route to his second world title last summer in Eugene. But to get there, coach Lance Brauman reveals in NBC docuseries “Untitled: The Noah Lyles Project,” the 200-meter specialist would need to improve his speed by focusing on the 100m.

Despite never making a U.S. team in the 100 meters before, Lyles muscled his way onto the podium at the USATF Track and Field Championships a week after getting COVID, and executed his race plan perfectly in Budapest to claim gold with a world-leading time of 9.83. Letsile Tebogo of Botswana set a national record of 9.88 to earn silver and become the first African to podium at a world championship, while Zharnel Hughes of Great Britain took home his first bronze medal.

“They said I wasn’t the one,” he said immediately after the race, in what is sure to be one of this world championship’s most memorable moments. “But I thank God that I am.”

Now his attention turns to a third world title in the 200 meter—and a potential world record. Only Bolt has won three straight world titles over 200 meters, and the Jamaican world record holder is also the last man to win the 100-meter/200-meter double back in 2015.

In a bizarre turn of events on Thursday, a golf cart transporting athletes including Lyles to the track for the 200-meter semi-finals collided with another cart. Several athletes had to be seen by a doctor before the race, and Jamaica’s Andrew Hudson was automatically advanced to the final after competing with shards of glass in his eye. Lyles was reportedly fine.

Tebogo and Hughes will be back for the 200-meter final, as well as Kenneth Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton, who completed the USA sweep with Lyles last year, and Tokyo Olympic champion Andre de Grasse of Canada.

The 200-meter finals are on Friday, and the 4 x 100-meter final is on Saturday.For the second year in a row, the best middle-distance runner in the world was outkicked in the world championship 1,500-meter final by a British athlete. This time, it was Josh Kerr who delivered the kick that broke Jakob Ingebrigtsen, winning his first world title in 3:29.38.

For the fiercely competitive Ingebrigtsen, the second-fastest man in world history in the event, silver is hardly any consolation for losing. Yet he nearly lost that as well — his Norwegian countryman Narve Gilje Nordås (who is coached by Jakob’s father Gjert) nearly beat him to the line, with Ingebrigtsen finishing slightly ahead, 3:29.65 to 3:29.68.Kerr, the Olympic bronze medalist in Tokyo, seemed to employ a similar tactic as last year’s upset winner Jake Weightman, who similarly sat and kicked with about 180 meters to go. Kerr and Weightman actually trained together as youth rivals at Scotland’s Edinburgh Athletic Club. Kerr now trains in the United States with the Brooks Beasts.

Ingebrigtsen revealed after the race that he had a slight fever and some throat dryness. He competed in the preliminary round of the 5,000 meters on Thursday, advancing to the final with the third-fastest time of the day. He is the reigning world champion and will race the final on Sunday.

While the path to victory looks difficult, at least one heavy hitter has removed himself from conversation — world record holder Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda, who already won the 10K this week, pulled out of the 5K with a foot injury.On the very first day of competition in Budapest, the Netherlands track and field federation suffered not one but two devastating falls while running within reach of gold.

Femke Bol was leading the anchor leg of the mixed 4×400-meter relay when she fell just meters from the finish line, leaving the Dutch team disqualified while Team USA captured the gold medal.

On the same night, countrywoman Sifan Hassan stumbled to the ground in the final meters of the 10,000 meters, going from first to 11th, while the Ethiopian trio of Gudaf Tsegay, Letesenbet Gidey and Ejgayehu Taye swept the podium positions.

Hassan was the first to get redemption, earning a bronze medal in the 1,500 meters in 3:56.00 behind only world record holder Faith Kipyegon of Kenya (3:54.87) and Diribe Welteji of Ethiopia (3:55.69). She reportedly did a workout immediately following the race, calling it “not a big deal,” and the next morning won her 5,000-meter prelim in a blistering 14:32.29 over Kipyegon, who also owns the world record over 5K (14:05.20). The two will face off in the final on Saturday.

On Thursday, 23-year-old Bol got her redemption run. With the absence of world record holder Sydney McLaughlin in her signature event of the 400-meter hurdles, the gold was Bol’s for the taking and she left no mercy on the field. She stormed to her first World Championships gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles with a dominant effort of 51.70, with the United States’ Shamier Little nearly a full second behind in 52.80. Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton took bronze in 52.81.

Bol will return to the track for the women’s 4 x 400-meter relay final on Sunday. The Dutch was also disqualified in this event last year at Worlds and will seek to record a result at all expense.

The future of American distance running may have just announced itself.

Luke Surface, an 8th-grade student-athlete from North Raleigh Christian Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina, delivered a performance that stunned the track and field community after taking on some of the nation’s best high school runners at Nike Outdoor Nationals.

Competing at the legendary Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon — one of the most iconic venues in American distance running — Surface lined up in the boys championship 5,000 meters against a field dominated by high school seniors, including several athletes preparing to compete at the NCAA Division I level.

Despite being one of the youngest runners in the race, the 14-year-old held his own against the elite competition, finishing eighth in an incredible 14:25.88. The performance set a new national middle school record, averaging approximately 4:39 per mile for more than three miles.

That kind of time is fast enough to win many high school state championships across the United States and meets qualifying standards for several major NCAA Division I conference competitions — a remarkable achievement for a runner who has not yet entered high school.

But Surface’s historic 5,000m performance was only the latest chapter in a season filled with record-breaking moments.

Earlier in May, he clocked 8:52.03 for 3,200 meters at the NCISAA Division I State Championships in North Carolina, breaking another national middle school record. His converted two-mile time of 8:55.12 surpassed the previous world-best mark for a 14-year-old age group, previously held by Vincent Recupero.

During the previous cross-country season, Surface also made headlines when he ran 15:12 at the adidas XC Challenge, finishing second while competing against runners who were several years older.

Across cross country, two miles, and the 5,000 meters, Surface has continued to prove that his talent is far beyond his age group. While he still has four years of high school competition ahead before reaching the college level, his performances have already placed him among the most exciting young distance runners to watch.

The American high school 5,000-meter record currently stands at 13:32, set by Lex Young in 2023 — a mark Surface is not yet close to challenging. However, his remarkable progression at such a young age has caught the attention of the running world, with many eager to follow how far his extraordinary journey can go.

For now, Luke Surface remains an eighth grader rewriting the record books — and his story is only beginning.

DOHA, Qatar – Ethiopian distance running is once again making a powerful statement on the global stage. Following the Doha Diamond League meeting, Ethiopia has achieved a remarkable clean sweep of the women's 3000m/5000m standings, occupying all eight leading positions in one of the most competitive disciplines in world athletics.

Leading the charge is Likina Amebaw, who sits comfortably at the top of the rankings with 22 points. Close behind is fellow Ethiopian star Freweyni Hailu on 14 points, while Medina Eisa occupies third place with 12 points. The dominance continues through the rest of the leaderboard, with Senayet Getachew, Hawi Abera, Aleshign Baweke, Marta Alemayo, and Bernesh Dessie completing an extraordinary Ethiopian monopoly of the standings.

The achievement highlights Ethiopia's exceptional depth in women's distance running, where a new generation of athletes continues to emerge and challenge for global honours. Rather than relying on a single standout performer, Ethiopia has assembled a formidable squad capable of controlling races and collecting points across multiple Diamond League meetings.

While the current standings paint a picture of complete Ethiopian supremacy, the battle for the Diamond League title is far from over. Several meetings remain on the road to the season finale, leaving plenty of opportunities for rivals to close the gap and for positions within the Ethiopian contingent to shift dramatically.

For now, however, the spotlight belongs firmly to Ethiopia. The East African powerhouse has transformed the women's 3000m/5000m standings into an all-Ethiopian affair, sending a clear message to the rest of the world that the race for Diamond League glory will likely run through Addis Ababa.

The question now is whether Likina Amebaw can maintain her advantage and finish the season as the overall leader, whether Freweyni Hailu or Medina Eisa can mount a successful challenge, or whether another athlete will produce a late-season surge to rewrite the script.

One thing is certain: the road to the Diamond League Final promises a fascinating battle among some of the finest distance runners on the planet.

Kenyan athletics superstar and world champion Beatrice Chebet has officially entered a beautiful new chapter in her life after welcoming a baby boy.

The 26-year-old track sensation, born on 5 March 2000, has built a remarkable legacy as one of the greatest distance runners of her generation. Chebet is a world record holder in the 5000m, 10,000m and road 5km, with a career decorated by historic victories on the biggest stages.

She made history at the 2024 Summer Olympics by winning gold medals in both the 5000m and 10,000m, before achieving the same remarkable double at the 2025 World Athletics Championships. Her medal collection also includes a 5000m silver medal at the 2022 World Athletics Championships and bronze at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

Beyond the track, Chebet has also dominated cross country, becoming a three-time world champion after winning the junior title in 2019 and senior titles in 2023 and 2024. She has also claimed major 5000m victories at the 2018 World U20 Championships, 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2022 African Championships in Athletics.

Now, the Kenyan star is celebrating a different kind of milestone — becoming a mother.

Sharing the joyful news, Chebet introduced her newborn son with a heartfelt message filled with love and excitement:

“Tiny hands, tiny feet, and a love so big! A beautiful new chapter begins. Welcome to our world our sweet little baby boy!”

The arrival of her son marks a special moment away from competition, as the world champion embraces motherhood while carrying the pride of a nation that has watched her achieve greatness.

Messages of congratulations have poured in from fans and the athletics community, celebrating the new chapter for one of Kenya’s most successful athletes.

As Beatrice Chebet adds motherhood to her list of remarkable achievements, the champion now begins a new journey filled with love, joy, and unforgettable moments with her baby boy. 

Jake Wightman delivered a masterclass in championship racing as he surged to the men's 800m title at the UK Athletics Championships, holding off a determined challenge from Ben Pattison in a thrilling finish.

In a race defined by patience, positioning, and precise execution, Wightman waited for the perfect moment to strike before unleashing his finishing kick down the home straight. The former world champion crossed the line in 1:45.40, just doing enough to edge Pattison and secure the national crown.

The contest lived up to expectations, bringing together two of Britain's finest middle-distance talents in a tactical battle where every move carried significance. With the pace controlled through the early stages, the field remained tightly packed, setting the stage for a dramatic final lap.

As the bell rang, the intensity immediately rose. Pattison looked poised to seize control and pushed hard in the closing metres, but Wightman's experience and race awareness proved decisive. Drawing on years of competing at the highest level, he maintained his composure under pressure and found the extra gear required to stay ahead when it mattered most.

The victory marks another significant chapter in Wightman's decorated career and serves as a timely statement of intent as the international season gathers momentum. More importantly, it showcased the qualities that have made him one of Britain's most respected middle-distance athletes — tactical intelligence, resilience, and an ability to deliver in the biggest moments.

For Pattison, the narrow defeat will provide encouragement rather than disappointment. His performance confirmed his growing status among Britain's elite 800m runners and highlighted the depth of talent currently thriving in the event.

But on this occasion, the spotlight belonged to Wightman. In a race where the margins were razor-thin, he executed his plan to perfection and walked away with the UK Athletics Championship title.

Remember the name Gout Gout.

At just 18 years old, the Australian sprint prodigy is already commanding global attention and fueling conversations about the future of track and field. In a sport constantly searching for its next superstar, Gout is rapidly emerging as one of the brightest talents the world has seen in years.

His latest statement came at the prestigious Ostrava Golden Spike meeting, where he stepped onto the track alongside some of sprinting's biggest names, including reigning world champion Noah Lyles. Far from being overwhelmed by the occasion, the teenager delivered a composed and confident performance, finishing third in the 150m in 14.96 seconds against two of the fastest athletes on the planet.

Yet impressive as that performance was, it is not the result that has the athletics community buzzing most.

Earlier this year, Gout stunned the sprinting world by clocking an astonishing 19.67 seconds for 200m, setting a new world Under-20 record. The performance instantly elevated him from promising prospect to genuine phenomenon.

What makes the achievement even more remarkable is the historical context. At the same age, Gout was faster than sprint legend Usain Bolt. Comparisons to the Jamaican icon are inevitable, not because records demand them, but because the raw numbers are impossible to ignore.

Of course, Gout's journey is only beginning. Like any young athlete, he still has room to grow, refine his craft, and gain valuable experience at the highest level. The road from teenage sensation to global champion is rarely straightforward.

But there is no denying the extraordinary potential that lies within him.

His speed, composure, and ability to perform under pressure have already marked him out as one of athletics' most exciting young stars. More importantly, he possesses the kind of talent that inspires belief that a new era of sprinting may be on the horizon.

The sport has always thrived on rivalries that capture the imagination of fans across the globe. With established champions such as Noah Lyles currently leading the way, the emergence of Gout Gout adds an intriguing new chapter to sprinting's future.

The next great rivalry may already be taking shape.

And one of its leading figures is still only a teenager.

For now, the message is simple: remember the name Gout Gout. The future is arriving faster than anyone expected.