Running News Daily

There were breakout victories for hitherto little known Daniel Mateiko of Kenya and Tsigie Gebreselama of Ethiopia in the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in the United Arab Emirates early Saturday morning. And the imperious manner of their wins on a breezy, humid morning with a sea mist invading the latter stages suggests they both have a very bright future.

Yet the contrast in their race-winning tactics could hardly have been greater. Mateiko led from the gun, and only conceded the lead for brief periods, before outgunning his colleagues John Korir and Isaia Lasoi in the final kilometre, to win in a world leading 58min 45sec. Korir and Lasoi finished five and ten seconds behind respectively.

In contrast, Gebreselama contented herself to stay in the pack until she was ready to strike for home in the last five kilometres. Only former world record holder (64.31) and 2020 winner, colleague Ababel Yeshaneh could go with her, but that challenge didn’t last long. And such was Gebreselama’s attritional pace that by the time she crossed the line in 65.14, Yeshaneh was exactly half a minute in arrears. Jackline Sakilu of Tanzania was the surprise of the day, setting a national record of 66.05 in third place. What was no surprise was that the podium places were taken by athletes from three East African countries who share the same topography, the high altitude plateau of the Great Rift Valley.

Konstanze Klosterhalfen of Germany threatened to gatecrash that exclusive club up to the hallway point in a race, having come directly from her own training camp in Ethiopia. But, having headed the field up to 10k, which she passed in 31.09, which would have been a PB had she finished the race, she tailed off drastically and dropped out shortly afterwards, saying she did not feel well.

Olympic marathon champion, Peres Jepchirchir had been one of the favourites to win, but in the bustle of the start, someone trod on her heel and she lost around 20sec putting her shoe back on. Surprisingly for someone with her long experience, instead of working her way gradually back to the group, she shot off and rejoined them before they had completed the first kilometre. She paid for that unnecessary effort in the closing stages, and could only finish seventh in 67.19.

Gebreselama was not entirely unknown prior to today; she finished second in the world cross country championships in Australia last year. ‘That was my best performance, but today is better than that, because I won,’ she said after the race. ‘I knew I was in good shape. I think I like cross country and road running equally, but now I must prepare for the track’. In a reversal of tradition, she is leaving here for a four-month stint in an altitude training camp in the USA, before she runs the Ethiopian trials with the intent on making the Olympic team at 10,000 metres.

Having been told that there was no pacemaker in the men’s race, we wondered why Mateiko, who led from the gun kept consulting his watch and checking over his shoulder at his pursuers. Maybe he was surprised they were still there for so long, right up to the final kilometre. But having done all work, he was rewarded with a more than worthy victory, then engagingly stated that that was his intent throughout the race. ‘After finishing second last year, I promised myself to win. But the conditions were difficult; it was windy and very humid.’

Mateiko hails from Mount Elgon on the Kenya-Uganda border, but now trains in Eldoret with twice Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge under the tutelage of former steeplechaser Patrick Sang. ‘Patrick told me I was in good shape, but to be strong-minded. And Eliud is giving me advice too. I would like to have his consistency. Now my dream is to run well in the London Marathon’. If his marathon debut is as impressive as his win here today, the London crowds in April will be in for a treat.

Results, Men:

1 Daniel Mateiko KEN 58:45

2 John Korir KEN 58:50

3 Isaia Lasoi KEN 58:55

4 Gerba Dibaba ETH 59:38

5 Benard Koech KEN 59:42

6 Birhanu Legese ETH 59:43

7 Tamirat Tola ETH 59:46

8 Amos Kibiwot KEN 59:51

9 Boki Diriba ETH 60:10

10 Alphonce Simbu TAN 60:28

Women:

1 Tsigie Gebreselama ETH 65:14

2 Ababel Yeshaneh ETH 65:44

3 Jackline Sakilu TAN 66:05

4 Margaret Chelimo KEN 66:31

5 Evaline Chirchir KEN 66:36

6 Catherine Amanang’ole KEN 66:49

7 Peres Jepchirchir KEN 67:19

8 Gete Alemayehu ETH 67:25

9 Megertu Alemu ETH 69:23

10 Ashete Bekere ETH 70:03

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.

Men's road running is moving into extraordinary territory, and two athletes are increasingly at the heart of its breathtaking evolution: Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia and Sabastian Sawe of Kenya.

The pair represent the remarkable depth of modern East African distance running, but they are also doing something even more significant: pushing the boundaries of marathon and half-marathon performance to levels that once seemed almost unimaginable. Through their exceptional speed, endurance and ability to perform at the highest level, Kejelcha and Sawe are helping to redefine what is possible on the roads.

Sawe has established himself as one of the most formidable marathon runners in the world. His astonishing 1:59:30 marathon performance at TCS London Marathon on April 26, 2026, marked as a world record, African record and Kenyan record, demonstrated the extraordinary level the marathon has now reached. It also underlined his position at the very top of the men's marathon world rankings.

Kejelcha has been equally sensational, although his journey has highlighted a different kind of versatility. The Ethiopian, whose background includes world-class performances on the track and across shorter road distances, ran 1:59:41 for the marathon debut also at the TCS London Marathon on April 26, 2026, a performance marked as a national record. Just four months later, he delivered another stunning display by clocking 56:51 for the half marathon at the Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires on August 23, 2026, with the performance marked as a pending world record, African record and Ethiopian national record.

That combination of performances illustrates just how exceptional this new generation has become. Kejelcha's ability to threaten the absolute limits over the half marathon while also producing a sub-two-hour marathon performance speaks to his extraordinary range. Sawe, meanwhile, has continued to establish himself as a dominant force over the classic 42.195km distance, combining remarkable efficiency with the strength and speed required to compete at the very highest level.

The two stars are now preparing to take their talents to different stages of the road-running calendar. Kejelcha's next focus is the Valencia Marathon on December 6, where he will once again turn his attention to the marathon distance and look to build on his remarkable breakthrough over 42.195km. Sawe, meanwhile, is set to race the BMW Berlin Marathon on September 27, giving the Kenyan another major opportunity to showcase his extraordinary marathon strength on one of the world's fastest and most prestigious courses.

Those upcoming races add another fascinating dimension to their respective journeys. While Kejelcha heads to Valencia carrying exceptional speed and versatility into another marathon challenge, Sawe will arrive in Berlin with his sights firmly fixed on maintaining his dominance at the highest level of the sport.

What makes their rise particularly exciting is the wider message it sends to athletics. The marathon is no longer progressing only through small margins. The standards at the top are being pushed relentlessly forward, and performances that once appeared impossible are becoming increasingly realistic.

The official sub-two-hour marathon remains one of athletics' ultimate frontiers. Achieving it under standard race conditions would represent one of the greatest endurance breakthroughs in sporting history. Yet with athletes such as Sawe already breaking the two-hour barrier and Kejelcha running only seconds above it while also producing unprecedented half-marathon speed, that frontier appears closer than ever.

Their careers are different, and their strengths are not identical. Sawe has rapidly become a dominant marathon specialist, while Kejelcha brings exceptional versatility from the track to the roads and across multiple distances. But together, they symbolize the relentless progression of men's road running.

Yomif Kejelcha and Sabastian Sawe are not merely among the fastest men of their generation. They are helping to drive the sport toward a future that once seemed unthinkable. With Valencia and Berlin now on their horizons, the next chapter of this remarkable road-running revolution is already waiting to be written.

Jamaica’s Oblique Seville delivered another sensational statement at the Silesia Wanda Diamond League, storming to victory in a breathtaking men’s 100 metres and setting a new meeting record of 9.83 seconds that made sprinting history in Chorzów, Poland.

In one of the deepest and most extraordinary sprint races ever witnessed, Seville powered clear of a world-class field to take the win, with Kenneth Bednarek of the United States finishing second in 9.87 and fellow American Christian Coleman completing the podium in 9.93.

But Seville’s meeting-record victory was only one part of the remarkable story. For the first time in history, all nine athletes in a single men's 100m race broke the 10-second barrier, producing an unprecedented display of sprinting depth.

The historic race also marked only the second time that every athlete in a men's 100m final had broken 10 seconds, following the eight-man final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In Silesia, however, the achievement went even further, with an entire nine-man field dipping below the iconic barrier.

Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi produced another impressive performance to finish fourth in 9.94, while South Africa’s Gift Leotlela followed in fifth with 9.95. Canada’s Olympic champion Andre De Grasse clocked 9.96 in sixth, with South African star Akani Simbine recording the same time in seventh.

American Ronnie Baker added another sub-10-second performance with 9.97 for eighth place, while Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme ensured the historic sweep was complete by running 9.99 in ninth.

Men's 100m Results – Silesia Wanda Diamond League

1. Oblique Seville (Jamaica) — 9.83 Meeting Record

2. Kenneth Bednarek (United States) — 9.87

3. Christian Coleman (United States) — 9.93

4. Kayinsola Ajayi (Nigeria) — 9.94

5. Gift Leotlela (South Africa) — 9.95

6. Andre De Grasse (Canada) — 9.96

7. Akani Simbine (South Africa) — 9.96

8. Ronnie Baker (United States) — 9.97

9. Emmanuel Eseme (Cameroon) — 9.99

For Seville, the victory was another emphatic demonstration of his exceptional form and his ability to rise to the occasion against the strongest opposition. His 9.83 not only secured the Diamond League win but also lowered the Silesia meeting record, putting an exclamation mark on a performance of the highest quality.

Nine men went under 10 seconds. Seville went under 9.84. On an unforgettable day in Silesia, the Jamaican stood tallest in a race that pushed the boundaries of what men's sprinting has ever seen.

Ethiopia’s Fotyеn Tesfay Haylu delivered one of the most remarkable women’s half-marathon performances ever seen on American soil on Sunday, powering to a commanding victory at the 2026 Buenos Aires Half Marathon in Argentina in 1:03:57.

Running with exceptional confidence and strength, Tesfay took control of the race and produced a superb solo performance to rewrite the event record. Her breathtaking run also carried historic significance, as she became the first woman to break the 64-minute barrier for the half marathon in the Americas, producing what is being celebrated as the fastest women’s half-marathon performance ever recorded on the continent.

The Ethiopian star was in a class of her own, crossing the finish line more than a minute clear of Turkey’s Nevin Can, who finished second in 1:05:06. Another Turkish athlete, Selin Can, completed the podium in third place with 1:05:11, as the leading trio all produced strong performances on the fast streets of Buenos Aires.

Kenya also featured prominently in the top positions, with Irene Jepchumba Kimais taking fourth in 1:06:04, followed by Sheila Chepkirui in fifth with 1:06:13. Magaret Akidor Ngathike finished sixth in 1:06:46, while fellow Kenyan Deborah Samum claimed seventh place in 1:08:32.

Brazil’s Nubia de Oliveira Silva was eighth in 1:11:13, while Argentina’s Sofia Luna and Dahyana Juarez rounded out the top 10 with times of 1:11:21 and 1:11:28, respectively.

Top 10 Women – 2026 Buenos Aires Half Marathon

1. Fotyеn Tesfay Haylu (Ethiopia) – 1:03:57

2. Nevin Can (Turkey) – 1:05:06

3. Selin Can (Turkey) – 1:05:11

4. Irene Jepchumba Kimais (Kenya) – 1:06:04

5. Sheila Chepkirui (Kenya) – 1:06:13

6. Magaret Akidor Ngathike (Kenya) – 1:06:46

7. Deborah Samum (Kenya) – 1:08:32

8. Nubia de Oliveira Silva (Brazil) – 1:11:13

9. Sofia Luna (Argentina) – 1:11:21

10. Dahyana Juarez (Argentina) – 1:11:28

For Tesfay, it was far more than a race victory. Her 1:03:57 performance was a statement of extraordinary quality, combining speed, endurance and remarkable solo running to produce a landmark result in Buenos Aires. In a race that will be remembered for years to come, the Ethiopian did not simply win—she redefined what was thought possible for women’s half-marathon running in the Americas.

Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha produced one of the most extraordinary performances in road racing history on the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina, reclaiming the half marathon world record with a sensational 56:51 performance at the 2026 Buenos Aires Half Marathon.

The former world record-holder delivered a breathtaking exhibition of speed and endurance to take 29 seconds off the previous pending mark of 57:20, set by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo and takes a huge chunk from his own former official world record. Kejelcha's new performance is pending the standard ratification procedures, but if officially ratified, it will return the world record to the Ethiopian star and mark another remarkable chapter in the evolution of the event. 

Kejelcha's achievement is particularly significant because the 57-minute barrier had already been broken before. Jacob Kiplimo had previously run under 57 minutes, clocking 56:42 that was not ratified demonstrating that the once-unthinkable barrier was possible. Kejelcha, however, has become the second man to run under 57-minute barrier who now returns to the top of the all-time rankings with another historic performance in Buenos Aires.

The Ethiopian's race was remarkable not only for the final time but also for the way he built his performance. He covered the opening five kilometres in 13:44 before reaching 10km in 27:18. Rather than slowing, Kejelcha accelerated through the middle stages, passing 15km in 40:39 and 20km in 54:02 as he continued to push the limits of elite road racing.

By the time he reached the finish line, Kejelcha had completed the race at an extraordinary average pace of approximately 2:42 per kilometre, producing one of the most astonishing sustained efforts ever witnessed in distance running. His stunning run sent a powerful message to the athletics world and further strengthened his status as one of the most formidable distance runners of his generation.

Behind the record-breaking champion, Ethiopia completed a dominant clean sweep of the men's podium. Tadese Worku Gebresilase claimed second place in 59:18, while Bereket Nega Batebo secured third in 1:00:17, giving Ethiopia a memorable one-two-three finish in the Argentine capital.

Kenya’s Jonathan Kipkoech Kamosong finished fourth in 1:00:20, followed by compatriot Simon Maywa in fifth with 1:00:55. Argentina’s Ignacio Erario gave the home supporters plenty to celebrate with an impressive sixth-place finish in 1:00:57, breaking the one-hour barrier in front of an enthusiastic local crowd.

Dillon Kipyeko of Kenya finished seventh in 1:01:07, with Robert Kiprop Koech eighth in 1:02:01. Mexico’s Julio Ortiz Ponce took ninth place in 1:03:17, while Colombia’s Jimmy Gómez completed the top 10 in 1:03:34.

The Buenos Aires Half Marathon will now take its place in the history books as the scene of a truly extraordinary breakthrough. For Kejelcha, this was more than just another victory. It was a spectacular return to the top, reclaiming a world record he had previously held and once again rewriting the limits of the half marathon.

The 56:51 performance remains pending ratification, but Yomif Kejelcha's run has already delivered one of the defining moments in the history of road racing.