Running News Daily

Renowned for his extraordinary athletics accomplishments and for being an inspiration, Kenya’s two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge dedicated his time on Sunday (13) to mentor World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team members in Kapsabet.

“I came here to tell you that being a refugee is not the end of life. In fact, it is the beginning of life, because as a refugee you have a lot of fruits hanging in this world,” said Kipchoge. “Do not treat yourself less because you are refugees, we are all equal as human beings, we are all athletes.”

The athletes sat with their pens and notebooks open, ready to jot down the nuggets of wisdom on the fundamentals of a successful life shared by the marathon great. They listened intently.

“The whole world has recognised you as a country, are you happy?” Kipchoge asked.

The athletes responded with a resounding ‘yes’ and clapped.

“Being recognised means you are the best,” he added. “Have faith in yourself, in your school and your coaches. Have respect.”

The seven student-athletes in attendance at the Eliud Kipchoge Sports Complex included Perina Nakang, Mfite-Umukiza Jules, Estherina Julius and Zinad Akulang, who are part of the World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team, and Peter Lotino Akileo, Peter Lopeyok Michael and James Lokibich, who are athletes sponsored by the school. Coaches were also present.

They looked at Kipchoge with admiration; meeting him was a dream. They were surprised and inspired by the simplicity and humility of Kipchoge, who was accompanied by his fellow athlete Jonathan Korir.

“Finally, I have met him. He is somebody like me,” said Lopeyok Michael.

Jules added: “I didn't expect that he could talk like he did. I thought he was a different person, but I realised that Kipchoge is a very good person. He is a parent; he is very encouraging.”

It was a class, with Kipchoge writing out key points and explainers. The theme focused on empowering, inspiring and encouraging the athletes to take education and sports seriously.

The marathon legend emphasised self-discipline, making firm decisions and being consistent, as well as building confidence – all elements that provide a strong foundation in life. 

“For me, it is very important because when you have education and talent, you can be somebody,” explained Lopeyok Michael.

The day was not about how many Olympic medals or world records Kipchoge has achieved – in fact, those did not feature at all. Instead, Kipchoge was keen on changing the mindset of the athletes and shifting their perspective on life.

“In their faces I saw the future of the refugee team, I saw the future of their countries, I saw the future of sport” he said. “I am positive about the refugee team, they have a great future. In the whole world we have 206 countries participating in the Olympics, but we have plus one which is the Refugee Team, to make 207 countries – they have a big opportunity to grab.”

It was the reminder this team needed, having experienced extremely difficult and traumatic lives. But Kipchoge views their experience as the perfect springboard for mentorship.

“They are hard to mould and easy to mould at the same time,” he said. “Hard to mould because they have passed through hard life but all in all they are easy to mould because they understand tough life more than anybody else. So, you bring that tough life to education and sport here in Kenya, they are ready to move in.”

Posing questions to each athlete about their plans, Kipchoge discovered that they all harbour the ambition of becoming a legend, just like the man in front of them.

“To be like you, to succeed and help my family, respect others, to stay humble, respect my teammates, work on school assignments and work hard in athletics,” Julius answered.

“To focus on education, to love each other and share,” responded Lokibich.

The session was interactive and engaging. There were shared aspirations, along with moments of seriousness and laughter. 

“Do you want to be successful; own a car, a house, have money and a good life, or do you want to be a legend?” Kipchoge asked.

“Aim to become the legends of the refugees – being legendary is to make an impact on behalf of the refugees. It is a real success. But you have to study, train well and remain focused.

“Being successful does not happen in one night. Success takes time. If you love your life and sports, avoid drugs. True champions are winning by their own sweat, blood and hard work,” he added.

“The longer you are in sport, the more opportunities you secure. You must know what you want, and where you want to go in your education and athletics. You must fight for opportunities.”

The athletes were accompanied by their head coach Janeth Jepkosgei, the 2007 world 800m champion, and two other coaches.

“The mentorship session was important; these kids have been longing to meet Eliud,” said Jepkosgei. “The team will see their lives differently. They are motivated and encouraged and believe that education and athletics can change your life and community, and it's an inspiration for them.”

Giving a message to the coaches, Kipchoge said: “You have to develop cohesiveness; these athletes must be free to speak to you. You know how to mentor, nurture and make talent propel.”

Then it was time for the athletes and coaches to ask Kipchoge some questions.

“My dream to meet you has come true. You have told us to know ourselves and believe we can. In your career, have you ever hit a wall with no results, yet you trained well and wanted to give up?” Jules asked.

Kipchoge replied: “The moment you perform, you have gone through challenges people do not know. I have been through a lot, but I keep pushing. You have to experience pain and frustrations so that you know how to handle success when it lands on you.”

He was also asked: “How do you feel when lining up with other champions, like (Kenenisa) Bekele?”

“Treat yourself as the best one,” Kipchoge responded. “At the start, tell yourself you have trained better than everybody else and during exams tell yourself that you have studied more than everybody else. Compete with yourself.”

Kipchoge’s remarkable athletics career, which spans 22 years, is older than the refugee athletes he mentored, as they are aged between 17 and 21 years. By sharing his experience, Kipchoge reminded them that despite his athletics triumphs, he has navigated challenges and even inner turmoil.

“He has given me and the team a lot of advice, including that I have to respect myself, my coach, my teachers and my teammates. He has been through a lot of challenges in his career, but he did not give up. Even us, we have experienced a tough life, but we are holding on,” said Nakang, who competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Mentorship is something that Kipchoge takes seriously. In 2023, he became mentor to the U20 World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team. Through this role, Kipchoge inspires the upcoming generation.

“I treat the U20 athletes as the next generation,” he said. “I want to inspire them to run for the next 20-plus years because I want them to proceed beyond 2045, in the future promoting sport, competing for their countries, loving the sport, promoting education and bringing development and exposure to their countries.”

The 39-year-old, who holds five of the 11 fastest marathon times in history, has given a seal of approval to the World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team programme, which has been running since 2016.

“It is a plus; a firm and positive decision by World Athletics,” he said. “Let this project continue, let it flow. These are the flowers of World Athletics, what they are injecting in the form of finance and infrastructure to refugee athletes, they have shown these are real flowers of what they have been doing.”

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden delivered a sensational performance in Budapest, storming to victory in the women’s 100m at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in a breathtaking 10.62 seconds.

The American produced a superb display of acceleration and composure to claim the World Ultimate Championship title while recording the fastest women’s 100m time in the world this year. Her 10.62 mark underlined her exceptional form and placed her firmly at the top of the global sprinting hierarchy.

Jefferson-Wooden controlled the race through the decisive stages and maintained her form all the way to the finish to secure a statement victory against a field packed with championship pedigree. She crossed the line ahead of Olympic champion Julien Alfred, who clocked 10.74 seconds with a -0.2 m/s wind, while Sha’Carri Richardson took third in 10.76.

Women’s 100m Final

1. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden — 10.62

2. Julien Alfred — 10.74 (-0.2 m/s)

3. Sha’Carri Richardson — 10.76

The victory was especially significant given the quality of the opposition. Jefferson-Wooden held her nerve against Alfred and Richardson, two of the most accomplished sprinters of the current generation, to produce the fastest performance in the world this year when it mattered most.

Alfred once again demonstrated her consistency at the highest level by taking silver, while Richardson completed an all-star podium in a race that brought together three of the biggest names in women’s sprinting.

But beyond the time, the title and the celebration, one of the most touching moments came after the race when Jefferson-Wooden embraced her father, Melvin, in an emotional celebration.

Their moment carried a deeply personal meaning. When Melissa was just 17 years old, she donated her stem cells to help her father undergo a bone marrow transplant after he was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome. Years later, the two shared an unforgettable embrace in Budapest after she had become the World Ultimate Champion.

For Jefferson-Wooden, however, the evening was about far more than a medal. It was the culmination of an extraordinary journey, now highlighted by a world-leading 10.62 seconds on one of the biggest stages in athletics.

With the Ultimate Championship title secured and her father by her side, Jefferson-Wooden leaves Budapest with more than being an ultimate champion. She leaves with momentum, confidence and a powerful statement of intent — turning a high-profile showdown into one of the defining sprint performances of her season.

Audrey Werro has added another major title to her extraordinary season, storming to victory in the women’s 800m at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest.

The Swiss star delivered a commanding performance, taking control from the opening gun and refusing to surrender the lead as she powered through an absorbing battle against two of the biggest names in the event.

Werro stopped the clock at 1:55.88 to become the Ultimate Championships 800m champion, producing another statement performance on one of the sport’s newest and most prestigious stages.

Behind her, Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson fought her way to second in 1:56.26, while the Netherlands’ Femke Broeders-Bol completed the podium in 1:56.74.

The result once again brought together the same formidable trio that featured on the podium at the European Championships, but Werro again proved to be the athlete who could rise above the challenge when it mattered most.

Her Budapest triumph is the latest chapter in a season that has already included records, a successful Diamond League Trophy defence and European Championship gold. Now, she can add the Ultimate Championships crown to a growing list of accomplishments.

Werro’s consistency has been particularly impressive in an 800m event packed with elite talent. Rather than simply relying on a fast finish, the Swiss athlete showed her authority by taking the initiative from the beginning and maintaining enough strength and composure to hold off Hodgkinson and Broeders-Bol all the way to the line.

The victory also underlined the remarkable depth of the women’s 800m, with three athletes separated by less than a second at the finish. Hodgkinson’s 1:56.26 and Broeders-Bol’s 1:56.74 showed just how fiercely contested the race was, but Werro’s decision to dictate the pace ultimately gave her the decisive advantage.

For Werro, this was more than another medal. It was another opportunity to demonstrate that her rise is no passing moment. On a stage featuring established champions and elite rivals, she once again produced the performance required to claim the biggest prize.

For Hodgkinson, the silver medal adds another major podium finish, while Broeders-Bol once again demonstrated her ability to compete with the very best over two laps.

But the spotlight in Budapest belonged unmistakably to Werro.

With another championship crown secured, the Swiss star has strengthened her claim as the athlete setting the standard in women’s 800m running. This is Audrey Werro’s era — and the rest of the field is chasing.

Busang Collen Kebinatshipi has delivered another sensational performance, storming to victory in the men’s 400m at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.

The reigning world champion stopped the clock at an astonishing 43.39 seconds, smashing his own Botswana national record and moving to fifth on the world all-time list.

Kebinatshipi produced a commanding finish to pull away from his rivals and secure the Ultimate Championship title. American star Rai Benjamin finished second in 44.15, while Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago completed the podium in 44.23.

 Men’s 400m

1. Busang Collen Kebinatshipi — 43.39 NR

2. Rai Benjamin — 44.15

3. Jereem Richards — 44.23

The performance is even more remarkable considering that Kebinatshipi had already rewritten the Botswana record just one week ago in Brussels, where he ran 43.40. In Budapest, he lowered that mark by another 0.01 seconds to establish a new national record of 43.39.

That improvement has also propelled the 22-year-old into rare territory. His latest time now ranks him fifth fastest in history over 400m, placing him among an extraordinary group of athletes who have broken the 43.40 barrier.

Kebinatshipi's victory also caps an extraordinary season for the Botswana star. After establishing himself as a global champion, he has continued to demonstrate that he belongs among the very best one-lap runners in the world.

And there is a major reward for his historic night in Budapest: Kebinatshipi walks away as the Ultimate Champion and $150,000 richer.

From another national record to a place among the five fastest 400m runners ever, Kebinatshipi has turned an already remarkable season into something truly special.

Botswana has its latest sprinting superstar — and Kebinatshipi is showing that his ceiling may be even higher than anyone imagined. 

Marileidy Paulino once again proved why she is the undisputed queen of the one-lap event, powering to victory in the women’s 400m at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.

The Dominican Republic superstar produced a sensational 49.07 seconds to claim gold, pulling decisively away in the final straight and holding off a fiercely competitive field to extend her remarkable unbeaten run.

Paulino delivered her trademark combination of controlled speed and devastating finishing strength. She remained firmly in contention through the opening stages before unleashing her decisive move down the home straight, where she quickly opened a gap on her closest challengers.

Norway’s Henriette Jæger mounted a strong challenge but could not match Paulino’s finishing speed, crossing the line second in an impressive 49.28. Jamaica’s Nickisha Pryce completed the podium after clocking 49.56, ensuring that three of the world’s leading 400m talents occupied the medals.

The result once again underlined Paulino’s extraordinary consistency at the highest level. She entered Budapest as the world leader after running 48.48 in Paris in June, a performance that also set a Diamond League record. She subsequently remained unbeaten throughout her Diamond League campaign, closing the circuit with a meeting-record 48.64 in Brussels.

Budapest has also become a special venue in Paulino’s career. Three years ago, at the same National Athletics Centre, she captured her first individual world title, marking the beginning of another dominant chapter in her career. She later added Olympic gold in Paris in 2024, further establishing herself among the defining 400m athletes of her generation.

The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship has brought together the sport’s biggest stars in a new winner-takes-the-spotlight format, with Olympic and world champions, Diamond League winners and leading performers competing for ultimate honours.

For Paulino, the occasion once again ended with Ultimate Crown on her arms.

With 49.07 seconds, she did more than win another major 400m title. She delivered another statement of authority, powering through the final straight with the confidence and speed that have made her one of the most dominant figures in modern women’s athletics.

Marileidy Paulino remains unbeaten, remains relentless and, once again, remains the queen of the one lap.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen has made a major decision regarding the remainder of his World Athletics Ultimate Championship campaign, confirming that he will withdraw from the men’s 1500m in Budapest despite producing a sensational performance to win the 5,000m title.

The Norwegian superstar stormed to victory in the inaugural Ultimate Championship 5,000m on Friday night, clocking a season-best 12:59.24 and delivering a devastating finishing kick to defeat Olympic 5,000m champion Cole Hocker and American Parker Wolfe.

Ingebrigtsen’s final 100 metres was arguably the defining moment of the race. The Olympic champion produced a remarkable 12.60-second closing 100m, powering away from the field to secure the $150,000 winner’s prize and underline just how far his fitness has progressed since returning from Achilles surgery.

The victory was particularly significant after what has been an extremely difficult period for the 25-year-old. Earlier in the season, Ingebrigtsen faced serious uncertainty over whether he would even be able to compete at the highest level again. His return has gradually gathered momentum, and his performance in Budapest offered perhaps the clearest indication yet that the Norwegian is rediscovering his formidable racing ability.

But rather than risk pushing his recovering body further, Ingebrigtsen has now opted to step away from the 1500m.

The decision means the highly anticipated showdown with British rival Josh Kerr will not take place in Budapest after all. The two stars had been expected to renew one of the biggest rivalries in modern middle-distance running in the 1500m final.

Instead, Ingebrigtsen is looking beyond the immediate opportunity and towards the bigger picture.

“I’m thinking about 2027… Fitness cannot be faked,” the Norwegian said, signalling that protecting his long-term condition has become more important than chasing another major victory only days after his return to peak-level competition.

The decision comes just one week after an emotionally charged Diamond League Final in Brussels, where Ingebrigtsen finished fourth in the 1500m behind Australia’s Cameron Myers, Kenya’s Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech and American Ethan Strand.

After that race, Ingebrigtsen delivered a fiery assessment of his rivals and questioned the tactics surrounding the pacemaking, particularly involving Hocker. He later acknowledged that there had been “a little too much adrenaline and emotion” when microphones were placed in front of him immediately after the race.

Yet his latest decision shows that beneath the emotion and competitive intensity lies a longer-term strategy.

Ingebrigtsen has already demonstrated that he can compete at an elite level again. His 12:59.24 in Budapest was not simply a victory — it was a statement that the Norwegian remains capable of producing a world-class finish even after months of injury rehabilitation.

Now, however, he is choosing not to gamble with that progress.

For a runner who has spent much of the year fighting his way back from injury, another 1500m race could have offered enormous rewards but also carried unnecessary risk. By withdrawing, Ingebrigtsen is effectively prioritising longevity over one more opportunity for immediate glory.

His message is clear: the comeback is underway, but it will not be rushed.

The 5,000m victory has given Ingebrigtsen confidence, momentum and perhaps, most importantly, proof that his body can once again handle elite competition.

Now comes the harder part — knowing when to stop.

With 2027 already firmly in his sights, the Norwegian has chosen recovery over risk. And after everything he has endured, that could ultimately prove to be one of the most important decisions of his comeback.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen is not walking away from the sport. He is protecting his future in it.