Running News Daily

Ethiopian and Kenyan runners win titles at 2024 Beijing Marathon

BEIJING -- Ethiopia's Lemi Berhanu Hayle and Kenya's Vicoty Chepngeno claimed the men's and women's titles, respectively, at the 2024 Beijing Marathon on Sunday.

Hayle crossed the finish line first in 2 hours, 9 minutes and 16 seconds, just 14 seconds ahead of runner-up Bethwel Kibet Chumba of Kenya. Chinese runner Chen Tianyu finished third in 2:09:48.

The women's race saw Chepngeno, who clocked 2:21:56, stand atop the podium, while Rahma Tusa of Ethiopia and another Kenyan runner Angela Jemesunde Tanui were in the second and third place, respectively.

In order to enhance the overall race experience for runners, the organizers moved the start line 100 meters north on the eastern side of Tiananmen Square for a more streamlined start this year.

The marathon route, which spans from Tiananmen Square to the Beijing Olympic Park, remains a favorite for runners worldwide. Despite a cap of 30,000 participants, a record 182,949 runners from 43 countries and regions applied within the first three days of registration last month.

(11/03/2024) Views: 158 ⚡AMP

Munyao to exploit underdog status in hunt for Olympic title

London Marathon champion Alexander Munyao says he will exploit his underdog status in the hunt for the men’s marathon title at the Paris Olympic Games.

Two-time Olympic Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge and Ethiopian great Kenenisa Bekele are front runners.

The duo have won numerous championships and major marathons while Munyao only has last month's  London Marathon title to boast of. 

Tokyo Marathon champion Benson Kipruto will be the other Kenyan athlete in the race. But undaunted by the challenge, Munyao is determined to pull off a surprise in the French capital.

“I’m targeting nothing less than gold in Paris. I know Kipchoge will be chasing his third Olympic title and Kipruto is an equally serious contender but I’m ready for the challenge,” Munyao stated.

 The London Marathon London Marathon champion envisions a Kenyan sweep on the podium and expects the trio to push each other to victory. 

“A Kenya 1-2-3 finish is very possible. We’ll be pushing each other hard, and I believe Kenya will dominate in Paris,” he added.

Beyond winning gold, Munyao is keen to lower his personal best (PB). “I aim to reduce my PB to 2:01 or 2:02,” he added.

The 27-year-old  boasts a PB of 2:03:11 set in December 2023 during the Valencia Marathon, where he placed second.

Last week, the Ethiopian Athletics Federation announced its three male representatives for Paris, headlined by three-time Olympic track champion Bekele. He will team up with Valencia Marathon champion Sisay Lemma and Beijing Marathon champion Deresa Geleta.

Despite acknowledging the strength of the Ethiopian team, Munyao views his Kenyan compatriots as his main rivals.

“Ethiopia have a strong team no doubt but I don't see them posing any threat to us. I have run with Bekele and Lemma before and I know their techniques. However, I haven't run with Kipchoge or Kipruto before and that makes them more competitive unlike the Ethiopians,” he noted.

During his triumph in London last month, Munyao beat Bekele to the title, clocking 2:04:01 with Bekele, who was the pre-race favorite, settling for second place in 2:04:15.

At the 2023 Prague Marathon, Munyao clinched the title in 2:05:09, beating Lemma to second place in 2:06:51. Looking ahead to Paris, Munyao plans to stay with the leading pack and make his decisive move close to the finish. 

“My strategy will be simple! I have to stay with the leading pack and make my move a few kilometres to the finish as was the case in London,” Munyao noted.

However, Munyao tempered expectations for a new world record in Paris, citing the challenging nature of the course.

“I have not run the Paris course before but from what I have heard from athletes, it is a tough course. Breaking a world record there will not be easy. What will be important for us athletes is a medal,” he added.

Munyao resumed full training last week at Ngong Hills under the guidance of his coach Peter Muteti, running 30km daily.

“I resumed full training for the Olympics last week at Ngong Hills. I do 30km daily runs, 20km in the morning with light 10km runs in the evening,” he added.

(05/29/2024) Views: 497 ⚡AMP
by Teddy Mulei

Vicoty Chepngeno eager to make full marathon debut at Chevron Houston Marathon

After failing to make her full marathon debut at the 2023 Tokyo Marathon, Vicoty Chepngeno will finally do it at the Chevron Houston Marathon.

Philadelphia Half Marathon champion Vicoty Chepngeno will open her season with a full marathon debut at the Chevron Houston Marathon on Sunday, January 14.

Chepngeno set the course record with her 2022 Aramco Houston Half Marathon victory, winning in a time of 1:05:03, which is still the fastest half marathon time ever run in North America to date.

“I am very excited to make my marathon debut in Houston. It is a race I know well. This makes me feel at ease as I focus on what I need to do to achieve my goal of winning,” Chepngeno said as per Endurance Sports Wire.

The race will also feature the return of three-time champion Bruktayit Degefa of Ethiopia. These three wins leave Degefa tied on the most victories ever secured by one runner, all of which are among the six fastest times in race history.

Chepngeno and Degefa will compete with top contenders including Canadian national record holder Natasha Wodak and three-time Rome Marathon champion Rahma Tusa of Ethiopia.

Meanwhile, last year’s men’s race came down to a sprint finish with Kenya’s Dominic Ondoro beating Ethiopia’s Tsedat Ayana and both will make a grand return this year. Ayana will take the opportunity for revenge, while Ondoro will look for his third Houston victory.

“I love the course, the city, and the friendly cheering crowds. To come to the start line, run a good race, and get a win will be wonderful,” said Ondoro, the two-time Houston Marathon champion.

Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta will also be in the starting line, coming into the race with a personal best of 2:05:51. He has a chance to break the tape on what will be his 28th birthday.

In 2023, he was runner-up at the Dubai Marathon in February and won the Beijing Marathon in October. Also expected to be up front, are 2022 Chevron Houston Marathon winner James Ngandu of Kenya and Morocco’s Zouhair Talbi who was fifth in the 2023 Boston Marathon.

“You can always count on exciting storylines and dramatic finishes at the Chevron Houston Marathon.

“Fans will want to make sure they are in front of their TV or lined up on Lamar Street when the runners make that final turn toward the finish line,” said Carly Caulfield, Race Director and General Manager of the Houston Marathon Committee.

The races will be aired live on ABC13 in Houston and streamed around the world on ABC13's official portal featuring commentary from two-time Olympian and Boston Marathon champion Desiree “Des” Linden.

(01/08/2024) Views: 596 ⚡AMP
by Abigael Wuafula

Ethiopian, Kenyan runners win golds at 2023 Beijing Marathon

The 2023 Beijing Marathon took place in Beijing, capital of China, on Sunday morning.　

Ethiopian Deresa Geleta Ulfata and Kenyan Vibian Chepkirui took the men's and women's golds respectively. 　

In the men's event, Ethiopia's Ulfata Deresa Geleta finished first in the men's group, clocking two hours, seven minutes and 41 seconds, with China's Chen Tianyu finishing seventh. 　

The women's race saw a Kenyan clean sweep on the podium, as Chepkirui won the women's gold in 2:21:57, followed by Janet Ruguru and veteran Helah Kiprop in second and third places. China's Lu Ying finished fourth in 2:27:49. 　

The 41st edition of the Beijing Marathon featured some 30,000 runners, who started from Tiananmen Square and headed west past the Forbidden City, then continued north through streets until eventually reaching the finish line at the Bird's Nest Stadium. 　

(10/30/2023) Views: 733 ⚡AMP

Beijing marathon to return after two-year Covid hiatus Wednesday, October 05, 2022

Thousands of runners will line up for the Beijing marathon in November after a two-year Covid pause, organizers said, as sporting events gradually return to China.

The world's most populous country has canceled almost all international sports competitions since Covid emerged there in 2019, with the Beijing Winter Olympics in February this year a rare exception.

Race organizers said on Tuesday that 30,000 runners would be able to take part in the 26-mile (42-kilometer) course through the capital on November 6 -- but only Beijing residents can register.

China is the last major economy wedded to a zero-Covid policy, stamping out virus flare-ups with snap shutdowns, mass testing and lengthy quarantines.

The table tennis world team championships kicked off last Friday in the megacity of Chengdu, though participants must stay in a "closed loop", and it was announced last week that China would host the season-ending World Tour Finals for badminton in December.

(10/05/2022) Views: 1,066 ⚡AMP

Melly and Geremew run course records for Seoul Marathon success

Joan Chelimo Melly and Mosinet Geremew both broke the course records to triumph at the Seoul Marathon, a World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race, on Sunday (17).

Ethiopia’s world silver medallist Geremew saw off the challenge of his compatriot Herpasa Negasa and Brazil’s Daniel do Nascimento to win the men’s race in 2:04:43, while Romania’s Melly made a breakthrough to win the women’s contest in 2:18:04 ahead of Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede and Bahrain’s Eunice Chumba.

Both eventual winners managed to pull away from their rivals over the final couple of kilometres and keep them at bay, but it remained a fight to the finish. Negasa was just six seconds behind Geremew, with Do Nascimento a further two seconds back in a South American record, and Kebede was eight seconds behind Melly, with those five athletes all finishing inside the previous respective course records of 2:05:13 and 2:19:51.

Geremew, Negasa and Do Nascimento had been part of a 19-strong group that passed 5km in 14:42 and 10km in 29:14. By 20km that pack had 14 members, with 58:43 on the clock. Over the next 10km, three runners were dropped, with Geremew, Negasa and Do Nascimento among those to the fore along with Kenya’s Elisha Kipchirchir Rotich, Philemon Rono and Mark Korir (1:28:41). Rotich, last year’s Paris Marathon winner and the 2019 runner-up in Seoul, dropped out a short while later, while Geremew, Negasa and Do Nascimento began to break away, with the Brazilian pushing the pace.

Geremew and Negasa then made a move and looked to be leaving Do Nascimento behind, with a six-second gap, 1:43:31 to 1:43:37, at 35km and Korir and Rono another eight seconds back.

But Do Nascimento wasn’t giving up and rejoined the leaders to trail by just a few strides as 40km was passed in 1:58:27.

It was London and Chicago runner-up Geremew who was strongest in the closing stages and he held off his challengers to return to winning ways after being unable to finish the Tokyo Marathon earlier this year.

Negasa, who was second in Dubai in 2019, claimed another runner-up spot in 2:04:49, while Do Nascimento improved Ronaldo da Costa’s South American record of 2:06:05 – a world record when it was run in 1998 – by more than a minute, finishing third in 2:04:51.

Korir was a couple of minutes back in fourth in 2:06:54, one second ahead of Moses Kibet.In the women’s race, Melly – who has a half marathon best of 1:05:04 and was contesting her fourth marathon – was among the nine runners who passed 5km in 16:40 and 10km in 32:58. The lead group was down to six at 15km (49:30) and Melly had broken away with 2019 Beijing Marathon winner Kebede, Chumba and Kenya’s Celestine Chepchirchir by 20km (1:05:44).

That quartet continued to race through 25km in 1:21:58 and 30km in 1:38:29, and while Olympic seventh-place finisher Chumba was 10 seconds back at 35km – 1:55:03 to 1:55:13 – she passed Chepchirchir in the closing stages to finish third, eight seconds ahead.

Melly and Kebede had broken away by 40km, passed in 1:12:16, with Melly eventually striding away to win by eight seconds, 2:18:04 to 2:18:12, and record an almost three-minute PB.

Chumba was third in 2:20:02 and Chepchirchir fourth in 2:20:10, one place off her position in Seoul in 2019.

Seven years after her victory in Seoul, Ethiopia's Guteni Shone finished fifth in 2:28:05.

(04/17/2022) Views: 1,526 ⚡AMP

Highly competitive fields ready to clash in Seoul this weekend

Organizers of the Seoul Marathon have assembled what is arguably their strongest ever line-up for the World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race on Sunday (17).

Eight men with sub-2:06 PBs and five women with sub-2:21 lifetime bests are among the highly competitive fields.

World silver medalist Mosinet Geremew heads the men’s line-up. The former Ethiopian record-holder, who has a PB of 2:02:55, has finished in top three in eight of his nine completed marathons. He was unable to finish the Tokyo Marathon earlier this year, but he’ll return to action on Sunday in a bid to become just the second Ethiopian man in history to win the Seoul Marathon.

If he falls short of that target, compatriot Herpasa Negasa stands a good chance. Runner-up in Dubai in 2019, he is a 2:03:40 performer at his best.

Elisha Kipchirchir Rotich leads the Kenyan charge. A formidable opponent, he won the Paris Marathon last year in a PB of 2:04:21. He also has five other career marathon victories to his name, and he finished second in Seoul in 2019.

Three-time Toronto Marathon winner Philemon Rono is also entered, as is Kenyan compatriot Mark Korir. The 2015 Paris Marathon winner has a 2:05:49 PB and will be making his fifth appearance in Seoul; he has made the podium three times in the Korean city but is yet to win.

Korea’s Joohan Oh – formerly known as Wilson Loyanae of Kenya – is also familiar with the streets of Seoul, having won the race four times. He also holds the course record at 2:05:13, but his last completed marathon was back in 2019 when he finished second in Gyeongju in 2:08:42.

Ugandan duo Filex Chemonges and Moses Kibet are also worth keeping an eye on. Chemonges, who represented Uganda at the Olympics last year, holds the national record at 2:05:12. Kibet, meanwhile, has only contested two marathons to date but already has a PB of 2:05:20.

Other entered athletes include 2017 Seoul runner-up Felix Kandie of Kenya, Kenneth Keter, Brazilian Olympian Daniel do Nascimento, two-time Amsterdam winner Benard Kipyego, Solomon Kirwa Yego and Martin Kosgey.

The women’s race looks just as competitive and similarly tough to call.

Guteni Shone returns to Seoul, seven years after her victory there. Since then, she has also won in Ottawa and Seville, while in more recent years she has finished second in Prague in 2021 and second in Dubai in 2020 – the latter with a PB of 2:20:11, making her the fastest in the field for Sunday. In fact, she has finished in the top two in her past four marathons and she won’t want to relinquish that streak this weekend.

She’ll be joined on the start line by two fellow Ethiopians who also have a strong marathon record. Sutume Asefa, winner of the Beijing Marathon in 2019, set a PB of 2:20:30 when finishing third in Tokyo two years ago. Shure Demise, meanwhile, set her PB of 2:20:59 on her debut at the distance in Dubai back in 2015, but has gone on to win in Toronto twice. She also placed third in Tokyo in 2019 and in Chicago in 2018.

Netsanet Gudeta may not have the fastest PB of the elite field – partly because she has only completed two marathons to date – but she is a proven contender at the half marathon distance, having won the 2018 world title. Her half marathon PB of 1:05:45 suggests she’s capable of improving on her 2:26:09 marathon PB.

Joan Chelimo Melly has an even quicker half marathon PB, 1:05:04, making her one of the fastest women of all time for the distance. The Kenyan has started to move up to the marathon in recent years and has a PB of 2:20:57.

Other Kenyans in the line-up include Agnes Jeruto Barsosio, who was third in Seoul in 2016, Selly Chepyego Kaptich, and Celestine Chepchirchir, who was third in Seoul in 2019. Bahrain’s Eunice Chumba, seventh at the Olympics last year, is another one to watch.

Elite field

Women

Guteni Shone (ETH) 2:20:11

Sutume Asefa (ETH) 2:20:30

Joan Chelimo Melly (KEN) 2:20:57

Agnes Jeruto Barsosio (KEN) 2:20:59

Shure Demise (ETH) 2:20:59

Selly Chepyego Kaptich (KEN) 2:21:06

Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:23:10

Celestine Chepchirchir (KEN) 2:23:38

Netsanet Gudeta  (ETH) 2:26:09

Men

Mosinet Geremew (ETH) 2:02:55

Herpasa Negasa (ETH) 2:03:40

Elisha Kipchirchir Rotich (KEN) 2:04:21

Philemon Rono (KEN) 2:05:00

Filex Chemonges (UGA) 2:05:12

Joohan Oh (KOR) 2:05:13

Moses Kibet (UGA) 2:05:20

Mark Korir (KEN) 2:05:49

Felix Kandie (KEN) 2:06:03

Kenneth Keter (KEN) 2:06:05

Daniel do Nascimento (BRA) 2:06:11

Benard Kipyego (KEN) 2:06:19

Solomon Kirwa Yego (KEN) 2:06:24

Martin Kosgey (KEN) 2:06:41

Vincent Kipsang Rono (KEN) 2:07:10

Lucas Kimeli Rotich (KEN) 2:07:17

Belachew Alemayehu (ETH) 2:07:55

Brian Kipsang (KEN) 2:09:07.

(04/15/2022) Views: 2,057 ⚡AMP
by World Athletics

2021 Beijing Marathon cancelled as city experiences Covid spike

Beijing Marathon, scheduled for October 31, has been cancelled due to a recent bout of coronavirus cases in the city.

Domestic tour groups have been identified as the source of 133 infections of the delta variant spread across 11 provinces.

Although 75% of the population has now been vaccinated Government policy is still to vigorously suppress any outbreaks that occur – this last being the most significant since August.

Cases occurring in Beijing are particularly worrying for the authorities with the 2022 Winter Olympic Games due to be hosted in the city from February 4-20.

(10/25/2021) Views: 1,246 ⚡AMP
by AIMS

2021 Beijing Marathon to be held in October after one-year suspension

The Beijing Marathon will start at 7:30 on October 31, the organizing committee confirmed on Oct 3.

About 30,000 participants will participate in the marathon, starting from the Tian'anmen Square and ending at the Olympic Forest Park. The closing time is 13:45.

Only permanent residents of Beijing who are 20 years and older (born before Dec 31, 2001) are eligible for this year's mass competition, and they need to provide valid marathon results within six hours or half marathon ones within three hours from Jan 1, 2019 to Sept 23, 2021 (online marathon results excluded) to qualify.

Runners are required to stay in Beijing since 21 days before the competition date and declare their health status online every day during the period. Green health code, negative nucleic acid test certificate within 72 hours and valid vaccination certificate are necessary to take part in the race.

The organizing committee will also invite domestic elite athletes to compete, who will be under closed-loop management until the end of the competition.

In 2020, the Beijing Marathon was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

(10/04/2021) Views: 1,210 ⚡AMP
by Xinhua News

Kenya will renew their rivalry with Ethiopia on Sunday in quest for Xiamen Marathon in China

Kenyan athletes are keen to end Ethiopian dominance in the Southern China city. Kenyan duo Reuben Kerio and Kennedy Cheboror also renewed their lifetime bests in 2019.

The 25-year-old Kerio clocked 2:07:00 in Eindhoven and won the Rock 'n' Roll Madrid Marathon last year, while Cheboror, 29, improved his personal best (PB) to 2:06:59 when finishing fourth in Daegu and went on to win the Gyeongju Marathon in October, which was his third title in six races since debuting over the classic distance in 2016.

"It is a tough race with top names from Ethiopia. But I believe we have a chance to showcase to the world that we are top of the game," said Cheboror on Friday.

Kenya's Moses Mosop was the last man to win in Xiamen, setting a course record of 2:06:19 in 2015.

"The course in Xiamen is tough and it requires strong preparations. I felt depleted after the race and it will not be easy for the athletes when they line up to improve the record," Mosop said.

The tall and long-legged Debela, who will celebrate his 25th birthday next Thursday, edged compatriot Afewerk Mesfin by just two seconds last year to take a second successive Xiamen victory in 2:09:26.

He went on to earn a runner-up finish in Chicago last October at 2:05:46, improving his personal best by 84 seconds, which suggests he has the ability to challenge the 2:06:19 course record set by Moses Mosop of Kenya in 2015.

While Debela is eyeing a hat-trick, Shura Kitata is expecting third-time lucky in Xiamen.

The 23-year-old Ethiopian has progressed rapidly in recent years and is the fastest man on paper with a best time of 2:04:49, which was set from his second-place finish at the 2018 London Marathon. He came close to that mark in April 2019 when he returned to London to finish fourth in 2:05:01.

After a third-place finish in 2016 and a runner-up spot in 2017, Kitata will be keen to set his foot onto the top step of the podium and challenge the course record which also stands as the Chinese all-comers' record.

Salah Eddine Bounasr of Morocco is another man to watch on Sunday. Although it will be his first outing in the southern Chinese city, the 29-year-old arrives in good form.

He has been unbeaten since his Beijing Marathon title in September 2017. He clocked a winning time of 2:09:29 in Vienna in 2018 and reduced his career-best to 2:07:52 in Otsu last March.

The 22-year-old Armino will also face a challenging title defense in the women's race. Last year Armino trimmed almost two minutes off her PB to score an upset victory over a strong field at 2:27:25. And the field she will face on Sunday is even stronger.

Armino's compatriot Yebrgual Melese leads the women's elite list with a best time of 2:19:36, which was achieved from her third-place finish in Dubai two years ago.

She is also the only woman in the field that has ever run faster than Mare Dibaba's course record of 2:19:52 set in 2015.

The 29-year-old Melese has built a reputation for her consistency, having won titles in Houston, Prague and two straight victories in Shanghai.

Fellow Ethiopian Afera Godfay is also a serious title contender. The 28-year-old grabbed her first international marathon victory in Dongying last April and improved her PB to 2:22:41, which made her the second-fastest entrant in Xiamen. More recently, she clocked 2:29:18 to finish 10th at the Ljubljana Marathon three months ago.

Ethiopian runners swept all 10 of the women's titles in Xiamen over the past decade. Volha Mazuronak of Belarus would be the biggest hope to break such dominance this year.

Mazuronak's best time of 2:23:54, which also stands as the Belarusian record, was set at the 2016 London Marathon.

The 2018 European champion has maintained a high level of competitiveness in recent seasons, taking the top honours two years ago in Dusseldorf and last year in Hong Kong before finishing fifth at the World Championships in Doha last September.

(01/04/2020) Views: 2,119 ⚡AMP

Ethiopia’s defending champions Dejene Debela and Medina Deme Armino will return to China with the aim of retaining their titles at the Xiamen Marathon

The tall and long-legged Debela, who will celebrate his 25th birthday next Thursday, edged compatriot Afewerk Mesfin by just two seconds last year to take a second successive Xiamen victory in 2:09:26.

He went on to earn a runner-up finish in Chicago last October in 2:05:46, improving his personal best by 84 seconds, which suggests he has the ability to challenge the 2:06:19 course record set by Moses Mosop of Kenya in 2015.

Debela has an unbeaten record on Chinese soil, winning two titles in Xiamen and emerging victorious at the 2018 Beijing Marathon.

While Debela is eyeing a hat-trick, Shura Kitata is expecting third-time lucky in Xiamen.

The 23-year-old Ethiopian has progressed rapidly in recent years and is the fastest man on paper with a PB of 2:04:49, which was set from his second-place finish at the 2018 London Marathon. He came close to that mark last April when he returned to London to finish fourth in 2:05:01.

After a third-place finish in 2016 and a runner-up spot in 2017, Kitata will be keen to set his foot on to the top step of the podium and challenge the course record which also stands as the Chinese all-comers’ record.

Salah Eddine Bounasr of Morocco is another man to watch on Sunday. Although it will be his first outing in the southern Chinese city, the 29-year-old arrives in good form. He has been unbeaten since his Beijing Marathon title in September 2017. He clocked a winning time of 2:09:29 in Vienna in 2018 and reduced his career best to 2:07:52 in Otsu last March.

Kenyan duo Reuben Kerio and Kennedy Cheboror also renewed their lifetime bests in 2019. The 25-year-old Kerio clocked 2:07:00 in Eindhoven and won the Rock 'n' Roll Madrid Marathon last year, while Cheboror, 29, improved his PB to 2:06:59 when finishing fourth in Daegu and went on to win the Gyeongju Marathon in October, which was his third title in six races since debuting over the classic distance in 2016.

The 22-year-old Armino will also face a challenging title defence in the women’s race. Last year Armino trimmed almost two minutes off her PB to score an upset victory over a strong field in 2:27:25. And the field she will face on Sunday is even stronger.

Armino’s compatriot Yebrgual Melese leads the women’s elite list with a PB of 2:19:36, which was achieved from her third-place finish in Dubai two years ago. She is also the only woman in the field that has ever run faster than Mare Dibaba’s course record of 2:19:52 set in 2015.

The 29-year-old Melese has built a reputation for her consistency, having won titles in Houston, Prague and two straight victories in Shanghai.

Fellow Ethiopian Afera Godfay is also a serious title contender. The 28-year-old grabbed her first international marathon victory in Dongying last April and improved her PB to 2:22:41, which made her the second fastest entrant in Xiamen. More recently, she clocked 2:29:18 to finish 10th at the Ljubljana Marathon three months ago.

Ethiopian runners swept all 10 of the women’s titles in Xiamen over the past decade. Volha Mazuronak of Belarus would be the biggest hope to break such dominance this year.

The women’s field also includes local runner Li Zhixuan, the fastest Chinese woman in 2019 as she improved her PB to 2:26:15 last March, and Hiwot Ayalew of Ethiopia, a former steeplechase specialist who clocked 2:26:40 three months ago on her marathon debut.

(01/03/2020) Views: 1,985 ⚡AMP
by World Athletics

Luca Naso plans to run the entire coast and perimeter of Italy, the islands of Sicily and Sardinia included starting January 1 because he believes in the value of dreams

As the first rays of sun timidly wash over the eastern Sicilian city of Catania on January 1, Luca Naso will be lacing up his running shoes and heading out the door for an easy 15 kilometer run.

While there is nothing particularly eventful in Luca’s choice to run while the rest of the city (and country) sleeps off the festivities of the night before, it will not be his only run of the day. He will run another 15 kilometers again later in the day, starting from where he left off in the morning, sleeping in Riposto, a seaside village 30 kilometers north of Catania. 

As far as New Year’s resolutions go, Luca’s is an ambitious one: he plans to run the entire coast and perimeter of Italy, the islands of Sicily and Sardinia included, for a total of 8,800 kilometers (5,468 miles), running 15 kilometers twice a day, for a total of 30 kilometers a day, six days a week.

“I’m not sure how the idea of this challenge came about, but since it was born, it has only grown day by day to become a real dream”, said Luca. “I decided to do it because I believe in the value of dreams and I am convinced that knowing your dreams and making efforts to make them come true will make us better people.”

Naso, 38, is a prominent astro-physicist who caught the running bug in 2008 and has since run four marathons, including the Berlin Marathon and Beijing Marathon.  It was while working in China that Naso met his wife, Yan Yan, who will accompany him on bike as far as Messina, approximately 90 kilometers north of Catania.

Luca’s plan is to circle Sicily (counter-clockwise) and then cross over to Calabria where he will start his run along the perimeter of the boot, running counter-clockwise from the southern regions during the winter months. If his calculations go according to plan, he plans to reach Rome by September 2020.

And while Luca is being assisted by a technical team that includes a coach, nutritionist and doctor, the logistical and organizational aspects of Naso’s endeavor are complicated, as his daily needs of lodging, food, transportation of luggage and other equipment will be in different towns and cities every day of the year.

“I hope that all of the passion that I am putting into this challenge can motivate other people to realize their dreams” said Naso. 

Luca can be followed on the following Link:

https://www.facebook.com/correreaiconfini/

(12/30/2019) Views: 2,371 ⚡AMP
by carla Van Kampen reporting from Rome

Beijing marathon champion Mathew Kisorio to defend title in 2020, has no Olympics plans

With no hope of making the Kenyan team to the Tokyo Olympic Games, Beijing marathon champion Mathew Kisorio has already planned his new season.

The 30-year-old says he will certainly be returning to the Chinese capital to defend his title in 2020 after his debut show on Nov. 3 saw him clinch the gold. He also has no intention to throw his hat in the ring to make the elusive Kenyan marathon team for the Olympics.

Kisorio says he was humbled by the Chinese reception and running culture and will not think twice if invited to fend off new pretenders seeking his treasured trophy. "Of course I loved the weather in China and I expect to come to Beijing again next year," said Kisorio on Tuesday. "The Olympics are not on my plans, but defending my crown in Beijing is something that I am dreaming of already."

It was the third road race for Kisorio in China after his debut at the Yangzhou Half Marathon in 2015, where he finished tenth clocking 60:58. He made the full marathon distance a year later in 2016 at the Dongying marathon, where he finished ninth clocking 2:14:13.

Beijing marathon remains the only race Kisorio has won in 2019 after an injury prevented him from finishing the Mexico City marathon back in August.

With a 2:04:53 personal best time from Valencia last year, Kisorio clocked a new course record in Beijing cutting off ten seconds off Ethiopia's Tadese Tola 2:07:06 mark, which he had set in 2003.

Last year, Kisorio was second at Paris marathon, third in Mexico City and Valencia before a foot injury slowed him down early this season. His other marathon victory was in Daegu, South Korea back in 2017.

(11/06/2019) Views: 1,938 ⚡AMP
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Course record broken at the Beijing Marathon

Kenya’s Mathew Kipkoech Kisorio broke away in the final 10 kilometres of the Beijing Marathon to rewrite the men’s course record at the IAAF Gold Label road race on Sunday (3).

The 30-year-old clocked 2:07:06 to earn his second victory over the classic distance, knocking 10 seconds off the course record set six years ago by Ethiopia’s 2013 world bronze medallist Tadese Tola.

“It is my first time to run in Beijing and I am very happy to win and to break the course record,” said Kisorio, who set his PB of 2:04:53 last year in Valencia. “The weather was fantastic. I expect to come to Beijing again next year.”

Starting under cloudy and drizzling skies with the temperature ranging from 7-10C, the race was fast from the outset. Four runners – Bazu Worku of Ethiopia, Kisorio and his compatriots Emmanuel Rutto and Solomon Kirwa Yego – led the race to 25km.

Worku, a three-time winner of the Houston Marathon, was the first to fade away after 28km, while 36-year-old Rutto quit the title contest after 30km. After another two kilometres, Kisorio broke away from Yego to move into a sole lead.

The 2017 Daegu Marathon winner was well on track to break the course record at 35km, reached in 1:45:10, and kept pushing ahead before hit the line in 2:07:06. Yego trailed by more than two minutes to finish second in 2:09:45. Rutto clocked 2:10:15 to finish third.

Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa, 24, ran alone for most of the women’s race and scored her first marathon title in 2:23:31, trimming 29 seconds off her PB set in Dubai three years ago.

China’s Li Zhixuan, the sixth-place finisher in Beijing last year, took second place in 2:29:06. Pre-race favourite Mulu Seboka, the fastest entrant in the field with a PB of 2:21:56, finished third in 2:29:09.

“I am satisfied with second place but the time is kind of slower than I expected,” said the 25-year-old Li, who set a PB of 2:26:15 in Nagoya eight months ago.

The last time a Chinese runner managed to earn a podium finish in the country’s most prestigious road race was in 2014, when Gong Lihua finished third in the women’s race.

(11/03/2019) Views: 1,825 ⚡AMP

Ethiopia’s Mekuant Ayenew returns to the Chinese capital aiming to regain the title he took three years ago at the Beijing Marathon

The 28-year-old Ayenew, who set his 2:09:00 PB at the 2017 Prague Marathon, clocked 2:11:09 to earn his first international marathon victory in 2016 at the most prestigious road running race in China, which was first launched in 1981.

It will be Ayenew’s third appearance in Beijing as he also finished seventh with 2:15:16 two years ago. His familiarity of the course, which starts at the landmark Ti’anmen Square and ends outside the Olympic Stadium, will be a big advantage for Ayenew. But retaining the title will not be an easy task as Ayenew will face a quality field that includes several sub 2:05 runners.

Fellow Ethiopian Endeshaw Negesse is the fastest man on paper with a personal best of 2:04:52 set in Dubai back in 2013. Negesse came close to that mark two years later when he won in Tokyo with 2:06:00, but his only race since then was a 17th-place finish in Dubai in 2:26:27.

Kenya’s Mathew Kipkoech Kisorio, meanwhile, is a serious title contender in Beijing. The 30-year-old improved his PB to 2:04:53 last year when he finished third in Valencia and clocked 2:06:36 to finish second at the Paris Marathon last April.

The men’s field also includes Bazu Worku of Ethiopia, a three-time winner of the Houston Marathon with a PB of 2:05:25, as well as Kenyan duo Evans Korir and Solomon Kirwa Yego, who both have sub-2:07 career-best times and both have broken 2:08 in 2019.

Mulu Seboka of Ethiopia is the fastest entrant in the women’s field. The 35-year-old owns a PB of 2:21:56, set in Dubai in 2015, and has won three straight races in China since 2018 with two victories in Dalian and one in Shenzhen. She clocked 2:27:19 in May to retain her title in Dalian.

Compatriots Sutume Asefa and Letebrhan Haylay are also among the favourites. With a best of 2:24:00, Asefa is the slightly quicker of the two women but is yet to win a marathon, while Haylay set a PB of 2:24:47 to break the course record at the Dongying Yellow River Marathon last year.

Kenya’s 2018 Daegu Marathon champion Janet Jelagat Rono, a 2:26:03 performer at her best, is another woman to watch.

Li Zhixuan is China’s best hope for the title on Sunday. The 25-year-old is the fastest Chinese woman this year as she clocked 2:26:15 in Nagoya in March, improving her PB by more than four minutes. She will be hoping to improve on her sixth-place finish from last year.

The last time Chinese runners took the top honours at Beijing Marathon dates back to 2013, when Zhang Yingying clocked 2:31:19 to extend China’s winning streak in the women’s race to 22 years.

(11/01/2019) Views: 2,333 ⚡AMP
by IAAF

Frankfurt Marathon champion Valary Aiyabei is targeting the women's only world record held by Mary Keitany of 2:17:01 during the 2020 season

Aiyabei, who is a former Beijing Marathon champion, has thrown her hat in the ring and is seeking to conquer any of the six World Marathon Majors (WMM) course in 2020 alongside making it to the Kenya team for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The 28-year-old ran the fifth-fastest women's marathon time in Frankfurt last Sunday after recording 2:19:10 to break the previous course record of 2:20:36 set by Ethiopia's Meskerem Assefa in 2018.

"I know I can run faster. I now target the women's record of Keitany, which was set two years ago in London. Then maybe I can start dreaming of challenging Brigid Kosgei's women's marathon record," Aiyabei said on Thursday in Nairobi after arriving from Frankfurt.

It has taken over a decade for Kosgei to break the women's all-time world record of 2:15:25 set by Paula Radcliffe in London back in 2003. Kosgei clocked 2:14:01 to break the 16-year-old mark.

"My plan is to break the record in any of the World Marathon Majors. I will plan with my coaches to see which race is convenient for me and my mission," Aiyabei added.

New York, Berlin, Tokyo, Chicago, Boston, and London races form the WRR series with the Olympics and World Championships being part of the circuit.

But Aiyabei hopes her performance in Frankfurt will open doors for her to secure a call to run in either Tokyo, Boston or London in April.

"That record can be broken. But it's rather safe to start with the women's only record and then push for Kosgei's mark later. It all depends on one's mental strength, psyche and how you train. I have a dream to lower Kosgei's record and I believe with God's blessings, it will come to pass," added Aiyabei.

Already Kosgei has called out on sponsors to fund her training to try and make history, similar way Olympic Champion Eliud Kipchoge did in Vienna with the INEOS 1:59 Challenge.

"I believe women can run below two hours and ten minutes," said Kosgei. "I can run faster than the time I set in Chicago."

That spirit has also given Aiyabei the belief she can control her own destiny and push herself to break the world record.

"Kosgei's feat was very inspiring and I have decided to emulate her and make another step in my career," she said.

(10/31/2019) Views: 1,855 ⚡AMP
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Ethiopian Seifu Tura is the latest addition to the Chicago Marathon

Bank of America Chicago Marathon officials have announced several changes to the elite field for Sunday’s race, including Getaneh Molla and Herpasa Negasa’s withdrawal from the race.

The runners, who both hail from Ethiopia, had the two best personal-records among the men’s field, but neither will participate in Sunday’s race.

Race organizers did announce that a pair of new runners will join the field, including Seifu Tura, the Ethiopian racer who set a blistering career best time in the Dubai Marathon in 2018, crossing the line in 2:04:44.

While that result was only good for seventh in the race, Tura did win the 2018 Milan Marathon in Italy and the 2018 Shanghai International Marathon in China, giving him a pair of quality victories that he’ll look to build upon in Chicago.

Also added to the field is Ethiopia’s Dejene Debela. The 24-year-old set a personal best time of 2:07:10 in the Eindhoven Marathon in the Netherlands back in 2017. He is the defending champion at the Xiamen International Marathon in China, posting a time of 2:09:26 in the race earlier this year.

He also won the Beijing Marathon in 2018 and is currently the 45th ranked marathon runner in the world, according to the IAAF.

(10/09/2019) Views: 1,698 ⚡AMP
by Natalie Martinez

Beijing Marathon champion Valary Aiyabei Jemeli is set to participate at the Nagoya Women's Marathon and improve on her second place finish last year

Beijing Marathon champion Valary Aiyabei Jemeli hopes her top form will help her to make the Kenyan team at the World Marathon Championships.

Jemeli, 28, will return to the Nagoya Women's Marathon on March 10 hoping to improve on her second finish last year to boost her chances of breaking into the Kenya team to the global championships which will be held in Doha, Qatar in October.

"The immediate challenge is to improve on my silver medal from Nagoya to gold. I know the challenge will be of international class, but my training has been good and I have recovered since my last run in Ras Al Khaimah in United Arab Emirates," said Jemeli on Friday from Eldoret.

Jemeli's profile was enhanced when she defied the odds to win in the Chinese capital last year. She started the season with a strong run in UAE where she was fifth. She hopes to improve and prepare to defend her title in Beijing.

"My plan is to make the Kenya team to the World marathon championships. But that is not down to me to make the decision. So I will have the Beijing marathon as my main target, to go and defend my crown and should the coaches opt to offer me the chance to run in Qatar, then we will have to reschedule," said Jemeli.

Last year, Jemeli ended a four-year winning run by Ethiopian runners in the Beijing marathon when she clocked 2:21:38, the fourth fastest in the history of the race and the quickest mark since 2005, but was two minutes shy of the 2:19:39 course record set by Sun Yingjie in 2003.

(02/22/2019) Views: 2,199 ⚡AMP

Ethiopia’s Dejene Debela retains Xiamen Marathon Title Clocking 2:09:26

Ethiopia’s Dejene Debela emerged victorious from a five-man contest to retain his Xiamen Marathon title in 2:09:26 at the first IAAF Gold Label road race of the year on Sunday.

Compatriot Medina Deme Armino won the women’s race in 2:27:25. With their teammates filling the top three spots in both races, it was the third consecutive Ethiopian double podium sweep in Xiamen.

The tall and strong Debela, who will celebrate his 24th birthday on Wednesday, led the race almost from the start to the finish to become the first back-to-back men’s winner in the 17-year history of the race.

His winning mark of 2:09:26 is nearly two minutes faster than his clocking in Xiamen last year. It is also his second sub-2:10 performance to date, following his 2:07:10 PB set in Dubai two years ago.

The race, held in cloudy and cool conditions, started with a group of six runners leading the way, followed closely by seven chasers. When the leaders hit the 15-kilometer mark in 44:49, they were just four seconds away from the same split time of Moses Mosop when he set the 2:06:19 course record in 2015.

However, the leading pack that consisted of Debela and compatriot Birhan Nebebew as well as Kenyan trio Eliud Kiptanui, Asbel Kipsang and Gilbert Masai, slowed down gradually afterwards and was unable to drop the chasers.

Kipsang limped off the course after reaching 25 kilometers in 1:15:50 and had to withdraw from the race while the remaining four leaders were finally caught by the chasers before 29 kilometers.

After another eight kilometers, the lead group was once again trimmed to an all-Ethiopian quintet comprising Debela, Nebebew, Afewerk Mesfin, Belachew Alemayehu and Chele Dechasa.

None of the leaders was willing to take the risk to pull away too early and the group remained together patiently until the final kilometer when Alemayehu dropped away first, followed by Dechasa.

Thanks to his powerful home stretch, the long-legged Debela held off Mesfin to take the victory, maintaining his all-win record on Chinese soil as he also won the Beijing Marathon in 2:12:08 last September.

(01/07/2019) Views: 1,288 ⚡AMP

Defending champion of the Xiamen Marathon Dejene Debela of Ethiopia is expected to return to defend his title

Dejene Debele, 23, has showed great talent competing in three marathons in 2018 and winning two, both in China. He won the Xiamen Marathon clocking 2:11:22 and in August he returned to win the Beijing Marathon clocking 2:12:08. However, he was a distant seventh at the Rome marathon in April.

Another Kenyan expected in the race is Vincent Yator.

The Xiamen International Marathon is an annual marathon race held in January in the coastal city of Xiamen in Fujian province of China, Every January.

(12/26/2018) Views: 1,584 ⚡AMP

Valary Jemeli Aiyabei from Kenya becomes the first ever Kenyan winner of the women’s race at Beijing Marathon

The women’s race was first introduced to the Beijing Marathon in 1989, but Kenyan runners had never previously managed to reach the top step of the women’s podium. Aiyabei, the fastest entrant and the only Kenyan in the elite women’s field, broke clear after 20 kilometres and kept pushing ahead until hitting the line in 2:21:38, ending a four-year winning run by Ethiopian runners. Her winning mark is the fourth fastest in the history of the race and the quickest mark since 2005, but is two minutes shy of the 2:19:39 course record set by Sun Yingjie in 2003. “This is my first time running the Beijing Marathon,” said the 27-year-old, who set her PB of 2:20:53 when finishing third at last year’s Berlin Marathon. “The race today was good and the weather was good. Everything was good. I want to say thanks to my pacemaker and my husband, he did the best job. I am very happy.” The race was staged under cool ad breezing conditions and the in-form Aiyabei tried to break away soon after the gun. After passing the water station at five kilometres, only Bahrain’s Eunice Chebichi Chumba, with a PB of 2:24:27 set last year in Rotterdam, managed to keep up with Aiyabei’s pace. The duo remained together for another 15 kilometres before Aiyabei finally broke free from Chumba. Paced by her husband Kenneth Kiplagat Tarus, Aiyabei kept widening the gap between her and Chumba. When Tarus stepped out of the course at 40 kilometres, Aiyabei had already built a lead of more than four minutes. (09/17/2018) Views: 1,929 ⚡AMP

Kenya’s Paul Kios Kangogo wants to win and break the course record at Beijing Marathon

Kangogo who has a best time of 2:09:20, said he has overcome his injury concerns and is ready to return to the winner's podium in the Chinese capital. However, it will not only be the win he is targeting but to improve on his best time and attack the course record of 2:07:16, which was set five years ago by Ethiopia's Tadese Tola. My training has gone well and everything is fine. I have pushed my body to the limit and am happy, I have come through without any problems. I can say am in-form. I know there will be a strong Ethiopian challenge including the past champions, but running a marathon is down to your own strength and strategy and past record count for less," Kangogo told Xinhua, Thursday in Nairobi. The Kenyan has blown hot and cold in the last two years, mainly due to injury and hopeful, after returning to fitness in April, he will be consistent to string together another podium finish. He however, will be up against the 2014 Beijing marathon champion Fatuma Sado, Tola Dibaba (2:06:17) and Abayneh Ayele (2:06:45) who will be running his third race in China this year. He finished second in 2:14:13 at the Chongqing marathon in March and went on to take third place in Dongying in 2:13:47. There is also Ethiopia's Seboka Negusse (2:09:44) winner at the Hannover marathon in April and Xiamen marathon champion Dejene Debela (2:07:10). (09/15/2018) Views: 1,743 ⚡AMP

Meselech Beyene of Ethiopia aiming to capture another title at the Beijing Marathon

The 24-year-old Beyene enjoyed a comfortable solo lead in the final 10 kilometers en route to her 2:27:44 victory last year, one minute shy of her personal best set six months earlier in Barcelona. It will be the third race of the year for Beyene following a third place finish in Houston with a season’s best of 2:27:21 in January and a second place showing at the Vienna City Marathon in 2:29:51 three months later. Beyene will once again face a deep field in Beijing, as she did here last year, which includes several sub-2:25 runners including the 26-year-old Sado. The Ethiopian achieved her career best of 2:24:16 at the 2015 Toronto Waterfront Marathon, one year after her 2:30:03 victory in Beijing, where she ended a 22-year winning streak by local runners in the women’s race. Although she failed to dip under the 2:30 the past two years, Sado proved her competitiveness in Xiamen this January as she shrugged off the heavy rain and overcame a stomach problem in the latter stages to win her second title there in 2:26:41. Beyene and Sado are more familiar with the course that stretches from the landmark Tian’anmen Square and ends outside the National Stadium, better known as the “Birds Nest”, but the top favorite should be Kenya’s Valary Jemeli Aiyabei. The 27-year-old is the fastest woman on paper with a career best of 2:20:53 from her third finish at the 2017 Berlin Marathon. Prior to that performance in the German capital, the rising Kenyan emerged triumphant in four straight marathons in Eldoret, Barcelona, Valencia and Prague, improving her PB on each occasion. Her winning marks in Valencia and Prague remains as the course records and she also proved her worth in 2018 with a 2:22:48 clocking in Nagoya where she finish second. The field also includes two sub-2:22 runners, Mulu Seboka and Amane Gobena, who are both from Ethiopia. Gobena recorded her PB of 2:21:51 in Tokyo two years ago while Seboka set her lifetime best of 2:21:56 in Dubai in 2015. The duo will both arrive in Beijing with high spirits following their newly claimed titles this year in Mumbai and Dalian respectively. (09/15/2018) Views: 1,763 ⚡AMP

The $500,000 Asian Premier Marathons Rankings will help bring attention to Asian Runners

In a major boost to the development of endurance sports in Asia, Asian Athletics Association announced the $500,000 prized Asian Premier Marathon Series 2017-18 last July.

Beijing Marathon, Seoul Marathon and Beirut Marathon are the three founding members of APM. Top three men’s and women’s Asian runners (6 in total) will share the half a million USD cash award. Kim Jae-hoon (29) and Kim Do-yeon (25), who came first among Korean marathoners in the men’s and women’s race, respectively, at the 2018 Seoul International Marathon and the 89th Dong-A Marathon, are now the leaders on the Asian Premier Marathons (APM) ranking. The APM was modeled after the World Marathon Majors.

(03/22/2018) Views: 4,681 ⚡AMP