Running News Daily

Four women to watch in the 2024 New York City Marathon

The New York Marathon will take place on Sunday and ahead of the epic race, Pulse Sports highlights the four women likely to be on the podium.

A quality field is expected in the 2024 New York Marathon that is set for Sunday, November 3, as athletes look to set records on the course while others seek to bag victories for the first time.

Even though fierce competition is expected, Pulse Sports takes a look at athletes deemed favourites by bookmarkers to clinch a podium position as the build-up to the marathon enters homestretch.

Hellen Obiri (Kenya)

Hellen Obiri enters this year’s New York City Marathon as the defending champion in formidable form just like last year. In 2023, the 34-year-old had her arm raised victorious at the end of both the Boston and the New York City marathons. This year, she has the chance to repeat history after her victory in Boston set her up for an intriguing double-double.

Obiri’s other notable 2024 highlight was bronze in the Olympic marathon in Paris, which took place just 11 weeks ago. It was an incident-packed race for the Kenyan, which included falls and missed drink stations, but she rallied bravely to finish on the podium for her third Olympic medal in as many Games. Obiri boasts a marathon PB of 2:23:10.

Sharon Lokedi (Kenya)

The 2022 New York City marathon champion was within touching distance of an Olympic medal, missing out on the podium by a mere four seconds on the streets of Paris. It’s evidence of the strength of the Kenyan marathon team that Lokedi was originally named as a reserve for the Olympics before she replaced an injured Brigid Kosgei just weeks before the Games.

Lokedi also lost out to Obiri at this year’s Boston Marathon where she finished second, but her impressive achievements after only four career marathons will put her in good stead when she races again in the Big Apple. Lokedi has a marathon PB of 2:22:45

Dakotah Lindwurm (USA)

Dakotah Lindwurmwas USA's top finisher at the Paris Olympics, coming 12th in the French capital. Lindwurm has high expectations for this year’s race in New York, having improved in an area she feels has been her main weakness in the past.

"I’d say my 'A' goal would be to be on the podium,” Lindwurm, whose marathon PB is 2:24:40, said in the build-up to the race as revealed by Olympics.com. "I don’t think that’s out of reach when I’ve been training so hard on the hills, and for the first time in my life, feel really, really confident on hills."

Sheila Chepkirui (Kenya)

In terms of pure marathon speed, Chepkirui is the fastest woman in the field. The 33-year-old holds a personal best of 2:17:29 set on the rapid Valencia Marathon course in 2022. While Chepkirui does not have the Olympic pedigree of some of her rivals in New York, she did win bronze in the 10,000m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Her form over the 42.195km distance has, however, been nothing short of impressive and includes a 2:17:49 at last year’s Berlin Marathon. She will be aiming for a new PB in a year in which the women’s marathon world record has toppled to under the mythical mark of 2 hours and 10 minutes. Chepkirui's PB is 2:17:29

MARATHON GROUNDBREAKERS

Since Australia’s Derek Clayton ran history’s first sub—2:10 marathon in Fukuoka, Japan, on 3 December 1967, there have been a total of 4538 sub—2:10 marathons (as of 30 October 2024), 4537 by men, one by a woman.

As with any new ground-breaking performance, Ruth Chepngetich’s 2:09:56 in Chicago on 13 October has forced us to reassess all our past assumptions, or, like many, to doubt the validity of the performance itself. But no matter how we got here, to whatever you want to ascribe it, this is where we are now, 2:09:56 by a woman. 

In this new reality, until proven otherwise, Ruth Chepngetich is the new Paula Radcliffe, just as Paula was the new Grete Waitz, one ground-breaker to the next, 1978 to 2003 to 2024. 

There have been many talented women champions through the years besides those three, including all the pioneers who had to overcome centuries of gender bias that restricted women from even showing their stuff.

But in terms of pure ground-breaking, the 1978 New York City Marathon drew a bright line between what once was and what would be. 

On 22 October 1978, Norway’s track and cross-country star Grete Waitz participated in the marathon for the first time, almost on a whim, as the trip was more of a honeymoon for her and husband Jack after the long track season. 

The 2:32:30 world record Grete ran that day was totally unexpected by both the public and Grete herself. She wore bib #1173, wasn’t included on the list of elite women, and came with no specific marathon preparation (not a single run over 13 miles). In fact, she was so upset with husband, Jack, for suggesting she come run the marathon that she threw her shoes at him in the hotel room following her victory. 

Still, like almost all debuting marathoners, after a short period of recovery and reflection, Grete concluded she could probably improve next time.

Thus, in New York 1979, following a more careful preparation, Grete ripped nearly five full minutes off her 1978 mark to record history’s first sub—2:30 by a woman at 2:27:33. Her margin of victory over England’s Gillian Adams was 11 minutes (2:38:33). The combination of the mild-mannered former geography teacher from Oslo and the raucous New York City crowds proved transformative, elevating women’s running to heights previously unimagined.

Though Japan’s Naoko Takahashi broke the 2:20 barrier for women in Berlin 2001, after Norway’s Ingrid Kristiansen (2:21:15, London ‘85), America’s Joan Benoit Samuelson (2:21:21, Chicago’85), and Kenyan Tegla Loroupe (2:20:43, Berlin ‘99) all challenged the barrier in the 1980s and ‘90s, it was England’s Paula Radcliffe who established new headlands in the marathon in London 2003 with her 2:15:25.  

Nearly two minutes faster than her own 2:17:18 record from Chicago the year before, her 2:15 arced away from Catherine Ndereba’s 2:18:47 from Chicago 2001, completed just one week after Takahashi’s first sub-2:20 in Berlin. 

The quality of Paula’s 2:15 can be seen in the 16 years and an entire shoe technology revolution that developed before Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei did Paula one better in Chicago 2019 at 2:14:04. That performance plowed new ground again. And now we have Ruth Chepngetich in Chicago 2024 with history’s first sub-2:10, just a year after Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa’s first sub—2:12 in Berlin `23 (2:11:53).

Twice before, Chepngetich had come to Chicago with world record intentions. In 2022, she won the race in 2:14:18, just 14 seconds off Kosgei’s record. In 2023 she finished second in 2:15:37. On both occasions she flew through halfway under 66 minutes, only to falter in the second half. Perhaps she was a close reader of Malcolm X. 

“There is no better teacher than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.” – Malcolm x

In simple terms, making innovative strides in athletics requires time, experimentation, and reviewing, similar to how new scientific theories are examined before full acceptance. But women just haven’t been at the marathon game long enough to produce a large enough sample size to define their outer limits with any accuracy. They are barely two generations in since 1978. 

Men have been competing for a much longer time with a much larger sample size. 

Though Eliud Kipchoge surpassed the two-hour barrier in Vienna in 2019, that was accomplished as an exhibition, not a sanctioned race. In that sense, we are still awaiting the next barrier breaker on the men’s side in the Marathon. 

Looking back, England’s Jim Peters stands as the first modern barrier breaker with his 2:18:40 win at the 1953 Polytechnic Marathon between Windsor and Chiswick in West London, England, history’s first sub—2:20. 

Next was Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila, the legendary double Olympic victor in Rome 1960 and Tokyo 1964. His 2:15:17 in Rome still stands as the barefoot marathon world record. 

Next came Australia’s Derek Clayton, the first man under both 2:10 and 2:09. His 2:08:34 from Antwerp 1969 lasted for 12 years, holding off challenges throughout the entire Running Boom era headed by Americans Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers. 

Though never world record holders, the two Americans dominated the 1970s boom era, Shorter through the first half, Rodgers the second. 

The Eighties were the last decade of international marathon champions: American (Al Salazar, Greg Meyer); European (Steve Jones, Carlos Lopes); Japanese (Toshihiko Seko and the Soh brothers); and Australian (Rob de Castella). Kenya’s Joe Nzau won Chicago in 1983 in a thrilling duel with England’s Hugh Jones when Chi-town was still developing its reputation as a world class event. 

Ibrahim Hussein set new records in Honolulu and kick-started the Kenyan marathon revolution

The full East African deluge didn’t begin until 1987 and ‘88 when Kenya’s Ibrahim Hussein (already a two-time and soon to be three-time Honolulu Marathon champion) became Africa’s first New York City and Boston Marathon winner and Ethiopia’s Belayneh Dinsamo set the world record, 2:06:50, in Rotterdam 1988 that lasted over a decade. 

The list of marathon stars from other nations scaled back markedly in the 1990s. Mexico had its turn at the top via greats like Dionicio Cerón (1994-`96 London champion), and back-to-back New York Ciy winner German Silva (1994 & 1995). 

Moroccan-born American Khalid Khannouchi twice ran a world marathon record, first in Chicago 1999 (2:05:42), then three years later in London 2002 (2:05:38). And who could forget the personable Brazilian, Marílson Gomes dos Santos, who won New York City twice in 2006 & 2008, or Meb in NYC `09 and Boston 2014?? 

But the United Nations pickings get rather meager after that as East African athletes have had a stranglehold on the sport of marathoning, most dominatingly by Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge. His run of sustained excellence over 42.2 kilometers was, and is, unprecedented in its longevity, including double gold in Rio 2016 and London 2020. And his last world record of 2:01:09 in Berlin 2022.

Sadly, the current record holder, Kelvin Kiptum, died in a car accident in February 2024 after establishing the 2:00:35 world record in Chicago 2023.

With the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon scheduled this weekend, we don’t expect to see any record performances. Yet, all the above is why we follow the game, isn’t it, to witness the arc of improvement over time, while hoping to discover a new name to remember? It’s as valid a focus as any other in this life. 

And despite its many flaws and corruptions, the sport of marathoning retains an innate dignity that many endeavors do not. People may have bruised, battered, and tarnished it in the name of glory and money. But it survives, nonetheless, as a simple reflection of the human drive to achieve more in the quest to discover our best. 

Doesn’t always turn out that way, but I don’t think we are done with it quite yet. Onward! 

WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY (ABOUT WOMEN’S MARATHOING)

I am a numbers’ guy. I’ve always been a numbers’ guy. I always want to see what the numbers tell me before I opine from an emotional standpoint. 

Accordingly, I did a deep dive into the last five women to hold the marathon world record going back to Kenyan Catherine “The Great” Ndereba, in 2001. What I found was a changing world order.

Catherine Ndereba was the last of the old school road racers who then progressed to the marathon. Catherine came to compete on the U.S. road tour beginning in 1995, but really began winning convincingly in 1996 at age 24, winning four times in New York City; Spokane, Washington; Utica, NY; Flint, Michigan; and Philadelphia, Pa. 

In 1999, she made her marathon debut in Boston, running to eighth place in 2:28:26. Later that fall, she finished second in New York City in 2:27:34. But she also had eight wins on the road circuit when you could still make money there and the marathon wasn’t yet as lucrative as it is today. 

The following year, 2000, Catherine won her first Boston and Chicago Marathons, with another eight wins on the road circuit. She won Boston again in 2001 in 2:22:53, then set her world record in Chicago in the fall in her sixth career marathon, running 2:18:47, with another eight wins on the roads. Catherine was 29 when she ran her record and set her personal best by 2:46 seconds. 

In all, she ran 23 marathons, finished 23, won 8. 

Great Britain’s Paul Radcliffe broke Catherine‘s world record one year later in Chicago 2002 (2:17:18) then smashed her own record one year later in London (2:15:25), a record that would last 16 years, by far the longest standing women’s marathon world record in history. Before that, Paula had run her debut in the spring of 2002 in London, at age 28, winnng in 2:18:56, a debut record.

In all, Paula started 13 marathons, finished 12, won 8. She, like Catherine, was age 29 when she set her final record at 2:15:25. 

But Paula had a long, distinguished career in cross country and track going all the way back to 1992 when won the IAAF World Cross Country U20 championship in snowy Boston before finishing fourth in the World Junior Championships in the 3000m, a circumstance that would repeat itself over the years until she moved up in distance. 

Paula ran fifth at the 1996 Olympic 5000m final in Atlanta. Then fourth in the 1997 World Championships 5000 in Athens; second in the WC 10,000m in Seville; and fourth again in the 2000 Olympic 10,000 in Sydney. She just couldn’t finish the last 200-300m with the East Africans like Derartu Tulu and Gete Wami to nab gold. 

She entered her first marathon in London 2002 after showing her ability at the half marathon, winning at the Great North Run and the World Half Marathon Championships in Vera Cruz in 2000, and again in Bristol in 2001 – though she still ran on the track at 3k, 5k and 10k. From there, it was clear sailing, as the world came to expect Paula’s 2:15:25 to last for a long, long time.

It wasn’t until Brigid Kosgei came along in Chicago 2019, running 2:14:04, that Paula’s mighty record fell. But that was a bit of a stunner, as people didn’t see it coming. That gave even more gravity to the super-shoe era, because Brigid was 25 years old running the ninth of her 17 career marathons when she set her record. It was a personal best by 4:16, very similar to what we saw with Ruth Chepngetich last Sunday in Chicago. Both were deep into their marathon careers before producing their other worldly record performances. 

Between Brigid and Ruth came Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa. She ran her world record of 2:11:53 at age 26 in Berlin in the third of only five career marathons. And that WR was a personal best by 3:44 at age 26. 

And now, of course, we have Ruth Chepngetich, whose 2:09:56 in Chicago last Sunday has had heads spinning faster than Linda Blair in the Exorcist. 

Ruth has run 15 marathons, finished 13, won 9, while running her world record in her 15th marathon, seven years into her career, setting a PB by 4:22. That last stat is the one people have trouble getting their heads around. You don’t improve that much so late in your career; they say.

But Brigid Kosgei ran her world record in the ninth of 17 career marathons with a personal best by 4:16. So what Ruth did was not unprecedented, though taken from a tiny sample. 

The ages when they produced their world records:

Catherine, age 29; Paula, age 28 and 29;Brigid, age 25; Tigst, age 26; Ruth, age 30.

The world is constantly spinning, changing. Catherine Ndereba and Paula Radcliffe came from an old world, not just pre-super shoes, but pre-only focusing on marathons and half marathons. 

And with the super shoes and super nutrition and super coaching and super God knows what else, there has been a great stir in the running community. Some refuse to even consider the possibility of these record times. Others say “wait and see if any positive testing follows down the line”, as we have seen many times before. And very few say, “everything‘s on the up and up. There’s nothing here to see other than a great performance.”

That doesn’t leave the sport in a very good place. But guess what? We are kidding ourselves if we think 2:09:56 is going to last very long. Look at Chicago’s women’s splits: 15:00 at 5K = 2:06:46 pace; 45:32 at 15k = 2:08:16 pace; and 64:16 at halfway = 2:08:32 pace. You even out that effort just a little, and you’re looking at sub-2:09! It’s coming. You can count on it. Plus, once one-person shows what’s possible, it inspires many more to try.

Remember, we are still in the first two generations of world-class women’s distance running. We have no idea what their limits may be, notwithstanding all nefariousness that attends the sport these days.

And so the debate continues, even as the sport searches for leadership, which seems to be missing in action. It’s one hell of a Wild West show, isn’t it?

Top five fastest women marathoners in the world

Discover the top 5 fastest female marathoners in the world, featuring record-breaking athletes from Kenya and Ethiopia who continue to redefine the sport.

Kenya and Ethiopia, long-standing powerhouses in long-distance running, are known for producing some of the greatest female marathoners of all time, consistently setting new records and redefining athletic excellence.

Athletes such as Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya and Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia have not only dominated the marathon world but have also broken significant barriers with their remarkable times.

The competitive landscape of the World Marathon Majors (WMM) — including iconic races like the Berlin Marathon, Chicago Marathon, and London Marathon — has seen historic performances from these and other top runners.

In this article, we review the top 5 fastest female marathoners in the world, analyzing their breakthrough races, their contributions to the sport, and how they continue to inspire future generations of athletes.

5. Amane Beriso Shankule (Ethiopia) – 2:14:58

Rounding out the top 5 is Amane Beriso Shankule of Ethiopia, whose incredible performance at the 2022 Valencia Marathon earned her a place among the fastest female marathoners. Shankule completed the race in 2:14:58, showcasing her strength and determination in long-distance running.

Although still relatively new to the elite marathon circuit, Shankule’s time places her in an elite group of women who have broken the 2:15 barrier. Ethiopia has long been a dominant force in long-distance running, and Shankule’s success further underscores the depth of talent in the country. Her performance in Valencia will likely serve as a stepping stone to even greater achievements in the future.

4. Brigid Kosgei (Kenya) – 2:14:04

Brigid Kosgei of Kenya is no stranger to marathon success, having made history during the 2019 Chicago Marathon. On October 13, 2019, Kosgei crossed the finish line in 2:14:04, breaking the previous world record and establishing herself as one of the sport’s all-time greats.

Kosgei’s performance in Chicago was groundbreaking, as she broke the world record that had stood for over 16 years. Her run was characterized by her smooth stride and exceptional stamina, which allowed her to dominate the race from start to finish. Her record time remained unbeaten until 2023 when Tigst Assefa surpassed it.

Kosgei’s marathon career has been illustrious, with multiple wins in prestigious events such as the London Marathon. Her success has further cemented Kenya’s reputation as a global leader in marathon running. Although her record was eventually broken, Kosgei’s achievements remain a significant chapter in the history of women’s marathoning.

3. Sifan Hassan (Netherlands) – 2:13:44

In third place is Sifan Hassan, a Dutch athlete known for her incredible versatility. Originally a middle-distance runner, Hassan shocked the world when she ran the 2023 Chicago Marathon in 2:13:44, marking her debut in the marathon with one of the fastest times ever recorded by a woman.

Hassan’s ability to transition from track events to the marathon is nothing short of exceptional. Her success in the 1,500m, 5,000m, and 10,000m events — where she has multiple Olympic and World Championship titles — clearly translated well to the marathon. Her 2023 performance in Chicago not only placed her among the fastest female marathoners but also demonstrated the potential for athletes to excel across different distances.

Hassan’s achievement has inspired many young runners, especially those who see her as a symbol of athletic versatility. By running one of the fastest marathons on her debut, Hassan proved that success in the marathon does not always require years of specialized training in the event.

2. Tigst Assefa (Ethiopia) – 2:11:53

Second on the list is Ethiopian sensation Tigst Assefa, who delivered a breathtaking performance at the 2023 Berlin Marathon. On September 24, 2023, Assefa finished the race in 2:11:53, setting a new course record and breaking the previous world record for female marathoners at the time. This monumental run placed her firmly among the fastest women in marathon history.

Assefa’s journey to the top has been remarkable. A former middle-distance runner, she transitioned to marathon running with great success, demonstrating her versatility across different distances. Assefa’s victory also highlighted Ethiopia’s dominance in marathon running, adding her name to a long list of world-class Ethiopian athletes who have left their mark on the sport.

With her record-breaking time, Assefa solidified her position as one of the greatest marathoners of all time.

1. Ruth Chepngetich (Kenya) – 2:09:56

Ruth Chepngetich stands as the fastest female marathoner in history, having recently shattered records at the 2024 Chicago Marathon. On October 13, 2024, Chepngetich clocked a stunning time of 2:09:56, becoming the first woman to break the 2:10 barrier. This incredible achievement has cemented her position as the top female marathoner globally.

Known for her aggressive pacing and strong endurance, Chepngetich’s performance in Chicago was nothing short of extraordinary. She had already been a prominent figure in the marathon world, having won the 2019 World Championships Marathon in extreme heat conditions. However, her 2024 run in Chicago redefined what was possible for women in the marathon, establishing her as a trailblazer in the sport.

Chepngetich’s ability to push boundaries continues to inspire countless female athletes, especially those from Kenya, where marathon running has become a symbol of national pride. Her record-breaking marathon will undoubtedly remain a benchmark for years to come.

Another look at the new women’s marathon record set in Chicago today

30-year-old Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich destroyed the women’s marathon world record today (13 Oct. 2024) at the 46th Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Her time of 2:09:56 ripped 1:57 from the previous mark set in Berlin 2023 by Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa (2:11:53).

At this point, the athletics record book feels like it ought to be written in No. 2 Ticonderoga pencil. That’s how fast records fall in this age of technological and nutritional advances. This is especially true at the longer distances where such advancements create greater margins.

Still, Ruth Chepngetich’s new world record stands out as history’s first women’s sub-2:10, and first sub-5:00 per mile pace average. But Tigst Assefa’s 2:11:53 mark set last year in Berlin had us all cradling our heads, as well. That performance cut 2:11 off Brigid Kosgei‘s 2:14:04 record from Chicago 2019, which shattered Paula Radcliffe‘s seemingly impregnable 2:15:25 set in London 2003.

In each case: Radcliffe’s, Kosgei’s, Assefa’s, and now Chepngetich’s record have caused mouths to gape in the immediacy of their efforts. But nothing should surprise us anymore.

Racing is often a self-fulfilling prophecy determined by one’s build-up. Ruth Chepngetich said in her TV interview she came into Chicago off a perfect three-months of training after her disappointing ninth-place finish in London in April (2:24:36). Two previous wins in the Windy City (2021 and 2022) and a runner-up in 2023 meant Ms. Chepngetich arrived well seasoned on this course, with a keen understanding of what training was required to produce such a record run.

Of course, sadly, no record in athletics can be free of skepticism considering the industrial level of PED use that is uncovered, seemingly, every other Tuesday. Though understandable, cynicism should not be one’s default reaction.

To maintain any allegiance to the game, to follow it with any interest at all, we have to celebrate each record at face value. Just as rabid fans have to acknowledge some records to be ill-gotten, cynics accept that many special runs are exactly as they appear, above reproach.

Besides, when you break down Ruth’s 5k splits, each one from 5k to 35k was slower than the previous 5k. Not until the split from 35k to 40k (15:39) did she run faster than the split before (15:43 from 30  to 35k)

5k   – 15:0010k – 30:14 (15:14)15k – 45:32 (15:18)20k – 60:51 (15:19)25k – 1:16:17 (15:26)30k – 1:31:40 (15:32)35k – 1:47:32 (15:43)40k – 2:03:11 (15:39)Fini – 2:09:56

1st half   – 64:162nd half – 65:40

So congratulations to Ruth Chepngetich and her team for a marvelous run through a beautiful city. Now, let’s see how long this mark stays on the books before the No. 2 Ticonderoga pencil gets pulled out again.

BY THE NUMBERS

There have been 26 women’s world records set in the marathon since Beth Bonner‘s 2:55:22 in New York City in 1971. Over the ensuing 53 years, the average percentage change from one record to the next has been 1:26%. See WOMEN’S WORLD RECORD PROGRESSION.

Today’s record by Ruth Chepngetich, 2:09:56 (just one second slower than Bill Rodgers‘ American men’s record in Boston 1975!), lowered Tigst Assefa’s 2:11:53 mark by a healthy 1.5%. And Assefa’s time cut Brigid Kosgei’s 2:14:04 by 1.65%.

These latest records are still taking significant chunks off their predecessors and doing so in quick order. That suggests women are far from slicing everything they can from even this new record.

Yet, when comparing the women’s marathon world record to the men’s (2:00:35, set by Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago 2023), we see a differential of 7.2%. That is by far the best women’s record vis-à-vis the men’s throughout the running spectrum. Second place on that list is Florence Griffith-Joyner‘s 10.49 100m in relation to Usain Bolt‘s 9.58, a percentage difference of 8.675%.

The traditional rule of thumb has been a 10% gap between men’s and women’s records. But there are so many factors in play, it is difficult to make any definitive statement that explains one event, much less one athlete from another. I guess that’s why we keep watching.

Ruth Chepngetich leads Chicago Marathon elite line-ups

The Kenyan will be targeting her third victory in Chicago whilst Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese leads the men’s field.

This weekend, all eyes will be on Chicago as the city hosts the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday (October 13), promising a thrilling showdown amongst top-tier athletes.

In the women’s competition, Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich, a former Chicago Marathon winner in 2021 and 2022 and the fourth-fastest woman in marathon history, is set to return to the course, which winds through 29 neighborhoods.

The 30-year-old enters as the fastest woman in this year’s line-up after winning the title in 2022 by running her fastest time of 2:14:18. At the time, she was 14 seconds short of Brigid Kosgei’s world record of 2:14:04, before Tigist Assefa (2:11:53) and Sifan Hassan (2:13:44) went quicker in 2023.

The 2019 world champion secured a second-place finish in Chicago last year behind Sifan Hassan.

Yet, it will not be an easy run to victory for Chepngetich. Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede, fresh off her Tokyo Marathon win, arrives with the fastest marathon time of 2024, having ran 2:15:55 in Tokyo.

Kebede has had a stellar year, setting a record time of 64:37 at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon – the fastest-ever women’s half marathon time on US soil.

Chepngetich and Kebede will be joined by Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei, who has previously taken titles at the New York City Marathon in 2019 and London Marathon in 2021. Jepkosgei finished third this year in London where she clocked her personal best of 2:16:24.

American athletes Keira D’Amato (2:19:12) and Betsy Saina (2:19:17) join the list of athletes. D’Amato, a former American record holder in the marathon, is making a comeback as a competitor after working as a commentator. Meanwhile, Saina, who had to withdraw from the Chicago Marathon in 2019 due to illness, returns to make her mark.

The men’s race will also feature a highly competitive field with Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese leading the charge. Legese, who recorded an impressive 2:02:48 at the 2019 Berlin Marathon is the fastest on paper.

A two-time Tokyo marathon champion, this will be his second time tackling the Chicago course after finishing 10th in 2018 with a time of 2:08:41. Most recently, Legese took third place at the 2024 Rotterdam Marathon.

Legese will be up against strong competition, particularly from Kenya’s Amos Kipruto and Vincent Ngetich, who both hold personal bests of 2:03:13.

Kipruto, a bronze medallist at the World Championships in Doha 2019, claimed victory at the 2022 London Marathon. Ngetich won bronze in the Tokyo marathon earlier this year.

Nagoya Women’s Marathon 2025 opens doors to Kenyan runners

Nagoya Women’s Marathon invites Kenyan runners to join its 2025 race, offering virtual participation and luxurious finisher awards.

Organizers of the Nagoya Women’s Marathon have extended a special invitation to Kenyan runners encouraging them to participate in the highly anticipated 2025 race.

Recognized by Guinness World Records for hosting over 20,000 participants, the event is set to take place in Nagoya, Japan, with an online virtual marathon for international participants unable to travel to the race site.

Registration for the virtual marathon opens on October 18 and will remain available until October 31 allowing 500 entrants to join the race from their home countries.

With Kenya’s rich history of marathon champions, the invitation is expected to draw considerable interest.

“We will be delighted to open entries to international runners for Nagoya Women’s Marathon 2025, recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest women’s marathon in the world with over 20,000 participants,” the Marathon’s Race Director said.

“As a sport, running has the ability to bring together people from different countries, backgrounds and cultures, and we look forward to opening our doors to runners from Kenya, which has a world-famous runner community."

Kenyan athletes have long dominated the world stage in distance running, with runners like Brigid Kosgei and Peres Jepchirchir consistently achieving impressive marathon victories.

With this invitation, the organizers of the Nagoya Women’s Marathon hope to add a new level of competition and excitement to the event by allowing Kenyan women to compete alongside elite Japanese and international athletes.

For those who may not be able to make the journey to Japan, the event’s organizers are offering a virtual alternative for 500 women worldwide.

The Nagoya Women’s Online Marathon 2025, which will take place between February 9, 2025, and March 31, 2025, allows runners to complete the full 42.195 kilometers on a smartphone application, providing an opportunity to compete from any location.

“We recognize the importance of sustainability and accessibility in modern sports,” the Race Director explained.

“This virtual race option, born during the travel restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, allows women from around the world to engage with the event, even if they cannot physically attend in Nagoya. We believe this alternative offers a world-class platform for women to shine, no matter where they are."

All participants, whether competing in person or virtually, will receive the same prestigious finisher prizes, including a special commemorative tumbler from Baccarat, a French luxury lifestyle brand.

To mark its 260th anniversary, Baccarat has collaborated with the Nagoya Women’s Marathon to provide a unique gift, celebrating the success of every runner.

The elegant tumbler’s design, kept under wraps until now, will be unveiled at the Marathon Expo the day before the race.

The Nagoya Women’s Marathon, launched in 2012, has become a symbol of excellence in women’s running, featuring elite athletes from around the world.

It holds a World Athletics Platinum Label designation, attracting top-tier competitors and fans alike.

Last year, Yuka Ando made headlines by becoming the first Japanese winner in three years, setting a personal best time of 2:21:19.

The organizers are optimistic that the inclusion of Kenyan athletes will add an exciting layer of competition to the race, further elevating its international reputation.

What next for Kenya after Paris 2024 Olympic Games

The curtains for the 2024 Paris Olympics fell on Sunday night with Kenya ranking 17th in the world after winning 11 medals.

Despite Kenya topping the African continent with 4 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze medals, the results left a lot to be desired.

From 83 athletes competing in seven disciplines, a significant impact was expected from the Kenyan athletes and the world.

The show started with Judoka Zeddy Cherop falling 10-0 to Portugal’s Patricia Sampao in a record 22 seconds while Fencing African champion Alexandra Ndolo crushed out 13-12 to Ukranian Olena Kryvytska in her debut.

Maria Brunlehner and Ridhwan Mohamed finished 3rd and 4th in the women’s 50m freestyle and Men’s 400m freestyle heats respectively to crush out of contention for a swimming medal.

The sevens rugby team also crushed out in the group stage, after going down to Australia, Argentina and Samoa.

The women’s volleyball team booked their next flight after failing to win a single set following three identical 3-0 losses in a tough group B pool comprising Brazil, Poland and Japan.

Paris, the City of Love, had very little affection for Kenya as former world champion Julius Yego, finished a distant 5th in the javelin final with a 87.72m throw, to also bite the dust.

Africa's fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala's 100m Olympic medal dream was shattered in the semi-finals after clocking 10.08 seconds to finish 8th.

However, Kenya redeemed herself with debutant Beatrice Chebet grabbing double gold in the 5000m and 10000m women’s races.

The best performer was followed closely by Faith Kipyegon who defended her 1500m gold and added the 5000m women’s silver.

Another debutant, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, grabbed the 800m gold, while Ronald Kwemoi struck the men’s 5000m silver.

Mary Moraa, the dancing queen, grabbed the 800m bronze, same as Faith Cherotich (3000m steeplechase) and Abraham Kibiwot (3000m steeplechase).

Hellen Obiri and Benson Kipruto rounded up the bronze tally in the men's and women's marathons.  

Obiri failed in her quest for an Olympic medal having won silver in the women's 5000m in Tokyo, 2020 and Rio 2016 games.

History Making

Kenya will however keep pride in making history after Faith Kipyegon became the first woman to complete an Olympic hat trick after breaking her 1500m record in 3:51.29, before a fully packed iconic Stade de France. 

Debutant Beatrice Chebet was the best performer entering the history books by winning a double gold in the women's 5000m and 10000m.

The feat makes Chebet the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic 10000m gold for Kenya since the race was introduced in the 1988 Olympics.

She is the third woman after Tirunesh Dibaba and Sifan Hassan to win the 5000m and 10000m double at the Olympic Games.

"I'm dedicating this medal to all Kenyans. I just want to hear my country is proud. This was for you, you were in my mind and heart in every lap; I might have made history but I will sleep better knowing Wananchi wataenjoy the weekend," she said.

Kenya’s legend Eliud Kipchoge failed to complete an Olympic marathon treble after dropping out of the race at the 20km mark.

Kipchoge later confirmed he won’t be running in the Los Angeles 2028 summer games.

“I felt a sharp pain in the stomach and I couldn’t continue. I'm disappointed that for the first time in my career, I failed to finish a race .” Kipchoge said.

Lady luck also smiled on Kenya after Kipyegon's 5000m silver medal was reinstated following an appeal, after a push and shove with Ethiopian nemesis, Gudaf Tsegay, had her initially disqualified.

In the 800m final, Canada appealed against Kenyan winner Emmanuel Wanyonyi's personal best of 1:41.91 in the 800m, claiming he obstructed silver medallist Marco Arop. Kenya won the appeal.

Tokyo 2020

Despite the dismal show in Paris, Kenya had bettered the 2020 Tokyo tally of 10 medals and a 19th spot finish.

The post-Covid games had challenges but Kenya grabbed four gold, four silvers and two bronze medals.

Emmanuel Korir (800m), Faith Kipyegon (1500m), Peres Jepchirhir (marathon), and Eliud Kipchoge (marathon) were the gold medalists while Hellen Obiri (5000m), Fergussin Rotich (800m), Brigid Kosgei (marathon) and Timothy Cheruiyot (1500m) won silver.

Benjamin Kigen and Hyvin Kiyeng won the men's and women's 3000m steeplechase races respectively.

Rio 2016 

In the 2016 Rio De Janeiro games, Kenya managed six gold, six silver and one bronze medal for a tally of 13 medals. 

Rio 2016 Olympics gold medalists were Jemima Sumgong in women's marathon, David Rudisha in 800m, Faith Kipyegon in 1500m, Conseslus Kipruto in 3000m steeplechase, Vivian Ceruiyot in 5000m and Eliud Kipchoge marathon.

Meanwhile, Vivian Cheruiyot (10000m); Paul Tanui (10000m); Hyvin Kiyeng (3000m steeplechase); Boniface Mucheru (400m hurdles); and Hellen Obiri (5000m) all grabbed silver, while Julius Yego managed a rare javelin silver. Margaret Wambui won bronze in women's 800m.

London 2012  

The London 2012 Summer Games saw Kenya manage 2 gold, 4 silver and 7 bronze for a total of 13 medals.

Despite a cold and warm performance in the Queens land, Kenya won two gold medals to finish a distant 29th in the world rankings.

Legendary track masters Ezekiel Kemboi and David Rudisha grabbed gold in the men's 3000m and 800m races respectively.

Sally Kipyegon brought home the women's 10000m silver, while Priscah Jeptoo won the women's marathon silver medal as Vivian Cheruiyot grabbed the women's 5000m race.

Abel Kirui rounded up the silver medals haul after clinching the men’s marathon race.

Vivian Cheruiyot won bronze in the 10000m women's race, while Asbel Kiprop and Milcah Chemos clinched bronze in the men's and women’s 3000m steeplechase.

Timothy Kiptum and Pamela Jelimo clinched the men's and women's 800m race respectively while Thomas Longosiwa and Wilson Kipsang rounded off Kenya's bronze medals haul, winning the 5000m men's and women's marathon races.

What next?

As the nation awaits the Paris 2024 Games report on what worked and what didn't work, a lot will be looked into including preparations, sports science, lack of stadia and lack of funds among others.

However, one constant reminder is that Kenya must smell the coffee, lest our legacy is discarded by the improving rival nations every day.

The next Omanyala, Yego, Obiri and Kipchoge should be nurtured immediately if we are to remain world beaters in the summer games.

Beating the 2008 Beijing Summer Games remains the target, where Kenya sent a total of 46 athletes: 28 men and 18 women who brought home the best tally of six gold, four silver and six bronze medals.

The journey to the Los Angeles 2028 games starts with a new sheriff in town, CS Kipchumba Murkomen, at the helm of the Sports ministry.

How Long Does It Take to Run a Mile?

Knowing the average pace can help you set new goals.

The best way to find your average running speed is by tracking your mile pace.

For example, say you go out for a three-mile race. You might start off running fast because of an adrenaline rush, then slow down once you realize you’re running too hard. But toward the end, when the finish is in sight you might catch a second wind and pick up speed again. This all results in different mile times.

Your average mile time, which will be the sum of all your mile times divided by the number of miles completed, may look different than each individual mile. The more you train, not only will your average mile pace drop, but each individual mile time will likely become closer in time to the others.

That’s why tracking your average mile time is a great way to monitor your progress. Plus, when you reach a new barrier—like the first time you run faster than a 10-minute mile, for example—it allows you to search out new goals in your running journey and also scope out your competition.

How long does it take to run a mile on average?

Based on real-life data from all public uploads to Strava from August 1 2022 to July 30 2023, the average mile time across the globe is 10 minutes and 25 seconds (10:25). That number adjusts based on gender: 10:02 for men and 11:17 for women. In the U.S., the average running speed is 9:54 and breaks down to a 9:32 mile pace for U.S. men and 10:37 for U.S. women.

These paces have changed since 2018 when the average global mile pace hit 9:48 and U.S. pace averaged 9:44.

Don’t fret if your current average time is a little off from those marks. Keep in mind that, while sizable, the dedicated Strava community doesn’t represent the entire running community.

What factors affect average running speed?

The following factors play a big role in every runner’s mile speed:

Gender

Age

Weather/wind

Nutrition and hydration

Injuries

Height

Weight

Terrain

The list could go on. Even what you think about or your mindset can affect how fast you run, and that’s under your control. Other factors, however—such as height and age—are things you obviously can’t change.

Also, according to recent number crunching at Runner’s World, based on data from platforms like MapMyRun, even the type of year you’re having has an effect on one’s average mile time and pace. From mid-April to mid-September—during the start and midpoint of the coronavirus pandemic—the average mile pace recorded was 8.5 percent slower compared with the same range in 2019, which the MapMyRun team attributes to a new or returning runner effect.

When it comes to age, one data analysis performed in 2010 and based on 10,000 U.S. runners who completed a 5K showed the average minutes per mile for runners of different ages. The average overall was 11:47 per mile. Men in the 16- to 19-year-old age range finished the run with an average pace of 9:34; women in the same age group finished in 12:09. The numbers gradually increased as the age groups got older.

In most cases, though, the gaps between the finishing times of the different age groups weren’t drastic. And you might not necessarily get slower with age. As Runner’s World has reported, many pro runners and average runners peak in their 30s, and even runners in their 70s can keep getting better with age.

Because of the many variables associated with running pace, it can be difficult to establish an across-the-board average running speed.

How fast should you run a race?

If you’re looking to find out what your average running pace should be to hit a specific time goal in a race, you’re in luck. Our Runner’s World Pace Charts (in both minutes per mile and kilometer) show what time a given pace will produce for six common race distances: 5K, 5 miles, 10K, 10 miles, half marathon, and marathon. As an example in the chart below, if you want to run under 1 hour and 45 minutes for a 10-mile race, you’d need to have an average pace of 10 minutes and 29 seconds per mile to accomplish your goal.

Use our charts as a reference point after you start training so you can know what average pace is necessary (and realistic) for your upcoming goal race.

How can you boost your average running speed?

If you want your average running pace to be faster, there are several steps you can take to improve, like figuring out how to breathe properly and mixing up your types of runs. You should also recognize the importance of nutrition and hydration.

Adopt a holistic approach to your training, doing regular conditioning workouts to improve your strength and flexibility in addition to running, as a stronger, mobile body can help you run faster and avoid injury.

What’s the fastest ever mile speed?

The fastest mile ever recorded was set by Hicham El Guerrouj, a Moroccan runner who ran a mile in 3:43.13 in 1999. Guerrouj was 24 years old at the time.

For women, the fastest mile ever was run by Faith Kipyegon, which she snagged just this month, with a time of 4:07.64.

If you’re looking for the fastest average running paces over the course of 26.2 miles, look no further than the world record holders in the marathon—Eliud Kipchoge (4:37.2 per mile) and Brigid Kosgei (5:06.8 per mile).

And just for fun, if Usain Bolt were to ever keep his jaw-dropping sprint going for a full mile at his peak ability, the Jamaican’s top speed in 2009 during his 9.58 world record 100-meter dash would have put him just over 27 miles per hour.

World champions to headline 2024 Chicago Marathon

As we inch toward the fall road racing season, the 2024 Chicago Marathon is the first Abbott World Marathon Major (AWMM) to announce its men’s and women’s elite list. Last year’s elite races in Chicago saw two course records and one world record set by the late Kelvin Kiptum—something that will be hard to beat. But the 2024 field does not lack talent or potential, with former world champion and fourth-fastest marathoner in history Ruth Chepngetich headlining the women’s field and world 10,000m silver medallist Daniel Ebenyo making his marathon debut in the men’s field.

The men’s race

Ebenyo has had a successful career on the track, winning multiple medals at World Championships and Commonwealth Games, but never individual gold. He is currently ranked by World Athletics as the top 10,000m runner in the world, holding a personal best of 26:57.80, which he set in 2023. The 28-year-old was not selected for the 10,000m by the Kenyan Olympic team for Paris 2024 after an eighth-place finish at the Kenyan Trials.

Although the Kenyan star has had success on the track, he has also flourished in his short career on the roads, winning silver in the half-marathon at the inaugural World Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia. He holds a personal best of 59:04 for the half distance and a world best over 25 km (1:11:13).

Ebenyo’s potential over 42.2 km will be hard to predict; many people had high expectations for three-time world 10,000m champion Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda, but he struggled in his marathon debut last December in Valencia, clocking 2:08:59 for 37th place.

Joining Ebenyo in the men’s field is 2022 London Marathon champion Amos Kipruto, who has the fastest personal best in the field (2:03:13 from the 2022 Tokyo Marathon). Kipruto has podiumed at three of the six AWMMs and is known as one of the best tactical marathoners in the world. Chicago will be Kipruto’s first marathon since his seventh-place finish in Berlin last year.

The lone Canadian in the men’s field is Phil Parrot-Migas of London, Ont. This will be the third marathon of his career. He holds a personal best of 2:15:53, set in Hamburg in April.

The women’s field

At the 2022 Chicago Marathon, Chepngetich was on a world-record pace until the final kilometre, ultimately missing it by 14 seconds (2:14:18). This capped off her second-straight Chicago victory, following in the footsteps of her compatriot, Brigid Kosgei. Last year, Chepngetich was second to Sifan Hassan’s course record-setting run, in 2:15:37. Her personal best is the fastest in the field by a minute and a half, and with her experience on the flat and fast course, she’s going to be a tough athlete to beat come Oct. 13.

Besides Chepngetich, there’s a strong American contingent, consisting of three of the country’s top five fastest marathoners: Keira D’Amato, Sara Hall and Betsy Saina. D’Amato had a rough go at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, and was unable to finish, due to injury. Months later, she announced a coaching change and a planned move to Utah to train under distance running guru Ed Eyestone, the coach of U.S. Olympic marathoners Conner Mantz and Clayton Young. D’Amato, who will turn 40 in October, told Runner’s World she made the switch because she wanted a different perspective on her training and a chance to learn from someone new.

Saina comes into the race as the strongest American athlete, placing in the top five of her last three marathons, including a win at the 2023 Sydney Marathon. Sydney is currently a candidate to be added as the seventh AWMM, joining Tokyo, Berlin, London, Boston, Chicago and NYC.

Sharon Lokedi finally gets the chance she deserved after late inclusion in Kenya’s Olympics team

Marathoner Sharon Lokedi will be heading to the Paris 2024 Olympics after profiting from Brigid Kosgei’s misfortune, having been controversially omitted from the team.

Sharon Lokedi has finally got the chance to represent Kenya at the Paris 2024 Olympics after her late inclusion as a replacement for the injured Brigid Kosgei.

Lokedi was widely expected to make Kenya’s final three, alongside two-time Boston Marathon winner Hellen Obiri and defending champion Peres Jepchirchir, but was controversially omitted for former world record holder Kosgei.

The decision drew the ire of fans who felt Lokedi deserved a slot in the team given her recent form that has seen her win New York Marathon in 2022 before a third-place finish last year and ran Obiri close in Boston in 2024 before finishing second.

Kosgei, meanwhile, won the Lisbon Half Marathon in March this year but could only manage fifth in London and has not won a race since the Tokyo Marathon in March 2022, with injuries and form disrupting her.

However, Kosgei will now not be on the plane to Paris due to another injury, paving the way for Lokedi, who had been named as a reserve.

“The Kenya Marathon team heading to the Olympic games in Paris has been training for slightly over two months, and the athletes continue to receive financial support and technical support,” read a statement from the National Olympics Committee of Kenya.

“It’s during the one of the regular monitoring sessions that Olympic silver medalist Brigid Kosgei expressed an injury concern to the technical team. Upon a review by the medical team led by the Chief Medical officer Dr Ondiege, Kosgei will not be heading to Paris for her second Olympics.

“Sharon Lokedi, who was named in the reserve team, will now join defending champion Peres Jepchirchir and Hellen Obiri to fly Kenya’s flag in Paris.”

Confirmed! Brigid Kosgei out of Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Changes have allegedly been made to the women's marathon team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Fans had caused an uproar concerning the women’s marathon team, questioning why Sharon Lokedi was selected as a reserve and Brigid Kosgei included in the main team.

However, Pulse Sports has established that the 2022 New York City marathon champion Lokedi will now be included in the main team. Lokedi will join defending champion Peres Jepchirchir and two-time Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri.

In a press statement released by the National Olympic Committee of Kenya, Kosgei had expressed injury concerns and was forced to withdraw from the event. She will not be heading to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

NOC-K announced that upon a review by the medical team led by the Chief Medical Officer Dr Ondiege, Kosgei will not be heading to Paris for her second Olympics.

"Sharon Lokedi who was named in the reserve team will now join defending Champion Peres Jepchirchir and Hellen Obiri to fly Kenya’s flag in Paris," the statement read in part.

"The National Olympics committee would like to thank Brigid for the time to spent in training under the Team Kenya Umbrella and will continue supporting her throughout the season."

Lokedi has showcased her fighting spirit in her recent races, finishing second in the 10km road race at the Mastercard New York Mini 10K. She also stuck with Obiri until the finish line at the Boston Marathon, finishing second. Last year, Lokedi finished third at the New York City Marathon.

On her part, Kosgei has struggled with injuries, failing to live up to the billing in her recent races. In 2023, she failed to finish at the London Marathon and proceeded to finish fourth at the New York City Marathon.

The former world marathon record holder then ended her season with a win at the Abu Dhabi Marathon, crossing the finish line in 2:19:15.

This season, Kosgei opened her season with a win at the Lisbon Half Marathon before proceeding to the London Marathon where she finished fifth.

The women's Olympic race will take place on August 11, the day after the men's marathon.

Why Lokedi is the next big thing in marathon running

The 2022 New York City Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi has every reason to stroll the streets with her chin up.

Lokedi, 30, is among the celebrated Kenyan athletes selected by Athletics Kenya for this year's Olympic Games in Paris, France.

She was named as a reserve athlete in the stellar roster of four female Kenyan marathoners tasked with flying the nation's flag in the French capital.

Lokedi was named alongside Tokyo 2020 Olympics marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir, two-time Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri and Olympic silver medalist Brigid Kosgei.

The older daughter of Jonathan and Rose Lokedi, Sharon has three younger siblings Ceddellah Chelimo, Lince Cheptoo and Mercy Chemutai.

Born on March 10, 1994, Lokedi began to hone her skills at Kapkenda Girls’ School, where she set records in the 3000m and 5000m races yet to be broken to date.

So good was she that in 2013, she scooped the school's Athlete of the Year gong.

Upon completing high school,  she was recruited to the University of Kansas (KU), where she studied nursing and business.

She began competing first in collegiate track and cross country in 2015. Lokedi's desire to travel overseas for college began in high school.

It took her some time to think about it, deciding whether to stay in Kenya with her family or travel to the so-called land of milk and honey.

"I was encouraged to try it by a friend of mine who had applied to study in the United States," Lokedi said. 

 "When I saw images of people in America, I knew it was my dream and was determined to go there," she added.

Meanwhile, Lokedi was unsure if she wanted to continue with athletics and even at some point considered dumping the sport to concentrate on her studies. 

 However, the passion she had already developed for athletics drove her back to the sport. She began attending training with sights firmly set on a collegiate athletic career in the USA.

"Running is ingrained in you when you're accustomed to it, so you want to keep doing it," Lokedi stated.

"I was disappointed that I wasn't running and I knew I needed to return to my favourite activity.

"With her mind already set on pursuing an education abroad, Lokedi rummaged through online platforms to identify an appropriate institution online.

"I was unsure about the precise institution I should join. I would go online, go through images and try to get a sense of the various academic offerings and running programmes that each school had to offer. Ultimately, there was simply something peculiar about Kansas. She would exchange emails and make multiple phone conversations with the coaches."

She added: "The instructors were pleasant. They would inquire about my training regimen and follow up with me to see how I was doing. It was obvious that you could relate to these people on a deep level.

"In the meanwhile, her friends alerted her to Kansas' chilly weather. "People would occasionally comment on how chilly the US was, but I had already made up my mind. I had never seen snow before since Kenya doesn't have a winter. It was January and chilly when I arrived."

She needed some time to get used to the Midwest's erratic weather.

"One day, it was so sunny outside that I forgot to put on my gloves when we went to practice in the morning. But I was unable to use my hands at all once I stopped jogging. I attempted to reheat them but was unsuccessful. I broke down in tears and felt like travelling back home. I eventually got used to it," she said. 

 Her trip to Kansas was fraught with difficulties. She flew from Nairobi to Chicago hoping to catch a flight to Kansas City only to arrive when the plane had already left and was forced to spend the night in the airport.

"I had nothing at all, not even a phone. All night long, I sat there in the airport. I didn't even know what time it was, so I couldn't sleep. I merely stayed there and waited as soon as I arrived at my gate. I was unable to make a phone call to my parents or even get a snack.

"I had money, but I had no idea how to pay for it because I didn't understand how the US dollar operated. A further reason I didn't want to go anywhere was my fear of getting lost. I simply waited there until around eight in the morning, when my jet was scheduled to take off. It was horrible."

Eventually, she was received by KU assistant coach Michael Whittlesey. "Since I didn't have a phone, I was concerned that when I arrived, no one would be there to greet me," Lokedi said.

However, he was waiting for me when I arrived at the airport, and we then took a car to Lawrence.

Another issue she had to cope with was getting used to the food in her new nation.

"When I first came here, I didn't know what anything was, so I couldn't eat," she remarked.

"I used to go to the cafeteria and just gaze around. Everything appeared so different, and I was at a loss for what to do.

"With the assistance of her teammates and coaches, Lokedi took small steps toward acclimatising to her new environment. Thankfully, senior cross-country runner Daniel Koech, a fellow Kenyan, was there to provide her with the assistance she needed.

“Daniel did a lot for me. He was the one who helped me get a phone, or sometimes I would use his phone to call because he already knew how to dial home. He helped me get used to things here and he would also translate.

"It was challenging because my limited command of English made it difficult for me to communicate. While we did study English in high school, we didn't use it very often.

"Sometimes I would hear someone say something and then I would go ask him what they said. He was really pleasant and a great assistant. After class, we continued speaking in our mother tongue."

After enduring a comparable shift, Koech was determined to ensure that Lokedi wouldn't have to confront any obstacles on his own.

Lokedi acknowledges her teammates for encouraging her to realise her greatest potential as well. She has reached unprecedented heights, thanks to her unwavering energy.

Lokedi is on the market for more awards, even though she has plenty of them already to adorn her trophy cabinet. 

 "Those are the things that inspire me. When I practice every day, I consider what I want to achieve. I have a goal to accomplish. I want to perform better than I did previously."

She wants to improve other people's lives with her university education to uplift her community.

"Even though I am from a small, impoverished town, I am sure if I go back there with my community health major, I will work to make things better and assist people.

"I can educate them on topics such as their health and other unfamiliar yet important information."  

She reckons that her accomplishment will inspire budding athletes to pursue their dreams in life.

“It’s been so fun in the US and I enjoy every bit of it. I have three younger sisters in high school and it’s something I want to motivate other people to do.  "I've had a great time in the US and I love every aspect of it.

" I wish to inspire others to follow in the footsteps of my three younger sisters who are currently enrolled in high school.  

A third-place showing at the NCAA Midwest Regional and a 10th-place showing at the NCAA Championships highlighted her stellar freshman career, which also set a record for the highest individual finish by a KU female in the national championship meet. 

 She emerged as KU's lead female runner in all nine meets of her collegiate career where she placed in the top 10 in eight of the nine competitions. 

 "I won the 10,000m at the 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships."

Lokedi has been a 10-time All-American & 12-time Big 12 champion, as of March 2019.

Peres Jepchirchir reveals what worries her ahead of Olympic title defence

Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir has explained why she is concerned as she prepares to defend her title at the Paris Games.

Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir is worried that she might not have enough time to fully prepare for her title defense in Paris.

Jepchirchir won the London Marathon last month and had to take a mini break before resuming her preparations for the Olympics.

Now just getting back, the former Boston and New York Marathon champion says she has limited time to get in proper shape but she is counting on her past experiences to lead her to glory on the tough course in Paris.

“I resumed fully my training for Olympics last week on Monday but the time is limited. Three months is not much for us marathoners, now I’m rushing to go through my programme,” said Jepchirchir.

“The way I see and I have heard about the course, it is a little bit difficult, but I have run New York and Boston which are hard courses but so long as I am in good shape, free from injuries. I will make it.”

Jepchirchir admits she cannot push her body so much at the moment after putting in so much for the London Marathon that she won in a new women’s-only world record of 2:16:16.

“I started resuming slowly, now I am doing 20km running and I think by the end of this month, I will be fully in my programme,” she added.

She has, however, shrugged off suggestions that Team Kenya will have it rough especially from Ethiopians, backing herself and her team-mates Hellen Obiri and Brigid Kosgei to triumph over their bitter rivals.

“I know the team is strong and to win Olympics again is not easy. It means extra hard work but I know we are going to make it. Team Kenya is strong, Ethiopia is strong but not stronger than us,” remarked the mother of one.

Jepchirchir was speaking after being awarded the Sports Personality of the Month for April by the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya in conjunction with electronics giants LG.

Kosgei believes she can go one step further and win title in Paris

Tokyo 2020 Olympics women's marathon silver medalist Brigid Kosgei believes she can go one step further and nail the title in Paris this year. 

In an exclusive interview on Wednesday Kosgei said she is ready to annihilate the rich field of competitors in the cut-throat 42km race on her way to the winner's dais. 

The two-time world champion constitutes the starry eight-member Team Kenya marathon delegation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games unveiled by Athletics Kenya last week. 

"I'm happy to be part of the team. The biggest dream of any athlete is to don the national colours and I'll do everything within my power to make the country proud," Kosgei remarked.

 "It's one great opportunity I cannot take for granted. Several brilliant Kenyan athletes deserved to be on board but were left out. My goal is to steer the nation to victory," she added. 

Kosgei will be gunning for the women's accolade alongside compatriots Peres Jepchirchir and Hellen Obiri. Sharon Lokedi is the reserve in the squad. 

"We have a strong team of marathoners and I'm certain we can achieve something positive results if we put our heads together," Kosgei stated. 

Her performance at the London Marathon on April 21 was, however, disappointing after she clocked two hours, 19 minutes, and two seconds to fizzle out to a disappointing fifth. 

She will, nevertheless, find comfort in her masterclass act on March 17, 2024, where she stormed to the Lisbon Half Marathon title.

Kosgei is well aware she has a lot to pan out in Paris after her inclusion in the starting lineup ahead of Lokedi ruffled some feathers, with a section of fans arguing that she ought to have been the reserve runner judging by their recent performances. 

Born on February 20, 1994, in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, Kosgei has demonstrated her gumption as a course diva since her inauguration, having bagged five World Marathon Majors. 

She gleamed to the Chicago Marathon title in 2018; and took the  2019 London Marathon gold medal, becoming the youngest woman to win the event. The feat saw her record the third-best time after Paula Radcliffe in 2005 ( 2:17:42) and Mary Keitany in 2017 ( 2:17:01).

She went on to replicate her conquering exploits at the 2019 Chicago Marathon. Her credentials were boosted further by a first-place finish at the 2020.

London Marathon and another gold medal at the  2021 Tokyo  Marathon. 

This will be her second appearance at the Olympics after wrapping up second behind Jepchirchir at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and ahead of compatriots Cheruiyot and Ruth Chepng'etich.

Jepchirchir is confident with her finishing kick ahead of the Olympic Games

The reigning Olympic women’s marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir reckons she has the allure to hypnotize her way to another crown at the upcoming 2024 Paris Games in August.

Jepchirchir, 30, heads to the French capital inspired by her mind-blowing act of genius at the 2024 London Marathon, where she smashed the women’s only world record at a searing pace of two hours, 16 minutes, and 16 seconds.

In an exclusive interview on Wednesday, Jepchirchir expressed optimism in her determination to crack a back-to-back title at the Olympic Games.

She spoke moments after Athletics Kenya unveiled the official list of eight men and women marathoners who will hold forte for the nation at the Paris Games.

“I know it won’t be easy. I’m expecting a tough contest but I’m confident I’ll accomplish my pursuit at the Summer Olympics in Paris. I’ve equipped myself adequately for the enormous assignment ahead,” Jepchirchir remarked.

Jepchirchir said she would replicate the tactical blueprint that fired her to glory in previous races including her momentous triumph at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“I have adopted a strong finishing kick that comes in handy on the home stretch. I’ve always made it impossible for my opponents to overtake me in the final 800m. That’s exactly what I intend to do,” Jepchirchir stated.

Reflecting on her historic windfall in the frigid streets of England last month, the diminutive runner said her record-smashing exploits caught her by surprise.

“I was thrilled by the victory. I was not expecting to shatter the world record. I remotely believed someone would smash it but it hardly crossed my mind that person would be me.”

The conquest served to embellish an astral career set in motion by two World Half Marathon victories in 2016 and 2020.

She went on to storm the 2021 New York City and 2022 Boston Marathon titles before wrapping up third at the 2023 London Marathon.

Jepchirchir headlines a starry roster of Kenyan marathoners tasked with hoisting the nation’s flag at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

According to a list unveiled by the National Olympic Committee of Kenya on Wednesday, Jepchirchir’s teammates include reigning Boston and New York Marathon champion Hellen Obiri, Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Brigid Kosgei, and 2022 New York Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi who has been incorporated as a reserve runner.

Double Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge headlines the men’s list that also boasts the recently crowned London Marathon champion Alex Mutiso,  Benson Kipruto and Timothy Kiplagat who has earned a spot on the team as a reserve.

The women’s Olympic race slated for August 11, will cover a 42,195km loop linking Paris and Versailles.

The marathon will begin at the Hôtel de Ville in Paris and ends at Les Invalides, passing through nine districts including the Paris— Boulogne-Billancourt, Sèvres, Ville d’Avray, Versailles, Viroflay, Chaville, Meudon and Issy-les-Moulineaux.

Kepchirchir breaks women-only world marathon record in London

Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir smashed the women-only world record by 45 seconds at the TCS London Marathon, winning the World Athletics Platinum Label road race in 2:16:16* on Sunday (21).

In what was widely regarded as one of the deepest and highest-quality women’s fields ever assembled, the three-time world half marathon champion sprinted away from world record-holder Tigist Assefa, 2021 London winner Joyciline Jepkosgei and last year’s runner-up Megertu Alemu – all of whom finished inside 2:17 – to notch up her third victory in a World Marathon Majors race.

Jepchirchir’s compatriot Alexander Mutiso Munyao made it a Kenyan double, winning the men’s race in 2:04:01 to defeat Ethiopian distance legend Kenenisa Bekele by 14 seconds.

No secret had been made of the fact that breaking Mary Keitany’s women-only world record of 2:17:01 was the big target for the women’s race. With that at the forefront of their minds, a lead pack comprising all the big contenders soon detached themselves from the rest of the field and blazed through the first 5km in 15:44 – comfortably inside 2:13 pace.

They maintained that tempo through 10km, covered in 31:26, and at this point they were 67 seconds ahead of Ethiopia’s Tsige Haileslase, the closest challenger to the lead pack.

The front group – which included Assefa alongside past London winners Jepkosgei, Yalemzerf Yehualaw and Brigid Kosgei – got to 15km in 47:37. Soon after, Sheila Chepkirui – the runner-up in Berlin last year – started to drift off the pack.

Not long after passing the drinks station at the 20km point, 2019 world champion Ruth Chepngetich lost contact with the leaders. It meant that just seven women remained in the pack as they reached the half-way point in 1:07:04 – the second-fastest half-way split ever recorded in London, and putting them on schedule to smash the women-only world record by almost three minutes.

Kosgei was the next to drift back, and with the pacemakers having done their job, it left six women out in front: Jepchirchir, Assefa, training partner and Dubai marathon champion Tigist Ketema, 2022 London winner Yehualaw, 2021 London champion Jepkosgei, and 2023 London runner-up Megertu Alemu.

The sextet ran together through 25km (1:19:38) and 17 miles, but Ketema and Yehualaw were unable to hold on for much further and started to lose contact, leaving four women – Assefa, Jepchirchir, Jepkosgei and Alemu – to battle it out for the three podium places.

The difference between 25km and 30km, 16:18, was the slowest 5km section of the race. The lead quartet was either starting to feel the effects of their early efforts, or they were starting to bide their team for an anticipated surge in the closing stages.

With 1:44 on the clock, the four leading women managed to navigate their way around the two lead vehicles that had been forced to stop due to a wheelchair racer who was experiencing some technical difficulties.

Assefa and Jepchirchir both took turns testing the waters by making subtle surges to see how their opponents would respond, but their overall pace continued to drop and they reached 35km in 1:52:48, putting them on course for a 2:16 finish.They passed 40km in 2:09:13, still running side by side. It was clear that no one else other than these four would be claiming places on the podium, but predicting a winner – and, indeed, the athlete who’d miss out on the podium – was still impossible with less than two kilometres to go.

As the clock ticked to 2:15, with little more than a minute of running left, Alemu was finally dropped. Seconds later, Jepchirchir unleashed her trademark finish to leave behind Jepkosgei and Assefa.

The diminutive Kenyan charged through the finish line in 2:16:16, finishing seven seconds ahead of Assefa. Jepkosgei (2:16:24) and Alemu (2:16:34) followed soon after, making this the first marathon in which four women have finished inside 2:17.

Jepchirchir will now turn her attention to defending her Olympic title in Paris in less than four months’ time where she’ll aim to become the first ever back-to-back women’s marathon gold medallist in the history of the Games.

The men’s race played out in similar fashion with a surprisingly large group remaining together into the second half before the final few contenders were left to battle it out in the closing stages.The late Kelvin Kiptum’s world (2:00:35) and course (2:01:25) records were not being targeted by the elite men, but a lead pack of 12 nevertheless set off as a respectable pace, going through 5km in 14:35 and 10km in 29:03.

They remained together through 15km (58:20) with the likes of Munyao, Bekele, 2022 world champion Tamirat Tola and 2021 Chicago winner Seifu Tura all in the lead pack.

They reached half way in 1:01:29 with 10 men still running together, more than 80 seconds ahead of Britain’s Emile Cairess, who was running alone in 13th place. France’s Hassan Chahdi soon drifted off the lead pack, and eight men were in the pack at the 30km point (1:27:20).

With 1:30 on the clock, big changes started to happen. The lead pack was down to five men: Munyao, Bekele, Tola, Ethiopia’s Dawit Wolde and compatriot Milkesa Mengesha.  Less than 10 minutes later, Tola and Wolde had dropped back, leaving Bekele, Munyao and Mengesha as the lead trio. Mengesha lasted five more minutes before he, too, succumbed to the pace, unable to stick with Munyao and the 41-year-old Bekele.

Just before the clock ticked over to 1:55, Munyao finally dropped multiple world and Olympic gold medallist Bekele, who was visibly struggling to match the Kenyan’s pace.

Munyao maintained his lead to the finish, eventually winning in 2:04:01 to Bekele’s 2:04:15, the fastest time ever by an athlete over the age of 40.

With several of the leading contenders dropping out in the closing stages, Cairess came through to take third place in 2:06:46 ahead of fellow Briton Mahamed Mahamed, who clocked 2:07:05, both setting huge PBs.

Ruth Chepngetich set to conquer 2024 London Marathon amidst elite competition

Ruth Chepngetich is targeting victory and a record at the London Marathon against a strong field as she eyes Olympic selection.

Two-time Chicago Marathon champion Ruth Chepng’etich is poised for a challenging race at the 2024 London Marathon this Sunday. 

Chepng’etich, a formidable competitor who secured third place in the 2020 edition of the event, is aiming for a strong performance, although she has not discounted the possibility of setting a new record. 

The pacemakers in the marathon will play a crucial role in maintaining the pace for the women's group, aiming to beat the women-only world record—a distinct possibility in London where the elite women compete in a separate event from the elite men and the larger mass of runners.

In a press conference ahead of the race, Chepng’etich expressed both enthusiasm and realism about her prospects against a competitive field. 

"I’m happy to be back after that race in 2020. I’m ready to run well, but the field is so strong," she stated. 

Her main rivals include Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa, Kenya's Brigid Kosgei, Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir, and Yalemzerf Yehualaw from Ethiopia, who won the London Marathon in 2022.

"Everybody here is chasing something. For me it’s about winning first, then I’ll think about setting records," she added. 

The London Marathon has been a stage for numerous world records since its inception, with seven records broken to date, including Paula Radcliffe's unmatched 2:15:25 in 2003. 

The marathon’s route, largely unaltered since 1981, takes runners through some of London’s most scenic landmarks, such as the Tower of London and the Houses of Parliament, starting from Greenwich Park and concluding on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace.

Chepng’etich also touched upon her Olympic aspirations, noting the importance of the upcoming race for her selection to the Kenyan national team for the Paris Olympics. 

"The Federation will make its selection after Sunday so we’ll see. But winning in London will be harder than in Paris," she noted.

World record holder Tigst Assefa out to make history in first London Marathon

World record holder Tigst Assefa hopes to set a new women’s-only best time in the TCS London Marathon on Sunday and believes it will be tougher to win than this year’s Paris Olympics.

Ethiopian Assefa smashed the world record in September when she finished the Berlin Marathon in two hours, 11 minutes and 53 seconds.

Next in Assefa’s sights is success in her maiden London Marathon and the women’s-only record, which is 2:17:01 and was set by Kenyan Mary Keitany at the 2017 event.

“I am very happy to be in London for the first time,” Assefa said via a translator.

“I did train very well for Berlin and I have trained well for this one. God will show how good I am on Sunday.

“I have prepared very well for this race and I am sure I can beat the course record here. As I am sure all my competitors here will feel as well.

“Regardless of whether it is London or Berlin, it will not change my strategy at all.

“I am here to win.”

Assefa took part in pre-race press duties on Thursday and was joined at the media centre in St James’ Park by Brigid Kosgei, Ruth Chepngetich and Peres Jepchirchir.

Kosgei of Kenya held the world record until Assefa broke it in September but has won the London Marathon twice.

All four athletes were asked if victory in Sunday’s 26.2-mile race would be harder than winning the marathon at the Paris Games after London Marathon race director Hugh Brasher suggested that would be the case on Wednesday.

Only Kosgei felt the Paris Games would be harder with Assefa, Chepngetich and Jepchirchir all in agreement this weekend’s strong field made Sunday’s race the most difficult to win.

After Kosgei failed to finish last year’s race due to injury, she revealed preparation this time had gone well.

“I am happy to be here again this year,” Kosgei said. “Last year when I reached here I was not feeling well.

“I have been preparing well in Kenya and I am ready.”

Olympic champion Jepchirchir finished third in 2023 and backed a women’s-only record to be set this weekend.

Jepchirchir added: “On Sunday I know the field is strong and I know it is not easy. We are running with strong ladies.

“For myself, when I see the field is strong, I see the (course) record on Sunday. Yes, may the best win.”

Kosgei, Chepngetich, Jepchirchir headline stellar Kenyan cast in London Marathon chase

Three Kenyan women aim to break the women’s-only marathon world record at the 2024 TCS London Marathon.

Three of the top four fastest women in marathon history, all from Kenya, are set to take center stage at the 2024 TCS London Marathon, aiming to break the women's-only world record. 

This elite trio, comprised of Brigid Kosgei, Ruth Chepngetich, and Peres Jepchirchir, are gearing up for what could be a historic race on the streets of London.

Brigid Kosgei, who previously set the world record at the 2019 Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:14:04, is the veteran of the group. 

She has been in top form since breaking Paula Radcliffe's longstanding record and is no stranger to the pressures of big-city marathons. 

Joining Kosgei is Ruth Chepngetich, the fourth-fastest woman of all time with a personal best of 2:14:18. 

Chepngetich's aggressive racing style and ability to maintain a blistering pace make her a serious threat to the current record.

Rounding out the trio is Peres Jepchirchir, the reigning Olympic champion. 

Jepchirchir's tactical acumen and proven track record, especially in championship races, position her as a key challenger in this record-breaking attempt. 

Her victory at the Tokyo Olympics showcased her endurance and determination, qualities necessary for a successful run in London.

The current women's-only world record was set by Mary Keitany during the 2017 London Marathon, with a time of 2:17:01. 

However, with advancements in training and competition, this record has been under threat, particularly with the recent performances of these Kenyan athletes.

Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the TCS London Marathon, emphasized the significance of this race in the context of marathon history. 

"We are in a golden age of women’s marathon running," said Brasher. He added, "Despite the incredible achievements in recent years, Mary Keitany’s record has remarkably stood the test of time.

However, with athletes like Kosgei, Chepngetich, and Jepchirchir in the field, alongside ten other women who have all run under 2:17:30, that record is under serious threat."

The race strategy for Kosgei, Chepngetich, and Jepchirchir will likely involve a collaborative effort with pacemakers to ensure a fast, consistent pace throughout. 

The London Marathon's unique setup, with elite women running separately from the men, provides an optimal environment for record-breaking performances. 

Additionally, the event will feature other top-tier athletes, including Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa, the current world record holder, and Yalemzerf Yehualaw, the 2022 TCS London Marathon champion.

Kenya announces Paris 2024 Olympics women's marathon squad

Athletics Kenya has finally unveiled the deep women's field that will don the Kenyan jersey in the women's marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Athletics Kenya has finally unveiled the women’s marathon team to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games through the National Olympic Committee of Kenya.

Defending champion Peres Jepchirchir headlines the strong field as she attempts to win her second successive marathon title at the Olympic Games. Jepchirchir will hope to bounce back from injury woes stronger and she will be joined by a strong team.

She will build up for the global showpiece at the London Marathon, hoping to improve on her third-place finish last season.

Also included in the team will be reigning New York City and Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri who seeks to make history with Team Kenya. Obiri aired her interest to win gold and as she joins Jepchirchir, she is also eyeing the coveted title.

Obiri will be building up for the Olympics at the Boston Marathon where she is the defending champion and she seeks to have a great run in the streets where she claimed her first victory in the marathon.

In an interview with Citius Mag, Obiri exuded confidence ahead of the event, revealing that her body is now used to training for the marathon.

Another strong athlete who adds depth to the field will be former world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei who was runner-up at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Kosgei has been down with injuries but bounced back this season with a win at the Abu Dhabi Marathon and she now heads to the Olympic Games, hungry for the title. Sharon Lokedi, the 2022 New York City Marathon champion will also be among the stars to descend on the course for the Olympic Games as she has made the cut to the team.

Two-time Chicago Marathon champion Ruth Chepng’etich has also not been left behind and she hopes to also claim her first Olympic title. Chepng’etich has been in great form and she will certainly not disappoint when it comes to representing Kenya.

The 2023 Tokyo Marathon champion Rosemary Wanjiru has also been included in the team, thanks to her great form and fighting spirit.

Why Eliud Kipchoge is assured of his slot in Kenya’s Olympics team

Two-time Olympics champion Eliud Kipchoge’s recent form has seen some doubt whether he will be able to defend his title in Paris but Athletics Kenya looks set to have him on the team.

Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge will definitely be at the Paris 2024 Games despite his indifferent form in his recent races.

Kipchoge has won one of his three marathons [Berlin 2023], coming after a sixth-place finish in Boston the same year, before a 10th placing in Tokyo this month.

That has seen doubts emerge from some observers who feel the GOAT might not have enough to claim a third straight Olympics gold while others have even called for the 39-year-old to give way but athletics coach Julius Kirwa feels it would be ill advised to write him off.

“Kipchoge is good and we depend on him,” Kirwa, who is among those who will select Kenya’s final marathon squad to Paris, told Pulse Sports.

“We encourage him to ignore everything that is being said about him and only concentrate on representing the country. I know he is ready and capable of representing the country as he has always done,” added Kirwa.

Kirwa insists Kipchoge has to be on the plane to Paris due to his status and the fact the he is one of the most reliable athletes for Kenya even if emerging stars are threatening to dethrone him.

“Eliud is a defending champion and is always available to represent the country,” said the veteran coach. “We cannot say because there are others who have come and run better than him we are going to leave him out.”

“We give them an opportunity to represent the country based on knowledge, capabilities, strength and discipline, which is very important.”

Kipchoge was part of a strong 10-man provisional team unveiled last December that had the late Kelvin Kiptum, with 2024 Tokyo Marathon champion Benson Kipruto, Timothy Kiplagat and Vincent Ngetich, who finished second and third in Tokyo, Bernard Koech, two-time New York Marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor, Cyprian Kotut, 2022 London Marathon champion Amos Kipruto and Titus Kipruto.

Following Kiptum’s demise, Athletics Kenya intend to add another name to the list before the final three are unveiled by May with the women’s team having defending champion Peres Jepchirchir, former world record holder Brigid Kosgei, Boston and New York Marathon champion Hellen Obiri, 2019 world champion Ruth Chepng'etich, 2024 Tokyo Marathon runners-up Rosemary Wanjiru, Joycilline Jepkosgei, Sheila Chepkirui, Judith Korir, Seley Chepyego and Sharon Lokedi.

Brigid Kosgei fires warning to London Marathon rivals after impressive ‘warm up’ in Lisbon

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei has put her rivals on notice ahead of next month’s London Marathon after warming up for the race with a dominant performance at the Lisbon Half Marathon.

Brigid Kosgei is gearing up for a triumphant return to the London Marathon on April 21, following an impressive victory at the Lisbon Half Marathon on Sunday.

Kosgei, a former world marathon record holder, used the Lisbon race as a tune-up for the upcoming London Marathon and demonstrated her exceptional form by clinching victory in commanding fashion.

Despite narrowly missing the course record, Kosgei showcased her dominance by clocking a remarkable time of 1:05:51, securing the win with a lead of over three minutes ahead of her closest competitor.

The 30-year-old athlete surged into the lead past the halfway mark and maintained an unrelenting pace, leaving her rivals struggling to keep up.

While Kosgei had hoped to lower her personal best in the half marathon, she nonetheless proved too formidable for the rest of the field. Ethiopian Bosena Mulatie finished in second place with a time of 1:09:00, followed by Kosgei's compatriot Tigist Mengistu in third place with a time of 1:09:14.

Having previously triumphed in the London Marathon in 2019 and 2020, Kosgei is determined to rectify her fourth-place finish in 2021. Her dominant performance in Lisbon serves as a promising indication of her readiness for the upcoming challenge in London.

"This was a preparation for London Marathon next month,” said Kosgei. “I'm really happy, I appreciate what I have run today [Sunday]. Thanks to organisers, I appreciate what you have done"

The victory in Lisbon held special significance for Kosgei, who celebrated her win with her two children at the finish line.

"I'm feeling very happy, because I csme with my kids. They celebrated with me when I won the race. They were really, really happy for what I did," she added

As she sets her sights on the London Marathon, Kosgei's stellar form and determination sets the stage for an exciting and competitive race in April, where she will undoubtedly be one of the top contenders vying for victory.

Ethiopia's Dinkalem Ayele and Kenya's Brigid Kosgei became victorious at the 33rd Lisbon Half Marathon

After covering the race's more than 21 km in 01:00.36 hours, Dinkalem Ayele emerged victorious, surpassing German competitor Amanal Petros by 20 seconds and Kenyan Dominic Kiptarus by three seconds.

Brigid Kosgei finished the women's race alone in 1:05.51 hours, crossing the finish line in front of the Belém Cultural Center in the Belém neighborhood. Ethiopia's Bosena Mulatie, who placed second with a timing of 1:09.00 hours, and Tigist Menigstu, who finished 14 seconds ahead of her country mate, completed the women's podium.

In front of her two kids, Kosgei who seemed to be warming up for next month’s women showdown at the London Marathon was in ecstasy and confirmed her status, sealing the win before the 10km mark to finish with a comfortable on the streets of Lisbon for the World Athletics Elite Label road race.

“This was preparations for London Marathon next month. I am happy and I appreciate what I have ran today. I am also grateful to the organizers for a good race,” Kosgei said.

The 2024 Lisbon Half Marathon included competitors from several nations, and over 30,000 people enrolled for the weekend's events, 10,000 of which were foreigners.

Brigid Kosgei sets lofty ambitions at Lisbon Half Marathon as big bonus awaits

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei is keen to make history at the Lisbon Half Marathon on Sunday as she seeks to use the race to tune up for next month’s London Marathon.

Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei is keen to break her half marathon personal best during the Lisbon Half Marathon on Sunday.

The former marathon world record holder is using the Lisbon Half Marathon to gauge her level of preparedness for the London Marathon set to take place on April 21 and she feels she can lower her half marathon personal best of 1:04:49.

"I'm really happy to be here again. I wanted to run this race because I want to test my speed for London Marathon in April,” Kosgei said on Friday.

“I come here to see how my body respond. I'm feeling good, I'm happy, did a good preparation. The course is very fast and I hope to have a good race on Sunday. If the weather is good, I will try to break my personal best in half marathon.”

The 30-year-old is no stranger to the Portuguese capital having won the 2016 Lisbon Marathon but she will come up against a stellar field on Sunday, in want has been termed the fastest half marathon in the world.

Seeking to upstage her is compatriot Vivian Cheruiyot, the 2018 London Marathon champion, whose last race was the Valencia Marathon in 2019 when she finished fourth.

There are also Kenyans Betty Chepkemoi, Pauline Esikom and Vivian Melly, Ethiopia’s Bosena Mulatie, fourth at the 2023 Istanbul Half Marathon and Senayet Getachew, the 2023 Junior World Cross-Country champion, who will be keen to upstage her.

The men’s field has attracted 10 athletes with the best marks under one hour. Abraham Kiptum will be returning and he is the biggest highlight, with a personal best of 59.09.

He will face a stern test from Ethiopians Solomon Berihu (59.17) and Dinkalem Ayele (59.30), but also compatriots Brian Kwemoi and Bravin Kipkogei Kiptoo (both with 59.37).

American Leonard Korir, third in the last month's US Olympic Marathon Trials, will also be in the race.

Korir achieved the needed spot in the podium, but not the time to guarantee the place in Paris. That's why he chose Lisbon to try to run a fast time, and maybe break the American record (59:43).

"I heard so many good things about the race, I heard that it's super fast. There were some guys that run fast here, like Jacob Kiplimo. I wanted to run something faster, and I told myself 'let me try to go to Lisbon',” said Korir.

“I heard the organisation is very good, the course is very nice. I just want to see if I can run a quick time, to see how my body feels before running a marathon in the near future,” added the 37-year-old American.

Lisbon Half Marathon oragnisers have set aside a €150,000 (Ksh22,044,775) bonus for new world records with the times to beat being 57:31 set by Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo, at this same race in 2021, and 1:02:54 by Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey in Valencia.

Brigid Kosgei fine tuning for London Marathon at Lisbon Half Marathon

Former world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei will be keen to gauge her form at the Lisbon Half Marathon ahead of her return to the London Marathon.

Former world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei is the star attraction for the Lisbon Half Marathon, where she intends to have a great build-up for the London Marathon.

The 30-year-old will use the 21km race scheduled for Sunday, March 17 to gauge form and pace for the marathon that takes place in the capital city of England.

In addition to Kosgei, there will be other big names in the ladies' elite in Lisbon, with six more women with personal bests under 68 minutes.

Bosena Mulatie (65.46), Tigist Menigstu (66.20), and Betty Chepkemoi Kibet (66.37) will be hoping to stop Kosgei who suffered an injury last season and was forced to withdraw from the London Marathon.

Pauline Esikon (67.15), Vivian Melly (67.35) and Zewditu Aderaw Gelaw (67.25) are the other highlights beyond Kosgei.

The men’s field has attracted 10 athletes with the best marks under the hour. Abraham Kiptum will be returning and he is the biggest highlight, with a personal best of 59.09.

He will face a stern test from Ethiopians Solomon Berihu (59.17) and Dinkalem Ayele (59.30), but also compatriots Brian Kwemoi and Bravin Kipkogei Kiptoo (both with 59.37).

Meanwhile, several European athletes like the Norwegian Sondre Nordstad Moen (59.48), the Germans Amanal Petros (60.09) and Hendrik Pfeiffer (62.05), the Irish Stephen Scullion (61.08), Hélio Gomes and Rui Pinto have also confirmed participation. Brazilian Daniel do Nascimento, with a personal record of 61.03, will also be present, in what is his first race with Nike.

World record in danger! Three of the top four fastest women confirmed for London Marathon

The world record will be in danger with three of the top four fastest women in the history having been confirmed for the 2024 London Marathon.

World marathon record holder Tigst Assefa will brace up for a tough battle at the 2024 London Marathon that has attracted three of the top four fastest women in history.

The strong field assembled for the assignment on Sunday, April 21 will be keen to ensure that the women’s world record goes down one more time after being lowered during the 2023 Berlin Marathon.

The record was set by Assefa, who became the new world record holder when she ran an incredible 2:11:53, obliterating the previous best mark of 2:14:04 set by Brigid Kosgei during the 2019 Chicago Marathon.

Assefa and Kosgei will now clash for the first time with Kosgei going for the world record which she noted belongs to Kenya.

Others with eyes on the record include Ruth Chepng’etich, the fourth-fastest woman of all time (2:14:18), Peres Jepchirchir (Kenya), the reigning Olympic champion, and Yalemzerf Yehualaw (Ethiopia), the 2022 TCS London Marathon champion.

Pacemakers will be tasked with keeping the leading women on track for the women’s-only world record, which is possible at the TCS London Marathon as the elite women run a separate race to the elite men and masses.

Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the TCS London Marathon, said: “We are in a golden age of women’s marathon running.

“When Paula Radcliffe ran her incredible world record of 2:15:25 at the 2003 London Marathon, we had to wait 16 years for Brigid Kosgei to beat it.

“But since then, a further four women have run faster than Paula’s time including Tigst Assefa, who lowered the world record even further with her stunning run in Berlin last year.

“Despite this, the women’s-only world record of 2:17:01, set by the great Mary Keitany here at the London Marathon in 2017, has amazingly stayed intact.”

He added that however, he suspects that with Assefa, Kosgei and the likes of Chepng’etich, Jepchirchir and Yehualaw in the field, the world record is going to be under serious threat at the 2024 TCS London Marathon.

Men and women course records set at Tokyo Marathon

The Tokyo Marathon—the first World Marathon Major of 2024—took place Sunday morning in Japan. In near-perfect conditions, with a starting temperature of about 42 degrees, more than 37,000 runners took to the streets in Japan’s capital city. Course records fell, although several notable pre-race favorites fell short.

Benson Kipruto wins men’s race in a course record

It was a Kenyan sweep in the men’s race: Boston and Chicago Marathon champion Benson Kipruto, 32, of Kenya, won in 2:02:16, a course record by 24 seconds. Timothy Kiplagat, 30, placed second in a personal-best 2:02:55, while Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich, 25, was third in 2:04:18.

Led by a trio of pacers, a pack of seven men blazed out at world record pace, traveling the first 5K in 14:16 (4:36 pace). By 15K, the pace had slowed, but only four men (and two pacers) remained: Kipruto, Kiplagat, and Ngetich, and Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, 39, the two-time Olympic champion and former world record holder.

Unlike the men, the women started more conservatively, then picked up the pace. The lead pack covered the first 5K in 16:16, a 5:12 pace. Shankule led much of the race as competitors dropped off; the pack thinned to seven by 15K, four by 25K, and the top three by 30K as the pace ratcheted down (Shankule, Wanjiru,and Kebede covered 25K to 30K in 15:59, 5:09 pace).

Just before the 40K mark, Shankule fell back. Then, at the fluid stop just after the 40K mark, Kebede pulled ahead of Wanjiru, battling to the clock to better the 2:16:02 Brigid Kosgei ran here in 2021. 

Sifan Hassan, 31, of the Netherlands, was fourth in 2:18:05—it was her third marathon, and her first loss. However, her time was still faster than the 2:18:33 she ran in her victorious London debut.

Saina shines after disappointment at Trials

Four weeks ago, American marathoner Betsy Saina, 35, who had been a favorite to make the U.S. Olympic team, dropped out of the Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, Florida, after the 21-mile mark of the race. Even though Saina had been in contention for the third spot, she suddenly pulled off the course and flopped in the grass at the side of the road, a victim of the rising temperatures.

Saina quickly regrouped and was a late addition to the field for the Tokyo Marathon on March 3. In much cooler weather, Saina finished fifth in 2:19:17. It was a PR by 2:23, the third-fastest time by an American woman (behind Emily Sisson and Keira D’Amato), and some measure of redemption after the disappointment of the Trials. She averaged 5:18.7 per mile.

Benson Kipruto and Sutume Asefa Kebede both won in course records, and American Betsy Saina ran a big PR to take fifth.

Sifan Hassan fires stern warning shot to Rosemary Wanjiru ahead of Sunday's Tokyo Marathon

Dutch woman Sifan Hassan is not resting on her laurels as she looks to dethrone defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru at Sunday's Tokyo Marathon.

Reigning Chicago Marathon champion Sifan Hassan has opened up on her main target ahead of the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday.

Hassan, who made her full marathon debut last year, has noted that she will be going for the Tokyo Marathon course record.

The reigning London Marathon champion noted that she is physically fit and ready to attack the record time of 2:16:02 that was set by Brigid Kosgei during the 2021 edition of the event.

“I have prepared well for this race…I mean the period between after the Chicago Marathon and now. I’m going for a course record,” the Dutch woman said during the pre-race press conference.

The double Olympic champion has only competed in two marathons in her career so far which she has won, and she will be keen to continue the winning streak in more races to come.

However, the Tokyo Marathon pits her against some of the strongest marathoners too, including defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru and the 2022 Valencia Marathon champion Amane Beriso.

During last year’s edition of the race, Wanjiru destroyed a strong field to claim the top prize, stopping the clock at 2:16:28.

Wanjiru also represented Kenya at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary where she finished sixth in the marathon. She enjoyed her 2023 season and will be looking to have an amazing season in 2024.

On her part, Ethiopia’s Beriso, the reigning World marathon champion will not let her fans down as she takes on the tough Tokyo Marathon course.

Beriso, a very soft-spoken athlete, will once again showcase her prowess and skills on the roads with the hope of bagging her first World Marathon Major title.

GOAT has arrived! Eliud Kipchoge lands in Tokyo ahead of Sunday’s race as he eyes more glory in Japan

Kenyan marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge has arrived in Tokyo ready for Sunday’s marathon where he is seeking a third victory in Japan.

Eliud Kipchoge has arrived in Tokyo ahead of Sunday’s race where he will be seeking to claim a second win in three years in the Japanese capital.

Kipchoge is hot favourite to win the Tokyo Marathon in what is part of his build up towards the Paris Olympics and will lined up against a stellar cast that includes compatriots Vincent Ngetich and Timothy Kiplagat.

The Kenyan marathon great holds the fastest time in Tokyo after clocking 2:02:40 to win the 2021 race and there are hopes that he can lower it on Sunday.

Tokyo also holds good memories for Kipchoge as he struck his second Olympics gold in Japan at the delayed 2020 Olympics, although the marathon was run in Sapporo, and he also claimed a 5000m silver medal on the track at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka.

“Japanese people love running, their culture is instilled in running, and they love marathons. It’s a good city, I can say it is a marathon city. I am looking to running fast again and enjoy,” Kipchoge said during his preparations.

Kipchoge has enjoyed a good preparation and is excited by the prospect of pursuing what will be the 12th Marathon Major of his extraordinary career that includes five wins in Berlin, four in London and victories in Chicago, Hamburg and Rotterdam.

A fast, flat course, the field of 37,500 marathon runners will start their quest at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building before heading gently downhill for the first 5km.

The course then flattens out for the remainder with no major hills to overcome as the runners make their way to the finish at Tokyo Station.

Kipchoge’s 2:02:40 is the men’s course record while the women’s mark of 2:16:02 is held by Kenyan Brigid Kosgei, recorded the same year.

Joyciline Jepkosgei eyes Barcelona Half Marathon title

Joyciline Jepkosgei will seek to go one step further and win the Barcelona Half Marathon on Sunday after finishing second last year.

Barcelona returns to the Spanish city where she clocked 01:04:46 behind winner Irine Kimais (01:04:37) while Catherine Reline (01:05:39) and Gladys Chepkurui (01:05:46) finished third and fourth.

Jepkosgei warmed up for the event with a second-place finish during Saturday's Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Tour, timing 33:10 in the senior women's 10km race at Lobo Village, Eldoret.  Immaculate Anyango won the race in 32:55.

Jepkosgei was using the Lobo event for speed training. “I will be competing at the Barcelona Half Marathon on Sunday and I wanted to use the cross country as part of my training ahead of the Spanish race,” said Jepkosgei.

In November 2019, Jepkosgei won the New York City Marathon in her official debut, clocking 2:22:38, the second fastest time on the course for women.

The 30-year-old further won the 2021 London Marathon in 2:17:43 making her the seventh fastest female marathoner in history.

She placed seventh at the 2022 Boston Marathon before finishing second at the London Marathon (2:18:07) behind Ethiopia's Yalemzerf Yehualaw (2:17:26).  She finished second at the 2018 World Half Marathon Championships.

At the 2017 Prague Half Marathon, she broke four world records — 30:05 over 10k, 45:37 over 15k, 61:25 in 20k and won the race in a record 1:04:52.

Joining her in the elite women's race will be two-time Chicago Marathon champion Ruth Chepngetich.

The 29-year-old first won the Chicago Marathon in 2021 before defending it the following year in 2:14:18, a personal best by almost three minutes and just 14 seconds outside of compatriot Brigid Kosgei's then world record of 2:14.04.

Also in the mix is 2023 Bangsaen21 Half Marathon champion Gladys Chepkurui.

Leading the men's elite race is Valencia Half Marathon champion Kibiwott Kandie.

Kandie set a new half marathon world record with a time of 57:32 in the 2020 Valencia Half marathon, obliterating the previous record set by Geoffrey Kamworor by almost half a minute.

He won the race two more times — 2022 and 2023.

Kandie set a course record of 59:32 at the Istanbul Half Marathon in 2021.

He will be joined by Bahrain Half Marathon champion Philemon Kiplimo, Mathew Kimeli nd Hillary Kipkoech.

Sifan Hassan will headline 2024 Tokyo Marathon

Dutch distance runner Sifan Hassan will attempt to maintain her unbeaten record in the marathon when she races in Tokyo for the first time on March 3.

Hassan won in London on her debut in April and then took the women’s victory in Chicago in October too in 2:13:44. The course record in Tokyo is 2:16:02 held by Brigid Kosgei from 2022.

"I am so excited to announce my participation in my next marathon," Hassan said in a release. "I feel Tokyo is the perfect preparation towards the Paris Olympic Games, because I have great Olympic memories in the city of Tokyo and I feel I can fuel my Olympic fire there."

Third time charm for Hassan?

Hassan, who is coming off wins in her first two career marathons (London and Chicago), will make her debut in Tokyo. The 30-year-old had a lot of success in the Japanese capital at the 2020 Olympic Games, winning two golds and a bronze across three athletics disciplines. Hassan is undecided if she will tackle the quadruple at the Paris Olympics: the 1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m, and marathon, but she said her goal for this race is to “continue her marathon journey.”

“I do not have any time-based expectations for Tokyo,” Hassan told Athletics Weekly. “I want to continue to learn the distance and gain more experience and have fun doing it.”

Although she has no specific goal, Tokyo is considered one of the faster Abbott World Marathon Majors and has a similar course profile to the London Marathon. In London last year, Hassan ran a stunning 2:18:33 debut to win, despite stopping twice. She redeemed herself with a fast time in Chicago, setting a course record and running the second-fastest marathon time in history (2:13:44).

“In the streets of Tokyo, I will be looking to continue my marathon journey. I want to learn from every marathon, since every marathon is different and I can’t wait to come to Tokyo.”

Hassan will then have to decide which events to do in Paris, with the Olympic women’s marathon to take place on the final day of the athletics programme – August 11.

Hellen Obiri reveals her main motivation towards Paris 2024 Olympics

Boston and New York Marathon champion Hellen Obiri has revealed the main reason she is determined to represent Team Kenya at next year’s Olympics in Paris

Boston and New York Marathon champion Hellen Obiri is determined to represent Kenya at the Paris 2024 Olympics as it will give her the chance to win the only gold medal still missing in her collection.

Obiri, who has successfully transitioned from track to road, has gold medals in indoor and outdoor, having won at World Indoor Championships, two at World Championships as well as Cross-Country but she had never won at the Olympics, only managing silver twice in 2016 and 2020, both in 5,000m.

She, however, has a chance to do that in Paris next year, having been named in a formidable provisional Team Kenya and she cannot wait even if the final team of three has not been unveiled.

“I’ve won gold medals in World Championships, so I’m looking for Olympic gold,” Obiri told World Athletics. “It’s the only medal missing in my career.”

Obiri made the list alongside defending champion Peres Jepchirchir, former world record holder Brigid Kosgei, winner in London in 2020, Tokyo Marathon champion Rosemary Wanjiru, former world champion Ruth Chepng’etich, former world half marathon record holder Joycilline Jepkosgei, Sheila Chepkirui, Judith Jeptum Korir, Selly Chepyego and Sharon Lokedi.

The two-time world 5,000m champion says she has now mustered the road after winning this year’s Boston and New York marathons having received a rude awakening on her marathon debut in New York last year.

“My debut here last year was terrible,” she added. “I didn’t want to come back. But sometimes you learn from your mistakes. I made a lot of mistakes last year.”

One of those mistakes, she confessed, had been running out of fuel – accustomed, as she was at the time, to doing 20-mile training runs in Kenya without any water, gels or electrolytes. “Now I take four sips every 5km,” said Obiri.

The other thing Obiri has mustered is how to execute a tactical marathon race as witnessed in New York this year when she timed her kick to perfection, sprinting away from Letesenbet Gidey and defending champion Lokedi in the final 400m.

She crossed the finish line six seconds clear of Gidey in 2:27:23, with Lokedi a further four seconds back in third place.

“I learned from my mistake in New York,” she confessed. “I used to run from the front in track races and I thought I could do the same in the marathon.”

“That cost me a lot because in the marathon, you can’t do all the work for 42km. What I learned from New York is patience – to wait for the right time to make your move.”

Brigid Kosgei destroys Abu Dhabi Marathon Course Record

Christmas comes early for Brigid Kosgei with millions earned in Abu Dhabi win.

2019 Chicago Marathon champion Brigid Kosgei will be making merry this festive season after her big harvest at the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon.

Kosgei won the race after clocking a course record time of 2:19:15. The Ethiopian duo of Hawi Feysa and Ethlemahu Sintayehu finished second and third in respective times of 2:24:03 and 2:25:36.

The men’s race was dominated by debutants, with Samson Amare of Eritrea winning the race in a time of 2:07:10. Leonard Barsoton finished second in 2:09:37 while another debutant, Ilham Tanui Özbilen completed the podium in 2:10:16.

According to the race organisers, the winners of the race, in both the men’s and women’s races, will pocket Ksh 7,677,500.

The athletes to cross the finish line first and clock sub 2:20:41 will be awarded a bonus of Ksh 4,606,500. This means Kosgei will pocket Ksh 12,284,000 in total for her dominant exploits.

For the men’s race, a bonus of Ksh 4,606,500 will also be awarded to athletes who win and clock sub 2:04:40.

The athletes who finish second, third, and fourth in the race will walk away with Ksh 3,071,000, Ksh 1,535,500, and Ksh 921,300 respectively. Those who finish fifth, sixth, and seventh will pocket Ksh 460,650, Ksh 383,875, and Ksh 307,100.

The race organisers have also set aside Ksh 230,325, Ksh 153,550, and Ksh 76,775 for the athletes who finished eighth, ninth, and 10th respectively.

Meanwhile, the athletes who finish second and clock sub 2:05:40 (men) and 2:21:41 (women) will be awarded a bonus of Ksh 767,750.

Those who finish third and clock sub 2:06:40 (men) and 2:22:41 (women) will also walk away with a bonus of Ksh 767,750.

Tirunesh Dibaba to battle Brigid Kosgei at Abu Dhabi Marathon

Three time Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba will battle former world marathon record Brigid Kosgei at the 5th edition of the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon slated for December 16, 2023 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Dibaba who came back this year to running after five years of no active competition due to maternity leave of her third child, has competed once at the Houston Half Marathon in January where she finished a distant sixteenth. The 38 year-old who is also the five time world champion, comes to this race with the second fastest time on paper of 2:17.56 that she got at the 2017 London Marathon where she finished in second place.

Kosgei who is fresh from finishing in fourth place at the New York Marathon last month with a time of 2:27.45, will have a difficult time as she faces Dibaba who has not raced this season due, as her body has not yet fully recovered from the torture of the hilly course of New York.

The two most accomplished athletes of our time will have to get past the 2019 All-African Games 5000m Silver medallist Hawi Feysa of Ethiopia who holds a personal best of 2:23.38 that she got three years ago at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon and last year’s winner of Enschede Marathon, Maurine Chepkemoi from Kenya.

The race organisers have put together a strong female elite field to chase the race course record of 2:20.41 set two years ago by Eunice Chumba from Bahrain.

Suhail Al Arifi, Executive Director of the Events Sector at Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “We are thrilled to welcome a group of top international runners for the upcoming fifth edition of the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon this month. Their participation highlights the event’s significance locally and globally. The presence of well-known runners in this year’s line-up reaffirms Abu Dhabi’s and the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon’s success in gaining international recognition in long-distance running.

Al-Arifi added, “We’re delighted to invite people from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds to join us in celebrating physical fitness. Regardless of your fitness level, there’s a distance tailored just for you. We encourage everyone to be part of this enriching sports day on the streets of Abu Dhabi, the global capital of sports.”

Participants who register for the race after November 30th can collect their race packs from the Marathon Village between the 12th and 15th December. The race pack will not be available for collection after this period.

Athletics coach explains the headache he faced selecting Kenya’s marathon team for Paris Olympics

The veteran coach has explained the challenges he had to overcome to settle on the provisional marathon squad that will represent Kenya at the Paris 2024 Olympics

Veteran athletics coach Julius Kirwa has revealed how he faced a difficult time narrowing down to 20 athletes who will represent Kenya at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Athletics Kenya (AK) named a provisional squad of 20 (10 men and as many women) with marathon great Eliud Kipchoge, world record holder Kelvin Kiptum, Boston and New York Marathon champion Hellen Obiri as well as three-time world half marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir among the big names included.

While the selection was based heavily on world ranking and athletes’ performances in major marathons, Kirwa admits it was a herculean task given the many good runners in the country.

“We are selecting them based on their time and world ranking. We are allowed to field three athletes only and in Kenya, we have about 120 athletes who are capable of representing the country,” said Kirwa.

“Other countries have a few to pick from but here, it has not been easy. I have taken a lot of time monitoring and some are still coming up like Alexander Mutiso ran very well in Valencia [finished second in 2:03:11 on Sunday] but it was too late to put in someone.

“We followed the world ranking and in Kenya we have Kiptum leading then Eliud so there was no need of jumping. We follow that way unless someone withdraws and you go to the next best ranked runner.”

Besides Kipchoge and Kiptum, Vincent Ngetich, second at the Berlin Marathon this year, Rotterdam Marathon runners-up Timothy Kiplagat, former Chicago and Boston Marathon champion Benson Kipruto, Bernard Koech, two-time New York Marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor, Cyprian Kotut, 2022 London Marathon champion Amos Kipruto and Titus Kipruto also made the list.

The women’s team has Obiri and Jepchirchir as well as former world record holder Brigid Kosgei, Tokyo Marathon champion Rosemary Wanjiru, former world champion Marathon Ruth Chepng’etich, former world half marathon record holder Joycilline Jepkosgei, Sheila Chepkirui, Judith Jeptum Korir, Selly Chepyego and Sharon Lokedi.

However, world ranking was not the only consideration given Joshua Belet and Ronald Korir, who who are ahead of Kamworor on the rankings, missed out same as Dorcas Chepchirchir and Jackline Chelal.

AK explained that they also looked at consistency, championship mentality and the attitude of the athletes before setting on the squad.

Cynthia Jerotich Limo set to make her marathon debut in Honolulu

The 2016 World Half Marathon Championships silver medalist, Cynthia Jerotich Limo will make her marathon debut at the 50th edition of the Honolulu Marathon slated for this Sunday 10, 2023 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

The 33 year-old who holds a life time best of 1:06.04 in half marathon, has also set two course records this season at the Carmel and Toledo Half Marathons.

Limo will have to get past the experienced Kasu Bitew Lemeneh of Ethiopia who has already participated in three marathons this season and also holds the second fastest time in the entry list of 2:26.18 that she got last year at the Madrid Marathon where she took the bronze medal.

The two will have to battle Ethiopia’s Sintayehu Tilahun Getahun who is poised as the race favorite as she holds the fastest time on paper of 2:22.19 that she got last year at the Milan Marathon, where she finished in second place. Getahun has already participated in two marathons, Sydney and Hamburg where she finished in ninth and twelfth respectively.

The race organizers have assembled a strong elite field to try and lower the race course record of 2:22.15 set five years ago by Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei.

The winner will pocket $25,000 as prize money and $10,000 for breaking the course record.

Athletics Kenya has selected its Provisional Marathon team for the Paris Olympics

Athletics Kenya has named it’s Provisional Marathon Team towards Paris 2024 Olympic Games next year through Competitions Director Mr. Mutwii.

Although AK has released a list of 10 men and 10 Women, the team will be scaled down to 5 in January, 3 to compete and 2 Reserves.

Marathon Men

Eliud Kipchoge

Kelvin Kiptum

Vincent Ngetich

Timothy Kiplagat

Benson Kipruto

Bernard Koech

Geoffrey Kamworor

Cyprian Kotut

Amos Kipruto

Titus Kipruto

Marathon Women

Ruth Chepngetich 

Rosemary Wanjiru 

Joycilline Jepkosgei 

Sheila Chepkirui 

Peres Jepchirchir 

Judith Jeptum Korir 

Selly Chepyego 

Hellen Obiri 

Sharon Lokedi

 Brigid Kosgei

Lots of exciting racing on the streets of New York City and a new course record

Hellen Obiri timed her kick to perfection to win a thrilling women’s race and Tamirat Tola broke the course record for a dominant men’s title triumph at the TCS New York City Marathon, a World Athletics Platinum Label event, on Sunday (5).

Claiming their crowns in contrasting styles, Obiri sprinted away from Letesenbet Gidey and Sharon Lokedi in Central Park and crossed the finish line in 2:27:23, winning by six seconds, while Tola left his rivals far behind with 10km remaining in a long run for home. Clocking 2:04:58, he took eight seconds off the course record set by Geoffrey Mutai in 2011 to claim his first win in the event after fourth-place finishes in 2018 and 2019.

While super fast times have dominated recent major marathon headlines, the focus in New York was always more likely to be the battles thanks to the undulating course and competitive fields, although the men's race ended up being the quickest in event history.

The women’s race was particularly loaded. Kenya’s Lokedi returned to defend her title against a strong field that featured Boston Marathon winner Obiri, 10,000m and half marathon world record-holder Gidey, and former marathon world record-holder Brigid Kosgei, while Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir was a late withdrawal following the leg injury she sustained a week before the race.

There was no clear pre-race favourite and that remained the case right up to the closing stages, with many of the leading contenders locked in a fierce fight after a tactical 26 miles.

The pace was conservative in the first half, with a series of surges but no big moves. Eleven of the 14 members of the field remained together at half way, reached in 1:14:21. It set the scene for a final flurry, with the pace having gradually slowed after 5km was passed by the leaders in 17:23, 10km in 34:35 and 15km in 52:29.

Obiri, Lokedi and Kosgei were all firmly part of that group, along with their Kenyan compatriots Edna Kiplagat, Mary Ngugi-Cooper and Viola Cheptoo. Ethiopia’s Gidey was happy to sit at the back of the pack, with USA’s Kellyn Taylor and Molly Huddle taking it in turns to push the pace.

The tempo dropped again as the lead group hit the quiet of Queensboro Bridge, with the 25km mark reached in 1:28:39. But the group forged on, hitting 30km in 1:47:06 and 35km in 2:04:45.

Then Cheptoo made a move. The 2021 New York runner-up managed to create a gap but Obiri was the first to react and covered it gradually. Gidey followed and as Cheptoo surged again, Obiri and Gidey ran side-by-side behind her. It wasn’t decisive, though, and soon Lokedi and Kosgei were able to rejoin them.

As the group hit 24 miles in Central Park, Lokedi was running alongside Obiri and Cheptoo, with Gidey and Kosgei just behind. The pace picked up again but each time Kosgei was dropped, she managed to claw her way back – Lokedi leading from Gidey, Obiri and Kosgei with one mile to go.

Looking determined, two-time world 5000m champion Obiri saw her chance and began to stride for the finish. Being chased by Gidey and with Lokedi four seconds back, she kicked again at the 26-mile mark and couldn’t be caught, using her superb finishing speed to extend her winning margin to six seconds.

It was a brilliant return for Obiri, who finished sixth when making her marathon debut in New York last year and who went on to win the Boston Marathon in April. She becomes the first women since Ingrid Kristiansen in 1989 to complete the Boston and New York marathon title double in the same year.

Gidey followed Obiri over the finish line in 2:27:29, while Lokedi was third in 2:27:33, Kosgei fourth in 2:27:45 and Ngugi-Cooper fifth in 2:27:53.

"It's my honour to be here for the second time. My debut here was terrible for me. Sometimes you learn from your mistakes, so I did a lot of mistakes last year and I said I want to try to do my best (this year)," said Obiri.

"It was exciting for me to see Gidey was there. I said, this is like track again, like the World Championships in 2022 (when Gidey won the 10,000m ahead of Obiri)."

Tola finishes fast

The men’s race also started off at a conservative pace but by 20km a lead group of Tola, Yemal Yimer, Albert Korir, Zouhair Talbi and Abdi Nageeye had put the course record of 2:05:06 set 12 years ago back within reach.

Most of the field had been together at 5km, reached by the leaders in 15:28, and 10km was passed in 30:36. Then a serious surge in pace led to a six-strong breakaway pack, with Ethiopia’s Tola, Yimer and Shura Kitata joined by Kenya’s Korir, Dutch record-holder Nageeye and Morocco’s Talbi.

Kitata managed to hang on to the back of the pack for a spell but was dropped by 20km, reached by the leaders in 59:34.

The half way mark was passed by that five-strong lead group in 1:02:45, putting them on a projected pace just 24 seconds off of Mutai’s course record.

Tola – the 2022 world marathon champion – surged again along with Yimer, who was fourth in the half marathon at last month’s World Road Running Championships in Riga, and Korir, the 2021 champion in New York. They covered the 5km split from 20km to 25km in 14:41, a pace that Nageeye and Talbi couldn’t contend. It also turned out to be a pace that Korir couldn’t maintain and he was the next to drop, leaving Tola and Yimer to power away.

After an even quicker 5km split of 14:07, that leading pair had a 25-second advantage over Korir by 30km and Tola and Yimer were well on course record pace as they clocked 1:28:22 for that checkpoint. Tola was a couple of strides ahead as they passed the 19-mile mark, but Yimer was fixed on his heels.

The next mile made the difference. By the 20-mile marker Tola had a six-second advantage and looked comfortable, with Korir a further 45 seconds back at that point and Kitata having passed Nageeye and Talbi.

Then Yimer began to struggle. He was 33 seconds back at 35km, reached by Tola in 1:42:51, and he had slipped to fourth – passed by Korir and Kitata – by 40km.

Tola reached that point in 1:58:08, almost two minutes ahead of Korir, and more than four minutes ahead of Yimer, and he maintained that winning advantage all the way to the finish line.

With his time of 2:04:58, Tola becomes the first athlete to dip under 2:05 in the New York City Marathon. Korir was second in a PB of 2:06:57, while Kitata was third in 2:07:11. Olympic silver medallist Nageeye finished fourth in 2:10:21 and Belgium’s Koen Naert came through for fifth in 2:10:25.

"I am happy to win the New York City Marathon for the first time," said Tola. "It's the third time for me to participate, after two times finishing fourth. Now, I'm happy."

Tamirat Tola sets NYC Marathon record; Hellen Obiri wins women's race

Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia set a course record to win the New York City Marathon men's race on Sunday while Hellen Obiri of Kenya pulled away in the final 400 meters to take the women's title.

Tola finished in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 58 seconds, topping the 2:05.06 set by Geoffrey Mutai in 2011. Tola pulled away from countrymate Jemal Yimer when the pair were heading toward the Bronx at Mile 20. By the time he headed back into Manhattan a mile later, Tola led by 19 seconds and chasing Mutai's mark.

Kenyan Albert Korir finished second in 2:06:57, while Ethiopian Shura Kitata was third in 2:07:11. Yimer fell back to finish in ninth.While the men's race was well decided before the last few miles, the women's race came down to the final stretch. Obiri, Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia and defending champion Sharon Lokedi were all running together exchanging the lead. Obiri made a move as the trio headed back into Central Park for the final half-mile and finished in 2:27:23. Gidey finished second, 6 seconds behind. Lokedi finished third in 2:27:33.

Obiri added the New York victory to her win at the Boston Marathon in April.A stellar women's field was thought to potentially take down the course record of 2:22:31 set by Margaret Okayo in 2003. Unlike last year, when the weather was unseasonably warm with temperatures in the 70s, Sunday's race was much cooler in the 50s -- ideal conditions for record-breaking times.

Instead the women had a tactical race with 11 runners, including Americans Kellyn Taylor and Molly Huddle, in the lead pack for the first 20 miles. Taylor and Huddle both led the group at points before falling back and finishing in eighth and ninth.

Once the lead group came back into Manhattan for the final few miles, Obiri, Gidey and Lokedi pushed the pace. As the trio entered Central Park, they further distanced themselves from Kenya's Brigid Kosgei, who finished fourth.

Catherine Debrunner won the women's wheelchair race in 1:39:32, breaking the course record by more than three minutes. Men's wheelchair race winner Marcel Hug narrowly broke his record from last year, finishing in 1:25:29 to miss the mark by 3 seconds.

"It's incredible. I think it takes some time to realize what happened," Hug said after his sixth New York City victory. "I'm so happy as well."

Hug is the most decorated champion in the wheelchair race at the event, breaking a tie with Tatyana McFadden and Kurt Fearnley for most wins in the division in event history.

How Hellen Obiri plans to conquer Sunday's New York City Marathon

Hellen Obiri will be banking on the lessons learned from her past two marathons to make a statement in the streets of New York City.

Reigning Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri made her long-awaited marathon debut in the streets of New York City last year and there are a lot of lessons she learned from that race.

Obiri plans to use the lessons to her advantage as she takes on a very strong field that has been assembled for this year’s edition of the race.

She finished sixth in her debut, clocking a Personal Best time of 2:25:49 which she improved when running at the Boston Marathon. 

“Last year was my debut and, in that case, I was prepared for anything to happen. I learned to be patient and wait for the right time to kick," she said. 

"I also realized that taking a lot of drinks helps a lot during the race. Last year, I thought running a marathon was the same as running on the track but now I have a lot of experience from Boston too. This gives me a lot of motivation to do well."

The two-time World 5000m champion also expressed her happiness to be back in the streets of New York to accomplish her mission.

She explained that she missed out on what she was supposed to do last year and she has returned to show the world that anything is capable. 

“I’m so happy to be back because last year I missed out on what I was supposed to do. I am back to show that I can also do these things,” Obiri said.

She will be battling for top honors against defending champion Sharon Lokedi who is the form of her life. Former world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei will also be in the mix with the hope of bouncing back.

Olympic champion, Peres Jepchirchir suffered a calf injury during her last session of training and she is yet to confirm whether she will be running.

Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey will also be in the mix after a challenging time at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary where she failed to defend her 10,000m world title.

Peres Jepchirchir pulls out of New York City Marathon

Peres Jepchirchir has pulled out of the 52ndd edition of the New York City Marathon, a Platinum Label marathon and the last of six World Marathon Majors slated for this Sunday (5).

Jeochirchir who is the women-only world record holder was injured on Saturday during the workouts making it impossible for her to race on Sunday in New York.

The 30 year-old won this race two years ago in a time of 2:22.39 beating her compatriot Viola Cheptoo to second place in 2:22.44 with former world half marathon record holder Yashaneh Ababel from Ethiopia wrapping up the podium three finishes in 2:22.52.

The three time world half marathon champion was to face-off with her compatriots led by defending champion Sharon Lokedi, reigning Boston Marathon champion, Hellen Obiri, former world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei.

Jepchirchir who was the first athlete to win the Olympic gold medal and the New York City Marathon in the same year was also to face the oldest-ever winner of a World Marathon Major (male or female) Edna Kiplagat, who be making her sixth TCS New York City Marathon appearance aged 43yrs old and the 2014 World Half Marathon silver medalist, Mary Wacera Ngugi who comes to this race with a life time best of 2:20.22 that she got last year at the London Marathon where she finished in seventh place.

Jepchirchr who won the Great North Run beating Lokedi to second and defending her World half marathon title in Riga with a course record time of 1:07.25, has been battling with a hip injury since last year that even prevented her from the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon.

Americans Kellyn Taylor and Molly Huddle Are Ready to Race the New York City Marathon

The women's professional lineup for the 2023 New York City Marathon on November 5 packs a wallop. Barring any late withdrawals, we can look forward to a showdown among a defending champion, an Olympic champion, a former marathon world record holder, the current half marathon world record holder, and the 2023 Boston Marathon champion.

While fast times aren't usually the main objective in New York, a race that traditionally favors tactics and competition over pace on an undulating 26.2-miles through the city's five boroughs, we just may see the course record--2:22:31, set all the way back in 2003--go down. 

Last year's surprise winner Sharon Lokedi of Kenya is returning to defend her title. The 2022 race was her debut at the distance and she aced her first test in 2:23:23, though since then, she's coped with a foot injury that kept her out of the Boston Marathon in April. Hellen Obiri, also of Kenya, is back, too--her first attempt at the marathon was also last year in New York, finishing sixth (2:25:49). Obiri went on to win the 2023 Boston Marathon in April, lowering her personal best to 2:21:38.

Kenyan Brigid Kosgei, who broke the marathon world record in 2019, finishing Chicago in 2:14:04 (since bettered in September at the Berlin Marathon by Ethiopian Tigst Assefa in 2:11:53) is also returning from injury after dropping out of the 2023 London Marathon in the first mile.

Joining these top contenders are 2021 Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir, also of Kenya, who won the 2021 New York City and 2022 Boston marathons and owns a 2:17:16 personal best, and Ethiopia's Letesenbet Gidey, the 2022 world champion in the 10,000 meters, ran the fastest marathon debut in history at the 2022 Valencia Marathon with a 2:16:49 effort.

The American women's field this year is small, because most athletes opted for earlier fall races, like the Chicago Marathon, to allow for more recovery time before training begins for the U.S. Olympic Trials, scheduled for February 3, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. But Molly Huddle and Kellyn Taylor are each making their return to the distance on Sunday after giving birth to their daughters in 2022--Huddle welcomed Josephine in April and Taylor welcomed Keagan in December (in addition to their eldest daughter, who is 13 years old, the Taylor family adopted a five-year-old son and almost-two-year-old daughter, growing the family to four children in the past 13 months).

Huddle, 39, and Taylor, 37, both said it was important to them to get in a healthy marathon training cycle and race experience prior to the U.S. Olympic Trials, to get back in the routine and fitness they'll utilize in preparation for 2024.

"Obviously you want to be able to finish 26.2 miles and have that fresh in your mind, but also the buildup, the marathon work--I've gotten pretty far away from that just with the pregnancy and postpartum," said Huddle, a two-time Olympian in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, who placed third at the 2016 New York City Marathon (2:28:13) in her debut at the distance. "This is supposed to be a building block toward the workload that you need for the Trials--I'm going to have to try and inch my way back a little closer to what I'd ideally do for a marathon buildup."

Huddle hasn't started a marathon since the 2020 Trials in Atlanta, which she dropped out of at the 21-mile mark. She hasn't finished a marathon since April 2019, when she lowered her personal best to 2:26:33 with a 12th-place finish at the London Marathon. However, she did run two relatively fast half marathons this year, including a fifth-place, 1:10:01 effort at the Houston Half Marathon in January.

Taylor's last marathon was two years ago in New York, where she placed sixth in 2:26:10. In September, she finished seventh in the U.S. 20K Championships in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1:08:04.

Going into the 2023 New York City Marathon, here's what the two top Americans had to say as they reflected on their postpartum experiences and goals for their first 26.2-mile race back:

They would have preferred to race the Chicago Marathon because of the timing.

Huddle, who is the former American record holder in the half marathon, 5,000 meters, and 10,000 meters, was hoping to make her postpartum comeback on a flatter, faster course like the October 8 Chicago Marathon, which would have also afforded an additional three weeks of time until the U.S. Olympic Trials. Taylor, who placed eighth at the 2020 Trials in Atlanta and owns three top-10 finishes in New York, agreed that Chicago's timing would've been more ideal. Neither of them were accepted into the professional field, however.

"We birthed humans. We were still running--it's not like we've been sitting on the couch eating Cheetos for a year," Taylor said. "It didn't work out and that's fine. I'll go where I'm wanted, so it doesn't really bother me that much--we'll still have 11 weeks until the Trials, and New York's my favorite marathon, hands down. I love the course. I love the people."

Huddle is also looking forward to racing in New York.

"They've always been happy to have me and that was important. I love racing through the city," she said. "My only concern was it's a very challenging course and there probably won't be any PRs happening, so I'll have to chase that later in the next year and a half."

A spokesperson for the Chicago Marathon said in an email message, in part, that the race officials "weigh many factors including performance standards, athlete interest, event resources, and operational considerations," when choosing athletes to accept into the professional race each year. "While our goal is to host as many athletes as possible, there are years where demand to participate exceeds the resources available and operational needs to host a professional race," the spokesperson wrote.

Huddle attributes her injury in the spring (mostly) to breastfeeding.

In March, Huddle experienced her first major bone injury of her career--a femoral stress fracture--which took her out of training for three months. After talking with her medical team, she's fairly convinced that her dietary needs weren't being met while breastfeeding. Since then, she's learned to adjust her fueling to account for what she loses not only to training, but also feeding her daughter.

"I refer to it as my body's new rules, because old me always knew how to fuel and I knew what I could handle workload-wise," Huddle said. "Now there is just more taxing the system and there's less time to mindfully refuel."

Taylor is finding much more camaraderie this time around.

When Taylor had her first daughter 13 years ago, not many fellow competitors had children. This time, however, she is finding a plethora of support from elite distance running moms.

In 2010, pro athletes also couldn't find much, if any, information about how to safely train through pregnancy and postpartum. And although solid research still lags, plenty of athletes are ready and willing to share their experiences with each other, which Taylor didn't have the first time around.

"It's become really helpful to be able to text each other and just directly ask how they handled one thing or another," Taylor says. "There isn't necessarily a lot of information, but with the network of athletes that have kids, I feel like there's more coming out now."

Huddle and Taylor each took a bit more conservative approach to training for New York this time. In the past, Taylor's peak weekly mileage could go as high as 130, but this time around she topped out around 112 miles. Similarly, Huddle's mileage prior to pregnancy would hit around 115 and this time she kept it to about 80 miles per week and substituted an Elliptigo session for a second run some days.

Their goals for Sunday run the gamut.

Despite a severe lack of sleep, Taylor's recovery from pregnancy and childbirth has gone exceedingly smoothly, she said, emphasizing that everybody's return is different and she believes she just lucked out with her genetics.

Knowing that she'll face a stellar international field on Sunday, Taylor is ready to run an aggressive race, targeting a 2:23 finish. (Her personal best is 2:24:29 from 2018 at Grandma's Marathon in Duluth Minnesota, but that was before the adventure of super shoes.)

"I think I'm in a really good position. I think I have the potential to run really well," said Taylor, who will wear Hoka Rocket X 2 shoes. "I think I can run 2:23 on a good day and that could put me in the hunt to do something, depending on how the race plays out."

Huddle has more of a wait-and-see approach, though, she notes, it is the first marathon in which she'll race in super shoes. She'll race in the Saucony Endorphin Elite shoes.

"I just don't think I'm going to be hanging with the world record holders, so I'm going to let them go do their thing," Huddle said. "I'm just focusing more on myself and just seeing what I can do."

It'll be a learning experience for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

The duo will each have a bigger fanbase than ever with their families coming to New York to support them. It's also an opportunity to see how they can organize the logistics of racing, childcare, and race prep ahead of the Trials in February.

Huddle, who is also raising money for &Mother, a nonprofit organization that supports athletes who pursue their career goals while parenting, as part of her marathon experience on Sunday, is hoping she will be done breastfeeding by February, but New York will serve as a test run in case she is not.

"I think it'll be interesting just seeing what the routine is like with my family, how we're going to shuffle everyone around with childcare and sleeping arrangements," Huddle said.

For Taylor, an additional hotel room was necessary to accommodate the whole family--and she couldn't be happier to have everybody there.

"It's going to be complete chaos," she said, laughing. "My parents are coming, so they're going to be the saving graces."

Lokedi keen to defend New York title as she faces off with Jepchichir, Obiri

Lokedi keen to defend New York title as she faces off with Jepchichir, Obiri.

The 2022 New York City Marathon winner Sharon Lokedi will be seeking to defend her title against a formidable women's field during the 52nd edition of the marathon slated for Sunday.

Lokedi won the race in what was her marathon debut last year, pulling away in the final two miles to finish the race in 2:23:23.

She became the eighth athlete to win the race on debut. She has, however, been dealing with an injury for the better part of the year, which forced her to withdraw from the Boston Marathon in April.

Lokedi will be up against the 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Peres Jepchirchir who will be eyeing the top prize. The 30-year-old is the only athlete to win the Olympics, the New York City Marathon and Boston Marathon.

The two-time World Half Marathon gold medalist had been unbeaten since winning Boston last year until Dutch runner Sifan Hassan defeated her in London last April.

Joining the duo will be two-time Olympic silver medalist Hellen Obiri who is fresh from a triumphant display in the Boston Marathon.

Also in the fold will be the former world record holder Brigid Kosgei and veteran Edna Kiplagat who is a two-time world champion, Boston, London, and New York City winner.

The Kenyan squad will face stiff competition from Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey who is a 10,000m and half-marathon world record holder.

She will be making her New York City Marathon debut after her 2022 victory in Valencia in 2:16:49, which is the fastest women’s marathon debut in history.

Yalemzerf Yehualaw from Ethiopia and USA’s double Olympian Molly Huddle will also be in contention for the title.

Leading the men’s elite race will be 2021 winner Albert Korir who will be seeking to duplicate his heroics during the 2021 edition.

He will be joined by Edwin Cheserek who is a 17-time NCAA (National Collegiate Athletics Association) cross country champion.

2023 World Athletics Championship silver medalist Maru Teferi of Israel will be seeking to upset the Kenyan contingent as well as Ethiopia’s Mosinet Geremew.

Netherlands’s Olympic silver winner Abdi Nageeye and 2021 New York Marathon champion and Morocco's Zouahir Talbi will also be eyeing the top spot.

Three elite athletes have, however,  pulled out of the race including the defending champion Evans Chebet, his Kenyan compatriot Geoffrey Kamworor and Ethiopian Gotytom Gebreslase.

24 Hours with One of the World’s Best Marathoners

As the 2023 Boston Marathon winner and Olympian Hellen Obiri puts final touches on her build for the NYC Marathon, she’s aiming to become the seventh woman ever to win two majors in one year

Four weeks out from competing in the 2023 New York City Marathon, one of the world’s most prestigious road races, an alarm clock gently buzzes, signaling the start of the day for 33-year-old Hellen Obiri.

Despite having rested for nearly nine hours, Obiri, a two-time world champion from Kenya, says the alarm is necessary, otherwise she can oversleep. This morning’s training session of 12 miles at an easy pace is the first of two workouts on her schedule for the day as she prepares for the New York City Marathon on November 5.

The race will be her third attempt in the distance since she graduated from a successful track career and transitioned into road racing in 2022. Obiri placed sixth at her marathon debut in New York last November, finishing in 2:25:49.

“I was not going there to win. I was there to participate and to learn,” she says, adding that the experience taught her to be patient with the distance. This time around in New York, she wants to claim the title.

Obiri drinks two glasses of water, but she hasn’t eaten anything by the time she steps outside of her two-bedroom apartment in the Gunbarrel neighborhood of Boulder, Colorado.

In September 2022, the three-time Olympian moved nearly 9,000 miles from her home in the Ngong Hills, on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, to Colorado. She wanted to pursue her marathon ambitions under the guidance of coach and three-time Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein, who is the fourth-fastest U.S. marathoner in history. Ritzenhein retired from professional running in 2020 and now oversees the Boulder-based On Athletics Club (OAC), a group of elite professional distance runners supported by Swiss sportswear company On.

Obiri, who was previously sponsored by Nike for 12 years before she signed a deal with On in 2022, said that moving across the world wasn’t a difficult decision. “It’s a great opportunity. Since I came here, I’ve been improving so well in road races.”

In April, Obiri won the Boston Marathon. It was only her second effort in the distance, and the victory has continued to fuel her momentum for other major goals that include aiming for gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics and also running the six most competitive and prestigious marathons in the world, known as the World Marathon Majors.

Obiri says goodbye to her eight-year-old daughter Tania and gets into a car to drive six miles to Lefthand trailhead, where she runs on dirt five days a week. She will train on an empty stomach, which she prefers for runs that are less than 15 miles. Once, she ate two slices of bread 40 minutes before a 21-mile run and was bothered by side stitches throughout the workout. Now, she is exceptionally careful about her fueling habits.

Three runners stretch next to their cars as Obiri clicks a watch on her right wrist and begins to shuffle her feet. Her warmup is purposely slow. In this part of Colorado, at 5,400 feet, the 48-degree air feels frostier and deserving of gloves, but Obiri runs without her hands covered. She is dressed in a thin olive-colored jacket, long black tights, and a black pair of unreleased On shoes.

Obiri’s feet clap against a long dirt road flanked by farmland that is dotted with horses and a few donkeys. Her breath is hardly audible as she escalates her rhythm to an average pace of six minutes and 14 seconds per mile. This run adds to her weekly program of 124 miles—some days, she runs twice. The cadence this morning is hardly tough on her lungs as she runs with her mouth closed, eyes intently staring ahead at the cotton-candy pink sunrise.

“Beautiful,” Obiri says.

Her body navigates each turn as though on autopilot. Obiri runs alone on easy days like today, but for harder sessions, up to four pacers will join her.

“They help me to get the rhythm of speed,” Obiri says. For longer runs exceeding 15 miles, Ritzenhein will bike alongside Obiri to manage her hydration needs, handing her bottles of Maurten at three-mile increments.

After an hour, Obiri wipes minimal sweat glistening on her forehead. Her breathing is steady, and her face appears as fresh as when she began the run. She does not stretch before getting into the car to return home.

The remainder of the morning is routine: a shower followed by a breakfast of bread, Weetabix cereal biscuits, a banana, and Kenyan chai—a mix of milk, black tea, and sugar. She likes to drink up to four cups of chai throughout the day, making the concoction with tea leaves gifted from fellow Kenyan athletes she sees at races.

Then, she will nap, sometimes just for 30 minutes, and other times upwards of two hours. “The most important thing is sleeping,” Obiri says. “When I go to my second run [of the day], I feel my body is fresh to do the workout. If I don’t sleep, I feel a lot of fatigue from the morning run.”

Obiri prepares lunch. Normally she eats at noon, but today her schedule is busier than usual. She cooks rice, broccoli, beets, carrots, and cabbage mixed with peanuts. Sometimes she makes chapati, a type of Indian flatbread commonly eaten in Kenya, or else she eats beans with rice.

The diet is typical among elite Kenyan athletes, and she hasn’t changed her eating habits since moving to the U.S. Obiri discovered a grocery store in Denver that offers African products, so she stocks up on ingredients like ground corn flour, which she uses to make ugali, a dense porridge and staple dish in many East African countries. She is still working through 20 pounds of flour she bought in June.

Obiri receives an hour massage, part of her routine in the early afternoon, three times a week. Usually the session is at the hands of a local physiotherapist, but sometimes Austin-based physiotherapist Kiplimo Chemirmir will fly in for a few days. Chemirmir, a former elite runner from Kenya, practices what he refers to as “Kenthaichi massage,” an aggressive technique that involves stretching muscles in short intervals.

Ritzenhein modifies Obiri’s training schedule, omitting her afternoon six-mile run so she can rest for the remainder of the day and reset for a speed workout tomorrow morning. Last fall, he took over training Obiri, who was previously coached by her agent Ricky Simms, who represented Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, an eight-time gold medalist and world record holder, and British long distance runner Mo Farah, a four-time Olympic gold medalist.

Ritzenhein has programmed Obiri’s progression into the marathon with more volume and strength training. The meticulous preparation is essential to avoid the aftermath of her marathon debut in New York City last fall, when she was escorted off the course in a wheelchair after lacking a calculated fueling and hydration strategy. Obiri had averaged running 5:33-minute miles on a hilly route that is considered to be one of the most difficult of all the world marathon major races.

“It’s a real racing race. You have to make the right moves; you have to understand the course,” Ritzenhein says of the New York City Marathon. “We’ve changed some things in training to be a little more prepared. We’ve been going to Magnolia Road, which is a very famous place from running lore—high altitude, very hilly. We’ve been doing some long runs up there. In general, she’s got many more 35 and 40K [21 and 24 miles] runs than she had before New York last year.”

In New York, Obiri is aiming to keep pace alongside a decorated elite field that will include Olympic gold medalist Peres Jepchirchir, former women’s marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei, and defending New York Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi, all of whom are from Kenya. In fact, Kenyan women have historically dominated at the New York City Marathon, winning nine titles since 2010 and 14 total to date, the most of any country since women were permitted to race in 1972.

“They are all friendly ladies,” Obiri says. “But you know, in sports we are enemies. It’s like a war. Everybody wants to win.”

While Obiri is finishing her massage, her daughter returns from school. Though Obiri arrived in Colorado last fall, her husband Tom Nyaundi and their daughter didn’t officially move to the U.S. until this past March. The adjustment, Obiri says, was a hard moment for the family.

“We didn’t have a car. In the U.S. you can’t move [around] if you don’t have a car. We had a very good team that helped us a lot,” Obiri says of the OAC, whom she refers to as her friends. “The athletes made everything easier for us. They were dropping my daughter to school. Coach would pick me up in the morning, take me to massage, to the store. I was lucky they were very supportive.” Now, Obiri says she and her family have fully adjusted to living in the U.S.

Obiri returns home and makes a tomato and egg sandwich before taking another nap. Usually she naps for up to two hours after lunch. Today, her nap is later and will last for two and a half hours.

Obiri doesn’t eat out or order takeaway. “We are not used to American food,” she says, smiling. “I enjoy making food at home.” Dinner is a rotation of Kenyan dishes like sukuma wiki—sautéed collard greens that accompany ugali—or pilau, a rice-based dish made with chicken, goat, or beef. This evening, she prepares ugali with sukuma wiki and fried eggs.

Before bed, Obiri says she can’t resist a nightcap of Kenyan chai. She will pray before falling asleep. And when she wakes up at 6:00 A.M. the next day, she will prepare for a track session, the intervals of which add up to nearly 13 miles: a 5K warmup, followed by 1 set of 4×200 meters at 32 seconds (200 meter jog between each rep); 3 sets of 4×200 meters at 33 seconds  (200 meter jog between each rep); 5×1600 meters at 5:12 (200 meter jog between each rep) and finishing with a 5K cool down.

The workout is another one in the books that will bring her a step closer to the starting line of the race she envisions winning. “I feel like I’m so strong,” Obiri says. She knows New York will be tough. But “when I go to a race I say, ‘you have to fight.’ And if you try and give your best, you will do something good.”

Peres Jepchirchir shares why it will take time to break the women's world record again

Peres Jepchirchir has shared her insights on why it will take longer for the women's marathon world record to be broken.

The streets of Berlin witnessed a historic moment on September 27 when Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women-only world record.

Assefa clocked 2:11:53 to completely obliterate Brigid Kosgei’s world record time of 2:14:04. Having clocked that time, the Ethiopian became the first woman in history to have run under 2:12:00.

Kosgei had set the world record in 2019 and in less than five years, it has already been shattered. However, Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir has admitted that lowering Assefa’s world record time will definitely take more time.

“For now, it’s difficult, 2:11:00 is a very difficult barrier to break. Maybe it will take some years to break that barrier.

It took time to break Kosgei’s record and it was 2:14…but for this world record, it will take more time. I know we are strong ladies and we will break it one day.

If it will not be me, then my colleagues will definitely break it and make history,” Jepchirchir explained.

The 2022 Boston Marathon champion will be heading to the streets of New York for the New York City Marathon on November 2.

She noted that she does not intend to go for a world record on the course since it is not suitable for a world record. However, she is bullish about reclaiming her title that she won during the 2021 New York City Marathon.

She missed out on last year’s edition of the event due to an injury setback but she has since announced her comeback. She opened her season at the London Marathon where she finished third.

She then bagged a win at the Great North Run before defending her World Half Marathon title at the World Road Running Championships.

Kiptum smashes world marathon record with 2:00:35, Hassan runs 2:13:44 in Chicago

Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum became the first athlete to break 2:01 in a record-eligible marathon, clocking a tremendous 2:00:35* to take 34 seconds off the world record at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday (8).

On a remarkable day of racing, Dutch star Sifan Hassan moved to No.2 on the women’s all-time list, running 2:13:44 to triumph in the World Athletics Platinum Label road race. The only woman to have ever gone faster is Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa, who set a world record of 2:11:53 to win the BMW Berlin Marathon last month.

Less than six months on from his 2:01:25 London Marathon win, which saw him become the second-fastest marathon runner of all time, Kiptum improved by another 50 seconds to surpass the world record mark of 2:01:09 set by his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin last year.

In the third marathon of his career, which began with a 2:01:53 debut in Valencia last December, Kiptum even had enough energy to celebrate his historic performance on the way to the finish line – pointing to the crowds and the tape on his approach.

The 23-year-old broke that tape in 2:00:35, winning the race by almost three and a half minutes. Defending champion Benson Kipruto was second in 2:04:02 and Bashir Abdi was third in 2:04:32.

Kiptum pushed the pace throughout the 26.2-mile race. He broke away from a seven-strong lead group after reaching 5km in 14:26, joined only by his compatriot Daniel Mateiko, who was making his marathon debut. They were on world record pace at 10km, passed in 28:42, but the tempo dropped a little from that point and they reached half way in 1:00:48.

Kiptum had been running in a hat but that came off as they entered the second half of the race. After 30km was passed in 1:26:31, Kiptum kicked and dropped Mateiko. He was glancing over his shoulder but running like he still had the world record – not only the win – in his sights.

A blistering 5km split of 13:51 took him to the 35km checkpoint in 1:40:22 and he was on sub-2:01 pace, 49 seconds ahead of Mateiko.

Continuing to run with urgency, he passed 40km in 1:54:23 – after a 27:52 10km split – and sped up further, storming over the finish line with the incredible figures of 2:00:35 on the clock.

"I knew I was coming for a course record, but a world record – I am so happy,” he said. “A world record was not on my mind today, but I knew one day I would be a world record-holder.”

Despite only having made his marathon debut 10 months ago, Kiptum now has three of the six fastest times in history to his name. Only Kipchoge (with 2:01:09 and 2:01:39) and Kenenisa Bekele (with 2:01:41) have ever gone faster than the slowest of Kiptum’s times.

Mateiko had helped to pace Kiptum to his 2:01:25 win in London, running to the 30km mark. The pair stayed together until that point in Chicago, too, but Mateiko couldn’t maintain the pace and dropped out after reaching 35km in 1:41:11.

Kenya’s Kipruto used his experience of the course to leave the chase group behind after 35km and was a comfortable runner-up in 2:04:02, finishing half a minute ahead of Belgium’s world and Olympic bronze medallist Abdi.

Kenya’s John Korir was fourth in 2:05:09, Ethiopia’s Seifu Tura fifth in 2:05:29 and USA’s Conner Mantz sixth in 2:07:47.

In the women’s race, Hassan returned to marathon action just six weeks on from a World Championships track medal double that saw her claim 1500m bronze and 5000m silver in Budapest.

She was up against a field including the defending champion Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya, who was on the hunt for a record third win in Chicago following her 2:14:18 victory last year.

It soon became apparent that it would be those two athletes challenging for the title. After going through 5km in 15:42 as part of a pack that also featured Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei and Ethiopia’s Megertu Alemu and Ababel Yeshaneh, Chepngetich and Hassan broke away with a next 5km split of 15:23 and reached 10km in 31:05 – on pace to break the recently-set world record.

They ran a 10km split of 30:54 between 5km and 15km, that point passed in 46:36, and they maintained that world record pace to 20km, reached in 1:02:14.

Chepngetich had opened up a six-second gap by half way, clocking 1:05:42 to Hassan’s 1:05:48, but Hassan would have surely felt no concern. On her debut in London in April, after all, she closed a 25-second gap on the leaders despite stopping to stretch twice, and went on to win in 2:18:33.

In a race of superb depth, Alemu, Jepkosgei and Yeshaneh were still on 2:14:52 pace at that point as they hit half way together in 1:07:26.

Hassan soon rejoined Chepngetich at the front and they ran side by side through 25km in 1:18:06. Then it was Hassan’s turn to make a move. Unable to maintain the pace, Chepngetich had dropped 10 seconds behind by 30km, reached by Hassan in 1:34:00, and from there the win never looked in doubt. The Dutch athlete was half a minute ahead at 35km (1:50:17) and she had more than doubled that lead by 40km (2:06:36).

Hassan was on track to obliterate her PB and also the course record of 2:14:04 set by Brigid Kosgei in 2019, which had been the world record until Assefa’s 2:11:53 performance last month.

She held on to cross the finish line in 2:13:44, a European record by almost two minutes. With her latest performance, the versatile Hassan is now the second-fastest woman in history for the track mile, 10,000m and marathon.

"The first group took off at a crazy pace, but I wanted to join that group,” said Hassan. “The last five kilometres, I suffered. Wow ­– I won again in my second marathon in a fantastic time. I couldn't be happier.”

Behind her, Chepngetich held on for second place in 2:15:37 as the top four all finished under 2:18 – Alemu placing third in 2:17:09 and Jepkosgei finishing fourth in 2:17:23. Ethiopia’s Tadu Teshome was fifth in 2:20:04, her compatriot Genzebe Dibaba sixth in 2:21.47 and USA’s Emily Sisson seventh in 2:22:09.

Leading results

Women1 Sifan Hassan (NED) 2:13:44 2. Ruth Chepngetich (KEN) 2:15:37 3. Megertu Alemu (ETH) 2:17:09 4. Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) 2:17:235 Tadu Teshome (ETH) 2:20:046 Genzebe Dibaba (ETH) 2:21:477 Emily Sisson (USA) 2:22:098 Molly Seidel (USA) 2:23:079 Rose Harvey (GBR) 2:23:2110 Sara Vaughn (USA) 2:23:24

Men1 Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) 2:00:352 Benson Kipruto (KEN) 2:04:023 Bashir Abdi (BEL) 2:04:324 John Korir (KEN) 2:05:095 Seifu Tura (ETH) 2:05:296 Conner Mantz (USA) 2:07:477 Clayton Young (USA) 2:08:008 Galen Rupp (USA) 2:08:489 Samuel Chelanga (USA) 2:08:5010 Takashi Ichida (JPN) 2:08:57

Revenge in the air as strong Kenyan women head to Chicago Marathon

Kenya lost the world record in the Berlin Marathon and they might just be going for it at the Chicago Marathon.

Defending champion Ruth Chepng’etich headlines a strong women’s field set for duty at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 8.

Chepng’etich will be joined by a strong Kenyan contingent who will be looking to bring back the world record to Kenya.

Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered Brigid Kosgei’s world record at the Berlin Marathon and the Kenyan ladies will have their work cut out to bring back the glory. Assefa clocked 2:11:53 to obliterate Kosgei’s world record time of 2:14:04.

Chepng’etich has a Personal Best time of 2:14:18, the third fastest time in the women’s marathon. She has had quite a busy 2023 season and will be looking to end her season in the streets of Chicago.

The 29-year-old kicked off her season with a win at the National Cross-country championships before reigning supreme at the Nagoya Women’s Marathon.

The two-time Chicago Marathon champion then competed in two Half Marathons, finishing second at the Istanbul Half Marathon and later finishing third at the 21K Buenos Aires Ñandú.

On the track, she has competed in three 10,000m races. She started off with a win at the Kenya Prisons Track and Field Championships before finishing third at the National Championships. She was also in action at the World Championships where she finished eighth.

She will enjoy the company of Joycilline Jepkosgei, an able marathoner in her own right. Jepkosgei has won two major marathons, the New York City Marathon and London Marathon and she will be looking to add the Chicago Marathon to her already decorated cabinet.

Jepkosgei competed at the Boston Marathon earlier this year but unfortunately faded to finish a disappointing 12th.

She is yet to win any race this season and might just shock the world in her debut in the streets of Chicago. Her Personal Best time currently stands at 2:17:43 and she will be angling to improve her time.

Potential threats to the chances of the duo winning the race are Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan and Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba.

Hassan, the double Olympic champion, made her debut at the London Marathon earlier this year and to everyone’s surprise, clinched the top prize.

She competed at the World Championships in the 1500m, 5000m, and 10,000m and finished among the top five in the three races. She is definitely in impeccable form and will be hoping to end her season on a high.

Dibaba, the former 1500m world record holder, will also be looking to replicate her compatriot’s performance and maintain the glory of Ethiopia in long-distance running.

Kiptum eyes world record at next week's Chicago Marathon

London Marathon champion Kelvin Kiptum has his eyes set on breaking Eliud Kipchoge’s world marathon record when he steps up to compete at the 2023 Chicago Marathon on October 8.

Kiptum won the London Marathon on April 23 in a time of 2:01:25, in what was his second-ever marathon race—nearly obliterating the world record of 2:01:09 set by Kipchoge at the Berlin marathon in 2022.

He ran the fastest-ever marathon debut at the 2022 Valencia Marathon, becoming the third man in history to break two hours and two minutes after he wrapped up the race in 2:01:53.

Only three men in history have run under 2:02, and Kiptum is the only marathoner to do it under the age of 35.

The 23-year-old announced his attendance in the Chicago Marathon on his Facebook page with an exciting message informing his fans to prepare for an incredible showdown.

“I’m heading for the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Get ready for the show,” the post from Kiptum read.

The elite athlete reportedly opted out of the Budapest 2023 World Athletics Championships and the Berlin Marathon to focus on Chicago.

A lot of fans had expected to witness the duel between Kiptum and Kipchoge at the Berlin Marathon track to gauge his speed against the two-time Olympic champion.

He will be joined by 2022 Chicago Marathon winner Benson Kipruto who set a personal best time of 2:04:24 when he won the race.

Kipruto also finished third in the 2022 and 2023 Boston Marathon with times of 2:07:27 and 2:06:06. He will be eying to defend his title against a youthful and promising Kiptum.

The two will be joined by fellow Kenyans John Korir who has a marathon best of 2:05:01 and debutants Daniel Mateiko and Wesley Kiptoo.

The Kenyan contingent will face a hard time from Somali-based Belgian Bashir Abdi who won gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

USA’s Galen Rupp, silver medalist in the men’s 10,000m at the London Olympics and bronze medalist in the men’s marathon in the 2016 Rio  Olympics, will represent the hosts in the race.

They will also face stiff competition from Seifu Tura who won the 2021 Chicago Marathon and placed second at the 2022 edition.

Defending champion Ruth Chepngetich will lead the women’s pack seeking to break Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa’s record of 2:11:53 set just recently at the Berlin marathon.

Chepng’etich, who won the Chicago Marathon in October last year, was only 14 seconds away from breaking the previous world record by Brigid Kosgei of 2:14:04.

She will be joined by Joyciline Jepkosgei, who finished second in the 2022 edition of the London Marathon, and Stacy Ndiwa who has a  PB of 2:31:53.

Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba will be a tough opponent for the Kenyan ladies. Dibaba is the current world record holder in indoor mile, 3,000m and 5,000m. She is also a gold medalist in the 1,500m at the 2015 World Championships.

USA’s Emily Sisson, who currently holds the American record in the marathon, will be seeking to upset the African girls. Sisson set the record on October 9 during the Chicago Marathon when she finished second in a time of 2:18:29.

The event has attracted  47,000 participants, the biggest field ever with the 2019 edition having featured 45,932 participants.

Assefa smashes world marathon record in Berlin with 2:11:53, Kipchoge achieves record fifth win

Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa successfully defended her BMW Berlin Marathon title in style, smashing the world record with 2:11:53* while distance running legend Eliud Kipchoge notched up a record fifth victory at the World Athletics Platinum Label road race in the German capital on Sunday (24).

Assefa took more than two minutes off the women’s world record of 2:14:04, which had been set by Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei at the 2019 Chicago Marathon. Kipchoge, meanwhile, won by 31 seconds in 2:02:42, the fifth-fastest time of his illustrious career.

The men’s and women’s races unfolded in contrasting style.

A large pack of the leading contenders ran together through the early stages of the women’s race, passing through 5km in 15:58. 13 women were still in contact with the lead as they passed through 10km in 31:45.

By the time 15km was reached in 47:26, Assefa and compatriot Workenesh Edesa had managed to open up a slight gap on Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui and Ethiopia’s 2015 world 5000m silver medallist Senbere Teferi and Zeineba Yimer. The first 12 women were strung out, but still within 15 seconds of one another – and all were running inside world record pace.

Sensing that most of her rivals were already starting to fade, Assefa took greater command of the race by throwing in a 2:59 split for the 16th kilometre. By the time she reached 17km, Assefa had dropped Edesa, the last of her opponents, and had just a few male pacemakers for company.

Assefa seemed to grow in confidence – and pace – once she knew she was alone at the front of the pack, and she went on to reach the half-way point in 1:06:20, putting her on track to smash the world record by more than a minute.

And then she sped up. The next kilometre was covered in 2:48, the fastest of the race up to that point, extending her advantage over Edesa and Chepkirui.  Assefa’s 25km split of 1:18:40 was still well inside world record schedule; Chepkirui and Edesa, now almost a minute behind the leader, had dropped off the pace, but were still on course for huge PBs.

Assefa, still looking incredibly relaxed and composed, covered the next 10km segments in a remarkable 31:02, bringing her to 35km in 1:49:41. Her 30km split was 1:34:12, the second-fastest mark in history for that checkpoint (behind Ruth Chepngetich’s 1:34:01 from the 2022 Chicago Marathon).

But while Chepngetich faded badly in that race last year, Assefa went from strength to strength in the closing stages in Berlin.

She got to 40km in 2:05:13, following another 15:32 5km split, putting her on course for a finishing time in the 2:12 range. Spurred on by the knowledge that the world record was in the bag, Assefa picked up her pace in the closing kilometres and charged through the finish line in 2:11:53.

Chepkirui held on to second place in 2:17:49, while Tanzania’s Magdalena Shauri made a remarkable breakthrough to take third place in 2:18:41, a huge national record.

A record eight women finished inside 2:20.

Berlin victory no.5 for Kipchoge

Kipchoge may not have improved on his own world record, but he added to his legacy on the streets of Berlin by achieving a record fifth win, clocking 2:02:42.

The two-time Olympic champion eventually won by 31 seconds, but for most of the race he had company in the surprising form of Ethiopia's Derseh Kindie.

The duo made an early break from the rest of the field, reaching 5km in 14:12 with a 15-second margin over the rest of the elite men. By 10km, reached in 28:27, they were operating at exactly 2:00:00 marathon pace and more than half a minute ahead of the seven-man chase pack.

Kipchoge and Kindie continued to run together at world record schedule through the half-way point, reached in 1:00:22, but the pace started to drop soon after. By the time they got to 25km (1:11:48), they were no longer on schedule to break Kipchoge's record of 2:01:09 set last year in Berlin.

But records weren't Kipchoge's main concern; he had company in the form of a relatively unheralded runner up to 30km (1:26:25), so his attention was primarily on securing victory.

At about 31km into the race, Kipchoge increased his tempo and, with a cursary glance over his shoulder to see if Kindie was able to follow, knew it was enough to see off his opponent. The Kenyan great was alone in front at last, while Kindie continued for another minute or so before stepping off the course.

Kipchoge still had more than 10km to go, but his lead was comfortable and his form was controlled and relaxed. He went on to win in 2:02:42, while a fast-finishing Vincent Kipkemoi came through to take second place in 2:03:13. Ethiopia's Tadese Takele was third in 2:03:24.

A record nine men finished inside 2:05 and 15 finished inside 2:06, making it the deepest men's marathon in history. There were national records for Germany's Amanal Petros (ninth in 2:04:58) and Switzerland's Tadesse Abraham (11th in 2:05:10).