Running News Daily

Elizabeth Laseter has once again conquered the beer mile, capturing her fourth consecutive Beer Mile World Classic title in a breathtaking women’s final in Cologne, Germany.

The American food writer clocked 5:56.1 at the 12th Beer Mile World Classic on September 18, holding off world-record holder Shelby Houlihan by just 0.8 seconds in the closest women’s finish in championship history.

The final brought together three of the biggest names in women’s beer-mile racing for the first time: Houlihan, the world-record holder; Laseter, the three-time defending champion; and Melanie Pozdol, renowned as the sport’s fastest chugger.

What followed was a race for the ages.

Laseter had built a small advantage alongside Pozdol by the third beer, widely regarded as one of the most difficult stages of the beer mile. But Houlihan refused to let the race slip away.

The world-record holder produced a ferocious closing lap, running the final circuit in around 59 seconds, and suddenly all three women were level heading into the final bend.

From there, it became a three-way sprint for the world title.

Laseter found the extra strength when it mattered most, crossing the line first in 5:56.1 to secure her fourth straight championship. Houlihan followed in 5:56.9, while Pozdol completed the podium in 5:57.9, setting a personal best and moving to third on the all-time list.

The margin between the three was just 1.8 seconds.

It was a landmark moment for the discipline. Before Cologne, only two women had ever broken the six-minute barrier in the beer mile. Now, three have done it — in the same race.

Laseter’s victory also saw her lower her own Beer Mile World Classic championship record, adding another achievement to an already remarkable run of dominance.

Houlihan, however, remains the outright women’s beer mile world-record holder with her spectacular 5:43.81 run in Berlin in 2023.

And Laseter’s celebration provided the perfect ending to an unforgettable night. At the finish line, she marked her fourth world title with a shoey, pouring beer into her running shoe and drinking from it as the celebrations began.

The men’s race produced another remarkable achievement, with Corey Bellemore extending his dominance by winning his sixth consecutive Beer Mile World Classic title.

But Cologne belonged to Laseter and a women’s final that pushed the boundaries of the discipline.

Three women under six minutes. Just 1.8 seconds separating them. A championship record. A fourth consecutive world title. And a finish that came down to the final few metres.

Elizabeth Laseter did not simply defend her crown — she turned the 2026 Beer Mile World Classic into another chapter of her own remarkable story, proving once again that when the race reaches its most unforgiving moment, she knows exactly how to find that final ounce of strength. Four beers, four laps, four straight world titles — and a shoe full of beer to celebrate it all. 

Ethiopian marathon standout Fantu Shugi and Kenyan road-racing talent Agnes Ngeno will headline a formidable women’s elite field at the 2026 Cologne Marathon in Germany, with the race set to take place on October 4.

The Cologne streets are expected to provide the stage for a fiercely competitive battle, with athletes from Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, the Netherlands and Germany assembling a field rich in marathon experience and sub-2:25 potential.

Leading the entry list is Kenyan Agnes Keino, who arrives with an impressive personal best of 2:22:53. She will face strong opposition from Ethiopia’s Fantu Shugi, whose 2:23:29 personal best places her among the leading contenders.

Cynthia Chepchirchir Kosgei is another Kenyan with a proven ability over the marathon, boasting a 2:23:43 personal best, while compatriot Jackline Chepngeno enters the race with a best of 2:24:21.

Ayantu Kumela, one of Ethiopia’s leading names in the field, owns a 2:24:29 personal best and will be determined to challenge the Kenyan contingent when the race gets underway. She will be joined by fellow Ethiopian Aamelmal Tagel, who has a 2:24:38 personal best.

Kenya’s Naomy Tuei, with a best of 2:26:06, and Ethiopia’s Alemtsehay Mekuria Alamirew, who has run 2:26:18, further strengthen the front end of the field. Faith Chepkoech adds another Kenyan threat with a 2:26:22 personal best.

The depth continues beyond the leading group, with Kenya’s Deborah Samum listed at 2:30:16, Ethiopia’s Tigist Worku Anagaw at 2:35:15 and Tanzania’s Neema Mathias Msuadi at 2:38:40.

The international field is completed by Dutch runner Hannah Olds Loohuis, who has a 2:40:12 personal best, and Germany’s Maike Drieb-Schön, whose marathon best stands at 2:47:51.

With several athletes carrying personal bests below 2:25, the women’s race promises to be one of the major highlights of the 2026 Cologne Marathon. The combination of Kenyan strength, Ethiopian depth and international representation could produce an intriguing tactical contest before the decisive stages unfold.

All eyes will be on Cologne on October 4 as the elite women take to the start line, with Shugi and Ngeno among the names expected to command attention in a race packed with quality and ambition.

The athlete claimed he did not know what EPO or furosemide were and had no idea how they both ended up in his body.

The winner of the 2024 Generali Geneva Marathon in Switzerland, Kibrom Weldemicael has been given a six-year doping ban after testing positive for two substances. Weldemicael was provisionally suspended just days before he was supposed to run at the 2024 Paris Olympics for Eritrea, now, the 37-year-old will be unable to compete until 2030, and his marathon win will be annulled.

According to the Athletics Integrity Unit, Weldemicael provided an in-competition urine sample after his win at May’s Geneva Marathon in 2:09:57. Three months later, a WADA laboratory in Cologne, Germany found an adverse finding in his May 5 sample for the presence of erythropoietin (EPO) and furosemide.

EPO enhances the blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity by increasing red blood cell production, which can improve endurance and performance in long-distance runners. Furosemide is a diuretic (often referred to as a “water pill”), which helps the body get rid of excess salt and water by increasing urine production. The drug is typically used to lose weight quickly or to mask the use of other performance-enhancing drugs. EPO and furosemide are both prohibited substances on the WADA 2024 Prohibited List.

According to the AIU, Weldemicael was notified of the adverse finding in person at the Paris Olympics, where he was preparing to run for Eritrea in the men’s marathon. He was given a provisional suspension on Aug 9, after failing to file a written submission on why the suspension should not be imposed. A week later, the athlete provided an explanation saying he had not taken EPO, and said his red blood cell count was high because he had been training in high-altitude locations for his entire career. He also requested a test of his B sample.

Weldemicael failed to pay for the cost of the B sample test by the deadline, waiving his right to the analysis. He later claimed he did not know what EPO or furosemide were, had not taken either and was unable to explain the presence of both in his body.

The AIU said they reviewed the athlete’s explanation and it was clear he had committed an ADRV (Anti-Doping Rule Violation).

The 37-year-old, who ran his marathon personal best of 2:07:25 this year, will be ineligible to compete until May 2030. His result from the 2024 Geneva Marathon will be disqualified, but his win from Maratón BP Castellón in Spain in February will stand. His best performance at a major marathon was his eighth-place finish at the 2015 London Marathon.

The TCS Amsterdam Marathon men’s course record could be challenged on Sunday (17) when the likes of Tamirat Tola, Leul Gebresilase, Ayele Abshero and Amdework Walelegn line up for the World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race.

Eight women with sub-2:25 PBs, meanwhile, are also set to clash in what looks set to be a highly competitive race in the Dutch capital.

Tola’s PB, set in Dubai in 2018, is equal to the Amsterdam course record and Dutch all-comers’ record (2:04:06). The Ethiopian earned Olympic bronze over 10,000m in 2016 and world silver in the marathon in 2017, having won the Dubai Marathon earlier that year in 2:04:11.

“I was preparing for the Tokyo Marathon (before it got cancelled), but I’m happy to be here,” said Tola. “I love the country. It’s my first time here, and the weather forecast is perfect for a good performance, so I’m hoping to run a personal best on Sunday.”

The past nine editions of the Amsterdam Marathon have been won by Kenyan men, but that streak could end on Sunday as the five fastest entrants are from Ethiopia.

Tola’s compatriot Gebresilase has the fastest PB of the field. The 29-year-old Ethiopian clocked 2:04:02 on his debut at the distance in Dubai three years ago to finish second, four seconds ahead of Tola. He followed it later in the year with a 2:04:31 victory in Valencia, and he equalled that time earlier this year in Milan.

Abebe Negewo Degefa, Chalu Deso Gelmisa and Ayele Abshero all have sub-2:05 PBs. Degefa, now 37, set his PB of 2:04:51 in Valencia just two years ago. Gelmisa produced a similar clocking of 2:04:53 in Valencia last year, but more recently he raced in Chicago, finishing 29th, and so his legs may not have recovered in just one week. Abshero has a faster PB of 2:04:23, but it was set back in 2012.

But perhaps the strongest Ethiopian entrant is Amdework Walelegn, who’ll be making his marathon debut. The 22-year-old took bronze at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships, having finished second in the U20 race at the World Cross Country Championships just three years prior. He set a half marathon PB of 58:53 when winning in Delhi last year, and he came close to that last month with his 59:10 victory at the Copenhagen Half Marathon.

Kenya is still well represented for this year’s race in the form of Laban and Jonathan Korir (no relation).

Laban Korir has competed at the Amsterdam Marathon four times. The 35-year-old, who is a training partner of Eliud Kipchoge, made his marathon debut in the Dutch city back in 2011, clocking 2:06:05 to place second. He improved on that when he returned to Amsterdam in 2016, finishing fourth in 2:05:54. Winner of the 2014 Toronto Marathon, Korir represented Kenya at the 2019 World Championships, where he finished 11th.

Jonathan Korir, another friend and training partner of Kipchoge’s, will also be returning to Amsterdam. He set a PB of 2:06:51 during his last outing at this race, which he went on to improve in Berlin in 2019 (2:06:45) and then in Enschede earlier this year (2:06:40).

Competitive clash in women’s race

While Kenyan men have dominated recent editions of the Amsterdam Marathon, the women’s race has typically gone in Ethiopia’s favour over the past decade.

Ethiopian women make up seven of the nine fastest entrants for Sunday’s race, but the outcome could be largely dictated by whether Kenya’s Angela Tanui makes it to the startline. The 29-year-old, who clocked a PB of 2:20:08 in Ampugnano back in April and is undefeated in three races this year, had been due to compete at the Boston Marathon earlier this week, but was unable to make it to the US due to visa issues. If she succeeds in making it to Amsterdam, she’ll start as the favourite.

But if Tanui is unable to make the start line, an Ethiopian victory would appear highly likely as the likes of Besu Sado, Shasho Insermu, Genet Yalew, Gebeyanesh Ayele and Haven Hailu are raring to go.

Sado, a former 1500m specialist who reached the Olympic final in that event in 2016, set her PB of 2:21:03 when finishing fourth in Amsterdam in 2019. She has a best this year of 2:27:06, set in Milan in May, but more recently set a half marathon PB of 1:08:15 in Herzogenaurach.

Insermu also set her PB in Amsterdam, clocking 2:23:28 when finishing second in 2018. She hasn’t raced this year, but her last marathon was a victory in Madrid in April 2019. She has previously won marathons in Copenhagen, Cologne, Nagano and Marrakech.

Yalew has contested just three marathons to date and has a best of 2:24:34 so far, but her pedigree suggests that time could be due some revision. She finished fifth at the 2016 World Half Marathon Championships just a couple of months after clocking a PB of 1:06:26.

Ayele set a PB of 2:23:23 this year. She has yet to win a marathon, but has made it on to the podium in four of her nine races to date.

Hailu, meanwhile, is keen to make amends for her DNF two years ago. “I love racing in the Netherlands,” said the 23-year-old, who set a PB of 2;23:52 earlier this year. “Two years ago, I raced the Zwolle Half Marathon and I placed second in a personal best time of 1:09:57. I was also here two years ago for the Amsterdam Marathon, but it didn’t quite turn out the way I wanted. I learned from my mistakes and I’ve prepared accordingly for Sunday. I’m hoping to run a very fast time.”

Kenya’s Maureen Chepkemoi could also be in contention for a podium finish. She has a 2:24:16 PB from the 2019 Istanbul Marathon and she came close to that with her 2:24:19 victory in Geneva earlier this year.

Defending champions Tadu Abate and Dibabe Kuma will return to the Haspa Marathon Hamburg. Fellow-Ethiopians Ayele Abshero, who was runner-up last year, and Meseret Belete will be among their rivals on 19 April. This was announced by the organisers of Germany’s biggest and fastest spring marathon during a press conference. So far 12,000 entries have been registered for the Haspa Marathon Hamburg, which is a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race.

"It is always a good sign when athletes like to come back to challenge and to possibly produce thrilling races once again. We are proud that both winners from 2019 will return,“ said chief organiser Frank Thaleiser. With regard to the entry figures he said: „Compared to the same time last year we have 400 more entries for the marathon, which shows the trust the runners have in our event."

At the age of 22 Tadu Abate is still a youngster in marathon running. After his biggest career victory in Hamburg a year ago, when he clocked 2:08:25 in wet and cold conditions, the Ethiopian improved his personal best to 2:06:13 last autumn in Amsterdam.

On 19 April he will renew his rivalry with Ayele Abshero. The two Ethiopians produced a thrilling finish last year, when Abate was just one second ahead of Abshero. Back in 2018 Abate had left his experienced rival behind him as well, when the pair finished second and third in Hamburg behind fellow-Ethiopian Solomon Deksisa. 29 year-old Abshero, who features a world-class personal best of 2:04:23, will be eager to be quicker than his younger rival this time.

The women’s field will be headed by defending champion Dibabe Kuma. The 23 year-old Ethiopian caused a surprise last year, when she produced a great solo run in the poor conditions, winning in 2:24:42.

"This is a very good course,“ said Kuma afterwards, indicating that in more suitable weather she could have improved her personal best of 2:23:34. Fellow-Ethiopian Meseret Belete will be one of her main challengers on 19 April. Just 20 years old Belete was sixth in the World Half Marathon Championships in 2018 and holds a marathon PB of 2:24:54.

Breaking the Olympic qualifying times on Hamburg’s fast course will be the major goal for the German elite runners. Philipp Pflieger, who has a personal record of 2:12:50, intends to go for the 2:11:30 Olympic standard.

He showed fine form just two days ago when he improved his PB in the half marathon to 62:50 in Barcelona. Two other Germans who recorded personal bests in the Spanish half marathon two days ago also have Olympic ambitions: Twin sisters Deborah and Rabea Schöneborn will run a marathon together for the first time. While Deborah won the Cologne Marathon last autumn - though without proper competition - in 2:31:18 in her debut, Rabea will run her debut in Hamburg. Preparing for the marathon it looks that the 25 year-old twins are currently at the same level.

Deborah clocked a PB of 71:37 in Barcelona on Sunday while Rabea crossed the line immediately behind her in ninth place with 71:40, a PB as well. It seems that both can achieve the Olympic qualifying time of 2:29:30 in Hamburg.

Born Karin Richert in 1938, Balzer made her Olympic debut in 1960 at the age of 22 and missed out on making the Olympic final by one place. One year later she married her coach, former pole vault Karl-Heinz Balzer, with whom she had briefly fled East Germany two years prior, only to return after being threatened by the Stasi.

Balzer won her first major medal when taking silver at the 1962 European Championships in Belgrade. A talented all-rounder, Balzer’s first world record in the sprint hurdles came when she was contesting a pentathlon. She clocked 10.5 in the 80m hurdles to equal the mark that was already shared between Gisela Birkemeyer and Betty Moore.

That performance made her one of the favourites to win the Olympic title in Tokyo that year, but the competition was stiff. It what ended as one of the closest finishes in Olympic history, Balzer won by 0.01 from Poland’s Teresa Cieply with Australia’s Pam Kilborn a further 0.01 behind in third.

Balzer had equalled the Olympic record of 10.6 in the semi-finals. Her time of 10.5 in the final would have equalled her own world record, but the wind was marginally over the limit at 2.3m/s.

She gave birth to her son Andreas in 1965 and returned to the track one year later, winning the European title in Budapest. Balzer was East Germany’s flag bearer at the 1968 Olympics but she was unable to retain her title in Mexico City, eventually finishing fifth. It was the last time the women’s 80m hurdles was contested at a major event as the discipline was extended to 100m from 1969 onwards.

Balzer set the first official world record for the 100m hurdles, clocking 13.3 in Warsaw in June 1969. She improved the mark on two further occasions that year and became the first woman to better 13 seconds.

She also won her second and third European titles in 1969 and 1971. By the end of 1971 she had reduced the world record to 12.6, the seventh official world record of her career, and was named East German Sportswoman of the Year.

While in training for the 1972 Olympics, her fourth Games, Balzer’s son Andreas was involved in an accident and put in a coma. He died the day before the 100m hurdles final, but her husband didn’t tell Balzer until after the race, in which she earned the bronze medal.

Balzer retired in 1973 and gave birth to her second son, Falk, who went on to win European silver in 1998 and world indoor bronze in 1999. Along with Falk, Balzer and her husband coached Anja Rucker, the 1999 world 400m silver medallist.

A trained chemist, Balzer worked as a school teacher after her retirement from athletics and later worked as a lecturer in Cologne.

Last Sunday (July 7 2019) hundreds of people descended on Tenby, Wales, to take part in The Wales Marathon 2019. 

Amongst the runners were a group of 122 people hoping to break the record for the most runners linked to complete a marathon.

Running for Cancer Research Wales, the participants were linked with more than just rope, with each of the runners having been affected by cancer in some way.

Organiser Neal Gardner, a Royal Mail employee, was no stranger to this record. He organised an attempt in 2009, securing the title with 30 linked people completing The Wales Marathon in Newport.

"My mum sadly lost her fight to cancer in 2002, at just 48," he said the day before this latest attempt. 

"I began fundraising and it eventually led me to a Guinness World Records title. We first broke this world record in London 2009 with 30 runners. The very same record that we will be attempting to win back tomorrow.”

Since then, the record has grown and grown, and has been held by participants from marathons held in Cologne, London, Paris, Milwaukee, Würzburg and Calgary.

However, after a hearing that a friend of his had been diagnosed with cancer, Neal decided to reclaim the title, 10 years after his first attempt.

"In October [2018] I received the sad news that a very good friend and work colleague, Pip Morgan, had been diagnosed with stage four cancer. It was time to do it all again!"

The successful attempt included many of Neal’s fellow Royal Mail colleagues and Dale Evans, Cancer Research Wales Events Manager, who helped to organise the attempt.

Organised into 30 rows of four runners, the team were successful, with the last person crossing the line in 6 hours and 47 minutes. 

Record-breaking participant Cath Diment said afterwards: "Hope you are still buzzing like me, I haven’t stopped talking about what we achieved!"

"Many of our runners have been affected cancer in some form. Hearing each person’s reasons for running was incredibly inspiring and really did provide the motivation to dig deep."

"As well as breaking a Guinness World Records title, our runners’ efforts are also helping to fund important research into the prevention, early diagnosis and better treatment that will benefit cancer patients in Wales and beyond."

Kenya’s Duncan Koech, 37, was third in Hannover last year in 2:10:19, but holds a 2:07:53 lifetime best set in Cologne in 2012, the fastest in the field.

Fellow Kenyan Samwel Maswai clocked his 2:08:52 lifetime best back in 2013, but finished third in Vienna last year in 2:11:08 on a warm day.

Five other runners with sub-2:10 credentials are also in the field: Kenyans Edwin Kimaiyo (2:09:12), Paul Kangogo (2:09:20) and Josphat Leting (2:09:34), Ethiopia’s Alebachew Wale (2:09:40), and German record-holder Arne Gabius.

Karolina Nadolska is the fastest of the entrants in the women’s field. The Pole clocked her 2:26:32 PB in Osaka in 2014, but was a few minutes shy of that mark in Nagoya last year where she ran 2:30:46.

The field also includes Ethiopia’s Tigist Memuye Gebeyahu, whose biggest career win came two years ago in Zhengzhou when she clocked 2:27:39. Kenya’s Racheal Mutgaa, who ran 2:28:39 to finish second in Hefei last year, will also be among the favourites.

Germany’s Anja Scherl, a 2:27:50 performer at her best, is returning from injury but appears to be in good form as shown by her 1:12:43 run at the Barcelona Half Marathon in February.

Duncan Koech, 37, was third in Hannover last year in 2:10:19, but holds a 2:07:53 lifetime best set in Cologne in 2012, the fastest in the field.

Samwel Maswai, another Kenyan, is expected to mount a stiff challenge. Maswai clocked his 2:08:52 lifetime best at the 2013 Berlin Marathon where he finished fifth. More recently, he finished third in Vienna last year, running 2:11:08 in very warm weather conditions.

Five other runners with sub-2:10 credentials have also been announced: Kenyans Edwin Kimaiyo (2:09:12), Paul Kangogo (2:09:20) and Josphat Leting (2:09:34), Ethiopia’s Alebachew Wale (2:09:40), and Arne Gabius of Germany.

Gabius, the German record holder in the event, will be gunning for the first marathon podium finish of his career. The 37-year-old came close at the Frankfurt Marathon in 2015, when he broke the 27-year-old German record with a 2:08:33 run to finish fourth.

Hannover’s course record, set six years ago by South African Lusapho April, is just one second faster than Gabius’ personal best. 

"Hannover is one of three spring marathon races where I have to put things right,“ said Gabius, who was forced to drop out of this race by an ailing achilles tendon after 33 kilometres two years ago.

On the women's side, Nadolska is the fastest of the entrants, courtesy of the 2:26:32 personal best set at the Osaka Women's Marathon in 2014. But in her most recent marathon appearance, last year's Nagoya Women's Marathon, the 37-year-old finished a distant 14th.

The field also includes Ethiopia’s Tigist Memuye Gebeyahu, whose biggest career win came two years ago at the Zhengzhou Marathon when she clocked 2:27:39, clipping more than nine minutes from her previous personal best. Kenya’s Racheal Mutgaa will also be among the favourites. The 31-year-old ran 2:28:39 at last year’s Hefei Marathon, finishing second.

Like Gabius in the men's race, Anja Scherl will be defending German turf in the women's. The 32-year-old finished third in Hannover in 2016 clocking 2:27:50, an improvement of more than eight minutes.

With Alina Reh and Mathew Kimeli on Sunday at the "The Bridgestone Great 10k" in Berlin both defending champion in the race, also other German top runners are at the start. In the German Junior Runner Cup 2018 the decision is made. Once again, the favorites from Kenya are aiming for world-class times on Sunday, at the highest-ranking German 10-kilometer race. Even the top-class track record of the Great 10k of Leonard Komon could be in danger. The Kenyan ran 27:12 minutes ago in Berlin eight years ago. No other German 10-kilometer race has such a fast track record. With Mathew Kimeli the defending champion comes back to Berlin. The only 20-year-old Kenyan won a year ago at Schloss Charlottenburg in 27:32 minutes. But his best time is even one second faster than the course record of Komon with 27:11 minutes. His compatriots Emmanuel Kiprono 27:26, and Vidic Kipkoech 27:57, are expected to be the toughest rivals for Kimeli. There will not be a hunt for the world-class course record of 30:37 minutes for the women, but once again Alina Reh, could provide a highlight. One year ago, the 21-year-old surprisingly won the race and with 31:38 minutes became the second-fastest German runner of all time. Having won the Cologne Half Marathon in a strong 69:31 minutes over 10,000 meters last Sunday, she can also be expected to perform first-class in Berlin. Alina Reh's rivals include Kenyan Gladys Kimaina, who has a best time of 31:15, and Fabienne Schlumpf from Switzerland, 32:08 min and Karolina Nadolska from Poland, 32:09 min. Also starting is Katharina Heinig, 33:04 min, for whom the race as well as for Arne Gabius will be a test for the Frankfurt Marathon.