Running News Daily

Kenya’s growing influence in global athletics was once again placed firmly in the international spotlight after French President Emmanuel Macron openly admired the iconic portrait of Kenyan marathon sensation Sabastian Sawe during an official engagement that blended sport, culture and diplomacy in remarkable fashion.

The powerful image of Sawe — a symbol of Kenya’s relentless distance-running excellence — stood proudly among the distinguished displays visited by Macron, offering yet another reminder of how deeply Kenyan athletics continues to resonate far beyond the finish line. From dusty training routes in the Rift Valley to recognition within the walls of high-level international leadership, Sawe’s rise represents more than personal success; it reflects the enduring prestige of Kenyan endurance running on the world stage.

The moment became even more memorable as marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge joined President Macron for an early morning runon the streets of Nairobi, creating a symbolic meeting between political leadership and sporting greatness. Kipchoge, widely celebrated for redefining the limits of human endurance, once again carried the Kenyan flag with grace and humility as he shared the roads with the French Head of State.

For many athletics fans, the scenes represented far more than a ceremonial appearance. They highlighted the soft power of sport and the respect Kenyan athletes command internationally. Kenya’s runners have long dominated global road racing, but moments such as these demonstrate how their impact now stretches into culture, inspiration and diplomacy.

Sawe’s growing reputation has continued to capture attention across the athletics world following his impressive performances on the roads, where his fearless racing style and consistency have marked him as one of the sport’s rising forces. Seeing his portrait admired by one of Europe’s most influential leaders added another significant chapter to that journey.

Meanwhile, Kipchoge’s presence brought his trademark aura of discipline and inspiration. The two-time Olympic marathon champion has become more than an athlete; he is now viewed globally as an ambassador of excellence, resilience and human potential. His morning run alongside Macron offered a striking image of unity through sport — a language that transcends borders, politics and culture.

As Kenyan athletics continues to produce stars capable of commanding admiration around the world, moments like these reinforce the nation’s unmatched legacy in distance running. From the rugged training grounds of Kenya to the corridors of international power, the country’s athletes are no longer only winning races — they are shaping global conversations and inspiring generations far beyond the track and the marathon course.

Swimming in the triathlon at the Olympic Games is supposed to take place in the iconic River Seine, but the event has been plagued by concerns over the water quality, especially now after a rain swept start to Paris 2024; organisers have had to postpone the men's event to Wednesday.

The men's triathlon at the Olympic Games in Paris has been postponed due to water-quality levels in the River Seine.

The event had been set to take place on Tuesday morning, with the women's event to be held 24 hours later.

The decision has now been taken to move the men's race to Wednesday as well, but if it is not possible to use the Seine then the triathlons could be postponed further still, or become duathlons and lose the swimming element.

As it stands the men's event has been rescheduled to take place at 10.45am local time (9.45am BST) on Wednesday, after the women's race which is scheduled for 8am (7am BST).

A statement from World Triathlon said Friday remains a contingency day if one or both of the races are unable to go ahead.

"Tests carried out in the Seine today revealed water quality did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held," World Triathlon said in a statement released on Tuesday morning.

"Despite the improvement in the water quality levels, the readings at some points of the swim course are still above the acceptable limits."

Training in the river had been cancelled over the weekend and again on Monday due to unsafe levels of pollution caused by the heavy rain that blighted the Olympic opening ceremony on Friday and initial outdoor events on Saturday.

Paris has a combined sewer system, meaning both wastewater and stormwater flow through the same pipes.

When there are periods of heavy rainfall, the pipes can reach capacity and this wastewater - including sewage - overflows into the River Seine instead of being sent to a treatment plant.

Open water swimming and triathlon events were due to take place in the Seine, more than 100 years after swimming in the river was banned in 1923.

Earlier this month, France's sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera swam in the Seine alongside Paralympic triathlon champion Alexis Hanquinquant, who won gold in the men's PTS4 event at Tokyo 2020, to show people it was clean enough for the Olympic swimming events.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo also took a dip, joined by Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet, but there was no sign of President Emmanuel Macron who had suggested he would also take the plunge.

Hildago had originally planned to swim in the river in June but was forced to delay after tests indicated the presence of faecal matter 10 times higher than authorised limits.

Paris officials have spent €1.4bn in a bid to improve water quality ahead of the Games.

GB has strong medal contenders in the event. Britain's Alex Yee is one of the favourites for gold in the men's race while Beth Potter is the reigning women's world champion.

What happens if the swim can't go ahead?

Games organisers remain "hopeful" both triathlons can take place on Wednesday, though the event could be pushed further back to Friday or even changed outright to a duathlon (with the run and the cycle, but no swim) if it is still not possible to use the Seine.

Officials blamed extreme weather events for the issues. "We had meteorological events that were beyond our control," Aurelie Merle, executive director of sport competitions Paris 2024, said on Tuesday. "The whole world has seen as witness that it rained heavily in Paris [during the opening ceremony and on the first day of the Games]. The equivalent to July's rainfall fell in just 36 hours.

"The amount of water that has fallen on Friday and Saturday has been humungous so it's taken time for the river to get back to normal.

"We are quite hopeful because as you can see the weather conditions have been quite good.

"We are hopeful that we can organise these two competition events tomorrow."

E.coli in the river is of particular concern, and there is still a chance that further storms and rainfall could have a further impact on the water quality.

But Marisol Casado, the president of World Triathlon, said on Tuesday: "At this point we are quite confident that that will happen tomorrow.

"This is a part of adaptation to climate change we are facing. We are disappointed because we were not able to follow what was planned."

Losing the whole swim from the event is a drastic step but a distinct possibility. But Casado still considers it acceptable.

"I don't think this is unfair, it is just another situation of the competition," she said. "It's the same conditions for everyone."

IOC sport director Kit McConnell said: "It's not uncommon for changes to be made, particularly in outdoor sports.

"The conditions weren't right to put the athletes in the Seine today. There have been significant improvements regarding the Seine.

"We can't control the weather, the weather has had a significant impact."

How to follow the Olympics on Sky

Keep up to date with the action from the Paris 2024 Olympics across Sky Sports' digital platforms and Sky Sports News every day between now and Sunday August 11.

Alongside live news blogs and updates as records are broken and medals won on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app, Sky Sports News will also have dedicated reporters on the scene in Paris during the Games to gather the latest news both inside and outside the arenas in France as well as reaction to the big moments from medal winners, coaches, relatives and pundits.

In an effort to prove that the river Seine in Paris, slated for open-water events at the Olympics next month, is safe for swimming, French president Emmanuel Macron and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo promised to take part in “the big dive” by swimming in the river last Sunday. But Parisians, unpleased with how generous the government has been toward the Olympics in the face of social inequity, said they planned to defecate in the river on the same day, in protest. Meanwhile, “political issues” resulted in the “presidential plunge” being rescheduled to the week of July 15.

Swimming in the Seine has not been legal for more than a century, due to high levels of bacteria and pollution in the water. 

The protestors went so far as to create a website that calculates when you should poop in the river, based on where you live, so that the waste arrives at Macron and Hidalgo’s entry point right on time. Clearly, the Parisians are taking this (fecal) matter very seriously.

The French government is reported to have already spent $1.5 billion in an attempt to clean the river, but last week’s testing still showed an unhealthy amount of E. coli bacteria contaminating the channel. The pronounced brown colour of the water suggests that many Parisians may still have followed through on their pooping commitments on Sunday.

In response to the postponement, it’s expected the French protestors will adjust the date of their trending hashtag, #JeChieDansLaSeineLe23Juin accordingly. 

The first open-water swimming event of the Olympics will be the men’s triathlon, on July 30.

Marathon swimmers and triathletes are preparing for their dip in the River Seine, though some are speculating whether the swimming events can take place. (There is no backup plan for open water events.) Currently, Olympic athletes aren’t able to test the waters to begin training. French officials, on the other hand, claim complete confidence that upcoming sunny days, along with their next cleaning intervention, will do the trick to purify the water. If the bacteria levels in the Seine r

Over the last month, the 2024 Paris Olympic organizing committee has been under fire around the cost of tickets for next year’s Olympic Games. To address the issue, French President Emmanuel Macron and French Olympic and Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra announced on April 5 that the government will spend an estimated $16 million to distribute 400,000 free tickets to make the events more accessible.

The tickets will be distributed through Une Billetterie Populaire–the People’s Ticket Office, which will give them to youth and volunteers who contribute to the Games. “The objective is to facilitate access to sports for people who cannot afford to buy tickets and reward volunteers for the free time they give to the community,” says Macron. “Sport goes on, thanks to them.”

Last month, Belgium’s two-time Olympic heptathlon champion Nafissatou Thiam spoke out on the shocking cost of tickets, admitting that her family might not be able to support her due to the high prices.

According to the French newspaper Le Monde, 260,000 tickets are expected to go to primary, secondary and high school students. “The objective is to promote the spectacular events at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games with an educational scope,” said Oudéa-Castéra.

Tickets were reportedly sold for over 100 euros each when the first batch was released in February. The government hopes this distribution strategy will also help regulate the price of second-hand tickets.

The 2024 Paris Olympics will begin on Aug. 2, 2024.

With tomorrow marking two years until the Olympics are due to begin in the French capital, concerns are mounting on preparations from a security and financial point of view.

AFP has reported that the Organising Committee's estimated budget for the Games has risen to €4 billion (£3.4 billion/$4.1 billion), with a source commenting: "Everything is very tight concerning the budget."

According to the unnamed source, the extent of the difficulties are expected to become clearer later this year.

Solideo, the public body charged with overseeing infrastructural projects for Paris 2024, also has a reported budget of €4 billion (£3.4 billion/$4.1 billion).

Inflation in France reached its highest level since 1991 last month, although remains lower than many other European countries.

Consumer prices rose by 5.8 per cent in the 12 months until June.

Tickets for the Games go on sale in December, and one premium partnership slot remains vacant, although it has been reported that there are hopes it could be filled by luxury goods company LVMH.

At the International Olympic Committee Session in Lausanne in May, Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet conceded that the COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine "caused major breakdowns in production and supply chains", and "generated an inflationary environment which was impossible to anticipate just a few months or weeks ago".

Budgetary issues are expected to be one of the topics examined when French President Emmanuel Macron meets other key Ministers at the Élysée Palace to discuss Paris 2024 today.

A French Presidential official told AFP that the meeting offers an opportunity "to take note of where there are weaknesses".

Concerns over security have escalated since Paris 2024 venue, the Stade de France, held the UEFA Champions League Final in May.

The match was marred by chaotic scenes which led to a delayed kick-off, led to widespread criticism of the French authorities and police, and prompted a warning in a French Senate report earlier this month that the Government and relevant bodies would be required to "draw the necessary lessons".

There are plans for around 600,000 people to watch the Opening Ceremony along the River Seine, but a police source cited in a AFP report warned that it would not be possible to secure the "nearly 7,000 officers" required, with a shortfall in the 24,000 required private security guards another stumbling block.

The Olympics in the French capital are due to run from July 26 until August 11 2024, followed by the Paralympics from August 28 until September 8.

The devastating fire that burnt through the structure of Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris  destroyed centuries of history.

Plans to rebuild the roof, spire and restore the structure will cost hundreds of millions of dollars but the efforts have already drawn enormous endowments by billionaires, corporations and now sports federations to restore the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On Thursday, the International Olympic Committee said it planned to donate 500,000 euros ($752,000) to restore Notre Dame Cathedral as reported by NBC Sports.

Paris will be hosting the 2024 Olympics and French President Emmanuel Macron said that he’d like to see the cathedral restored over the next five years.

“We will rebuild the cathedral even more beautifully and I want it to be finished within five years,” Macron said in a televised address after the fire. “And we can do it.”

The historic cathedral is likely to be on the marathon course and for the first time, the public will be allowed to run the marathon course at the same time as the elites in 2024.