Running News Daily

“Did you know?” It’s a simple question—yet in the story of Maria de Lurdes Mutola, it opens the door to one of the most commanding legacies in middle-distance running history.

Often celebrated as Mozambique’s “Golden Girl,” Mutola’s name became synonymous with excellence in the 800 metres. Her defining triumph came at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where she powered to Olympic gold with authority and composure. But that victory was not an isolated moment of brilliance—it was the centerpiece of a career built on sustained dominance.

For over a decade, Mutola ruled the 800 metres with remarkable consistency. She was not merely a champion; she was a standard. Multiple world titles, repeated Grand Prix victories, and an unshakable presence on the global stage cemented her as one of the greatest to ever compete in the event. Each race she entered carried an expectation—not of participation, but of mastery.

What makes her story even more compelling is the depth of its impact. Beyond medals and podium finishes, Mutola redefined what was possible for African women in athletics. She emerged at a time when representation was limited, yet through sheer determination and discipline, she carved out a path that others could follow. Her success became a powerful narrative of resilience—proof that greatness can rise from anywhere and speak to everywhere.

As International Women’s Month continues, Mutola’s legacy resonates far beyond the track. She remains more than a sporting icon—a lasting symbol of courage, longevity, and transformative influence.

In every stride, Maria de Lurdes Mutola carried the weight of expectation—and turned it into inspiration. Her journey is not just remembered; it continues to move, to empower, and to redefine the limits of ambition.

Faith Kipyegon's track rival has revealed her plans to dethrone the queen of the 1500m this season.

Laura Muir, one of Faith Kipyegon’s track rivals has opened up on plans to beat the double world record holder this season.

The Scottish woman noted that she has beaten Kipyegon before and even though it was not during a major championship, she believes anything is possible.

She added that all she will do will be to focus on herself and focus on what she can do best. The former World 1500m silver medalist also admitted that Kipyegon is the best 1500m runner at the moment and she comes off as a phenomenal athlete too.

“I think it helps that I’ve beaten her two or three times a few years ago. So I’ve done it, but not for a long time and never in a championship setting. But it's possible.

"There are lots of ways that I can improve this year, so it’s nice to know I can get faster and that we haven’t maxed out everything.

"But it seems to be that when I get faster, she then also gets faster. I was narrowing the gap a little bit when I ran 3:54 in Tokyo, but then she widened it again.

"All I can do is focus on myself and just be the best athlete I can be. And if that gets closer to her, and potentially a tiny chance of beating her, then that's all I can do.

"She's the best we've ever had. She’s a phenomenal athlete and deserves all the recognition she's had. It’s exciting to be a part of, but it's difficult to try and keep up,” she said as per Citius Mag.

The Olympic Games silver medalist also took a trip down memory lane to remember the Diamond League Meeting in Monaco where dozens of athletes set national records following Kipyegon’s world record over the mile.

She added that they were aware she would run a fast race and they knew she meant business. Muir also disclosed that it was great to be part of the team and it was an amazing occurrence to see how she delivered the world record.

“I remember going to Monaco and thinking, “I have to run my own race, I can't go with that.” As much as I like to believe in myself, that was beyond my capability.

"I knew I had to run my own race. I wanted to get the British record and by running my own race, I got that record. So, I was pleased with that,” she said.

Muir will also be going for the top prize at the Olympic Games, however, whatever the outcome, she noted that she would be satisfied.

“I've defended titles, I've broken records and championship records. The only thing that's missing is the global title, which is very hard to get…

"But I'm going to keep trying and that's all I can do. All I can do is focus on myself and work as hard as I can and get myself in the best shape I can. If that's enough to get on the podium, great. If that's enough to win, even better.

"I just love running, I love my training, and I feel very privileged to be in this position to be successful in the sport. I have gotten so much from it. I hope that I can continue for a few more years and get a few more medals as well,” she concluded.

With four successive victories to her name in the annual 10km Road Race, golden girl Gerda Steyn will be red-hot favorite to make it five-in-a-row when the Dubai Marathon gets underway on Sunday.

Held under the auspices of the Dubai Sports Council, the Dubai Marathon’s 10km event is always the most popular race in terms of athlete number. But if any woman is to wrestle the crown from Steyn, they will need to be in the form of their lives.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have enjoyed a wonderful year in 2023 with the three most memorable days being when I won the Two Oceans Marathon and the Comrades Marathon in South Africa, followed by running a new marathon national record in Spain in December,” said the modest 33-year-old Dubai-based South African.

At the Valencia Marathon less than a month ago, Steyn finished 11th in a time of 2:24:03 to set a new South African national record at the distance. Although she will kick off the 2024 season with the shorter 10km distance in Dubai, it’s hardly a surprise considering her near ownership of the event.“I’ve run the Dubai 10km race every year since 2018 and have won it four times, so I can’t think of a better way to start the new year than to be a part of it once again,” she added.

“My aim is to win the 10km again in 2024 and even though I won’t be running the full marathon itself, I still get to be part of the iconic event.”

The Dubai Marathon launches what will be a busy year for the adidas runner.

As well as committing to the defense of her Comrades Marathon and Two Oceans Marathon titles in Durban and Cape Town respectively, South Africa’s fastest ever female marathon runner will also represent her country at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

It will be her second Olympics having finished 15th in the Marathon in Sapporo in 2021.But before all that, there is the small matter of the defence of her Dubai Marathon 10km title on Sunday. Last year, Steyn won in a time of 33:47 over an unfamiliar route at EXPO City Dubai.

But with the 23rd edition of the Dubai Marathon taking place over the fast and flat roads of Umm Suqeim, the quicksilver South African may well have her eyes on the personal best of 32:24 she set over the same surface the last time it was staged there in 2020.

Meanwhile, The Dubai Sports Council has discussed the latest preparations for organizing the 23rd edition of the Dubai Marathon, the oldest long-distance running race in the Middle East.

The latest preparations were discussed during a meeting held by Saeed Hareb, Secretary-General of the Dubai Sports Council, Nasser Aman Al Rahma, Assistant Secretary-General, Peter Connerton, Event Director, and Alan Ewens, Media Director of the race.

Hareb expressed his confidence in the staging of the Dubai Marathon, especially since it features cooperation between a number of government agencies and the organizing committee to ensure its success and provide the best atmosphere for thousands of international participants coming to run a race they look forward to every year.

The 2024 Dubai Marathon is supported by the Dubai Sports Council, adidas, Dubai Duty Free, EXEED by Al Ghurair, the Channel 4 Radio Network, the ITP Media Group, Bisleri Water, Biofreeze, Dubai RTA, Dubai Police, Al Ameen Service, Dubai Municipality and SIRO One Za’abeel, the first fully integrated Fitness + Recovery hotel in Dubai.

My grandfather lived until he was 94. By the time he died in 2009, he was the sole survivor of 13 siblings. His secret? For as long as I can remember he used to say, with a gusto I have yet to match, "You just have to keep moving!" And with every passing birthday he'd also remind me: "Getting older is better than the alternative."

Those two pearls of wisdom have continued to serve me well. But it has also occurred to me that since I became a masters runner (defined as 40 and older), I've focused primarily on the negative aspects of aging-albeit, mostly factors that my grandfather never had to experience. Women face a lot of challenges in mid-life that make it hard to maintain a cheery disposition, even as that simple advice to "keep moving!" holds true.

The decline of estrogen levels has an effect on just about everything, including mood, sleep, body composition, bone density, muscle mass, and more. It's a lot to navigate-especially for those of us who've been athletes for most of our lives. We have to adjust expectations and relearn how to properly train our bodies that have new needs and capabilities.

It's natural to fixate on what we're potentially losing as the years go by. But what if we explored the ways that aging serves us, instead? I'm not trying to pollyanna our way out of perimenopause, but taking a little time to reflect on the happier sides of getting older might entice some of us to relish this phase instead of fear it.

So I called Selene Yeager, host of the podcast Hit Play Not Pause and content manager for Feisty Menopause, a site that covers training, nutrition, and lifestyle advice to help women maximize performance during menopause and beyond. She shared some expertise and insight on how athletes can find hope and enjoyment during the second half of their active lives. Out of that conversation and many others over the years with runners who have experienced longevity in the sport, I came up with five reasons to embrace masters running.Perspective. 

It is impossible to acknowledge or appreciate the bigger picture when you're younger. Every botched workout, every missed PR, every off-pace long run seems like a big deal. But then life expands in wild ways. Whether it's a spouse or children or career or aging parents, everybody seemingly needs something from you for quite a while. 

The upside? Those important people who need you can also put performance into perspective. Before running the Berlin Marathon in September, Keira D'Amato, 37, who was trying to improve her American record during the race (2:19:12, which has since been broken by Emily Sisson at the Chicago Marathon in 2:18:29), remarked that while her goals are a priority, her results actually don't matter much in the grand scheme.

"At the end of the day, no matter what happens, I'm still going to come home to two kids who will ask me what's for dinner," D'Amato said during a pre-race interview.

Similarly, Yeager remembers when her daughter was younger, she felt a pivot in her outlook, too. "You're not sitting there ruminating about yourself anymore-it's a similar sort of transition phase in a woman's life that can bring that better head space."

The even better news is that eventually a lot of those people become less dependent as we enter midlife, leaving new-found time to focus more on your own endeavors.

"The shedding of those ovarian hormones that have you nurturing everybody but yourself gives you the brain space to look at what you need and want," Yeager says. "And that is a great thing. Not that nurturing is bad, but it's time for you."Liberation. 

The older we get, the less we care. In a good way. In the best ways, really. As Yeager puts it, "You can say it however you want, but you get to this point where you don't actually give a f*ck and it's very liberating and empowering."

You don't care what people think when you try something new, like mountain racing. You don't care what your time is and realize that nobody else does either (spoiler alert: nobody ever did care what your personal bests or weekly mileage were). You start to realize that the performances and goals can be broader and more creative than ever before-your effort can go toward something besides qualifying for the Boston Marathon, for example.

Look no further than somebody like Deena Kastor, who won the Olympic marathon bronze medal in 2004. Now 49, she still trains at a high level, but has continually redefined what success means to her, whether it's going after age-group records or racing all the World Marathon Major events, a goal she just completed when she finished the Berlin Marathon a few weeks ago, in 2:45:12.

"There's lots of empowerment that comes with midlife, especially around 50," Yeager says. "It takes some time and it might take hormonal changes-I don't know; they're still doing their research-to really accept and embrace that you are the only one thinking about you as much as you're thinking about you."Community. 

Not long ago I spoke with Kathryn Martin, who at 70 years old had just taken a five-year break from competing on the masters track scene. She has two dozen age-group American records and a dozen world records, but was feeling a little burned out from the high-intensity pursuits. During that break, she didn't stop running, but she did cease serious training. What brought her back? Aside from a renewed desire to tackle more records, she missed all the friends she made on the circuit.

"What I really missed was the camaraderie. Masters runners are so unique," Martin told me. "You can be warriors on the track, but prior to and immediately afterward, everybody's hugging. We're just so happy to see each other and be in each other's company."

While you don't have to grow older to appreciate the running community, Martin is right. The masters category hits a little different. Yeager sees it, too-and hears about it from plenty of women she interviews.

"Even if you're really competitive still, there's a genuine appreciation for your peers," Yeager says. "We've seen a lot of shit in our lives at this point and that creates a lot of camaraderie. You're also just more secure in your skin and not having all your self-worth wrapped up in beating another person."Technology and research. 

Sara Hall, 39, is the poster woman for longevity. She started having the best races of her career in her mid-30s, now one of the fastest U.S. women at the marathon (2:20:32). Many factors have worked in Hall's favor, but one thing she's continually given credit to is the advancement in shoe technology-not just the way in which they've elevated everybody's performances, but also how they've reduced the pounding on her legs and allowed quicker recovery between big efforts.

The generation entering its 50s now is the first to grow up in a post-Title IX world, with increased access to sports for their entire lives. As Yeager says, we aren't in the "Golden Girls" era anymore. Women remain competitive and active for far longer than they ever have not only thanks to that critical piece of policy, but also because of the technology (think: gear, nutrition, recovery tools, etc.) that keeps us healthier, longer. The research on all phases of the female athlete lifecycle still has plenty of catching up to do, but as it advances and we know better how to care for our maturing bodies, the possibilities will only increase.

"Everything we thought we knew about women after they had babies or when they go through the menopause transition-really about women at any stage-is being rewritten and discovered," Yeager says. "It's a huge thing, when performance and fitness is exponentially different because we've started and built it all from the time we were adolescents, many not stopping during pregnancy, either. Are you kidding? We're just different human beings than the women back in the Golden Girl time."Reinvention. 

Ever want to try different distances? Different terrain? Are you triathlon curious? Have you heeded the often repeated advice to start lifting weights (seriously, you need to lift weights)? After all is said and done, if you're still not convinced that growing older as a runner can become an equally enjoyable experience, then reinvent yourself. Try something new and see the comparisons to your former self disappear.

Yeager, for example, didn't start CrossFit until she was 48 years old, when "it was time to start 'lifting heavy sh*t' as they say.'" Desiree Linden, 39, winner of the 2018 Boston Marathon, has said she's looking forward to exploring trails and ultra-distance races after she retires from competitive road racing. 

"If you are open to expanding your horizons, it makes all the difference in the world," Yeager says. "You have nowhere to go but up. You're learning new things and experiencing something for the joy of it again. That's enormously positive."

It looks like my grandfather had a point. All you have to do is keep moving

It’s baffling that, at just 22 years of age, Sandrafelis Chebet has fallen in love with road running.

Ideally, one would expect her to gain some track experience from the middle distance to the 10,000 meters before hitting the asphalt.

The dearth of Kenyan talent in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, with just Hellen Obiri to bank on, means Kenyan coaches needed to have enticed the likes of Chebet to work on the track, hoping to stop the potentially dangerous streak by Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan that could threaten Kenya’s gold medal hopes at the Tokyo Olympics next year.

Nonetheless, the 2015 World Under-18 Championships silver medalist in the 2,000 meters steeplechase hopes that her enlisting to pace the women’s lead group at next month’s London Marathon will motivate her to bigger things.

Chebet has been tasked with pacing for the lead group of women in London who include world record holder and defending champion Brigid Kosgei, world champion Ruth Chepng’etich, 2018 champion Vivian Cheruiyot, Frankfurt Marathon champion Valary Aiyabei and debutant Edith Chelimo.

Nation Sport caught up with Chebet at Lemotit Athletics Camp in Londiani, Kericho County, where she said her featuring in a major marathon will help improve her performance.

“I’m lucky to have been selected as one of the ‘rabbits’ who will be pacing for the lead group in London,” she said.

“It’s a tough task, but I will do my best to make sure I deliver good results,” said Chebet who is under the Italy-based Rosa Associati management, the same stable as Kosgei and Chepng’etich.

Chebet admitted that when the coronavirus struck, everything came to a standstill and with the closure of training camps, she decided to continue her training following the guidelines from the ministry of health of social distancing.

“It was tough training in a group of three or less but I’m happy because I was not discouraged knowing that the virus will be contained and competitions will resume.

“I went on with my training and with the big assignment ahead, I will do what I can to deliver,” she said.

She praised her training partner Beatrice Chebet, who is also the World Cross Country Championships’ junior title holder, for her assistance in speed work session.

“Beatrice has been of great help to me because she has good techniques in finishing which is good for an athlete, and I have been always ready to listen from her,” added Chebet who has a half marathon personal best time of 68:14.

Still only 22, Chebet looks forward to graduating to the full marathon in future and believes that pacing the best athletes in the world in London gives her the much needed drive.

She looks at it as a learning experience.

“I have participated in various half marathon races and by next year, I will be shifting to the full marathon where I want to register my name as one of the best in the distance, but I have to start slowly before becoming a world beater,” she added.

She said her mentors are Kosgei and Cheruiyot who make her work hard as she seeks to venture into marathon races and build up from there.

With silver medals at the World Under-18 Championships (steeplechase, Cali, Colombia), Africa Under-20 Championships (5,000m, 3,000m, Tlemcen, Algeria) and a 3,000m bronze at the Africa Under-20 Championships (3,000m, Addis Ababa), Chebet hopes to graduate to become the golden girl of distance running.