Running News Daily

Chicago Marathon expands to 5000 runners in 2024

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is expanding next year, with 50,000 runners expected to cross the finish line.

Over 123,000 runners applied for a chance to participate in the race, according to a spokesperson for the marathon. The number of entry applications was up from 86,000 for the 2023 race and 80,000 in 2022.

Next year’s record-breaking field was announced by marathon organizers Thursday, the same day runners who entered the marathon’s drawing find out their selection status for next year.

Runners who are selected through the drawing will join those who guaranteed their spot during the four-week application window.

Guaranteed entries into the race include Chicago Marathon legacy finishers, time qualifiers, international tour group participants, charity runners, 2023 Bank of America Chicago Distance Series finishers and those who canceled their 2023 race entries, according to an announcement from the marathon.

Runners who did not receive an entry through the drawing can still sign up through the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon Charity Program, which includes 200 nonprofit organizations raising money for such causes as education, youth development and social services. Anyone registering to run with an official charity is required to raise at least $1,750.

The expanded field comes after this year’s marathon raised a record $30.4 million.

“The 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon was record-setting across the board from historic performances and countless personal bests to record-breaking participation and charity fundraising,” said Carey Pinkowski, executive race director. “We look forward to welcoming a new field of participants in 2024 and once again putting on a race that unites the local and global running communities on the streets of Chicago.”

Marathon officials said 48,472 runners completed the 2023 race.

Kelvin Kiptum set a marathon world record with his time of 2:00:35 to win the men’s division of the 2023 marathon. Sifan Hassan, in her second marathon, set a course-record time of 2:13:44 to win the women’s division.

The 2022 race had a smaller field in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a marathon spokesperson said. That year, 39,387 runners crossed the finish line.

Next year’s race is scheduled for Oct. 13.

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.

Valencia Marathon to offer one million Euros for a world record

It’s no secret that the Trinidad Alfonso Valencia Marathon in Spain boasts one of the fastest courses and deepest marathon fields in the world. For the second consecutive year, the men’s and women’s winner in Valencia has recorded a time under 2:01 and 2:16. While Valencia isn’t part of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors, it continues to attract some of the world’s fastest-distance runners.

To set Valencia apart, organizers have an added incentive to the 2024 race—one million euros (US $1,079,000 CDN $1,400,000) for the man or woman to break the marathon world record on the course.

The announcement came on Monday from Juan Roig, the president of the Trinidad Alfonso Foundation, who said to Spanish news that it is his dream to witness the marathon world record shattered in Valencia: “We want to announce that whoever breaks the world record will receive one million euros, if they break it in Valencia.” This amount would mark the largest prize purse/bonus from a marathon to date, surpassing the Nagoya Women’s Marathon in Japan, which awards USD $250,000 to the champion.

At this year’s Valencia Marathon, over 30 men ran under the Olympic standard of 2:08:10. A time, which would have placed them inside the top 10 at most marathon majors this year. Valencia has grown over the past decade and has become a hub for distance running, evidenced by the world records set by Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei and Ethiopia’s Letensebet Gidey in the 10,000m in 2021.

At this year’s race, Cheptegei made his marathon debut, falling slightly short of his sub-2:04 goal, finishing in 2:08:59 for 37th place overall. The event also featured one of the most illustrious distance runners in history, Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele, who took fourth in a new masters 40+ world record of 2:04:19.

The men’s marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum has already revealed his racing plans for 2024. The 24-year-old, with a personal best of 2:00:35, will attempt the world record at April’s Rotterdam Marathon before gearing up for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with Team Kenya. Kiptum came onto the scene at the Valencia Marathon last year, winning the race in 2:01:53, marking the fastest men’s marathon debut.

According to Forbes, Roig is one of the richest men in Spain, with a net worth of $3.6 billion. Roig and his business partner, Valencia race director Paco Borao, remain confident that the world record will someday come to them, and they are committed to doing whatever it takes to attract the world’s fastest athletes to compete there. “One day it will come,” said Roig to Spanish news. “We will fight for it.”

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

Why Paul Tergat predicts Kenyan podium sweep at Paris Olympic Games marathon

NOC-K president Paul Tergat is bubbling with enthusiasm ahead of the Olympic Games as he predicts a marathon podium sweep in the men's race.

The National Olympic Committee of Kenya president Paul Tergat has predicted a Kenyan podium sweep at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Tergat explained that the men’s marathon will prove to be an exciting outing since five-time Berlin Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge and trailblazing youngster Kelvin Kiptum might be competing on the big stage.

He added that Kenya and Ethiopia have huge talent when it comes to long-distance runners and they only have to tap into that talent and the world will see wonders.

“From Kenya…already we are very excited. We have Eliud Kipchoge and the young champion who is coming up now. Kiptum was not a surprise…there are so many Kiptums in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Given the opportunity, they can be able to do mind-blowing things that will leave us asking many questions.

We are looking forward to seeing fireworks and excitement. This Olympic Games in Paris will be one of our best Olympic Games. We are looking forward to maybe having 1-2-3 if all goes well,” Tergat said in an interview with Olympics.

Meanwhile, both Kipchoge and Kiptum have indicated their desire to feature at the Olympics, and given their success, fans are salivating at the prospect of the two runners going toe-to-toe.

They will not wait longer as Athletics Kenya intend to name Kenya’s marathon team for the Paris Olympics within the next week so that they can start early preparations.

However, some athletics experts have explained that it would not be a good idea to pair the duo for the global showpiece.

Michael Githae wins 76th edition of Fukuoka Marathon for the second time

Kenyan runner Michael Githae won the 76th edition of Fukuoka International Marathon for the second time in three years at Heiwadai Athletic Stadium in Fukuoka, Japan on Sunday.

The 29-year-old Commonwealth Games marathon bronze medallist, clocked a new personal best of 2:07.08 with China’s Yang Shaohui, coming home in second place in 2:07.09 while Norway’s Sondre Nordstad Moen sealed the podium with third place finish in 2:07.16.

Kenya’s Vincent Raimoi finished in fifth place with a time of 2:08:00, while the race favorite, the 2012 Olympics marathon silver medalist, Abel Kirui came home a disappointing eighth in a time of 2:08.36.

On Sunday, the leading pack was whittled down to three - Githae, China’s Yang Shaohui and Norway’s Sondre Nordstad Moen - when Hosoya fell behind around the 40-kilometer mark.

Githae, who spent his high school days in Fukuoka, broke away around a kilometer from the finish line to cut the tape as the winner but could not shatter the course record of 2:05.18 set four years ago by Ethiopia’s Tsegaye Kebede. By winning the race, Githae, who runs for Suzuki track team, improved his previous best of 2:08:17, which he set when finishing fourth at last year’s Fukuoka Marathon.

Meanwhile, Kenyan athletes failed to sparkle as Ethiopians dominated with Sisay Lemma collectinh another big-race in the men’s win category during the 2023 Valencia Marathon on Sunday.

The 2021 London Marathon winner broke clear of fellow Ethiopian Dawit Wolde and Kenya’s Kandiwott Kandie with 7km to go of the 42.195km race distance. The trio were well inside world record pace at 30km, but Lemma eventually crossed the line in 2:01:48, over a minute outside Kelvin Kiptum’s mark from Chicago in October.

Three-time Olympic gold medallist on the track, Kenenisa Bekele, was just over 20 seconds behind the lead group at halfway and appeared to have decided not to go with the strong pace at the front.

On his marathon debut, 5000m and 10,000m world record holder Joshua Cheptegei was among those dropped having reached the half in the lead group in 60:35. Uganda’s reigning 5000m Olympic champion tired badly in the second half of the race, eventually finishing down in 37th place in 2:08:59.

Ethiopia completed a podium sweep in the women’s race with Worknesh Degefa winning in 2:15:51 to go seventh on the all-time list.

Kiptum, 23, predicts how long his athletics career will last after experts' concerns

Kelvin Kiptum has shared his ambitions of making sure he continues running for the next 10 or 15 years and win as many races as he can.

Reigning world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum is not afraid of the longevity in his marathoning career.

Many experts have revealed that since he started his career at a young age, 23, his longevity in the sport is not guaranteed but Kiptum thinks otherwise.

The Valencia Marathon champion explained that he plans to keep running for the next 10 to 15 years and win as much as he can.

“My ambition is to run at the top of the marathon in the next ten or fifteen years and win as much as possible. But nothing guarantees that.

"My secret is training, running many kilometers a week. I'm not afraid of that, but you can always get injured. What then? Besides, I don't walk alone.

"Tamirat Tola (an Ethiopian runner) won the New York Marathon in 2 hours, 4 minutes and 58 seconds. The course there is very difficult, so that was a great time. You never know how good he will be in Paris,” Kiptum said as per De Tijd.

Just at 23, Kiptum has already made history in all the marathons he has competed in. He made his debut at the Valencia Marathon last year where he clocked the fastest time in a debut to win the race.

He then proceeded to the London Marathon earlier this year and clocked the second-fastest time in history to clinch top honours. Kiptum then shattered Eliud Kipchoge’s world record time of 2:01:09 at the Chicago Marathon after cutting the tape in 2:00:35.

In April next year, he will take part in the Rotterdam Marathon and then, most importantly, the Olympic Games in Paris.

If he wins gold there, he will have achieved most of his goals and there will most likely be no challenge for him but he promised that he will continue running despite having achieved great milestones already.

Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele confirmed for Valencia Marathon

Kenenisa Bekele is the latest entrant into the Valencia Marathon scheduled for December 3.

Legendary marathoner Kenenisa Bekele is not hanging his spikes anytime soon as he gears up for the Valencia Marathon scheduled for December 3.

The 41-year-old has been in the game for more than 20 years and he will be hoping to maintain his legacy once he takes on the starting line of the event.

He opened his season at the London Marathon where he failed to finish the race and he will be hoping to rise from the ashes in the streets of Valencia. The 2019 Berlin Marathon champion will be facing off against a very quality field.

Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei will be making his debut in the streets of Valencia with the hope of a podium finish.

The Kenyan charge will be led by former world half marathon record holder Kibiwott Kandie, Titus Kipruto, and Alexander Mutiso who triumphed at the Prague Marathon earlier this year.

Bekele will be joining his compatriots Sisay Lemma and Leul Gebresilase and the trio will seek to finish in the podium bracket.

Bekele will have his work cut out considering he is yet to win a race since reigning supreme at the Vitality Big Half Marathon in 2020. He finished third at the Berlin Marathon and sixth at the TCS New York Marathon.

In 2022, the Ethiopian legend finished third at the Great North Run and went ahead to finish fifth at the Berlin Marathon when Eliud Kipchoge broke the world record.

Kelvin Kiptum’s course record time of 2:01:53 that he set last year could be in danger with the quality field that has been assembled.

Marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge set to receive honorary doctorate degree

Marathon great Eliud Kipchoge is set to be conferred with a prestigious honorary doctorate degree from a Kenyan university for his outstanding contribution to humanity.

Marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge is set to be awarded an honorary doctorate degree by the Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT) during the institution’s 41st graduation ceremony on December 1.

In a notice issued by JKUAT, the five-time Berlin Marathon champion will receive the degree in honor of his “outstanding and commendable humanitarian and philanthropic contributions to humanity.”

“Widely regarded as the world’s greatest marathoner, Eliud Kipchoge has met the requirements by the Honorary Degree Committee, the University Senate, and Council for the award of the degree. Kipchoge will be conferred with the prestigious honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (Honoris Causa),” JKUAT said in the notice.

This will be the second such degree for the former world marathon record holder after being conferred with an honorary doctorate degree from the Laikipia University for his contribution to sports in 2019.

That was after he had won the London Marathon before becoming the first man to run a marathon under two hours when he clocked 1:59:40 in Vienna, Austria in a race dubbed INEOS 1:59 Challenge.

Kipchoge has had a mixed 2023 season, finishing fifth at the Boston Marathon in April before winning in Berlin in September although he watched youngster Kelvin Kiptum break his world record following his 2:00:35 feat in Chicago in October.

The 39-year-old was also honored by his sponsors Nike with a running track named after him in the European headquarters in the Netherlands, coming days after his statue was unveiled by the giant American kit manufacturer in Oregon, USA.

World Athletics unveils finalists for 2023 World Athlete of the Year

On Tuesday, the finalists for the 2023 World Athlete of the Year award were unveiled on World Athletics’ social media pages. This award showcases the remarkable performances of the 2023 season that captivated the track and field audience.

The 10 finalists, representing eight countries, have left their mark on the world of athletics. Their stellar accomplishments spanned various disciplines, from triumphs at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest to setting world records at one-day meeting circuits, road races and other prestigious events across the globe.

Here are the five male and five female finalists.

Male finalists:

Neeraj Chopra (IND) – Javelin

World champion

Asian Games champion

Ryan Crouser (USA) – Shot Put

World champion

World record holder (23.56 meters)

Mondo Duplantis (SWE) – Pole Vault

World champion

Diamond League champion with a world record (6.23 meters)

Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) – Marathon

London and Chicago Marathon winner

Men’s marathon world record (2:00:35)

Noah Lyles (USA) – 100m/200m

World 100m and 200m champion (first man to win the double at worlds since 2015)

Undefeated in six finals at 200m

Female finalists:

Tigist Assefa (ETH) – Marathon

Berlin Marathon winner

Women’s marathon world record holder (2:11:53)

Femke Bol (NED) – 400m/400m hurdles

World 400m hurdles champion

World indoor 400m record holder (49.26 seconds)

Shericka Jackson (JAM) – 100m/200m

World 200m champion and 100m silver medalist

Diamond League 100m and 200m champion

Faith Kipyegon (KEN) – 1,500m/Mile/5,000m

World 1,500m and 5,000m champion

Set world records over 1,500m, mile and 5,000m (3:49.11/4:07.64/14:05.20)

Yulimar Rojas (VEN) – Triple Jump

World champion

Diamond League champion

The finalists were chosen through a three-way voting process involving the World Athletics Council, the World Athletics Family and track and field fans online. Fans had the opportunity to cast their votes online through World Athletics’ social media platforms, contributing to a record-breaking two million votes.

Canadian decathlon world champion Pierce LePage was one of the 11 nominees for the award but did not advance from the voting process. Voting concluded on October 28.

The World Athletes of the Year award will be named on Dec. 11, as part of the 2023 World Athletics Awards in Monaco.

Sifan Hassan, Kelvin Kiptum, Catherine Debrunner and Marcel Hug have been crowned Abbott World Marathon Majors Series XV champions

Sifan Hassan, Kelvin Kiptum, Catherine Debrunner and Marcel Hug have been crowned Abbott World Marathon Majors Series XV champions.

The series concluded at the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon.

Kiptum and Hug already had their victories assured, with Kiptum winning the TCS London Marathon and then the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in a world record 2:00:35 to seal the men’s open division title.

Wheelchair racer Hug had swept all five Majors before New York and promptly made it six from six with a dominant display in the final event. Hug was presented with a special gold Six Star medal to mark the accomplishment.

Hassan, with wins in London and Chicago, could only be caught by Kenyan Hellen Obiri, who needed to win in New York to add to her Boston victory and tie Hassan at the top of the leaderboard.

Obiri duly obliged, out-kicking Letesenbet Gidey in Central Park to claim the race victory.

That meant the six race directors of the Abbott World Marathon Majors had to each vote for their choice to be the 2023 women’s series champion. The vote went the way of Hassan, who set the second fastest time in history of 2:13:44 when she won in Chicago.

For Debrunner, it was all in her own hands. She went into the final race three points behind her Swiss compatriot Manuela Schär, with defending series champion, the USA’s Susannah Scaroni, two points further back and Madison de Rozario of Australia also within striking distance of the title if she could win in New York.

Debrunner left all her rivals behind from the gun, descending the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge with a commanding lead that she never relinquished.

She went on to break Scaroni’s course record, finishing in 1:39:32 to take the win, the record bonus and the series.

It caps a stunning fall season for Debrunner, who shot into contention by winning the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON in a world record time before adding the Bank of America Chicago Marathon to her list of successes two weeks later.

Abbott World Marathon Majors CEO Dawna Stone said: “We are thrilled to see the series end in such spectacular fashion in New York City, and to have four such incredible series champions to celebrate.

“Series XV has been one for the history books, with three new world records set across the divisions and a host of course and regional records falling as well.

“Our six races continue to raise the bar of elite performance in the marathon, and we congratulate Sifan, Catherine, Kelvin and Marcel on their fantastic achievements in this series.”

Series XVI will begin at the Tokyo Marathon on March 3, 2024.

World Marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum is running the Rotterdam Marathon April 14

Kelvin Kiptum already has plans for the 2024 season as he eyes another faster course.

Newly crowned world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum has been confirmed for next year’s Rotterdam Marathon set to take place on April 14.

The race organisers noted that the 23-year-old will explain his plans for April next week. He comes as an impressive addition to the Rotterdam Marathon in 2024.

The Rotterdam course is also known to be fast and fast times will be expected from Kiptum who will also be keen to make Team Kenya for the Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Meanwhile, the Kenyan made his debut at last year’s Valencia Marathon with a lightning-fast performance that saw him set the fastest time over the debut, 2:01:53.

He extended the winning streak to this year’s London Marathon where he won in the second-fastest time in history, clocking 2:0125.

He then proceeded to the Chicago Marathon where he broke Eliud Kipchoge’s world record time. Kiptum clocked 2:00:35 to completely obliterate Kipchoge’s world record time of 2:01:09 that he set during the 2022 Berlin Marathon.

The course record in Rotterdam has been held by Bashir Abdi since 2021 with 2:03.36 and Kiptum will be eager to lower the time.

His manager, the Belgian Marc Corstjens, also puts together the field of participants in Rotterdam and has been in charge of him for five years, since 2018.

"This is an amazing marathon," says MBR publisher Bob Anderson, "but I would have thought London would have been a better choice."

Reigning Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir will be eyeing her second win in the streets of New York and she will be banking on her super shoes to propel her to victory

Peres Jepchirchir is banking on her Ksh 75,275 super shoes to propel her to victory at the New York City Marathon.

Reigning Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir is one of the key headliners at Sunday’s New York City Marathon.

Jepchirchir will be eyeing her second win in the streets of New York and she will be banking on her super shoes to propel her to victory.

The 2022 Boston Marathon champion clinched her first victory in the streets of New York in 2021 and intended to defend her title last year but an injury setback saw her postpone her title defense to this year.

She hopes her super shoes will work wonders for her like they did for Tigst Assefa who broke the women’s world record at the Berlin Marathon. The super shoes also worked for Kelvin Kiptum on his way to victory at the Chicago Marathon where he also broke the world record.

Because she’s sponsored by Adidas, she had preliminary access to the recently-released Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1—the ultralight but expensive, Ksh 75,275, the latest player in the super shoe game. She used the shoes while winning at the World Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia.

“I was one of the early testers for the shoe when Adidas was first developing it. I was impressed by how much technology was in the shoe, despite it being so light.

I expect (the shoe) to continue to help me achieve my peak performance I am confident these shoes give me the best possible chance of winning in New York,” she told Runner’s World.

Jepchirchir also explained that the streets of New York are one of her favorite places to run and she will be keen to record her second win.

She opened her season with a third-place finish at the London Marathon before winning the Half Marathon in Riga.

More imminently, Jepchirchir has her sights set on earning her second New York City Marathon title. She says she’s excited to do some people-watching and take in the views of the city, but above all, she’ll look to capitalize on her fitness.

Coming out of an injury setback, she wants to test her prowess one more time against a strong field.

“I am finally feeling like my strongest self again. I am eager to show what I can achieve in one of my favorite races in the world,” she said.

Kenenisa Bekele says his best is yet to come

For the last 20 years, Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele has carved his legacy in distance running, winning three Olympic golds and 19 world championship titles on the track and in cross country. When he transitioned onto roads, his success continued, winning the Berlin Marathon twice and clocking the third-fastest time in history (2:01:41). In recent years, Bekele has acknowledged the difficulty of the marathon, but the 41-year-old believes his best is yet to come.

In an exclusive interview with Olympics.com, Bekele said he isn’t done yet, and that he is driven by the belief that he can excel in the marathon. “I never achieved my maximum effort in the marathon,” said Bekele. “I train hard, but I’ve been struggling for a long time with injury–I’ve never finished my [marathon] training in a good way.”

Bekele’s personal best of 2:01:41 from the 2019 Berlin Marathon stands as the third-fastest time in history, only trailing the Kenyan pair of Kelvin Kiptum, the new world record holder, and Eliud Kipchoge. Despite track and field fans suggesting that his best days might be behind him, Bekele remains undeterred, knowing his potential and what lies ahead in the marathon.

“My mind tells me that I can still do better in the marathon. The Olympics is in front of us…maybe [Paris] will be my last Olympics.

As Bekele gears up for the 2023 Valencia Marathon on Dec. 3 (known as one of the fastest record-legal courses in the world), he has aspirations to reach the 2024 Paris Olympics. With 43 Ethiopian men already having achieved the Olympic standard of 2:08:10, Bekele will need a time of 2:04:30 or faster to put himself in a position for Olympic selection.

“I know that Valencia is very fast. And [on the entry list] there are many strong competitors from different countries, so the expectations are very high,” said Bekele.

The Ethiopian marathon team for Paris is rumoured to be selected by January 2024. 

If Bekele can reach Paris, it will be a full-circle moment for one of the best distance runners in history. Paris was the destination where he won his first World Championship medal on the track, and the location of his first marathon, in 2014. 

After two decades with Nike, Bekele recently signed a new deal with the Chinese running brand Anta. The Valencia Marathon will be his first career marathon not wearing the Nike swoosh.

Eliud Kipchoge finally comments on Kelvin Kiptum’s world record

For the past decade, Eliud Kipchoge has been a dominant force in the marathon, winning 14 out of the 17 races he’s participated in. The double Olympic champion and now former fastest man consistently set the standard for the distance, until Oct. 8. On that day, his Kenyan compatriot, Kelvin Kiptum, rewrote the history books by shattering Kipchoge’s world record at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.

While fans across the world marvelled at Kiptum’s new record of 2:00:35, Kipchoge remained silent. He did not publicly acknowledge it until two weeks after the race, during a press conference at the 2023 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports in Oviedo, Spain.

Kipchoge’s comments about Kiptum were in response to a reporter’s question after he received an award for his accomplishments as a runner and his remarkable contributions through his foundation, which focuses on promoting education and environmental protection.

“I was not surprised about (Kiptum) breaking the world record,” Kipchoge said. “I look forward to seeing records being broken because I have shown them the way.”

Kipchoge’s two-week silence and decision not to publicly congratulate Kiptum sparked heated discussions online, with some fans labelling the marathon legend as ‘unsportsmanlike.’ The 38-year-old also expressed his excitement about a potential showdown with Kiptum at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kipchoge aims to become the first man to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the marathon event, while Kiptum hopes to win his first.

Kiptum, on the other hand, had high praise for Kipchoge after his record-breaking run in Chicago. “Of course, Eliud is the GOAT; he has achieved a lot, and we hold him in high regard, following his footsteps,” said Kiptum.

The new marathon world record holder will face a tough decision if he wants to race for Olympic gold or chase the world record at the 2024 Berlin Marathon, which is less than six weeks after the Olympic marathon in Paris.

Even though Kipchoge may no longer hold the marathon record, he remains determined to continue making history and inspire the next generation moving forward.

Looking to Qualify for the Boston Marathon? Here’s What Strava Data Says About That Elusive BQ.

We looked at a ton of data from last year’s fall marathons to see what Boston Qualifier (BQ) runners did differently in training and racing

In our monthly column in partnership with Strava, we take a deep dive into compelling data points that reveal the more human side of sport. 

In 2023, a record-breaking 33,058 athletes applied for the 128th Boston Marathon. Of those, just 22,019 were accepted (pending final verification). Qualifying times are established for different age and gender categories. Still, with so many applicants, the unofficial cutoff times for acceptance were five minutes and 29 seconds faster than the official qualifying time many athletes push for.

Looking at data from several 2022 marathons, interesting trends emerge. We analyzed Strava data from the Berlin, Chicago, Marine Corps, New York City, CIM, and Valencia marathons. Here’s what the data tells us about qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

Before we get too deep into the data, it’s worth discussing the fact that the above courses have different course dynamics and demographics, which influence median finishing times. Berlin, CIM, and Valencia are all fast courses that attract folks gunning for a BQ. (Hola Valencia! Peep that four feet of total gain, with a net descent of 106 feet.) CIM has a particularly high percentage of BQs since it combines a fast course with a smaller field—many run CIM specifically to qualify for Boston.

Last year was a record-breaking heat year at the NYC Marathon, which resulted in an anomalously low negative-split rate. More than 2,000 runners didn’t cross the finish line in 2022, with temperatures soaring to 75 degrees with  75 percent humidity, which radically affected finishing times. We’ll still look at data from NYC, but 2022 was exceptional. Only 30 percent of runners at NYC who were aiming for a sub-three finish met that goal, and only half of runners looking to go sub-four did so.

Across all the marathons we analyzed, athletes had similar training. Most started at a base of around 20 miles a week and a 10-mile long run. On average, they worked up to a 30-mile week and a 20-mile long run. While there’s a slight variation in average miles per week (mpw), the training time in the peak week is similar (and each race has a different mix of target paces for participants).

CIM had the highest average mileage baseline and peak week, suggesting that it attracts more experienced runners with a specific goal in mind. CIM runners started with a 30 mpw base and progressed to a 50-mile peak week and 21-mile long run. BQ runners at CIM started with a 43-mile peak week (the highest of any marathon analyzed). When we just look at athletes who hit the BQ standard to equalize the field, CIM runners have a higher baseline and peak week.

While many newer distance runners tend to focus on flashy long runs, the distance of the longest run was not strongly correlated with a BQ. Comparing BQ runners and all other athletes, the distance of the longest run was 20 to 22 miles across each marathon. But, the base mileage was higher for BQ runners, bearing in mind that base volume matters more than the distance of any long run. BQ runners at CIM averaged 65 miles during their peak week, while the rest of the field averaged 50 mpw. Similarly, Chicago BQers averaged 57 miles during peak week, compared to the rest of the field’s 41 mpw peak week.

Interestingly, there was not a strong correlation between success on hillier courses and runners averaging more elevation gain in their training. Across all races, BQ runners did have more elevation in their training. For example, CIM and Berlin BQers had 15 percent more elevation gain in their training than runners who didn’t BQ (even when you control for average mileage). CIM runners hit the most vertical gain, averaging 100 feet of elevation gain per mile over the training cycle.

There’s no teacher like experience, and marathons are no different. Runners who finished one of the above races between 2:30 and 2:59 on average have completed six previous marathons. Runners who finished between 4:00 and 4:30 had completed, on average, four previous marathons. Experience helps with pacing, fueling, and other elements of the marathon that are sometimes only learned through trial and error.

Keep easy days easy. There’s a strong positive correlation between keeping training runs intentionally slower than race pace and runners hitting their goal pace (defined as the pace runners averaged over the first eight miles of the marathon). Running slower than marathon effort helps build dense capillary beds, strengthen the heart, increase stroke volume (the amount of blood your heart can pump per beat), and increase the endurance capabilities of your muscle fibers by increasing the number of mitochondria in muscle cells. Running too fast causes the breakdown of bone and muscle tissue at a rate that can’t be outpaced in recovery; plus it makes the body less efficient at processing oxygen.

Runners that kept easy runs about 30 percent slower than goal pace had a 27 percent success rate, finishing at or close to their goal time. For runners who did easy runs only 10 percent slower than their goal pace (the approach of about a third of the runners analyzed), only 19 percent met their goal time, equating to a 31 percent reduction in success rate. Of runners who did “easy” days around marathon pace, only 14 percent hit their goal time.

Faster runners, who are more experienced, keep easy runs easier. Runners who finish in 2:30, on average, run their easy days 29 percent slower than goal pace. Compare this with runners who finish an hour later in 3:30, whereas the average runner ran their easy days just 11 percent slower than race pace, and only 20 percent hit their goal finish time.

Runners aiming for a 3:00 marathon (6:52 mile-pace) should shoot for easy days between 7:48 and 8:36. Runners looking to hit a 3:30 time (8:01 mile-pace) should strive for easy days between 9:02 and 9:56, and 4-hour marathoners (9:09 mile-pace) should shoot to keep easy days between 10:11- and 11:11-minute miles. As demonstrated by the data, to go fast, you have to learn to run slow.

Of all the courses, CIM and Valencia had the highest percentage qualifying for Boston, with 32 percent of the field BQing. Only six percent of NYC runners hit the Boston standard (heat!), and the Marine Corps Marathon, popular amongst beginner runners, had a similar qualifying rate. At Chicago and Berline, 18 percent of the runners qualified.

NYC and Marine Corps had the slowest median finish time, just over 4:30, averaged across all runners (NYC usually runs faster in cooler years). NYC is also the largest race, with over 47,000 competitors (compared to CIM’s 10,000). Valencia had the quickest average finish time (3:28), with a relatively small field of 30,000 runners.

Even more than gain and loss, the strongest predictor of BQ success was a negative split, running the second half of the race faster than the first. Take, for instance, Kelvin Kiptum’s recent world record win in Chicago, in which Kiptum ran a 59:47 negative split to run just 35 seconds over the two-hour barrier.

Just three percent of NYC runners (the heat! The humidity!) negative split in the rising temps, again pointing to an outlier year in NYC. Eleven percent of runners negative split both Chicago and Marine Corps, but experience won out in the Chicago crowd, with its 18 percent BQ rate, eclipsing Marine Corps’ six percent (a race that traditionally has more beginner runners).

Berlin and CIM both boosted a 16 percent negative split rate, though a higher percentage (32 percent) of CIM runners hit the BQ compared to Berlin’s 18 percent. Valencia had the highest percentage of negative splits. Still, a significant portion of that can be attributed to the extremely flat course, with just enough downhill to boost speed but not enough to bash the quads too badly.

So, if you’re searching for an elusive BQ, here’s what the data show: slow your runs down, choose your course wisely, shoot for a negative split, and remember that practice makes perfect. It may take a couple of marathons to get it absolutely right, but that experience will be invaluable.

Kelvin Kiptum, Noah Lyles among 11 men shortlisted for World Athlete of the Year Award

World marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum will battle it out for the Men’s World Athlete of the Year Award with 10 other athletes, including world 100m and 200m champion Noah Lyles

World marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum has been shortlisted for the World Athletics’ Men’s World Athlete of the Year Award.

Kiptum, who ran an astonishing 2:00:35 at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, is among 11 male athletes who had an outstanding 2023 season who have made the shortlist.

The 23-year-old has made the list after winning in Chicago and breaking Eliud Kipchoge’s world record by 34 seconds as well as claiming victory at the London Marathon in April, when he clocked 2:01:25, the second fastest time in history at the time.

Kiptum will battle it out for the prestigious award with American Noah Lyles, the world 100m and 200m champion who was undefeated in six finals at 200m.

Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the world 5,000m champion and 1,500m silver medalist, who is also the European record holder in 1,500m, mile and 3,000m, is also among those shortlisted as well as Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali, the world 3,000m steeplechase champion, who was undefeated in six finals in 2023.

World javelin and Asian champion Neeraj Chopra from India, American Ryan Crouser, the world shot put champion and record holder, American-born Swede Mondo Duplantis, who is the world pole vault champion, and Decathlete Pierce LePage from Canada are also on the list.

World walking race champion Alvaro Martin from Spain, Miltiadis Tentoglou, the world long jump champion, and 400m hurdles world champion Karsten Warholm complete the 11-man shortlist.

A three-way voting process will determine the finalist wit the World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family casting their votes by email, while fans can vote online via the World Athletics social media platforms.

Individual graphics for each nominee will be posted on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube this week; a 'like' on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube or a retweet on X will count as one vote.

The World Athletics Council’s vote will count for 50 per cent of the result, while the World Athletics Family’s votes and the public votes will each count for 25 per cent of the final result.

Voting for the World Athletes of the Year will close on October 28. At the conclusion of the voting process, five women and five men finalists will be announced by World Athletics on 13-14 November. The winners will be revealed on World Athletics’ social media platforms on 11 December.

Kiptum will be seeking to join Kipchoge and David Rudisha as the Kenyan men to have won the prestigious award while multiple world champion Faith Kipyegon seeks to become the first woman from the country to be feted.

Bullish Kelvin Kiptum wants a duel with Eluid Kipchoge at Paris Olympic Games

After his exploits at the Chicago Marathon, Kelvin Kiptum is considering competing at the Olympic Games where he will face off against Eliud Kipchoge.

After his jaw-dropping performance that saw him break the world record at the Chicago Marathon, Kelvin Kiptum has now confirmed that the Olympic Games are on his mind.

The 23-year-old clocked 2:00:35 to completely destroy Eliud Kipchoge’s world record time of 2:01:09 and he is not resting on his laurels.

His focus has now shifted to the Olympic Games in Paris, France where he will lock horns with five-time Berlin Marathon champion, Kipchoge.

Speaking during a post-race interview, the reigning London Marathon champion said: “Yes, the Olympic Games are on my mind. I think this win has placed me in a better position ahead of the global showpiece.”

Kiptum added that he is not aware of the selection criteria and he will have to get back to the country and discuss it with his management first. However, he is planning on resting first before resuming training ahead of next season.

If it happens, the race will definitely be one to remembered since Kipchoge will be bidding to become the first man to win the Olympic title in the marathon three times.

He has not had a great 2023 season and will be plotting a comeback next year. The 38-year-old started off with the Boston Marathon where he finished sixth due to a problem with his left leg.

He then proceeded to the Berlin Marathon with the hope of breaking his own world record but he did not achieve the target.

Meanwhile, Kiptum has enjoyed a blissful season, winning the London Marathon earlier this year and winning the Chicago Marathon in a world record time to end his season with a bang.

He made his debut at the Valencia Marathon last year and ran the fastest debut time in history.

Men and women 75-79 age group records set at the Chicago Marathon

While Kelvin Kiptum’s world record time of 2:00:35 stole the show at the 2023 Chicago Marathon, the race saw a slew of masters records go down on Sunday.

Two runners in the 75-79 age group racked up numerous accolades. Jeannie Rice, 75, broke the women’s masters world record in the marathon with a time of 3:34:32, and also racked up American records over the course of the race, including the 10K (49:14) and half marathon (1:43:09). Gene Dykes, 75, also set an American marathon masters record of 3:17:01.

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

Daniel Mateiko will be making his debut in marathon at the Chicago marathon

After recording the fastest time over the half marathon distance in the world this year at the fourth edition of the Antrim Coast in Northern Ireland, Daniel Mateiko will be making his debut in marathon at the Chicago marathon, the fourth largest race in the world that is slated to be held on Sunday (8) in Chicago, Illinois, United States.

The 25 year-old who clocked a world leading time of 58:36, breaking the UK and Irish all-comers’ record ahead of the 2019 All-Africa Games 10,000m bronze medallist, Jemal Yimer of Ethiopia, said that the world should expect shocking results in Chicago despite having a deep elite field that includes the second fastest man in the world Kelvin Kiptum.

“This is my first time to participate in a marathon and a world major. This means I have to work extra hard to keep up with the pace,” said Mateiko.

He explained that he made a good run while pacing at the London marathon early this year where Kiptum ran the second fastest time in the world.

“I had good pacing at the London marathon where I dropped at the 30km mark, just 12km remaining. Some race organizers saw what I could do. At the same time, I have a very good management ( NN Running Team) that looks for great races for their athletes,” he said.

The inaugural Eldama Ravine Half marathon champion said the training is so intense to conquer the world.

Mateiko who finished in second place at this year’s Ras Al Khaimah half marathon also missed out to represent Kenya at the 2021 Olympic Games after finishing 6th during the Kenya National trials.

“Expect good things from me. Right now, I am preparing very well when I received the invitation,” he added.

Having the personal best time standing at 58:26 set during his third position at the Valencia Half marathon last year, Mateiko has set the goal of improving on his time too.

Mateiko who runs under the Global Sports Communication stable in Kaptagat, went ahead to finish third at the Valencia Half marathon in 58:26, Copenhagen third after timing 59:25, RAK in sixth place in 58:45 and Ravine half marathon.

He will be facing off with some of the best experienced marathoners that include Kiptum, the defending champion Benson Kipruto and the Tokyo Olympics marathon bronze medalist, Bashir Abdi.

Kelvin Kiptum believes he can break world record at 2023 Chicago Marathon

It’s Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, and that means one thing to marathon fans: it’s time for the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. This year’s elite field will be one to remember, with the great Sifan Hassan competing in her second career marathon against the 2019 world champion and the third-fastest marathoner in history, Ruth Chepngetich. The men’s side is just as exciting, with the relatively unknown Kelvin Kiptum on the verge of greatness, targeting Eliud Kipchoge’s world record of 2:01:09 on Sunday.

The young star

At 23 and with only two career marathons to his name, Kiptum has quickly established himself as one of the best distance runners in the world. Although, despite his achievements in London, he remains relatively unknown on the major marathon scene. Kiptum is self-coached and did not enter marathoning from a prolific track career like Kipchoge, Mo Farah, or Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele.

Kiptum made his marathon debut last December at the 2022 Valencia Marathon, taking a commanding victory in 2:01:53, the fastest debut in history. He continued his dominance at the 2023 London Marathon, where he shattered Kipchoge’s course record and came within 16 seconds of the world record, with a 2:01:25 finish.

In June, Kiptum was selected for Team Kenya in the 2023 World Athletics Championships marathon. However, he declined the invitation to focus on a fall marathon instead. He settled on Chicago, which is widely regarded as the fastest marathon major in North America. 

In a pre-race interview with Olympics.com, Kiptum said he is well-trained for the Chicago course and believes he can become the first man in history to run a 2:00 flat on Sunday. Kiptum’s choice of Chicago over the other fall majors, Berlin and NYC, indicates his eagerness to chase the world record. Chicago’s primarily flat course, with only 70 meters of elevation gain, makes it an ideal setting.

Kiptum’s competition

If Kiptum intends to hit the halfway mark around 60 minutes, there are not many in the field who can keep up with him. The 2020 Olympic marathon bronze medallist, Bashir Abdi, is listed as the second fastest athlete in Chicago with a personal best of 2:03:36. Abdi finished fifth here in 2019 and will be looking to improve on his time of 2:06:14.

Kiptum will also face off against one of the best tactical marathoners in the world and the reigning champion, Benson Kipruto. Kipruto comes off a second-place finish at the 2023 Boston Marathon, where he was runner-up to his training partner, Evans Chebet. Ethiopia’s Seifu Tura knows the Chicago course well, having won the race in 2021 and finished as runner-up to Kipruto last fall. If the race becomes a tactical affair, it’s hard to look past these two as the favourites but they don’t quite have the sub-2:02 speed to hang with Kiptum early.

American men chase Olympic standard

Another entertaining race within the race to watch will be the battle between top Americans Galen Rupp, Conner Mantz and Leonard Korir as they aim to achieve the 2024 Olympic marathon standard of 2:08:10. The only American to break that mark since 2020 is Rupp, who did so at the 2021 Chicago Marathon where he finished second. Currently, no American men have met the Olympic qualifying mark for Paris, and the U.S. Marathon Trials are just four months away in February 2024.

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.

Kenya’s Bernard Koech will be competing with the hope of making the podium one more time but he faces a stern test from the Ethiopians

The men’s field in this year’s Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday, October 15 promises to be a thrilling show as it has attracted some of the greatest long-distance runners.

Kenya’s Bernard Koech will be competing with the hope of making the podium one more time but he faces a stern test from the Ethiopians. Koech finished second behind Tamirat Tola (the current course record holder) in 2021.

He also recorded the fourth fastest time this year at the Hamburg Marathon last year in April (2:04.09).

The Kenyan will enjoy the company of training partner Kennedy Kimutai to Amsterdam, from whom an interesting debut is expected. With a personal best of 58.28, he already ran a very strong half marathon once, at the Valencia Half Marathon in 2021.

The 28-year-old Birhanu Legese of Ethiopia will hope to stop Kenya’s dominance in the marathons. He is one of the greatest marathoners who is behind three absolute legends, Eliud Kipchoge, Kelvin Kiptum, and Kenenisa Bekele.

He won the Tokyo Marathon in 2019 and 2020 and at the 2019 Berlin Marathon, he finished second in 2:02.48 behind Bekele.

Others in top contention include Lemi Berhanu (2:04.33), Asrar Hiryden (2:04.43), Cybrian Kotut (2:04.47), Barselius Kipyego (2:04.48), and Abdisa Tola (2:05.42), the younger brother of Tamirat Tola.

For three editions in a row now, the women's course record has been broken and the current course record of 2:17.20 is held by the Ethiopian Almaz Ayana.

Degitu Azimeraw, 24, will return to the race circuit after her pregnancy. With her best time, Tiruye Mesfin is not much inferior to her compatriot.

The Ethiopian ran a strong debut of 2:18.47 in Valencia last year and so could also be the first woman to enter the Olympic Stadium on Sunday, October 15.

World class athletes Legese and Azimeraw at the TCS Amsterdam Marathon

The TCS Amsterdam Marathon will welcome a strong elite field on Sunday, October 15. Ethiopian Birhanu Legese, who has run the fourth fastest time of all time with 2:02.48, will take a shot at the course record of 2:03.39. Bernard Koech (2:04.09) and Lemi Berhanu (2:04.33) also choose Amsterdam for their fall marathon. Among the women, Degitu Azimeraw is aiming for a second victory as well as a course record. Former winner Azimeraw will face competition from, among others, Tiruye Mesfin.

The 28-year-old Birhanu Legese is an all-time marathon runner behind three absolute legends: Eliud Kipchoge, Kelvin Kiptum and Kenenisa Bekele. The Ethiopian won the Tokyo Marathon in 2019 and 2020. At the 2019 Berlin Marathon, he finished second in 2:02.48 behind Bekele. Amsterdam will be the fifth Platinum Label marathon at which Legese will start.

Besides Legese, there are more candidates for the win. For example, Bernard Koech has been on the podium in Amsterdam before, when he finished second behind Tamirat Tola (the current course record holder) in 2021. Koech recorded the fourth fastest time this year in Hamburg last April: 2:04.09.

Koech will also take his training partner Kennedy Kimutai to Amsterdam, from whom an interesting debut is expected. With a personal best of 58.28, he already ran a very strong half marathon once (Valencia, 2021).

With Lemi Berhanu (2:04.33), Asrar Hiryden (2:04.43), Cybrian Kotut (2:04.47), Barselius Kipyego (2:04.48) and Abdisa Tola (2:05.42), the younger brother of Tamirat Tola, also at the start, it promises to be an exciting race.

For three editions in a row now, the women's course record has been broken. Since last year, the current course record of 2:17.20 is held by the Ethiopian Almaz Ayana. Degitu Azimeraw has fond memories of her debut marathon in Amsterdam: she raced to 2:19.26 in 2019. A time she tightened to 2:17.58 at the TCS London Marathon in 2021. Next month, the 24-year-old runner will return to the race circuit after her pregnancy.

With her best time, Tiruye Mesfin is not much inferior to her compatriot. The Ethiopian ran a strong debut of 2:18.47 in Valencia last year and so could also be the first woman to enter the Olympic Stadium on Sunday, October 15.

The TCS Amsterdam Marathon is holder of the Platinum Label of the World Athletics, which makes the marathon attractive for the fastest long distance athletes in the world. The Platinum Label guarantees a fast course, with a good and tightly organized race. Legese, Azimeraw and Koech, among others, also have the Platinum Label status themselves. Their participation not only ensures an attractive race, but also further sustainability of the event.

Strong Dutch field

Organizer Le Champion previously announced that Nienke Brinkman, Khalid Choukoud, Richard Douma, Roy Hoornweg, Stan Niesten, Luuk Maas, Anne Luijten and Jill Holterman will be at the start. Lucas Nieuwenboer (second Dutchman in Amsterdam last year) and Roel Wijmenga have been added to the list. A strong group is being built around these top athletes so that they can aim for fast times and Olympic limits.

Temperatures rise in Budapest as men marathoners seek to make amends

After Kenya women marathoners failed to finish in the medal bracket, Kenya’s Timothy Kiplagat, Joshua Belet and Titus Kipruto are under pressure to make amends as they parade in the men’s race Sunday morning at the Heroes Square in Budapest.

The top Kenyan in the women’s race was Rosemary Wajiru in sixth place in 2:26:42 with Selly Cheyego finishing behind her in 2:27:09.

Kiplagat stands third on the world list with the 2:03:50 he posted as runner-up to Belgium’s Bashir Abdi in Rotterdam last April.

Belet was runner-up at the Hamburg Marathon in April in 2:04:33 while  Kipruto was fourth at this year’s Tokyo Marathon in 2:05:32.

Kipruto set his personal best of 2:04:54 as runner-up in Amsterdam last year.

In an interview, Kiplagat said it would have been nice if the race started at 6 am in the morning.

All the same, he noted that if it doesn’t start early, he will still take it in his stride and give it his best shot.

He said they have been told to take a lot of water to remain hydrated and he hopes to do exactly that. He said he has prepared well and his target is to finish on the podium.

According o the organisers, Sunday is forecast to be the hottest day of the year in Hungary.

Last year, Tamirat Tola made World Championships history by running the fastest-ever winning time (2:05:36) in the men’s marathon.

The 31-year-old Ethiopian will be defending his title and has a chance to add his name to the list of a few marathoners who have succeeded in defending their title.

They include Spain’s Abel Anton (1997, 1999), Jaouad Gharib of Morocco (2003, 2005) and the Kenyan whose championship record Tola broke in Oregon, Abel Kirui (2009, 2011).

Tola, who was the marathon runner-up at the 2017 World Championships, has maintained his form this year, finishing third at the London Marathon in April in 2:04:59, behind Kelvin Kiptum (2:01:25) and Geoffrey Kamworor (2:04:23).

Neither of those two Kenyans will be on the start line in Budapest, leaving the defending champion to face two rivals from Kenya who have run faster than him this year.

Ethiopians have finished first and second at the last two World Championships and Tola will no doubt start as favourite.

Apart from Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands, who was runner-up to Eliud Kipchoge in the 2021 Olympic marathon in Sapporo, the race looks much more like an East Africa affair.  The 34-year-old also finished third in New York last November and in Rotterdam in April.

Tanzania’s Alphonce Felix Simbu is a seasoned major championship marathon campaigner. The 31-year-old earned world bronze in London in 2017 and Commonwealth silver in Birmingham last year.

He also finished fifth and seventh in the last two Olympic marathons. Commonwealth champion Victor Kaplangat is joined on the Ugandan team by Stephen Kissa, who set a national record of 2:04:48 in Hamburg last year.

There are a host of other sub-2:06 performers in the field including Israel’s European bronze medallist Gashu Ayale, Kaan Kigen Ozbilen of Turkey, Eritreans Goitom Kifle and Oqbe Kibrom, plus the Japanese duo Kenya Sonota and Ichitaka Yamashita.

Half Marathon specialist Daniel Mateiko is excited to make his debut in this year’s Chicago Marathon

Daniel Mateiko promises to pull a major upset in Chicago Marathon.

Mateiko, who has been competing on both track and the road, has promised a surprise this year despite the presence of top-notch athletes in Chicago this year. 

“Yes, this will be my first time to run a marathon, and a major one. This means I have to work extra hard in training to keep up the pace,” he said.

He said he was spotted by Chicago race organisers in London Marathon where he paced Kelvin Kiptum to victory early this year.

"In London, I paced Kiptum to the second-fastest marathon in the world in London and exited at the 30km mark, just 12km to the finish. Some race organizers were amazed at what I did and that is why I am heading to Chicago,” he revealed. 

After finishing second in at the Kip Keino Classic last year, he went ahead to finish in position eight in the 10,000m at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

The inaugural Eldama Ravine Half Marathon champion said he is undergoing intense to post good results in Chicago. 

The Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon silver medalist failed to make Team  Kenya for the 2021 Olympic Games after finishing sixth in 10,000m at the national trials.  

Mateiko has a personal best time of 58:26 set in the Valencia Half Marathon last year, where he finished third. He finished third in Copenhagen after timing 59:25. 

He will be up against defending champion Benson Kipruto, who will be seeking to defend his title after winning last year's race in 2:04:24— the fourth-fastest time ever in Chicago. Should Kipruto win again, he’ll be the first back-to-back men’s open field champion since the late Sammy Wanjiru in 2010. Also in the race are Kenya's John Korir ( 2:05:01) and Wesley Kiptoo (debutant). 

Other key names in the field include Belgium's Bashir Abdi (2:03:36), the Ethiopian duo of Dawit Wolde (2:04:27) and Seifu Tura(2:04:29) and United States Galen Rupp (2:06:07) among others.

Kelvin Kiptum to race 2023 Chicago Marathon

The second fastest marathoner in history will not face Kipchoge at Berlin after all.

The 2023 Chicago Marathon revealed on Tuesday morning that Kiptum will make his North American marathon debut on Oct. 8, postponing the highly anticipated potential clash against Eliud Kipchoge, who will appear at the 2023 Berlin Marathon.

In the last eight months, Kiptum has emerged as one of the world’s fastest marathoners. In December, he made his marathon debut at the 2022 Valencia Marathon, securing a commanding victory in a remarkable 2:01:53, the fastest debut in history. He continued his dominance at the 2023 London Marathon, where he shattered Kipchoge’s course record and came remarkably close to the world record, with a 2:01:25 finish.

Despite his achievements in London, Kiptum remains relatively unknown on the major marathon scene. The 23-year-old from Eldoret, Kenya, is self-coached and did not enter marathoning from a prolific track career like Kipchoge, or Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele.

In June, Kiptum was selected for Team Kenya in the 2023 World Athletics Championships marathon. However, he declined the invitation to focus on a fall marathon instead. With Kiptum eyeing either Chicago or Berlin, many anticipated a head-to-head battle between the two Kenyan titans in Berlin, renowned for its flat and incredibly fast course, having been the location where the previous eight men’s marathon world records were set.

Choosing Chicago, which takes place two weeks after Berlin, clearly indicates Kiptum’s intent to vie for a victory and target Kipchoge’s world record of 2:01:09. Chicago’s primarily flat course, with only 70 metres of elevation gain, offers a promising setting. 

However, a win in Chicago won’t come easy, as Kiptum will face off against one of the best tactical marathoners in the world and the reigning champion, Benson Kipruto. Kipruto comes off a second-place finish at the 2023 Boston Marathon, where he was runner-up to his training partner, Evans Chebet. Ethiopia’s Seifu Tura, who knows the Chicago course well, having won the race in 2021 and finished as runner-up to Kipruto last fall, will also return. Among the other elite names in the men’s field are Galen Rupp, Conner Mantz and Belgian 2020 Olympic marathon bronze medallist Bashir Abdi.

Eliud Kipchoge says he’s not worried about Kelvin Kiptum in potential Berlin Marathon clash

Less than a week ago, marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge announced he will return to the Berlin Marathon on Sept. 24 for a bid at his fifth Berlin title on the famously flat and fast course. Many fans expected Kipchoge to choose to run the New York City Marathon in November in preparation for the extremely hilly course at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Now, he will potentially clash against the second-fastest man in history, Kelvin Kiptum. 

On June 15, he conducted a virtual press conference with the media to explain his decision behind Berlin, hinting at his future plans and chatting about the potential clash between him and the 2023 London Marathon champion, Kiptum. Kipchoge said: “Kiptum has all power to do what he wants. I have done enough. I trust that what I have done in the (sport) world will be respected. In any case, I wish him well. […] If Kiptum runs under 2:00, he will always be the second [to do so]. I’ll be the first one. So I have no worries at all.”

In his two marathon starts, the 23-year-old Kiptum won on both occasions. He ran a 2:01:53 debut to win the 2022 Valencia Marathon and followed it up with a 2:01:25 to break Kipchoge’s course record at the 2023 London Marathon five months later.

Only three men in history have run under 2:02, and Kiptum is the only marathoner to do it under the age of 35. Although Kiptum has not been announced for the 2023 Berlin Marathon, there has been a lot of speculation about him entering this year’s elite field. After his win at the 2023 London Marathon, he expressed interest in seeing what he could do on the Berlin course, which is known to be fast and flat. Berlin has been the race where the last eight men’s marathon world records were set, dating back to Paul Tergat’s record of 2:04:55 in 2003.

At the 2023 Boston Marathon, Kipchoge had a tough day on the prestigious course, struggling with a leg issue that ultimately brought him his second marathon loss in the last nine years (he finished sixth). “I have no control over what happened in April in Boston,” Kipchoge told reporters. “There’s no point in brooding. I can (only) control things happening now and get ready for Berlin.”

The goals remain the same for the 38-year-old Kenyan, who is looking for his third consecutive Olympic gold in the marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympics. “I want to be the first man to win back-to-back-to-back,” Kipchoge said. “I am really looking for that. That would be real, real history.” Kipchoge believes that Berlin gives him the best opportunity to prepare himself for gold in Paris, giving him nearly 10 months to train in the lead-up to the Games.

Earlier this month, Kiptum also withdrew his name from a nomination to the Kenyan marathon team at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, which hints that a fall marathon will indeed be on his calendar.

When Will Eliud Kipchoge Slow Down?

What we can learn from the world’s greatest distance runner of all-time while he’s still in his prime

Eliud Kipchoge has expanded the universe of what’s humanly possible in the marathon, and he will forever remain a legend in the sport of long-distance running.

Not only for himself, but especially for those who have come after him. That includes everyone, both elite and recreational runners, who are preparing a marathon this fall or some distant point in the future. His current 2:01:09 world record and his barrier-breaking 1:59:40 time-trial effort in 2019 are legendary feats, both for the current generation of runners and for all time.

The 38-year-old Kenyan marathoner is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete, but time waits for no one, and especially not a long-distance runner. Like all elite athletes, his time at the top is limited, but fortunately, there is still time to immerse in the inspirational examples he’s providing.

Kipchoge recently announced he’ll return to the Berlin Marathon on September 24, where, last year, he won the race for the fourth time and lowered the world record for the second time. It is most likely what will be the beginning of a grand denouement as he goes for another gold medal at the 2024 Olympics next summer in Paris.

Given that he won his first global medal in the City of Light—when, at the age of 18, he outran Moroccan legend Hicham El Guerrouj and Ethiopian legend-in-the-making Kenenisa Bekele to win the 5,000-meter run at the 2003 world championships—it would certainly be one of the greatest stories ever told if he could win the Olympic marathon there next year when he’s nearly 40.

Certainly he’ll run a few more races after the Olympics—and maybe through the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles—but, realistically, it is the start of a farewell tour for a runner who will never be forgotten.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not at all writing Kipchoge off. In fact, I am excited to see him run in Berlin and can’t wait to watch next year’s Olympic marathon unfold. But just as we’ve watched Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, Shalane Flanagan, Usain Bolt, Allyson Felix, and other elite athletes succumb to the sunsetting of their peak performance level, so too will Kipchoge eventually suffer the same fate.

What I’m saying here is that we still have time to watch and appreciate Kipchoge eloquently working his magic and continue to be inspired in our own running and other pursuits in life. Remember how we marveled at Michael Jordan’s greatest in “The Last Dance” more than 20 years after his heyday? This is the start of the last dance for Kipchoge, who, like Jordan, is much, much more than a generational talent; he’s an all-time great whose legacy will transcend time.

Running has seen many extraordinary stars in the past 50 years who have become iconic figures— Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Ted Corbitt, Carl Lewis, Steve Jones, Paul Tergat,  Catherine Ndereba, Paula Radcliffe, Haile Gebrselassie, Kenenisa Bekele, Mary Keitany, Brigid Kosgei, and Kilian Jornet, to name a few—but none have come close to the body of work and global influence of Kipchoge.

Not only is Kipchoge one of the first African athletes to become a household name and truly command a global audience, but he’s done more than other running champions because of he’s been able to take advantage of this advanced age of digital media to deliberately push positive messages and inspiring content to anyone who is willing to receive it.

Kipchoge has won two Olympic gold medals, set two world records, and won 17 of the 19 marathons he entered, but he’s so much less about the stats and bling and more sharing—to runners and non-runners alike—that “no human is limited” and also that, despite our differences, we’re all human beings faced with a lot of the same challenges in life and, ultimately, hard work and kindness are what put us on the path to success.

How can an average runner who works a nine-to-five job and juggles dozens of other things in daily life be inspired by an elite aerobic machine like Kipchoge?

He is supremely talented, no doubt, but many elite runners have a similar aerobic capacity to allow them to compete on the world stage. What Kipchoge uniquely possesses—and why he’s become the greatest of all-time—is the awareness and ability to be relentless in his pursuit of excellence, and the presence and good will of how beneficial it is to share it.

If you haven’t been following Kipchoge or heard him speak at press conferences or sponsor events, he’s full of genuine wisdom and encouragement that can inspire you in your own  running or challenging situation in life. His words come across much more powerfully than most other elite athletes or run-of-the-mill social media influencers, not only because he’s achieved at a higher level than anyone ever has, but because of his genuine interest in sharing the notion that it’s the simplest values—discipline, hard work, consistency, and selflessness—that make the difference in any endeavor.

This is not a suggestion to idolize Kipchoge, but instead to apply his wisdom and determination into the things that challenge you.

“If you want to break through, your mind should be able to control your body. Your mind should be a part of your fitness.”

“Only the disciplined ones in life are free. If you are undisciplined, you are a slave to your moods and your passions.”

“If you believe in something and put it in your mind and heart, it can be realized.”

“The best time to plant a tree was 25 years ago. The second-best time to plant a tree is today.”

Those are among the many simple messages that Kipchoge has lived by, but he also openly professess to giving himself grace to take time for mental and physical rest and recovery. It’s a simple recipe to follow, if you’re chasing your first or fastest marathon, or any tall task in life.

Kipchoge seems to defy age, but his sixth-place finish in the Boston Marathon in April proved he’s human. As much as it was painful to watch him falter, it was oddly refreshing and relatable to see him be something less than exceptional, and especially now that he’s tuning up for Berlin. He has nothing left to prove—to himself, to runners, to the world—but he’s bound to keep doing so just by following the same simple, undaunted regimen he always has.

There will be other young runners who will rise and run faster than Kipchoge and probably very soon. Fellow Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum—who has run  2:01:53 (Valencia) and 2:01:25 (London) in his first two marathons since December—seems to be next in line for Kipchoge’s throne of the world’s greatest runner. But even after that happens, Kipchoge’s name will go down in history alongside the likes of Paavo Nurmi, Abebe Bikila, Emil Zátopek, Grete Waitz, Shorter and Samuelson because of how he changed running and how he gave us a lens to view running without limits.

Berlin is definitely not the end of Kipchoge’s amazing career  as the world’s greatest long-distance runner. I fully expect him to win again in an unfathomable time. But the sunset is imminent and, no matter if you are or have ever been an aspiring elite athlete at any level, a committed recreational runner, or just an occasional jogger trying to reap the fruits of consistent exercise, his example is still very tangible and something to behold.

Eliud Kipchoge says he is determined to keep on writing history — and secure a third Olympic marathon crown next year

Eliud Kipchoge is widely regarded as the greatest marathon runner of all time has set himself many challenges in his dazzling career, and remains insatiable despite his two Olympic titles, his world record of 2:01:09 in Berlin in 2022 and an incredible 15 wins in 18 marathons he has entered.

He broke the mythical two-hour barrier over the 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometre) distance in Vienna in 2019, with a time of 1:59:40, but the feat was not recognised as an official world record as it was not in open competition.

Victory has eluded the 38-year-old in the Boston and New York marathons, which if he won would make him the first man to have all six major titles under his belt.

"The priority now is to focus on the Olympics and win a third time. The other (challenges) will come later," Kipchoge says in an interview with AFP at the renowned Kaptagat training camp in Kenya's Rift Valley.

His two Olympic marathon gold medals in 2016 and 2021 put him at level pegging with Ethiopia's Abebe Bikila (1960, 1964) and Waldemar Cierpinski of East Germany (1976, 1980).

A third gold at the Paris Olympics in 2024 would make Kipchoge the undisputed marathon giant at the Games, and bring him a victory steeped in symbolism.

The French capital was the city where he won his first international crown in 2003 at the age of 18, clinching the 5,000 metres world championship title ahead of sporting legends Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco and Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele.

However, Kipchoge does not rule out giving up on his other goals.

"If time comes in to hang the racing shoes, I will say bye to other big things in sport."

'I know myself'

Sitting on a shaded bench in the Kaptagat camp where he has lived and trained for several months a year for 20 years, Kipchoge looks back on his poor showing in Boston on April 17, where he dropped from the lead group in the 30th kilometre and ended up finishing sixth.

This rare failure dampened his spirits.

"I'm trying to forget what has happened in Boston. It's caught in my mind... but I believe that what has passed has passed."

With his lifelong coach Patrick Sang, he has analysed the reasons for his disappointing performance, saying "it's mostly the hamstring".

He brushes aside concerns about his difficulties on hilly courses such as Boston and New York and which will also confront him in Paris.

"It is not really a concern, but I respect everybody's thoughts," he says. "I think it was a bad day and every day is a different day. I'm looking forward for next year.

"Everybody can write anything, you have no control. But I know myself."

'Want to be an inspiration'

Kipchoge is now preparing for his final marathon of the year.

"I'm doing well. My training is going on in a good way," he says.

But he has not yet disclosed which event it will be — Berlin on September 24, Chicago on October 8 or New York on November 5.

"At the end of July, I will know where to go."

He is following his usual training programme, eating up more than 200 kilometres a week on the red dirt tracks of Kaptagat forest, 2,400 metres above sea level.

Among his 20-odd training partners at the camp at the time of the AFP interview were Kenya's new 1,500m and 5,000m world record holder Faith Kipyegon and two-time New York marathon winner Geoffrey Kamworor.

As the respected dean of Kenyan athletics, Kipchoge is happy to see the emergence of 23-year-old compatriot Kelvin Kiptum, who won the London Marathon in April in 2:01:25, the second fastest time in history and just 16 seconds away from his own world record.

"I want to be an inspiration and I trust my breaking the world record twice is an inspiration to many young people. I trust they will want more and even beat my records."

'Prioritise drugs tests'

But in a country where athletics has become tainted by large-scale drug use, Kipchoge laments that "many people are going into shortcuts to advance".

"I think doping is there... It's all more about getting rich."

Kipchoge says the authorities should prioritise testing for performance-enhancing substances, saying it was much more important than education "because everybody who is doing doping knows what is going on".

"Just pump everything in testing, put testing as a first priority and all will be well," he says.

"The moment we prioritise testing and we register those who are handling the athletes across the country, we have the right data to know who is who in the whole country.

"But if we really ignore the people who are working with athletes and athletes themselves, then we are in danger."

Training Advice from the Greatest Women Masters Marathoners Alive

While Jeannie Rice and Jenny Hitchings are busy setting masters world records, their differences in training are even more instructive than their similarities

The spring marathon season has come and gone, and it didn’t disappoint, producing sensational races and world headlines. This was particularly true in Boston and London. However, you might have heard little or nothing about two of the best marathon performances in those events.

The big media coverage went to seemingly-unbeatable Eliud Kipchoge, who finished sixth at Boston, where Evans Chebet gained his third straight World Marathon Major victory in 12 months. At the London Marathon, Kelvin Kiptum ran 59:45 for the second half, en route to a course record 2:01:27, and Sifan Hassan demonstrated that she can win in the marathon as she has at multiple shorter distances.

But 75-year-old Jeannie Rice and 59-year-old Jenny Hitchings outran them all, on an Age-Gender performance basis, both setting new world records for their age groups. Rice’s 3:33:15 in Boston won’t count, since the Boston course is considered ineligible due to its significant downhill slope and point to point layout, which allows for a tailwind boost. Still, she beat the fastest 75-79 age-group male runner by more than 20 minutes, which has likely never happened before in a global marathon. And five weeks before Boston, at age 74, she ran 3:31:22 in the Tokyo Marathon.

A week after Boston, Hitchings ran 2:45:27 in London—a marathon world record for women in the 55-59 age division. Remarkably, she’s at the high end of that age range, as she’ll turn 60 in early July. Not only that, but it was her personal best marathon in 40 years of running.

Rice was born in South Korea and immigrated to the U.S. in her mid-30s. A retired real estate agent, she now divides her time between south Florida and Cleveland. Hitchings is a longtime resident of Sacramento, California, where she works as a middle-school cross-country coach and a private running coach.

Rice and Hitchings live on opposite coasts, but they have much in common. They’ve both been running for decades, both are extremely consistent in their training, and both log multiple 20-milers in their marathon buildups. Surprisingly, neither makes a particular effort to include hill training, a staple among other top marathon runners. Both are small and lean. Rice stands 5-foot-2 and weighs 96 pounds; Hitchings is 5-foot-4 and 100 pounds.

But Rice and Hitchings also present some stark contrasts. These differences carry an important message: There are many paths to marathon success, and the best senior runners understand this. Through their experience and wisdom, they’ve learned to focus on the positives and jettison the junk.

Here’s a look at some of the major contrasts between master marathon greats Jeannie Rice and Jenny Hitchings.

Both Rice and Hitchings had previously won age-group titles at Boston. Rice chose to return there in April for emotional reasons, as Boston marked her 40th anniversary of marathon running and her 130th marathon. Hitchings selected London for technical reasons. In 2021, she ran 2:45:32 at Boston. It would have been a record except for the point-to-point course prohibition. So this spring she opted for London’s record-eligible course.

Rice: “Boston has always been a special marathon for me,” said Rice. “My preparation wasn’t the best, as I ran the Tokyo Marathon in early March, and then did some traveling. But I wanted to have my Boston celebration, and I had quite a few running friends there with me.”

Hitchings: “London was on my marathon ‘bucket list’ anyway, and it gave me a great opportunity to set an age-group world record,” said Hitchings. “Since my 2:45 at Boston didn’t count, I figured I should take a crack at London while I was still in the age group.” [She will turn 60 in early July.]

Rice has always been self-coached. Hitchings, a running coach herself, has had a longterm coach-athlete relationship with Chicago-based Jenny Spangler. Spangler won the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in 1996 and ran a 2:32:39 marathon in 2003, after turning 40.

Rice: “I’ve been approached by people who wanted to coach me, but they seemed expensive and had other demands I didn’t like. I listen to what my friends do and what others are doing in training. I try to run 50 miles most weeks, and a bit more before my marathons. But I don’t actually follow a schedule. Mostly I just train the way I feel. I’m still running strong and beating records, so I must be doing something right.

“I know it’s possible that a coach could help me the way Gene Dykes’s coach helped him, but it’s also possible that things could go wrong. I like to decide my training according to how I feel each day.”

Hitchings: “I coach other runners, and I could certainly coach myself, but you know what they say about doctors who treat themselves: They have a fool for a patient. I think that can also apply to athletes who coach themselves. It’s just smarter to have someone looking over your shoulder, and adding some perspective.

“I’m one of those who’s often guilty of running too fast on my easy days, or getting excited and going too hard when I’m training with friends. Jenny [her coach] holds me accountable for those kinds of things. She has a great personal performance record that I respect a lot, and has been coaching for many years.

“It’s also important to me that she’s a female coach of my own age. She understands what I’m going through and dealing with in terms of female physiology.”

Both runners say they enjoy a relaxed morning cup of coffee before launching into their days. But Rice is up earlier, and often out the door quicker. Hitchings needs more time to be ready for a solid run.

Rice: “I like to get my run done early, so I have the whole day in front of me when I get back home at 7:30 A.M. or so. I’m usually running by 6 A.M. In Florida, where I spend my winters, that can be important for the cooler weather.

“But on days when I’m going 20 to 23 miles, I’ll get up at 3:30 A.M.  and begin running at 4:30 A.M.  I’ll go two hours on my own, and then join a local training group for their morning loop, which gives me another hour or so.”

Hitchings: “I coach a number of people who can roll right out of bed and start running. I’m not one of those. My favorite time to run is about 8 A.M. or 8:30 A.M. in the morning. I like my coffee first, and the morning newspaper, and I always make sure to get a light breakfast in my stomach. Since my favorite place to run is the American River Parkway, that gives me another 15 minutes of drive time before I get going.

“There have been times when I had to be a noontime runner, and that was OK, too. But 4 P.M. or 5 P.M.? That’s not going to happen. By that time of day, I’m too tired or depleted.”

This one is easy for Rice, who has never been injured except for a fall (and banged-up knee) in 2021 that cost her several weeks of running. Hitchings also considers herself relatively injury-free, but she has encountered an assortment of typical runner injuries through the years: Achilles tendinitis, piriformis pain, and surgery for Haglund’s deformity (a bony growth at the back of the heel resulting from mostly genetic causes).

Rice: “I go to the gym three times a week for a light strength workout, some pushups, and some stretching. But it’s not a serious session at all. I also golf for fun; I really enjoy golfing.”

Hitchings: “I try to do light weight work as much as I can, and I ride my bike 20-30 miles a week outdoors, and do Peloton indoors. Recently, I added Pilates once a week to improve my strength and mobility.

“Also, Jenny and I have agreed to take one hard running day out of my weekly schedule. I used to do speed work of some kind on Tuesday and Thursday, and a long weekend run. Now I’m down to speed on Wednesday, and a weekend long run that often has some tempo-pace segments.”

While both are clearly fit, Rice and Hitchings say they enjoy a wide variety of foods, and have no particular restrictions in their diets. Both enjoy wine drinking. Hitchings admits to a sweet tooth, too, but desserts are not a problem for Rice.

Rice: “Breakfast is usually oatmeal with fruit and nuts. At lunch and dinner, I enjoy a green salad with some sort of seafood or fish on top. I’ve never liked sweets and don’t crave them, but I love cheese and nuts. That’s my big downfall—cheese and nuts. The only supplements I take are calcium with vitamin D, B-12, and magnesium.”

Hitchings: “I eat  ‘clean,’ a well-balanced diet with an emphasis on carbs. I simply don’t feel good if I eat heavy, creamy, or fried foods. I get most of my vitamins and minerals from real foods, though recently I’ve added Athletic Greens to my routine.

“When I’m in heavy marathon training, I find it hard to maintain my weight, so I’ll have some protein shakes and maybe one chocolate bar, muffin, or pastry per day. I’ve got a drawer full of vitamins, calcium, collagen, and iron supplements, but I never seem to stick with any for long. It’s just too much.”

While realistic about their futures, neither Rice nor Hitchings sound the least bit intimidated by the unwritten future. Despite aging, both are driven to perform. They hope to keep running hard and fast, and chasing age-group records. Both plan to run the Chicago Marathon on October 8, as it will be the site of this year’s Abbott World Marathon Majors Wanda Age Group Championships.

Rice: “Getting faster at 75 is almost impossible, but this year I’m going to run a few road miles to work on my speed. I’ve won my age group in every World Marathon Major but London, so I want to get back to London in the next several years. I want to run the Sydney Marathon, the Ho Chi Minh City Marathon, and, of course, I must run the Seoul Marathon in the country where I was born.”

Hitchings: “I’m running faster at 60 than I’ve ever run in my life. My time in London was literally my lifetime best, and I’ve been running a long time. Sometimes I get asked, ‘When are you going to stop running?’ My answer is always: ‘Why would I stop?’ I’m still getting faster, and I’m still enjoying it.”

Rice, though 15 years older, feels the same. It’s fun winning major marathons, of course, especially when she beats most men her age. In local and regional races, she challenges herself to finish as high as possible in the masters division against females three decades younger (and sometimes wins outright).

“I love competition,” she says. “I’m motivated to train hard, and I’m excited about setting more records as long as I can. Maybe into my 80s.”

Running is about finish times, sure, but it’s even more about attitude. Find the goal that’s right for you, and go after it. This is the approach both Rice and Hitchings have followed successfully, and neither plans to change course now, no matter how many candles adorn their next birthday cake.

Both are on a shared mission, and they’d like others to join them. As Hitchings says: “I think if we keep a positive attitude and motivation, we can go out there and do much more than people think. It’s important to show others that we can defy the way aging has been defined for us for so long.”

Top Kenya names bow out of world athletics marathon team

Kenya has been forced to make changes to its marathon squad for the World Athletics championships in Budapest in August after the biggest names bowed out of the team.

Last Friday Athletics Kenya (AK) picked Kelvin Kiptum, the world's second fastest marathon runner, and the women's world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei for the August 19 to 27 championships.

But the pair, along with 2023 London marathon silver medalist Geoffrey Kamworor, withdrew in quick succession, forcing Athletics Kenya to name new replacements on Wednesday.

"We selected the best runners we have for the marathon, but we cannot force them to compete in Budapest," Paul Mutwii, the AK director of competitions, told AFP on Thursday.

However Kiptum, who was expected to make his international debut for Kenya, told AFP he had not reached a conclusive agreement with AK over his availability for Budapest.

Titus Kipruto, the 2022 Milan marathon champion, will lead the men's team, alongside Timothy Rono and Joshua Belet.

Reigning Tokyo marathon champion Rosemary Wanjiru is retained in the women's team that also includes former world half marathon bronze medalist Selly Chepyego Kaptich and Shyline Jepkorir Toroitich.

Kiptum, Kosgei to lead Kenya Marathon team in Budapest

The second fastest man in marathon history, Kelvin Kiptum and women's world marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei will lead the Kenyan marathon team at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary, scheduled for August 19-27.

Kiptum, the 2023 London Marathon champion will team up with Geoffrey Kamworor and Titus Kipruto.

The 2023 Rotterdam Marathon silver medalist Timothy Kiplagat and the 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Michael Githae are the reserve runners.

Double Chicago and London Marathon champion Kosgei will have company from the 2023 Tokyo Marathon winner Rosemary Wanjiru and the 2016 5,000m African champion Sheila Chepkirui.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medalist Margaret Wangari and the 2014 World Half Marathon bronze medalist Selly Chepyego will be the reserve runners for the women's cadre.

The men's team will be targeting reclaiming the world title that Kenya last won in 2017 through Geoffrey Kirui.

Kenya was last victorious in the women's category in 2019 when Ruth Chepngetich was crowned in Doha. Kosgei and Co will be on a mission to recapture Kenya's lost glory.

The team was named after Athletics Kenya held a meeting with a panel of coaches in Eldoret on June 1.

The panel consisted of Patrick Sang, Richard Metto, David Leting, Julius Kirwa, Joseph Cheromei and Peter Bii.

Athletics Kenya director for competitions, Paul Mutwii disclosed that the line-up was based on the willingness and availability of the athletes.

Eliud Kipchoge thinks Kelvin Kiptum will be next to break the marathon world record

Eliud Kipchoge has tipped Kelvin Kiptum to break the marathon records he has set and possibly become the first man to run under two hours.

Kiptum took the world by surprise in April by shattering Kipchoge's course record at the London marathon. It was only his second-ever race, yet he managed to set the second-fastest time in history.

Kipchoge remains the most decorated marathoner in history and holds the current world record of 2 hours, 1 minute and 9 seconds. Kiptum was just 18 seconds away from eclipsing Kipchoge's record in London.

In light of recent events, Kipchoge has now backed Kiptum to even go a step further and run a marathon in under two hours. Kipchoge is the only man to have run a sub-two marathon race, but it was under special conditions and thus not recognized as a world record but remains a huge fete nonetheless.

Why Kipchoge's world record is under threat

Previously, Sports Brief reported that if the 2023 London Marathon is anything to go by, then Kipchoge's world record of 2:01:09 might be under threat sooner than we expected.

Kelvin Kiptum blitzed through an experienced field on April 23 to win the London Marathon at 2:01:26, which is just 18 seconds more than Kipchoge's world record.

Kiptum's major introduction to the marathon world sets up an interesting prospect, especially with the Berlin Marathon this year up for grabs. The Berlin Marathon has proven to be a positive hunting ground for world records, with 12 world records (men and women) having been set in the German capital, including Kipchoge's.

Eliud Kipchoge to rest before planning on next marathon

World Marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge has prioritised recovery before making a decision on his next marathon.

Kipchoge, who flagged off the the London marathon men's elite race last Sunday that was won by Kenya's Kelvin Kiptum, said he is firmly focused on the challenges ahead.

"Thank you London for having me. I felt inspired to meet so many runners from around the world. Their energy motivates me for the challenges ahead. I'm heading back to Kenya to recover and make plans for my next marathon," Kipchoge posted on his twitter account.

Kipchoge has won the London and Berlin Marathons four times apiece.

Speaking on BBC One before flagging off the race, he said: "I love being in London. The crowd is always wonderful and it's great to see how the running community is coming together. London is like home to me and it is the place to be for a marathon.

On Sunday April 16, Kipchoge finished sixth in the Boston marathon where he was making his debut. The 38-year-old who is a two-time Olympic champion, failed to sparkle in the much-hyped marathon.

Defending champion Evans Chebet won the Boston Marathon, surging to the front at Heartbreak Hill to cut the tape in a time of 2:05:54.

Mo Farah says Great North Run will be his final race

Britain's four-times Olympic champion Mo Farah said he will end his athletics career at the Great North Run in September.

Farah finished ninth in his final marathon in London on Sunday, clocking 2:10:28 - nine minutes behind winner Kelvin Kiptum.

The 40-year-old will compete at the 10km Great Manchester Run on May 21 before the Great North Run half-marathon on Sept. 10.

"Part of me was wanting to cry," Farah told BBC on Sunday after the London Marathon. "I will miss that feeling, I am emotional today.

"I want to pass that on. The Great North Run is going to be my last ever run and that will be my goodbye.

"My career has been amazing, my wife and kids have been with me throughout this journey and I want to give time to them now, as well as getting involved in grassroots sport and give back to this sport."

Farah has won the Great North Run six times.

London Marathon Men — Kiptum Blinder With Boggling Splits

Kelvin Kiptum found a way to better his marathon debut world record as he dashed away from a quality field, blitzing a stupefying 59:45 second half to win the London Marathon with a 2:01:25 clocking.

“I am so happy with my performance in my first World Marathon Majors, and to run the second fastest time in history,” Kiptum beamed. “The secret is hard training, and my preparation was very good. Everything was going one way, and I was expecting good results.”

Race day certainly went Kiptum’s way as the 23-year-old not only pared 72 seconds off Eliud Kipchoge’s London course record, he scared Kipchoge’s 2:01:09 global standard, and moved past Kenenisa Bekele to No. 2 on the all-time list.

Left far behind was the competition as Geoffrey Kamworor ran a PR 2:04:23 to finish 2nd as Tamirat Tola filled out the podium with a 2:04:59 effort.

Kiptum picked up right where he left off last December in Valencia when he ran a stunning 2:01:53 marathon debut, closing the second half in 60:20. Having logged that impressive sub-2:02 debut, this run was less stunning than it was spectacular as Kiptum hit speeds seldom seen on a marathon course.

While the runners set off on wet pavement, the expected steady rain did not materialize and the light wind, 50-degree (10C) temperatures and a crisp 38-degree dewpoint combined for some fast running. Well at least for Kiptum.

Defending champ Vincent Kipruto and Kiptum were ready for a fast getaway, clipping at the pacers’ heels through the downhill opening 5K (14:30) before settling into a steady 2:56K pace.

Crossing 20K on the Tower Bridge in 58:31 (2:03:27 pace), Kiptum seemed to egg on the trio of pacers as they upped the tempo to pass halfway in 61:40. The move also yielded a generational change of sorts as the 40-year-old Bekele slipped out of contention while Kiptum sped on in an effort that would supplant the Ethiopian’s 2:01:41 Berlin ’19 win.

The ensuing 5K segment in 14:22 between 20 and 25K pared the pace down to a 2:03:01 clip, and the lead group to 6 contenders. Kenyans Kiptum, Kamworor and Kipruto led the charge, a stride ahead of the Ethiopian trio of Tola, Seifu Tura and Leul Gebrselassie.

Covering the subsequent 5K in 14:30 pushed the tempo down to 2:02:57 at 30K (1:27:23) when Kiptum’s obvious exuberance could no longer be restrained.

Kiptum’s break came after he missed his 30K fluid grab. “My plan was to catch a water,” he said. “But unfortunately, I missed and I said, ‘Let me make a move,’ so I try.”

Kiptum’s try was a sharp acceleration covered at first by Kamworor and Tola, but soon they were left behind.

After facing Kiptum in Valencia, Tola was ready for the move but discovered one of his legs wasn’t: “When he was moving, I start with him but my leg was not OK, so I kept on my pace to finish.”

Kamworor clung to the radical speed a bit longer before coming to his senses: “When Kelvin made a move, that was a crazy pace and I couldn’t go with it because that was insane, so I said, let me go with my pace.” Note that this perspective comes from an athlete who knows something about insane pace as he closed out his 2018 World Half-Marathon Championship in Valencia with a blistering 13:01.

Once cut loose, Kiptum covered ground effortlessly, with a little side-to-side shoulder movement in his arm swing, but from his bib number on down he ran as smoothly as Kipchoge. Looking well within his comfort zone Kiptum’s breakaway was sealed with a 13:49 split to hit 35K in 1:41:12 — 2:02-flat pace.

The sub 2:50 kilo pace continued all the way down the Thames Embankment with a 14:01 split through 40K, and running 6:12 over the final 2195m.

Kiptum admitted, “It was difficult between 30 and 40K, and at 41 and 42 I was so exhausted I had no energy.”

The 58:42 half-marathoner’s transition to the full distance seems complete as for a second race in a row, after some 30km of running, Kiptum was able to shift back into the 2:48 pace of a sub-59:00 HM.

Scant few marathoners split a sub-2:50 kilometer; Kipchoge recorded 8 in the first half of his WR run last October, and 4 in his 2:01:39 record run. Kiptum ran 6 consecutive sub-2:50s between 31 and 37K in Valencia, and went even faster here, averaging 2:47.5 over the final 12,195 meters.

That’s 1:57:48 marathon pace.

Kiptum’s improbable finishing speed and rise to the top tier of marathoners over the short span of 5 months and two competitions is a rare achievement. The Kenyan phenom has impacted the marathon world like an unassuming rookie pitcher hitting the big leagues and pounding the strike zone with 105mph fastballs.

Managed by Marc Corstjens, the soft-spoken Kenyan is based in Chepkorio, 6km east of Kipchoge’s Kaptagat camp. Kiptum is self-coached, often trains alone with a preference for long, hilly runs in the forest — reminiscent of Sammy Wanjiru’s ’08 Olympic year training.

“My focus now is marathon,” Kiptum said. “I have done some half-marathons, I have run 59 or 58 seven times, so I said, ‘Let me try to shape up for the marathon.’”

As for chasing Kipchoge’s WR, Kiptum demurred with the patience evidenced in his opening 30K: “I will go home and see, but not now. Maybe in 2 or 3 years with good preparation.”

Among the field’s highly decorated veterans, Kamworor was happy to run his best race since his ’19 motorbike accident: “The race was good, and I am happy that I have come back after a long time struggling with injuries.”

Mo Farah closed out his marathon career finishing 9th in 2:10:58, while Bekele was less fortunate, perhaps closing out his stellar career with a DNF.

Top 10 Men Finishers

1. Kelvin Kiptum (Kenya) 2:01:25

2. Geoffrey Kamworor (Kenya) 2:04:23

3. Tamirat Tola (Ethiopia) 2:04:59

4. Leul Gebresilase (Ethiopia) 2:05:45

5. Seifu Tura (Ethiopia) 2:06:38

6. Emile Cairess (Great Britain) 2:08:07

7. Brett Robinson (Australia) 2:10:19

8. Phil Sesemann (Great Britain) 2:10:23

9. Mo Farah (Great Britain) 2:10:28

10. Chris Thompson (Great Britain) 2:11:50

London Marathon 2023: Kelvin Kiptum and Sifan Hassan win with superb runs

Kenya's Kelvin Kiptum smashed compatriot Eliud Kipchoge's course record to win the men's London Marathon in the second-fastest time ever.

The 23-year-old was just 16 seconds outside Kipchoge's world record, finishing in two hours one minute 25 seconds.

Sifan Hassan also produced a remarkable run to win the women's race.

The Dutch Olympic track champion, 30, suffered with a hip injury but battled to win on her debut at the distance.

“It was really amazing,” she says. She never thought she could win, so can’t believe that she did. The crowd are amazing, she says, and every single kilometre she was grateful to be there.

She’s so happy and it’s beautiful to see; she explains she has a pre-existing hip problem, hence the stretching, and because she was fasting she didn’t practise so didn’t know where to stop for drinks.

At 20km she felt she wasn’t tired and was thinking about getting experience for her next marathon and at every moment she was grateful. She didn’t have confidence because she didn’t practise drinking and she found it really tough; she realised she didn’t have to have as much as she should.

Living in the States, she used to set her alarm to watch this race, and now she’s won it she’ll never forget it. She’d been told she’d hurt, but felt much better after 35km than she thought, and when she saw the line she thought it that really it?!

She needs to decide what race she’ll run at the Paris Olympics next summer but she’s so grateful. What an incredible racer and lovely person.

Kiptum produced the fastest marathon debut in Valencia in December, where he finished in 2:01:53 - the third-fastest time in history.

He went faster still on the streets of London, knocking one minute and 12 seconds off Kipchoge's previous course record to beat second-placed compatriot Geoffrey Kamworor by almost three minutes.

Ethiopia's reigning world champion Tamirat Tola was third, while Britain's Mo Farah finished ninth in what he says will be his last marathon.

Emile Cairess, 25, produced a superb run to finish as the first British man home, taking sixth in 2:08:07 on his marathon debut. 

It was the third-fastest marathon time by a British man - behind Farah and Steve Jones - and the second fastest by a Briton in the London race. 

Four British runners finished in the top 10 in total, with Phil Sesemann eighth and Chris Thompson 10th.

In the women's race, Hassan, who won the 5,000m and 10,000m at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, appeared out of the race after dropping back early on with a hip problem, but gradually fought back.

She then produced a sprint finish to win in two hours 18 minutes 33 seconds.

Ethiopia's Alemu Megertu was second and Kenya's previously unbeaten Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir third. 

Kenyan world record holder Brigid Kosgei looked to be limping from the start and dropped out after just three minutes, while Ethiopia's defending champion Yalemzerf Yehualaw was fifth. 

Sam Harrison, 27, was the first British woman home, clocking a new personal best of 2:25:59 for the 26.2-mile distance as she claimed 11th. 

It was the fifth-fastest time by a British woman in the event. 

Switzerland's Marcel Hug knocked 50 seconds off his own course record to win a third consecutive London Marathon men's wheelchair race - and fifth in total.

Hug, 37, finished in one hour 23 minutes 48 seconds, well ahead of the Netherlands' Jetze Plat in second, with Japan's Tomoki Suzuki third and the United States' Daniel Romanchuk in fourth.

Britain's David Weir, 43, finished his 24th London Marathon in fifth place.

Australia's Madison de Rozario held off Manuela Schar, of Switzerland, in a sprint finish to win the women's wheelchair race for a second time.

The four women's favourites made it on the Mall together before De Rozario and Schar pulled away.

De Rozario won in one hour 38 minutes 52 seconds, with defending champion Catherine Debrunner, of Switzerland, in third and the United States' Susannah Scaroni fourth.

Eden Rainbow-Cooper, 21, who was third in 2022, was the first Briton home in seventh.

The event has returned to its traditional date in the calendar, in April, for the first time since 2019 after being moved during the Covid-19 pandemic.

More than 47,000 runners are taking part, with huge crowds lining the streets of London despite damp conditions.

Geoffrey Kamworor ready to glide on London roads

Two-time New York City Marathon winner Geoffrey Kamworor declares he is in his best shape ever and promises fireworks in England.

Kamworor, fondly referred to as the man of all surfaces, was hit by a motorcycle while training in Kaptagat on June 27, 2020, fracturing a tibia. He underwent surgery to mend the injury.

Things suddenly changed for Kamworor as his career in athletics turned upside down.

He was then gunning for his fourth consecutive World Athletics Half Marathon Championships title, but injured he failed to defend the crown on October 17, the same year in Gdynia, Poland.

Kamworor, who had the previous year recaptured the New York City Marathon title he had won in 2019, would embark on a frustrating long period of recovery. He eventually bounced back after 18 months to claim silver at the Istanbul Half Marathon on April 4, 2021.

Amidst a series of injuries Kamworor, the 2014 world 10,000m silver medalist, was still good enough to  run the fastest time on Kenyan soil as he won the Kenyan Olympic Games trials 10,000m in 27 minutes and 01.06 seconds at the Moi International Sports Center, Kasarani.

The man of all surfaces’ dream of returning for the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games went up in smoke with an ankle injury.

The fighter he is, he returned for the Valencia Marathon on December 5, 2021 where he finished fourth in a personal best  time of two hours, five minutes and 23 seconds.

He opened the 2022 season with an 18th place finish in the Boston Marathon on April 18 as a recurring ankle injury put paid to his title ambitions.

Kamworor still earned a place in the Kenya marathon team for the World Athletics Championships held on July 17 in Oregon, United States where he battled to a credible fifth place.

“For sure the last two years have been frustrating for me since the accident, injury after another crept in,” said Kamworor, as h3 announced that he was back into his best shape and ready for his debut in the London Marathon on Sunday.

“I am now running and conducting my training without any discomfort. I feel like I am back to the shape I was in 2017 to 2019 before all these misfortunes happened,” said Kamworor,  the 2015 and 2017 world cross country champion.

He went through his last speed work on Tuesday in Eldoret ahead of his departure to London yesterday.

Kamworor said that it’s a dream come true for him to finally compete in the London Marathon.

“I want to thank the organizers for giving me this opportunity. I can promise a beautiful race in the British capital,” said Kamworor. He predicted a tough race owing to the quality entries.

“It will depend on how you wake up but I am ready for any weather conditions,” said Kamworor.

He said he is ready for any pace and whatever tactics that will be thrown into the race by his opponents

Among the top cream of athletes Kamwowor will battle on the streets of London are fellow countrymen Amos Kipruto, who is the defending champion, and Kelvin Kiptum, 23, who produced the fastest marathon debut in history when he claimed victory in Valencia in 2:01:53 in December.  This is, in fact, made him the  third fastest man in history.

The Kenyans are up against home athlete Mo Farah and Ethiopian legendary distance runner Kenenisa Bekele among others.

Recovering Vincent Kipchumba out of London Marathon

Vincent Kipchumba may be down but certainly not out.

It has always been his dream to finally win the world's most prestigious marathon, but the 32-year-old distance runner will once again miss this year’s London Marathon scheduled for Sunday.

Kipchumba, who has finished second twice in the British capital, has revealed that he has just recovered from a knee injury, hence not ready for the grueling marathon.

This will be the second time Kipchumba is missing the London Marathon after a recurring leg frame injury knocked him out last year’s race.

It’s the same injury that also saw the Kapsabet-based distance runner withdraw from the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games held in August, 2021.

“I was preparing so well, having completely healed from the frame injury only to go down again with a knee injury this time round,” said Kipchumba.

“I was really determined not to finish second again in London but this is so frustrating.”

Kipchumba had made a return after 17 months to finish 14th at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on February 18 this year before the knee injury crept in.

Kipchumba made his World Marathon Majors (WMM) debut in London in 2020 where he clocked two hours, five minutes and 42 seconds to finish second, losing to Ethiopia’s Shura Kitala by 16 seconds in 2:05:58.

Kipchumba, 2019 Amsterdam and Vienna Marathon champion, would return to the British capital the following year where he improved his personal best to 2:04:28, but still settled second again behind another Ethiopian Sisay Lemma, who clocked 2:04:01.

It would be his last marathon race as he stayed out of action for the better part of last year, only making his first appearance at  Ras Al Khaimah in February this year.

"I will not lose hope and I believe my time will come. I will one day win in London and also get to represent Kenya for the first time too. I want to heal properly first before I can plan my next race,"said Kipchumba, who is handled by Claudio Berardelli.

Kipchumba’s exit now leaves three Kenyan men in the race- defending champion Amos Kipruto, Kelvin Kiptum and Geoffrey Kamworor.

The race will for the first time in history have two men, who have run inside two hours and two minutes- Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele, who is the second fastest man in marathon history with 2:01:41 and Kiptum (2:01:53).

Defending champion Kipruto to take on Bekele, Kamworor, Farah, Tola and Kiptum at London Marathon

The 2023 TCS London Marathon elite men’s field will be a landmark occasion when, for the first time in history, two men who have run inside 2:02 will be together on the same start line at the World Athletics Platinum Label road race on 23 April.

Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele, the second-fastest man ever with a PB of 2:01:41, and Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum, the winner of the 2022 Valencia Marathon and the fastest marathon debutant in history (2:01:53) have both been confirmed for the race.

With Ethiopian duo Birhanu Legese (2:02:48) and Mosinet Geremew (2:02:55) also in the field, it means this year’s London Marathon will have four of the five fastest men in marathon history on the start line.

In addition, the defending champion Amos Kipruto of Kenya and world champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia will also return to London, along with multiple world and Olympic champion Mo Farah and two-time New York Marathon winner Geoffrey Kamworor.

Kipruto’s win at last year’s London Marathon was the biggest victory of his career and his first Abbott World Marathon Major triumph. “Winning last year’s TCS London Marathon was an incredible experience for me,” said the 30-year-old, who was second at last year’s Tokyo Marathon behind world record-holder Eliud Kipchoge and third in the 2019 World Championships. “I am now preparing hard for this year’s race and I can’t wait to return to London as the champion.

“London always has a really strong field and this year is the same so I know I will face a battle to defend my title, but I’m confident and looking forward to it.”

Tola, who won the world title in Oregon last year, will be one of several men aiming to prevent Kipruto from winning back-to-back titles. Tola, 31, is in a fine run of form over the 26.2-mile distance, winning the 2021 Amsterdam Marathon and finishing third at the 2022 Tokyo Marathon (behind Kipchoge and Kipruto) before winning his world title last summer.

Also in the field is last year’s runner-up Leul Gebresilase of Ethiopia, and the second-placed finisher in London in both 2020 and 2021 Vincent Kipchumba.

The new holder of the Oceanian marathon record Brett Robinson, who ran 2:07:31 in Fukuoka last year, returns to London after finishing eighth in 2022. Japan’s 2018 Boston Marathon champion Yuki Kawauchi is making his London Marathon debut in what will be his 114th marathon. By finishing in London, Kawauchi will be eligible for his Abbott World Marathon Majors six star medal for finishing all six major marathons: London, Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, Chicago and New York.

The elite women’s field will be announced tomorrow.

Elite men’s field

Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) 2:01:41

Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) 2:01:53

Birhanu Legese (ETH) 2:02:48

Mosinet Geremew (ETH) 2:02:55

Amos Kipruto (KEN) 2:03:13

Tamirat Tola (ETH) 2:03:39

Kinde Atanaw (ETH) 2:03:51

Leul Gebresilase (ETH) 2:04:02

Vincent Kipchumba (KEN) 2:04:28

Seifu Tura (ETH) 2:04:29

Mo Farah (GBR) 2:05:11

Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) 2:05:23

Yuki Kawauchi (JPN) 2:07:27

Brett Robinson (AUS) 2:07:31

Dewi Griffiths (GBR) 2:09:49

Rory Linkletter (CAN) 2:10:24

Chris Thompson (GBR) 2:10:52

Tom Gröschel (GER) 2:11:03

Ben Connor (GBR) 2:11:20

Joshua Griffiths (GBR) 2:11:28

Frank Lara (USA) 2:11:32

Luke Caldwell (GBR) 2:11:33

Weynay Ghebresilasie (GBR) 2:11:57

Emile Cairess (GBR) debut.

Kenenisa Bekele leads list of all-stars in London

Four of the five fastest marathon men in history go head-to-head in mouth-watering race in London on April 23.

The TCS London Marathon has pulled out all the stops to put together one of the greatest men’s line-ups of all time. When it comes to the best marathon runners on the planet, only Eliud Kipchoge, is missing.

Kipchoge is racing in Boston instead but he would have his work cut out if he had chosen to race in London as the field includes:

» Kenenisa Bekele – No.2 on the all-time rankings with 2:01:41, former world 5000m and 10,000m record-holder and multiple winner of Olympic and world titles on the track and country.

» Kelvin Kiptum – the fastest debutant in history with a best of 2:01:53 from Valencia in December.

» Amos Kipruto – defending London Marathon winner from last October.

» Tamirat Tola – reigning world champion from Eugene last summer.

» Mo Farah – British record-holder and 10-time global track champion.

In addition to this the field boasts Ethiopians Birhanu Legese and Mosinet Geremew, who have both run 2:02 marathons, plus last year’s London runner-up Leul Gebresilase, the 2020 and 2021 runner-up Vincent Kipchumba and two-time New York City Marathon winner Geoffrey Kamworor.

Kipruto, the Kenyan who won last October, said: “I am now preparing hard for this year’s race and I can’t wait to return to London as the champion.

“London always has a really strong field and this year is the same so I know I will face a battle to defend my title, but I’m confident and looking forward to it.”

Brett Robinson, the Australian who ran an Oceania record of 2:07:31 in Fukuoka late last year, will hope to improve on his eighth place from London last October. Sean Tobin, who earned headlines recently for his Antarctic marathon exploits, makes his road marathon debut in London.

Yuki Kawauchi, the Japanese runner who prevailed in terrible weather to win the 2018 Boston Marathon, is also in the line-up.

TCS London Marathon – elite men’s field

Amos Kipruto (KEN, PB 2:03:13)

Kenenisa Bekele (ETH, 2:01:41)

Kelvin Kiptum (KEN, 2:01:53)

Birhanu Legese (ETH, 2:02:48)

Mosinet Geremew (ETH, 2:02:55)

Tamirat Tola (ETH, 2:03:39)

Kinde Atanaw (ETH, 2:03:51)

Leul Gebresilase (ETH, 2:04:02)

Vincent Kipchumba (KEN, 2:04:28)

Seifu Tura (ETH, 2:04:29)

Sir Mo Farah (GBR, 2:05:11)

Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN, 2:05:23)

Yuki Kawauchi (JPN, 2:07:27)

Brett Robinson (AUS, 2:07:31)

Dewi Griffiths (GBR, 2:09:49)

Rory Linkletter (CAN, 2:10:24)

Chris Thompson (GBR, 2:10:52)

Tom Gröschel (GER, 2:11:03)

Ben Connor (GBR, 2:11:20)

Joshua Griffiths (GBR, 2:11:28)

Frank Lara (USA, 2:11:32)

Luke Caldwell (GBR, 2:11:33)

Weynay Ghebresilasie (GBR, 2:11:57)

Phil Sesemann (GBR, 2:12:10)

Charlie Hulson (GBR, 2:13:34)

Andrew Heyes (GBR, 2:13:52)

Adam Craig (GBR, 2:13:58)

Alex Monroe (USA, 2:14:15)

Ross Braden (GBR, 2:14:32)

Nick Earl (GBR, 2:14:38)

Nigel Martin (GBR, 2:15:19)

Ronnie Richmond (GBR, 2:16:59)

Nicholas Bowker (GBR, 2:17:35)

Alex Milne (GBR, 2:17:40)

Josh Lunn (GBR, 2:17:59)

Fraser Stewart (GBR, 2:18:40)

Matthew Dickinson (GBR, 2:19:23)

Emile Cairess (GBR, Debut)

Sean Tobin (IRL, Debut)

Ryan Forsyth (IRL, Debut)

The men’s and women’s wheelchair fields will be announced on Wednesday afternoon (Feb 1) while the elite women’s field will be announced on Thursday (Feb 2).

Adam Craig now setting sights on going the distance at 2024 Olympics

Borders athlete Adam Craig is setting his sights high but keeping his feet on the ground after completing his first competitive marathon.

Craig finished this month’s Valencia Marathon in two hours 13 minutes and 58 seconds and is now intent on improving on that to boost his hopes of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in France.

“I’d love to be able to run at the Paris Olympics,” the 27-year-old told us. “Those sorts of races are the ones that I want to be in.”

UK Athletics requires athletes to achieve specified times to be considered for Olympic selection and to make it to the French capital, Craig reckons he will need to better his debut effort over 26 miles on the Spanish east coast by about five minutes, though target times have yet to be set for 2024.

Craig remains focused on getting faster as 2023 goes on, however, and isn’t letting himself think about the Olympic Games too much just yet.

“Obviously to think about the Olympics is good to fuel the fire, but I’m also not putting everything on that just because very few people actually get to go to the Olympics and compete on that stage,” he said.

“It’s certainly something that’s on my mind but it’s not always to the forefront.”

Craig is planning to compete in two marathons in 2023 and how he fares in those races will determine whether he’s ready for the Olympics or not.

“If next year goes really well and I get another two marathons and can knock another couple of minutes off that time, then I’d probably go into 2024 thinking ‘right, let’s try and qualify for this’, but it could go really well or it could go the other way,” he said.

Whether they’re trying to qualify for the Olympics or just aiming to cover the distance, a runner’s first marathon is a step into the unknown, so in preparation for the Valencia Marathon – won by Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum in 2:01:53, the fastest debut ever over that distance – Craig asked peers and coaches for advice.

“Everyone that I spoke to kind of said the same thing, which is that I can give you my experience of a marathon but yours will be totally different,” he said.

"Everyone said you get to 20 miles and that’s when the race starts. I saw that 20 mile-sign and I thought ‘OK, yeah, I’m in a position now where I can switch that race head on and start looking to push on, even if it’s just a second or two per mile quicker’.”

Having got that race, held annually since 1981, under his belt, finishing 42nd out of almost 22,000 runners, Craig reckons he’s got plenty of room for improvement.

“In our build-up, me and my coach decided that we’d play it quite safe and leave a few stones to be turned over next time around, so we didn’t go away and use any kind of heat or altitude training or anything like that,” he said.

“There’s room for improvement, which is quite exciting.”

It’s often said by those running them that marathons are just as tough mentally as they are physically, the psychological aspect of keeping running for that long often being daunting even for seasoned athletes, and that’s something Craig agrees with now he’s got first-hand experience of going the distance.

He says he was forewarned and forearmed about the mental strength required before heading over to Spain and decided to break up the race into sections in his mind to give himself a sense of achievement along the way rather than just being faced with a distance close to that from his former home-town of Lauder to Edinburgh as a single sizeable challenge.

Even adopting that strategy, he admits he did have a wobble early on, however.

“About eight or nine kilometers in, I remember thinking ‘I’m not even a quarter of the way through this yet – there is a long way to go’,” he recalled.

“I definitely had dips in the race, but I had lots of little markers along the way, which helped me switch off and almost lose focus of where I was in the race or how far I had to go.”

Craig, currently racing for Team New Balance Manchester, has previously enjoyed success over shorter distances, competing for Great Britain over half-marathon and 10,000-meter distances, but is now looking to play a longer game.

Spanish marathoner pushes manual wheelchair to world record at Valencia Marathon

Eric Domingo Roldan of Spain wanted to do something special to raise awareness of multiple sclerosis (MS) and to honour his mother, who suffers from the disease. On Dec. 4, and his mother Sylvia set a Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon while pushing someone in a wheelchair. Roldan ran 2:52:39 to break the previous record by 49 seconds.

Roldan had ambitions to go under two hours and 50 minutes, but his main objective was to raise awareness about MS, which has been part of his mother’s day-to-day life for some time.

The previous record Roldan broke was his own, which he set with his mother at the 2021 Barcelona Marathon (2:53:28). He said on Instagram that he was on pace to go under two hours and 50 minutes, but a problem with one of the wheels around the 35-kilometre mark made it harder for him to push.

Roldan conquered his goal of raising three thousand euros for the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. The wheelchair used by Roldan was not the typical sport-style wheelchair designed for racing, instead, Guinness requires a manual wheelchair to be used for record-breaking purposes.

“There are no words to describe our emotions today. It was something magical,” Roldan wrote on Instagram. “My mother is my motivation! She inspires me to be a better person. We will continue to run together and celebrate life.”

Kenya’s runner, Kelvin Kiptum, 23, won the 2022 Valencia Marathon in 2:01:53 in his debut, while Ethiopia’s Amane Beriso, 31, was a surprise win on the women’s side in 2:14:58, becoming the third-fastest woman in history.

Very fast times for both men and women in Valencia with surprise winners

VALENCIA, Spain — Near-perfect conditions at the 2022 Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso created an opportunity for fast times, and the elite fields answered the call on Sunday morning. Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum won the men’s race in 2:01:53, the fastest debut in history, after breaking the race open with a savage late-race move at 32 kilometers. Kiptum split 60:15 for his second half and 28:04 from 30-40k to become just the third man in history to break 2:02 after Eliud Kipchoge (2:01:09) and Kenenisa Bekele (2:01:41).

In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey was expected to challenge the world record of 2:14:04 in her debut and was on 2:14:10 pace through 30k. But, shockingly, Gidey still had company at that point of the race as her countrywoman Amane Beriso was still with her. And in the end, it was Beriso who would hold on best as she won in 2:14:58 to move to #3 on the world all-time list. Gidey would fade over the final 10k but still hold on for second in 2:16:49, the fastest debut ever by a woman.

Both Kiptum and Beriso were surprise winners and had done little recently to indicate they would challenge for the win in Valencia. Kiptum owns a half marathon best of 58:42 from Valencia in 2020, but had not finished a race over any distance since October 2021 (he DNF’d the RAK Half in February 2022). Beriso, whose pb of 2:20:48 dates from her debut in Dubai in 2016, did not race at all from January 2020 to August 2022. In her return, winning the Mexico City Marathon on August 28 in 2:25:05 at an elevation of over 7,000 feet. On Sunday, just 14 weeks later, she ran a pb of almost six minutes to become the third-fastest woman in history.

Conditions could scarcely have been better for running, with temperatures in the high-40s/low-50s, wind under 5 miles per hour, and a fast, flat course in Valencia. In the men’s race, the top four all broke 2:04 while on the women’s side, seven athletes broke 2:19 — the most ever in a single race. Also notable, 45-year-old Sinead Diver ran 2:21:34 to finish 12th, a pb by almost three minutes and an Australian record.

Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui under no pressure ahead of marathon debut at Valencia

Commonwealth Games 10,000m silver medallist Sheila Chepkirui insists she is under no pressure ahead of making her full marathon debut at the 42nd edition of the Valencia Marathon this Sunday. 

Chepkirui said she is aware of the tough competition that awaits her but insists that she is not worried.

The women’s field has attracted some of the best athletes who will be targeting to break the course record which currently stands at 2:03:00.

“I am not afraid of the competition. I am making my debut and I don’t want to put pressure on myself. My main goal is to cross the finish line,” Chepkirui said. She will be in the company of compatriots Monicah Ngige and Fancy Chemutai.

The Kenyan trio is bound to face tough competition from Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey, who is the world-record holder in 5000m, 10,000m and the half marathon.  

She is one of the women in the spotlight as she will also be making her debut over the distance after successfully ruling the track and half marathon.

Other Ethiopians in the race are— Sutume Kebede (2:18:12) and Etagegne Woldu (2:20:16). 

Chepkirui said her training is going on well and she is ready for the race.

She added that Chemutai, who is also her training mate, has played a key role in motivating her ahead of D-day. “We train together and she always encourages me,” Chepkirui said.

In the men’s field, the Ethiopian trio of Getaneh Molla (2:03:34), Tamirat Tola (2:03:39) and Dawit Wolde (2:04:27) head the field.

Kenya’s Jonathan Korir lines up as the fourth fastest with a lifetime best of 2:04:32 and will have the company of Geoffrey Kirui, Ronald Korir, Simon Kipkosgei and debutants Alexander Mutiso, Philemon Kiplimo and Kelvin Kiptum.

Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey is set to make marathon debut in Valencia

The Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso announces its elite international line-up for its 42nd edition on December 4.

Some of the best athletes on the international scene will take to the streets of Valencia “Ciudad del Running” with the aim of improving the course record (2:03:00) and seeking the best women’s debut in the history of the event.

Tamirat Tola (2:03:39), the reigning World Marathon champion, heads the men’s line-up alongside his Ethiopian compatriots Getaneh Molla (2:03:34) and Dawit Wolde (2:04:27) in a preliminary list with up to seven athletes with fastest times under 2:05 over the Marathon distance.

Kenya, a world power in the marathon, will be well represented not only by Jonathan Korir (2:04:32), but also by a trio of important debutants over the distance: Alexander Mutiso, Philemon Kiplimo and Kelvin Kiptum. Attention will also be focused on another athlete who will be initiated at 42,195 metres: the Ethiopian Milkesa Menghesa, the winner of the Copenhagen Half Marathon.

In the women’s category, the spotlight will be on the long-awaited debut of Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey (currently world record holder in the 5000, 10000, 15K and half marathon, two of which were achieved in Valencia), who will make an eye-catching debut in a marathon on 4 December with the realistic ambition of beating the time of 2:17:23 (world record for a debutant), but also of getting as close as possible to the women’s world record of 2:14:04 (Brigid Kosgei, Chicago).

The Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui, also a debutant, could become the other female star of the Valencia Marathon in 2022, without forgetting some of the other runners included in this line-up with excellent times: Sutume Kebede (2:18:12) and Etagegne Woldu (2:20:16), who achieved second place last year in this marathon.

Marc Roig, international elite coach for the Valencia Marathon, assesses the line-up: “We are very proud that Letesenbet Gidey has chosen Valencia to make her marathon debut. It is a clear demonstration that we are an attractive marathon and of the very strong links between Gidey and the city of Valencia. But, as ever, the Valencia Marathon is not based on a single name: fifteen of the women have run under 2h26 and fourteen of the men under 2:07. And let’s not forget the three debutants with 58 minutes and another one with 57 minutes in the half marathon”.

Valencia Marathon elite line-up has ambitious goals for 2022

The Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso elite line-up for its 42nd edition on 4 December, when some of the best athletes on the international scene will take to the streets of Valencia Ciudad del Running with the aim of improving the course record (2:03:00) and seeking the best women’s debut in the history of the event.

Tamirat Tola (2:03:39), the reigning World Marathon champion, heads the men’s line-up alongside his Ethiopian compatriots Getaneh Molla (2:03:34) and Dawit Wolde (2:04:27) in a preliminary list with up to seven athletes with fastest times under 2:05 over the Marathon distance. Kenya, a world power in the marathon, will be well represented not only by Jonathan Korir (2:04:32), but also by a trio of important debutants over the distance: Alexander Mutiso, Philemon Kiplimo and Kelvin Kiptum. Attention will also be focused on another athlete who will be initiated at 42,195 metres: the Ethiopian Milkesa Menghesa, the winner of the Copenhagen Half Marathon.

Valencia will also witness an interesting European battle between Germany’s Petros, Sweden’s Tsegayand the Swiss runner Wanders. Overall, the final line-up includes over 150 runners with accredited times under 2:20:00 for the marathon or 1:06:00 for the half marathon.

Gidey: the most eagerly awaited debut

In the women’s category, the spotlight will be on the long-awaited debut of Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey(currently world record holder in the 5000, 10000, 15K and half marathon, two of which were achieved in Valencia), who will make an eye-catching debut in a marathon on 4 December with the realistic ambition of beating the time of 2:17:23 (world record for a debutant), but also of getting as close as possible to the women’s world record of 2:14:04 (Brigid Kosgei, Chicago).

The Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui, also a debutant, could become the other female star of the Valencia Marathon in 2022, without forgetting some of the other runners included in this line-up with excellent times: Sutume Kebede (2:18:12) and Etagegne Woldu (2:20:16), who achieved second place last year in this marathon.

Overall, the final line-up contains over 80 athletes who have run sub 2h45:00 in the marathon or sub 1:17:30 in the half marathon.

Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui to make marathon debut at Valencia Marathon

The Commonwealth Games 10,000m bronze medalist Sheila Chepkirui has expressed her excitement about making her full marathon debut at the Valencia Marathon on December 4.

Chepkirui has had a successful career on track and the half marathon and thinks it was time for her to try the 42km distance.

“I am happy to be making my debut in Valencia…I just think it’s time for me to try this new journey. I have had some great moments on the track and I am hoping I will be able to register the same in the marathon,” Chepkirui said, adding that she is praying for good health on the race day. 

Chepkirui said she looks up to 2018 London Marathon champion Vivian Cheruiyot because of her hard work and remarkable races both on track and roads. She said her body is responding well to training so far and her goal is to finish the race. 

“After the Commonwealth Games, I had a slight injury but it got better. The training has been going on well and I am happy my body is responding well,” she said.

Meanwhile, the race has attracted 11 elite Kenyan athletes with Jonathan Korir being the fastest among his male compatriots with a PB of 2:04:32 posted last year in Amsterdam, where he placed fourth. 

Korir participated in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August and placed fifth in the marathon in 2:14:06. He was a distance  12th in Tokyo Marathon in 2:08:04 back in March.

The 2017 World marathon champion Geoffrey Kirui will also be in the mix. Kirui has a personal best time of 2:06:27. He placed fourth in 2:19:28 at this year’s Juarez International Marathon.

Others in the field are 2020 Santa Pola Half Marathon champion Alexander Mutiso, 2021 Bahrain Night Half Marathon champion Philemon Kiplimo and Kelvin Kiptum. Mutiso, Kiplimo and Kiptum will be making their debut in the 42km event. 

Bethwell Kipkemboi will be returning to Valencia with the hope of improving on his 17th-place finish during last year’s edition. He has a personal best time of 2:07:41. Others in the race will be Ronald Korir (PB 2:07:29) and Simon Kipkosgei (PB 2:07:07).

This will be Korir’s third race of the season after winning the BP Castellón Marathon in February and a fifth-place finish at the Volkswagen Prague Marathon.

Other Kenyan women in the field will be Monica Ngige who has a PB of  2:22:13 posted in Boston in April and Fancy Chemutai (PB 2:24:27).