Running News Daily

Mary Ngugi, Emmanuel Wafula dazzle at 49th Roma-Ostia half marathon

Kenyans dominated the 49th Roma-Ostia Half Marathon, with victories in both men's and women's categories on Sunday.

Former world half marathon silver medalist, Mary Wacera Ngugi, showcased her enduring class and resolve by clinching victory at the 49th edition of the Roma-Ostia Half Marathon held on Sunday in Rome, Italy.

At 35, the seasoned athlete, who also holds the title of 2021 Boston Marathon silver medalist, entered the race with a personal best of 1:06.29, recorded eight years ago at the Houston Half Marathon. 

Ngugi outpaced her rivals to secure top honors with a commendable time of 1:07.38.

Caroline Korir rounded out the top three, crossing the finish line in 1:09.01, and solidifying the podium positions. 

Ngugi’s victory is not just a personal achievement but also a testament to her commitment to nurturing young talent through her initiative, the Nala Track Club. 

Based in her hometown of Nyahururu, the club aims to empower young girls by providing them with opportunities to engage in athletics, thereby fostering a new generation of champions.

In the men’s category, the competition was equally intense, with Kenya’s Emmanuel Wafula emerging victorious in his debut over the distance, clocking an impressive time of 1:01.10. 

The race was a nail-biter until the very end, with Ethiopia's Yegzaw Bayelign finishing a mere one second behind Wafula. 

Kenyan Kimakal Kipsambu secured the third spot with a time of 1:01.20, while compatriot Asbel Kiplimo finished fourth in 1:02.57.

(03/04/2024) Views: 193 ⚡AMP
by Festus Chuma

Mary Ngugi confirmed for Roma-Ostia Half Marathon

Ngugi, a Boston marathon silver medalist from 2021, headlines the women’s field with a personal best (PB) of 66:29 in the half marathon and 2:20:22 in the marathon.

As part of her preparations for the upcoming Boston Marathon, Mary Ngugi-Cooper will line up for this year’s Roma-Ostia Half Marathon in March.

The race will be held on March 3, 2024 in Italy.

Ngugi, a Boston marathon silver medalist from 2021, headlines the women’s field with a personal best (PB) of 66:29 in the half marathon and 2:20:22 in the marathon.

The 2022 Boston bronze medalist who placed fifth at the New York City marathon last year will compete against her compatriots Caroline Korir and Nelly Jeptoo, the young Ethiopian Wariyo Bekelech Teku (fifth in the recent Ethiopian Cross Country Championships and rising star), and compatriot Anna Dibaba, the younger sister of the well-established Tirunesh and Genzebe.

“I’m really excited to announce that in April I will be running @bostonmarathon. Boston holds a special place in my heart, not only for having two podium finishes in the last few years, but getting married there too! The streets are always amazing, crowds loud and I can’t wait to hit Heartbreak Hill once again with a ridiculously strong field of talented women,” Ngugi said while announcing her return to Boston.A welcome return for the Italian team is Rebecca Lonedo, who is in great shape with a recent PB of 70.13 in Seville.

As for the men’s elite list, Ethiopian Tsegu Berehanu Wendemu headlines the list with eyes firmly set on running under an hour as he holds a PB of 59:42.

Shadrack Koech, eager to compete on the fast Roman course after his 61.12 in Trento last October, and Kimakal Kipsambu, returning to the capital after pacing with a time of 61.37 in 2023 make up the top three list of elites.

(02/20/2024) Views: 242 ⚡AMP
by Michezo Afrika

Why Mary Ngugi-Cooper is always eager to return to sentimental Boston Marathon

Mary Ngugi-Cooper has opened up on why the streets of Boston hold a special place in her heart.

Mary Ngugi-Cooper will once again line up for the Boston Marathon scheduled for Monday, April 15.

Ngugi expressed her elation upon returning to the streets of Boston which she considers one of her favorite courses, citing various reasons.

Ngugi has made several appearances at the Boston Marathon and has managed to finish among the top ten athletes five times. She was also in action last year, where she managed to finish ninth before ending her season with a fifth-place finish at the New York City Marathon.

“Back to Boston… I’m really excited to announce that in April I will be running the Boston Marathon. Boston holds a special place in my heart, not only for having two podium finishes in the last few years, but getting married there too!

"The streets are always amazing, crowds loud and I can’t wait to hit Heartbreak Hill once again with a ridiculously strong field of talented women. See you there," she said in a post on her Facebook page. 

The Kenyan will be up against some of the greatest female marathon runners including defending champion Hellen Obiri who has already exuded confidence ahead of the assignment.

The Kenyan charge also includes former World Marathon silver medallist Judith Korir, two-time Boston Marathon champion Edna Kiplagat, and the 2022 New York City Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi.

The Kenyans will face an acid test from Ethiopians who have confirmed participation in large numbers. Worknesh Degefa, the 2019 Boston Marathon champion, will make a return and she will enjoy the company of Tadu Teshome who will make her Boston debut.

Hiwot Gebremaryam will be aiming to improve upon her eighth-place finish last year while Senbere Teferi will also be in the mix.

Experienced marathoner Ababel Yeshaneh –second in 2022 and fourth in 2023— will try to become the seventh woman from Ethiopia to win the olive wreath in Boston.

(01/13/2024) Views: 265 ⚡AMP
by Abigael Wuafula

Hellen Obiri faces tough field in Boston Marathon title defence

Hellen Obiri will defend her Boston Marathon title on April 15 in what the organizers say is the strongest elite women's field in the history of the race.

However, Obiri faces a Herculean task in a race where 19 athletes have personal bests under 2:23:00 including Olympians, World Marathon Majors winners and national stars.

Obiri, a two-time Olympic 5000m silver medalist — now living in Colorado, USA — won the 2023 edition thanks to a perfectly-timed sprint in the final kilometer.

Obiri who has been named in Kenya’s marathon team for Paris Olympics is also the New York City Marathon champion.

“I am excited to return to the 2024 Boston Marathon to try to defend my title,” said Obiri, who finished last year’s race in 2:21:38.

“Boston is an historic race and I would like to add my name further to its history on April 15. Winning such a historic marathon with my family waiting at the finish line was an amazing experience.”

A trifecta of Ethiopians with lifetime bests under 2:18:00 will take to the Boston course.

Worknesh Degefa, the 2019 Boston Marathon champion, returns, while 2:17:36 marathoner Tadu Teshome will make her Boston debut. Hiwot Gebremaryam aims to improve on her eighth-place finish last year.

World championships medallist Senbere Teferi who won the 2022 B.A.A. 5K in a course record of 14:49 is also in the mix.

Experienced marathoner Ababel Yeshaneh –second in 2022 and fourth in 2023— will try to become the seventh woman from Ethiopia to win the olive wreath in Boston.

Joining Obiri from Kenya are 2022 World Athletics Championships Marathon silver medalist Judith Korir, two-time Boston Marathon winner Edna Kiplagat, four-time top-ten finisher Mary Ngugi-Cooper and 2022 New York City Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi.

Helah Kiprop, who holds a silver medal in the marathon from the 2015 World Athletics Championships and has earned wins in Tokyo, Copenhagen and Paris, makes her second career Boston start. From Morocco is 2023 world marathon bronze medalist Fatima Gardadi.

Desiree Linden leads the American contingent six years after winning the title. Linden has finished in the top-five five times and holds the third-fastest time by an American ever on the Hopkinton-to-Boston route (2:22:38).

Linden will run her fifth U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February. Joining her is Emma Bates, who finished fifth last year in the second-fastest time ever by an American woman at Boston (2:22:10).

“At this point in my career it’s an easy decision to return to the Boston Marathon and make it my top priority race of the spring,” said Linden.

“I can’t wait to take on the iconic course for an 11th time and have the opportunity to mix it up with some of the best runners in the world.”

Jack Fleming, President and CEO of the Boston Athletic Association said: “The Boston Marathon is proud to showcase the world’s best athletes year in and year out on Patriots’ Day.”

“This year’s women’s field is exceptionally fast and showcases many who’ve been podium finishers on the global stage. It’ll make for an exciting race from Hopkinton to Boston, and we look forward to crowning our champions on April 15,” he added.

(01/12/2024) Views: 258 ⚡AMP
by Angwenyi Gichana

Strongest Women’s Field in the race history at Boston Marathon 2024

The 128th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America will feature the strongest women’s field in race history, led by defending champions Hellen Obiri and Susannah Scaroni. A total of 19 women with personal bests under 2:23:00 will line up in Hopkinton aiming to earn the Open Division crown, including Olympians, Abbott World Marathon Majors winners, and national stars. In the Wheelchair and Para Athletics Divisions, Paralympic hopefuls from around the world are set to compete.

“The Boston Marathon is proud to showcase the world’s best athletes year in and year out on Patriots’ Day,” said Jack Fleming, President and CEO of the Boston Athletic Association. “This year’s women’s field is exceptionally fast and showcases many who’ve been podium finishers on the global stage. It’ll make for an exciting race from Hopkinton to Boston, and we look forward to crowning our champions on April 15.”

Women from 20 countries will be competing as part of the Bank of America Professional Athlete Team.

“Each year, the Boston Marathon sets the bar higher with an unbelievable level of athletic talent, and its impact on communities around the world,” said David Tyrie, chief digital officer and chief marketing officer, Bank of America. “The 128th Boston Marathon builds on a rich history and will continue to be an inspiration for all athletes.”

HELLEN OBIRI SET TO DEFEND OPEN DIVISION TITLE

Hellen Obiri, a two-time Olympic silver medalist from Kenya now living in Colorado, won the 2023 Boston Marathon thanks to a perfectly-timed sprint in the final mile. Adding to her trophy case, Obiri also took home the 2023 B.A.A. 10K title in June and the TCS New York City Marathon crown in November.

“I am excited to return to the 2024 Boston Marathon to try to defend my title,” said Obiri, who finished last year’s race in 2:21:38. “Boston is an historic race and I would like to add my name further to its history on April 15. Winning such an historic marathon with my family waiting at the finish line was an amazing experience.”

A trifecta of Ethiopians with lifetime bests under 2:18:00 will take to the Boston course. Worknesh Degefa, the 2019 Boston Marathon champion, returns, while 2:17:36 marathoner Tadu Teshome will make her Boston debut and Hiwot Gebremaryam aims to improve upon her eighth-place finish last year. Also from Ethiopia is World championships medalist Senbere Teferi; she won the 2022 B.A.A. 5K in a course record 14:49 and has shown talent at the longer distances. Experienced marathoner Ababel Yeshaneh –second in 2022 and fourth in 2023— will try to become the seventh woman from Ethiopia to win the olive wreath in Boston.

Joining Obiri from Kenya are 2022 World Athletics Championships Marathon silver medalist Judith Korir; two-time Boston Marathon winner Edna Kiplagat; four-time top-ten finisher Mary Ngugi-Cooper; and 2022 TCS New York City Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi. Helah Kiprop, who holds a silver medal in the marathon from the 2015 World Athletics Championships and has earned wins in Tokyo, Copenhagen, and Paris, makes her second career Boston start. From Morocco is 2023 World Athletics Championships Marathon bronze medalist Fatima Gardadi.

Desiree Linden leads the American contingent six years after winning the 2018 title. Linden has finished in the top-five five times, and holds the third fastest time by an American ever on the Hopkinton-to-Boston route (2:22:38). Linden will run her fifth U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February. Joining her is Emma Bates who finished fifth last year in the second-fastest time ever by an American woman at Boston (2:22:10).

“At this point in my career it’s an easy decision to return to the Boston Marathon and make it my top priority race of the spring,” said Linden. “I can’t wait to take on the iconic course for an 11th time and have the opportunity to mix it up with some of the best runners in the world.” 

128TH BOSTON MARATHON PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S FIELDS

 Women’s Open Division

Country

Personal Best

Worknesh Degefa

ETH

2:15:51 (Valencia, 2023)

Tadu Teshome

ETH

2:17:36 (Valencia, 2022)

Hiwot Gebremaryam

ETH

2:17:59 (Valencia, 2023)

Judith Korir

KEN

2:18:20 (Eugene, 2022)

Meseret Belete

ETH

2:18:21 (Amsterdam, 2023)

Tiruye Mesfin

ETH

2:18:47 (Valencia, 2022)

Worknesh Edesa

ETH

2:18:51 (Berlin, 2022)

Zeineba Yimer

ETH

2:19:07 (Berlin 2023)

Senbere Teferi

ETH

2:19:21 (Berlin, 2023)

Dera Dida

ETH

2:19:24 (Berlin, 2023)

Edna Kiplagat

KEN

2:19:50 (London, 2012)*

Mary Ngugi-Cooper

KEN

2:20:22 (London, 2022)

Nazret Weldu Gebrehiwet

ERI

2:20:29 (Eugene) NR

Ababel Yeshaneh

ETH

2:20:51 (Chicago, 2019)

Vibian Chepkirui

KEN

2:20:59 (Vienna, 2022)

Helah Kiprop

KEN

2:21:27 (Tokyo, 2016)

Hellen Obiri

KEN

2:21:38 (Boston, 2023)

Emma Bates

USA

2:22:10 (Boston, 2023)

Desiree Linden

USA

2:22:38 (Boston, 2011)*

Buze Diriba

ETH

2:23:11 (Toronto, 2023)

Sharon Lokedi

KEN

2:23:23 (New York City, 2022)

Malindi Elmore

CAN

2:23:30 (Berlin, 2023)*

Fatima Gardadi

MOR

2:24:12 (Xiamen, 2024)

Angie Orjuela

COL

2:25:35 (Berlin, 2023) NR

Fabienne Konigstein

GER

2:25:48 (Hamburg, 2023)

Jackie Gaughan

USA

2:27:08 (Berlin, 2023)

Dominique Scott

RSA

2:27:31 (Chicago, 2023)

Grace Kahura

KEN

2:29:00 (Sacramento, 2023)

Katie Kellner

USA

2:32:48 (Berlin, 2023)

Briana Boehmer

USA

2:33:20 (Sacramento, 2021)

Dylan Hassett

IRL

2:33:25 (Pulford, 2021)

Parley Hannan

USA

2:33:43 (Carmel, 2023)

Sara Lopez

USA

2:33:48 (Eugene, 2023)

Annie Heffernan

USA

2:34:33 (Lowell, 2023)

Nera Jareb

AUS

2:35:00 (Queensland, 2022)*

Johanna Backlund

SWE

2:35:10 (Hamburg, 2019)

Argentina Valdepenas Cerna

MEX

2:35:34 (Chicago, 2022)*

Ariane Hendrix Roach

USA

2:35:39 (Sacramento, 2022)

Michelle Krezonoski

CAN

2:36:39 (Sacramento, 2022)

Shannon Smith

USA

2:36:43 (Columbus, 2023)

Caroline Williams

USA

2:37:01 (Sacramento, 2022)

Gina Rouse

USA

2:37:10 (Sacramento, 2023)*

Kim Krezonoski

CAN

2:37:20 (Sacramento, 2022)

Abigail Corrigan

USA

2:37:45 (Sacramento, 2023)

Marissa Lenger

USA

2:38:41 (Chicago, 2022)

Emilee Risteen

USA

2:38:46 (Duluth, 2023)

Isabelle Pickett

AUS

2:38:46 (Valencia, 2023)

Allie Hackett

USA

2:38:52 (Duluth, 2023

Mary Christensen

USA

2:38:55 (Big Bear, 2023)

Olivia Anger

USA

2:39:13 (Indianapolis, 2023)

April Lund

USA

2:39:23 (Houston, 2022)*

Sarah Short

AUS

2:39:51 (Valencia, 2023)

Maura Lemon

USA

2:40:30 (Valley Cottage, 2023)

Sarah Sibert

USA

2:40:31 (Philadelphia, 2022)

Lauren Ames

USA

2:40:34 (Valley Cottage, 2023)

Kassie Harmon

USA

2:41:48 (Utah Valley, 2023)*

Elizabeth Camy

USA

2:42:51 (Sacramento, 2022)*

Alexandra Niles

USA

2:43:23 (Hartford, 2022)*

Amber Morrison

USA

2:43:50 (Sacramento, 2022)*

Mindy Mammen

USA

2:44:01 (Duluth, 2023)*

Ziyang Liu

USA

2:44:56 (Eugene, 2023)*

*Denotes Masters Division (40+)

(01/10/2024) Views: 318 ⚡AMP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tola finishes fast

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(11/05/2023) Views: 336 ⚡AMP
by World Athletics

ATHLETES FROM 49 STATES AND 102 COUNTRIES PARTICIPATED IN THE BAA 10k RACE THROUGH BACK BAY

The summer road racing season kicked off with sunshine and spectacular finishes, as 7,867 athletes took part in today’s 2023 B.A.A. 10K presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, returning to the city two months after winning the 127th Boston Marathon, took home the win in the women’s open division, while Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay earned his second B.A.A. 10K win in five years. Obiri’s finish time for the out-and-back course was 31:21, with Geay clocking in a new personal best 27:49. 

In the wheelchair division, Hermin Garic of New York successfully retained his men’s title – crossing in 22:44 just inches ahead of James Senbeta—while Yen Hoang of Illinois took home top honors in the women’s wheelchair division in 25:25. 

From the outset Obiri asserted her frontrunning prowess, building a 13-second lead by 5K. It was then that the hot and humid conditions began to impact the double Olympic medalist. 

“At 8K my body was so tired. Maybe I went out too hard from the start,” admitted Obiri. “The ladies coming from behind were so strong. But I say, I’m also the best. I can try to win.” 

That she did, crossing in 31:21. Stacy Ndiwa of Kenya was second in 31:25, followed by compatriot Sheila Chepkirui (31:27), American Emily Sisson (31:35), and Kenyan Mary Ngugi (31:45). 

“I’m so happy about the result,” said Obiri between smiles. “I wanted to run in the 30s [minutes] but unfortunately the weather was too hot, it was humid. But I am so happy for the win today.” The energetic support from the Boston running community also spurred Obiri on: “The crowd was so friendly, all the way they say Go Hellen! You get that energy; you want to race hard so that don’t let your fans down.”

A pack of nine men hit the halfway mark in 14:11, though Geay soon began pressing the accelerator. He’d hit 8K with a five second lead (22:16) before extending the margin of victory to 11 seconds at the finish. Kenya’s Edwin Kurgat (28:01) was second, with Kenyan Alex Masai rounding out the podium in third (28:09). American Diego Estrada was fifth in 28:19.  

“I tried to push at the beginning, and from 6K or 5K I tried again to push it. There were three guys at my back but in a few meters they dropped off. I was intending to win,” said Geay, who is coming off a runner-up finish at the Boston Marathon in April. “The time was fast. I was hoping to run 27; I’m happy because of the weather.”

(06/25/2023) Views: 642 ⚡AMP

Boston champions and U.S. record holders return for 2023 B.A.A. 10K

The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced professional fields for the 2023 B.A.A. 10K presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, to be run on Sunday, June 25 through Back Bay. Among the challengers set to compete are Boston Marathon champions Hellen Obiri (2023) and Benson Kipruto (2021), defending B.A.A. 10K winner Leonard Korir, as well as national record holder Emily Sisson. Complete field lists can be found below.

The B.A.A. 10K presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital will be the second event of the 2023 B.A.A. Distance Medley, a year-long series featuring the B.A.A. 5K (April), B.A.A. 10K (June), and B.A.A. Half Marathon (November). Registration remains open with limited spots remaining.

“Many fan favorites and global stars return to Boston for this year’s B.A.A. 10K, including Boston Marathoners, American record holders, Olympians and Paralympians,” said Mary Kate Shea, Director of Professional Athletes for the B.A.A. “The B.A.A. 10K course is flat, fast, and –most importantly—fun for our top contenders. We look forward to kicking off summer with a memorable competition on June 25.”

Obiri, a two-time Olympic silver medalist, won April’s Boston Marathon in her Boston debut, and will return to the roads hoping to extend her winning streak. Her 30:15 personal best at 10K is fourth fastest among the field, only trailing Sheila Chepkirui (Kenya, 29:46), Vicoty Chepngeno (Kenya, 30:14), and Joan Chelimo Melly (Romania, 30:14). Chelimo Melly won the B.A.A. 10K in 2017, while Chepkirui placed fourth at last month’s TCS London Marathon.

Korir, the reigning B.A.A. 10K champion, is fresh off a win at the USA 25K National Championships on May 13, and looks to become the fourth man to win back-to-back B.A.A. 10Ks. Sisson, the current American record holder in the marathon and half marathon also will return, joined by Olympic Marathon bronze medalist and former Boston resident Molly Seidel.

Among the international field squaring off are Boston Marathon winners Kipruto (2021), Edna Kiplagat (2017 and 2021), and Caroline Rotich (2015), all of Kenya. Gabriel Geay (Tanzania) will return after a runner-up finish at April’s Boston Marathon, and previously won the B.A.A. 10K in 2018.

Geoffrey Koech, winner of last year’s B.A.A. Half Marathon, will compete, as will Callum Hawkins of Great Britain, twice the fourth-place finisher at the World Championships marathon, plus decorated road racers Edward Cheserek (Kenya), a 17-time NCAA champion, and Zouhair Talbi (Morocco), most recently fifth at the Boston Marathon. From Team B.A.A. are Matt McDonald, Paul Hogan, Jonas Hampton, and Eric Hamer.

Mary Ngugi of Kenya, a two-time B.A.A. 10K winner and two-time Boston Marathon podium finisher, will aim for title number three, as fellow Kenyan Sharon Lokedi, the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon champion, looks for her first B.A.A. event victory. Team B.A.A.’s Annie Rodenfels, third place and top American at the 2023 B.A.A. 5K, will make her debut at the 10K distance leading a full contingent of Boston-based B.A.A. teammates including Bethany Hasz, Megan Hasz, and Jenna Magness.

Hermin Garic, the 2022 B.A.A. 10K winner, returns in the men’s wheelchair division, while Yen Hoang, third place at the 2021 Boston Marathon, leads the women’s wheelchair division. Brian Reynolds and Liz Willis will compete in the T61-64 (lower-limb impairment) division having already earned podium placings at the Boston Marathon in April. Reynolds, a Massachusetts native, set a world best 1:25:46 at the 2022 B.A.A. Half Marathon. Local Para athlete and last year’s T61-64 women’s winner, Adrianne Haslet, will also compete. Additional 2023 Boston Marathon Para division winners Andrew Thorson (T11-T13 vision impairment) and Atsbha Gebre (T45/T46 upper-limb impairment) are racing.  The B.A.A. 10K presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital has been certified by World Para Athletics as a record-eligible competition, paving the way for Para Athletes to set world and national records this year.

Media members interested in covering the B.A.A. 10K, presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, may apply for credentials here.

Registration for the 2023 B.A.A. 10K presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is currently open through the B.A.A.’s online platform Athletes’ Village. All participants who enter will receive an adidas participant shirt, unique bib number, and finisher medal. Additional participant information can be found on baa.org. The race will start at 8:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, June 25 on Charles Street adjacent to Boston Common and Boston Public Garden.

Brigham and Women's Hospital, the B.A.A. 10K’s presenting sponsor and exclusive fundraising partner, will again field a team of fundraising runners. Since 2016, more than 2,100 runners and 180 teams have raised $1.2 million to fuel life-giving breakthroughs at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Learn more and register at www.runbwh.org/10k.

(05/25/2023) Views: 604 ⚡AMP

London defending champ Amos Kipruto speaks out on Kenyan doping problem

Kipruto, who used a 4:21 25th mile to win last year’s race, says his preparation has gone well for London, and while he hasn’t done every session with high-powered training mates Evans Chebet and Benson Kipruto (who just went 1-3 in Boston), he has run a number of workouts with them and has finished alongside them. He said his fitness is on par with when he won this race six months ago.

“Last year’s shape and this year is really similar, no change,” Kipruto said.

Kipruto was asked in the main press conference about his thoughts on Kenya’s doping problem — the country saw at least 25 athletes suspended in 2022 — and spoke candidly about the issue, calling it “an embarrassment.”

“It’s really killing me sometimes, my heart, because when you see someone has been caught, it’s really raising a lot of questions in your mind,” Kipruto says. “You’re asking yourself why this person go through this? You find someone injecting yourself, you find someone buying some medicine, swallow some medicine and you know [they’re healthy and don’t need it]. So someone is not even thinking about his health.”

Kipruto echoed the comments fellow Kenyan marathoner Mary Ngugi made to the BBC on Wednesday, saying success is the product of patience and time. He believes too many athletes want to take a shortcut to success by doping.

“When you tell someone be patient, they see you like you are talking nonsense,” Kipruto said. “…What kills athletes mostly is impatience, they need to rush. You find someone getting everything. they want to run faster to get money, which is not correct. But if someone is clever enough, you better be patient and your time will come.”

Kipruto is pleased that the Kenyan government has taken action to fight doping, dedicating $5 million per year over the next year toward tackling the issue. He says he believes the AIU is doing a good job by using more sophisticated methods to catch dopers and asked for them to keep pushing.

“The request I have for the AIU and [the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya] is to tighten up a lot, even to bring more technology how to catch dopers,” Kipruto says. “…If they introduce even more systems how to handle this doping, I’ll be happy.”

(04/22/2023) Views: 565 ⚡AMP
by Letsrun

Indefatigable Edna Kiplagat to tackle Boston course again, at 43

It is commonly said that age is nothing but a number.

At 43 years old, two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat will be out to prove that when she lines up among the elite athletes for the 127th Boston Marathon race on April 17 in the USA.

She will be heading to Boston for the sixth time where she is optimistic of good results after training for the last four months.

Nation Sport caught up with her at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County while she was doing her speed session in readiness for the race.

Maiden win

Kiplagat won the title at her first attempt in Boston in 2017. She returned the following year but finished ninth, in 2019 she was second. The 2020 edition was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

She went back in 2021, finishing second behind Diana Kipyokei, but was later declared the winner after Kipyokei was banned for using a banned substance.

Kiplagat was fourth last year.

Kiplagat who lives and trains in Colorado, USA said she shifted her training to Kenya which has favourable weather conditions.

“I started training in December last year when I learned that I will be racing in Boston. But in January and February, it was so cold in the US, I decided to come to Kenya because the weather is favourable,” said Kiplagat.

She will be competing against Kericho-based Sheila Chepkirui, former New York Marathon champion Joyciline Jepkosgei, 2021 Amsterdam Marathon Angela Tanui and Fancy Chemutai.

Also in the elite field are Maurine Chepkemoi, Mary Ngugi, Viola Cheptoo, Vibian Chepkirui and Hellen Obiri.

(04/13/2023) Views: 697 ⚡AMP
by Bernard Rotich

Kenyan Celestine Chepchirchir eyes Boston Marathon title

The 127th edition of Boston Marathon which will be run on Monday has attracted 18 Kenyan athletes, among them big names who will contest for honors in the world’s oldest marathon race.

Winners in both categories will go home US$150,000 (Sh19,662,647.40) richer, and the top 10 finishers will also be awarded in the open division.

There will be a new champion in the women’s category since last year’s winner Peres Jepchirchir will not compete. Jepchirchir has opted to compete in the London Marathon.

Cellestine Chepchirchir is among the Kenyan women in contention for the title. For the last three months, she has been preparing for the race in Kapsabet, Nandi County.

She will come up against Kericho-based Sheila Chepkirui, former New York Marathon champion Joyciline Jepkosgei, the 2017 London Marathon champion Edna Kiplagat, 2021 Amsterdam Marathon Angela Tanui and Fancy Chemutai.

Other Kenyans in the women’s filed include Maurine Chepkemoi, Mary Ngugi, Viola Cheptoo, Vibian Chepkirui and Hellen Obiri.

The men’s category will have world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge, defending champion Evans Chebet, the 2021 Boston Marathon champion Benson Kipruto, John Korir, Mark Korir, 2021 New York Marathon champion Albert Korir, Nobert Kigen, and Michael Githae.

In an interview with Nation Sport last week, Chepchirchir who has been training in Kapsabet, Nandi County, and has so far competed in 12 marathon races worldwide said she was delighted to be making her maiden appearance in a World Marathon Majors event this year.

Chepchirchir said that being named among elite athletes for Boston Marathon comes with a big responsibility because there will be a lot of expectations on her.

 “I’m privileged to compete with some of the star athletes I have been watching on TV in major races. When I was named among the competitors, I immediately knew I was going to have to work extra hard, and to run a good race. It’s my first major marathon race and my training has gone well. I believe I will run a good race,” said Chepchirchir.

The soft-spoken athlete, who is coached by her husband Nahaman Serem, has competed in 12 marathon races. She finished fourth last year in Seoul Marathon, which gave her a reason to continue running.

Last year, she had been named among the elite athletes for Chicago Marathon but she delayed in processing her travel documents and missed the race.

“I would have competed in my first major marathon last year at the Chicago Marathon but my travel visa delayed. I was also prepared for the race. Unfortunately it didn’t happen but I thank God because I have another race to run this year. My aim will just to run a good race,” added Chepchirchir, who has a personal best time of 2 hours, 20 minutes and 10 seconds.

Other competitors in the women’s category include world champion Gotytom Gebreslase from Ethiopia, 2016 Boston Marathon champion Atsede Baysa, 2020 Tokyo Marathon champion Lonah Salpeter from Israel, 2018 Boston Marathon champion Desiree Linden from USA, among others.

(04/11/2023) Views: 803 ⚡AMP
by Bernard Rotich

The Boston Marathon has never been easy, that’s why Des Linden keeps coming back

The conditions were wretched when Des Linden first toed the starting line in Hopkinton in 2007. An amped-up nor’easter brought rain, a 30-mile-per-hour headwind, and soggy, chilly misery for the runners.

“I was one probably of the few people who felt, that was one of the best things I’ve ever done,” Linden recalled years later. “I’m going to do this forever. I loved it.”

On Patriots Day Linden will lace up for her 10th Boston Marathon. During the 16 years since her first appearance here, which also was her 26-mile debut, Linden has won the laurel wreath (”storybook stuff”), lost by two seconds on a sprint down Boylston Street, finished fourth twice, and 17th in a “total suffer-fest.”

Every trip here is a homecoming, said the California native and Michigan resident who has a dog named Boston. What brings Linden back is the race’s incomparable history, the feeling of family that she gets from the Boston Athletic Association, the exuberant crowds along the course, “the greatest finish line in our sport,” and the unchanging challenge from the lumpy layout and mercurial weather.

“We’re in this era where we want the marathon to be easier than ever before,” said Linden. “We want it faster, we want it flatter, we want wind blockers, we want shoes that bounce you forward, we want better gels. You name it, we’re trying to dumb this thing down. Boston is already not going to manage well with a lot of those things, then you throw in the weather conditions. I’ll take the tough one every time.”

Boston never has been easy. For decades there were no mile markers or water on the course. There was no prize money until 1986 — the reward was a medal and a bowl of canned beef stew. The starter fired the gun and sent you off. If you ended up sitting on the curb, cramped and blistered, the “meat wagon” picked you up.

Linden loves the purity of a race that always has the same course but rarely the same conditions. “A lot of people get surprised by it,” she said. “Well, it’s Boston in the spring.”

Boston is the recurring theme of “Choosing To Run,” Linden’s new memoir written with Bonnie D. Ford. Chapters recounting her 2018 triumph, the first by an American woman here in 33 years, are interspersed with a narrative of her evolution from a track racer to a marathoner.

Linden, who’ll officially become a master when she turns 40 in late July, is in the final stretch of her elite career, which she hopes will include a third Olympic team next year in Paris. Maybe she’ll run a fall marathon to prep for the Orlando trials in February. “Or maybe I just spin the legs and do some fast stuff,” she mused.

At this stage of her career it’s all about being smart and patient. “It’s a challenge letting go of your prime years, but there’s also a reality to it,” Linden said. “It’s recalibrating and readjusting what the goal is. I’m learning.”

One significant concession is her weekly mileage, which Linden has reduced from 120 to between 95 and 105. “I have this mentality that I’m being lazy if I’m not doing 115-120-mile weeks,” she said. “ ‘You’re not being lazy,’ my coach [Walt Drenth] said. ‘It’s just not practical.’ ”

At her age, maintaining speed and power are more important than training volume. “So work on what’s going away,” Linden said, “and rely on what you’ve done in the past as far as the volume goes.”

The lighter workload paid dividends at the recent New York City Half Marathon, where she placed fifth in 1 hour, 12 minutes, 21 seconds, the top American finisher. “It was the first time in a while that I got good momentum from a race,” she said.

Up against a stacked Boston field that includes Gotytom Gebreslase and Lonah Salpeter, the world gold and bronze medalists; two-time Boston victor Edna Kiplagat; returning medalists Ababel Yeshaneh and Mary Ngugi; two-time Olympic track medalist Hellen Obiri; and Amane Beriso, a sub-2:15er, Linden is realistic about her chances.

“Top 10 is a great goal at times and particularly this year — the field’s incredible,” said Linden, who was 13th last year. “Just mixing it up and racing is fun for me.”

At this point in her career Linden has little left to chase. She was seventh in the 2016 Olympics, cracked the top 10 at the 2009 world championships, and has posted top-five efforts in New York, Chicago, and Berlin.

But her crowning achievement came in Boston five years ago when she slogged her way through punishing wind and chilly rain to win a race that she didn’t plan on finishing. “It’s not gonna be my day,” Linden told Shalane Flanagan after 6 miles. “I think I’m going to drop out soon.”

But she pushed on, thinking more about survival than victory. “I was running in fear for most of the race,” Linden said. “Even halfway through Boylston I was thinking, if someone comes up on my shoulder I know I can respond.”

She won by more than four minutes, to her astonishment. Linden’s jacket and headband were added to the BAA memorabilia collection, whose artifacts date from the 19th century. “The same museum I had once viewed as an unattainable sanctum,” she wrote in “Choosing To Run.”

Gloria Ratti, the BAA’s longtime first lady, had given Linden the tour before her 2007 debut. That, she said, “made me fall in love with 26.2.”

“Everyone talks about Boston’s special history,” Linden said. “You can feel it on the course, you can see it on race day. But to have that collection of the very first medals and the shoes that were being worn … ”

(04/10/2023) Views: 743 ⚡AMP
by John Powers

B.A.A. announces women’s elite field for 127th Boston Marathon

The Boston Athletics Association (B.A.A.) has revealed the women’s elite field for the 127th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 17. The field features 16 women who have run under 2:21, including the 2022 world marathon champion Gotytom Gebreslase and two-time Boston champion Edna Kiplagat.

Three other notable athletes who are making their Boston debuts are 2022 world championship bronze medallist Lonah Salpeter of Israel, 2022 NYC Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi, and 2022 Valencia Marathon champion (and third fastest woman of all-time 2:14:58) Amane Beriso of Ethiopia.

“I am very excited to run the B.A.A. Boston Marathon this year,” said Salpeter in a press release. “It has always been my dream to run on this course and to experience the incredible atmosphere.” Salpeter is coming off a second-place finish at the New York City Marathon in November and a bronze medal in the 10,000m at the European Championships in August.  

Last year’s second and third-place finishers in Boston, Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia and Mary Ngugi of Kenya, both return with hopes of claiming the top spot on the podium. Yeshaneh came within four seconds of victory, while Ngugi placed second and third in Boston in back-to-back years.

Also back is Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya, a past winner of the New York City and London Marathons. Jepkosgei fell shy of her expectations in her 2022 debut, with a seventh-place finish. She will look to better her time of 2:24:43 in 2023.

Among the American contingent are Sara Hall, Aliphine Tuliamuk, Emma Bates, Nell Rojas and 2018 champion Des Linden. Rojas has finished as the top American at Boston two years in a row (fifth in 2021 and 10th, 2:25:57 in April 2022), while Hall and Bates were fifth and seventh in the marathon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Ore.

Canada will be well represented in Boston with three athletes on the elite list. Liza Howard, the top Canadian at the 2022 Chicago Marathon, will lead the way with the top qualifying mark of 2:35:29. Howard is an up-and-coming marathoner out of Toronto, who had a breakthrough 2022 with a 19th-place finish in Chicago and a 12th-place result at the Canadian 10K Championships in Ottawa last May. 

Other Canadians on the elite list are 2004 1,500m Olympian and masters athlete Carmen Hussar, who has returned to racing recently, coming off a Boxing Day 10 Miler win in Hamilton, Ont., and Julie Lajeunesse of Montreal, with a personal best of 2:44:49 from the 2022 Chicago Marathon.

(01/09/2023) Views: 692 ⚡AMP
by Marley Dickinson

Kenyan marathoner starts all-girls training camp

Kenyan distance runner Mary Ngugi, 33, shared that she often felt on high alert as she trained as a young athlete in Nyahururu, a town in the Southern Rift Valley in Kenya. Ngugi, who was third at Boston Marathon in 2022 and 2021, has created the Nala Track Club, the first all-girls training camp in Kenya. Young athletes at Nala Track Club will be guided and mentored by female coaches.

“We needed to give them a safe place where they can be themselves, where they can train without feeling they are in the shadow of men all the time,” she said in an interview with Olympics.com. Ngugi explains that while she has some fond memories of camp, she knew other girls and women didn’t share her experience.

“I was lucky. I joined a camp that was really strict. I know about girls who got pregnant while we were in camp, but it’s the girls who were sent home,” she said. “The boys continued chasing their dreams.”

Young women athletes are also manipulated by agents and administrators, Ngugi shared, and explained that the athletes feel pressure to comply or be sent away. “Most of the athletes in Kenya, like me, we come from humble backgrounds, and you don’t want to go back there.”

In October 2021, Agnes Tirop, a talented 25-year-old distance runner who represented Kenya at the Tokyo Olympics, was murdered in her home. The ensuing shock and horror prompted athletes like Ngugi to use their voices to stand up for any athletes who are victims of gender-based violence.

Ngugi initially formed the Women’s Athletics Alliance, “to help the next generation avoid the suffering that so many female athletes have gone through.” She realized that more was needed to support young women athletes: “Women’s Athletics Alliance was more about empowering women, mentorship. And then we thought, it’s not just about mentorship, it’s not just about talking to these girls,” she added. We need to do something, give them a safe place.”

The Nala Track Club was born, and currently has five athletes ages 16 to 22 with the plan to expand to 12 runners. As well as supporting them in training, Ngugi’s camp pays for the athletes’ education and encourages them to attend school, noting that many young women who train at camps have to stop school, either because their camp doesn’t support their education or their parents cannot afford school fees.

“We also want to empower them to have a voice in society, not just in matters of athletics. When they are out there, they can communicate and speak out.” Ngugi is also working to encourage women coaches and mentors; collaborating with her former coach Francis Kamau, Athletics Kenya, and the UK-based Female Coaching Network to train female coaches in her home region.

While Ngugi’s short-term goal is to have female coaches work with the girls at the Nala Track club, she also wants to inspire her fellow athletes to consider coaching once retired from the sport.

“I want to be in an Olympic team with a few female coaches, not just male coaches. I don’t want the women to be in the teams as chaperones,” says Ngugi.

 

(11/28/2022) Views: 696 ⚡AMP
by Running Magazine

Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei keen to defend London Marathon title

London Marathon champion Joyciline Jepkosgei will be seeking to defend her title in this edition set for October 2.

Last year, the 2016 Africa 10,000m bronze medalist obliterated a strong field to clinch the title in a personal best time of 2:17:43.

“My main aim is to defend my title and also lower my personal best,” Jepkosgei said.

Jepkosgei revealed she has invested a lot in training and expects this to repay handsomely on the streets of London.

“My main focus this season was on this marathon and I have trained very well for it. I know I will perform well,” she said.

Jepkosgei insisted she is not worried about the competition, where she will face the likes of compatriots Brigid Kosgei and Mary Ngugi, the Ethiopian duo of Degitu Azimeraw (2:17:58) and Ashete Bekere (2:17:58), who finished second and third respectively last year. Bekere finished second at the Tokyo Marathon in March.

Kosgei is the fastest in the field with her world record/personal best time of 2:14:04, ran at the 2019 Chicago marathon. Ngugi has a personal best time of 2:21:32 attained at this year’s Boston Marathon.

Commonwealth Games 10,000m winner Eilish McColgan will make her full marathon debut while another Ethiopian, Yalemzerf Yehualaw (2:17:23), will be making her London Marathon debut. McColgan aims to replicate her mother — Liz McColgan — who won the 1996 edition.

“I enjoy running with elite runners. The race will be tough and that means I can post a good time,” she said.

The 28-year-old said she does not feel any pressure after training under her supportive husband/coach, Nicholas Koech.

“My coach has been a great support system for me and with that, I do not feel any pressure. He is also my adviser,” Jepkosgei said.

Meanwhile, Jepkosgei disclosed she is yet to make a decision on the 2023 World Championships in Budapest and the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“After the marathon, my coach and management will sit down and decide what next,” Jepkosgei said.

Commonwealth Games 10,000m winner Eilish McColgan will also be making her London Marathon debut with the aim of replicating Liz McColgan’s (her mother) win in the 1996 edition.

 

(08/18/2022) Views: 802 ⚡AMP
by Abigael Wuafula

Joyciline Jepkosgei, Brigid Kosgei ready to clash in London Marathon

Defending champion Joyciline Jepkosgei will confront two times champion and world record holder Brigid Kosgei at this year's London Marathon on October 22 in the British capital.

Jepkosgei, who claimed her maiden victory in the British capital in a personal best and eighth fastest time of two hours, 17 minutes and 43 seconds last year, and Kosgei, the 2019 and 2020 winner, are part of the elite field heading for the race.

Jepkosgei became the 10th Kenyan woman to win the London Marathon on her third appearance in 2019.

In the same year, she won the New York Marathon in 2:22:38 and finished second at the Valencia Marathon (2:18:40).

Kosgei, who set the world record of 2:14:04 at the 2019 Chicago Marathon, finished a surprise fourth last year, but bounced back to win this year’s Tokyo Marathon in a world-lead time of 2:16:02.

Jepkosgei, 28, joined the long list of Kenyan athletes who have won the London Marathon; Joyce Chepchumba (2), Tegla Loroupe (1), Margaret Okayo (1), Keitany (3), Prisca Jeptoo (1), Edna Kiplagat (1), Jemima Sumgong (1), Vivian Cheruiyot (1) and Kosgei (2).

“It was a great achievement for me,” said Jepkosgei on the London marathon website.

“It was not an easy race.There were a lot of strong competitors and I stayed with them until there were only a few kilometres left."

“Then I was on my own. It was hard, but the cheerers around me kept me motivated and got me to the end. I was so happy to get to the finish line.”

Jepkosgei’s delight at winning was hard to miss and stayed with her throughout the night:

“I didn’t sleep at all, I was so happy,” she said.

“This achievement will stay with me forever. It was a great achievement and will last a lifetime.”

The other Kenyan in the race is Mary Ngugi, 33, who for the second consecutive time, came third during the Boston Marathon on April 18, but this time around in a personal best of 2:21:32.

The Kenyans will take on the fastest-ever female marathon debutant Yalemzerf Yehualaw, who leads a horde of Ethiopian runners to the London streets.

The 22-year-old Yehualaw is the current 10K world record holder (29:14) and ran 2:17:23 to win the Hamburg Marathon in April, the fastest marathon debut ever.

Ethiopian duo Degitu Azimeraw and Ashete Bekere, who finished second and third last year, also return.

Bekere finished second behind Kosgei at this year’s Tokyo Marathon in a personal best of 2:17:58.

ELITE FIELD

Brigid Kosgei (Ken) 2:14:04 (WR)

Yalemzerf Yehualaw (Eth)2:17:23

Joyciline Jepksogei (Ken)2:17:43

Degitu AZIMERAW (Eth)2:17:58

Ashete BEKERE (Eth) 2:17:58

Joan Chelimo MELLY ROU 2:18:04

Sutume Asefa KEBEDE (Eth) 2:18:12

Alemu MEGERTU (Eth) 2:18:51

Hiwot GEBREKIDAN (Eth) 2:19:10

Ababel YESHANEH (Eth) 2:20:51

Mary NGUGI (Ken) 2:21:32.

(07/06/2022) Views: 847 ⚡AMP
by Ayumba Ayodi

Peres Jepchirchir wins Boston in a final sprint and Evans Chebet takes the men's title

 It was not until 1972 that the Boston Marathon’s organizers allowed women to race as official entrants. Before then, those who were brave enough to defy the ban were often jeered or forcibly pulled off the course. Among the rationales cited? That women were “physiologically incapable” of running 26.2 miles.

It all seems so painfully misguided now, of course, but that pockmarked piece of the event’s history was worth remembering Monday as Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya and Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia charged through Kenmore Square, in the shadow of Fenway Park, not far from the finish line. The rest of a decorated women’s field had splintered in their wake, and now Jepchirchir and Yeshaneh went back and forth, trading the lead several times as they staged a memorable duel.

Finally, with one last push, Jepchirchir lengthened her stride to create some separation as she sprinted to the finish, her narrow win coming 50 years after women first vied for Boston Marathon glory. Perhaps the only person surprised by the outcome was Jepchirchir herself.

“I was not expecting to win,” said Jepchirchir, the reigning Olympic champion. “But I’m feeling grateful, and now I can say that I believe in myself more.”

 For the first time since 2019, the Boston Marathon returned to its traditional slot on the calendar. Until the coronavirus pandemic, the marathon had been staged every April since 1897. But in 2020, the race was canceled for the first time in its history. And last year, the race was pushed to October, when it competed for elite entrants with a cluster of other marathons.

Order was restored this year, as a full field of about 30,000 participants — runners, wheelchair racers, para athletes, hand cyclists — formed a giant wave from Hopkinton, Mass., to Boston on a cool, sun-splashed day.

No one shined brighter than Jepchirchir, 28, who finished in 2 hours 21 minutes 1 second, just four seconds ahead of Yeshaneh. Mary Ngugi of Kenya placed third after running a smart race: She knew enough to pace herself when Jepchirchir and Yeshaneh pounded the gas, blowing away the field.

“I’m glad I didn’t follow them and just die,” Ngugi said.

Establishing herself as the most formidable female marathoner on the planet, Jepchirchir has now won her last five marathons and three in the last eight months: After surviving extraordinarily hot conditions to win at the Tokyo Games in August, Jepchirchir won the New York City Marathon in November. Now, after another triumph, she is already looking ahead.

“I still have more to do,” she said.

Kenyans swept the men’s podium. Evans Chebet, 33, won his first world marathon major when he broke clear of a large pack, finishing in 2:06:51. Lawrence Cherono was second, and Benson Kipruto, last year’s winner, was third.

The pack began to dissolve behind Chebet after he covered the 22nd mile in 4:27, a preposterous tempo. Crushing his opposition only seemed to spur him forward.

“My counterparts were nowhere close to me,” he said through a translator, “and that gave me the motivation and the determination to hit it off and seize the win.”

On Monday, fortune largely favored the brave — but not everyone. CJ Albertson, a 28-year-old Californian who trains for marathons by doing marathons, pushed the pace from the start.

“My only chance to really win or be up there in the top is to kind of break some people,” he said. “I had the mind-set that I’m invincible, and you kind of have to run like that.”

The problem: “There are limits,” he said.

Albertson faded to a 13th-place finish in 2:10:23, which was still a personal best. Scott Fauble, 30, was the top American man, in seventh. “I think I do well with hills,” he said.

Molly Seidel, a crowd favorite and a former Boston-area resident, struggled in her Boston debut, dropping out at Mile 16. She said in a statement that she had been dealing with a hip injury.

“I had to make the difficult call to stop at a medical tent to avoid really damaging anything,” she said.

Seidel, the bronze medalist in the women’s marathon at the Tokyo Games, was coming off a fourth-place finish at the New York City Marathon with broken ribs.

Nell Rojas was the fastest American woman, finishing 10th in 2:25:57.

Manuela Schӓr of Switzerland won the women’s wheelchair race, cruising to her fourth victory in the event, and Daniel Romanchuk of the United States won the men’s title for a second time in Boston.

Many runners were drawn to this year’s race by the opportunity to accomplish a one-of-a-kind feat: running back-to-back Boston Marathons mere months apart.

“It feels almost a little bit too soon,” said Joyce Lee, who was running her sixth Boston Marathon after serving as guide for a visually impaired runner in the October race.

Many were also grateful for the chance to compete on the 50th anniversary of women’s official inclusion in the marathon. “It’s incredible to think that was a thing back then and women had to work so hard to participate in this event,” said Christine Valdes, 46. “They paved the way for us.”

Sport is seldom immune from global politics, and this year’s marathon was no different. Amid the war in Ukraine, runners from Russia and Belarus were barred from competing by the Boston Athletic Association, which organizes the race. (Citizens of Russia and Belarus who are residents of other countries were still allowed to take part.)

And there were, as always, reminders of the terror that tore through the marathon nine years ago. Henry Richard, 20, crossed the finish line at 2:52 p.m., and the timing could not have been more poignant: It was around that time in 2013 when two bombs exploded and killed his 8-year-old brother, Martin, and two other people, and wounded 264 others.

“I know Martin would have been doing it with me,” Richard said after the race on Monday. “That’s all I could think about.”

Richard finished in 4:02:20. “I did it for both of us, and my sister and the rest of our family,” he said. “I couldn’t be more happy now. I’m going to do it again.”

In her own subtle way, Jepchirchir offered a counterpoint to some of the world’s divisions. In the race’s late stages, she and Yeshaneh appeared to work together to extend their lead. At one point, Jepchirchir offered Yeshaneh some of her water.

It all seemed straight from the Jepchirchir playbook. Consider her performance in New York last year, when she encouraged Viola Cheptoo, a fellow Kenyan, to stick with her as they entered Central Park side by side. Jepchirchir eventually pulled away, but Cheptoo lauded her sportsmanship.

On Monday, it was more of the same, all those years after eight women broke the gender barrier by racing against more than a thousand men.

“I love my competitors,” Jepchirchir said, “because I can’t do it by myself.”

(04/18/2022) Views: 881 ⚡AMP
by New York Times

B.A.A. Unveils Honorary Women’s Team for 126th Boston Marathon

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) today announced a team of eight women who will participate in April’s 126th Boston Marathon, running in honor of the original eight finishers from the first official women’s field in 1972.

The honorary team is comprised of eight women who have made a powerful impact in areas from athletics to human rights. Among the eight women is Valerie Rogosheske, one of the original eight finishers in 1972, who returns 50 years later to once again cross the finish line on Boylston Street.

“I am so looking forward to returning to Boston this year with my daughters to celebrate 50 years of women being welcomed into the Marathon,” said Rogosheske. “In 1972, the students at Wellesley yelled ‘Right on, sista!’ On the 25th anniversary the students looked like my daughters, and this year they could be my granddaughters! I celebrate the progress through the generations as women claim their places on the start line.”

Joining Valerie on the Honorary Team are Mary Ngugi, Manuela Schär, and Melissa Stockwell, each of whom will be competing at the front of the race as part of the John Hancock Professional Athlete Team. Football and soccer star Sarah Fuller, U.S. national women’s soccer team alum Kristine Lilly, Guinness world record holder Jocelyn Rivas, and running activist Verna Volker round out the Honorary Team set for this year’s race.

Information on each of the Honorary Team members can be found below. The Honorary Team will be celebrated throughout race weekend at various Boston Marathon events and activities.

BOSTON MARATHON HONORARY WOMEN’S TEAM

Valerie Rogosheske is one of the original eight finishers from 1972. Valerie is from Minnesota and placed in the top ten at the Boston Marathon three times, taking sixth in 1972 (4:29:32), ninth in 1973 (3:51:12), and eighth in 1974 (3:09:38). This year, instead of lining up among eight female entrants, she’ll be supported and surrounded by 14,000 other women set to complete the 26.2 mile course, including her daughters Abigail and Allie.

Beyond being a world-class athlete, Mary Ngugi has been a vocal leader in spreading awareness against domestic violence. Following the death of professional athlete Agnes Tirop last year, Mary helped found the Women’s Athletic Alliance and led countless discussions —including with political leaders— to continue the fight against domestic abuse and inequalities. Mary placed third at last year’s Boston Marathon, and is a previous B.A.A. Distance Medley winner. 

Manuela Schär is one of the most dominant wheelchair racers in recent history, having won three Boston Marathon titles and the last three Abbott World Marathon Majors series crowns. At the Tokyo Paralympics, Schär earned five medals (including a pair of golds) in distances from the 400 meters to marathon. She’s the current marathon world record and Boston course record holder (1:28:17), and remains the only women’s wheelchair athlete ever to break the 1:30 barrier. 

One month after being deployed to Iraq as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army’s transportation corps, Melissa Stockwell became the first female American soldier to lose a limb in active combat after her vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. Melissa was later honored with a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for her service. Four years later, she became the first Iraq War veteran to qualify for the Paralympic Games, competing in swimming at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. Melissa competed in Paratriathlon at both the Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo Paralympics, and is a Paralympic bronze medalist. She’ll take to the Boston Marathon’s Para Athletics Division (T63) for the first time, looking to add another title to her impressive resume.   

Sarah Fuller has been a fierce athlete since the age of five, when she first started playing soccer. She made history in 2020 as the first woman to suit up for a SEC football game as a student-athlete while at Vanderbilt University. Two weeks later, she made history again as the first woman to play in and score in a Power 5 football game, notching a pair of extra points for the Commodores. She studied Medicine, Health, and Society at Vanderbilt, and is currently pursuing her Masters at the University of North Texas where she is also a goalkeeper for the soccer team. This summer she’ll play for Minnesota Aurora FC of the USL W League. This will be Fuller’s first Boston Marathon. 

Kristine Lilly played 23 years for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, is a two-time World Cup Champion, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, and has played more international soccer games than any other player –man or woman—in the world (354).  Lilly played professionally in the Boston area for the Boston Breakers from 2001-2003 and 2009-2010.  She is one of the most celebrated athletes in women’s soccer history, and was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2012 and U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2014.  She is also the co-author of Powerhouse, a book about teamwork. A resident of Massachusetts, Lilly will take on her second Boston Marathon having run ten years ago in 2012.

Jocelyn Rivas is a proud Dreamer (DACA recipient) who came to the United States from El Salvador when she was six years old. In El Salvador, she was told she would most likely not be able to walk, but with physical therapy and a continued focus on recovery, she has proven that prediction wrong. She was inspired to run after watching friends in the 2013 Los Angeles Marathon, and soon made it her goal to finish 100 marathons. In November 2021, she completed her 100th marathon at the age of 24, making her the Guinness World Record holder for the youngest woman to run 100 marathons and the world record holder for youngest Latina to ever do so. Boston will be her 112th marathon.

Verna Volker is the founder of Native Women Running, whose mission is to build and nurture a community that features and encourages Native women runners on and off the reservation. A mother of four, member of the Navajo Nation, and brand ambassador, she balances family, running, and community activism. Verna created Native Women Running to bring more visibility to Native women runners across North America. She is part of the leadership team for the Running Industry Diversity Coalition, which focuses on improving inclusion, visibility, and access for Black, Indigenous, and people of color within the sport. Verna is running on behalf of Wings of America.

(03/08/2022) Views: 970 ⚡AMP

Olympic Medalists Will Headline 2022 Boston Marathon Women’s Field

Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya, the 2021 Olympic gold medalist in the marathon, and her countrywoman Joyciline Jepkosgei, who ran the fastest marathon of 2021, 2:17:43, when she won the London Marathon, headline the Boston Marathon elite women’s field for 2022.

American Molly Seidel, who won Olympic bronze last summer, will also line up in Hopkinton on April 18.

The race marks the 50th anniversary of the first official women’s field at the Boston Marathon. This year’s elite women entrants include Olympic and Paralympic medalists, World Major Marathon champions, and sub-2:20 marathoners.

The race will include four Ethiopians with sub-2:20 credentials: Degitu Azimeraw, Roza Dereje, Zeineba Yimer, and Tigist Girma.

Former Boston Marathon champions Des Linden (2018) and Edna Kiplagat (2017) will race, as will Mary Ngugi of Kenya, who was third in Boston last October.

In addition to Linden, Sara Hall, who is the second-fastest woman in American marathoning history, is part of a strong crop of American talent. Nell Rojas, who was the top American finisher at Boston last year, and top-10 2020 Olympic Trials finishers Kellyn Taylor and Stephanie Bruce are also scheduled to run.

Other notable competitors include Canadian Olympian and national record-holder Malindi Elmore, two-time Canadian Olympian Natasha Wodak, and Charlotte Purdue, who is the third-fastest woman in British marathon history.

The Boston Marathon benefits from being the only World Marathon Major race on the calendar in the spring.

“As we look to celebrate the trailblazing women of 1972, we are delighted to welcome the fastest and most accomplished women’s field in the history of the Boston Marathon,” BAA President and CEO Tom Grilk said in a press release. “Though there have been many milestones in the five decades since the women’s division was established in Boston, this field of Olympic and Paralympic medalists, Boston champions, and global stars will make this a race to remember on Patriots’ Day.”

Elite field

Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) 2:17:16Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) 2:17:43Degitu Azimeraw (ETH) 2:17:58Roza Dereje (ETH) 2:18:30Zeineba Yimer (ETH) 2:19:28 Edna Kiplagat (KEN) 2:19:50Tigist Girma (ETH) 2:19:52Maurine Chepkemoi (KEN) 2:20:18Sara Hall (USA) 2:20:32Desiree Linden (USA) 2:22:38Viola Cheptoo (KEN) 2:22:44 Purity Changwony (KEN) 2:22:46Charlotte Purdue (GBR) 2:23:26Kellyn Taylor (USA) 2:24:28Molly Seidel (USA) 2:24:42Malindi Elmore (CAN) 2:24:50Mary Ngugi (KEN) 2:25:20 Monicah Ngige (KEN) 2:25:32Natasha Wodak (CAN) 2:26:19Nell Rojas (USA) 2:27:12 Stephanie Bruce (USA) 2:27:47Dakotah Lindwurm (USA) 2:29:04Roberta Groner (USA) 2:29:09Angie Orjuela (COL) 2:29:12Bria Wetsch (USA) 2:29:50Maegan Krifchin (USA) 2:30:17Elaina Tabb (USA) 2:30:33Lexie Thompson (USA) 2:30:37Kate Landau (USA) 2:31:56

 

(01/11/2022) Views: 1,191 ⚡AMP
by Chris Hatler

Kenya´s Diana Kipyogei Wins Boston Marathon Women’s Race

Diana Kipyogei of Kenya pulled away from the pack late in Monday’s 125th Boston Marathon and crossed the finish line with a convincing victory. It is Kipyogei’s first Boston win and first win in a World Major.

Kipyogei broke the tape with an unofficial finish time of 2:24:45. The 27-year-old had only run two other marathons heading into Monday’s race, winning the 2020 Istanbul Marathon and placing third in the 2019 Ljubljani Marathon.

Kipyogei broke away from the pack at the 1:56 mark, and pulled away for good at the 22-mile mark. She crossed the line 24 seconds ahead of 2017 Boston winner Edna Kiplagat, who finished second at 2:25:09. Mary Ngugi (2:25:20) and Monicah Ngige (2:25:32) finished third and fourth, respectively, to give Kenya the top four finishers in the Women’s race.

Nell Rojas of Boulder, Colorado was the top American finisher, placing sixth with an unofficial finish of 2:27:12. Des Linden, who won the Boston Marathon in 2018, finished 17th in the Women’s field with a 02:35:25.

(10/11/2021) Views: 1,171 ⚡AMP
by CBS Boston

Jemal Yimer, Yebrgual Melese, Edna Kiplagat and Asefa Mengstu among Boston starters

Olympians, big city marathon winners and several former champions will contest the Boston Marathon on October 11, in what will be the first time the World Athletics Elite Platinum Road Race has been held in autumn.

Nine women who have clocked sub-2:22 lifetime bests will line up in Hopkinton, including Ethiopia’s Yebrgual Melese, whose 2:19:36 personal best makes her the fastest in the field. She’ll be joined by compatriot Mare Dibaba, the 2015 world champion and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist. Ethiopian 2:20:24 marathon runner Workenesh Edesa, winner of past Xiamen, Lanzhou, and Marrakech Marathons, will make her Boston debut.

Five of the top seven finishers from the 2019 Boston Marathon return, aiming to break the tape on Boylston Street: Kenya’s two-time world champion Edna Kiplagat, USA’s Jordan Hasay, Des Linden, Kenya’s Caroline Rotich and Mary Ngugi.

A trio of Kenyans with prior top-five finishes in Boston look to contend for the win in the men’s race, as Wilson Chebet, Felix Kandie, and Paul Lonyangata will use knowledge of the undulating course to their advantage. They’ll be up against a trifecta of sub-2:06 Ethiopians in Lemi Berhanu, the 2015 Boston champion, and Dejene Debela and Asefa Mengstu, who finished second and third at the 2019 Chicago Marathon. Both Debela and Mengstu will be running their first Boston Marathon.

After much success over the half marathon and in cross country, Kenya’s Leonard Barsoton and Ethiopia’s Jemal Yimer will both make their long awaited marathon debuts in Boston. Barsoton earned a silver medal at the 2017 World Cross Country Championships, while Yimer owns the Ethiopian half marathon record of 58:33.

Eight of the top 12 finishers from the US Olympic Trials Marathon will also compete in Boston, led by 2021 Olympian Abdi Abdirahman.

(08/16/2021) Views: 1,257 ⚡AMP
by World Athletics

B.A.A. Announces Participants In John Hancock Professional Athlete Team For Boston Marathon

The Boston Athletic Association announced on Wednesday that more than 140 athletes will participate as part of the John Hancock Professional Athlete Team in the 125th Boston Marathon on Oct. 11.

Included in that field are eight of the top 12 finishers in the Olympic trials marathon, including Abdi Abdirahman, Scott Fauble, Matt McDonald, and Jonas Hampton. Elsewhere in the men’s open field, Kenya’s Leonard Barsoton and Ethiopia’s Jemal Yimer will both make their long awaited marathon debuts in Boston. Dejene Debela and Asefa Mengstu will be making their Boston debuts.

For the women, five of the top seven finishers from the 2019 Boston Marathon will return: Edna Kiplagat (Kenya), Jordan Hasay (USA), Des Linden (USA), Caroline Rotich (Kenya), and Mary Ngugi (Kenya). Two-time Olympian and Providence resident Molly Huddle will also be running.

The women’s wheelchair race will include Team USA wheelchair Paralympians Susannah Scaroni and Jenna Fesemyer, along with course record holder Manuela Schär and five-time champion Tatyana McFadden. For the men’s wheelchair division, Aaron Pike will compete in the field that includes four champions – Daniel Romanchuk, Marcel Hug, Ernst van Dyk, and Josh Cassidy – with a combined 16 Boston Marathon titles.

As part of the inaugural Para Athletics Divisions at the Boston Marathon, many athletes will compete for prize money and awards within the vision impaired and lower-limb impaired divisions. Among those competing are 2016 Paralympians Chaz Davis (T12), Liz Willis (T64), and marathon silver medalist and current world record holder Misato Michishita (T12) of Japan. Davis, a Massachusetts native, holds the T12 American record of 2:31:48 for the marathon, while Willis is a converted sprinter-turned-distance runner for Team USA. Also competing is Marko Cheseto Lemtukei, the world best holder for the T62 marathon having run 2:37:23 in 2019. The Boston Marathon is the first major marathon to offer prize money and awards for athletes with vision, lower-limb, and upper-limb impairments.

“In October, many of the world’s best athletes will look to etch their names in the history books by winning the 125th Boston Marathon,” said Tom Grilk, B.A.A. President and Chief Executive Officer. “We very much look forward to October’s competition, bringing together winners from more than one hundred global marathons. The B.A.A. is eager to continue the tradition of athletic excellence as we return to the roads leading to Boston.”

“John Hancock is proud to support this year’s professional field for the monumental, 125th running of the Boston Marathon,” said Kate Ardini, Chief Marketing Officer at John Hancock. “In our 36th year as principal sponsor, John Hancock is committed to supporting the world’s top athletes as they aim for greatness in Boston. We look forward to cheering on every athlete as they make their way to the finish.”

(08/12/2021) Views: 1,190 ⚡AMP
by

Star-studded field 2021, announced for Antrim Coast Half Marathon

With over 100 runners in the International elite race, over 400 in the sub-elite and with record numbers entering the mass race, this year’s Antrim Coast Half Marathon will be arguably one of the best half marathons in Europe, and one of the greatest ever in the United Kingdom.

The men’s race has seven men confirmed who have run under the 60-minute barrier.

Headlining the African contingent will be Jemal Yimer – winner of the Valencia Half Marathon in 2018. The current 6th fastest man of all time, Ethiopian record holder and ranked second in the world for the last two years, with a PB of 58:32 will be looking to better his own personal best on the super-fast route.

Joining Yimer will be fellow countryman Tesfahun Akalnew, the 21-year-old sensation, with a personal best time of 59:22 from the New Delhi Half Marathon will also look to better his time at this year’s event.

Shadrack Kimining, one of three Kenyans confirmed in this year’s race, twice breaking 60 minutes last year, placing third in Houston and running a PB in New Delhi with a time of 59:27 is also a confirmed starter.

Abrar Osman the Eritrean Olympic finalist and bronze medallist is looking to better his personal best of 59.47 set at the Lisbon International Half Marathon. A former winner of the African Games, he was seventh in the World Half Marathon championships in Cardiff in 2016.

Kenya’s latest star Daniel Mateiko, part of the postponed 2021 Kenyan World Cross Country team will be competing in his first ever half marathon after his world-class 10,00m debut in Hengelo last month, recording a time of 27:03, the fastest ever debut 10,000m.

With hopefully one global superstar still to announce, the British challenge will come from last year’s second place finisher, two-time European record holder and second fastest Briton all-time over 10,000m Marc Scott, looking to break the 60-minute barrier for the first time, returning fresh from the 5000m/10,000m double at the Tokyo Olympics.

British Olympian and Berlin Marathon fifth placer Scott Overall will also return to this year’s race.

The Irish contingent in the men’s race will be headlined by four Olympian’s young and old.

Belfast native Paul Pollock, post Tokyo Olympics will be looking to better his 62:09 and reclaim his Northern Ireland record broken at last year’s race by Stephen Scullion.

The women’s race will be headlined by Ethiopian sensation and third fastest ever Yalemzerf Yehualaw targeting the World Record on the super-fast course, a feat only ever achieved by Khalid Kannouchi and Paula Radcliffe in the UK, on both occasions set at the London Marathon.

After posting personal bests earlier in the year over the half marathon distance in Istanbul, with a time of 64:40 and running her first ever 5,000m in Paris last month, in a sensational debut of 14:53 her preparation has been perfect for an assault on the women’s world record.

Ethiopian stablemate Tsehay Gemechu will arrive fresh from her assault at the Olympic 10,000m in Tokyo, where she will be looking to better her two fourth place in the World Championships and sixth in the World Cross Country.

Gemechu will attack her own personal best of 66 min 0 sec, which she set winning the New Delhi Half Marathon in 2019.

Two-time World Half Marathon medallist Mary Ngugi is also confirmed and will look to get back to her form of 2016 which saw her take the silver medal at the World Half marathon championships in Cardiff, before targeting one of the major city marathons in October.

The British contingent will be headlined by last year’s fourth placer Becky Briggs, Tracey Barlow, and Ellie Davis with Irish distance stars Ann Marie McGlynn and Marie McCambridge also confirmed to start.

Last year’s winner Lily Partridge has had to pull out of defending her title due to an operation on her ankle, but has confirmed she will still make the journey to the province to support on the day.

(07/02/2021) Views: 936 ⚡AMP
by The Newsroom

Defending Champions Joyciline Jepkosgei and Belay Tilahun will Return for the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon

All four defending champions – Joyciline Jepkosgei, Tatyana McFadden, Belay Tilahun, and Daniel Romanchuk – will return for the 2020 United Airlines NYC Half, which will feature a world-class professional athlete field that includes 14 Olympians and eight Paralympians leading 25,000 runners from Prospect Park in Brooklyn to Central Park in Manhattan.

The 15th running of the event will take place on Sunday, March 15, leading the athletes on a 13.1-mile tour through neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Manhattan and past iconic New York City landmarks, including Grand Army Plaza, the United Nations, Grand Central Terminal, and Times Square. Coverage of the race, including features, interviews, and pro race look-ins will be available on WABC-TV, Channel 7 in the New York area from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ET on race day, while a pro race livestream will begin at 7:00 a.m. ET on multiple ABC7 and NYRR social media channels.

“This year’s United Airlines NYC Half will feature all four defending champions leading an exciting array of international stars and rising American talent,” said Michael Capiraso, president and CEO of NYRR. “Olympians and Paralympians from 18 different countries will join our defending champions in a race that will be followed all around the world, as New York again becomes the focal point of the global running community this March.”

Jepkosgei, who won the United Airlines NYC Half and TCS New York City Marathon last year in her first two trips to the United States, will look to defend her event title against a stacked international field. 

At the 2019 United Airlines NYC Half, during her first-ever trip to the United States, Jepkosgei won on a solo run to the finish in a time of 1:10:07. The world championships silver medalist in the distance became the sixth woman from Kenya to win the United Airlines NYC Half, and the first to do so since 2014. She then made her marathon debut at the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon and finished in first place with a time of 2:22:38.

She was just seven seconds off the course record and registered the second-fastest time in the women’s open’s division in New York City Marathon history. The time was also the fastest ever by a woman making her New York City Marathon debut. Jepkosgei is the world-record holder in the half marathon, having run a 1:04:51 to win the 2017 Valencia Half-Marathon in Spain.

“In my first two trips to the U.S. – for the United Airlines NYC Half and TCS New York City Marathon last year – I was so excited to cross the finish line first in Central Park to win both races,” Jepkosgei said. “I cannot wait to return to New York to defend my NYC Half title.”

Challenging Jepkosgei will be two-time NYC Half champion Caroline Rotich, 2018 NYC Half champion Buze Diriba and last year’s runner-up, Mary Ngugi. Olympians Milly Clark, Susan Krumins, Steph Twell, and Natasha Wodak will join them in the field, along with the United States’ Jess Tonn, who finished as the runner-up at the 2019 USATF 5K Championships and will be making her half-marathon debut.

(02/19/2020) Views: 1,542 ⚡AMP

Belay Tilahun of Ethiopia and Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya won their New York City racing debuts in the open division

Tilahun, a 24-year-old member of West Side Runners, recorded his surprise victory in a time of 1:02:10 with an exciting kick through the final two miles. 

“I was feeling quite cold at the beginning, but as I was warming up, I began to feel better. After about 15 kilometers, I was confident that I could win. So I used the finishing kick that I had to win,” Tilahun said. 

Eritrea’s Daniel Mesfun finished second in 1:02:16 after leading for the majority of the race, while U.S. Olympic silver medalist Paul Chelimo took third in 1:02:19 in his half-marathon debut. 

A record eight American men finished in the top 10 in the open division, as Chelimo was followed by Jared Ward, Noah Droddy, Brogan Austin, Tim Ritchie, John Raneri, Parker Stinson, and Ben True, respectively.

 In the women’s open division, Jepkosgei, the half marathon world record-holder, won her first-ever race in the United States on a solo run to the finish in a time of 1:10:07. The world championship silver medalist in the distance became the sixth woman from Kenya to win the event, and the first to do so since 2014. “This season I am preparing to debut in the marathon, and this was a great half marathon to see how my body feels,” Jepkosgei said.

Fellow Kenyan Mary Ngugi came through the finish line one minute later in 1:11:07 to take second place, 15-hundredths of a second ahead of last year’s champion, Ethiopia’s Buze Diriba.

Emma Bates, the 2018 USATF Marathon champion, was the top American in the women’s open division, taking fourth place in 1:11:13. She was followed by 2018 Boston Marathon winner Des Linden in fifth place in 1:11:22.

(03/19/2019) Views: 2,332 ⚡AMP