Running News Daily

African Games 5,000 meters champion Lilian Kasait is the latest Kenyan athlete to be banned for violating doping rules

World Athletics’ Athletes Integrity Unit (AIU) disclosed on Wednesday that it had banned the 2017 World Cross Country bronze medallist for a period of 10 months starting April this year for using a prohibited substance, Letrozole.

Consequently, AIU disclosed that Kasait's results from January 20, this year have been disqualified.

 

The ruling from AIU indicated that an out-of-competition provided by the 25-year-old Kasait during a doping control conducted on behalf of the AIU on January 20, this year.

“It resulted in an adverse analytical finding for Letrozole, which is prohibited at all times, which was potential anti-doping rule violations (ADRVS) pursuant to Rule 2.1 and Rule 2.2 of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules (ADR)," said AIU who notified the athlete of the violation on February 16 this year.

Kasait now joins a long list of close to 20 Kenyan athletes who have been banned or suspended for various doping offences this year.  

The last time for Kasait to compete was last year where she won the national trials in 5,000m to represent Kenya at the Tokyo Olympic Games where she finished 12th.

The suspension comes after five Kenyan athletes were banned from the World Athletics Championships held on July 15 to 24 in Oregon, USA, and Commonwealth Games held July 28 to August 8 in Birmingham, England.

The 2019 Boston and Chicago Marathon champion Lawrence Cherono was kicked out of Oregon before the men’s marathon after failing a dope test.

Marathoners Philemon Kacheran, Stella Barsosio, Purity Changwony and 1,500 metres athlete Kumari Taki were also hounded out of the Commonwealth Games for the same reasons.

Middle distance runner Eglay Nalianya was suspended from the World Indoor Championships in March in Serbia, for the use of Norandrosterone.

Long distance runner Mathew Kisorio was banned in April for the second time for four years for his whereabouts alongside Justus Kimutai and Morris Munene Gachaga, who got two years each for a similar offence.

Another distance runner, Joyce Chepkirui, was suspended by the Anti-doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) for four years in March for discrepancies in her Athletes Blood Passport.

Two-time Paris Marathon champion Paul Lonyangata was among four Kenyans, who were flagged down by AIU in February.

AIU suspended Lonyangata on January 24 for the use of prohibited substance Furosemide. Others are Edward Kiprop Kibet, Tabitha Wambui and Vane Nyaboke.

(09/21/2022) Views: 890 ⚡AMP
by Ayumba Ayodi

Kenyans Benson Kipruto and Lucy Cheruiyot reign supreme at Guadalajara Half Marathon

Benson Kipruto and Lucy Cheruiyot began their 2020 season on a high note by taking the top honors at the 34th Electrolit Guadalajara Half Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label road race on Sunday, although the course records set one year ago remained intact.

With ideal conditions for long distance running, clear skies and temperatures hovering at 10 C, a pack of over dozen men covered the initial 5km in just under 15 minutes. As they hit the 10km mark in 29:40, it signaled the course record of 1:01:48, set by Kenya’s Mathew Kisorio last year, would be hard to beat.

Thirty-five minutes into the race, the lead group was reduced to five: Kenya’s Jeoffrey Kimutai, Kipruto, Cosmas Birech, Peru's Ulises Martin and Mexico’s two-time winner and two-time Olympic finalist Juan Luis Barrios.

Barrios remained with the three Kenyans at 15km, but Kimutai left Kipruto soon after. As they entered the home stretch, Kimutai moved to the front but Kipruto bided his time and launched his sprint in the last 20 meters to secure the victory in 1:02:13, a personal best over the distance for the 2019 Toronto Marathon champion. Barrios completed the podium with 1:02:27 as he prepares for the London Marathon.

In the women’s race, a Kenyan quartet soon made a statement as they moved to the front in the first kilometers. Cheruiyot was joined by her countrywomen Winfridah Moraa, Margaret Agai, Visiline Jepkesho and Ethiopia’s Belaynesh Oljira.

The group remained compact until the 15km marker, when Cheruiyot and Oljira moved away for good, setting the stage for a battle to determine the 2020 winner.

Cheruiyot launched her attack in the last 400m, but Oljira could not respond and was content to settle for second. The 23-year old Kenyan crossed the finish line in 1:10:52, four seconds ahead of the Ethiopian. Moraa completed the podium with 1:11:14.

The course and Mexican all-comers’ record of 1:08:53, set by Ethiopia’s Afera Godfay Berha in 2019, remained intact.

Vianey De La Rosa was the first Mexican to cross the finish line in sixth in 1:12:52, her fastest time in four years, guaranteeing a spot on her national team for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland, on 29 March.

The 34th edition of the race, powered by Granvita, drew close to 14,000 runners in celebration of Guadalajara’s 478th anniversary of its foundation.

(02/17/2020) Views: 1,499 ⚡AMP
by World Athletics

Course and Mexican all-comers’ records under threat at Guadalajara Half Marathon

Kenya’s Geoffrey Koech, Shadrack Korir, Lucy Cheruiyot and Perine Nengampi lead the Kenyan contingent aiming to rewrite the course and Mexican All-comers’ records at the 34th Electrolit Guadalajara Half Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label road race, on Sunday.

Almost a month after running personal bests under 60 minutes in Houston, Korir (59:27) and Koech (59:36) will now target the course record of 1:01:48, set by their countryman Mathew Kisorio last year. The fastest half marathon run on Mexican soil is 1:01:27 by Simon Biwott in 1999.

Two more Kenyans, Benson Kipruto, a 2:05:13 marathoner, and Cosmas Kipchoge, who boasts a personal best of 1:00:06, are also top contenders for the podium. 

Ethiopia’s Haymanot Alewe will try to spoil a Kenyan medal sweep. A 1:00:26 runner over the distance, the 22-year-old showed his fine early season form with a 28:17 10km in Thailand on 26 January. 

Two-time Olympic finalist and two-time winner Juan Luis Barrios (2015-2016) carries the Mexican hopes in the elite race. He finished fifth in 2019.

In the women’s race, Lucy Cheruiyot is well positioned to threaten the Mexican all-comers’ and course record of 1:08:53, set by Ethiopia’s Afera Godfay Berha last year. The 23-year-old has run faster six times in her career, twice in 2017 when she set her personal best of 1:07:23 and more recently last October when winning the Cardiff Half Marathon in 1:08:20.

Her fellow Kenyan Perine Nengampi, a 1:08:04 half marathoner, will join her in trying to regain the top spot on the podium for the country, but Abeba Gebremeskel, who shows a marathon lifetime best of 2:22:29, will try to keep the trophy in Ethiopian hands. 

Three other sub-70 minute Kenyans, Margaret Agai (1:09:43), Visiline Jepkesho (1:08:12) and Winfridah Moseti (1:08:44) should also feature prominently on Sunday.

Mexico’s Madai Perez, the fastest Spanish speaking woman over the marathon distance (2:22:59), returns to Guadalajara after missing the 2019 edition. The 40-year old has stepped on the podium seven times, including wins in 2003 and 2006.

The 34th edition of the race, powered by Granvita, celebrates Guadalajara’s 478th anniversary of its foundation. A Marathon Parade with 21 sculptures representing the race’s 21 kilometres, will also grace the 34th edition. This urban art exhibit will be displayed throughout a month, before moving to other Mexican cities.

(02/14/2020) Views: 1,624 ⚡AMP
by World Athletics

Beijing marathon champion Mathew Kisorio to defend title in 2020, has no Olympics plans

With no hope of making the Kenyan team to the Tokyo Olympic Games, Beijing marathon champion Mathew Kisorio has already planned his new season.

The 30-year-old says he will certainly be returning to the Chinese capital to defend his title in 2020 after his debut show on Nov. 3 saw him clinch the gold. He also has no intention to throw his hat in the ring to make the elusive Kenyan marathon team for the Olympics.

Kisorio says he was humbled by the Chinese reception and running culture and will not think twice if invited to fend off new pretenders seeking his treasured trophy. "Of course I loved the weather in China and I expect to come to Beijing again next year," said Kisorio on Tuesday. "The Olympics are not on my plans, but defending my crown in Beijing is something that I am dreaming of already."

It was the third road race for Kisorio in China after his debut at the Yangzhou Half Marathon in 2015, where he finished tenth clocking 60:58. He made the full marathon distance a year later in 2016 at the Dongying marathon, where he finished ninth clocking 2:14:13.

Beijing marathon remains the only race Kisorio has won in 2019 after an injury prevented him from finishing the Mexico City marathon back in August.

With a 2:04:53 personal best time from Valencia last year, Kisorio clocked a new course record in Beijing cutting off ten seconds off Ethiopia's Tadese Tola 2:07:06 mark, which he had set in 2003.

Last year, Kisorio was second at Paris marathon, third in Mexico City and Valencia before a foot injury slowed him down early this season. His other marathon victory was in Daegu, South Korea back in 2017.

(11/06/2019) Views: 1,718 ⚡AMP
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Vivian Kiplagat broke the women’s race record at the 37th Telcel Mexico City Marathon

Kiplagat, 31, ran the second half of the race 10 minutes faster than the first to cross the finish line in 2:33:27, taking almost three minutes off the race record of 2:36:16 set by Peru’s Pan American Games champion Gladys Tejeda in 2017.

Duncan Maiyo slowed down significantly in the second half, but his lead was good enough to secure victory in 2:12:50, two minutes shy of the 2:10:38 race record established by his compatriot Titus Ekiru.

With about 13C heat and 80% humidity at the start, Mexico’s Fabiola Pérez led the group through the first 5km in a pedestrian 20:25. The group of four Kenyan and four Ethiopian women took over and hit 10km in 39:40. By the time they reached the halfway mark, covered in 1:21:43, the group had shrunk to six.

Kiplagat and Paskalia Kipkoech reached the 25km point with a three-second lead over the chase pack of four women and gradually increased their leading margin. The former launched her attack at about 36km and Pamela Rotich could not respond.

Kiplagat, a two-time winner at the Milan Marathon, became the first Kenyan woman to win this race since 2011, crossing the line in 2:33:27. Kipkoech also finished inside the previous record in second place with 2:34:09. Rotich, who finished fifth last year, completed the all-Kenyan podium with 2:38:14.

In the men’s race, Kenya’s Mathew Kisorio, the only sub-2:05 man in the field, sped to the front early on and set a daring pace for a marathon contested at 2,240m above sea level.

With the course going downhill for the first eight kilometres, Kisorio covered the first 5km in 14:33, eight seconds ahead of Duncan Maiyo. By 10km, Maiyo had closed the gap to three seconds, 29:25 to 29:28, and remained in close contact at 15km (44:44 to 44:53).

Kisorio kept up the pressure and hit the halfway mark on Reforma Avenue in 1:03:59 with a 32-second gap on Maiyo. The chase group, meanwhile, was 2:08 adrift.

But the fast pace eventually took its toll on Kisorio as he slowed down significantly at about 30km. With the clock reading 1:39:20, Maiyo caught up with the long-time leader and Kisorio abandoned the race soon after.

More than three minutes ahead of the chase pack, Maiyo cruised to his victory in 2:12:50. It was his first marathon triumph since 2016, his best season when he twice bettered 2:10, including his lifetime best of 2:09:25.

Ethiopia’s Girmay Birhanu (2:16:14) and Eritrea’s Amanuel Mesel (2:16:28) completed the podium.

Both winners were rewarded with 550,000 Mexican pesos (about $27,000).

With a new and faster course, the only IAAF Gold Label marathon in Latin America drew about 25,000 runners.

(08/26/2019) Views: 2,089 ⚡AMP

Kenyans Mathew Kipkoech and Vivian Kiplagat lead a group of eight sub-2:10 men and eight sub-2:30 women vying to become the new champions and to rewrite the records at the 37th Telcel Mexico City International Marathon on Sunday

After a successful 2018 edition, which honoured the 50th anniversary of the 1968 Olympic Games following the same course used at the Games, organisers have designed a new course and assembled one of the best fields in the 37-year-old history of the race, hoping to break the 2:10 and 2:30 barriers at high altitude (2,240m above sea level).

Mathew Kisorio is hoping to be that man. Third at this race last year, he cracked the 2:05 barrier three months later in Valencia with 2:04:53. The 30-year-old is comfortable racing at altitude as his pedigree shows. In February, he made his Mexican debut by winning the Guadalajara Half Marathon and went on to take the Eldoret Marathon two months later.

In the absence of last year’s winner Titus Ekiru, 2018 runner-up Edwin Koech will try to keep the Kenyan supremacy on Mexican roads. The 27-year-old has a personal best of 2:07:13 from 2017 in Milano. He returned to that Italian city last April and finished third with 2:08:24.

Vincent Kipruto, the 2011 World World Championships silver medallist at the distance, will make his Mexican debut. He boasts a personal best of 2:05:13 from 2010 and regained similar form two years ago in Berlin with 2:06:14. Sunday’s will be his first race of the year.

Other top candidates for victory are Ethiopia’s Deribe Merga (2:06:38), Abdela Godana (2:09:04) and Yihunilign Adane (2:09:11), as well as Eritrea’s Amanuel Mesel Tikue (2:08:17).

In the women’s field, Vivian Kiplagat is hoping to bring back the title to Kenya after Peru’s Gladys Tejeda's wins in 2016-2017 and Ethiopia’s Etaferahu Temesgen’s victory in 2018.

Kiplagat, 31, improved her personal best by over four and a half minutes to 2:22:25 to successfully retain her title in Milano last April. Sunday will mark her debut in Mexican races. She is also comfortable running at altitude, judging from her 2:28:06, good for second place, two weeks after her win in Italy.

After a busier season with three marathons in 2018, Tinbit Weldegebril will try to keep the women’s crown in Ethiopia. She improved her personal best twice last year, including a lifetime best of 2:23:37 in Valencia in December, her latest marathon before Sunday.

The running battle between Ethiopia and Kenya should produce an exciting day of racing on Sunday. Kenya is also represented by Paskalia Chepkorir Kipkoech (2:26:04), Valentine Kipketer (2:28:05) and Pamela Rotich (2:27:48), her country’s best ranked woman Mexico City last year, in fifth.

Ethiopia, a country that topped the four first places in the women’s race in 2018, also features Zerfie Limeneh (2:26:48), Zinash Debebe (2:27:15) and Tigist Gebeyahu (2:27:35).

With the start at UNAM University, the venue of the 1968 Olympic stadium, and finish at the Zócalo, Mexico City’s main square, organisers are hoping to see records broken as the race makes its debut as an IAAF Gold Label race.

The records were set by Kenya’s Titus Ekiru (2:10:38) in 2018 and Peru’s Pan American Games champion Gladys Tejeda (2:36:16) in 2017. The race has 25,000 runners registered.

(08/24/2019) Views: 2,212 ⚡AMP
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Geoffrey Kamworor said that he is aiming to win gold at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar in October

After winning the 10,000m title at the Kenya Police Championships, Kamworor disclosed that he was eager to make it to make the cut for the national team for the World Championship.

"I have only one mission, to clinch my first ever gold at the World Championships. I have been longing for a gold medal in the track competition and when I won silver at the Beijing worlds in 2015, I thought I would step up to gold in London in 2017.

"However, it was never to be and Kenya still searches to break Ethiopia and Mo Farah's strong grip in the race. I am still motivated to go a step further and win gold," said Kamworor.

Kamworor, the two-time World Half Marathon champion, won in 27:50:65, followed by Josephat Bett 28:40:58, Joseph Kitum 28:40:74 and Mathew Kisorio 28:44:63.

Then he relinquished his title at this year's World Cross Country championships in Denmark. Kamworor went on to win the 10-mile Grand Prix race in Bern, Switzerland in May clocking 44:57, but has resumed training with the track competition in focus.

"Winning a bronze at the World Cross was a disappointment but I did my best. The event gave me good endurance for the season and I hope to reap maximum going to the World Championships. Today, I was gauging my strength to see whether I can return to track for the World Championships," said Kamworor.

Kamworor hinted that he will only compete at the Copenhagen Half Marathon in September in Denmark if he fails to make the team to World Championships.

(07/25/2019) Views: 1,979 ⚡AMP

Kenya's veteran road runner Mathew Kisorio and Bornes Kitur will lead the elite group at the Prague Marathon

Kenya's Mathew Kisorio, who ran his best time of 2:04:53 in finishing third in Valencia last year, could challenge the Prague Marathon course record of 2:05:39.

"I am in top form and will first seek to shake off the opposition and secure the victory, then see if I can run faster time. The course record is not hard to challenge, I will take it in my strides," said Kisorio.

Morocco's El Mahjoub Dazz, who was just behind Kisorio in Valencia in 2:05:26 and Kenya's Amos Kipruto, who has a best time of 2:06:23, could also challenge.

Kisorio's brother Peter Kimeli Some, a former Paris marathon champion, Yego Solomon Kirwa and Paul Maina are others to watch for.

European runners are led by Oleksandr Sitkovskyy, who has run 2:09:11.

In the women's race, Kenya's Bornes Kitur is back to defend her title, which she won when she ran her best time of 2:24:19.

However, she must give her best show in order to beat Israel and European 10,000m champion Lonah Salpeter who is two seconds quicker than Kitur.

Salpeter, who switched from Kenya to Israel after marriage, had pitched camp in Iten to train.

(04/12/2019) Views: 1,997 ⚡AMP
Mathew Kisorio

Afera Godfay Berha of Ethiopia broke the women’s Mexican all-comers half marathon record at the 33rd Electrolit Guadalajara Half Marathon

Godfay, 27, clocked 1:08:53 to break the all-comers mark set of 1:09:07 set by Paula Radcliffe when the Briton won the 2000 world half marathon title in Veracruz.

Kenya's Mathew Kisorio won the men's race in 1:01:48, well inside the course record of 1:02:31 set by his countryman and seven-time winner Julius Kipyego Keter in 2011.

Godfay and Kenyan Joyce Chemkemoi set an aggressive pace from the start, covering the opening five kilometres in 15:58, running five second ahead of Naomi Vaati. By the 10km mark, covered in 32:06, she extended her lead to 22 seconds.

Berha made her decisive move in the next five-kilometre stretch and built a 35-second lead by 15 kilometres, reached in 48:41. She then cruised on to become the second Ethiopian woman to claim victory in Guadalajara since two-time winner Shewarge Alene Amare won in 2010 and 2011.

The 27-year old winner, a 2:23:54 marathoner, came within 22 seconds her half marathon best set in 2016. 

Chemkemoi held on for second in 1:10:06 with Vaati, who clocked 1:10:17, finishing third.

Esmerala Rebollo was the first Mexican across the line, finishing fifth with a new personal best of 1:12:52. Her countrywoman, two-time winner Mayra Sanchez Vidal, finished eighth in 1:13:18.

In the men's race, a group of nine took up a conservative pace early in the contest, covering the first five kilometres in 14:13. Kisorio and three other men upped the pace, reducing the lead group to four as they reached 10 kilometres in 29:06. Then Kisorio found an extra gear, dropping his three remaining opponents as he reached 15 kilometres in 43:42, 34 seconds ahead of his closest rival.

Rhonzas Lokitam Kilimo and Justus Kangogo battled for the two remaining spots on the podium, a war Kilimo won as he pulled away to repeat his runner-up finish from 2018, clocking 1:02:43. Kangogo was next, four seconds behind.

Two-time Olympic finalist and two-time winner Juan Luis Barrios was the first Mexican finisher, taking fifth in 1:03:06.

“This performance is the result of running with great athletes who come to produce a great show," said Barrios, now 35. "They pushed hard and I tried to stay with the leaders as long as possible."

Each winner collected MXN 150,000 for their effort ($7,840). 13,568 runners finished the race.

(02/26/2019) Views: 2,290 ⚡AMP

Leul Gebrselassie wins the Valencia Marathon clocking an outstanding 2:04:30

Leul Gebrselassie smashed the Spanish all-comers Record at the Maraton Valencia Trinidad Alfonso, an IAAF Gold Label road race, in the eastern Spanish city on Sunday December 2. Running for just the second time over the distance, the 25-year-old Ethiopian clocked 2:04:30 to finish almost a full minute inside the previous Spanish all-comers record set at this race last year. In a race of exceptionally strong depth, the top-three athletes dipped below 2:05 and no fewer than six men ran under 2:05:30, a figure only bettered in the Dubai marathon this season. In the women’s race Ethiopia’s Ashete Dido obliterated the course record and her previous best in 2:21:14 to take a commanding victory ahead of Kenya’s Lydia Cheromei, the leader for much of the race. Boosted by five pacemakers, the men’s opening splits were quite fast with the large heading group going through the five and 10-kilometer points in 14:48 and 29:47 respectively. By then, all the main favorites – Gebrselassie and the Kenyan pair of Mathew Kisorio and defending champion Sammy Kitwara – ran close together in ideal weather conditions of 55F (13C) and very slight wind.  Leul’s time is the fifth fastest winning time of marathons run over the last 12 months according to My Best Runs.  Only Berlin (2:01:39), Dubai (2:04:00), Amsterdam (2:04:06) and London (2:04:17) were faster.  2018 is clearly the best marathon year ever. (12/02/2018) Views: 1,528 ⚡AMP

A strong elite men´s field is set for the Valencia Marathon this Sunday

Five men in the Valencia Marathon field have previously run better than 2:06:00 on at least one occasion headed by Ethiopia’s Leul Gebrselassie. The 25-year-old boasts a 2:04:02 lifetime best clocked last January in Dubai on his debut over the distance, barely three seconds slower than his illustrious countryman Haile Gebrselassie’s career best. He finished tenth at this year’s World Half Marathon Championships held in Valencia and holds a 59:18 personal best for the distance clocked in Valencia last year. One of his stiffest opponents should be defending champion Sammy Kitwara, who turned 32 years earlier this week. The Kenyan clocked the 2:05:15 course record last year, his second ever behind his 2:04:28 career best set in Chicago in 2014. Kitwara has only raced once this year, finishing 15th in Lisbon over the half marathon when he clocked 1:01:12. He will be joined by his fellow Kenyan Norbert Kigen, who clocked 2:05:13 in Amsterdam in 2017. He will be making his second appearance of the season after dropping out in Boston last April. Mathew Kisorio, who clocked 2:06:36 in Paris earlier this year and ran a 1:02:18 time for the half marathon in the altitude of Eldoret last month and Solomon Yego (2:07:12) will also be in contention. Eritrea's Yohanes Gebregergis, a creditable seventh at the World Championships last year, should also be tipped as one of the main favorities.  The Madrid-based 24-year-old ran 1:00:16 for the half marathon in Lisbon earlier this year and holds a PR of 2:08:14. Ethiopia’s Deribe Robi, third last year in 2:06:38, might also be a factor on Sunday in his fourth marathon this year, his best effort being 2:08:51 in Seoul. (11/30/2018) Views: 1,594 ⚡AMP