Running News Daily

PORTO, Portugal — During a recent visit to Porto, one thing stood out immediately: runners were everywhere.

Not just a few individuals squeezing in a workout, but a steady, continuous flow—on both sides of the Douro River, along waterfront promenades, through historic neighborhoods, and even across the city’s iconic bridges. Morning, afternoon, and early evening, Porto felt like a city permanently in motion.

What made the impression even stronger was the range of runners. Men and women, young and old, first-time joggers and clearly experienced athletes. Some moved easily through recovery miles, others pushed the pace with purpose. Porto didn’t feel like a place where people run occasionally—it felt like a place where running is part of everyday life.

A City Built for Running

Few European cities offer the natural variety Porto does. Flat riverside paths stretch for miles along the Douro, ideal for steady aerobic runs. Step slightly inland and runners find rolling terrain and short climbs that quietly build strength. Smooth paved walkways blend into older stone streets, giving every run a mix of rhythm and challenge.

One of the most striking sights was runners crossing the Dom Luís I Bridge, high and low above the river, linking Porto with Vila Nova de Gaia. It’s exposed, often windy, and far from flat—yet runners of all ages crossed confidently. This wasn’t something special or staged. It was routine.

A Deeper Running Culture

Compared with other European cities, including Lisbon, Porto appeared to have more runners consistently on the streets, particularly along the riverfront. My wife was there three days during Christmas this year.    At nearly any time of day, runners passed in both directions, quietly acknowledging one another as part of an unspoken community.

Running here isn’t limited to parks or hidden routes. Runners move through the heart of the city—past cafés, historic façades, working docks, and tourist corridors. They don’t stand out. They belong.

What stood out most was how unpretentious it all felt. No spectacle. No performance. Just people running because that’s what they do. 

Home to Major Races

This everyday running culture naturally feeds into Porto’s race calendar. The city hosts some of Portugal’s most important road events, including the Porto Marathon and the Porto Half Marathon, races that draw international fields while remaining deeply connected to the local running community.

These events showcase exactly what makes Porto special: fast stretches along the river, challenging sections through the city, and unforgettable scenery from start to finish. For visiting runners, they offer a rare combination—serious competition in a city that genuinely understands and supports running.

Portugal has quietly built a strong endurance-sports identity over the past decade, and Porto reflects that evolution perfectly. The city doesn’t just host races—it lives the sport year-round.

A Runner’s City, Without Trying to Be One

Porto may be best known for its wine cellars, historic architecture, and dramatic river views, but it is increasingly clear that it is also a runner’s city—not by branding or promotion, but by habit.

For runners visiting from abroad, the appeal is immediate. Lace up your shoes, step outside, follow the river, cross a bridge, turn around when it feels right—and suddenly you’re part of the flow.

The best running cities are often the ones that don’t advertise themselves. They reveal who they are through simple, repeated moments.

In Porto, that moment happens again and again:

Runners moving steadily along the Douro.

Across bridges.

Through history.

Every single day even on Christmas Day.  

At 66 years old, Rosa Mota, Portugal’s marathon icon and former Olympic champion, continues to prove that greatness knows no age. Most recently, she stunned the world by setting a new age-group world record for the 10K, finishing in an astonishing time of 38:25.This achievement not only cements her status as a legendary athlete but also highlights her remarkable longevity in a sport dominated by younger competitors.

The record-breaking performance occurred during the San Silvestre Vallecana 10K race, where Mota finished with a time of 38:25, significantly improving her previous W65 world record of 38:45, set in Valencia almost a year prior.

Rosa Mota rose to international fame in the 1980s, dominating the marathon scene and becoming one of the greatest long-distance runners in history. Born in Porto in 1958, she grew up with a love for running and quickly emerged as a standout athlete.

Her career highlights include winning the marathon gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and bronze at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She also won the inaugural women’s marathon at the European Championships in 1982, setting the tone for her incredible career. Rosa claimed victories in major marathons worldwide, including Boston, Chicago, and London, and her legacy includes a World Championship title in 1987.

Pushing the Limits at 66:

Rosa’s most recent feat is part of a series of record-breaking performances that have reignited her fame in the running world. Earlier this year, she set a W65 world record in the half marathon with a time of 1:25:52, followed by her stunning 10K record of 38:25. These times are exceptional not just for her age group but for athletes of any age, underscoring Rosa’s incredible dedication and talent.

Rosa attributes her success to a lifelong passion for running and disciplined training. “I never stopped loving this sport,” she said after her race. “I still wake up every day excited to run, to challenge myself, and to show others that age is not a limit—it’s an opportunity.”

The Secret Behind Rosa’s Success:

Rosa’s training has evolved over the years, focusing on smart, consistent workouts that prioritize recovery. She combines speedwork, long runs, and cross-training with strength exercises and yoga to maintain her agility and endurance. A balanced Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins, also contributes to her vitality.

“I listen to my body more now than I did in my younger days,” she explains. “Rest and recovery are just as important as the training itself.”

A Beacon of Inspiration:

Beyond her athletic achievements, Rosa Mota is a symbol of resilience and empowerment. She remains an active figure in the running community, advocating for health, fitness, and women’s participation in sports. Through her recent performances, she has inspired not only her peers but also younger generations of runners.

“I want people to know it’s never too late to dream big,” Rosa says. “Set goals, stay consistent, and believe in yourself. That’s how records are broken—on and off the track.”

Legacy of Greatness:

Rosa Mota’s 38-minute 10K record is more than just a number—it’s a testament to the power of determination, discipline, and a lifelong love for running. As she continues to push boundaries, she reminds us all that the human spirit can triumph over any obstacle, including the passage of time.

 

Beijing Half Marathon champion Brian Kwemoi leads Kenyans in their quest for the Napoli Half Marathon title this Sunday.

The last time a Kenyan triumphed in Naples was in 2022 when Chepkirui Gladys clocked 1:08:09 to win the women's title.

Belet Kiplangat placed second (59:26) behind Italy's Crippa Yemaneberhan who clinched the title in 59:26.

In last year's edition, Edris Muktra (1:00:27) of Ethiopia and Mach Angelika (1:12:34) of Poland won the men's and women's titles.

Kwemoi, who secured the Beijing Half Marathon title in April 2023 with a course-record time of 59:37, will be joined by Vila de Santa Pola, Spain, half marathon champion Bernard Biwott.

Biwott also placed third in the Cardiff Half Marathon in October 2023, clocking 1:00:51.

Also in the mix is Moses Koech, the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympics silver medalist in the 3,000m. He was also a 5,000m  silver medalist at the 2015 Barcelona Regional Championships in 13:15.56.

Koech placed second in the Loop Den Haag Half Marathon in the Netherlands in March 2023, with a time of 1:00:55. The trio will face stiff competition from Ethiopia's Mosinet Geremew who was the 2022 world marathon silver medallist.

Geremew is a silver medalist in the 2019 London Marathon, finishing behind two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge in 2:02:55.

On the women's side, 2021 Amsterdam Marathon champion Angela Tanui will lead the charge.

Tanui clocked 2:17:57 to win the title in the Netherlands. She will be joined by Nancy Jepleting, the Porto (Portugal) half marathon silver medalist.

The duo will face tough competition from Ethiopia's Anchinalu Dessie, a bronze medallist in the 2023 Milano Half Marathon, and Italy's Sofiia Yaremchuk, the 2021 Venezia Marathon champion.

Defending champion Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba will be out to defend his Xiamen Marathon title as he is up against a strong field.

Defending champion Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba will be hoping to defend his title as he gears up to face tough opponents at the Xiamen Marathon on Sunday, January 7.

Kipchumba will face a stern test since 12 men, including the Kenyan, have personal best times faster than the course record of 2:06:19 set by Moses Mosop in 2015.

The 25-year-old Kenyan will arrive in Xiamen with high spirits since he remained unbeaten last year, winning all three of his marathon races and he will keenly be hoping to maintain the same momentum this season.

After a 2:10:47 victory in Hong Kong last February, he clocked 2:08:04 to win in Xiamen and continued his winning streak in Shanghai in November with a winning mark of 2:05:35, beating Mosop’s course record in Xiamen to become the Chinese all-comers’ record-holder.

Former world half marathon record-holder Kibiwott Kandie will also be pursuing his first-ever marathon title in Xiamen.

Chalu Deso of Ethiopia is also a formidable competitor after finishing seventh behind Kandie in Valencia last month in 2:05:14 and his career best of 2:04:53 was also achieved in the Spanish city in 2020.

Last year, Deso claimed the Tokyo Marathon title in 2:05:22 and he also owns marathon titles in Paris and Porto to his name. After outings in Nanjing and Dalian in 2018, the Xiamen Marathon will be Deso’s third race in China.

Philemon Kiplimo of Kenya is another sub-2:05 runner in the field and unlike Kandie and Deso, Kiplimo will arrive in the Chinese coastal city on fresh legs. His last marathon race was contested more than three months ago when he clocked a PB of 2:04:56 to finish eighth in Berlin.

Also toeing the line are several sub-2:06 runners, including Moroccan record-holder Othmane El Goumri, who set a PB of 2:05:12 to finish second in Barcelona last March and went on to win the Sydney Marathon in 2:08:20 six months later.

Meanwhile, the women’s race will see Ethiopia’s Gotytom Gebreslase also take on a tough field. The Ethiopian clocked a Personal Best time of 2:18:11 when claiming the world title in Oregon in July 2022.

She also registered another sub-2:20 mark when finishing third at the 2022 Tokyo Marathon in 2:18:18 and took a 2:20:09 victory at the Berlin Marathon in 2021.

Fellow Ethiopian Megertu Alemu is the fastest woman on paper with a career-best of 2:17:09 and will be joined by Ruti Aga, also from Ethiopia.

Other women to watch in the field include Tanzanian marathon and half marathon record-holder Magdalena Shauri, whose PB of 2:18:41 was set last September when finishing third at the Berlin Marathon, as well as Fatima Ezzahra Gardadi of Morocco, a 2:25:03 performer who claimed the marathon bronze medal at last year’s World Championships in Budapest.

The Xiamen Marathon, a World Athletics Platinum Label road race, on Sunday (7) will witness the fastest marathon pack ever assembled in China, with 2022 world champion Gotytom Gebreslase heading a stacked field in the women’s race.

The 28-year-old Gebreslase of Ethiopia clocked her personal best of 2:18:11 when claiming the world title in Oregon in July 2022. She also registered another sub-2:20 mark when finishing third at the 2022 Tokyo Marathon in 2:18:18 and took a 2:20:09 victory at the Berlin Marathon in 2021.

Last year, Gebreslase clocked 2:24:34 to grab a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, which remains her last outing over the classic distance.

It will be the first time for Gebreslase to compete in Xiamen, a southeastern Chinese city, and she will be targeting not only the title, but also the course record of 2:19:52 set by her compatriot Mare Dibaba back in 2015.

Fellow Ethiopian Megertu Alemu is the fastest woman on paper with a career best of 2:17:09 achieved last October when finishing third at the Chicago Marathon.

Aside from having the fastest PB of the field, the 26-year-old has shown great consistency in the past two years, registering sub-2:19 marks in all her four races including notching a 2:18:51 victory at the 2022 Seville Marathon and finishing second and third respectively in the 2022 and 2023 London Marathon races.

Ruti Aga, also from Ethiopia, is another serious title contender. The 29-year-old clocked a PB of 2:18:09 to win the Yellow River Estuary Marathon in Dongying, China, last October, improving the Chinese all-comers’ record.

Aga also won the Tokyo Marathon in 2:20:40 in 2019 and has earned three runner-up finishes in major marathon races, including a 2:18:34 second place in the 2018 Berlin Marathon.

Other women to watch in the field include Tanzanian marathon and half marathon record-holder Magdalena Shauri, whose PB of 2:18:41 was set last September when finishing third at the Berlin Marathon, as well as Fatima Ezzahra Gardadi of Morocco, a 2:25:03 performer who claimed the marathon bronze medal at last year’s World Championships in Budapest.

Kipchumba defends title

Defending champion Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba will face a tough contest in the men’s race, as a total of 12 runners in the field own a career best time faster than the course record of 2:06:19 set by Moses Mosop of Kenya in 2015.

The 25-year-old Kipchumba will arrive in Xiamen with high spirits. He remained unbeaten last year, winning all three of his marathon races. After a 2:10:47 victory in Hong Kong last February, he clocked 2:08:04 to win in Xiamen and continued his winning streak in Shanghai in November with a winning mark of 2:05:35, beating Mosop’s course record in Xiamen to become the Chinese all-comers’ record-holder.

Kenyan half marathon record-holder Kibiwott Kandie is also on the rise. The 27-year-old registered a PB of 2:04:48 to finish sixth in Valencia one month ago and will be pursuing his first ever marathon title in Xiamen.

Ethiopia’s Chalu Deso, 26, is also a formidable competitor. He finished seventh behind Kandie in Valencia last month in 2:05:14 and his career best of 2:04:53 was also achieved in the Spanish city in 2020.

Last year, Deso claimed the Tokyo Marathon title in 2:05:22. He also has marathon titles in Paris and Porto to his name. After outings in Nanjing and Dalian in 2018, the Xiamen Marathon will be Deso’s third race in China.

Philemon Kiplimo of Kenya is another sub-2:05 runner in the field and unlike Kandie and Deso, Kiplimo will arrive in the Chinese coastal city on fresh legs. His last marathon race was contested more than three months ago when he clocked a PB of 2:04:56 to finish eighth in Berlin.

Also toeing the line are several sub-2:06 runners, including Moroccan record-holder Othmane El Goumri, who set a PB of 2:05:12 to finish second in Barcelona last March and went on to win the Sydney Marathon in 2:08:20 six months later.

Ugandan three-time Olympian Benjamin Kiplagat has been killed. Kiplagat, 34, is believed to have been murdered early Sunday morning, reported the BBC. Kiplagat, who specialized in the 3,000m steeple, was living in the Marakwet District of Kenya, and his body was discovered in his vehicle just outside of the city of Eldorat. Eldorat is the fifth largest city in Kenya and known as a top training center for athletes.

He broke onto the international scene in 2006 when he was sixth in the 3,000m steeple at the World Junior Championships in Beijing, China. He was a silver medalist at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Poland, and narrowly missed the podium at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. Kiplagat was 10th at the 2011 World Championships in South Korea, and made the semifinals in the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Kenyan police commandant Stephen Okal said that officers received a message about a traffic accident, and arrived at the scene around 5.00 am, as reported by NTV Kenya. Police found Kiplagat lying in the driver’s seat—the athlete had been stabbed in the chest and neck. Police believe the assailants had used a motorcycle to block Kiplagat’s path, and his vehicle had hit the motorcycle before the attack.

“We are still investigating the incident to ascertain what really happened, but what we can confirm is that the man found dead is an international athlete called Benjamin Kiplagat,” said Okal.

Kiplagat had been training in Eldoret before heading to Uganada to compete. He had Kiplagat had secured a bronze medal while representing Uganada at the Africa Championships in Porto Novo, Benin in 2012, and finished in the heats at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, China, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Kiplagat’s death will be mourned by the international athletics community, while investigations continue to uncover the circumstances around his tragic death.

Afera Godfay won the 2019 Dongying Marathon in China with a superb personal best 2:22:41 then almost completely vanished from the world scene for a few years.

There was a third-place finish in the Xiamen Marathon, also in China, a year later but that performance largely went under the radar.

On October 15th the 31-year-old Ethiopian will target the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon with high expectations. Indeed, in April this year she ran 1:10:25 at the Rabat International Half Marathon in Morocco which encouraged her to chase a new marathon personal best in Toronto. This will mark her first ever visit to Canada.

“Training is going great,” she reports. “I do my training six days a week - every day except Sunday. I cover a long distance with speed. Three days a week I run with (coach Gemedu Dedefo’s) group.

“My goal is to win (Toronto Waterfront) with a good time. I hope to run 2:24.”

The group is currently celebrating the great success of one of their members, Tigist Assefa, who smashed the world marathon record with her astonishing 2:11:53 in Berlin on Sunday. No doubt the result will provide inspiration to Afera.

The buildup is creating excitement as she is eager to return to her past level. Five times she has run under 1:10 for the half marathon distance over the years and she can now sense she is coming into form. Afera has a good reason for her absence those few years.

“It was because I gave birth to my child,” she explains. “And it was a bit hard to get back to my previous condition. I have one child and her name is Maranata.”

Afera comes from a small town in the war torn northern Ethiopian province of Tigray called Alaje. Although she moved to Addis in 2010 her parents still live in Tigray. She is thankful that they were not affected by the two-year-old war that lasted until November 2022 and which led to widespread famine.

Once a year, when her training program allows, she will visit her parents and friends in Alaje. She comes from a long line of farmers. Growing up under hardship likely fuelled her desire for success in road racing. But she also had mentors.

“My inspiration is Meseret Defar,” she declares. Defar is a two time Olympic 5,000m champion and a national hero in Ethiopia.

As a young athlete Afera had success at shorter distances and represented Ethiopia at the 2010 World Cross Country Championships. She finished a solid 8th in the Under 20 race in Bydgoszcz, Poland helping the Ethiopian team to a silver medal finish behind Kenya.

Two years later she again represented her country at the African Championships over 10,000m. She placed 7th in that meet which was held in Porto Novo, the capital of Benin. Asked why she turned to marathon racing her answer is simple: ““It’s because I have a good endurance and, money-wise, I find it better.”

Although she has not been to Toronto before coach Gemedu Dedefo made the journey a few years ago and will undoubtedly have some excellent insight into how best to race the course. And, travelling with her from Addis will be previously announced Ethiopian stars Derara Hurisa, Adugna Takele, and Yohans Mekasha who will feature strongly in the men’s race while Waganesh Mekasha will battle with Afera for the $20,000 first place prize money.

Once again, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon promises a memorable contest and the Ethiopian flag will surely be waved in celebration at the finish.

About the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series (CRS). Since 2017, the race has served as the Athletics Canada national marathon championship race and has doubled as the Olympic trials. Using innovation and organization as guiding principles, Canada Running Series stages great experiences for runners of all levels, from Canadian Olympians to recreational and charity runners. With a mission of “building community through the sport of running,” CRS is committed to making sport part of sustainable communities and the city-building process.

To learn more about the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, visit TorontoWaterFrontMarathon.com.

Three Kenyan athletes have been banned for a collective period of eight years after breaking anti-doping rules.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has banned marathon runners Alice Jepkemboi Kimutai and Johnstone Kibet Maiyo for three years, and sprinter Mark Otieno for two.

Otieno, 29, tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid Methasterone moments before the 100m heats at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

It meant he was not allowed to compete.

Otieno, a three-time national 100m champion, will have his ban backdated from the Games and end in July 2023.

The suspension for November's Porto marathon winner Kimutai - who tested positive for the male hormone testosterone - began on 16 November.

Maiyo's ban started on 20 July for returning a positive test for erythropoietin (EPO).

Last month the east African country avoided a sanction by governing body World Athletics - despite having 55 athletes serving suspensions - after committing to spend $25m over the next five years to combat doping.

Kenya's sports minister Ababu Namwamba then announced they intended to criminalise doping in athletics in an attempt to bring an end to a string of cases in the sport.

3rd place in the 2022 NYC Marathon goes to Gotytom Tekilezeg of Ethiopia with the time of 2:23:29.  She was able to handle the challenging weather.  

She was hoping for a win since she won the World Championship this year with the time of 2:18:11. 

At 16 Gotytom Gebreslase won the gold medal in the girls' 3000 metres at the 2011 World Youth Championships in Athletics held in Lille Métropole, France.

The next year, she earned the bronze medal in the women's 5000 meters event at the 2012 African Championships in Athletics in Porto-Novo, Benin.

In 2013, Gebreslase competed in the junior women's race at the World Cross Country Championships held in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

In 2015, she finished in fourth place in the women's 5000 metres at the African Games in Brazzaville, Congo.

World marathon record holder and Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge reckons that his secret to longevity is taking sports as a profession and proper planning.

The 37-year-old Kipchoge, who has been running for the last two decades, said that loving athletics as a sport and focusing on his preparations rather than what he will earn from it are what has made him last long.

Kipchoge called on fellow athletes to invest in their careers, available time and earnings wisely, noting that the life span of a sportsperson is short.

“Focusing on preparations and not financial gains first will make an athlete go far,” said Kipchoge.

“I discovered treating sports with respect and like any other well-paying job and career quite early and it has worked for me.”

Kipchoge noted that it is good to have goals, but putting in place working systems enables someone to achieve more.

“It’s always good to have goals but that is not as important as having good systems, Goals solve problems temporarily,” noted Kipchoge.

Kipchoge was speaking on NTV’s live sports show SportOn hosted by Bernard Ndong and James Wokabi on Monday night.

Kipchoge recaptured the Berlin Marathon title, smashing his own world record by 30 seconds on September 25 in the German capital.

It was yet again poetry in motion as Kipchoge clocked 2:01:09 to win, beating his previous world record time of 2:01:39 set when winning in Berlin in 2018.

Kipchoge disclosed that the secret to success wasn’t rocket science, but planning in small bits to success.

“One must remain consistent all through for good results hence no quick fixes,” said Kipchoge, who was received at the Nation Centre by NTV's Head of Broadcasting and Executive Director (Transformation), Monica Ndungú.

Ndungú was accompanied by Nation Media Group Managing Editor (Sports), Elias Makori and Head of Marketing, Philbert Mdindi.

Kipchoge noted that embracing professionalism always defines a professional athlete from an amateur.

“A professional will plan and follow his program to the later but an amateur is full of life, running up-and-down aimlessly, “said Kipchoge, adding that is what keeps him going is his love for running.

“I feel satisfied and the urge to do more when I know I have inspired someone or a generation. What I see on my social media platforms by people embracing what I am doing across the world drives the hunger in me,” said Kipchoge.

An ardent reader, Kipchoge disclose that what inspired him before heading to Berlin was the book “The Practice of Groundedness: A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds--Not Crushes--Your Soul’ by Brad Stulberg, an internationally known expert on human performance, well-being, and sustainable success.

“I succeeded in most cases when I discovered the secret to reading.  Success is approached from different angles.

“I read 20 pages a day in a book and that is three books a month. To get to learn a lot and be more knowledgeable when you read books,” said Kipchoge, who reads after training at 5pm.

Kipchoge, whose favourite meal is maize meal (ugali) and any traditional vegetables, also loves listening to US Pop star Kelly Clarkson's music especially –Stronger ( What doesn’t  kill you, makes you stronger).

With the world celebrating World Mental Health Day on Monday, Kipchoge noted that sportsmen and women who win easily have good mental health.

“Matches and races are won mentally and not the training invested,” said Kipchoge, adding that his most successful race was when he broke the two hour mark, running 1:59:41 during the INEOS 1:59 Challenge at Prater Hauptallee, Wien course in Austria on October 12, 2019.

However, the time wasn’t recognized as a world record because it wasn't conducted under regular conditions.

“That race was not only critical to me but human nature. I made history as the first man to run a marathon under two hours,” said Kipchoge. “I know someone might in future run in a normal; event but I am glad to be the first one to run under any conditions and that has inspired many.”

Kipchoge said his record-breaking feat in Berlin has finally settled.

“I am happy that I have continued to inspire many. I think I could have run under two hours if the pacesetters went up to the 30km mark,” said Kipchoge, adding that he knew he would break his own record when he looked at the splits time after 25km and 30 km.   

However, Kipcgohe wondered why people are focused on whether he will run under two hours in a normal race soon.

"I don't understand why people are asking that when I did it at the Ineos Challenge," said Kipchoge in a laughter.

Kipchoge advised fellow sportsmen and women to desist from doping saying that besides ruining their reputation, they are putting their health in grave danger.

"You better be slow and sure and succeed. I appeal to the young generation to train well  and love sports. It will treat them well," said Kipchoge.

He will on Tuesday be hosted for a media breakfast by Isuzu East Africa in Nairobi.

It was 90 years ago today that Janusz Kusocinski ran his way into the world record book.

Already a prolific national champion in his homeland, at distances ranging from 800m to 10,000m, the 25-year-old Pole made a name for himself at a global level when he crossed the line in an international 3000m race in Antwerp, Belgium, ahead of John Fellowes of the USA in 8:18.8.

“Kusy,” as the popular Warsaw gardener was known to friends and the wider public in Poland, eclipsed one of the enduring global marks set by the finest of all the formidable Flying Finns.

The world record for 3000m had belonged to the peerless Paavo Nurmi for six years. The nine-time Olympic gold medallist had clocked 8:20.4 in Stockholm in 1926.

To prove it had been no fluke, 10 days later – on 29 June 1932 – Kusocinski claimed another of Nurmi’s world records. On that occasion, he smashed it by 13 seconds, his 19:02.6 for 4 miles obliterating Nurmi’s 1924 figures of 19:15.6.

First non-Finnish winner

A month later, Kusocinski enjoyed his finest half an hour in track and field.

Running for his country in the Los Angeles Coliseum on 31 July, he fought a nip and tuck battle with Finn Volmari Iso-Hollo for 24 laps of the 1932 Olympic 10,000m final.

Iso-Hollo led by a metre going into the final lap but then Kusocinski sprinted clear before slowing to a jog and still winning by 1.1 seconds. His time, 30:11.4, shattered the Olympic record Nurmi had established in Amsterdam four years previously: 30:18.8.

In succeeding Nurmi, Kusocinski became the first non-Finnish winner of the Olympic 10,000m crown. He was the only non-Finn to win the coveted Blue Riband of distance running until Emil Zatopek in London in 1948.

For Iso-Hollo, compensation came seven days later in the form of the 3000m steeplechase gold medal. The Finnish typesetter would have claimed the world best too had the stand-in trackside lap-counter not been distracted by the decathlon pole vault, allowing the field to complete an extra circuit of the track.

Iso-Hollo went on to win another steeplechase gold, plus a 10,000m bronze medal, in front of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

Resistance hero

Kusocinski proceeded to etch his name into national folklore as a fearless fighter against the Nazi occupation of his homeland.

When Hitler’s troops invaded Poland in September 1939, Kusocinski volunteered for the Polish Army and was drafted into the machine gun company as a corporal in the Second Battalion of the 360 Infantry Regiment. In the fight to defend Warsaw, he was wounded twice and was awarded the Cross of Valour.

After the country fell to Nazi Germany, he worked ostensibly as a waiter at the Red Rooster Bar in Warsaw while secretly operating as a member of the underground resistance movement known as the Wolves, using the pseudonym Prawdzic.

Kusocinski was arrested by Gestapo officers at the gate of his house in Warsaw on 28 March, 1940. He was interrogated and tortured at Gestapo headquarters but refused to reveal the names of fellow resistance members.

On the night of 20-21 June, he was transported to Palmiry on the outskirts of Warsaw and executed in Kampinos Forest as part of what the Nazis called Operation AB, an attempt to exterminate all Polish intelligence operatives.

Nine decades on, the name of Janusz Kusocinski, world record-breaker, Olympic champion and national hero lives proudly on in Poland.

Scores of streets and primary schools throughout the country carry his name. So does the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial meeting, which celebrated its 68th edition in Chrozow on 5 June this year and is part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series.

Vladimir Kuts took part in the inaugural event in 1954 and meeting records dating back to the 1970s are held by greats such as Alberto Juantorena (1:43.66 for 800m), Irena Szewinska (49.75 for 400m) and Bronislaw Malinowski (8:21.2 for the 3000m steeplechase).

An athlete by chance

Kusocinski was born in Warsaw in 1907, the son of a railway clerk. Armed conflict took its toll on his family when he was a child. His eldest brother, Zygmunt, was killed in France in World War I. Another brother, Tedeusz, was a casualty of the Polish-Bolshevik War in 1920.

In his youth, Janusz’s first sporting love was football. He played as a dashing forward for various clubs in Warsaw.

He became an athlete by accident. In 1925, his sports club RKS Sarmata was a relay runner short for a workers’ holiday meeting. Kusocinski agreed to stand in and helped the Sarmata team to victory.

The following year he started competing as an 800m and 1500m runner and came under the wing of the club’s celebrated track and field coach: one Aleksander Klumberg.

Klumberg became Poland’s national athletics coach between 1927 and 1932. Back in 1922, the native Estonian had become the first official holder of the decathlon world record after posting 7485.61 points in Helsinki. In 1924 he had taken the decathlon bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, behind Harold Osborn and Emerson Norton of the USA.

The young Kusocinski thrived under Klumberg’s regime of intense interval training, winning the Polish 5000m and cross country titles in 1928. His running career was interrupted by a year of national service in the Polish Army but he was stronger upon his return, capturing national titles at 800m, 1500m, 5000m and cross country leading up to his annus mirabilis in 1932.

He represented Poland at the inaugural European Championships in Turin in 1934, placing fifth in the 1500m and taking silver in the 5000m behind Roger Richard of France.

Kusocinski hung up his racing spikes after returning from Italy but dusted them off to win the Polish 10,000m title in 1939.

By that time, he had moved on from gardening to become a PE teacher, coach and then a successful journalist, rising to editor-in-chief of Kurier Sportowy.

Then came the Nazi invasion, and the heroic struggle and tragedy that followed.

In 2009, Kusocinski was posthumously awarded the Commander’s Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta - “for outstanding contribution to the independence of the Polish Republic, and for sporting achievements in the field of athletics.”

One year ago, Vancouver’s David Papineau was struggling to find the motivation to run. He was looking for a new challenge after running every street in the city. Papineau remembered the reason he originally stayed in Vancouver, his love for the outdoors and, of course, the moderate climate compared to his hometown, Calgary.

Over the next 10 months, Papineau picked up approximately 24,000 face masks off the streets of Vancouver. “On my runs, I couldn’t help but notice more pollution on the ground,” he says. “I began picking them up and recording each one in a spreadsheet.”

The act of picking up garbage while you run is called plogging, a combination of jogging and the word pick-up in Swedish (plocka upp). It is described as an eco-friendly exercise where people pick up trash while exercising as a way to clean up the environment.

“With more people working from home, there’s more pollution in areas you wouldn’t usually expect it,” Papineau says. “Parking lots, bus stations, parks and hospitals have become hotspots for mask pollution.”

As a runner at heart, Papineau eventually has a goal with his cleaning-up efforts. “I take a lot of pride in cleaning up these masks,” he says. “It’s become my obsession, like marathon running is for other runners.”

Papineau hopes to collect 30,000 face masks by March 30. “That is the day I began the challenge in 2021 – and it motivates me to get out the door and help this city become a cleaner space,” he says. Papineau brings his phone on each run to document each milestone, uploading pictures on his Twitter and Instagram. 

For those who are looking to start plogging in your local community, it doesn’t take much equipment. A pair of salad tongs, gloves and a durable/breathable bag you can carry. “Don’t get hyper-focused on picking up everything, as you won’t get very far,” Papineau says. He suggests planning your route and picking up just one type of garbage, like coffee cups.

Papineau’s efforts to clean up Vancouver have not been ignored. The type of bag he uses to collect the masks is from a Victoria, B.C. bakery called Porto-Fino. Nick Mulroney, the son of the former prime-minster Brian Mulroney, reached out to Papineau asking about the type of bag, later to find out Mulroney invested in the small Vancouver Island bakery.

The 2021 Paris Marathon will take place on Sunday 17th October 2021. The Paris Marathon is one of Europe's most popular sporting events. Your running journey will start on Les Champs Elysées before taking you on a truly spectacular journey through the City of Light. 

Marathon de Paris 2021 has announced the Elite Field!

Women race:

JEPTOO PRISCAH (KEN) 1984 - 2h20’14

Vice Championne Olympique du Marathon 2012 - 2h23’12

Vice Championne du Monde du Marathon 2011 - 2h29’00

1st Marathon de New York 2013 - 2h25’07

1st Marathon de Londres 2013 - 2h20’15

3rd Marathon de Londres 2012 - 2h20’14

4th Marathon d’Amsterdam 2016 - 2h25’57

MEKASHA WAGNESH (ETH) 1992 - 2h22’45

4th Marathon de Dubai 2019 - 2h22’45

2nd Marathon de Dongying 2019 - 2h23’19

1st Semi Marathon de Marrakech 2013 - 68’48

2nd Marathon de Shanghai 2019 - 2h25’37

MELAKU SIFAN (ETH) 2000 - 2h23'49"

3rd Marathon de Seville 2020 - 2h23’49

5th Marathon d’Istanbul 2019 - 2h25’29

4th Marathon de Seville 2019 - 2h26’46

KWAMBAI ANTONINA (KEN) 1992 - 2h24'40"

5th Marathon de Xiamen 2020 - 2h24’20

1st Semi marathon de Paris 2018 - 68’07

5th Marathon de Siene 2021 - 2h24’20

2nd Semi Marathon de Naples 2018 - 69’07

MEMUYE TIGIST (ETH) 1994 - 2h24'23"

2nd Marathon de Geneve 2021 - 2h24’23

2nd Marathon de Hannovre 2019 - 2h27’35

1st Marathon de Zhengzhou 2017 - 2h27’39

4th Marathon de Xiamen 2018 - 2h31’48

CHEKOLE YESHI (ETH) 1997 - 2h24’28

3rd Marathon de Abu Dhabi 2019 - 2h24’28

7th Semi Marathon de Valence 2018 - 67’58

9th Semi Marathon de Copenhague 2017 - 69’13

DINKESA YENENESH (ETH) 1994 - 2h24’50

6th Marathon de Milan 2021 - 2h24’50

3rd Marathon de Seville 2019 - 2h25’54

1st Semi Marathon de Rabat 2016 - 69’39

MEKONNEN ZINASH (ETH) 1996 2- h24’55

11th Marathon de Valence 2019 - 2h24’55"

11th Championnats du Monde Semi Marathon 2018 - 68’30

4th Marathon de Seoul 2019 - 2h25’42

7th Marathon d’Amsterdam 2018 - 2h25’55

JIMMA FANTU (ETH) 1987 - 2h26’14

14th Marathon de Dubai 2015 - 2h26’14

3rd Marathon de Xiamen 2016 - 2h26’53

2nd Marathon de Przgues 2014 - 2h27’3

7th Marathon de Dubai 2014 - 2h27’36

MELESESH TSEGAYE (ETH) 1994 - 2h26’44

2nd Marathon de Barcelone 2017 - 2h26’44

SHEMSU SOFIYA (ETH) 1994 - 2h27’51

6th Marathon de Istanbul 2019 - 2h27’51

2nd10km de Paderborn 2017 - 31’23

2nd 10km du Cape Town 2019 - 32’09

MULISA AYANA (ETH) 1993 - 2h28’02

8th Marathon de Prague 2021 - 2h28’02

6th Marathon de Seville,2019 - 2h28’49

3rd Marathon de Copenhague 2019

1st 10km de Langreo 2019 - 32’46

BERTONE CATHERINE (ITA) 1972 - 2h28’34

6th Marathon de Berlin 2017 - 2h28’34

8th Championnats d’Europe Marathon - Berlin 2018 - 2h30’06

4th Marathon de Prague 2016 - 2h30’19

RUGURU JANET (KEN) 1993 - 70’19

1st Semi Marathon de Tallin 2019 - 70’19

4th 0km de Valenciennes 2019 - 32’38

1st 10km d’Arras 2019 - 2019

CHESEREK BEATRICE (KEN) 1998 - 70’31

1st Semi Marathon de Goteborg 2021 - 70’31

 

Men race:

KIRWA NICOLAS (KEN) 1994 - 2h05’01

5th Marathon de Milan 2021 - 2h05’01

5th Marathon de Lisbonne 2018 - 2h08’22

5th Marathon de Chuncheon 2019 - 2h10’24

6th Marathon de Madrid 2019 - 2h11’01

ROTICH ELISHA (KEN) 1990 - 2h05’18

3rd Marathon d’Amsterdam 2019 - 2h05’18

2nd Marathon de Seoul 2019 - 2h06’12

10th Marathon de Milan 2021 - 2h06’44

1st Marathon de Eindhoven 2018 - 2h07’32

5th Semi Marathon de Lille 2019 - 60’42

FUFA ABDI (ETH) 1995 - 2h05’57

2nd Marathon de Sienne 2021 - 2h05’57

14th Marathon de Dubai 2020 - 2h07’51

5th Marathon de Shanghai 2018 - 2h09’24

3rd Marathon de Hangzhou 2017 - 2h10'41

KIMURER JOEL (KEN) 1988 - 2h05’19

8th Marathon de Milan 2021 - 2h05’19

2nd Marathon de Abu Dhabi 2019 - 2h06’21

1st Semi Marathon de Valence 2012 - 59’36

1st Marathon de Gongju 2013 - 2h07'48

CHEBOGUT STEPHEN (KEN) 1985 -  2h05’52

1st Marathon d’Eindhoven 2015 - 2h05’52

2nd Marathon de Paris 2017 - 2h06’57

7th Marathon de Amsterdam 2017 - 2h07’30

3rd Marathon de Hambourg 2015 - 2h08’01

1st Semi Marathon de Lille 2015 - 60’19

ABRAHA GEBRETSADIK. (ETH) 1992 - 2h06’23

3rd Marathon d’Amsterdam 2012 - 2h06’23

2nd Marathon de Daegu 2014 - 2h07’06

1st Marathon de Guangzhou 2019 - 2h08’04

5th Marathon de Paris 2016 - 2h08’17

1st Marathon de Prague 2017 - 2h08’47

KIPTUM MIKE (KEN) 1992 - 2h06’22

3rd Marathon de Seoul 2019 - 2h06’22

3rd Marathon de Guangzhou 2019 - 2h08’58

14th Marathon de Milan 2021 - 2h09’08

1st Semi Marathon de Porto 2018 - 60’53

MOGES ASHENAFI (ETH) 1994 - 2h06'12

6th Marathon de Valence 2019 - 2h06’12

8th Semi Marathon de Barcelone 2019 - 61’22

10th Semi Marathon de Barcelone 2020 - 62’15

2nd 10km de Paderborn 2019 - 27’55

2nd 15km du Puy en Velay 2019 - 43'11

YERSSIE BESHA (ETH) 1998 - 2h06’34

11th Marathon de Dubai 2020 - 2h06’34

9th Marathon de Milan 2021 - 2h06’40

3rd Marathon de Chuncheon 2019 - 2h08’37

GACHAGA MORRIS (KEN) 1995 - 2h06’24

7th Marathon d’Amsterdam 2019 - 2h06’24

4th Marathon Schneider Electric de Paris 2019 - 2h07’46

5th Semi Marathon de Ras Al Khaimah 2019 - 59’22

5th Semi Marathon de Ras Al Khaimah 2018 - 59’36

6th Semi Marathon de Manama 2019 - 60’09

KIPSAMBU HILLARY (KEN) 1985 - 2h07’20

9th Marathon d’Amsterdam 2018 - 2h07’20

3rd Marathon de Barcelone 2018 - 2h08’53

12th Marathon dAmsterdam 2017 - 2h09’28

1st Marathon de Kosice 2019 - 2h09’33

9th Marathon Schneider Electric de Paris 2019 - 2h11’53

GETACHEW TSEGAYE (ETH) 1996 - 2h06’50

8th Marathon de Valence 2019 - 2h06’50

4th Marathon de Shanghai 2018 - 2h09’24

1st Marathon d’Izmir 2021 - 2h09’35

LEMA ALEMAYEHU (ETH) 1997 - 2h07’23

9th Marathon de Seville 2020 - 2h07’23

1stMarathon de Leiden 2019 - 2h16’08

KIPYEGO BARSELIUS (KEN) 1993 - 2h07’58

5th Marathon Schneider Electric Paris 2019 - 2h07’58

4th Marathon de Seoul 2018 - 2h08’42

1st Semi Marathon de Usti Nad Labem 2017 - 59’14

2nd Semi Marathon de Prague 2018 - 59’30

KIMUTAI EDWIN (KEN) 1993 - 2h08’15

4th Marathon de Geneve 2021 - 2h08’15

2nd Semi Marathon de Karlovy Vary 2017 - 60’57

CHADHI HASSAN (FRA) 1989 - 2h09’15

22nd Marathon de Valence 2020 - 2h09’15

7th Marathon de Seville 2019 - 2H09’55

12th Marathon de Paris 2017 - 2h10’20

4th Semi Marathon de Paris 2015 - 61'42 

DIDA BONSA (ETH) 1995 - 2h09’04

2nd Marathon de Hengshui 2019 - 2h09’04

1st Marathon de Madrid 2017 - 2h10’16

2nd Marathon de Houston 2020 - 2h10’37

2nd Semi Marathon de Lille 2015 - 60’19

CARVALHO FLORIAN (FRA) 1989 - 2h10’24

34th Marathon de Valence 2020 - 2h10’24

11th Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris 2019 - 2h12’53

27th Championnats du Monde Semi Marathon 2020 - 60’58

4th Harmonie Mutuelle Semi Paris 2021 - 61’05

Champion de France 10000m 2021 - 27’55’'68

DURAND YOHAN (FRA) 1985 - 2h12’27

21st Marathon de Milan 2021 - 2h12’27

Champion de France Semi Marathon 2021 - 63’17

3rd Championnats de France 10km 2021 - 28’32

DEGU ABAYNEH (ETH) 1998 - 59’58

2nd Semi Marathon de Istanbul 2019 - 59’58

7th 10km de Valence 2019 - 27’51

15th Semi Marathon de Copenhague 2018 - 61’01

1st 10km de Valence 2018 - 28’05

KIROS. HAILELMARYAM (ETH) 1997 - 60’01

11th Championnats du Monde Semi Marathon 2020 - 60’01

4th Semi Marathon de Lisbonne 2019 - 61’08

1st 10km de Chemnitz 2021 - 27’59 

CHARIK ABDERRAZAK (FRA) 1997 - 62’45

18th Semi Marathon de Barcelone 2020 - 62’45

4th Championnats de France 10km 2021 - 28’36

57th Championnats du Monde Semi Marathon 2020 - 62’58

KIPKOECH BARNABA (KEN) 1993 - 64’30

8th Semi Marathon Nairobi 2020 - 64’30 

World record holder Brigid Kosgei has the unenviable task at the Tokyo Olympics of restoring Kenya's image in the marathon, which suffered a huge dent after the 2016 Rio Games.

Compatriot Jemima Sumgong became the first Kenyan woman to win an Olympic marathon gold in Brazil, but she subsequently tested positive for the endurance booster EPO and was banned for eight years.

Kosgei, who ran the fastest women's marathon of all time, clocking 2hr 14min 04sec in Chicago in October 2019, is eyeing a medal on Saturday in Sapporo to spare Kenyan blushes.

Organizers moved the marathons from the capital to avoid Tokyo's punishing summer heat but temperatures in Sapporo are currently in the 30s, which will make the race a tough challenge for the entire field.

"I know it wouldn't be easy winning the gold medal... but I will go out there and take my chances since this is my first Olympics," Kosgei told AFP.

Like so many athletes, Kosgei traveled to the Olympics after 18 disrupted months due to the coronavirus crisis.

"It is unfortunate that we didn't have many competitions to help us prepare us for the Games since the Covid pandemic led to many race cancellations," she said.

A late starter in the sport, Kosgei -- a mother of eight-year-old twins -- had a difficult time growing up in a large family of seven children to a single peasant mother in Elgeyo Marakwet in Kenya's Rift Valley.

Like many of the girls in her village, Kosgei saw athletics as a vehicle to help her escape a life of destitution.

Her first marathon was in Porto, Portugal, in 2015 when the 27-year-old made a dream debut, winning the event in 2:47.59.

- 'Sharing the limelight' -

Kosgei credits her coach Erick Kimaiyo, a former winner of the Honolulu marathon and a runner-up in the 1997 Berlin marathon, for believing in her and helping to nurture her raw talent at his Kapsait training camp situated outside Nairobi at over 9,600 feet (2,900 meters) above sea level.

"I had grown up listening about the great marathon achievements of Catherine Ndereba and Tegla Loroupe, but I didn't expect that I could one day be sharing the same limelight with them," Kosgei said.

"But it was Kimaiyo’s belief in me that helped to propel me and see myself succeeding as a champion marathon runner."

The mentorship resulted in two contrasting victories at the 2016 and 2017 Honolulu marathons, with the difference in winning times between the two events -- 2:31:10 and then 2:22:15 -- further illustrating the power of the forged partnership.

She has won the London marathon twice and set a half-marathon course record of 64min 28sec at the Great North Run in northeast England in September 2019.

However, having missed the 2019 Doha world championships, Kosgei is hoping the Covid-affected Olympics will provide the big stage for her -- and redemption for Kenya.

The much-discussed 35k Ethiopian Olympic marathon trial race was held today in Ethiopia without Kenenisa Bekele. Unless the Ethiopian Athletics Federation changes course, your Ethiopian Olympic marathon team will consist of the top three finishers from each race.

Here are the top five results from each race along with the credentials of the finishers. Race results and photos are courtesy of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation Facebook page with translation via Teferi Debebe.

The times of the men have been updated based on an update to the facebook page. The first results had Kitata winning by 20 seconds which made no sense given the photo of the finish shows it was close.

Shura Kitata 1:46:15 – 24-year-old was winner of 2020 London Marathon last October, runner-up in NYC and London in 2018, winner of Frankfurt and Rome in 2017. 2:04:49 pb (2018).2. Lelisa Desisa – 1:46:16 – 31-year-old is past winner of Dubai (2013), Boston (2013, 2015), NYC (2018), and Worlds (2019). Only 35th in Valencia last December. 2:04:45 pb (2013).3. Sisay Lemma – 1:46:19 – 30-year-old has never won a major. 3rd is his best major finish (Tokyo and London 2020, Berlin 2019, Dubai 2017). Past winner of Frankfurt, Vienna, Warsaw and Ljubljana. 2:03:36 pb (2019).4. Chalu Deso – 1:46:34  – Age not listed.  9th in Dubai (2:06:29) and 6th in Valencia (2:04:53). Past winner of Porto (2019 – 2:09:08).5. Kinde Atanaw – 1:47:03 – 28-year-old won Valencia in 2019 (2:03:51 pb), DNF Valencia in 2020. No other marathon results.

*The Ethiopian site now lists the times as 1:46:14.53, 1:46:15.10, 1:46:18.21, 1:46:33.67, 1:47:02.53 so we rounded them all up to the next second per rules protocol but we imagine most outlets will list the lower time.

Women’s Results

1. Tigist Girma – 1:59:23 – 27-year-old has never won a major (best finish is 5th and that’s the only major she ever ran — Tokyo 2020) but has twice run 2:19. 2:19:52 pb from Amsterdam 2019. Has won 2 of her career 13 marathons.2. Birhane Dibaba – 1:59:45 – 27-year-old was runner-up in Tokyo last year (2:18:35 pb) and 9th in Valencia (2:23:07). Also ran 2:18:46 for 3rd in Valencia in 2019. 2015 and 2018 Tokyo champ.3. Roza Dereje Bekele 2:00:16  – 23-year-old won Valencia (2:18:30) and was 3rd in London in 2019. Won Dubai and was 2nd in Chicago in 2018. No results in 2020. 2:18:30 pb (2019 Valencia).4. Zeineba Yimer – 2:03:41 –  22-year-old has two carer marathon finishers, a 2:19:27 for 5th in Valencia in 2019 and a 2:19:54 that got her 4th in 2020.5. Ruti Aga – 2:04:28 – 27-year-old was 2019 Tokyo champ. Has finished in the top 3 five other times (runner-up in Berlin in 2017 and 2018 and Tokyo 2018 and 3rd in Berlin 2016 and New York 2019). 2:18:34 pb from 2018 Berlin.

Brigid Kosgei snubbed the call to represent Kenya at the World Championships in Doha in October in order to chase the world record in Chicago. It is a move she does not regret.

Now she has set her eyes on running at the Olympics having broken the world record for the women's marathon in Chicago, clocking 2:14:04.

"My coach and management have agreed that I should run at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. It remains the main target and challenge for me in 2020, which I want to accomplish," Kosgei said on Thursday on her way back from the World Athletics gala in Monaco, where she was among the final nominees for Female Athlete of the Year.

Kosgei will likely be in London in April to defend her London Marathon title. It will be her 10th marathon since her debut in Porto in 2015.

She has so far won in Porto, Milan, Chicago and London. Her worst performance was in Boston in 2018 in bad weather, where she clocked 2:31:48 on her way to eighth place.

"I am always motivated and I have no hard feelings for missing out on the World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year Award. I take a lot of positives from the fact that I was nominated among the best five runners in 2019, which means I had a good season. To make the final list is a win on its own," she said.

Kosgei was accompanied by her husband and coach Mathew Kosgei to Monaco, where 400m hurdler Dalilah Muhammad from USA won the Female Athlete of the Year Award, pipping Kosgei, Jamaica's Shelly Ann Fraser and Sifa Hassan of the Netherlands.

"I had my husband with me in Monaco, he has always encouraged me and coached me. He reminded me of the journey we have had, how far we have come and why being there was a victory in itself," Kosgei said.

For now, Kosgei will take a deserved rest as she plots her return next season in her push for the Olympic marathon crown.

You can’t control the weather. Don’t spend any energy worrying about it. Instead prepare for anything and everything for this year's Boston Marathon.  

1. Wear lots of throw away clothes to the start. Layers rule. Make sure your outer layer is a green trash bag to keep you dry. Hours of waiting to start being cold and miserable is not good.

2. Carry your race shoes and wear some old beaters to tromp around in the mud at athletes village. Change into your dry kicks in the corrals and toss your old shoes.

3. Bring some Mylar blankets to wrap up in and sit on in the corrals.

4. Don’t over dress for the actual race. If it’s raining you will be weighted down by sopping wet not needed gear. Remember the faster you run the more heat you generate and you can’t run fast if you have 15 lbs of soaked gear on.

5. Hat and gloves are key. Race singlet will work just fine, maybe arm sleeves. If below 40 I sometimes would wear two singlets.

6. If windy use the people around you to draft. In the infamous nor’easter in 2007 we had gusts of 30 mph right in our faces all damn day. I tucked in whenever I could conserving energy and would pop out when the gusts subsided. I ran 2:55:17 good for 9th OA AG.

7. Start with a 12 oz Poland spring water bottle in your hand and skip the congested mile 2 and 4 water stops. I found in big urban marathons I’d drink 6oz at mile 2 and then finish it at mile 4 but most importantly I skipped the crowded chaos of those first 2 stops.

8. Don’t follow the crowds. If village is insane you don’t need to go there. The hopkinton green right at the start is a fantastic place to wait. Plenty of Porto’s and you can head straight to your corrals when called. Lots of big trees to help shield you from weather.

9. Have fun and even if Mother Nature kicks you in the face Smile and yell, “yo bitch, BRING IT....IS THAT ALL YOU GOT!”

From Marathon Man Gary Allen who has run many Boston Marathons over many years. 

On the men's side, four entrants with sub-2:10 credentials will be on the start line targeting the 2:13:05 standard set by Kenyan Josphat Too in 2013.

Among the favourites is Kenyan Mike Mutai, the winner of the 2016 Hong Kong Marathon who also boasts podium finishes from marathons in Singapore, Hangzhou and Hefei. Mutai, 36, clocked his 2:09:18 lifetime best in Dubai in 2012.

Another contender is Ethiopian Abraham Girma whose 2:06:48 personal best set in 2012 makes him the fastest in the field. More recently, he clocked 2:12:46 in Porto last November, finishing fifth.

A third contender is Philip Kangogo of Kenya, who set his 2:08:16 lifetime best when winning the 2015 Barcelona Marathon in his debut over the distance.

Mathew Kipsaat, who clocked 2:09:19 at the 2017 Rome Marathon, is also in the field. 

Similarly in the women's race, five women with sub-2:30 credentials have been recruited to set their sites on Kim Jong-hyang's 2:34:53 race record set in 2014.

He Yinli (marathon world ranking: 164) of China is the fastest in the field with a personal best of 2:27:35 set at the 2015 Chongqing Marathon where she's finished on the podium twice. She clocked 2:31:14 at the Osaka Women's Marathon in January, her most recent race.

Kenyan Nancy Koech (marathon world ranking: 318) is another contender. She arrives armed with a 2:29:30 career best set at the 2017 Daegu Marathon, with wins at the Malaga, Copenhagen and Munster marathons to her credit.

Another Kenyan, Sylvia Medugu (marathon world ranking: 201), has a 2:29:09 personal best, set at the 2017 Frankfurt Marathon. 

Kenya’s 2008 Olympic steeplechase champion Brimin Kipruto will embark on the road-running chapter of his career when he lines up for the Boulogne-Billancourt Christian Grangier Half-Marathon, an IAAF Bronze Label road race, on Sunday. The 33-year-old, who also won the 2007 world steeplechase title, was eliminated from his heat at the IAAF World Championships London 2017, which was his last competition to date. Having now shifted his focus to the roads, he will have much to do in Boulogne-Billancourt with the likes of Josphat Tanui and Olika Adugna also in the race. Tanui has a personal best of 59:22 set last year in Usti, suggesting that Franklin Chepkwony’s course record of 1:00:11 from 2013 could be in jeopardy. His season’s best, however, is 1:01:14 from the Prague Half Marathon in April, while his most recent performance at the distance was a 1:02:42 clocking in Usti Nad Labem in September. The field also includes Precious Mashele of South Africa, who set a PB of 1:01:48 last year in Boulogne-Billancourt, Yismaw Ayeno of Ethiopia, who was fifth in Marseille-Cassis, and Taye Girma, whose 10km PB of 28:06 indicates he could play a leading role in what will be his half marathon debut. In the women’s race, Kenya’s Parendis Lakapana will attempt to move up from her second-place showing last year. Two months ago Lakapana won in Krems in a time of 1:09:23, only 10 seconds outside her PB. Her main opponent should be compatriot Susan Jeptoo, who clocked a best of 1:09:02 in Lille last year. This year she has set PBs of 31:59 for 10km and 2:30:50 for the marathon, while she also prevailed in Porto in a season’s best of 1:11:06.