Running News Daily

Tomorrow could be a defining day for Kenyan athletics — and potentially for the entire African continent.

The World Athletics Council is expected to announce the host of the 2029 World Athletics Championships, with Nairobi's bid carrying the hopes of a continent that has produced generations of extraordinary athletes but has never staged the senior global championships.

For Kenya, the moment could represent the culmination of decades of dominance, sacrifice and achievement on the international athletics stage.

For generations, Kenya has built one of the most remarkable traditions in track and field. From pioneering legends such as Kipchoge Keino and Tegla Loroupe to modern icons including Eliud Kipchoge, Faith Kipyegon, David Rudisha, Sebastian Sawe, Beatrice Chebet and Ezekiel Kemboi among others. Kenyan athletes have repeatedly stood on the biggest stages in world sport.

Their achievements have helped make Kenya one of the most respected names in global athletics. Olympic triumphs, world titles, records and unforgettable performances have carried the country's name across every corner of the sporting world.

But Kenya's relationship with athletics extends far beyond its medal collection.

Running is deeply rooted in communities throughout the country, while the high-altitude training environments of the Rift Valley have become famous worldwide for producing elite distance runners. Behind every champion is a network of coaches, families, training partners and communities that have helped sustain Kenya's extraordinary athletics culture.

Now Nairobi is seeking to bring the world's biggest track and field championship to the country where so many champions have been produced.

The proposed centerpiece of Kenya's bid is Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, a venue already deeply connected to Kenyan athletics. If the bid succeeds, Kasarani could become the stage where the world's finest athletes gather in 2029 to compete for global titles.

And the significance would extend far beyond Kenya.

Africa has produced some of the greatest athletes in athletics history, yet the continent has never hosted the World Athletics Championships. Nairobi's bid could change that.

Kenya's proposal is therefore not simply about staging another major sporting competition. It represents an opportunity to bring the championships to African soil for the first time and introduce millions of international fans to the continent's remarkable athletics culture.

However, Nairobi is facing formidable competition.

Kenya's bid is competing against proposals from London, Rome and Munich, three European cities with established sporting traditions and significant experience hosting major international competitions.

That sets up a fascinating choice for World Athletics.

Will the organization take the championships to a continent that has never hosted the event, creating a historic first for Africa? Or will the competition return to one of Europe's traditional athletics powerhouses?

For Nairobi, the stakes could hardly be higher.

A successful bid would give Kenyan athletes the opportunity to compete at a World Championships in front of their home supporters. It would give young runners across the country the chance to watch the world's best athletes compete in their own backyard. And it would place Kenya's extraordinary athletics heritage at the center of global attention.

It could also provide an opportunity to celebrate the champions who came before — athletes whose achievements helped establish Kenya as an athletics superpower — while inspiring the generation that will carry that legacy forward.

Imagine Kasarani filled with thousands of passionate supporters, the world's best athletes arriving in Nairobi, and Kenyan stars stepping onto the track knowing that the biggest championship in their sport is being staged on home soil.

For a country whose identity is so closely intertwined with running, it would be a remarkable sight.

And for Africa, it could be a moment of enormous symbolic importance.

Tomorrow, Kenya — and Africa — could hear its name called.

One decision. One host. One opportunity to make history.

If Nairobi is chosen, the story would not simply be about Kenya winning a bid. It would be about Africa finally welcoming the World Athletics Championships to its own soil.

It would be a celebration of the pioneers, the champions, the coaches, the communities and the generations of athletes who have helped make African athletics a global force.

And perhaps the headline of 2029 would already be waiting:

Kenya, the home of champions, has finally brought the world to its own backyard.

Nairobi 2029 — could this finally be Africa's moment?

African athletics has been plunged into mourning following the death of Hamad Kalkaba Malboum, one of the continent’s most respected and influential sports administrators.

The Confederation of African Athletics officially confirmed that Hamad Kalkaba Malboum passed away on May 13, 2026, at the age of 75. Born on November 11, 1950, the veteran Cameroonian sports leader dedicated decades of his life to the growth and transformation of athletics across Africa.

Kalkaba Malboum served as President of the Cameroon Olympic Committee from 2001 and later rose to become President of the Confederation of African Athletics in 2003. He succeeded Lamine Diack after Diack was elected President of the International Association of Athletics Federations, now known as World Athletics.

Throughout his long tenure, Kalkaba Malboum became a towering figure in African sport, guiding the continent’s athletics development with vision, discipline, and unwavering commitment. Under his leadership, African athletics expanded its influence globally, while countless athletes benefited from increased opportunities to compete and excel on the international stage.

His leadership style earned admiration across sporting circles, with many praising his calm diplomacy, administrative strength, and passion for nurturing African talent. He played a key role in elevating the profile of athletics championships within Africa and strengthening the continent’s voice in global sports governance.

The late president had been absent from the recent CAA Council meeting in Accra ahead of the ongoing African Championships due to health complications, raising concern among members of the athletics community.

News of his passing has triggered an outpouring of grief and tributes from athletes, federations, coaches, and sports leaders from across the world, all honoring a man whose impact on African athletics will remain unforgettable.

At the time of his death, Hamad Kalkaba Malboum stood among the most powerful and respected figures in international sports administration. In addition to serving as a World Athletics Council Member and President of the Confederation of African Athletics, he also led the Cameroon National Olympic and Sports Committee while holding several prestigious global positions, including membership in the IOC Sport and Environment Commission, a seat on the Board of the IOC Olympic Truce Foundation, and the role of Senior Vice President of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation. His extensive leadership roles reflected the enormous respect and influence he commanded across the world of sport.

His death marks the end of a remarkable era in African sport — a legacy built on service, leadership, and dedication to the advancement of athletics throughout the continent.

May his soul rest in eternal peace. 

In a landmark decision that underscores the continued globalization of athletics, the World Athletics Council, during its 240th meeting in Toruń, officially confirmed the host cities for three major upcoming championships—each reflecting the sport’s expanding footprint and growing appeal across Asia.

India, Kazakhstan, and China have emerged as the chosen hosts for prestigious global events, signaling both trust in their organizational capabilities and recognition of their increasing influence in the athletics world.

The eastern Indian state of Odisha has been awarded the 2028 World Athletics Indoor Championships. Known for its passionate support of sport and its rapidly developing infrastructure, Odisha continues its rise as a prominent destination on the international athletics calendar. This selection builds on India’s broader ambition to establish itself as a global sporting hub.

Two years later, the spotlight will shift to Central Asia, where Astana will host the 2030 edition of the same championships. Astana’s modern facilities and strategic vision position it as an exciting new frontier for indoor athletics, promising a unique blend of elite competition and cultural vibrancy.

Meanwhile, the 2028 World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships have been awarded to Hefei. The Chinese city, already familiar with hosting international competitions, is expected to deliver a technically sound and highly competitive event in one of athletics’ most demanding disciplines.

These selections reflect more than logistical planning—they represent a deliberate shift toward inclusivity and global reach. By bringing premier competitions to diverse regions, World Athletics continues to inspire new generations of athletes while strengthening the sport’s worldwide community.

As the road to 2028 and 2030 begins, anticipation will steadily build. New stadiums will come alive, new heroes will emerge, and new stories will be written—each step, stride, and finish line contributing to the ever-evolving legacy of athletics.

Gender based violence is on the rise and the governing body is keen to ensure that it is rooted out in the sport

The World Athletics Council has expressed its commitment to taking action against gender-based violence by making a series of other decisions ranging from competition updates to further driving the organisation’s innovation agenda during the 236th World Athletics Council Meeting in Monaco on December 3-4.

Building on the extensive work done by World Athletics to expand safeguarding measures in the sport, the World Athletics Council – working alongside the Athletes' Commission and Gender Leadership Taskforce – has identified campaigning against gender-based violence as a priority.

Kenya is one of the counties that is keen to tame the rising tide of gender-based violence and have conducted a series of nationwide forums aimed at raising awreness.

One in three women worldwide face violence in their lifetime, with recent high-profile cases in Africa sending shockwaves through the sport. Gender-based violence is a global issue, with all 18 members of the Athletes' Commission – from 18 different countries across all six areas – highlighting the impact and extent of gender-based violence in their regions.

While the Athletes' Commission recognises that the sport may not have the power to implement policy due to lack of jurisdiction outside of the sporting landscape, World Athletics can use the space in which it does have jurisdiction to drive change through three main areas: raising awareness, education, and lobbying for change.

Commenting on this clear mandate, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: "I am particularly encouraged by our athletes' commitment to address the subject of gender-based violence as a priority and the discussions on the role that World Athletics can play to address it.

“The fact that both our Athletes’ Commission and our Gender Leadership Taskforce have put the critical item on their agendas fills me with confidence in our stakeholders' understanding that we have a responsibility that goes far beyond what is happening on the field of play. I look forward to working together with them on supporting our female athletes and to enshrine the results of this work in our safeguarding policies.”

The Athletes’ Commission would like World Athletics to take a leadership role, for practical ideas that can help across the globe, and recommends that World Athletics explores partnerships with relevant organisations to combine forces and push for change.

Who do you think deserves top honors—the Olympic champion or the new women's world record holder?

Two of the world’s most dominant marathoners, Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands and newly-minted world record holder Ruth Chepngetich, are among the nominees for the World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year (Out of Stadium) award.

Hassan’s distance running triple at the Paris Olympic Games made her a guaranteed candidate, where she won two bronze medals on the track (5,000m/10,000m) and capped off her historic run with a gold medal in the women’s marathon, setting a new Olympic record. Chepngetich made history of her own, becoming the first woman to break 2:10 in the marathon with her stunning 2:09:56 performance at the 2024 Chicago Marathon earlier this month.

The other nominees for the women’s out-of-stadium award include Kenyan distance star Agnes Jebet Ngetich, who set world records in the 5K and 10K on the roads, and who ran the second-fastest half-marathon in history at the Valencia Half Marathon on Sunday (63:04, a Kenyan national record); Ethiopian Sutume Kebede, the Tokyo Marathon champion, and second-place in Chicago; and Tigist Ketema of Ethiopia, who took wins at the 2024 Berlin Marathon and in Dubai.

Men’s nominees

On the men’s side, the nominees feature a similarly competitive field. Olympic champion Tamirat Tola, who set a new Games record on the tough Paris course, and his compatriot Yomif Kejelcha, who just broke the men’s world record in the half-marathon by one second at the 2024 Valencia Half. Other nominees for the award include Kenya’s Benson Kipruto, the Tokyo Marathon champion and Olympic bronze medalist; Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo, the world cross-country champion; and Ecuador’s Brian Daniel Pintado, who won Olympic gold in the men’s 20km race walk.

A World Athletics panel compiled the list of nominees. The two finalists for each award will be determined through a three-way voting process that runs until Nov. 3. The World Athletics Council vote accounts for 50 per cent of the decision, while the World Athletics Family (including athletes, coaches and officials) vote accounts for 25 per cent, and the remaining 25 per cent comes from a public vote on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. Fans can cast their votes by liking posts on Facebook and Instagram or by retweeting on X.

In 2023, the out-of-stadium award went to Kenyan marathoner Kelvin Kiptum on the men’s side, following his remarkable 2:00:35 performance at the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Ethiopian marathoner Tigist Assefa won the women’s award with her marathon record-breaking run in Berlin.

World Athletics revamped the awards system for 2024, introducing overall World Athlete of the Year titles for both women and men, alongside three specialized awards for track events, field events, and out-of-stadium events. This new approach allows for a more recognition of the diverse athletic accomplishments throughout the year.

Bahrain have been heavily sanctioned by World Athletics over doping scandals which will heavily impact their athletes, including Kenyan-born Olympic champion Winfred Yavi.

The World Athletics Council has approved a series of corrective actions against the Bahrain Athletics Association (BAA) following historical breaches of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules (ADR). 

This decision comes after an 18-month investigation by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), which uncovered serious violations linked to doping practices within the BAA.

The investigation was triggered by doping infractions involving two Bahraini athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where both were found guilty of homologous blood transfusions. 

Additionally, it was discovered that the BAA had employed a coach between 2019 and 2021 who was banned from the sport for prior anti-doping violations.

Acting negligently and recklessly in relation to doping, thereby damaging the reputation of World Athletics and the sport as a whole.

Failing to conduct proper due diligence when hiring athlete support personnel, which increased the risk of doping within the national team.

In response, the BAA admitted to the charges and has cooperated with the AIU throughout the process. As a result, the following sanctions and corrective measures have been imposed:

1.Restricted Participation: The BAA's involvement in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo 2025 will be limited to a maximum of 10 athletes, a move that could impact stars like Winfred Yavi and others.

2.12-Month Ban: The BAA will be barred from participating in any other World Athletics Series events for a period of 12 months starting from June 1, 2024.

3.Transfer Freeze: The BAA will not be allowed to apply for transfers of allegiance or recruit any foreign athletes until 2027, marking a significant shift in the association’s recruitment strategy. Yavi is one of many athletes who were recruited from other countries.

4. $7.3 Million Investment: The BAA is required to invest up to $7.3 million over the next four years in measures aimed at addressing doping and integrity issues. This includes the implementation of a detailed strategic plan and operational roadmap (SPOR), developed in coordination with the AIU, to overhaul the federation’s governance and management practices.

5. Establishment of a National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO): Bahrain will establish a WADA-compliant NADO, fully funded by the government until at least 2026. This organization has already been operational for a year, marking a significant step forward in managing doping risks.

6. Talent Development Academy: The BAA will create and fund a talent academy focused on nurturing local athletes, signaling a shift towards developing homegrown talent rather than relying heavily on foreign recruits.

7. AIU Costs: The BAA will cover the AIU’s costs associated with the investigation and the supervision of the SPOR implementation.

David Howman, Chair of the Athletics Integrity Unit, praised the BAA’s leadership for their cooperation and proactive steps in addressing the federation’s failings.

 “The BAA, to its great credit, has displayed genuine contrition about its past wrongdoings and commitment to change,” Howman said. He highlighted the establishment of a new NADO in Bahrain as a particularly significant achievement for clean sport.

Despite the BAA's past shortcomings, the AIU acknowledged that the federation's senior leadership was not involved in deliberate rule breaches and expressed satisfaction with the outcome, which aims to balance punitive measures with the goal of fostering real change within Bahrain's athletics landscape.

As Bahrain's athletes, including World Champion steeplechaser Winfred Yavi, prepare for the upcoming international competitions, the repercussions of these sanctions will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on the nation’s athletic programs.

The five gold medals won by one of the greatest Olympic champions in history will return to Paris in March for the first time since they were won in the French capital a century ago.

The press called him “The Flying Finn”, “The Phantom Finn” or “The Finnish Running Marvel”. In the 1920s, Paavo Nurmi, Finland's middle and long distance running ace, was known across the world for his extraordinary human athleticism. Nurmi was a superstar whose fame transcended sports, his name and deeds headlined newspapers and filled out stadiums wherever he traveled.

Nurmi's outstanding Olympic exploits in Paris 1924 established his enduring legend. His five victories there a century ago remain today the most athletic gold medals ever won at a single Games.

Thanks to the kind generosity of the Nurmi family, Nurmi's set of five 1924 gold medals will go on display in the prestigious museum of the Monnaie de Paris on the left bank of the Seine in the heart of the French capital.

Nurmi's Paris golds form part of a larger exhibition of Olympic medals. Gold, silver, bronze. A history of the Olympic medal , organized by the museum of the French mint to mark the Olympic Games of Paris 2024, offers a fascinating exploration of the history of the Olympic medal, highlighting its evolution through the editions of the modern Olympic Games.

The exhibition opens for media preview on 26 March and to the public from 27 March to 22 September 2024.

Mika Nurmi, the grandson of Paavo, and Finland's four-time Olympic champion Lasse Viren will be honored guests at the press preview and public opening ceremony.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: “World Athletics is delighted that the family of Paavo Nurmi, the Paavo Nurmi Games, the City of Turku and the museum of the Monnaie de Paris have partnered with our own Museum of World Athletics to return one of the most famous sets of Olympic medals to the French capital for the first time since they were won there a century ago.

“During the year of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, we are celebrating the outstanding achievements of The Flying Finn Paavo Nurmi who in 1924 won a still unsurpassed haul of five Olympic athletics gold medals in a single edition of the Games.

“As famous as the Hollywood stars of his day, lauded by US presidents, Nurmi was the first truly global sports star. Nurmi ended his career with nine golds and three Olympic silver medals and 22 ratified world records but his achievements in Paris 1924, including an outrageous 1500m and 5000m double won with only an hour rest between the two finals, marked the zenith of his career.

“When visiting Paris for this summer's Olympic Games, I look forward to viewing this historic display of Nurmi's golds. These five medals are the athletics centre piece of an impressive six-month exhibition of Olympic medals and coins staged in the neoclassical museum of the Monnaie de Paris, the world's oldest continuously running mint.”

Chairman and CEO of Monnaie de Paris Marc Schwartz commented: “Presenting an extraordinary set of Olympic gold medals at the Monnaie de Paris Museum is truly an honor. Even years later, Paavo Nurmi stands out as one of the most renowned athletes of all time. The celebration of his accomplishments undoubtedly positions this collection as a highlight of our exhibition: 'Gold, Silver, Bronze. A history of the Olympic Medal'. Come to see it in Paris!”

World Athletics Council Member and Chairman of the Paavo Nurmi Games Antti Pihlakoski said: “The Paavo Nurmi Games and Festival organization is grateful to the Museum of the Monnaie de Paris and World Athletics and its Heritage Department for highlighting Paavo Nurmi and his unique career as an Olympic athlete. The display of his Paris 1924 medals serves not only to help a historical understanding of his feats but their continuing impact on society a century later.

“The mission of the Paavo Nurmi Games and Festival organization, with the great support of the City of Turku, is to promote a diverse culture of physical activity in the name of Paavo Nurmi, catering to people of all ages, organizing top-level sporting events, mass sports events for different age groups, and charity events, the proceeds of which are distributed to support physical activities for low-income families.

“We believe that Paavo Nurmi would be pleased that 100 years after his legendary Olympic success in Paris, his legacy continues to be an active part of his hometown City of Turku, Finland, and lives on in the international athletics and sporting community.

“Warm thanks to the Museum of the Monnaie de Paris and World Athletics.”

On Monday night at the 2023 World Athletics Awards in Monaco, Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon took home top honours, capping off her nearly flawless season. The double world champion was named World Female Track Athlete of the Year, a title awarded to her by the public, her peers and the World Athletics Council.

Kipyegon made headlines by breaking three world records in the 1,500m, mile, and 5,000m events, in addition to clinching two world championship titles at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. She successfully defended her world title in the 1,500m and won her first world championship over 5,000m, facing one of the deepest fields in the event’s history.

This historic achievement marks the first time a Kenyan woman has received the prestigious award since its inception in 1988. The previous winner was U.S. 400m hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in 2022.

Throughout 2023, the 29-year-old mother pushed the boundaries of distance running, accomplishing feats that fans of the sport considered nearly impossible. Kipyegon became the first woman to complete the 1,500m in under three minutes and 50 seconds (3:49:11) and achieved another milestone by also becoming the first woman to run a sub-4:10 mile, clocking in at 4:07.64 at Monaco Diamond League in July.

For the first time ever, World Athletics split the Athlete of the Year award into three disciplines: track, field and non-stadia.

Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela won the Women’s Field Athlete of the Year, winning her fourth consecutive world championship title in the women’s triple jump and her third-straight Diamond League title. New women’s marathon world record holder Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia won the non-stadia award. Assefa shattered the women’s world marathon record at the 2023 Berlin Marathon, running an unbelievable 2:11:53, breaking the previous record by nearly two and a half minutes.

World Athletics said in a press release that their decision to divide the award into three categories came from fans and council members when they commented that it was “incredibly hard” to limit the vote to just one athlete.

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

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

Here are the five male and five female finalists.

Male finalists:

Neeraj Chopra (IND) – Javelin

World champion

Asian Games champion

Ryan Crouser (USA) – Shot Put

World champion

World record holder (23.56 meters)

Mondo Duplantis (SWE) – Pole Vault

World champion

Diamond League champion with a world record (6.23 meters)

Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) – Marathon

London and Chicago Marathon winner

Men’s marathon world record (2:00:35)

Noah Lyles (USA) – 100m/200m

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

Undefeated in six finals at 200m

Female finalists:

Tigist Assefa (ETH) – Marathon

Berlin Marathon winner

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

Femke Bol (NED) – 400m/400m hurdles

World 400m hurdles champion

World indoor 400m record holder (49.26 seconds)

Shericka Jackson (JAM) – 100m/200m

World 200m champion and 100m silver medalist

Diamond League 100m and 200m champion

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

World 1,500m and 5,000m champion

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

Yulimar Rojas (VEN) – Triple Jump

World champion

Diamond League champion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The winning times from this year’s US Road Mile Championships – 4:27.97 for Nikki Hiltz and 4:01.21 for Sam Prakel – have been submitted for world record ratification. Pending the usual ratification process – which includes doping control and shoe compliance – these performances will become the inaugural world records for the discipline.

The road mile became an official world record discipline as of 1 September. As announced after the World Athletics Council Meeting in November 2022, official recognition of a world record will require a performance of at least 3:50.00 (men) or 4:19.00 (women) between 1 January and 1 September 2023. If they were not met, the fastest recorded record-eligible performances will be recognised as the world records.

As such, the winning times at the US Road Mile Championships in Des Moines on 25 April proved to be the fastest eligible performances within that time frame.

There will, however, be a strong chance of these records being broken at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 on 1 October, where the road mile is being contested by dozens of the world’s best middle-distance runners.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has met with members of the Ukrainian team and newly elected World Athletics Council member Nataliya Dobrynska in Budapest to deliver much-needed equipment provided by the Ukraine Fund.

The fund – which was established by World Athletics, together with the International Athletics Foundation (IAF) and Members of the Diamond League Association, last year and renewed in May – was created to support elite athletes affected by the conflict in their home country.

Its primary purpose is to ensure that Ukrainian athletes can continue to train, qualify for and participate in World Championship events, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. A team of 29 Ukrainian athletes is currently competing at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

The fund has USD$190,000 available this year to assist the athletes, their immediate family and key support personnel. As well as paying for travel and accommodation for elite athletes at training camps, and for non-quota officials and athletes at World Athletics Series events, support also included purchasing equipment – particularly for the pole vault – to replace items that have been destroyed during missile attacks.

On Thursday (24) Ukraine marks its 32nd anniversary of independence and, meeting with the athletes the day before that anniversary, Coe said: “I am grateful you are here competing at this 40th anniversary of the World Championships.

“I know how hard it has been for you emotionally and physically. I have spoken to many of you since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. And I want you to know that World Athletics will continue to support you as long as you need help.”

The equipment provided includes pole vault poles, as well as mats.

“This year, we have heard your request to provide athletics equipment destroyed by the war, and support for summer camp training and preparation for Budapest,” Coe added. “And this is where we have focused our efforts. We have the poles, and I am delighted they are being used. The mats will follow.

“Thank you, all of you – the athletes, the coaches and the federation – for keeping our sport alive in Ukraine.”

Dobrynska said: “Today, we come together to express our huge gratitude to World Athletics, led by President Sebastian Coe, for being a pillar of support during these challenging times in Ukraine.

“In a world that sometimes feels divided, you remind us of the power of unity. You should know that all of Ukraine appreciates your commitment and involvement in what our athletes are trying to achieve under very difficult circumstances.”

It is expected that up to 100 members of the Ukrainian athletics community may require some financial support this year.

Also on Wednesday, Ukrainian 400m hurdler Anna Ryzhykova, Athlete Refugee Team (ART) member Perina Nakang, ART coach Janeth Jepkosgei and World Athletics ambassador David Rudisha met with refugees families, including those from Ukraine, currently living in Hungary.

The refugee families, who are being assisted by the UN refugee agency UNHCR and Hungarian agency Menedek, were provided with tickets to attend Wednesday morning’s session of the World Athletics Championships before meeting with the athletes.

They came together at the WCH Budapest 23 Green Zone, which is hosting sustainability awareness-raising activities and meet & greets with athletes over the course of the championships.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe was elected for a third term at the 54th World Athletics Congress in Budapest on Thursday (17).

Ximena Restrepo was re-elected as a Vice President and will be joined by newly elected Vice Presidents Raul Chapado, Adille Sumariwalla and Jackson Tuwei.

A total of 192 voting members of Congress voted for Coe and three abstained. Under the World Athletics Constitution, this will be Coe’s final term as President.

In 2019, Restrepo, the 1992 Olympic 400m bronze medallist from Colombia, became the first woman to be elected as a World Athletics Vice President.

As part of the widespread reforms adopted by the World Athletics Congress at the end of 2016, World Athletics added minimum gender targets into its constitution to establish parity at all levels in the sport’s governance.

The reforms detailed a requirement to have 13 members of each gender elected to the World Athletics Council at the 2027 Congress. This target has been met four years earlier than the reform roadmap prescribed.

The remaining requirement to be met at the 2027 Congress is the election of two Vice Presidents of each gender.

"I’m grateful for the support of my colleagues and delighted to see that more of the commitments we made during the governance reform process in 2016 have come to fruition with the election of World Athletics’ first gender equal Council four years ahead of schedule," said Coe. "But the job is not done yet and we need to keep pushing for gender parity throughout our representative bodies. The strength of our sport is in its diversity and that should be reflected in our governance at all levels."

South African athlete was discriminated against by rules that forced her to lower her testosterone levels, according to a judgement from the ECHR

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled in favour of Caster Semenya in her appeal against World Athletics’ rules relating to testosterone levels.

Semenya has been unable to compete at her best distance of 800m since the introduction of limits by the global governing body on testosterone levels which would have forced her to use medication. Legal challenges in the past to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Swiss Federal Supreme Court were rejected, but the ECHR says her human rights have been violated.

The 32-year-old was born with differences of sexual development and is not allowed to compete in events between 400m and the mile without taking drugs that reduce her testosterone levels.

In a judgement published on Tuesday (July 11), the ECHR found the Swiss government did not protect the athlete from being discriminated against when its Supreme Court refused to overturn a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport which upheld World Athletics’ rules governing the participation of athletes with DSD.

The statement read: “The Court found in particular that the applicant had not been afforded sufficient institutional and procedural safeguards in Switzerland to allow her to have her complaints examined effectively, especially since her complaints concerned substantiated and credible claims of discrimination as a result of her increased testosterone level caused by differences of sex development.”

Semenya argued that taking medication could put her health in danger and that the ruling, which prevented her defending her Olympic 800m title in 2021, denied athletes with DSD the right to rely on their natural abilities.

World Athletics says in reaction to the decision that its rules will remain in place, although the ECHR’s decision could force CAS and World Athletics to re-examine the regulations.

In a statement, the global governing body said: World Athletics notes the judgement of the deeply divided Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). We remain of the view that the DSD regulations are a necessary, reasonable and proportionate means of protecting fair competition in the female category as the Court of Arbitration for Sport and Swiss Federal Tribunal both found, after a detailed and expert assessment of the evidence.

“The case was filed against the state of Switzerland, rather than World Athletics. We will liaise with the Swiss Government on the next steps and, given the strong dissenting views in the decision, we will be encouraging them to seek referral of the case to the ECHR Grand Chamber for a final and definitive decision. In the meantime, the current DSD regulations, approved by the World Athletics Council in March 2023, will remain in place.”

The qualification system for athletics competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, to be held between 2-11 August 2024, has been published.

As was the case for the Olympic Games in Tokyo and the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, the qualification system will be based on a dual pathway of qualification, with 50% of athletes qualifying through entry standards and the remaining 50% qualifying through World Rankings.

The qualification system was approved by the World Athletics Council and includes details of the qualification windows, targeted number of athletes per discipline and entry standards.

The programme will include 23 women’s events and 23 men’s events as well as two mixed events – the 4x400m mixed relay and the 35km mixed team race walk.

For the 10,000m, combined events, race walks and relays, the qualification period runs from 31 December 2022 to 30 June 2024. 

For the marathon, the qualification window is from 1 November 2022 to 30 April 2024. For all other events, the qualification period runs from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024.

For the marathon, any athlete ranked higher than the 65th athlete on the filtered Quota Place “Road to Paris” list on 30 January 2024 will be considered qualified.

After 30 January 2024, the remaining 20% of the quota will be determined by the same dual pathway qualification criteria outlined above, without displacing the athletes qualified per 30 January 2024. 

Any national Olympic committee may choose to reallocate a quota place to an unqualified athlete, provided the athlete in the qualification window has achieved at least a 2:11:30 (men) or 2:29:30 (women) performance.World Athletics will publish the official qualification monitoring tool (Road to Paris) on the Stats Zone of the World Athletics website in the latter part of 2023.

Nassau in The Bahamas will host the World Athletics Relays, the main Olympic qualifying event for the relays, in April/May 2024 (dates to be confirmed).

The current sport-by-sport schedule for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which outlines the start and finish times of each session, can be found on the Paris 2024 website. Olympic Games ticketing is also now open.

Organisers have revealed the routes for the Olympic marathon and the two races – a 42.195km course and a 10km course – that will be open to the general public as part of mass event running.

On Monday, the World Athletics Council announced changes to qualifying criteria for middle-distance events at major championships, starting at this year’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August and carrying into the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. There will no longer be fastest-qualifier spots in the heats of the 1,500m, 3,000m steeplechase and 5,000m events. Qualification for the next round will be by place only (i.e., big Q’s only).

World Athletics believes this will bring fairness, after widespread complaints by athletes claiming that runners in the later heats have an unfair advantage, because they know what times they must run to qualify for the next round; this also leads to less competitive races, as a result.

“There has been widespread feedback on the significant disadvantage to athletes in the first heat or semi-final and advantage to athletes in subsequent heats or semi-finals, when receiving qualification based on time due to knowing what is required to qualify,” World Athletics said in a press release regarding the changes.

In the new system, each heat of the men’s 1,500m will allocate six qualifying spots to the next round, while the 3,000m steeplechase heats will hold five spots and the 5,000m heats eight spots. There will still be fastest-time qualifiers in sprint events (100m-400m) and the 800m.

The 2024 Paris Olympics will also introduce a repechage round between the first round and semifinals for events from the 200m to the 1,500m. Athletes who don’t automatically qualify from the first round of heats will have another opportunity in a repechage heat to secure a spot in the semifinals, rather than face elimination. (The 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest will not include the repechage.)

Russia and its athletes will remain banned from competition due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

On Thursday afternoon, the World Athletics Council announced the reinstatement of the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) following a seven-year doping suspension. Despite their reinstatement into the sport, however, Russia will remain banned from competition due to its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

“Athletes and officials for Russia and Belarus are still excluded for the foreseeable future due to the invasion of Ukraine,” said World Athletics president Seb Coe.

In the case that Russia decides to leave Ukraine, Coe says his instinct is that the ban would be reversed, allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in all World Athletics events.

According to Rune Andersen, who served as the head of the World Athletics Task Force around reinstating the RusAF, told the WA Council that all required conditions have ultimately been met. RusAF has also accepted the ruling stating that there must be no backsliding from the new position.

“I believe RusAF still has a lot of progress to be made,” said Coe. RusAF has to follow 35 “special conditions” intended to ensure that anti-doping reforms remain in place, and continue to operate effectively. These special conditions will continue to be reviewed over the next three years.

The RusAF has been suspended from competing in World Athletics events since 2015 due to multiple doping violations. They are currently not eligible to host World Athletics events or send teams to international championships due to the World Athletics sanctions for the invasion of Ukraine.

“The integrity of our major international competitions has already been substantially damaged by the actions of the Russian and Belarusian governments through the hardship inflicted on Ukrainian athletes and the destruction of Ukraine’s sports systems,” said Coe in a press release. “Russian and Belarusian athletes, many of whom have military affiliations, should not be beneficiaries of these actions.”

The World Athletics stance on Russia continues to contrast with that of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which is working to allow Russian and Belarusian competitors to participate in international competition and the Paris 2024 Games, as neutral athletes.

The reinstatement of RusAF was one of four noteworthy announcements to come from the 2023 World Athletics Council meetings. 

On March 23, World Athletics announced a complete ban on transgender athletes competing in the female category. No athletes who have been through male puberty will be allowed to participate in women’s events from March 31st onward.

“Transgender athletes should not be competing in the female category,” said World Athletics president Seb Coe. “Science may be insufficient, but the council agrees it must be guided by our overarching principle to protect all biological females in our sport.”

“This has not been an easy decision,” said Coe. “We entered a consultation months ago, we wanted to hear from all stakeholders, and the judgment we took was in the best interest of our sport.”

World Athletics will soon establish a transgender working group to bring data and science to the council meetings. The working group will give the World Athletics Council a better understanding of transgender athletes in our sport. Coe said he intended to appoint a trans female athlete as chair of this group.

The previous World Athletics transgender policy stated to be eligible for female competition, athletes had to keep their testosterone levels below 5 nmol/L for a 12-month period. The new ruling will bar all transgender athletes from the female category. 

“It was impossible to maintain the transgender regulations for what they were,” said Coe. “A full ban on transgender athletes in the women’s category is the right approach.”

The press conference also dealt with athletes in the DSD category. More information to come.

The World Athletics Doping Review Board (DRB) has agreed that the applications of six (6) Russian athletes have met the exceptional eligibility criteria to compete in international competition as neutral athletes (ANA) under eligibility rule 3.2 while the Russian national federation (RusAF) remains suspended.

In approving these six applications, the Doping Review Board noted that, according to World Athletics’ decision of 1 March 2022, all athletes, support personnel and officials from Russia were excluded from all World Athletics Series events for the foreseeable future as a consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Furthermore, the Wanda Diamond League subsequently took the decision to exclude Russian athletes from competing in its meetings. In addition, the Doping Review Board understands that individual organisers of the Continental Tour are not inviting Russian athletes to their meetings.

Furthermore, in December 2022, World Athletics advised the Russian Athletics Federation that the 2022 ANA process would continue until such time as the World Athletics Council decides otherwise.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the DRB considered and approved the following applications under rule 3.2 of the eligibility rules for exceptional eligibility to compete in international competitions until the World Athletics Council Meeting in March 2023 as a Neutral Athlete, to the extent such competitions are open to athletes from Russia.

Furthermore, any athlete who was granted ANA status for the 2022 season may continue to compete until Council’s decision.

The six athletes who have now met the exceptional eligibility criteria are:

Nikita Anishchenkov (high jump)Artem Chermoshanskiy (long jump)Maksim Pianzin (Pyanzin) (race walking)Nikita Kurbanov (high jump)Danil Chechela (long jump)Marina Kovaleva (long distance)

Requirements for ANA athletes

Further to the World Athletics Council decision on 1 December 2021 to approve amendments to the Authorised Neutral Athlete (ANA) programme on the recommendation of the Russian Taskforce, the Doping Review Board (DRB) reviewed and revised the process and the criteria for ANA applications.

Athletes will need to follow the procedures set out in the guidance documents and all applications must be forwarded to World Athletics through RusAF.

Applications must be submitted no later than four weeks before the entry deadline for the international competition for which eligibility is sought and the Doping Review Board may require an applicant to undergo additional testing prior to granting him or her ANA status.

2022 authorised neutral athletes who may compete until the World Athletics Council Meeting in March 2023 (73 athletes)

Announced on 22 January 2022: Dina Aleksandrova (800m, 1500m, 5000m), Svetlana Aplachkina (1500m, 3000m, 5000m), Yelizaveta Bondarenko (pole vault), Aleksandr Buyanovskiy (400m), Vera Chalaya (400m hurdles, 400m), Timofey Chalyy (400m hurdles, 400m), Alexey Fyodorov (triple jump), Ilya Ivanyuk (high jump), Polina Knoroz (pole vault), Mariya Kochanova (high jump), Aleksandr Komarov (decathlon, heptathlon), Kseniya Labygina (60m hurdles), Mariya Lasitskene (high jump), Artyom Makarenko (combined events, 60m hurdles, 110m hurdles), Polina Miller (400m), Vasiliy Mizinov (race walking), Valeriy Pronkin (hammer), Anzhelika Sidorova (pole vault), Oleg Spiridonov (60m hurdles, 110m hurdles), Natalya Spiridonova (long jump, high jump), Yaroslav Tkalich (sprints, 400m or less), Anna Tropina (3000m steeplechase, 1500m, 5000m, cross country).

Announced on 17 February 2022: Veronika Arkhipova (400m or less), Rinas Akhmadeyev (3000m, 5000m, 10,000m, half marathon), Semen Borodayev (shot put, discus), Iurii (Yuri) Chechun (marathon), Elvira Chepareva (Khasanova) (race walk), Aksana Gataullina (pole vault), Darya Golubechkova (race walk), Dmitriy Gramachkov (race walk), Konstantin Kholmogorov (800m), Stepan Kiselev (marathon), Kristina Koroleva (high jump), Mikhail Kulkov (marathon), Aleksandr Lesnoy (shot put), Denis Lukyanov (hammer), Alena Lutkovskaia (pole vault), Alena Lysenko (hammer), Kristina Makarenko, née Sivkova (50m, 100m, 200m), Timur Morgunov (pole vault), Olga Mullina (pole vault), Sofiya Palkina (hammer), Yekaterina Petrova (5000m race walk.

10,000m race walk), Mariya Privalova (triple jump, long jump), Andrey Romanov (hammer), Yelena Sborets (race walk), Nadezhda Sergeeva (race walk), Konstantin Shabanov (60m hurdles, 110m hurdles), Fedor Shutov (marathon, half marathon), Kirill Shutov (race walk), Yelena Sokolova (long jump), Snezhana Trofimets (shot put), Yuliya Turova (race walk), Matvey Tychinkin (high jump), Viktoriya Vaseykina (heptathlon, pentathlon)

Announced on 8 July 2022: Irina Baulina (400m, 400m hurdles), Arseniy Elfimov (combined events), Maksim Fediaev (200m, 400m), Ekaterina Fediaeva (200m, 400m), Dmitrii Kachanov (pole vault), Stepan Kekin (combined events), Evgenii Kunc (1500m, 5000m) , Natalya Leontyeva (5000m,, 10,000m, half marathon, cross country), Liliia Mendaeva (1500m, 3000m, 5000m), Anna Minullina (3000m), Ildar Nadyrov (steeplechase, cross country), Olga Onufrienko (800m, 1500m), Daria Osipova (sprints, hurdles, relays – U20 only), Viktor Pintusov (pole vault), Valeria Putilina (javelin), Iuliia Sokhatskaia (combined events, long jump), Elizaveta Tsareva (hammer), Anna Vikulova (10,000m, half marathon, marathon).

Earlier this week, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) released its Global List of Ineligible Persons of 473 athletes or athlete support currently serving sanctions. Five countries account for more than half the total number of sanctions, with 92 athletes representing Russia.

The majority of the cases listed are related to infractions in the last five years. But there are lifetime bans for offenses dating back a decade. Many of the Russian infractions date from before the 2015 doping scandal, but numerous infractions have been detected in the last three years.

Russia is followed by India, with 65 recorded sanctions, Kenya with 54, Morocco with 24 and China with 20. These five countries make up 54 per cent of the AIU’s Global List of Ineligible Persons. 

Russia (RusAF) and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) are working with World Athletics to lift the ban on Russian athletes and the federation. 

When World Athletics president Sebastian Coe was asked to comment on the RUSADA situation at a year-end media conference, he said, “The council will have a better update after their next meeting in March 2023.”

Kenya entered the spotlight in recent months, with many well-known distance runners receiving sanctions for doping violations. Last month, 2021 Boston champion Diana Kipyokei was given a six-year ban for a positive test for the weight-reducing and endurance-increasing drug triamcinolone acetonide. Twenty-one of the 54 Kenyan athletes serving suspensions were caught in the past year.

Since 2016, the East African nation has been classified in Category A of the countries under surveillance by World Athletics and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), alongside Belarus, Ethiopia, Morocco and Ukraine.

Coe said after the World Athletics Council Meeting in November 2022 that Athletics Kenya has “a long journey” to regain trust, and that Kenyan sports minister Ababu Namwama and the council were working toward a solution.

In an attempt to crack down on doping, the Kenyan sports minster told BBC News Africa in December that he hopes to fast-track modifications to legislation and crack down on doping the same way the government does with illegal drugs–by criminalizing it.

Previous attempts to criminalize doping in Kenya have been unsuccessful, with a motion submitted by former member of parliament and 2012 Boston Marathon champion Wesley Korir being defeated in 2016. Korir and his wife, Tarah Korir, lived in Waterloo, Ont. for several years before moving back to Kenya. 

Kenya is ready to abide by World Athletics guidelines in view of preserving the country’s strong tradition of competing and winning clean, Sports CS Ababu Namwamba has said.

Nawamba Wednesday told the visiting World Athletics President Sebastian Coe that the government will champion for cultural change in sport by inculcating the value of integrity amongst the athletes.

Namwamba said that they will partner with the Athletes Integrity Unit (AIU) and Athletics Kenya to ensure that issues pertaining to athletics sports management and Kenya's battle against doping is achieved.

"I am a strong believer in Abraham Lincoln's philosophy that it is more honorable to lose than to cheat. Our athletes must also live by this," Namwamba told Coe, who paid him a courtesy call at Maktaba Kuu office, Nairobi Wednesday afternoon.

Coe, who arrived in the country on Tuesday, is on a one week private visit and holiday in the country.

The World Athletics boss will  Thursday hold discussions with Athletics Kenya officials, coaches and athletes at the Weston Hotel, Nairobi.

Coe, 66, will also have a session with the media starting at 11m at the same hotel.

Coe’s visit comes five weeks after chairing a World Athletics Council meeting in Italy , which gave the country a great reprieve on matters of doping.

Even though Kenya stayed in Category “A” of countries where doping is prevalent, the country escaped a ban despite the skyrocketing cases of doping cases in the country.

Coe lauded Kenya’s efforts to fight the doping scourge adding that the move by the Kenyan government to increase the funding in the fight against doping to Sh619 million annually for a period of five years, was evident enough.

Coe said that the funding will help increase the number of tests, investigations besides bolstering the already comprehensive education programs by Athletics Kenya and Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK).

In the last four years, 90 Kenyan athletes have been banned or suspended for varying doping offences with 30 cases coming last year.

In an attempt to crack down on doping, Kenyan Sports Minster Ababu Namwama told BBC News Africa that he hopes to fast-track modifications to legislation and crack down on doping the same way the government does with illegal drugs.

Last week, the East African country avoided a sanction by governing body World Athletics—despite having 55 athletes currently serving doping-related suspensions. Kenya has the third highest number of suspensions behind Russia (102) and India (61) and is categorized as one of the seven “Category A” nations threatening the overall integrity of the sport.

On Dec. 2, the Kenyan government reached an agreement with World Athletics to spend USD $25 million over the next five years to combat the war on doping, which will help pay for more anti-doping personnel, increase testing and investigation and strengthen education.

“I believe we need to criminalize doping and elevate the handling of doping substances to the same level [as] narcotics,” says Namwama. “Convicted dopers should be dealt with the way we deal with drug traffickers.”

According to Kenyan law, any person who is in possession of any narcotic drug is guilty of an offense and faces a fine of five million Kenyan shillings (USD $40,000) or imprisonment for up to five years. They may also be forced into a rehabilitation program for a minimum of six months.

France is one country that outlaws doping in sports with prison sentences and fines. In 2009, the government adopted a law that penalizes the possession and trafficking of doping products in sports. Offenders can receive up to five years in jail and a 75,000-euro fine. For more severe cases, the penalty may also be increased to seven years and a fine of 150,000 euros. If an athlete is found guilty of personal use, they can be sentenced to a year in prison and a 3,750-euro fine.

During a World Athletics Council meeting in Rome in November, WA president Sebastian Coe said Kenya faces “a long journey ahead” to regain the trust of the World Athletics.

Coe told BBC News Africa that he has no problems with Kenya criminalizing the trafficking of these substances, but pointed out that criminalizing athletes can be complicated.

Previous attempts to criminalize doping in Kenya have been unsuccessful, with a motion submitted by former member of parliament and 2012 Boston Marathon champion Wesley Korir being defeated in 2016. Korir and his wife Tarah Korir lived in Waterloo, Ont. for several years before moving back to Kenya. 

World Athletics president confirms east African nation will not receive a global suspension from the sport despite an alarming spate of drugs positives.

Speculation that Athletics Kenya will be barred from international competition was proved unfounded on Wednesday (Nov 30) when World Athletics president Seb Coe said the country has escaped a ban but will continue to sit on an anti-doping ‘watch list’.

Speaking at a World Athletics council press conference in Rome, Coe said the large number of top Kenyan athletes to test positive for drugs was “concerning” but the nation will not receive a Russian-style suspension due to, among other things, a pledge by the Kenyan government to plough $5 million per year into anti-doping efforts over the next five years.

“World Athletics has been concerned,” said Coe. “Kenya has been on the watch list for a few years already. 

“In one year 40% of all the positive tests in global athletics have been in Kenya and this is not a situation that World Athletics was prepared to sit and watch develop.”

Coe added that there has been “a lot of recent reportage, some of which has been correct and some not. But we have made real progress.”

As well as the Kenyan government funding, Coe said the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) will continue to work closely with Kenya to implement the plan. 

He added: “All stakeholders internationally and domestically are now aligned to resolve this situation and I am pleased we have a united response. But my instinct tells me it will be a long journey.

“This has to be collectively driven through all the stakeholders, internationally and domestically, who have a role and responsibility to solve this as quickly as possible.”

Coe said money would be spent on anti-doping education and “a deeper dive into the entourage of some of the people who surround the athletes”. 

This, he said, “allows us more horsepower to challenge some of these issues”.

Kenya aside, an update on the ongoing Russian ban was tackled by Coe and Rune Andersen, head of the World Athletics taskforce on restoring Russia to global competition.

Coe emphasised that two separate sanctions exist – the anti-doping related ban and the sanction relating to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

With regards anti-doping, good progress and cultural change has been made and Russia’s possible reinstatement into competition will be discussed again in March 2023.

Related to this, the Ukrainian Athletic Association was awarded the ‘president’s award’ as part of the World Athletics awards with Coe presenting Ukrainian AA president Yevhen Pronin with the honor during the press conference.

“I couldn’t think of anyone worthier than this for this year’s award,” said Coe. “What the Ukrainian Athletics Federation president, the coaches, and the athletes have done is just worthy of everyone’s respect and recognition.”

Elsewhere, Coe spoke about 2022 being “an immensely strong year for athletics” with four World Athletics Series events involving more than 4000 competitors from 180 countries with 554 national records and a television audience of more than one billion people.

The World Indoor Championships in Belgrade had an economic impact of $43m with the World Championships in Oregon having an impact of $273m.

The Continental Tour, meanwhile, saw 162 events with 12,000 athletes across 159 nations with 118 national records and 2400 PBs. Diamond League figures, Coe added, were not yet available for 2022.

Further council decisions included awarding the World Relays to Bahamas in 2024 as a qualifying event for the Paris Olympics. The road mile will become an official world record event from January. And the World Road Running Championships will switch from a biennial event to annual from 2025.

World Athletics has been urged not to ban Kenya from the sport for violations of doping rules by a government minister from the East African country.

The nation is reportedly at risk of a sanction following a string of cases, with 55 of its athletes serving suspensions issued by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).

Kenya's situation will be discussed at the World athletics council meeting in Rome next week, BBC Sport Africa understands.

Ababu Namwamba, the cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts, has written to World Athletics president Lord Coe to assure him that Kenya's government is taking firm measures to uphold the integrity of athletics.

"We cannot allow our nation to be banned because of the actions of some greedy unethical individuals," Namwamba said.

"We will target and deal decisively with the criminals and their syndicates. We must work together to eradicate doping and cheating from athletics and sports in general."

Kenya is among seven countries deemed a 'Category A' federation - the highest doping risk - by the AIU, meaning athletes from the countries have to undergo at least three tests in the 10 months prior to a major event to be able to compete there.

Its total of 55 athletes serving bans is the third most of any nationality behind Russia (102) and India (61).

Russia has been banned by World Athletics from competing as a nation in athletics since 2015 but untainted athletes were still able to compete under a neutral flag until the country's invasion of Ukraine in February, when all athletes, support personnel and officials from the country were banned.

Seventeen Kenyan athletes have been sanctioned by the AIU this year for a range of violations, with a further eight provisionally suspended and awaiting the outcomes of their cases.

An overarching ban by World Athletics and the AIU would be a huge blow to the reputation of the East African country, which has won 34 of its 35 Olympic gold medals in track and field events.

The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) welcomed the government's intervention and said it would continue supporting "all efforts and actions as a partner in dismantling all systems and avenues perpetuating the vice of doping in athletics".

A statement from the body said the country had built an "illustrious history" in the sport and that "it is not ready to sacrifice this reputation due to the greed of a few actors".

"We join our voice in pleading with World Athletics and other parties to withhold any punitive measures such as a ban and consider the multifaceted efforts of the Kenyan community, led by the government, as a positive sign and contribution towards a zero-doping environment in Kenya," NOC-K president Paul Tergat added.

Two-time Olympic champion and marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge has said the increasing number of doping cases is "worrying" and "clean sport is the way to go".

The Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts said Kenya has a zero tolerance to doping and is "fully committed to ending the doping menace".

"We must defeat doping and its perpetrators. This is a serious concern and that is why the government is giving total undivided attention," Namwamba added.

"We are treating it as a matter of top strategic national interest."

The names of the five finalists for Women’s World Athlete of the Year have been confirmed, as the countdown to the World Athletics Awards 2022 continues.

The five athletes, who represent five countries from three area associations, have achieved sensational performances across a range of athletics disciplines in 2022, at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22, one-day meeting circuits and other events around the world.

The finalists are (in alphabetical order):

Tobi Amusan, NGR- World 100m hurdles champion- Diamond League, Commonwealth and African 100m hurdles champion- Set a world 100m hurdles record of 12.12

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, JAM- World 100m champion, claiming a fifth gold medal in the event- Diamond League 100m champion- Ran a world-leading 10.62 among her record seven sub-10.70 100m races of the season

Kimberly Garcia, PER- World 20km race walk champion, winning Peru’s first ever World Athletics Championships medal- World 35km race walk champion in a South American record to complete a race walk double- World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships 20km bronze medalist

Sydney McLaughlin, USA- World 400m hurdles and 4x400m champion- Broke the world 400m hurdles record with 51.41 at the US Championships- Further improved the world record to 50.68 to win the world title

Yulimar Rojas, VEN- World indoor and outdoor triple jump champion- Diamond League triple jump champion- Improved her world record to 15.74m in Belgrade

Voting procedure for 2022 World Athletes of the Year

A three-way voting process determined the finalists.

The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family cast their votes by email, while fans logged their decisions online via the World Athletics social media platforms where a record 1.3 million votes were registered.

The World Athletics Council’s vote counted for 50% of the result, while the World Athletics Family’s votes and the public votes each counted for 25% of the final result.

Voting closed on 31 October.

The World Athletes of the Year will be announced on World Athletics’ social media platforms in early December, as part of the World Athletics Awards 2022.

The names of the five finalists for Men’s World Athlete of the Year have been confirmed, as the countdown to the World Athletics Awards 2022 continues.

The five athletes, who represent five countries from three area associations, have achieved sensational performances across a range of athletics disciplines in 2022, at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22, one-day meeting circuits and other events around the world.

The finalists are (in alphabetical order):

Mondo Duplantis, SWE- World pole vault champion indoors and outdoors- Diamond League and European pole vault champion- Improved his world record to 6.19m and 6.20m indoors, and then 6.21m outdoors

Soufiane El Bakkali, MAR- World 3000m steeplechase champion- Diamond League 3000m steeplechase champion- Unbeaten in 2022, running a world-leading 7:58.28 in Rabat

Jakob Ingebrigtsen, NOR- World 5000m champion, world 1500m silver medallist indoors and outdoors- European 1500m and 5000m champion- Ran a world indoor 1500m record of 3:30.60 and won the Diamond League title in a world-leading 3:29.02

Eliud Kipchoge, KEN- Improved his world marathon record to 2:01:09- Berlin Marathon champion- Tokyo Marathon champion

Noah Lyles, USA- World 200m champion- Diamond League 200m champion- Ran a world-leading national record of 19.31 to move to third on the world all-time list

Voting procedure for 2022 World Athletes of the Year

A three-way voting process determined the finalists.

The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family cast their votes by email, while fans logged their decisions online via the World Athletics social media platforms where a record 1.3 million votes were registered.

The World Athletics Council’s vote counted for 50% of the result, while the World Athletics Family’s votes and the public votes each counted for 25% of the final result.

Voting closed on 31 October.

The World Athletes of the Year will be announced on World Athletics’ social media platforms in early December, as part of the World Athletics Awards 2022.

Two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge will battle nine world champions for the men's 2022 World Athlete of the Year Award. The 37-year-old Kipchoge, who is fresh from breaking his own marathon world record, won the 2018 and 2019 awards but also made the final list for the 2020 and 2021 awards.

The winner of the prestigious award in world athletics will be revealed on World Athletics’ social media platforms in early December.

The announcement on Thursday marked the opening of the voting process for the 2022 World Athletes of the Year ahead of the 2022 World Athletics Awards in December.

Olympics 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm last year became the first Norwegian to win the Male Athlete of the Year Award, beating four other finalists who included Kipchoge and Olympic 5,000m champion Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda  for the award.

Kipchoge will face world champions Ceh Kristjan (discus) from Slovakia, Brazilian Alison Dos Santos (400m hurdles), the 2020 winner, Swede Mondo Duplantis (pole vault), Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali (3,000m steeplechase) and American Grant Holloway (110m hurdles).

Others are Norwegian Jakob Ingerbrigtsen (5,000m), Noah Lyles (200m) from United States, Grenada’s Anderson Peters (javelin) and Pedro Pichardo (triple jump) from Portugal.

The athletes were selected by an international panel of athletics experts, comprising representatives from all six continental areas of World Athletics.

“It has been another memorable year for the sport and the nominations reflect some of the standout performances achieved at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, one-day meeting circuits and other events around the world,” said a statement from World Athletics.

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

The 2016 and 2020 Olympic marathon champion clocked 2:01:09 to win, beating his previous world record time of 2:01:39 set when winning in Berlin in 2018.

Kipchoge had on March 6 this year won the Tokyo Marathon in a course record time of 2:02:40, beating the newly crowned London Marathon champion Amos Kipruto to second place in 2:03:13.

Kenya's Olympic and world 1,500m champion Faith Chepng'etich was on Wednesday named among the 10 nominees for the female 2022 World Athlete of the Year award.

Kipchoge is the only other Kenyan male to win the award besides 800m world record holder David Rudisha, who claimed it in 2010.

No Kenyan woman has won the award.

A three-way voting process will determine the finalists.

The voting process closes on October 31.

The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family will cast their votes by email, while fans can vote online via the World Athletics social media platforms.

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

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

Voting for the World Athletes of the Year closes at midnight on October 31. At the conclusion of the voting process, five women and five men finalists will be announced by World Athletics.

Nominees

Kristjan Ceh (Slovakia)

- World discus champion

- Diamond League discus champion, throwing a national record 71.27m on the circuit in Birmingham

- European discus silver medalist

Alison dos Santos (Brazil)

- World 400m hurdles champion

- Diamond League 400m hurdles champion

- Ran a world-leading South American record of 46.29

Mondo Duplantis (Sweden)

- World pole vault champion indoors and outdoors

- Diamond League and European pole vault champion

- Improved his world record to 6.19m and 6.20m indoors, and then 6.21m outdoors

Soufiane El Bakkali (Morocco)

- World 3000m steeplechase champion

- Diamond League 3000m steeplechase champion

- Unbeaten in 2022, running a world-leading 7:58.28 in Rabat

Grant Holloway (USA)

- World 110m hurdles champion

- World indoor 60m hurdles champion

- Diamond League 110m hurdles champion

Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Norway)

- World 5000m champion, world 1500m silver medalist indoors and outdoors

- European 1500m and 5000m champion

- Diamond League 1500m champion in a world-leading 3:29.02

Eliud Kipchoge, (Kenya)

- Improved his world marathon record to 2:01:09

- Berlin Marathon champion

- Tokyo Marathon champion

Noah Lyles (USA)

- World 200m champion

- Diamond League 200m champion

- Ran a world-leading national record of 19.31 to move to third on the world all-time list

Anderson Peters (Grenada)

- World javelin champion

- Commonwealth javelin silver medalist

- Threw a world-leading NACAC record of 93.07m, moving to fifth on the world all-time list

Pedro Pichardo (Portugal)

- World triple jump champion with a world-leading leap of 17.95m

- World indoor triple jump silver medalist

- European triple jump champion.

Olympic and World 1,500m champion Kenya’s Faith Chepng'etich has once again been nominated for the 2022 Women’s World Athlete of the Year Award.

The 28-year-old Faith Chepng’étich will battle nine other top athletes for the coveted award whose winner will be revealed on World Athletics’ social media platforms in early December.

The announcement on Wednesday marked the opening of the voting process for the 2022 World Athletes of the Year ahead of the World Athletics Awards.

Chepngétich is up against world champions Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan (100m hurdles), American Chase Ealey (shot put), 2013 Women’s World Athlete of the Year, Jamaicans Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (100m) and Shericka Jackson (200m) and American Sydney McLaughlin (World 400m hurdles and 4x400m).

Other world champions in the race are the 2020 Women’s World Athlete of the Year, Yulimar Rojas (Triple jump) from Venezuela, Shaunae Miller-Uibo (400m) from Bahamas and Peru’s Kimberly Garcia (20km race walk).

Also in contention is the World Indoor and World High Jump silver medalist  Yaroslava Mahuchikh from Ukraine.  

These athletes were selected by an international panel of athletics experts, comprising representatives from all six continental areas of World Athletics.

“It has been another memorable year for the sport and the nominations reflect some of the standout performances achieved at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon,  World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, one-day meeting circuits and other events around the world,” noted a statement from World Athletics.

Chepngétich recaptured the world 1,500m tile clocking three minutes and 52.96 seconds on July 18, before going on to win the Monaco leg of the Diamond League in a national record time of 3:50.37, missing the world record by just three tenths of a second.

It was the second fastest time in history of the women’s 1,500m race where Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba holds the world record of 3:50.07 set in Monaco in 2015.

Chepngétich would retain her Diamonds League Trophy, winning in Zurich in 4:00.44 on September 8.  

Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah beat Chepngétich and Tokyo Olympics 10,000m/ 5,000m champion Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands to win last year’s award.

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

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

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

Voting for the World Athletes of the Year closes at midnight on October 31. At the conclusion of the voting process, five women and five men finalists will be announced by World Athletics.

It is with regret that the World Athletics Council has decided to postpone the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 2023, scheduled for 17-19 March 2023, until March 2025 (exact dates to be confirmed).

This decision was taken with the agreement of both the Nanjing organizing committee and the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA), due to the ongoing pandemic conditions.

Nanjing was originally selected to host the 2020 World Athletics Indoor Championships, which were first postponed until March 2021, and then to March 2023, as the pandemic continued.

The next edition of the World Athletics Indoor Championships will now be in Glasgow on 1-3 March 2024, and the bid process has already commenced for the 2026 edition of the championships, which is why 2025 has been designated as the year for the Nanjing championships.

“We’re disappointed that we have had to postpone this event again due to circumstances beyond our control, but we have done so to give certainty to athletes and Member Federations preparing for the 2023 competition season,” World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said. “Unfortunately, the time frame will prevent us from relocating the 2023 event, but the indoor championships will return in 2024 in Glasgow.

“We have offered Nanjing the 2025 edition because we are mindful of the substantial preparations the LOC has already done to host the event and we want to avoid potential financial losses for all parties. I want to thank CAA and the LOC for their cooperation in resolving this situation.”

Despite this postponement, athletes will still have substantial competitive opportunities available in the early part of 2023 through the World Athletics Indoor Tour, which will offer a full calendar of events from late January to March (more events to be added) and is organized across four different tiers of competition – Gold, Silver, Bronze and Challenger.

Runners knocked out in the opening round of track events from 200 to 1500 meters at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris will get another opportunity to continue in the competition after World Athletics announced they are to introduce a repechage round.

Under the new format approved by the World Athletics Council, athletes who do not qualify by place in round one heats, including the hurdles, will have a second chance to qualify for the semi-finals by participating in repechage heats.

The word repechage comes from the French verb "repêch", which literally means to "fish up again".

Idiomatically, it means "to get a second chance".

The repechage will replace the former system of athletes advancing through fastest times in addition to the top placings in the first-round heats.

These events will now have four rounds - round one, repechage round, semi-finals and the final, with schedules varying according to the specific nature of the event.

The new format means that every athlete competing in the events with a repechage round will have at least two races at Paris 2024.

As the 100m already has preliminary heats, before round one, the repechage will not be introduced in this event.

In addition, the repechage will not be introduced in distance events as the need for proper recovery between rounds makes the format impractical.

A number of sports already use the repechage system, including judo, rowing, taekwondo and wrestling.

But, unlike athletics where a runner could be knocked out in the first round and still go on to win gold thanks to the repechage, a competitor in these sports can win a bronze medal at best.

Cycling and rowing, however, use a similar system to the one athletics is proposing. 

"After consulting with our athletes and broadcasters, we believe this is an innovation which will make progression in these events more straightforward for athletes and will build anticipation for fans and broadcasters," World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said.

"The repechage rounds will give more exposure to our sport during the peak Olympic period and will be carefully scheduled to ensure that every event on our Olympic programme retains its share of the spotlight."

The final regulations of the format, including the timetable as well as system of advancement in each event, will be announced well in advance of the Olympic Games, World Athletics have promised.

The World Athletics Council has approved the following decisions on future qualification systems for championship events and for the future rotation of the World Athletics Relays.

Entry standards and world rankings

The Council has approved the continuation of the current qualification system structure for World Athletics Championships and Olympic Games.

Therefore, the target 50/50 split of athletes qualified through entry standards and the world rankings, which was used for the Olympic Games in Tokyo and is in use for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, will remain in use for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The Council plans to review the world rankings system later this year, and subsequently approve the scoring system for 2023.

Marathon qualification system for Paris

To enable early selection, as well as national trials, for the Olympic Games marathon in Paris, the Council has approved a two-step procedure for the Olympic marathon qualification system.

On 6 February 2024, any athlete

1. having achieved the entry standard (to be confirmed at a later Council session) or 

2. ranked higher than the 65th athlete on the filtered (three athletes per national Olympic committee) ‘Road to Paris’ list

will be considered qualified and eligible for immediate selection.

In addition, the Council also approved a quota reallocation option in the marathon only. Any national Olympic committee may choose to reallocate a quota place to an unqualified athlete, provided the athlete has achieved at least a 2:11:30 (men) or 2:29:30 (women) eligibility performance within the qualification window.

The entry standards for the marathon will be approved by the Council at a later meeting.

Future rotation of World Athletics Relays

Since 2015, the World Athletics Relays has been a biennial event, taking place in odd years to serve as a World Athletics Championships qualifying event in the championship disciplines as well as offering race opportunities in the less traditional events such as the shuttle hurdles relays and the 2x2x400m mixed team relay.

Having evaluated recent editions, the Council has decided to change the future scheduling of this event to an even-year rotation, starting in 2024. The event will serve as the trials in Olympic years, with the Council to approve a detailed format of the event at the next Council meeting in July. 

Inclusion of 5km/10km in 5000m/10,000m qualification systems for Budapest and Paris

Acknowledging the popularity and performance level of the 5km and 10km road events, the Council has decided that both disciplines will be included in the qualification system for the 5000m and 10,000m respectively at future championships.

Therefore, it will be possible to qualify for the 5000m and the 10,000m at eligible road events, and results achieved in the road events will count towards the world rankings in the 5000m and 10,000m.

Inclusion of cross country rankings in qualification systems for Budapest and Paris

Following the launch of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour as well as the cross country rankings, the Council has decided to modify the cross country qualification pathway for the 10,000m at future championships.

The top 15 men and women in the World Cross Country Championships 2019 were automatically qualified in the 10,000m for the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha. Following the latest decision made by the Council, this will be replaced by a new pathway.

Starting with the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, the top eight men and top eight women in the cross country rankings, who are not already qualified via entry standard or world 10,000m ranking, will be automatically qualified.

Entry standards in the 10,000m for Budapest will be approved by the Council in July this year.

South Africa’s Stephen Mokoka stepped up to 50km in style on Sunday (6), running 2:40:13* to break the men’s world record for the distance at the Nedbank #Runified 50km – a World Athletics Elite Label road race – in Gqeberha.

The three-time Olympian has been running marathons for more than a decade but made history in his very first 50km race, following the pacemaker through half way in 1:21:03 and then breaking away after 35km (1:52:53) with a 2:56 kilometre to put himself on world record schedule.

The 2019 world marathon fifth-placer finisher held that pace on the 10km loop course, running a negative split (1:19:10 for the second half) after a solo run to victory. He won by almost four minutes and improved the inaugural world 50km record of 2:42:07 that had been set by Ethiopia’s Ketema Negasa at the same event last year.

"I’m tired," Mokoka said with a smile in his post-race interview. "It’s a long way and I don’t know how I’m going to feel later, but I enjoyed it."

The performance further demonstrates Mokoka's impressive range. The 37-year-old has claimed numerous national titles in his career so far, from 1500m up to the marathon. His marathon best is 2:07:40 from Shanghai in 2015, while he set the South African half marathon record when running 59:36 to place seventh at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia.

Tete Dijana was runner-up to Mokoka in Gqeberha, clocking 2:44:08, with their compatriot Edward Mothibi – the 2019 Comrades Marathon winner – third in 2:45:27.

Given the increasing popularity of 50km road races, the decision to add the distance to the list of events for which world records are recognised was made at the World Athletics Council meeting in Tokyo in July. Negasa’s 2:42:07 was then ratified as the inaugural men’s world 50km record at the start of this year, while the 3:04:24 run by South Africa’s Irvette van Zyl in the same 2021 event was ratified as the world 50km record for a women-only race.

That time had been the target for athletes in Sunday’s Nedbank #Runified 50km and the women's field went off with intent, the leaders passing 10km in 35:51 and half way in 1:31:34.Ethiopia’s Amelework Fikadu Bosho later dropped her rivals and although she was not able to maintain that world record pace, she hung on for a dominant women’s race win in 3:04:58.

Kenya’s Shelmith Muriuki was second in 3:08:30, while Van Zyl was third in 3:13:23.

Women’s world 50km record (mixed race)2:59:54 Desiree Linden (USA) Dorena Lake USA 13 April 2021Men’s world 50km record 2:42:07 Ketema Negasa (ETH) Port Elizabeth RSA 23 May 2021Women’s world 50km record (women-only race)3:04:24 Irvette van Zyl (RSA) Port Elizabeth RSA 23 May 2021The 50km performances achieved by Desiree Linden, Ketema Negasa and Irvette van Zyl in 2021 have been ratified as inaugural world 50km records.

Given the increasing popularity of 50km road races, the decision to add the distance to the list of events for which world records are recognised was made at the 225th World Athletics Council meeting in Tokyo in July.

The best legitimate performances as at 1 January 2022 – provided they met the minimum standards of 2:43:38 for men, 2:59:54 for women in a mixed race and 3:07:20 for a woman in a women-only race – were eligible for record ratification.

As a result, the 2:42:07 recorded by Ethiopia’s Negasa and the 3:04:24 run by South Africa’s Van Zyl, both in Port Elizabeth in May, plus the 2:59:54 achieved by the USA’s Linden in a mixed race in Oregon in April, have been ratified as world 50km records.

Linden’s performance came at the Brooks Running 50km & Marathon on 13 April 2021, when she became the first woman to run 50km in under three hours. To achieve it, the 2018 Boston Marathon champion averaged at a pace of 3:35 per kilometre, clocking 1:15:47 at the half-marathon mark.

The following month, on 23 May 2021, Negasa and Van Zyl both lined up for the Nedbank Runified Breaking Barriers 50K. Negasa went on to race at an average pace of 3:15 per kilometre to achieve his winning time of 2:42:07, while Van Zyl clocked 3:04:24 after averaging at a kilometre pace of 3:41.

To mark the 226th World Athletics Council Meeting in Monaco, a special Heritage display was staged this week in the foyer of Le Meridien Beach Plaza. The exhibit contained 15 recent acquisitions made by the World Athletics Heritage Collection, which will soon be on display in glorious 3D in the virtual Museum of World Athletics (MOWA).

One of the oldest artefacts exhibited was a solid silver trophy donated by Kenya’s Olympic legend Kipchoge Keino, and one of the youngest items on show was a Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch.

Yet arguably the greatest recent addition to the collection are three running spikes worn by eight-time world champion and four-time Olympic Games gold medalist Michael Johnson.

Entering the collection is one of Johnson’s iconic gold spikes from Atlanta 1996 (right foot), one from Sydney 2000 (left foot), and thirdly, a shoe from Johnson’s final race in 2001 (right foot). Each shoe is autographed.

“I can still vividly remember the chills I felt…”

The trio now form part of the World Athletics Heritage Collection thanks the extraordinary generosity of Brad Hunt, who was Johnson’s agent during his outstanding running career.

“I visited the Heritage exhibition while at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha,” commented Hunt. “The scale of the collection was particularly impressive, considering it had only been created in 2018.

“The historic display of artefacts included items from the careers of Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis and Usain Bolt. In men’s sprinting history, there was one glaring omission. By offering the spikes which Michael (Johnson) gave me after some of his most memorable races, I hope to have helped fill that gap in the World Athletics Heritage Collection,” added Hunt.

Johnson stunned the world of sport in 1996. At the Atlanta Games he won an unprecedented Olympic men’s 200m and 400m double. In the process, with a 19.32 clocking, Johnson destroyed his own 200m world record (19.66) which he had set less than two months before the Games on the same track at the US Olympic Trials.

“Both Olympic shoes were given to me two or three weeks following the Games they were used in,” confirmed Hunt. “The 1996 shoe was given to me in Hawaii, where we travelled for our post-Olympic celebrations. The 2000 shoe was given to me in Los Angeles.

“I can still vividly remember the chills I felt when I became the first person Michael told of his decision to wear gold spikes in the 1996 Olympic Games. We were sitting on a flight to Los Angeles from the Atlanta Olympic Trials to Los Angeles for Michael's first appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

“Michael had just set his first world record (19.66 200m) the day before (23 June). We were discussing how much attention his purple spikes had received when he declared he would be wearing gold in the Games.”

14c gold in the material

Four years later, Johnson retained his Olympic 400m title in Sydney, Australia. Johnson had become world record-holder for the distance (43.18) at the World Championships in Seville, Spain, the previous year.

“Although the 2000 shoe is made with actual 14c gold in the material, thus making them shinier (with significantly more material value), the 1996 shoe is my favourite because these gold shoes were an actual media phenomenon!

“The amount of secrecy involved with the shoes' clandestine development and historical Olympic debut created one of the strongest identities an athlete has ever had with his or her footwear,” concluded Hunt.

The following year Johnson undertook his ‘Golden Victory Lap’ tour, finishing his career at the Goodwill Games in Brisbane. It is one of the shoes which he wore in that last season which completes this extra special induction of footwear into the World Athletics Heritage Collection.

The three spikes will soon be on display in the virtual MOWA.

In 2022, the spikes will also go on public show at MOWA’s onsite public exhibitions in Portland and Oregon, USA, in the lead into and during the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.

The World Athletics Council has today (1) agreed on the host cities of two future World Athletics Series events at their meeting in Monaco.

The 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships will be held in Glasgow, United Kingdom, and the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships will be held in Lima, Peru.

Glasgow successfully hosted the European Indoor Championships in 2019, and World Athletics will now take its 2024 championships to the same arena.

The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, hailed the decision.

“I’m delighted that Glasgow has been chosen to host the prestigious World Athletics Indoor Championships in 2024,” she said. “This will underline Scotland’s global reputation as the perfect stage for events and is welcome news as we look to recover from the pandemic.”

Councillor David McDonald, Chair of Glasgow Life and Deputy Leader of Glasgow City Council, added: “Today’s announcement by World Athletics recognises Glasgow’s global reputation as a first choice host for major sporting events and as a city with a track record of delivering world-class event experiences. It’s a privilege to be bringing the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships to the Emirates Arena, which is widely regarded as one of the best athletics venues in the world.”

Ian Beattie, Chair of UK Athletics, was also delighted that his federation will have the opportunity to host this event.

“World Athletics has demonstrated their confidence in the UK to host global athletics championships once again, and history has shown time and time again our ability to deliver amazing events,” he said. “We’re thrilled with the outcome and look forward to a successful championships working alongside our partners that will truly give all athletes a fantastic stage upon which to perform.”

The dates of the event have yet to be finalised, but are expected to be in March 2024.

Peru to host first World Athletics Series event in 2024

Lima will become the first city in Peru to host a World Athletics Series event when it welcomes the world’s best junior athletes in mid-2024.

The President of the Peruvian Athletics Federation, Javier Chirinos Hoyos, said this was a big moment for athletics in Peru.

“We are very happy and proud to have been chosen for the first time ever, to host the 2024 World U20 Championships,” he said. “Rest assured that we will organise the best event of this category in history. We have the experience and a great team to give the best in Lima in 2024. Thanks all and we will be waiting with open arms for all of you in Lima."

The general director of the Local Organising Committee, Luis Condeso Ocampo, added: “We are very happy and grateful to World Athletics for trusting us to host the World Athletics U20 Championships in 2024. We assume this designation with great responsibility, and be sure that the Peruvian Athletics Federation, with all the support of the Peruvian Sports Institute, the Municipality of Lima, and all sportspeople in Peru, we will make the World U20 Championships in Lima an unforgettable experience for all participants.”

World Athletics and the local organising committee (LOC) for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Yangzhou 2022 have agreed to postpone the championships, which were scheduled to be held in Yangzhou, China, on March 27, 2022.

The event will now take place on Sunday November 13, 2022.

The postponement is due to the biosecurity measures and travel restrictions currently in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in China.

These conditions may change between now and March, but in order to provide certainty to athletes, coaches and Member Federations, the World Athletics Council agreed to reschedule the championships to allow more time for existing travel and quarantine restrictions to be eased. 

World Athletics and the LOC in Yangzhou are committed to the responsible planning and delivery of the half marathon championships, which includes ensuring that athletes from all international federations are able to participate and enjoy an experience that is befitting a World Athletics Series event.

More information about the championships will be released as it becomes available.

The rules on the use of cannabis by athletes should be reviewed, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has said in the wake of the case that meant Sha'Carri Richardson, winner of the women’s 100 meters at the US Olympic trials, missing Tokyo 2020.

Richardson accepted a 30-day ban, and the qualifying results she achieved were annulled, after she tested positive for the banned recreational drug during the trials.

The 21-year-old said she had been under emotional stress after learning of the recent death of her biological mother.

In response to questions on the issue, Coe has said a review is now sensible and "it should be" done, Reuters reports.

Coe added: "I am sorry for her that we have lost an outstanding talent [from the Olympic Games]", but said that existing rules were interpreted correctly.

The World Athletics President said he had asked the independent Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) to work with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on reassessing marijuana’s place on the prohibited list.

Coe, who believes the matter is a question for experts at the AIU and the WADA to determine, said Richardson’s absence was "a loss to the competition" but predicted "she will bounce back".

The 2021 World Anti-Doping Code classifies tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis, marijuana, and hashish, as a "Substance of Abuse".

Athletes found to use it outside of competition face a three-month ban, although in this case the United States Anti-Doping Agency banned Richardson for 30 days as long as she also undertook a treatment programme.

Discussion on this matter is not expected to take place during the World Athletics Council’s two-day meeting that starts tomorrow before the Olympic track and field programme begins on Friday (July 30) - at least officially.

What will be under consideration is a determination of the hosts for the 2023 World Athletics Relays, held this year in Poland, the newly-established 2023 World Road Running Championships, and next year’s World Race Walking Team Championships, where a replacement is being sought for original host Minsk.

World Athletics cited "uncertainties around diplomatic relations and international travel restrictions with regard to Belarus" when stripping Minsk of hosting rights earlier this year, with protests continuing after the controversial re-election Alexander Lukashenko as the country’s President last August and many nations imposing sanctions on Belarus.

There will also be a report from World Athletics' Russia Taskforce at the Council meeting.

Day two of the meeting is understood to involve commission and working group reports.

"The World Athletics Doping Review Board has agreed that the applications of 20 Russian athletes have met the exceptional eligibility criteria to compete in international competition as neutral athletes in 2021," World Athletics press office said in a statement.

"A total of 143 Russian athletes have so far been declared eligible to compete as authorized neutral athletes in 2021," the statement reads. "Five applications have been rejected".

"The World Athletics Council approved the reinstatement of the authorized neutral athlete (ANA) program for clean athletes from Russia in March 2021, following the approval of the RusAF Reinstatement Plan," the statement continued.

"There is no cap on the number of Russian athletes, who may compete at international competitions in 2021 (outside of the Olympic Games and other championships), provided they have ANA status," the statement reads.

"The participation of all athletes granted ANA status is still subject to formalities under World Athletics Rules being completed (which could, in some cases, include additional testing) and to acceptance of their entries by individual meeting organizers," the statement added.

On March 18, the World Athletics Council announced a decision to reinstate "the Authorized Neutral Athlete (ANA) program for clean athletes from Russia." On March 31, the World Athletics Council published a list of guidelines on granting the ANA status to Russian track and field athletes this year.

According to a decision of World Athletics published earlier this year, no more than ten athletes would be able to get the ANA status to compete in major sporting events (Olympics, world championships and European U23 championships).

Russian athletes will be competing in Tokyo under the flag and logo of the Russian National Olympic Committee (ROC) instead of the Russian national flag and state emblem. The national anthem of Russia is also barred from use at the Olympics in Japan.

World Athletics today announced it was substantially increasing the prize money for athletes at its flagship world championships, starting with the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 next year.

US$2 million has been ringfenced from the fines paid by the Russian Athletics Federation for breaching the sport’s anti-doping rules, to go directly to athletes in the form of prize money at the WCH Oregon22 and at the WCH Budapest 23.

Speaking from the US Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: “The last 18 months have been really tough for thousands of athletes who make their living from competing in events around the world. While we have focused on helping meetings around the world stage as many events as possible over this period – more than 600 events – we know many athletes had a very lean year last year and are still experiencing challenges this year.

“Last year we also set up an athlete fund, supported by some generous donations, to provide some financial relief to those athletes most in need. 193 athletes from 58 countries were granted up to US$3000 to go towards basic living costs such as food, accommodation and training expenses.”

World Athletics will fund the additional $1million per World Championships for the next two editions, with each of the 44 individual events receiving an additional US$23,000 of prize money at each championship.

At the most recent World Championships in Doha in 2019, US$7,530,000 in prize money was distributed to athletes who finished in the top eight of an event.

While the intention is to see the new funds go to as many athletes as possible in leading positions, the Athletes’ Commission and Competition Commission will make a recommendation to the World Athletics Council on how the funds will be allocated. The additional US$1 million in prize money will form part of the host city contract from 2025 onwards.

World Athletics and World Masters Athletics have reached a historic agreement that will see masters championships held for the first time alongside the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia, next year.

The World Athletics Council approved the proposal last week while confirming the competition timetables for both Bathurst and the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Yangzhou 2022. 

World Athletics, World Masters Athletics and the Bathurst Local Organising Committee will work together to organise the inaugural World Masters Cross Country Championships (short course) on the weekend of 19-20 February 2022.

"We have worked hard over the last few years to develop closer relationships with the various sectors of the global running community, including recreational running, mountain and trail running, and parkrun, because that makes our athletics community stronger, so I’m delighted to announce this new initiative in cooperation with World Masters Athletics," World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said. "We look forward to welcoming passionate runners of all ages and abilities to Bathurst next year for what promises to be a unique festival of cross country running."

World Masters Athletics president Margit Jungmann added: "We are excited to offer this new opportunity for masters athletes around the world to come together and celebrate their love of running and competition, and to join with the best cross country runners in the world to test themselves on the scenic Mt Panorama course at Bathurst in Australia. We are pleased to be working with World Athletics to make this a uniquely memorable event for all the masters athletes who attend."

Originally scheduled to take place in March 2021 before the Covid-19 pandemic led to its postponement, the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst will now be held on 19 February 2022. The timetable is as follows:

14:35 U20 women’s 6km15:15 U20 men’s 8km16:25 mixed relay17:05 senior women’s 10km18:05 senior men’s 10km

The World Masters Cross Country Championships will include a mixed 4 x 2km relay, tentatively scheduled before the World Athletics events on Saturday, 19 February, and a series of age group races on Sunday, 20 February.

World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Yangzhou 2022

The timetable for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships, scheduled to take place in Yangzhou, China, on 27 March 2022, is as follows:

9:30 women’s race10:00 men’s race, followed by mass race

As with previous editions, there are no entry standards for the competition. A maximum of seven athletes may be entered by a member federation, but only five can start the race. The top three finishers for each member federation will count towards the team competition.

For the fifth successive edition, the World Half Marathon Championships will feature a mass race, giving thousands of recreational runners the chance to run in the footsteps of the best athletes in the world.

World Athletics Council today agreed to reinstate the Authorised Neutral Athlete (ANA) scheme, suspended since last March, allowing individual Russian competitors to qualify for this summer’s scheduled Tokyo 2020 Games.

The scheme - which allows Russian athletes who meet anti-doping criteria to take part in international competition - was suspended in March last year following the latest scandal involving the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF), which has been banned since November 2015 following the revelations of state-sponsored doping.

Rune Andersen, the World Athletics' Russia Taskforce chairman, said that Russian athletes would be able to apply for ANA status immediately, but there will be a cap of 10 athletes for the next Olympics and at World Athletics Championships.

He added that this was dependent on RusAF continuing to satisfy the requirements agreed for their eventual return.

RusAF faced expulsion from World Athletics last year for obstructing an anti-doping investigation into world indoor high jump champion Danil Lysenko and failing to pay outstanding fines.

After missing its July 1 payment deadline RusAF stood on the brink, but a last-minute intervention by Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin, who made an "unconditional" offer to pay the outstanding fine of $6.31 million (£4.52 million/€5.28 million), saved them.

On March 1 this year a final plan for the reinstatement of the RusAF was unanimously approved by the World Athletics Council following the recommendation of Andersen.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe warned at the time that the initial approval was "not the end but the beginning of a long journey, with an incredible amount of work for RusAF to do to rebuild trust."

Reflecting upon the original creation of the ANA scheme earlier this month in a Sports Law Q&A podcast, Coe told British lawyer Jonathan Taylor: "I didn’t for all sorts of reasons want to visit the sins of the parents upon the children in our Russia challenge.

"What in simple terms does that mean?

"If I could identify clean athletes that were untainted but in a tainted system then my responsibility was to try and find a construct that would allow them to compete.

"That’s where we got our Authorised Neutral Athletes from, and many of them have maintained international competition in the last few years.

"They don’t have the panoply of uniforms and national anthems but most of them are just relieved to be competing."

One Russian track and field athlete was able to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympics under the recently instituted ANA scheme - long jumper Darya Klishina.

The strong international interest in hosting this new event, which will combine elite and mass races in a unique format, is a ringing endorsement of a festival concept designed to unite the international road running community. 

The creation of the World Athletics Road Running Championships, incorporating the World Half Marathon Championships, was approved by the Council in December, and cities around the world were asked to indicate their interest in hosting the event.

The 2023 event will include elite races over both 5km and the half marathon, accompanying mass races, and a week-long festival of supporting events, including parkrun events across the host city, a global running conference, health and fitness expos and clinics.

Potential hosts will have to submit formal bids by 1 June and the World Athletics Council will select the host city in July.

World Athletics Continental Tour

The World Athletics Council has approved a greatly expanded Continental Tour calendar for 2021, including 85 Gold, Silver and Bronze meetings, after the new international series was launched successfully last year.

Despite the challenges created by the pandemic, 29 Continental Tour meetings were held last year, including seven Gold meetings (of the 10 that were originally scheduled).

This year’s calendar includes 15 Gold meetings, with two in Africa following the addition of a second meeting to join Nairobi, and three Gold meetings to be held in the United States. The venues for the new meetings will be confirmed shortly.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe welcomed the commitment of meeting directors and Member Federations across the six continental Areas to create new competition opportunities for the athletes.  

“We wouldn’t have chosen to launch a new global athletics tour on the eve of a pandemic, but the Continental Tour proved to be such a strong concept that it thrived even in these adverse circumstances,’’ he said.

“The tour has expanded substantially in 2021, and we’re delighted that it has been embraced so enthusiastically across the world. I’m particularly pleased to see that the US has stepped up to stage three Gold meetings as well as at least nine other Silver and Bronze meetings. These will provide new and vital competition opportunities and prize money for athletes and strengthen our sport both in the USA and internationally. We see the expanded US calendar as an early legacy of the decision to take our flagship event, the World Athletics Championships, to Oregon in 2022.

“We will continue to drive innovation and boost the competition opportunities available to our athletes around the world, with our immediate focus on the World Athletics Relays Silesia 2021, to be held in Poland in just six weeks’ time.”  

Competition dates

The Council confirmed the dates for the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships, which will be held in Cali, Colombia from 2-7 August, 2022, and the 2023 World Athletics Indoor Championships, which will be held in Nanjing, China from 17-19 March, 2023. 

The World Athletics Council has approved the qualification systems for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 and the World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 2021.

As was the case in 2019, athletes will be able to qualify for the World Championships by achieving an entry standard or through their placing on the world rankings.

In line with the recommendation from the Race Walking Committee, approved by the Council last year and confirmed again last week, the World Championships will feature 20km and 35km race walking events for men and women in Oregon.

The qualification period for the marathon and 35km race walk opened on 30 November 2020 and ends on 29 May 2022. For the 10,000m, 20km race walk, relays and combined events, the window runs from 27 December 2020 until 26 June 2022. For all other disciplines, the qualification period is 27 June 2021 to 26 June 2022.

Defending world champions will be offered a wild card entry, as will the winners of the 2021 Diamond League, Race Walk Challenge, Combined Events Challenge and the leading hammer performers on the Continental Tour. Area champions in selected disciplines and top-10 finishers at Platinum Label marathons during the qualification period shall also be considered as having achieved the entry standard.

The target number of athletes for each discipline is the same as in 2019, with one exception: there will be 60 places available in both the men’s and women’s 35km race walks; an increase on the 50 places for men and 30 places for women in the 50km race walk in 2019.

With the World U20 Championships in Nairobi having been postponed from its original dates in 2020, the qualification period has been updated. The new qualification windows are: 1 October 2019 to 5 April 2020 and 1 December 2020 to 8 August 2021.

World Athletics

Athletes will be allowed to wear shoes still under development in international competitions and events where World Athletics rules apply, upon approval of the shoes' specifications, after a rule change by the sport's governing body.

The shoes will have to meet the same technical specifications as other approved shoes, World Athletics said.

The amendment - rubber-stamped by the World Athletics Council on Friday - applies to competitions sanctioned by World Athletics, area associations or member federations at which its rules apply.

But such "development shoes" will not be permitted in the World Athletics Series or at the Olympics.

A debate over runners' shoes has been raging since high-tech footwear developed by Nike played a starring role in two of the biggest distance-running achievements of 2019.

Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two-hour marathon in Vienna and Brigid Kosgei's record-breaking run at the Chicago Marathon brought Nike's Vaporfly shoes into the spotlight, sparking debate over whether the advanced footwear gave runners an unfair advantage.

World Athletics banned the shoes from professional sport earlier this year, following which Nike launched a new version of its Alphafly shoe that complies with new rules introduced by the governing body.

Manufacturers use development shoes to conduct tests with sponsored athletes before making them available in the market.

World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon welcomed the amendment, insisting it would not affect the competition's integrity.

"The use of competition to complete the final testing of development shoes by manufacturers has always been an important part of the shoe development process," Ridgeon said.

"With shoe manufacturers agreeing to our new process of submitting specifications and shoes, if required, for approval ahead of being worn in competition, we are confident that this amendment will not impact the integrity of competition."

Prototypes can be worn for a period of 12 months, after which they no longer qualify as development shoes and can no longer be used in competitions.

Recent Gdynia event almost fell foul of coronavirus-related restrictions, weather problems and a fire in one of the technical buildings

World Athletics president Seb Coe has applauded the return of competition during the latter months of 2020 but reveals the World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia in October was almost cancelled due to the coronavirus, bad weather and a fire in the timing area.

“It was one of the tougher championships that we’ve had to deliver,” said Coe, who was speaking after the latest World Athletics Council meeting. “Had it been held a couple of days or even 24 hours later it probably wouldn’t have taken place because Gydnia moved into the red zone Covid-wise in Poland.”

He added: “Two days before that the city was hit by monstrous storms and winds. And on the night before the championships we had a fire in the Seiko timings and results hut that very nearly rendered us without any timing or results equipment at all.

“It was at point I was waiting for a plague of locusts to arrive,” he joked. “But the athletes who punched through in the end and at that extraordinary event we had a world record, area records and 22 national records.”

Ultimately, Coe said, the event was a “synthesis of fantastic resilient relationships”.

Coe added: “It has been the athletes who have driven the latter part of our season and kept us front and centre. Since our last Council meeting we’ve delivered a world championships, six Diamond League meetings, seven Continental Tour Gold meetings, four Continental Tour Silver and twelve Continental Tour Bronze meetings.”

Given this Coe said there had been enough action in the second half of the year to merit holding the annual World Athletics Awards – and they will be streamed live on Saturday December 5.

Elsewhere dates for the 2022 World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst (February 19) and World Indoor Championships in Belgrade (March 18-19) were confirmed.

It was also confirmed that World Athletics has asked for a mixed team cross-country relay and the women’s 50km race walk to be included in the 2024 Olympics.

Cheruiyot was Kenya's sole flagbearer for the coveted award. World Athletics has released the final five nominees for the award with the winner expected to be announced virtually on December 5.

Uganda's world record holder in the 5,000m and 10,000m Joshua Cheptegei is the favorite for the gong. He broke world records at 5,000m (12:35.36), 10,000m (26:11.00) and 5km on the roads (12:51) and was fourth at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships on his debut over the distance.

Two-time 400m hurdles world champion Karsten Warholm of Norway makes the cut for the award after a stellar season on the track.

He ran a world-leading 46.87 in the 400m hurdles, the second-fastest performance in history, and was undefeated in nine 400m/400m hurdles races and set a world best of 33.78 in 300m hurdles

Former world javelin champion Johannes Vetter, of Germany, is in the mix after winning eight of his nine javelin competitions and throwing world-leading 97.76m, the second farthest throw in history

World Pole vault record holder Mondo Duplantis of Sweden makes the shortlist. He broke the world record in the pole vault twice (6.17m and 6.18m) and produced the highest outdoor vault of all time (6.15m) and was undefeated in 16 competitions.

USA'S Ryan Crouser will be e hoping to break the trend and win the award. He was undefeated in 10 shot put competitions and his 22.91m world-leading performance moved him to equal third on the world all-time list

A three-way voting process determined the finalists. The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family cast their votes by email, while fans voted online via our social media platforms.

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

World Athletics has announced the Herculis Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco, the Ultimate Garden Clash and the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia as the nominations for the special COVID Inspiration Award.

The international governing body revealed the award aims to recognise event organisations in a year of unprecedented challenges, roadblocks and disruptions brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The three events were nominated to show the organisers efforts to meet those challenges and provide competitive opportunities for athletes and entertaining events for fans around the world.

"Necessity has been the mother of invention for all of us in this pandemic year and we have seen some really creative initiatives and programmes from our athletes and our event organisers, who have had to reinvent their operations and surmount huge obstacles in order to provide competition for our athletes and fans, which is the lifeblood of our sport," Sebastian Coe, World Athletics President, said.

"We wanted to recognise their enormous resilience and creativity this year by presenting this special award to one of those events that have been exceptionally innovative this year."

The World Athletics Council selected the three nominations.

The Herculis Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco was put forward with World Athletics claiming the event overcame unprecedented public health and safety concerns, global travel restrictions and painful budget cuts to stage their annual competition.

The event marked the start of the heavily interrupted Diamond League season on 14 August and saw Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei break the men’s 5,000 metres world record in front of a crowd of 5,000 spectators.

The event featured 132 athletes, including 13 reigning world champions.

A total of 36 countries participated in the event despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, with 14 world-leading performances achieved at the meeting.

Of those 14 performances, 11 remained the year’s best performances at the end of the season.

Four-time Olympic medallist Irina Privalova is to stand for the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) Presidency later this month.

Privalova has been nominated for the post by the Moscow Athletics Federation, Russia's state-run news agency TASS reports.

New RusAF elections have been scheduled for November 30.

Until then, Yevgeny Yurchenko - who resigned in July - is the organisation's Acting President.

Regional federations are able to nominate candidates for the RusAF Presidency, and Privalova is not the first to have their name put forward.

Sports manager Mikhail Gusev - who was a candidate in February, before withdrawing late on as Yurchenko became President unopposed - has been nominated by the Athletics Federation of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

Privalova won 400 metres hurdles gold and 4x400m relay bronze for Russia at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

She also won 100m bronze and 4x100m silver at Barcelona 1992, running for the Unified Team of former Soviet nations, and six medals at various World Championships.

RusAF is currently suspended by World Athletics, with its Reinstatement Commission given a March 1 deadline to present the global governing body with a reinstatement plan.

It avoided expulsion in August by paying World Athletics a $6.31 million (£4.8 million/€5.32 million) fine, stemming from an anti-doping rule violation by world indoor high jump champion Danil Lysenko and subsequent cover-up.

Seven RusAF officials - including then-President Dmitry Shlyakhtin - were charged by the Athletics Integrity Unit with obstructing an anti-doping investigation by forging documents to explain Lysenko's missed tests.

Russia has been banned from international competition since November 2015 following allegations of state-sponsored doping, but some athletes have been able to compete under the Authorised Neutral Athlete (ANA) programme.

The ANA scheme is currently suspended for Russian athletes, but is due to be discussed at a World Athletics Council meeting in December.

If the Russian Anti-Doping Agency's appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against a four-year package of sanctions which includes a ban on the Russian flag flying at the Olympic Games is unsuccessful, the only way Russian track and field athletes will be able to compete at Tokyo 2020 next year is if the ANA programme is resumed.

World 1,500 meters champion Timothy Cheruiyot has made the 10-man shortlist for the World Athletics Male Athlete of the Year.

The Kenya Prisons officer ran world-leading 3:28.45 over 1,500m and was undefeated in three races in his speciality.

Cheruiyot faces a herculean task to bag the award with Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei the front runner for the award after a stellar season.

Cheptegei broke world records at 5,000m (12:35.36), 10,000m (26:11.00) and 5km on the roads (12:51)  and was fourth at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships on his debut over the distance.

His Ugandan counterpart Jacob Kiplimo won World Half Marathon title in a championship record of 58:49 and ran a world-leading 7:26.64 over 3,000m—the fastest time in the world since 2007.

Donovan Brazier of the United States of America has also made the cut after running a world-leading 800m times  of 1:44.22, North American indoor record and outdoors (1:43.15). He also won all seven of his races over all distances.

World 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm of Norway is also in contention for the coveted award. He has a world-lead of 46.87 in the 400m hurdles, the second fastest performance in history and was undefeated in nine 400m/400m hurdles races. He also set world best of 33.78 in 300m hurdles.

Others in the mix include USA sprint sensation Noah Lyles, who was undefeated in five finals and ran a world leading time of 19.76 over 200m

World javelin bronze medalist Johannes Vetter, of Germany, USA's shot put specialist Ryan Crouser and Swedish duo of Daniel Stahl and Mondo Duplantis also made the cut. A three-way voting process will determine the finalists.

The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family will cast their votes by email while fans can vote online via the WA social media platforms. Individual graphics for each nominee will be posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram this week; a 'like' on Facebook and Instagram or a retweet on Twitter will count as one vote.

The World Athletics Council’s vote will count for 50 per cent of the result while the World Athletics Family’s votes and the public votes will each account for 25 per cent each of the final result. Voting for the World Athletes of the Year closes at midnight on November 15.

Britain’s Laura Muir is among the nominees for the female world athlete of the year honor, while Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei is on a shortlist for the male prize at the World Athletics Awards.

This year the global governing body’s awards event will be held virtually on Saturday December 5.

Muir clocked 1500m times of 3:57.40, 3:57.86 and 3:58.24 to lead the world rankings and set a British 1000m record of 2:30.82 in 2020, while Cheptegei broke three world records throughout the year – running 12:51 for a road 5km, 12:35.36 for 5000m on the track and 26:11.00 for 10,000m on the track.

Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey, who set a world record of 14:06.62 over 5000m, and Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan, who recorded a world record distance of 18,930m in the one-hour run and broke the European 10,000m record with 29:36.67, are also among the female nominees.

The men’s shortlist also features Sweden’s world pole vault record-breaker Mondo Duplantis and Norway’s Karsten Warholm, who ran a world-leading 46.87 in the 400m hurdles and was unbeaten in that event.

Female world athlete of the year nominees: Femke Bol, Netherlands; Letesenbet Gidey, Ethiopia; Sifan Hassan, Netherlands; Peres Jepchirchir, Kenya; Faith Kipyegon, Kenya; Laura Muir, Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Hellen Obiri, Kenya; Yulimar Rojas, Venezuela; Elaine Thompson-Herah, Jamaica; Ababel Yeshaneh, Ethiopia

Male world athlete of the year nominees: Donavan Brazier, USA; Joshua Cheptegei, Uganda; Timothy Cheruiyot, Kenya; Ryan Crouser, USA; Mondo Duplantis, Sweden; Jacob Kiplimo, Uganda; Noah Lyles, USA; Daniel Stahl, Sweden; Johannes Vetter, Germany; Karsten Warholm, Norway

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

As well as male and female athlete of the year honors, the World Athletics Awards will include the president’s award, coaching achievement award and athletics photograph of the year, as well as a Covid inspiration award, athletes community award and member federations award.

Last year Eliud Kipchoge and Dalilah Muhammad were named world athletes of the year, while the 2018 winners were Kipchoge and Caterine Ibarguen.