Running News Daily

Chebet and Aregawi poised to strike in Seville

The Cross Internacional de Itálica in Santiponce on the outskirts of the Spanish city of Seville – the fifth Gold standard meeting in the current World Athletics Cross Country Tour – always boasts a quality line-up, and this year’s race on Sunday (17) features the most prominent line-up so far this season.

Entries for the women’s race, contested over 7.5km, are headed by Kenya’s two-time world cross-country champion and double Olympic gold medalist Beatrice Chebet. The 24-year-old has enjoyed a superb season, topped by her 5000m and 10,000m titles at the Paris Olympics, three months after becoming the first woman to dip under the 29-minute barrier for the latter distance thanks to a 28:54.14 clocking in Eugene on 25 May.

Chebet, who is also the reigning world champion and world record holder for the road 5km, will be making her third appearance here following her runner-up spot in 2020 and her third place in 2021. It will be her first race since her 14:09.82 5000m victory at the Diamond League Final in Brussels.

She will start as the overwhelming favourite for the victory, though she’ll face quality opposition in the form of compatriot Mercy Chepkemoi and Kazakhstan’s Daisy Jepkemei. The latter finished seventh at this year’s World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, and more recently she captured a commanding win in Atapuerca last month.

Chepkemoi is fresh from a fine win in Cardiff last Saturday. She placed fourth over 5000m at the World U20 Championships in Lima in August, finishing just behind bronze medalist Charity Cherop of Uganda, who will also be racing in Santiponce this weekend.

The line-up also comprises Diana and Sharon Chepkemoi, who finished third and seventh respectively in the steeplechase in Lima. Both also competed in Soria last Sunday where they finished third (Diana) and fourth (Sharon).

Meanwhile, France’s Alice Finot, who set a European record of 8:58.67 when finishing fourth in the steeplechase at the Paris Olympics, will be contesting just her second cross-country race in the past seven years.

Portugal’s Mariana Machado recently finished sixth in Atapuerca, sandwiched between Spanish cross-country champion Carolina Robles and Olympic 1500m finalist Agueda Marques who finished fourth and seventh respectively there, closely followed by Maria Forero, the 2022 European U20 cross-country champion. All of them will renew their rivalry this weekend.

European 5000m bronze medalist Marta García, meanwhile, will be making her only cross-country outing of the winter before focusing on the indoor season.

The men’s race has been reduced to 7.5km which plays into the hands of the middle-distance specialists. But that shouldn’t be a problem for Olympic 10,000m silver medalist Berihu Aregawi, as the Ethiopian is also the third-fastest man in history over 3000m.

The 23-year-old opened the year in style by retaining his silver medal at the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade before setting a 10,000m PB of 26:31.13 in Nerja. Following his Olympic silver in Paris, he clocked an Ethiopian record of 7:21.28 for 3000m and won the 5000m at the Diamond League Final in Brussels.

Sunday’s race will be Aregawi’s first cross-country outing this season, but fellow Etiopians Ayele Tadesse and Wegene Addisu have already made a mark on the tour, finishing second and fourth respectively in Soria last weekend.

Yet Aregawi’s fiercest opposition should come from Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera and Spain’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo. Kwizera is still unbeaten this cross-country season, having won in Amorebieta, Atapuerca and Soria. He has successively finished first, second and third on his appearances in Seville over the past three years.

Meanwhile, his training partner Ndikumwenayo – winner in Seville in 2022 – is the European 10,000m bronze medallist and lowered his 10,000m PB to 26:49.49 for ninth place at the Paris Olympics. Ndikumwenayo will travel to Seville from his altitude stint in Sierra Nevada where he’s building up for the European Cross Country Championchips in Antalya on 8 December.

Watch out too for Uruguay’s Santiago Catrofe. He boasts PBs of 7:37:15 for 3000m and 13:05.95 for 5000m and was a surprise winner in San Sebastian two weeks ago when he kicked away from Uganda’s Martin Kiprotich, who’ll also be in contention on Sunday.

Kiprotich will be joined by his compatriots Kenneth Kiprop, Dan Kibet and Hosea Kiplangat. The former is the world U20 5000m bronze medallist and triumphed in Cardiff where Kibet had to settle for third.

The Spanish charge will be led by European indoor 3000m silver medallist Adel Mechaal, US-based Aarón Las Heras, national 10km record-holder Abdessadam Oukhelfen, and the always consistent Nassim Hassaous.

Past winners in Seville include Fernando Mamede (1984 and 1985), Paul Tergat (1998 and 1999), Paula Radcliffe (2001), Kenenisa Bekele (2003, 2004 and 2007), Faith Kipyegon (2016), Joshua Cheptegei (2018) and Jacob Kiplimo (2019).

Temperatures between 22-24C are predicted for the time of the elite races on Sunday.

Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon: Joshua Cheptegei wins men's title; Alemaddis Eyayu bags women's crown

Olympian Joshua Cheptegei lived up to his billing to take home the men’s crown, while Alemaddis Eyayu pushed pre-race favourite Cynthia Limo behind for a surprise win in the women’s race in today’s Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race, at the Indian capital.

Kenya’s Alex Matata (27) led a major part of the race with his teammate Nicholas Kipkorir, who ran his maiden half marathon internationally. Kipkorir was a bronze medalist in the 5 km World Championships last year.

Matata was unbeaten in all three races he took part in in Europe earlier this year, with two sub-60 minutes clocking in two of them.  That made the race exciting, and everyone was looking for a fast finish timing from the men’s winner.  Matata keeps the lead until the runners turn toward the finish line in the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, where the race commenced less than an hour earlier to decide the 2024 title.

Cheptegei, running seconds behind the Kenyan, realized the now-or-never situation and came from behind to snatch the lead from Matata to win in 59 minutes 46 seconds. Matata (59:53) and Kipkorir (59:59) complete the podium with the Ugandan.     

Incidentally, the Vedanta Delhi half marathon was one of the fastest races in the World and usually saw incredible timings by the participants. Ethiopian Deriba Merga was the first to post a sub-60-minute winning time in 2008 when all the podium finishers dipped under 1 hour. This action was repeated several times in some of the subsequent editions at Delhi, wherein 2014 witnessed a record number of nine runners finishing within 60 minutes.

Former world champion Muktar Edris from Ethiopia, another pre-race favourite, finished fifth (60:52), while Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu (60:40) got the fourth place.  

Cheptegei, with multiple world titles on his cap, said that “this win in Delhi was special to me because it is my first-ever victory in a Half Marathon.  India has been important for my career, and this country now means a lot to me.  I felt good throughout the race despite the slow start.  My first aim was to catch up with Nicholas (Kipkorir) and then Alex (Matata) in the final few kilometres of the race.  I am delighted with my performance and hope to continue in the same manner in the future races”.  

Thank you, Vedanta Delhi Half, for a wonderful race. This has been a special race that tested my mind.  Initially, I felt some problems in my feet around 16-17 km, but I decided to push and catch up with Nicholas, and then for about two kilometers, we pushed each other.  I took it slow because I didn’t want to burn out, and I wanted to finish strong.  Now I go back home with a feeling to conquer the roads”, he further revealed.

Eyayu beats favourite Limo to win the women’s title:Alemaddis Eyayu extended the Ethiopian winning streak in Delhi.   Kenya’s Cynthia Limo, the pre-race favourite, led the field right from the beginning while Scotland’s Commonwealth Champion Eilish McColgan trailed behind all the time.  McColgan had the fastest and only sub-66 minute timing among the elite women who took the starting lineup today.  However, two Ethiopians, Eyayu and Tiruye Mesfin, stuck with Limo for the entire part.        

Cynthia Limo, who won the women’s title here in 2015, had returned to Delhi after nine years.  Following her victory in the Indian capital, the Kenyan runner secured a silver medal in Cardiff's 2016 World Half Marathon championships.Eyayu and Limo passed the 10K mark together and remained the sole leaders in the women’s race. However, the Ethiopian runner pulled ahead in the second phase of the race, leaving Limo 10-15 seconds behind.  It was a crucial deciding factor at the end as Eyayu crossed the finish line 68:17 for the top spot, while Limo did so 10 seconds later.  Mesfin clocked 69:42 for third and McColgan 69:55 to finish fourth and outside the podium.  

“I had a good race, tried to keep my pace and aimed to finish well.  I am happy to have achieved it” Eyayu said during the post-event press conference.

Limo said she was happy to join the Delhi podium after nine years.  “Securing second place is incredible, one that fills me with pride.  The atmosphere was electric, with people lining the streets and cheering us.  It’s heartwarming to see how the city comes together.  This experience has been truly special; the support from the spectators, their enthusiasm, and the overall energy of the event have made this return to Delhi unforgettable,” was Limo’s reaction to the race.

The total prize purse for the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon is USD 260,000. The podium finishers both men and women will take home USD 27,000, USD 20,000 & USD 13,000 respectively.

Sawan Barwal betters previous performance

Sawan Barwal will go home with the gold medal this time around after finishing on the podium of the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon for a second straight edition. With a timing of 1:02:46, Barwal finished ahead of Puneet Yadav, bettering his personal best in the process. Kiran Matre grabbed the third spot to complete the podium for the Indian Elite Men's event.

Barwal, who won bronze in 2023, was behind Puneet at the 10-kilometer mark, but left his best for the final stretch of the race. Taking advantage of an opening, he pushed himself in the final quarter and eventually secured the top spot with a difference of almost 1 minute and 9 seconds.

After the race, an emotional Sawan was ecstatic about turning the bronze to gold as he shed some light on his performance, saying, "It has been a great ride from the last Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon to the current edition. We are nearing the end of the season, and I was happy with the preparations throughout the season, and I used that to my advantage this time around. I did not enter thinking about finishing in 62 minutes, but the way I started and when I settled into the race, I knew I could go all the way."

Lili Das has dream debut

In the Indian Elite Women's category, Lili Das was miles ahead of her competitors, securing the gold with a timing of 1:18:12. Coming in second was last year's winner Kavita Yadav, who clocked 1:19:44 as she finished in the top 3 for a second straight edition of the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon. In third place was 2022 Asian Games bronze medallist Priti Lamba, who crossed the finish line at the 1:20:21 mark.

In the 9th position at the 10-kilometer mark, Lili upped the ante to reach the top spot at the 15th kilometer. She maintained the lead with a massive effort and went on to win the gold by a massive difference of 1 minute and 32 seconds ahead of Kavita.

Lili, who fought cramps on the way to her gold, spoke about the experience of landing on the podium in her very first Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, "It is a very good feeling to win the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon in my very first attempt. I felt a little bit of dehydration during the race which I was worried about, but I am glad that I was able to finish the race. I cramped up around the 19th kilometer and it was a scary moment, but I fought it and worked very hard to finish the final 2 kilometers. After doing well in track and field events, winning gold in a half marathon feels great."

The people of Delhi came together once again to showcase the spirit of their city and promote healthy lifestyles at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon. Thousands of runners, from seasoned athletes to enthusiastic amateurs, took to the streets, turning the event into a vibrant celebration of fitness and community. The race not only highlighted the city's commitment to well-being but also raised awareness for various charitable causes, embodying the essence of unity and social responsibility that Delhi is known for.  

Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon 2024: Muktar Edris, Eilish McColgan lead field

The Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon 2024, a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race, is set to witness a world-class international roster headlined by Two-time Olympic gold medalist Joshua Cheptegei. He will be joined by the two-time 5000m World Champion Muktar Edris, which increases expectations for a course record in the men’s race.

The women’s field includes the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion in the 10,000m, Eilish McColgan.  This prestigious event will take place in the heart of India’s National Capital on Sunday, October 20, 2024.

Fresh from his victory in the 10,000m at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Uganda’s Cheptegei is poised to make his debut in the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon and has been a three-time World Champion in the 10,000m and boasts a personal best of 59:21 in the Half Marathon. His stellar career also includes a 5,000m gold and 10,000m silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Ahead of the race, Cheptegei expressed: “I’m incredibly excited to debut at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon. This race is known for its energetic atmosphere, fast course, and unmatched Hospitality. I can’t wait to soak it all in and push myself to deliver a memorable performance. With such a competitive line-up, it will be an exciting challenge, and I’m aiming for nothing less than the top spot.”

Cheptegei will face formidable opposition from Ethiopia’s Muktar Edris, who will be returning to the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon after 2022. A star of the sport at the junior level, Edris finished fourth on debut in the Delhi Half Marathon in 2020 with an impressive run of 59:04. Before that, he won two world championship titles in the 5,000m during 2017 and 2019. 

Eilish McColgan leading women’s line-up

Eilish won gold in the 10,000m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, setting a new Games record, and settled for silver in the 5000m. 

McColgan holds the European record for the 10 km road race and British records for multiple distances. She has also represented Great Britain in four Olympic Games (2012-2024) and Scotland in three Commonwealth Games (2014-2022). She holds Scottish records in multiple events and has claimed seven national championships, cementing her status as one of Scotland’s most accomplished runners.  Last year, she won the Berlin half-marathon with a personal best 65:43.

Several top athletes, including Kenya’s Cynthia Limo (66:04), Ethiopia’s Yalemget Yaregal (66:27) and Tiruye Mesfin (66:31), and Tanzania’s Magdalena Shauri (66:37), are joining McColgan in the women’s race. With five women having clocked times under 67 minutes, the competition promises to be thrilling and fast-paced.

Ethiopians Amdework Walelegn (58:53) and Yalemzerf Yehualaw (64:46) have held the Course Records in the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon since 2020.

The Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, with a prize pool of USD 260,000, will begin at the iconic Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where elite athletes will be  joined by India’s top runners and passionate amateurs, united in the spirit of #AaRangDeDilli.

Peres Jepchirchir reveals her next stop following dissapointing Paris 2024 Olympics showdown

Peres Jepchirchir has revealed her next step as she eyes redemption following her dissapointing 15th-place finish at the Paris Olympic Games.

Former Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir is targeting the world half-marathon record as she heads to the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label event, scheduled for Sunday, October 20.

Jepchirchir, the reigning London Marathon champion, has not raced since her exit from the Paris Olympic Games where she faded to 15th place in a time of 2:26:51. The Kenyan long-distance running ace will be looking to bounce back in a commanding way with a world record.

The women’s world record currently stands at 1:02:52 and was set by Letesenbet Gidey on October 24, 2021, at the Valencia Half Marathon and Peres Jepchirchir has plans to obliterate it and take back her crown when she steps on the track. A huge prize purse also awaits her as she seeks to make history in the Indian city.

The men’s race will be headlined by Joshua Cheptegei, the current world record holder in the 5000m and 10,000m. The reigning Olympic 10,000m champion will also be out to attack the world record and make an impact as he continues enriching his decorated athletics resume.

“This country holds a special place in my heart, as it’s where I made my international debut in 2014. It’s been a good season for me, and I am certainly looking at a course-record timing at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon. The energy and passion of the Indian running community are truly inspiring, and I’m excited to be part of this prestigious event,” Cheptegei said ahead of his return to the streets of the Indian city.

Meanwhile, a total amount of $260,000 prize money has been set aside for top finishers with the winners set to walk away with $27,000. In addition to this, there is an Event Record Bonus of $12,000.

Is baking soda your next great fuelling tool?

You’re gearing up for a tough workout, and instead of grabbing your usual electrolyte drink, you’re reaching for… baking soda? It might sound like a kitchen hack gone wrong, but many endurance athletes swear by this household staple for improving performance (and the hydrogel company Maurten created an expensive product around it–more on that, below). Here’s what you need to know to help you decide whether this idea is half-baked, or if it’s the key to your next PB.

The science of sodium bicarbonate

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate (“bicarb” for short), has been studied for its ability to act as a buffering agent. During intense exercise, like a tempo run or hill repeats, your muscles produce lactic acid, which contributes to that dreaded “burn.” As lactic acid builds up, your muscle function declines. Sodium bicarbonate can help buffer this acid, delaying fatigue and potentially allowing you to sustain your effort for longer periods. A wide range of studies show that athletes who consume baking soda before high-intensity efforts may experience improved performance. But can it help you on those longer-distance runs? While more research is needed, some studies suggest that sodium bicarbonate might boost post-exercise recovery, with other research suggesting it may help runners speed up, even after hours of training.

Swedish sports nutrition company Maurten has created a hydrogel formula for runners that some athletes, like mountain athlete Kilian Jornet and world 5,000m and 10,000m record holder Joshua Cheptegei, swear by. Runners new to using sodium bicarbonate can adjust the hydrogel and bicarb components according to their weight and training needs.

Does it really work?

While there’s some solid science backing baking soda’s benefits, it’s not ideal for every runner. Most of the performance gains have been noted in shorter events, typically lasting between one to seven minutes of all-out effort. For distance runners, like those training for marathons or half-marathons, the impact may not be as pronounced. However, if you’re into track events or HIIT workouts, this kitchen staple could give you an easy-on-the-budget boost. The key is proper dosing (around 0.2 to 0.3 grams per kilogram of body weight) and timing–it should be taken 60 to 90 minutes before your workout or race.

Beware of side effects

Before you go dumping a spoonful of baking soda into your water bottle, be aware: it comes with potential side effects, the most common being gastrointestinal distress. Bloating, cramping or even diarrhea are possible, especially if you take too much or don’t properly dissolve it in water. If you’re interested in trying baking soda for a performance boost, make sure to test it out during training before a big race day, to avoid any unpleasant surprises mid-run.

Delhi Half Marathon: Joshua Cheptegei to headline elite field

The Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, which is part of the World Athletics Gold Label Road Races, will be flagged off from Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday, October 20.

Ugandan sensation Joshua Cheptegei and Kenya’s former Half-Marathon World record holder Peres Jepchirchir are all set to light up the streets of Delhi!

Joshua is the current world record holder for both the 5000 meters and 10,000 meters and holds the world’s best time over the 15-kilometer distance. He is the reigning Olympic champion in the 10,000 meters and won the gold with a new Olympic record of 26:43.14.

Joshua is also a three-time World champion in the 10,000 meters and claimed gold in both the 5000 meters and 10,000 meters at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2019 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Notably, Cheptegei is only the tenth man in history to simultaneously hold the 5000-meter and 10,000-meter world records, both of which he set in 2020.

Interestingly, Cheptegei made his international debut in India at the TCS World 10K Bengaluru 2014, finishing second. His return to India for the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon promises to be a highlight of this year’s race.

Speaking about his return to India Joshua said, “This country holds a special place in my heart, as it’s where I made my international debut in 2014. It’s been a good season for me, and I am certainly looking at a course-record timing at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon. The energy and passion of the Indian running community are truly inspiring, and I’m excited to be part of this prestigious event.”

Kenya’s former Half-Marathon World record holder and three-time world half-marathon winner Peres Jepchirchir will lead the women’s contingent. Peres won the London Marathon 2024 with a time of 2:16:16 secs, breaking the women’s only Marathon world record. She also won the 2021 New York City and 2022 Boston Marathons.

Among the other notable participants, Asian Championship Bronze Medalist Sanjivani Jadhav stands out in the women’s category. Sanjivani, who won the 10,000-meter Portland Track Festival in the USA with a personal best of 32:22:77, recently claimed a silver medal at the 5000-meter event at the National Open Athletics Championships in Bangalore.

She has previously won gold at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon in 2018 and 2022 and took silver in 2016 and 2020. Defending champion Kavita Yadav will provide Sanjivani with tough competition in pursuing the title.

“This will be my third Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, and my aim will be to win this race once again. I have been training hard and I will try my best to break and create as many records as I can,” said Sanjivani Jadhav.

In the men’s category, Defending Champion and talented youngster Abhishek Pal, who recently won the 10,000-meter title in the National Open Athletics Championships 2024 in Bangalore, will take the lead. He will face tough competition from another youngster, Asian Games 2023 silver medalist in the 10,000 meters, Kartik Kumar.

He recently triumphed at the 10,000-meter USA Championship Track Fest 2024 with a remarkable time of 28:07:66. Kartik is also the VDHM 2022 and 2023 editions silver medalist.

“I am aiming to break the national record in what will be my fifth Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon. I have won the competition, but while I am once again, my mind is set on breaking the national record and going under 60 minutes,” said the defending champion Abhishek Pal.

ETHIOPIAN MUKTAR EDRIS AND ASAYECH AYICHEW DEFEATS ALL FAVORITES AT THE NN DAM TOT DAMLOOP

With Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei at the starting line, a world-class athlete was present at today’s NN Dam tot Damloop. However, at the end of the 10-mile race from Amsterdam to Zaandam, a surprising winner stood on the podium.

Muktar Edris impressively outpaced all the major favorites. He won the 38th edition of the NN Dam tot Damloop in 44:51 minutes, the fastest time in the world this year. Asayech Ayichew also shocked the field with her victory. The 19-year-old athlete ran a smart race and finished as the first woman in 51:18 minutes.

The best Dutch performances came from Filmon Tesfu (47:48) and Maureen Koster (54:32).On this beautiful late summer day, the women started 6 minutes and 4 seconds ahead of the men. As is tradition, the women kicked off the race from the Prins Hendrikkade in Amsterdam and ran towards the finish in Zaandam.

In the IJtunnel, which was specially illuminated for the first time this year, the women’s group quickly split into two. Diana van Es and Maureen Koster briefly managed to keep up with the pace of the African runners but soon decided to run at their own rhythm.At that moment, the men’s race also started, and the chase began. Three-time World Champion and Olympic champion in the 10,000 meters, Joshua Cheptegei, set the pace alongside last year’s winner, Mathew Kimeli.

A leading group of nine runners formed, with Filmon Tesfu being the only Dutch runner among them. After just 4 kilometers, Muktar Edris made his move, disregarding the two favorites. He surged ahead at a blistering pace, opening up a significant gap. Cheptegei briefly closed in after 11 kilometers, momentarily bringing tension back into the race. However, Edris’ lead was too large to overcome.

At Dam Square, about 600 meters before the finish, Edris even had time to wave to the cheering crowd, which had gathered en masse for the race’s final stretch. After a final sprint, he finished with a time of 44:51. Although this was the fastest time of the season for this distance, Leonard Patrick Komon’s sharp course record from 2011 (44:27) remained unthreatened.

After the race, Edris thanked the spectators for their support: “After a long injury, this was my first race back. Thanks to all the encouragement, I was able to keep pushing throughout the race. The atmosphere was fantastic.” Cheptegei could not meet the high expectations today and had to settle for second place (45:18), while Kenyan Ismael Kiprono claimed third place (45:44).Filmon Tesfu impressed as the best Dutch runner with a time of 47:48 and was pleased with his seventh-place finish overall:

“I expected to perform at this level. For the first 3 kilometers, I kept up with the lead group, but then I switched to my own pace and managed to overtake more runners towards the finish. Being the top Dutch runner here is nice, but my main goal is the TCS Amsterdam Marathon next month, where I’ll be making my marathon debut.” Richard Douma finished as the second Dutchman (48:38), followed by Gianluca Assorgia in third (48:44).

The man-vs-woman competition remained close for a long time, but Edris eventually overtook Asayech Ayichew after 15 kilometers. By that point, Ayichew had already been running solo towards the finish, having smartly let the favorite, Gladys Chepkurui, lead for much of the race. Ayichew crossed the finish line shortly after Edris on Peperstraat with a time of 51:18.

Chepkurui followed closely behind (51:36), and third place went to Mebrat Gidey (52:17). The Dutch women's podium consisted of Maureen Koster (54:32), Jasmijn Lau (54:42), and Silke Jonkman (55:04).

Top athletes look ahead to the 38th Dam tot Damloop

Cheptegei confesses to have a soft spot for the 10 English Mile race.

Today, during the press conference in the Zaantheater, the top athletes of the Dam tot Damloop were presented. Organizer Le Champion, together with the contenders, looked ahead to the 10 English Mile race from Amsterdam to Zaandam.

Absolute eye-catcher and Olympic Champion Joshua Cheptegei spoke highly of the event: "My career on the road practically started here and I would like to return one last time for the people who have always supported me. Never say never, but the marathon is waiting for me." The start of the 38th Dam tot Damloop is this Sunday, September 22 at 10:18 a.m. and can be followed live via NH and AT5.

The 28-year-old Cheptegei was last at the start of the Dam tot Damloop in 2018 and won it. Of course, that is also the goal on Sunday, although he expects a big game. "After winning Olympic gold in the 10,000 meters, I took some time off and celebrated the success in my country.

That, in combination with the strong field of participants, makes it an exciting race. In any case, I'm very happy to be back."With Kenyan Mathew Kimeli, the Ugandan Olympic Champion has a formidable opponent. Last year's winner recorded a very fast time of 45.20, but is in awe of Cheptegei. Laughing, he said: "When you're fighting for victory against such a big name, you get a little scared.

I'm going to do the best I can, but I know which of the two of us is the best. Together with Ethiopian Muktar Edris, former world record holder in the 5,000 meters, it promises to be an exciting battle for victory.

In the women's race, all eyes are on Kenyan Gladys Chepkurui, who will be at the start of the Dam tot Damloop for the first time. The 30-year-old admits that he finds it exciting to start from the special Damloop concept, in which the women start 6.04 minutes earlier than the men, the difference between the men's and women's course record.

"It's going to be a challenge, but I came here to do the best I can." For the runner who crosses the finish line first, an extra cash prize awaits.

Dutch top field

Diane van Es is a fan of such road races: "You have no idea where the men are on the course and that gives an extra dimension to the Dam tot Damloop." Van Es is having an excellent season.

In June, she surprised friend and foe at the European Championships by winning the silver medal in the 10,000 meters. "For me personally, that's the highlight of the year. During the Olympics I finished 16th at the same distance, but that was mainly due to the many tempo changes." Van Es has been at the start twice before and finished sixth twice.

So she is ahead, but has no illusions of an international victory. "I've competed against Chepkurui before and got pretty beaten, but that's been a while." In addition to van Es, Jill Holterman and Maureen Koster will also be at the start.In the Dutch men's competition, Filmon Tesfu, Frank Futselaar and Lucas Nieuweboer, among others, will compete with each other.an.

The latter is having a great year because in January, after 18 years, he again ensured Dutch victory at the Egmond Half Marathon. "After that, I had some aches and pains. I expect to be fit again on Sunday just in time, in any case I'm going into it uninhibited and see where the ship strands".

Heat expected: urgent advice for participants

Participants in the 10 English Mile will be confronted with rising temperatures to a maximum of 23 degrees Celsius on Sunday and a possible danger of overheating during the run. Le Champion therefore calls on all participants to run sensibly and to keep an eye on fellow runners.

In addition, the organization has taken extra measures to ensure that the event runs as smoothly as possible, such as extending the start, an extra water station and extra coolants along the route. For the detailed advice and measures, visit www.damloop.nl.

Eilish McColgan leads Great North Run elite line-ups

Berihu Aregawi, Sisay Lemma and former winner Marc Scott are part of a strong men’s field for the September 8 event.

Eilish McColgan’s autumn road racing steps up a gear on September 8 when she tackles the AJ Bell Great North Run.

The 33-year-old holds the British records on the roads at 5km, 10km, 10 miles and half-marathon but has not yet won the iconic 13.1-mile race during her career. She has, however, won several other Great Run events and in 2021 finished runner-up to Hellen Obiri at the Great North Run.

After an injury-hit 2023, McColgan returned this summer to make the Olympic team in Paris, finishing 15th in the 10,000m. But after several more weeks of training she is expected to be stronger as she tackles the Big Half in London on September 1 followed by the Great North Run seven days later and then the Vitality London 10,000 on the roads of London again on September 22.

At the Great North Run she will face, among others, Vivian Cheruiyot, the Great North Run winner in 2016 and 2018, plus Sheila Chepkirui, the Kenyan who was third behind McColgan when the Scot won the Commonwealth 10,000m title in 2022.

Cheruiyot, who is now 40, also won the London Marathon in 2018 and the Olympic 5000m gold in 2016.

There is also Senbere Teferi, the former women-only 5km world record-holder and 65:32 runner in the half-marathon, plus two-time London Marathon podium placer Mergetu Alemu and British-based Kenyan Mary Ngugi-Cooper.

In the men’s race Marc Scott returns to try to retain the title he won in 2021. But he faces tough opposition from Berihu Aregawi, the Ethiopian who won Olympic 10,000m silver close behind Joshua Cheptegei in Paris.

Last weekend Aregawi also went No.3 on the world all-time rankings for 3000m behind Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s world record in Poland.

Also racing on Tyneside are 2024 Boston Marathon and 2021 London Marathon winner Sisay Lemma, 2023 Boston Marathon winner Evans Chebet and Kenya’s NYC Half winner from earlier this year, Abel Kipchumba.

McColgan said: “I have incredible memories of competing in Newcastle and participating in the Junior Great North Run events over 20 years ago, and we have a family history at the Great North Run, with mum being a three-time winner, so this year’s Great North Run will be a special one for me to finally follow in my mum’s footsteps and because as I have yet to run the original route from Newcastle to South Shields.”

She added: “Returning from this year’s Paris Olympics and on the road back from injury, I’m especially looking forward to the thousands of spectators lining the streets of the North East, as well as the 60,000 inspirational runners taking part in their own journey.”

McColgan’s best half-marathon time is 65:43 set in Berlin last year. Paula Radcliffe has run three seconds quicker – at the Great North Run in 2003 – but the course is not eligible for records.

This year’s run will also welcome back the elite men’s and women’s wheelchair races, held to the backdrop of this year’s Paralympic Games closing ceremony in Paris.  Notable competitors include JohnBoy Smith, Sean Frame, Michel McCabe and Jade Hall.

Sir Brendan Foster, founder of the Great North Run, said: “Our fantastic spectators are once again in for a great day thanks to our impressive elite field at the top end of our Great North Run Sunday.

Olympic Champion Cheptegei at the start of Dam tot Damloop

Strong field of participants at the 38th edition  of Dam tot Damloop.

Olympic Champion Joshua Cheptegei will be at the start of the Dam tot Damloop on Sunday 22 September. The champion in the 10,000 meters smashed the Olympic record in Paris this summer and has now been set by sports organization Le Champion for the Dam tot Damloop.Last year's Kenyan winner Mathew Kimeli, Muktar Edris (ETH) and Isaac Kipkemboi (KEN) are formidable opponents and make this year's field very strong.

In the women's race, the battle will be between Kenyan Cintia Chepngeno and Ethiopians Dibabe Beyene, Biri Abera and Mebrat Gidey.The 27-year-old Cheptegei has a well-stocked trophy cabinet and there is a good chance that many more titles will be added, as the Ugandan runner indicated earlier this year that he wants to shift his focus from the track to road races.

With both the current world record in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, he is also the absolute favorite for the 38th edition of the Dam tot Damloop. Cheptegei about his participation: 'This year was very successful for me with winning gold at the last Olympic Games. After spending some time with my family, I am happy to return to racing in the, for me, familiar streets of Amsterdam and Zaandam.

I have already run the Dam tot Damloop three times, the last time was in 2018 when I won. I'm going for the title again.'CompetitionIn 2018, he won the running event that starts in Amsterdam and finishes in Zaandam in 45.15 minutes. Competition will mainly come from Kenyan Kimeli, who made her debut last year and won in 45.20 minutes. Together with the Ethiopian former world record holder in the 5,000 meters Edris and the Kenyan Kipkemboi, the race will be hard.

In the women'srace, Chepngeno and Beyene will compete with Abera and Gidey. Chepngeno's fast legs are fine, the Kenyan recorded the 10 kilometers in Valencia in 30.08 minutes this year.

Dam tot DamloopThe 10 English Miles of the Dam tot Damloop is extremely popular this year.

Within a few weeks, the registration was completely sold out.

At the moment there are only starting tickets available for the Damloop by night, which will take place on Saturday evening 21 September. Registration is open until Monday 9 September. A total of 65,000 runners will be in action during the Dam tot Damloop.

Kiplimo to participate in Copenhagen Half Marathon in September

Ugandan long-distance runner Jacob Kiplimo has announced his participation in the Copenhagen Half Marathon, scheduled to take place in the Danish capital on September 15th, 2024. Kiplimo expressed his enthusiasm for the 21-kilometer road race, viewing it as the opener for the road racing season following his recent participation in the Paris Summer Olympics, where he finished 6th in the 10,000 meters race, a victory claimed by his Ugandan counterpart, Joshua Cheptegei.

Currently training in Kapchorwa under the guidance of his personal coach, Patrick Cheboto, Kiplimo is optimistic about his preparation. He is determined to deliver a strong performance in Copenhagen after a month of focused training. “I am the reigning world record holder of the same race, and my hope is to reduce my current world record time of 57 minutes, 37 seconds,” Kiplimo said.

Coach Patrick Cheboto, in an interview with Uganda Radio Network, stated that Kiplimo is undergoing a specialized road race training program to ensure he is ready for what is considered one of the fastest half marathons in the world.

Cheboto also mentioned that Kiplimo will be paced by his training partner, Elijah Cheptoek, during the race. “We have carefully prepared the schedule to be implemented by the athlete together with his pacemaker,” Cheboto explained.

Benjamin Njia, the National Coach and Vice President of Technical Affairs at the Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF), noted that the track and field season has concluded, and athletes are now focusing on preparing for road races both in Uganda and internationally.

“We expect many athletes who participated in the Summer Olympics to take part in various international road running events until late November when the focus will shift to Cross Country Championships,” Njia explained.

Joshua Cheptegei reigns in 10,000

The 27-year-old Ugandan, who took silver in Tokyo and gold over 5,000m, produced a devastating last 600m to come home in 26:43.14 minutes, knocking 18 seconds off Kenenisa Bekele’s 2008 Olympic record

World record holder Joshua Cheptegei claimed the Olympic 10,000m title he so desperately wanted on Friday when he found a late surge to win a fantastic race and take the Games' first track gold.

The 27-year-old Ugandan, who took silver in Tokyo and gold over 5,000m, produced a devastating last 600m to come home in 26:43.14 minutes, knocking 18 seconds off Kenenisa Bekele’s 2008 Olympic record.

Berihu Aregawi, part of a three-pronged Ethiopian front-running group almost from the start, finished strongly for silver in 26:43.44 and Grant Fisher took a superb bronze in 26:43.46 — only the United States' fourth medal over the distance since the event was added to the Games in 1912.

Cheptegei, world champion in 2019, 2022 and 2023, was surprisingly beaten to gold by Ethiopian Selemon Barega in Tokyo and was desperate for revenge. "My collection for this run is really complete. I'm so excited," he told reporters.

"I said, 'one day I want to be Olympic champion'. It is the most special day. I can’t describe the feeling. I’ve wanted this for a long time. When I took silver in Tokyo I was so disappointed. I just wanted to win the 10,000m."

History maker: USA’s Grant Fisher takes bronze in men’s 10,000m at Paris Olympics

Grant Fisher joined Lewis Tewanima (1912), Billy Mills (1964) and Galen Rupp (2012) as the only American men to medal in the 10,000m at the Olympics, winning bronze in a close final on Friday night at the Stade de France.

Fisher was narrowly pipped to the line by Ethiopa’s Berihu Aregawi, who picked up the silver in a photo-finish.

There were also strong efforts from Americans Nico Young (26:58.11) and William Kincaid (27:29.40), who finished 12th and 16th. But it was Fisher who made US history. In a cool night in Paris, he ran his best time of the season, clocking in at 26 minutes, 43.46 seconds. Aregawi ran a 26:43.44.

“I’ve been close to the medals before,” Fisher said. “But I haven’t gotten one until today.”

Fisher’s bronze marked the first US medal in track and field at the Paris Games.

“So many things have to go right to get on the podium,” said Fisher, who finished fifth in the 10,000m in Tokyo. “I’m happy that they did.”

After stumbling with about nine laps to go, Fisher surged back to reach the lead group heading into the final laps. Whether or not the American could hold on for a medal was a question, but who would take home the gold was never in doubt.

Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda took the lead with a little more than a lap left in a masterpiece of a 10,000m final to win in an Olympic-record 26:43.14 seconds in front of a roaring crowd on an electric opening night for track at the Paris Games.The world record-holder raced in the middle of a strung-out pack for most of the 25 laps on the calm. Then he took off around the curve and held the lead over the final 500 meters against a crowd of Ethiopians who set a blistering pace all night.This was Cheptegei’s season opener on the track this season – his only race at this distance was a 26:53 run in a cross-country road race earlier this season.

He looked in peak form, turning a race being controlled by Aregawi and his Ethiopian teammates, who strung out the pack early and took turns in the lead, into a celebration for Uganda, which captured its first gold in the 112-year history of this race at the Olympics.The win earned Cheptegei $50,000 – a new prize for Olympic track this year – and a chance to ring the bell at the end of the stadium that is reserved only for newly crowned Olympic champions.

Cheptegei adds this to the silver medal he won in Tokyo and the world titles he took in 2019, 2022 and 2023.“Now, my collection is complete,” he said. “I was the world champion. Now, I win the Olympic title. I’m so excited.”

New 10,000m Olympic Record in maybe one of the best 10000m ever

In what could be argued as the most gruelling track race of the Olympic Games, the 10,000m, it was an epic battle in the men’s final, as the reigning Olympic champion, reigning world champion and current world record holder were all in the lineup at the Stade de France to battle for the coveted Olympic gold medal.

Taking the fastest 10,000m race in the history of the Olympic Games was Uganda’s world record holder, Joshua Cheptegei, in a time of 26:43.14.

The pool was incredibly fast, with the first 13 finishers all coming in under the previous Olympic record, that before Friday night had held true since 2008.

Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi took the silver medal just 0.3 seconds behind Cheptegei, with USA’s Grant Fisher taking the bronze medal, 0.02 behind silver.

Reigning Olympic champion Selemon Baregaof Ethiopia took seventh place in 26:44.48.

More: Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda took the lead with a little more than a lap left in a masterpiece of a 10,000-meter race to finish in an Olympic-record 26 minutes, 43.14 seconds in front of a roaring crowd on an electric opening night at the track. 

The world-record holder raced in the middle of a strung-out pack for most of the 25 laps on the calm, cool evening at the Stade de France. 

Then he took off, and held the lead over the final 500 meters against a crowd of Ethiopians who set a blistering pace all night. 

Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi beat American Grant Fisher in a sprint to the line for silver. 

Fisher’s bronze medal marked the first for the U.S. in the longest race at the Olympic track since Galen Rupp took silver in 2012.

Will super spikes cause records to fall in Paris?

Recent research confirms that high-tech shoes will give runners a significant boost.

Athletics events kick off Thursday at the Paris Olympics, and many, if not all, track competitors will be sporting super spikes—new generation, high-tech running spikes with carbon plates. Will these shoes power athletes to never-before-seen times? Recent research out of the University of Michigan suggests they will, and by a surprising amount.

A game-changing advantage

The 2021 Tokyo Olympics saw record performances on the track, leading fans and exercise physiologists alike to wonder about the impact of super spikes, which at the time were only accessible to a small group of athletes.

A recent study conducted by St. Edward’s University and the University of Michigan has shed light on the significant role these advanced footwear technologies play in boosting running economy—the efficiency with which the body uses oxygen, which is crucial for athletic performance.

Researchers compared the running economy of athletes wearing super spikes to those in traditional track spikes. The results? A notable two per cent improvement in running economy with super spikes, potentially translating to a one-to-one-and-a-half per cent reduction in race times.

For example, for a runner who completes a 10,000m race in 30 minutes, this enhancement could mean shaving off about 25 seconds—an edge that could make an enormous difference in a close race. (The women’s world record for the outdoor 10,000m race, the longest of the track events, is 28:54.14, set by Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet, and the men’s record, set by Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei, is 26:11.00.)

Levelling the playing field

Super spikes integrate advanced materials like special foams and carbon-fibre plates, making them lighter, softer and more responsive than traditional track spikes. While controversy surrounds their perceived advantage, with some feeling they offer an unfair edge, most (or all) competitors will be wearing them in Paris, suggesting a levelling of the playing field.

Similar technology has been used in running shoes since 2016, and the study also compared super spikes with new-generation running shoes. Despite weighing more, the high-tech shoes provided a comparable boost in running economy to the super spikes.

Are records destined to be broken in Paris?

With the athletics portion of the Paris Olympics Games kicking off Thursday with the men’s and women’s 20K race walk events, the increased availability and use of super spikes are expected to raise the bar for athletic performances. While not every Olympian had access to these technologies in 2020, their proliferation suggests a new track and field standard.

According to researchers, the greater availability of super spikes could lead to a deeper pool of faster times at the Paris Olympics, setting the stage for record-breaking performances. Tune in and be prepared to be on the the edge of your seat.

Kenya's hopes rest on Daniel Mateiko, Nicholas Kimeli & Bernard Kibet to win 10,000m gold since 1968

Daniel Mateiko, Nicholas Kimeli, and Bernard Kibet will have the pressure to deliver Kenya's gold medal since Naftali Temu's exploits at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

The trio of Daniel Mateiko, Nicholas Kimeli and Bernard Kibet are tasked with a daunting task to reclaim Kenya’s 10,000m title once they toe the line at the Stade de France on Friday, August 2.

The men’s race starts at 10:20 p.m. East African Time with the trio taking on one of the strongest fields in history with the main aim to reclaim Naftali Temu’s title won at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

Kenyans have had a rough time of winning the gold medal following the emergence of Ethiopians and Ugandans who have dominated the race. Kenenisa Bekele, Mo Farah, Joshua Cheptegei have dominated the global stage with Bekele and Farah winning two titles each.

Selemon Barega won the title at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games with Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo taking second and third place respectively.

Mateiko made headlines, winning the Prefontaine Classic to secure his slot to the Olympic Games with Kimeli and Kibet finishing second and third respectively. The trio has the much-needed confidence to impress following their training sessions that have been extensive so far.

Mateiko and Kimeli train with Eliud Kipchoge and they certainly draw inspiration from the two-time Olympic champion who will also be chasing his third Olympic title.

However, they will not have an easy task in title reclamation as they go up against very strong opponents. Defending champion Barega will be out to defend his Olympic gold with Cheptegei also in the mix.

Being the world record holder and a three-time world champion, Cheptegei will going for the only title missing in his decorated CV. The Ethiopians have fielded their best, with world leader Yomif Kejelcha and Berihu Aregawi also in the mix. Paris marks the first Olympics for Kejelcha who will have the pressure on him after the world lead.

Cheptegei has raced sparingly, making it difficult to gauge his shape. He will be competing for the first time since end of May when he finished ninth in the 5000m at the Diamond League Meeting in Oslo.

The American duo Grant Fisher and Nico Young have also been entered and they will also be chasing history for the US. Young will b debuting at the Olympics and the race will just be his third 10,000m race on a track.

On his part, Fisher has great experience racing on the global stage and after finishing fifth at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he will be out to improve on that.

Paris 2024: Five reasons why Kenya might struggle to reclaim Naftali Temu's Olympic glory in 10,000m

Kenya is facing significant challenges in their quest to win Olympic gold in the 10,000m, a feat last achieved in 1968.

On Friday night, Kenya will have their first chance to bag a medal in Athletics when three of its athletes step onto the purple track at the Stade de France.

The hopes of a nation will follow Daniel Mateiko, Nicholas Kipkorir, and Bernard Kibet as they attempt to end a 56-year Olympic gold drought in the men's 10,000 meters, a title last won by Naftali Temu in 1968.

Despite their ambitions, several hurdles could hinder their quest for gold.

1. Stiff Competition from neighboring countries

The field for the men's 10,000m in Paris is formidable featuring athletes who have dominated recent major championships.

Reigning Olympic champion Selemon Barega of Ethiopia and world record holder Joshua Cheptegei from Uganda are prime contenders.

Both athletes have consistently shown that they can perform at their peak under the intense pressure of the Olympics and World Championships.

Cheptegei, in particular, has won the last three World finals in a row, showcasing his speed and strategic race management.

2. Limited success in recent years

While Kenya is renowned for its middle and long-distance runners, their success in the 10,000m at major international events has been limited in recent years.

The last Kenyan to win gold in this event at the World Championships was Charles Kamathi in 2001.

The more recent global stages have seen Kenyan athletes unable to break through the top ranks, often finishing outside the medal positions.

This historical context sets a precedent that may be tough to overcome, especially against more recently successful nations like Ethiopia and Uganda.

3. The pressure of a longstanding drought

The weight of a 56-year Olympic gold drought in the 10,000m can be a significant psychological burden.

The athletes are not just racing against their contemporaries but also against history.

The desire to end this long wait for gold can create immense pressure, which might affect their performance.

Handling this pressure while maintaining the focus and composure needed to win at the Olympic level is a daunting challenge that could hinder their prospects.

4. Tactical vulnerabilities

The dynamics of long-distance racing have evolved, with a significant emphasis on the tactical execution of the race.

Kenyan athletes have traditionally excelled in pace-driven races but have sometimes struggled in tactical scenarios where races are decided in the final laps.

The likes of Barega and Cheptegei have demonstrated exceptional ability to shift gears dramatically in the final stages of a race, a skill that has been pivotal in their victories.

Unless the Kenyan contenders have significantly improved their race tactics and finishing kicks, they may find themselves outmaneuvered in the crucial closing stages.

5. Training and preparation challenges

While the Kenyan team has trained intensively at high-altitude facilities, the transition to competition at lower altitudes can be challenging.

Adapting to the specific conditions of the track at Stade de France, coupled with the unpredictable Parisian weather, adds another layer of complexity to their preparation.

Effective adaptation is crucial and any missteps in acclimatization or strategy during training could impair their performance when it counts.

Paris 2024: Favorites and best value picks on the track

We are just four days away from the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics and a little over a week from the start of the athletics events at the Stade de France. If you’re looking to place your bets for gold or want to know the favorites for each event (according to Vegas sportsbooks), we’ve got you covered with insights and odds to help you get the best value out of your picks.

Men’s 100m

Favorite: Kishane Thompson (JAM) -105 [world leader]

Best value: Oblique Seville (JAM) +900 

Men’s 200m

Favorite: Noah Lyles (USA) -290 [3x world champion]

Best value: Erriyon Knighton (USA) +1000 [2x world championship medallist]

Men’s 400m

Favorite: Matthew Hudson-Smith (GBR) +120 [world silver medalist]

Best value: Steven Gardiner (BAH) +350 [reigning Olympic champion]

Men’s 800m

Favorite: Djamel Sedjati (ALG) -250 [world leader]

Best value: Marco Arop (CAN) +1500 [reigning world champion]

Men’s 1,500m

Favorite: Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) -225 [reigning Olympic champion]

Best value: Josh Kerr (GBR) +175 [reigning world champion]

Men’s 5,000m

Favorite: Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) -290 [reigning world champion]

Best value: George Mills (GBR) +4000 

Men’s 10,000m

Favorite: Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) +120 [world record holder]

Best value: Berihu Aregawi (ETH) +600 

Men’s 110m hurdles

Favorite: Grant Holloway (USA) -500 [world leader and world champion]

Best value: Hansle Parchment (JAM) +1000 [reigning Olympic champion]

Men’s 400m hurdles

Favorite: Rai Benjamin (USA) +100 [world leader]

Best value: Alison Dos Santos (BRA) +300 [2022 world champion]

Men’s 3,000m steeplechase

Favorite: Lamecha Girma (ETH) -120

Best value: Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) +190

Men’s marathon

Favorite: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) -190 [reigning Olympic champion]

Best value: Benson Kipruto (KEN) +900 [2024 Tokyo Marathon champion]

Women’s 100m

Favorite: Sha’Carri Richardson (USA) -225 [reigning world champion]

Best value: Julien Alfred (LCA) +700 

Women’s 200m

Favorite: Gabby Thomas (USA) +105 [2020 Olympic bronze medalist]

Best value: Shericka Jackson (JAM) +180 [reigning world champion

Women’s 400m

Favorite: Marileidy Paulino (DOM) -135 [2020 Olympic silver medalist]

Best value: Rhasidat Adeleke (IRL) +700 

Women’s 800m

Favorite: Keely Hodgkinson (GBR) -290 [Olympic silver medallist]

Best value: Nia Atkins (USA) +1500

Women’s 1,500m

Favorite: Faith Kipyegon (KEN) -285 [world record holder]

Best value: Jessica Hull (AUS) +1000

Women’s 5,000m

Favorite: Faith Kipyegon (KEN) -285 [world champion]

Best value: Beatrice Chebet (KEN) +750 [world XC champion]

Women’s 10,000m

Favorite: Sifan Hassan (NED) +120 [reigning Olympic champion]

Best value: Gudaf Tsegay (ETH) +250 [reigning world champion]

Women’s 100m hurdles

Favorite: Cyrena Samba-Mayela (FRA) +250 [European champion]

Best value: Tobi Amusan (NGR) +1500 [world record holder]

Women’s 400m hurdles

Favorite: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) -700 [world record holder and reigning Olympic champion]

Best value: Femke Bol (NED) +300 [reigning world champion]

Women’s 3,000m steeplechase

Favorite: Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN) n/a [world record holder]

Best value: Sembo Almayew (ETH) n/a

Women’s marathon

Favorite: Tigst Assefa (ETH) +250 [world record holder]

Best value: Hellen Obiri (KEN) +400 [2023 & 2024 Boston Marathon champion] 

World champions to headline 2024 Chicago Marathon

As we inch toward the fall road racing season, the 2024 Chicago Marathon is the first Abbott World Marathon Major (AWMM) to announce its men’s and women’s elite list. Last year’s elite races in Chicago saw two course records and one world record set by the late Kelvin Kiptum—something that will be hard to beat. But the 2024 field does not lack talent or potential, with former world champion and fourth-fastest marathoner in history Ruth Chepngetich headlining the women’s field and world 10,000m silver medallist Daniel Ebenyo making his marathon debut in the men’s field.

The men’s race

Ebenyo has had a successful career on the track, winning multiple medals at World Championships and Commonwealth Games, but never individual gold. He is currently ranked by World Athletics as the top 10,000m runner in the world, holding a personal best of 26:57.80, which he set in 2023. The 28-year-old was not selected for the 10,000m by the Kenyan Olympic team for Paris 2024 after an eighth-place finish at the Kenyan Trials.

Although the Kenyan star has had success on the track, he has also flourished in his short career on the roads, winning silver in the half-marathon at the inaugural World Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia. He holds a personal best of 59:04 for the half distance and a world best over 25 km (1:11:13).

Ebenyo’s potential over 42.2 km will be hard to predict; many people had high expectations for three-time world 10,000m champion Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda, but he struggled in his marathon debut last December in Valencia, clocking 2:08:59 for 37th place.

Joining Ebenyo in the men’s field is 2022 London Marathon champion Amos Kipruto, who has the fastest personal best in the field (2:03:13 from the 2022 Tokyo Marathon). Kipruto has podiumed at three of the six AWMMs and is known as one of the best tactical marathoners in the world. Chicago will be Kipruto’s first marathon since his seventh-place finish in Berlin last year.

The lone Canadian in the men’s field is Phil Parrot-Migas of London, Ont. This will be the third marathon of his career. He holds a personal best of 2:15:53, set in Hamburg in April.

The women’s field

At the 2022 Chicago Marathon, Chepngetich was on a world-record pace until the final kilometre, ultimately missing it by 14 seconds (2:14:18). This capped off her second-straight Chicago victory, following in the footsteps of her compatriot, Brigid Kosgei. Last year, Chepngetich was second to Sifan Hassan’s course record-setting run, in 2:15:37. Her personal best is the fastest in the field by a minute and a half, and with her experience on the flat and fast course, she’s going to be a tough athlete to beat come Oct. 13.

Besides Chepngetich, there’s a strong American contingent, consisting of three of the country’s top five fastest marathoners: Keira D’Amato, Sara Hall and Betsy Saina. D’Amato had a rough go at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, and was unable to finish, due to injury. Months later, she announced a coaching change and a planned move to Utah to train under distance running guru Ed Eyestone, the coach of U.S. Olympic marathoners Conner Mantz and Clayton Young. D’Amato, who will turn 40 in October, told Runner’s World she made the switch because she wanted a different perspective on her training and a chance to learn from someone new.

Saina comes into the race as the strongest American athlete, placing in the top five of her last three marathons, including a win at the 2023 Sydney Marathon. Sydney is currently a candidate to be added as the seventh AWMM, joining Tokyo, Berlin, London, Boston, Chicago and NYC.

20 athletes to represent Uganda in Olympic Games Paris 2024

The Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) has unveiled a team of 20 athletes to represent the country at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games later this month.

Over 10,000 top athletes from around the world will take part in the Games slated for July 26 to August 11 in France.

Announcing the track and field squad, UAF President Dominic Otuchet said the team boosts experienced athletes who have what it takes to win medals for the country.

“We have athletes who have been proven and tested at the big stage,” said Otuchet.

World star Joshua Cheptegei who bagged a gold and silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 will lead Uganda’s team together with half-marathon world record holder Jacob Kiplimo. The duo will battle in the 5,000m and 10,000m final.

“After getting a bronze medal at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo, my target is now to improve and win a gold medal. I know it will call for a lot of hard work to be able to achieve this and I am already working hard,” says Kiplimo.

Female athlete Peruth Chemutai who won a gold medal in the women’s 3000m steeplechase will also be another medal hopeful for the Ugandan team.

The team has 10 male and 10 female athletes, with another two, Belinda Chemutai and Loice Chekwemoi, on the waiting list. Besides track and field athletes, Uganda will also have two swimmers, a cyclist and a female rower.

Uganda Team:

Men:

Tarsis Gracious Orogot (200m),

Tom Dradriga (800m),

Jacob Kiplimo, Joshua Cheptegei (5,000m/10,000m),

Oscar Chelimo (5,000m),

Martin Magengo Kiprotich (10,000m),

Leonard Chemutai (3,000m SC),

Victor Kiplangat, Stephen Kissa, Andrew Rotich Kwemoi (Marathon)

Female:

Halimah Nakaayi (800m),

Winnie Nanyondo (1,500m),

Joy Cheptoyek (5,000m/10,000m),

Esther Chebet (5,000m),

Sarah Chelangat, Annet Chemengich Chelangat (10,000m), Peruth Chemutai (3,000m SC),

Stella Chesang, Rebecca Cheptegei, Mercyline Chelangat (marathon),

Reserves: Belinda Chemutai (5,000m),

Loice Chekwemoi (3,000m SC).

Ingebrigtsen, Cheptegei beware! Jacob Krop sets target after punching 5000m ticket to Olympic Games

Jacob Krop has sent a stark warning to Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Joshua Cheptegei, and other 5000m bound athletes after securing a ticket to the Olympic Games, following his relentless run at the Kenyan Olympic trials.

World 5000m bronze medallist Jacob Krop has promised to burn the midnight oil and ensure all the glory comes back to Kenya as he heads to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Krop secured a direct ticket to the global showpiece, thanks to his relentless pursuit of greatness at the Olympic trials where he managed to finish second in the 5000m, clocking an impressive 13:27.54 to cross the finish line behind Ronald Kwemoi who won the race in 13:27.20. Edwin Kurgat completed the podium, clocking 13:27.75 to cross the finish line.

He will team up with Kwemoi and Krop believes they have the ability to silence serial winner Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway, defending champion Joshua Cheptegei and other opponents who have for long dominated the distance.

He disclosed that he moved to Japan and training there has been very effective since he has been able to work on certain areas of his training and he is now back.

“This is my first time to make the cut to the Olympic team and I want my fans to expect something good. To bring the medals back home, we shall practice teamwork and invest more time in training.

“Everything is possible and I know it’s not easy but we shall work hard in training and see how things work out. I went to Japan and my stay there had been great since they always give me ample time to even come back to Kenya and train,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kenya last won the Olympic gold medal over the distance at the 1988 Seoul Olympics where John Ngungi beat a strong field to claim the coveted prize.

During the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, no Kenyan made it to the podium as Cheptegei claimed the top honours with Canadian Mohammed Ahmed finishing second in the race as Kenyan-born American Paul Chelimo completed the podium.

As they head to the Olympics, Krop is aware of the tough opposition but he is sure anything is possible if they work hard and embrace team work.

An amazing fast 5k in Oslo

OSLO, Norway (AP) — Hagos Gebrhiwet of Ethiopia ran the second-fastest 5,000 meters of all time in winning at the Diamond League meeting in Oslo on Thursday.

Gebrhiwet ran a final lap of 54.99 to finish in 12 minutes, 36.73 seconds — 1.37 seconds off the world record set by Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei.

 Gebrhiwet's time is not only the second fastest time ever it was also a new national record for Ethiopia. New personal bests for the top eight finishers and new National records for Guatemala, Switzerland, Sweden, France and South Africa!

Also at the Bislett Games, home favorite Jakob Ingebrigtsen dived for the line to win the men's 1,500 just ahead of Timothy Cheruiyot in a world-leading 3 minutes, 29.74 seconds.

More details: Hagos Gebrhiwet produced the standout performance of the Bislett Games – and one of the biggest surprises of the year so far – when winning the men’s 5000m in 12:36.73 at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Oslo on Thursday (30).

It was one of three meeting records and five world leads set on an enthralling night of athletics action in the Norwegian capital, just two months away from the Paris Olympic Games.

Going into the men’s 5000m, many eyes were on world record-holder and Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei, two-time world cross-country champion Jacob Kiplimo and last year’s Bislett Games winner Yomif Kejelcha. But Gebrhiwet – who produced the first sub-13-minute run of his career on this track as a teenager back in 2012 – ensured his name won’t be forgotten in the lead-up to the Olympics.

The early pace was strong but not spectacular as the field was paced through the first 1000m in 2:33.13 and 2000m in 5:07.05. Addisu Yihune maintained that tempo through 3000m, reached in 7:41.05, with all the big contenders still in contention.

Kejelcha took control soon after and started to wind up the pace. Gebrhiwet stayed close to his fellow Ethiopian with Ugandan duo Kiplimo and Cheptegei close behind as 4000m was reached in 10:11.86, the previous kilometre being covered in 2:30.

Cheptegei was unable to hold on for much longer and started to drift back. Kejelcha continued to drive the pace but the challenge from Gebrhiwet and Kiplimo wasn’t fading, despite the increase in pace. Gebrhiwet struck as the bell sounded and moved into the lead, kicking past his compatriot and pulling away with each stride.

With a final lap of 54.99, Gebrhiwet charged through the line in 12:36.73 to win by more than two seconds from Kejelcha (12.38.95) – the first time in history that two men have broken 12:40 in the same race.

Gebrhiwet’s winning time is just 1.37 seconds shy of the world record Cheptegei set in 2020 and moves him to second on the world all-time list, one place ahead of Kenenisa Bekele, whose Ethiopian record Gebrhiwet broke.

Kiplimo held on for third, setting a PB of 12:40.96, while Spain’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo (12:48.10) and Yihune (12:49.65) also finished inside 12:50.

It was just the second time in history that 13 men have broken 13 minutes. Along with Gebrhiwet, there were national records for Guatemala’s Luis Grijalva (12:50.58), Switzerland’s Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu (12:50.90), Sweden’s Andreas Almgren (12:50.94), France’s Jimmy Gressier (12:54.97) and South Africa’s Adriaan Wildschutt (12:56.67).

“I’m really happy with my time,” said Gebrhiwet, the world road 5km champion. “I set a PB when I first ran in Oslo, and now it’s even better. The conditions and the crowd were great. It was a very fast race and it wasn’t easy for me, but it went very well. I’ll now try to qualify for the Olympics in the 10,000m too.”

There were notable performances in two other endurance events in Oslo.

Australia’s Georgia Griffith continued her breakthrough to win the 3000m in an Oceanian record of 8:24.20. The field had been paced through 1000m in 2:50.34, then that pace was maintained through 2000m in 5:40.73.

The field became more strung out over the final kilometre as the pace increased. Griffith made a break in the closing stages and Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw tried to come back, but her challenge was in vain as the Australian won in a meeting record of 8:24.20, 0.09 ahead of Amebaw in a race where the top six women finished inside 8:30.

In the closing event of the night, Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen was made to dive for the line to ensure a home victory for the Norwegian fans.

He controlled the pace in the second half, but still had 2019 world champion Timothy Cheruiyot for company on the final lap. The Kenyan challenged the Norwegian down the home straight and appeared to have timed his kick to perfection, but Ingebrigtsen collapsed over the line to get the verdict in a world-leading 3:29.74, 0.03 ahead of Cheruiyot. The first 11 finishers all set either season’s or personal bests.

Kejelcha goes No.3 all time with 26:37 10km in Laredo

World indoor mile record-holder Yomif Kejelcha stormed to a 26:37 10km win in the northern Spanish town of Laredo on Saturday (16). 

With that performance at the World Athletics Label event, the Ethiopian 26-year-old achieved the third-fastest men's 10km of all time. Only Rhonex Kipruto with his world record of 26:24 set in Valencia four years ago and Berihu Aregawi with his 26:33 run in Laredo last year have gone faster.

Racing under ideal weather conditions on a 15ºC windless afternoon, Kejelcha was perfectly paced by his fellow Ethiopian Addisu Yihune, himself the reigning world U20 5000m champion. They went through the opening kilometres at a steady 2:38 pace, the tempo needed to attack the world best.

Meanwhile, Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei travelled a few metres behind in the company of his own pacemaker, his compatriot Naman Kipyeko, but the world 5000m and 10,000m record-holder began to lose ground some six minutes into the race. By the third kilometre, Kejelcha became a virtual victor as he had built a seven-second gap on the Ugandan, with 7:54 and 8:01 their respective times at that point.

Despite being well on schedule to challenge the world record, Kejelcha overtook Yihune before reaching the fourth kilometre and from then on it was a solo run by the two-time world indoor 3000m champion, who went through halfway in a promising 13:10. Cheptegei ran nine seconds in arrears in the company of Yihune. 

Over the second half, Kejelcha maintained a frantic rhythm in the 2:38/2:40 per kilometre range to increase his advantage on Cheptegei.

Over the closing two kilometres, Kejelcha could not maintain the pace on his own and despite his huge effort he romped home 13 seconds shy of the coveted mark and four seconds off the Ethiopian record. As for Cheptegei, the 27-year-old finished in 26:53, his third-quickest time and 15 seconds slower than the then world record of 26:38 he set in Valencia in December 2019. 

Surprisingly, the 20-year-old pacemaker Yihune completed the race in a massive lifetime best of 27:28.

“I came to Laredo to break the world record but it was not possible,” said Kejelcha. “I felt some discomfort in my hip around the eighth kilometre and could not maintain my speed.”

As for Cheptegei, the Olympic 5000m champion confirmed his main goal was to get the Olympic 10,000m standard of 27:00 and he expressed his happiness at having reached that target two weeks before he competes at the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade.

Klosterhalfen prevails 

Held alongside the men’s race, the women’s event featured Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen as the favourite. The European 5000m champion dropped out during her last race, the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon, three weeks ago and was trying to bounce back in Laredo with the main target of getting the qualifying time for the 10,000m at the Paris Olympics (30:40). 

Running in a group alongside male athletes, the 27-year-old started at a brisk pace and covered the opening kilometres at a tempo of around 3:00 per kilometre to go through halfway in 15:07, well on schedule for her target. Kenya’s Purity Gitonga travelled in second, five seconds back, and Spanish 3000m steeplechase record-holder Irene Sanchez-Escribano was third in 15:32.

Over the second half of the race all the main contenders slowed down their speed as Klosterhalfen began to falter dramatically inside the closing kilometre. That saw her lose any chance of achieving the entry standard for Paris but she still achieved a PB of 31:07.

Gitonga finished runner-up in 31:24 and Sanchez-Escribano ran a massive lifetime best of 31:35 for third.

Cheptegei and Kejelcha will seek the 10k World Record in Laredo

One more year, the Laredo 10k will once again bring together some of the fastest distance runners in the world looking to continue flying. The circuit of this Cantabrian town is among the flattest on the planet, a true 'oasis' for participating athletes to seek to beat their records.

In this 2024 edition, which will be held on March 16, the holder of the World Record of 5,000 and 10,000 meters will participate, it will be the main attraction for the race that will be held this coming Saturday.

The town usually goes all out with the race and creates a spectacular atmosphere to carry the runners along. Joshua Cheptegei, who has a personal best of 26:38 (Ugandan National Record), will have to deal with another 'beast' of the track and asphalt like Yomif Kejelcha, with a mark of 12.41 in 5,000 and 26.49 in 10,000. The Ethiopian has a very good time to beat his 10k PB, which is from 2013 (28:13). But he will not be satisfied with that alone and will try to battle Joshua for victory.

Klosterhalfen, in females

Former athlete Juan Carlos Higuero has reported that in the women's race there will be another reference from the world background such as the German Konstance Klosterhalfen. She has 31:01 in the 10,000 (German National Record) and 32:24 in the 10k. She also has a National Record in the 5,000.

Marathon debut behind him, Cheptegei turns focus back to 10,000m for Paris

Just a few miles away from the site of his world 10,000m record three years prior, Joshua Cheptegei stumbled towards the finish line of the Valencia Marathon.

On the track, the Olympic 5000m gold medallist and three-time world 10,000m champion is renowned for his unbeatable finishing strength. But in what was his debut over the marathon distance, with each foot somehow supporting a tired body on the brink, the Ugandan had to be content with 37th place in the Spanish city, clocking 2:08:59.

Cheptegei wasn’t too disappointed or surprised, though. Supported by race organiser Marc Roig, Cheptegei hobbled to the elite finishers’ tent immediately after the race, beaming from ear to ear.

A few days before, Cheptegei had prophetically warned: "The marathon has no respect for people.”

Not even Olympic champions, it would seem.

Fans have grown used to Cheptegei finding his rhythm in a leading pack, so it was no surprise to see him there at halfway. Going through 13.1 miles in 1:00:36 wasn’t part of the plan – not that there necessarily was one.

When asked in the build-up to the race what he wanted from his debut, Cheptegei simply said: “I want to learn.”

Collapsing over the line with a rueful smile, Cheptegei made it clear that his objective had been achieved.

He knew that his preparation for the event had been far from perfect. It started with pulling out of the Wanda Diamond League final due to a reaction to wearing spikes in defending his world 10,000m crown in Budapest. Once he did return, the weeks that followed saw his usual runs around the rolling hills of Kapchorwa deemed too dangerous due to constant deluges.

Cheptegei never ran more than 160km a week – which, by the standards of most current marathon specialists, was a light schedule.

Yet in Valencia, he still chose to go with the pace. Many would expect little else from a world 5000m and 10,000m record holder consistently pushing the margins of the possible.

For many fans, their first clear memory of Cheptegei at a senior level was his performance at the 2017 World Cross Country Championships on home soil in Kampala.

That day, the 2016 Olympic 10,000m sixth-place finisher ripped the senior race apart, striding away through the middle section and building a huge lead into the final kilometer.

The Ugandan fans chasing him in bursts around the course almost went as far as to hand over the red, yellow and black flag.

As the commentators proclaimed his title, Cheptegei had pushed himself to the limit, a smooth stride rolling to a wayward struggle.

Defending champion Geoffrey Kamworor – a former mentor to Cheptegei during his time in Kenya in 2015 – silenced the crowds, passing the struggling Ugandan in a fleeting second and going on to win. Cheptegei eventually finished 30th.

“Joshua had a great belief and a great determination in running,” Kamworor commented on his Ugandan rival. “Whenever you talk with him, you could see in his mind that he had great aspirations in life.

“He's even becoming one of my mentors.”

Cheptegei won the senior title at his next attempt in Aarhus in 2019, the year of the first of three consecutive world 10,000m titles. An Olympic silver in Tokyo in that event accompanied 5000m gold.

Risks taken, lessons learnt all in a bid to break new ground. It's core to Cheptegei’s philosophy as a runner and ultimately role model to those that follow him around the world but perhaps most importantly back home in Uganda.

It’s also followed him since his first days as a professional.

While training with Kamworor, Eliud Kipchoge and the rest in Kaptagat, barely aged 20, the 2014 world U20 10,000m champion made a difficult but bold decision.

“I told my management that I wanted to go back home and build a running culture, and to inspire the young generation here in Uganda.”

As a young athlete – and although it happened 24 years before Cheptegei was born – Cheptegei was made aware of the fact that John Akii-Bua earned Uganda's first Olympic athletics medal when taking 400m hurdles gold in Munich in 1972.

It’s clear that Cheptegei now feels a sense of responsibility when it comes to developing the sport in his country, in much the same way Akii-Bua did more than 50 years ago.

“It’s a privilege to have had great guys like him open the way for us, especially in a difficult time where the country was unstable,” says Cheptegei.

Akii-Bua was forced to live out a large part of his life outside Uganda, moving to Kenya towards the final days of the Idi Amin dictatorship.

Likewise, Uganda’s next Olympic gold medalist, Stephen Kiprotich, trained for much of his career in their eastern neighbor.

The then 15-year-old Cheptegei admits taking a break from kicking a football around the schoolyard to watch Kiprotich win Olympic marathon gold in 2012, that being the moment he made his own plans for global success.

“I was like, ‘right it’s in my heart. I want to become a champion, a national hero like him’.”

Cheptegei has developed those ambitions. For better or worse, he aims to deliberately show the next generation they need not leave home. No altitude camps elsewhere, high tech facilities or trips to some winter sun.

“I have always trained in Uganda, always and always," he reiterates.

Despite the world records, Olympic gold and world championship titles, Cheptegei still feels that to prove that emphatically, one achievement remains left to tick off.

It's all about the number 10.

“2024, it’ll be 10 years running internationally,” he says. “10 years at a high level.

“I'm still in love with the 10,000m, the special distance. I still want to go to Paris and win.”

Only Kenenisa Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie have won more world 10,000m titles than Cheptegei. Both won two Olympic golds in the event.

Cheptegei will head to the French capital hungry to find his first, motivated in the knowledge that in doing so he'll send a message to that young Ugandan watching, hoping to follow in his path.

Daniel Simiu sights firmly trained on the Paris 2024 Olympics

After scooping the gold medal at the 18th edition of the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon on October 15 last year, Kenya’s middle-distance track prodigy Daniel Simiu has his sights firmly trained on the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The World Half Marathon silver medalist has vowed to torch the track on his way to a podium finish in the French capital in August.

In an exclusive interview on Friday, Simiu said he is ready to make the country proud at the premier global quadrennial games later in the year, where he hopes to fly the country’s flag in the 5000m race. “I have invested a lot of time in preparations and I’m looking forward to a splendid performance,” Simiu stated.

“There is every chance a Kenyan athlete will win gold this time around but,” he added.

The Commonwealth Games 10,000m silver medalist said the country boasts gifted athletes who possess the mojo to storm the gold medal at the premier annual global.

“What’s important is that we bring the title to Kenya. I’ll be happy if any of us gets to win the race,” he added.

The 27-year-old policeman  pledged to obliterate the star-studded field in Paris en route to a historic triumph.

He will be seeking sweet revenge over his highly-rated Ugandan nemesis Joshua Cheptegei who edged him to the title at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. “I’m determined to improve on my performance at the Commonwealth Games, where I slightly fell short of beating Cheptegei,” Simiu said.

He said he was proud to have wrapped up second at the Commonwealth Games. “Kiplimo is the best men’s 10,000m runner at the moment and emerging second behind him brought me some measure of pride,” Simiu remarked.

Born on September 18, 1995, Ebenyo lost his father early in life to cattle rustling and was raised by his mother and later, grandmother.

Simiu said it was while at Aiyam Day Secondary School that he carved his path to a career in athletics.

“I would always complete a stretch of 24-km trek to and from school,” he said.

He experienced a major setback in 2919 when he finished in second place at the National World Championships trials but was unable to compete as he failed to meet some of the Athletes Integrity Unit (AIU) doping requirements.

Simiu did the in-competition test several times but did not meet the required three out-of-competition tests that are mandatory for all athletes and include both urine and blood, at least one Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) test and one Erythropoietin (Epo) test.

He eventually picked up his pieces and ventured into road racing, where he won the Safaricom Kisii 10-km road race in a time of 29:16.71. The following year, he blazed to victory in the San Silvestre Vallecana 10 km in Spain on January 3.

He won the silver medal over 10,000m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham and placed second again at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

The Pill That Over Half the Distance Medallists Used at the 2023 Worlds

What's the deal with sodium bicarbonate?What if there was a pill, new to the market this year, that was used by more than half of the distance medalists at the 2023 World Athletics Championships? A supplement so in-demand that there was a reported black market for it in Budapest, runners buying from other runners who did not advance past the preliminary round — even though the main ingredient can be found in any kitchen?

How did this pill become so popular? Well, there are rumors that Jakob Ingebrigtsen has been taking it for years — rumors that Ingebrigtsen’s camp and the manufacturers of the pill will neither confirm nor deny.

So about this pill…does it work? Does it actually boost athletic performance? Ask a sports scientist, someone who’s studied it for more than a decade, and they’ll tell you yes.

“There’s probably four or five legal, natural supplements, if you will, that seem to have withstood the test of time in terms of the research literature and [this pill] is one of those,” says Jason Siegler, Director of Human Performance in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University.

But there’s a drawback to this pill. It could…well, let’s allow Luis Grijalva, who used it before finishing 4th in the World Championship 5,000m final in Budapest, to explain.

“I heard stories if you do it wrong, you chew it, you kind of shit your brains out,” Grijalva says. “And I was a little bit scared.”

The research supports that, too.

“[Gastrointestinal distress] has by far and away been the biggest hurdle for this supplement,” Siegler says.Okay, enough with the faux intrigue. If you’ve read the subtitle of this article, you know the pill we are talking about is sodium bicarbonate. Specifically, the Maurten Bicarb System, which has been available to the public since February and which has been used by some of the top teams in endurance sports: cycling juggernaut Team Jumbo-Visma and, in running, the On Athletics Club and NN Running Team. (Maurten has sponsorship or partnership agreements with all three).Some of the planet’s fastest runners have used the Maurten Bicarb System in 2023, including 10,000m world champion Joshua Cheptegei, 800m silver medalist Keely Hodgkinson, and 800m silver medalist Emmanuel Wanyonyi. Faith Kipyegon used it before winning the gold medal in the 1500m final in Budapest — but did not use it before her win in the 5,000m final or before any of her world records in the 1500m, mile, and 5,000m.

Herman Reuterswärd, Maurten’s head of communications, declined to share a full client list with LetsRun but claims two-thirds of all medalists from the 800 through 10,000 meters (excluding the steeplechase) used the product at the 2023 Worlds.

After years of trial and error, Maurten believes it has solved the GI issue, but those who have used their product have reported other side effects. Neil Gourley used sodium bicarbonate before almost every race in 2023, and while he had a great season — British champion, personal bests in the 1500 and mile — his head ached after races in a way it never had before. When Joe Klecker tried it at The TEN in March, he felt nauseous and light-headed — but still ran a personal best of 27:07.57. In an episode of the Coffee Club podcast, Klecker’s OAC teammate George Beamish, who finished 5th at Worlds in the steeplechase and used the product in a few races this year, said he felt delusional, dehydrated, and spent after using it before a workout this summer.

“It was the worst I’d felt in a workout [all] year, easily,” Beamish said.

Not every athlete who has used the Maurten Bicarb System has felt side effects. But the sport as a whole is still figuring out what to do about sodium bicarbonate.

Many athletes — even those who don’t have sponsorship arrangements with Maurten — have added it to their routines. But Jumbo-Visma’s top cyclist, Jonas Vingegaard — winner of the last two Tours de France — does not use it. Neither does OAC’s top runner, Yared Nuguse, who tried it a few times in practice but did not use it before any of his four American record races in 2023.“I’m very low-maintenance and I think my body’s the same,” Nuguse says. “So when I tried to do that, it was kind of like, Whoa, what is this? My whole body felt weird and I was just like, I either did this wrong or this is not for me.”

How sodium bicarbonate works

The idea that sodium bicarbonate — aka baking soda, the same stuff that goes in muffins and keeps your refrigerator fresh — can boost athletic performance has been around for decades.

“When you’re exercising, when you’re contracting muscle at a really high intensity or a high rate, you end up using your anaerobic energy sources and those non-oxygen pathways,” says Siegler, who has been part of more than 15 studies on sodium bicarbonate use in sport. “And those pathways, some of the byproducts that they produce, one of them is a proton – a little hydrogen ion. And that proton can cause all sorts of problems in the muscle. You can equate that to that sort of burn that you feel going at high rates. That burn, most of that — not directly, but indirectly — is coming from the accumulation of these little hydrogen ions.”

As this is happening, the kidneys produce bicarbonate as a defense mechanism. For a while, bicarbonate acts as a buffer, countering the negative effects of the hydrogen ions. But eventually, the hydrogen ions win.The typical concentration of bicarbonate in most people hovers around 25 millimoles per liter. By taking sodium bicarbonate in the proper dosage before exercise, Siegler says, you can raise that level to around 30-32 millimoles per liter.

“You basically have a more solid first line of defense,” Siegler says. “The theory is you can go a little bit longer and tolerate the hydrogen ions coming out of the cell a little bit longer before they cause any sort of disruption.”

Like creatine and caffeine, Siegler says the scientific literature is clear when it comes to sodium bicarbonate: it boosts performance, specifically during events that involve short bursts of anaerobic activity. But there’s a catch.

***

Bicarb without the cramping

Sodium bicarbonate has never been hard to find. Anyone can swallow a spoonful or two of baking soda with some water, though it’s not the most appetizing pre-workout snack. The problem comes when the stomach tries to absorb a large amount of sodium bicarbonate at once.

“You have a huge charged load in your stomach that the acidity in your stomach has to deal with and you have a big shift in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide across the gut,” Siegler says. “And that’s what gives you the cramping.”

A few years ago, Maurten was trying to solve a similar problem for marathoners trying to ingest large amounts of carbohydrates during races. The result was their carbohydrate drink, which relies on something called a hydrogel to form in the stomach. The hydrogel resists the acidity of the stomach and allows the carbohydrates to be absorbed in the intestine instead, where there is less cramping.

“We thought, okay, we are able to solve that one,” Reuterswärd says. “Could we apply the hydrogel technology to something else that is really risky to consume that could be beneficial?”

For almost four years, Maurten researched the effects of encapsulating sodium bicarbonate in hydrogels in its Swedish lab, conducting tests on middle-distance runners in Gothenburg. Hydrogels seemed to minimize the risk, but the best results came when hydrogels were paired with microtablets of sodium bicarbonate.

The result was the Maurten Bicarb System — “system,” because the process for ingesting it involves a few steps. Each box contains three components: a packet of hydrogel powder, a packet of tiny sodium bicarbonate tablets, and a mixing bowl. Mix the powder with water, let it stand for a few minutes, and sprinkle in the bicarb.The resulting mixture is a bit odd. It’s gooey. It’s gray. It doesn’t really taste like anything. It’s not quite liquid, not quite solid — a yogurt-like substance flooded with tiny tablets that you eat with a spoon but swallow like a drink.

The “swallow” part is important. Chew the tablets and the sodium bicarbonate will be absorbed before the hydrogels can do their job. Which means a trip to the toilet may not be far behind.

When Maurten launched its Bicarb System to the public in February 2023, it did not have high expectations for sales in year one.

“It’s a niche product,” Reuterswärd says. “From what we know right now, it maybe doesn’t make too much sense if you’re an amateur, if you’re just doing 5k parkruns.” 

But in March, Maurten’s product began making headlines in cycling when it emerged that it was being used by Team Jumbo-Visma, including by stars Wout van Aert and Primož Roglič. Sales exploded. Because bicarb dosage varies with bodyweight, Maurten’s system come in four “sizes.” And one size was selling particularly well.

“If you’re an endurance athlete, you’re around 60-70 kg (132-154 lbs),” Reuterswärd says. “We had a shortage with the size that corresponded with that weight…The first couple weeks, it was basically only professional cyclists buying all the time, massive amounts. And now we’re seeing a similar development in track & field.”

If there was a “Jumbo-Visma” effect in cycling, then this summer there was a “Jakob Ingebrigtsen” effect in running.To be clear: there is no official confirmation that Ingebrigtsen uses sodium bicarbonate. His agent, Daniel Wessfeldt, did not respond to multiple emails for this story. When I ask Reuterswärd if Ingebrigtsen has used Maurten’s product, he grows uncomfortable.

“I would love to be very clear here but I will have to get back to you,” Reuterswärd says (ultimately, he was not able to provide further clarification).

But when Maurten pitches coaches and athletes on its product, they have used data from the past two years on a “really good” 1500 guy to tout its effectiveness, displaying the lactate levels the athlete was able to achieve in practice with and without the use of the Maurten Bicarb System. That athlete is widely believed to be Ingebrigtsen. Just as Ingebrigtsen’s success with double threshold has spawned imitators across the globe, so too has his rumored use of sodium bicarbonate.

Grijalva says he started experimenting with sodium bicarbonate “because everybody’s doing it.” And everybody’s doing it because of Ingebrigtsen.

“[Ingebrigtsen] was probably ahead of everybody at the time,” Grijalva said. “Same with his training and same with the bicarb.”

OAC coach Dathan Ritzenhein took sodium bicarbonate once before a workout early in his own professional career, and still has bad memories of swallowing enormous capsules that made him feel sick. Still, he was willing to give it a try with his athletes this year after Maurten explained the steps they had taken to reduce GI distress.

“Certainly listening to the potential for less side effects was the reason we considered trying it,” says Ritzenhein. “I don’t know who is a diehard user and thinks that it’s really helpful, but around the circuit I know a lot of people that have said they’ve [tried] it.”

Coach/agent Stephen Haas says a number of his athletes, including Gourley, 3:56 1500 woman Katie Snowden, and Worlds steeple qualifier Isaac Updike, tried bicarb this year. In the men’s 1500, Haas adds, “most of the top guys are already using it.”

Yet 1500-meter world champion Josh Kerr was not among them. Kerr’s nutritionist mentioned the idea of sodium bicarbonate to him this summer but Kerr chose to table any discussions until after the season. He says he did not like the idea of trying it as a “quick fix” in the middle of the year.

“I review everything at the end of the season and see where I could get better,” Kerr writes in a text to LetsRun. “As long as the supplement is above board, got all the stamps of approvals needed from WADA and the research is there, I have nothing against it but I don’t like changing things midseason.”

***

So does it actually work?

Siegler is convinced sodium bicarbonate can benefit athletic performance if the GI issues can be solved. Originally, those benefits seemed confined to shorter events in the 2-to 5-minute range where an athlete is pushing anaerobic capacity. Buffering protons does no good to short sprinters, who use a different energy system during races.

“A 100-meter runner is going to use a system that’s referred to the phosphagen or creatine phosphate system, this immediate energy source,” Siegler says. “…It’s not the same sort of biochemical reaction that eventuates into this big proton or big acidic load. It’s too quick.”

But, Siegler says, sodium bicarbonate could potentially help athletes in longer events — perhaps a hilly marathon.

“When there’s short bursts of high-intensity activity, like a breakaway or a hill climb, what we do know now is when you take sodium bicarbonate…it will sit in your system for a number of hours,” Siegler says. “So it’s there [if] you need it, that’s kind of the premise behind it basically. If you don’t use it, it’s fine, it’s not detrimental. Eventually your kidneys clear it out.”Even Reuterswärd admits that it’s still unclear how much sodium bicarbonate helps in a marathon — “honestly, no one knows” — but it is starting to be used there as well. Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum used it when he set the world record of 2:00:35at last month’s Chicago Marathon; American Molly Seidel also used it in Chicago, where she ran a personal best of 2:23:07.

Siegler says it is encouraging that Maurten has tried to solve the GI problem and that any success they experience could spur other companies to research an even more effective delivery system (currently the main alternative is Amp Human’s PR Lotion, a sodium bicarbonate cream that is rubbed into the skin). But he is waiting for more data before rendering a final verdict on the Maurten Bicarb System.

“I haven’t seen any peer-reviewed papers yet come out so a bit I’m hesitant to be definitive about it,” Siegler said.

Trent Stellingwerff, an exercise physiologist and running coach at the Canadian Sport Institute – Pacific, worked with Siegler on a 2020 paper studying the effect of sodium bicarbonate on elite rowers. A number of athletes have asked him about the the Maurten Bicarb System, and some of his marathoners have used the product. Like Siegler, he wants to see more data before reaching a conclusion.

“I always follow the evidence and science, and to my knowledge, as of yet, I’m unaware of any publications using the Maurten bicarb in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial,” Stellingwerff writes in a text to LetsRun. “So without any published data on the bicarb version, I can’t really say it does much.”

The closest thing out there right now is a British study conducted by Lewis Goughof Birmingham City University and Andy Sparks of Edge Hill University. In a test of 10 well-trained cyclists, Gough and Sparks found the Maurten Bicarb System limited GI distress and had the potential to improve exercise performance. Reuterswärd says the study, which was funded by Maurten, is currently in the review process while Gough and Sparks suggested further research to investigate their findings.

What about the runners who used sodium bicarbonate in 2023?

Klecker decided to give bicarb a shot after Maurten made a presentation to the OAC team in Boulder earlier this year. He has run well using bicarb (his 10,000 pb at The TEN) and without it (his 5,000 pb in January) and as Klecker heads into an Olympic year, he is still deciding whether the supposed benefits are worth the drawbacks, which for him include nausea and thirst. He also says that when he has taken the bicarb, his muscles feel a bit more numb than usual, which has made it more challenging for him to gauge his effort in races.

“There’s been no, Oh man I felt just so amazing today because of this bicarb,” Klecker says. “If anything, it’s been like, Oh I didn’t take it and I felt a bit more like myself.”

Klecker also notes that his wife and OAC teammate, Sage Hurta-Klecker, ran her 800m season’s best of 1:58.09 at the Silesia Diamond League on July 16 — the first race of the season in which she did not use bicarb beforehand.

A number of athletes in Mike Smith‘s Flagstaff-based training group also used bicarb this year, including Grijalva and US 5,000 champion Abdihamid Nur. Grijalva did not use bicarb in his outdoor season opener in Florence on June 2, when he ran his personal best of 12:52.97 to finish 3rd. He did use it before the Zurich Diamond League on August 31, when he ran 12:55.88 to finish 4th.“I want to say it helps, but at the same time, I don’t want to rely on it,” Grijalva says.

Almost every OAC athlete tried sodium bicarbonate at some point in 2023. Ritzenhein says the results were mixed. Some of his runners have run well while using it, but the team’s top performer, Nuguse, never used it in a race. Ritzenhein wants to continue testing sodium bicarbonate with his athletes to determine how each of them responds individually and whether it’s worth using moving forward.

That group includes Alicia Monson, who experimented with bicarb in 2023 but did not use it before her American records at 5,000 and 10,000 meters or her 5th-place finish in the 10,000 at Worlds.

“It’s not the thing that’s going to make or break an athlete,” Ritzenhein says. “…It’s a legal supplement that has the potential, at least, to help but it doesn’t seem to be universal. So I think there’s a lot more research that needs to be done into it and who benefits from it.”

The kind of research scientists like Stellingwerff want to see — double-blind, controlled clinical trials — could take a while to trickle in. But now that anyone can order Maurten’s product (it’s not cheap — $65 for four servings), athletes will get to decide for themselves whether sodium bicarbonate is worth pursuing.

“The athlete community, obviously if they feel there’s any sort of risk, they’re weighing up the risk-to-benefit ratio,” Siegler said. “The return has got to be good.”

Grijalva expects sodium bicarbonate will become part of his pre-race routine next year, along with a shower and a cup of coffee. Coffee, and the caffeine contained wherein, may offer a glimpse at the future of bicarb. Caffeine has been widely used by athletes for longer than sodium bicarbonate, and the verdict is in on that one: it works. Yet plenty of the greats choose not to use it.

Nuguse is among them. He does not drink coffee — a fact he is constantly reminded of by Ritzenhein.

“I make jokes almost every day about it,” Ritzenhein says. “His family is Ethiopian – coffee tradition and ceremony is really important to them.”

Ritzenhein says he would love it if Nuguse drank a cup of coffee sometime, but he’s not going to force it on him. Some athletes, Ritzenhein says, have a tendency to become neurotic about these sorts of things. That’s how Ritzenhein was as an athlete. It’s certainly how Ritzenhein’s former coach at the Nike Oregon Project, Alberto Salazar, was — an approach that ultimately earned Salazar a four-year ban from USADA.

Ritzenhein says he has no worries when it comes to any of his athletes using sodium bicarbonate — Maurten’s product is batch-tested and unlike L-carnitine, there is no specific protocol that must be adhered to in order for athletes to use it legally under the WADA Code. Still, there is something to be said for keeping things simple.

“Yared knows how his body feels,” Ritzenhein says. “…He literally rolls out of practice and comes to practice like a high schooler with a Eggo waffle in hand. Probably more athletes could use that kind of [approach].”

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Valencia Marathon to offer one million Euros for a world record

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lemma breaks course record, Degefa dominates in Valencia

Sisay Lemma set a course record of 2:01:48 to move to fourth on the men’s world all-time list, while Worknesh Degefa ran a PB of 2:15:51 to win the women’s race and complete an Ethiopian double at the Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso – a World Athletics Elite Platinum Label event – on Sunday (3).

As scheduled, the men's race kicked off at a brisk rhythm as the pacemakers went through the opening five kilometres in 14:28. They maintained that pace through to 10km (28:56), with Lemma always nearest to the pacemakers and other favourites – including Uganda's debutant Joshua Cheptegei and Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele – in close attendance.

Shortly after reaching the 13th kilometre, the pace of the lead pack picked up and only Lemma, Tanzania's Gabriel Geay and the Kenyan duo of Kibiwott Kandie and Alexander Mutiso managed to maintain it as that quartet clocked 14:08 for that 5km split. But Ethiopia’s Dawit Wolde and Chalu Deso plus Cheptegei re-joined them at the helm and seven men blazed through the half marathon checkpoint together in 1:00:35. By then, the experienced Bekele had decided to set his own cadence and travelled alone behind them, clocking 1:00:58 for half way.

With the clock reading 1:08, a quartet of Lemma, Geay, Deso and Wolde broke away from Kandie, Mutiso and Cheptegei. A short while later only Lemma travelled at the shoulder of the remaining pacemaker, with Kandie and Wolde a couple of seconds in arrears and the rest of the contenders some way back as that 10km section was covered in 28:38, the quickest of the race to that point. The leaders passed the 30km mark in 1:26:04, 27 seconds faster than the previous best 30km split.

The last pacemaker dropped out at 30.5km and Kandie, who had caught Lemma, ruled the race for a while with Lemma and Wolde chasing him in crocodile file. The pace dropped slightly without the pacemaker's help and the trio covered the following kilometres in the 2:55/2:57 range, running 14:36 for the 30-35km section. The key moment came some 1:42 into the race, when Lemma made his move to gradually open a sizeable margin on Wolde and Kandie, with the rest of the field far away.Over the closing stages only Lemma was able to tick off each kilometre well under 3:00 pace to reach 40km in 1:55:12, almost a full minute ahead of Wolde, while Mutiso ran in third another half a minute adrift but ahead of a faltering Kandie.

Lemma reached the finish line unopposed in 2:01:48, just seven seconds shy of Bekele's national record. Mutiso overtook Wolde in the closing stages to take second place in a career best of 2:03:11, with Wolde completing the podium in 2:03:48, also a PB.

Bekele passed Geay and Kandie over the closing kilometres to finish a fine fourth in 2:04:19, improving his own masters record (M40). In a race of great depth, a record 13 athletes ran under 2:06 and a series of national records were set, while world 10,000m record-holder Cheptegei had to settle for 37th place in 2:08:59 on his debut over the classic distance.

“It's incredible to win here with such a fast time, I'm over the moon,” said Lemma.

Degefa signs successful return to lead Ethiopian 1-2-3

The women's event started at an even early pace of 3:12/km as the leaders clocked 16:00 for the opening 5km and 32:02 for 10km. Shortly afterwards, only three women – Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana, Degefa and Hiwot Gebrekiden – remained at the helm.The steady pace continued over the following kilometres and that trio reached the halfway point in 1:07:29, sandwiched between a large group of male athletes right on schedule to give last year's course record of 2:14:58 a scare. By that point, Kenya's Celestine Chepchirchir was a lonesome fourth in 1:08:20.

It was always Ayana who ran closest to the pacemakers, the tempo dropping slightly between 20-30km as the leaders passed 30km in 1:36:22, running 32:24 for the previous 10km. Degefa, returning to the marathon after almost four years following a double maternity leave, moved to the front for the first time around the 33th kilometre and broke away from the 2016 Olympic 10,000m champion Ayana.

Ayana initially managed to reel in her compatriot but then she struggled to stay with Degefa as the latter went through 35km in 1:52:34 to open a four-second advantage. Gebrekidan was another 51 seconds in arrears.

Degefa extended her lead over the next few kilometres and became a virtual winner by 40km as her margin had grown to 21 seconds.

She crossed the finish line well inside the 2:16 barrier thanks to a 2:15:51 performance that improved her previous career best of 2:17:41 from 2019 and moved her to seventh on the women's world all-time list.

Ayana, claiming the runner-up spot, also improved her previous PB by almost a minute with her 2:16:22 effort, while Gebrekidan completed an Ethiopian podium sweep in 2:17:59, 1:11 faster than her previous best.

Chepchirchir finished fourth in 2:20:46.

Local fans had plenty to cheer as Tariku Novales (2:05:48) and Majida Maayouf (2:21:27) both set Spanish records, while Turkey's Sultan Haydar (2:21:27) and Italy's Sofiia Yaremchuk (2:23:16) also broke national records.

Eliud Kipchoge believes Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei can break marathon world record

On Sunday at the 2023 Valencia Marathon, Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda, who holds the world record in both the 5,000m and 10,000m, will make his long-awaited marathon debut. Ahead of his debut, Cheptegei has garnered high praise from perhaps the greatest marathoner in history, Eliud Kipchoge. 

In an interview with BBC Sport Africa, Kipchoge said he believes Cheptegei could break the marathon world record: “He is already a record holder in other fields, and has a huge chance to break a world record in the marathon,” Kipchoge said. The double Olympic marathon champion further complimented Cheptegei’s willingness to learn and succeed, acknowledging the discipline that has led Cheptegei to Olympic gold, world records and multiple world championship titles.

According to NN Running Team, despite Cheptegei’s previous success on the track and Valencia’s course (which is known to be fast), he says he’s not specifically aiming for the marathon world record, but hopes to run a fast time under 2:04. “What would make a perfect race for me in Valencia is to learn and experience the marathon,” Cheptegei said on his debut. “I am not looking to run a fast time, because it is a new distance for me, and I want to learn. The best for me would be seeing myself on the podium.”

The 27-year-old has fond memories of Valencia, which is where he set the 10K world record of 26:38 in 2019 and the 10,000m world record of 26:11.00 the following year.

The former marathon world record holder, Kipchoge, has always been an idol for Cheptegei, inspiring him when he began his professional career in 2015. “Kipchoge’s kind words have always been able to shape me,” Cheptegei told BBC Africa. “Eliud is always keeping an eye on me—always guiding the youth in a good way.” The two distance-running titans met when Cheptegei was training with Kipchoge’s group in Kaptagat, Kenya, in 2015.

Watch the Valencia Marathon

The hype and uncertainty surrounding Cheptegei’s potential over 42.2K will be thrilling to watch on Sunday at the 2023 Valencia Marathon. Cheptegei headlines an exciting field featuring former Olympic champions and world record holders.

International elite athletes determined to keep the Valencia Marathon on the world podium

The three times Olympic champion and five times world champion, Kenenisa Bekele (2:01:41), joins the entry list and will run the Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso on 3 December. Along with him, the Tanzanian Gabriel Geay (2:03:00) will be on the entry list.

The Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso announces its initial list of international athletes with a view to maintaining its ambitious objectives for the event in the ciudad del running on 3 December. Valencia is the third fastest marathon in the world for men and women thanks to the times of 2:01:53 and 2:14:58, respectively, achieved last year, and in 2023 it aspires to remain on the podium of the fastest marathons in the world.

The announced debut of Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei over the distance will be one of the biggest sporting highlights of the day and a challenge not only for him, but also for the top Kenyan and Ethiopian favorites. There are five runners with sub-2h05 times who will be looking to improve their performances on a course that is ideal for personal bests. These runners include Alexander Mutiso (2:03:29), Sisay Lemma (2:03:36), Leul Gebresilase (2:04:02), Chalu Deso (2:04:53) and Titus Kipruto (2:04:54).

Some of them already have experience of getting the most out of the fast streets of Valencia Ciudad del Running, as is also the case for Kibiwott Kandie (2:13:43, a time far from his real level due to a bad start in New York), who will try to match the impressive records he has achieved in two Valencia Half Marathons when he runs the full 42,195 meters.

In the women’s race, the marathoners Tsegay Gemechu (2:16:56), Almaz Ayana (2:17:20), Worknesh Degefa (2:17:41), Joan Chelimo (2:18:04) and Hiwot Gebrekidan (2:19:10), all of whom have experience over the distance, are also expected to put up a tough fight in Bosena Mulatie’s exciting debut.

Marc Roig: “We have the strongest event on the world scene”.

The Valencia Marathon’s international elite coach, Marc Roig, recalled that “in a pre-Olympic year, the Valencia Marathon represents the strongest event in the world. Dozens of athletes are looking to book their ticket to Paris 2024, with more than a dozen seeking national records and both the men’s and women’s front-runners going for course records. Valencia is, once again, the ciudad del running.”

Joshua Cheptegei defends his choice of Eliud Kipchoge as the greatest marathoner

Joshua Cheptegei has shared why he thinks Eliud Kipchoge is the greatest marathoner as he gears to emulate the Kenyan at the Valencia Marathon.

Reigning world 10,000m champion Joshua Cheptegei is keen to follow in the footsteps of former world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge as he eyes an Olympic return and debut at the Valencia Marathon.

Cheptegei will be keen to apply some of the tactics he has gathered from Kipchoge, who is his role model. Kipchoge also made a switch from the track to the marathon and he has since been successful in his races.

Cheptegei will also be keen to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Stephen Kiprotich who is a gold medallist in both world and Olympic marathons.

“For me, Eliud is the greatest…he's one of the guys that inspired me a lot when I was starting up my career and up to now, his legacy still inspires me a lot.

"We normally share whenever there’s an opportunity and I'm always grateful that his words have shaped me over the years, and he is always keeping an eye on me and guiding me in a good way.

"I wanted to shift from the track after the 2020 Olympic Games, but Stephen told me to stay longer.

"Stephen has been one of the guiding pillars, of the timing for the marathon, and this year he gave me the green light.

"He (told me) you can test yourself in a race and if you have challenges, you can bounce back on the track again after maybe six or seven months,” Cheptegei said as per Olympics.com.

After making his debut at the Valencia Marathon, Cheptegei intends to make a comeback to the track at the Paris Olympics next year following his new challenge.

He made his debut at the Olympic Games in Rio, where he finished sixth in the 10,000m and eighth in the 5000m.

He then returned to the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games where he won the 5000m and finished second in the 10,000m.

“It looks like I'm almost done on the track, but not yet done. I am still in love with the 10,000m and still want to go to Paris and win the 10,000m.

"And maybe the outcome in Valencia will (determine) if I do the 10km and the marathon…It could be something to venture into,” Cheptegei said.

Jacob Kiplimo continued his return to racing with a stunning performance at the NN Zevenheuvelenloop

World cross-country champion Jacob Kiplimo continued his return to racing with a stunning performance at the NN Zevenheuvelenloop in Nijmegen on Sunday (19), equalling the world 15km best with 41:05.

The Ugandan was forced to miss the World Championships in Budapest and World Road Running Championships in Riga through injury, but returned to action at the end of last month with a convincing win at the Cross Country Tour Gold meeting in Atapuerca.

Today he notched up another victory, winning by 99 seconds to equal the world best set five years ago by his compatriot Joshua Cheptegei.

He started out at a relatively conservative pace, mindful of the fact there was a big climb to come between 3.5km and 5km. He reached 3km in 8:42 – 23 seconds down on Cheptegei’s pace from 2018 – and got to 5km in 14:24, by which point compatriot Rogers Kibet was already struggling to stay in touch.

Shortly after, Kiplimo was out in front alone and he passed through 8km in 22:31 with a 24-second leading margin. He hit the 10km checkpoint in 27:49, the exact same split Cheptegei recorded during his landmark run. From that point on, Kiplimo’s pace fluctuated slightly; sometimes ahead of course record pace, sometimes behind it.

A 2:31 final kilometer – his fastest of the race – brought him home in 41:05. Kibet held on to second place in 42:44, securing a Ugandan 1-2.

Although 41:05 is the fastest ever performance in a standalone 15km race, Kiplimo recorded a 15km split of 40:27 en route to his half marathon world record in Lisbon in 2021.

World steeplechase record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech was a convincing winner of the women’s race, crossing the line in 47:12 to finish 43 seconds ahead of Israel’s Lonah Salpeter.

Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele confirmed for Valencia Marathon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Despite Mud, Joshua Cheptegei Continues Prep For Valencia Marathon Debut

Joshua Cheptegei is running 140 to 160 kilometers a week in preparation for his marathon debut in Valencia on December 3, through relentless mud in Uganda.

At his training camp in Kapchorwa, Uganda, about 33 kilometers west of the Kenya border, Joshua Cheptegei is running 140 to 160 kilometers a week in preparation for his marathon debut in Valencia on December 3.  A disciplined athlete with a usually sunny demeanor, the 27 year-old Ugandan is facing a challenge beyond tired legs, fatigue, and sore muscles: relentless mud.

"Normally we are used to go to the forest for these runs," Cheptegei told reporters on a conference call today which was delayed by a power outage.  Speaking on a shaky phone line he continued: "We cannot do that because it's getting muddy, not better.  It's still horrible, it's still chilly.  But, we've done most of the work.  It should be OK."

Cheptegei, who won the World Athletics 10,000m title in both 2022 and 2023 and is the world record holder for the distance (26:11.00), can expect dry and sunny conditions for the Maratón Valencia Trinidad Alfonso two weeks from Sunday.  He chose to debut there because of both his relationship with the city, where he set two world records, and because of the favorable date.  Consulting with his coach Addy Ruiter and his management team at Global Sports Communications, Valencia made the most sense, he said, because it allowed him adequate recovery time both after the 2023 track season and before his 2024 track preparations begin.  He also just feels good running there.

"Valencia is the 'City of Running,'" Cheptegei said, repeating the tagline used by the marathon's organizers.  "When I thought of the marathon I spoke to my team... and you know what?  It had to be Valencia because of the history of running there."  He continued: "When I went to Valencia in 2019 when I set the world record on the roads (for 10-K), and in 2020 during COVID I set the world record on the track.  For me, that brings up the excitement and expectations.  It can give you a good motivation, at least."

When asked about his goals for his first marathon, Cheptegei said he was trying to keep it simple.  It's a new event for him and he's got a lot to learn.

"I'm not actually looking to run fast the first time," he said.  He added: "For me, I want to learn.  The best for me is to see myself being on the podium, whether I run 2:03 or 2:04.  I don't know what will take me to the podium.  For me what is important is to enjoy the race and see what happens after 35 kilometers."

Cheptegei gets at least some of his training advice from two Olympic Marathon champions, Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge and Uganda's Stephen Kiprotich.  He said these men were two of his "pillars" in athletics.  He was only 15 years-old when Kiprotich was the upset gold medalist at the 2012 Olympic Marathon in London.  Cheptegei, who was on summer holidays from school, remembers watching the race on television.

"I remember so much," he said.  "I was actually in high school."  He continued: "It affected me positively.  One day I want to become world champion and be a national hero like him."

Kiprotich advised Cheptegei to remain on the track and not jump to the marathon too soon, he said.  The marathon in December would give Cheptegei a new and exciting goal in the near term, and help prepare him for the Paris 2024 Olympics where he hopes to upgrade his 10,000m silver medal from Tokyo to gold.  He might also try to defend his 5000m title, but he has not decided yet whether he should double.

"Stephen told me to stay longer on the track, focus on the marathon, then come back to the track again," Cheptegei said.  "Stephen has been one of the guiding pillars.  He gave me the green light."

In addition to logging long days on his feet, Cheptegei is trying to master some of the marathon's technical challenges.  For instance, he is learning as much as he can about hydration, a critical factor in marathon success.  His previous training didn't involve so many long runs, something he considered "tiresome" in the past but which is now "part of life."

"First and foremost, because of the marathon what I really lack is especially (knowledge) about hydration," he said.  "You really need to learn how to hydrate."

He is also being careful about his choice of shoes.  He plans to use one of Nike's Vaporfly models, a shoe he is comfortable with, instead of the more radical Alphafly series.

"For me about the shoe, normally I like to run in a shoe I'm comfortable with," he explained.  "For me, I'm still looking to run in the Vaporflys.  He continued: "I'm more familiar with the Vaporflys.  I still need more time to learn the Alphaflys."

Cheptegei confirmed that he is committed to the track for 2024 and the Paris Olympics are his highest priority.  As excited as he is about his marathon debut, he seemed equally excited to return to the track.

"It's a new adventure that I'm really looking forward to," he said of the marathon.  He continued: "I still want to go back in Paris and win the 10,000m."

Tanzania's Gabriel Geay goes hunting for redemption in Valencia after Sydney disappointment

The Tanzanian ace failed to finish the race at the Sydney Marathon and he will be searching for redemption in the streets of Valencia.

Tanzania’s marathon ace Gabriel Geay will be lining up for his third marathon this year at the Valencia Marathon scheduled for Sunday, December 3.

The Tanzanian, who started off his season with a second-place finish at the Boston Marathon made the announcement on his Instagram page.

He said: “I’m excited to announce that I will be back to Valencia.”

His announcement comes after he encountered a hitch at the Sydney Marathon, lining up as one of the pre-race favourites, but he failed to finish the race. He did not explain what went wrong but noted that he encountered some challenges.

“Marathon is life and life is full of challenges. Today was a tough day for me but sometimes we must accept the defeat and focus for the next time. Thank you, Sydney Marathon, for the amazing event,” he said.

In Valencia, he will be lining up with the hope of redemption and also looking forward to ending his season on a high.

However, he will not have an easy time since the field has attracted some of the strongest marathoners ever. It will be at the Valencia Marathon where Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei will be debuting.

The Kenyan charge will be led by the duo of Alexander Mutiso and Kibiwott Kandie. Kandie is in the form of his life since he is just fresh from defending his Valencia Half Marathon title and he will be keen to build on that ahead of the marathon.

Mutiso, also an able athlete, will be competing in his second marathon this season after his triumph at the Prague Marathon.

International elite athletes determined to keep the Valencia Marathon on the world podium

The Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso announces its initial list of international athletes with a view to maintaining its ambitious objectives for the event in the ciudad del running on December 3.

Valencia is the third fastest marathon in the world for men and women thanks to the times of 2:01:53 and 2:14:58, respectively, achieved last year, and in 2023 it aspires to remain on the podium of the fastest marathons in the world.

The announced debut of Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei over the distance will be one of the biggest sporting highlights of the day and a challenge not only for him, but also for the top Kenyan and Ethiopian favorites.

There are five runners with sub-2h05 times who will be looking to improve their performances on a course that is ideal for personal bests. These runners include Alexander Mutiso (2:03:29), Sisay Lemma (2:03:36), Leul Gebresilase (2:04:02), Chalu Deso (2:04:53) and Titus Kipruto (2:04:54).

Some of them already have experience of getting the most out of the fast streets of Valencia Ciudad del Running, as is also the case for Kibiwott Kandie (2:13:43, a time far from his real level due to a bad start in New York), who will try to match the impressive records he has achieved in two Valencia Half Marathons when he runs the full 42,195 meters.

In the women’s race, the marathoners Tsegay Gemechu (2:16:56), Almaz Ayana (2:17:20), Worknesh Degefa (2:17:41), Joan Chelimo (2:18:04) and Hiwot Gebrekidan (2:19:10), all of whom have experience over the distance, are also expected to put up a tough fight in Bosena Mulatie’s exciting debut.

Focus shifts from track as road racing season heats up

As the international outdoor track and field season draws to a close, we now look forward to the feast of top-class road racing that will be on offer throughout the final four months of the year.

In just 11 days’ time, the focus of the sport will be on the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23, where the best distance runners on the planet will compete for global honours in the mile, 5km and half marathon.

The likes of world champion Faith Kipyegon, world record-holder Berihu Aregawi and Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir are among the stars set to compete in the Latvian capital. Recreational runners from around the world, meanwhile, will run on the same courses as the greats when they take to the streets of Riga for the associated mass races.

There are also eight Platinum Label road races between September and December, the first of which was held last weekend with Betsy Saina and Othmane El Goumri winning the Blackmores Sydney Marathon. Of the seven other upcoming Platinum events, three of them form part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors (WMM) series: the BMW Berlin Marathon, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and the TCS New York Marathon.

Platinum Label road races, Sep-Dec 2023

8 Oct – Chicago Marathon (WMM)

15 Oct – Amsterdam Marathon

5 Nov – New York Marathon (WMM)

26 Nov – Shanghai Marathon

3 Dec – Valencia Marathon

17 Dec – Bang Saen Half Marathon

The Chicago Marathon two weeks later will be highlighted by a clash between defending champion Ruth Chepngetich and London Marathon winner Sifan Hassan.

Two-time Tokyo Marathon champion Birhanu Legese, the fourth-fastest marathon runner of all time, headlines the men’s field for the Amsterdam Marathon. Defending champion Evans Chebet will take on two-time winner Geoffrey Kamworor at the New York City Marathon in November.

For the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, the Shanghai Marathon in late November will welcome an international elite field.

Just one week later, multiple global champion and world record-holder Joshua Cheptegei will make his long-awaited marathon debut in Valencia. In recent years the event has established itself as one of the highest-quality marathons in the world, and this year’s edition will surely be no exception.

Towards the end of the year, the Thai coastal area of Bang Saen will host one of the newest additions to the Platinum Label calendar, the Bangsaen21 Half Marathon. Since the pandemic, it has been largely a domestic affair, but it will be back with a bang this year with a high-quality elite line-up.

Hundreds of road races each year are granted a World Athletics Label, ranging from ‘Platinum’, for the top tier of road events, to Gold, Elite and Label. There are still more than 100 World Athletics Label road races due to take place between now and the end of 2023.

Kiplangat's marathon victory completes golden 2023 treble for Uganda

In the end, as he approached the finishing curve in the sunbathed Heroes’ Square, Victor Kiplangat could afford to snatch his national flag and savour his golden moment at the end of the men’s marathon on the morning of the final day of action at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23.

For the second time in Budapest, Uganda had a world-beating hero to acclaim, Joshua Cheptegei having claimed the men’s 10,000m crown on the track on day two. Add in Jacob Kiplimo’s victory at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst in February, and the former third force of East African distance running could celebrate a hattrick of global successes in 2023.

Kiplangat hit the gold standard on the international scene at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last year. Twelve months on, inspired by Kiplimo, the 23-year-old proved a class apart from the rest of the world, breaking clear from Ethiopia’s Leul Gebresilase with 3km to go and crossing the line in 2:08:53.The winning margin was 26 seconds and it was Israel’s Maru Teferi who claimed the silver, overtaking the tiring Gebresilase on the finishing curve to finish runner up in 2:09:12. In doing so, the 31-year-old – who was outsprinted for European gold by Germany’s Richard Ringer in Munich last year – was rewarded for a turbo-charged recovery after suffering a spectacular fall with 10km to go.

Gebresilase had to settle for bronze in 2:09:19, a disappointment for Ethiopia, who finished first and second in Doha in 2019 and in Oregon last year. His teammate Tamarit Tola, the decisive winner on the Oregon trail, was in the hunt until fading at 33km and eventually dropping out.

After Gebresilase came Lesotho's Tebello Ramakongoana, fourth in a PB 2:09:57, and then Kiplangat’s Ugandan teammate Stephen Kissa, who recovered from a fall of his own to finish fifth in 2:10:22.  

“This has been my dream and it has come true at last,” said Kiplangat, the second Ugandan to take the title, following Stephen Kiprotich’s success in Moscow in 2013.

“Last year I was Commonwealth Games champion and that made me think this year I must become world champion. Now my prayers have been answered and hopefully next year in Paris I will become Olympic champion too.  

“It was hard today because it was so hot but I felt comfortable because I prepared well for this weather. I knew it was possible because I had trained well. It was a dream and a mission and I did it today. 

“When I reached 30km I knew I felt strong and decided to push. I had great energy and that allowed me to go. Then at 35km I could surge again. That was always my plan and I managed to do it.

“I need to thank Jacob Kiplimo. He has given me a lot of motivation and inspired me with his performances. I am so grateful as well for his advice and guidance. Without that, I couldn't have won today.”Without picking himself up so smartly, and moving directly into overdrive, the terrific Teferi would not have claimed a silver medal lining.

“I am glad I managed to fulfil my dream,” he said. “I fell down and tore my vest but I tried to move on to finish the race in the best possible condition.” 

At the start of the race, Ser-Od Bat-Ochir set out like a bat out of hell. The 41-year-old Mongolian powered through the opening 1km in 2:57 and hit 3km in 8:55, 2:05 pace, building up a lead of 27 seconds. 

The most experienced campaigner in the 83-man field, Bat-Ochir was competing in his 11th straight World Championships marathon, his debut having come in Paris when he was a sprightly 21-year-old back in 2003. 

With a highest placing of 19th, in Daegu in 2011, and having finished 26th in Oregon a year ago, Bat-Ochir was never going to maintain his punishing early pace. His lifetime best of 2:08:50 dates back to 2014, his best this year being a more modest 2:24:46.

His determination could not be doubted. To acclimatise to cooler conditions for the Olympic marathon in London in 2012, he moved his family to the north-east of England for a year, training at Morpeth Harriers with some guidance from the great Jim Alder, winner of the Commonwealth Games marathon in 1966 and holder of the world track best for two hours since 1964.

Bat-Ochir kept his foot on the gas for a little while yet, passing 5km in 14:59, 35 seconds clear of Tola. Thereafter, however, the pace started to take its toll.

By 8km, his lead was down to 15 seconds and just past 9km he was swallowed by the pack of major players, with Kenya’s Timothy Kiplagat in the vanguard. Second in Rotterdam in April, the Kenyan led through 10km with a three-second advantage, but chose not to push on.Bat-Ochir started to pay the price for his bold effort. After passing 10km, he ground to a halt, clutching his right hamstring, stretching it out and starting again. Not that he was going to do a Sifan Hassan. After another couple of stops and re-starts, he hobbled off the course for good at 12km.

Meanwhile, back at the sharp end, Kenya’s Joshua Belet led through 15km in 46:09, upping the pace to match Bat-Ochir’s opening kilometre split of 2:57.

There were 30 men still in the lead pack at halfway, with Rwanda’s John Hakizimana at the front in 1:05:02. A surge from Kiplangat at a drinks station, however, succeeded in splintering the group.

Approaching 30km, Kiplangat injected a 2:54 split, drawing Tola towards the front for the first time.

The pack was down to six approaching Heroes’ Square for the penultimate time, then five when Kissa tripped and fell after clipping Kiplangat’s heels.

Then it was down to three: Kiplangat, Tola and Gebresilase. The Ugandan kept his foot down and just after 33km Tola started to drop.

After a split of 2:49, the fastest of the race, it was Kiplangat vs Gebresilase, Tola fading out of contention.

Kiplangat hammered away at the front, Gebresilase in his immediate slipstream, until the pressure finally told with 3km remaining. The Commonwealth Games champion opened a gap that swiftly grew into an unassailable one and Teferi also passed Gebresilase in the closing stages to secure the silver.

Uganda’s global distance running hattrick was securely in the bag.

4 Stunning Moments at the World Track and Field Championships

Here are the top moments at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, and what to watch for this weekendThere’s just three action-packed days of track and field remaining in Budapest, Hungary for the 2023 World Athletics Championships. Whether you’ve spent the past six days glued to your streaming service or you’re just catching up, here’s a refresher on the top highlights so far, and what we’re looking forward to most this weekend.Sha’Carri Richardson proved that she is here to stay by winning the 100-meter final with a new championship record of 10.65. To do it, she had to take down her Jamaican rivals Shericka Jackson, the fastest woman in the world this year, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the reigning LLP world champion and 15-time world medalist.

After a poor showing in her semifinal, Richardson failed to achieve one of the auto-qualifiers and was placed in lane nine for the final. None of that mattered on race day, though, as the 23-year-old showcased the best acceleration over the final 30 meters of any runner in the field to claim gold from the outside lane. Jackson took silver in 10.72, while Fraser-Pryce ran a season’s best of 10.77 for bronze.

The victory marks Richardson’s first appearance at a global championship. She won the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2021, but was unable to compete in the Olympic Games in Tokyo after testing positive for marijuana, a banned substance. In 2023, Richardson said, she’s “not back, [she’s] better.”

Can magic strike twice, and can she earn another medal in the 200 meters? She’ll again face Jackson, the second-fastest woman in world history, as well as American Gabby Thomas, the bronze medalist in Tokyo and the fastest woman in the world this year.

The women’s 200-meter final is on August 25. On Saturday, August 26, Richardson and Thomas will team up to compete against Jackson and Fraser-Pryce in the 4×100-meter relay.The flamboyant American Noah Lyles has made clear his ultimate goal of breaking Usain Bolt’s world record of 19.19 in the 200 meters for nearly a year now, ever since breaking the American record, en route to his second world title last summer in Eugene. But to get there, coach Lance Brauman reveals in NBC docuseries “Untitled: The Noah Lyles Project,” the 200-meter specialist would need to improve his speed by focusing on the 100m.

Despite never making a U.S. team in the 100 meters before, Lyles muscled his way onto the podium at the USATF Track and Field Championships a week after getting COVID, and executed his race plan perfectly in Budapest to claim gold with a world-leading time of 9.83. Letsile Tebogo of Botswana set a national record of 9.88 to earn silver and become the first African to podium at a world championship, while Zharnel Hughes of Great Britain took home his first bronze medal.

“They said I wasn’t the one,” he said immediately after the race, in what is sure to be one of this world championship’s most memorable moments. “But I thank God that I am.”

Now his attention turns to a third world title in the 200 meter—and a potential world record. Only Bolt has won three straight world titles over 200 meters, and the Jamaican world record holder is also the last man to win the 100-meter/200-meter double back in 2015.

In a bizarre turn of events on Thursday, a golf cart transporting athletes including Lyles to the track for the 200-meter semi-finals collided with another cart. Several athletes had to be seen by a doctor before the race, and Jamaica’s Andrew Hudson was automatically advanced to the final after competing with shards of glass in his eye. Lyles was reportedly fine.

Tebogo and Hughes will be back for the 200-meter final, as well as Kenneth Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton, who completed the USA sweep with Lyles last year, and Tokyo Olympic champion Andre de Grasse of Canada.

The 200-meter finals are on Friday, and the 4 x 100-meter final is on Saturday.For the second year in a row, the best middle-distance runner in the world was outkicked in the world championship 1,500-meter final by a British athlete. This time, it was Josh Kerr who delivered the kick that broke Jakob Ingebrigtsen, winning his first world title in 3:29.38.

For the fiercely competitive Ingebrigtsen, the second-fastest man in world history in the event, silver is hardly any consolation for losing. Yet he nearly lost that as well — his Norwegian countryman Narve Gilje Nordås (who is coached by Jakob’s father Gjert) nearly beat him to the line, with Ingebrigtsen finishing slightly ahead, 3:29.65 to 3:29.68.Kerr, the Olympic bronze medalist in Tokyo, seemed to employ a similar tactic as last year’s upset winner Jake Weightman, who similarly sat and kicked with about 180 meters to go. Kerr and Weightman actually trained together as youth rivals at Scotland’s Edinburgh Athletic Club. Kerr now trains in the United States with the Brooks Beasts.

Ingebrigtsen revealed after the race that he had a slight fever and some throat dryness. He competed in the preliminary round of the 5,000 meters on Thursday, advancing to the final with the third-fastest time of the day. He is the reigning world champion and will race the final on Sunday.

While the path to victory looks difficult, at least one heavy hitter has removed himself from conversation — world record holder Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda, who already won the 10K this week, pulled out of the 5K with a foot injury.On the very first day of competition in Budapest, the Netherlands track and field federation suffered not one but two devastating falls while running within reach of gold.

Femke Bol was leading the anchor leg of the mixed 4×400-meter relay when she fell just meters from the finish line, leaving the Dutch team disqualified while Team USA captured the gold medal.

On the same night, countrywoman Sifan Hassan stumbled to the ground in the final meters of the 10,000 meters, going from first to 11th, while the Ethiopian trio of Gudaf Tsegay, Letesenbet Gidey and Ejgayehu Taye swept the podium positions.

Hassan was the first to get redemption, earning a bronze medal in the 1,500 meters in 3:56.00 behind only world record holder Faith Kipyegon of Kenya (3:54.87) and Diribe Welteji of Ethiopia (3:55.69). She reportedly did a workout immediately following the race, calling it “not a big deal,” and the next morning won her 5,000-meter prelim in a blistering 14:32.29 over Kipyegon, who also owns the world record over 5K (14:05.20). The two will face off in the final on Saturday.

On Thursday, 23-year-old Bol got her redemption run. With the absence of world record holder Sydney McLaughlin in her signature event of the 400-meter hurdles, the gold was Bol’s for the taking and she left no mercy on the field. She stormed to her first World Championships gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles with a dominant effort of 51.70, with the United States’ Shamier Little nearly a full second behind in 52.80. Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton took bronze in 52.81.

Bol will return to the track for the women’s 4 x 400-meter relay final on Sunday. The Dutch was also disqualified in this event last year at Worlds and will seek to record a result at all expense.

Joshua Cheptegei withdraws from 5,000m with foot injury

Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei, a three-time world champion in the 10,000m as of Sunday, has announced he will be pulling out of the 5,000 meter race. Cheptegei addressed fans on social media: “I am proud and happy to have won another gold medal on the 10,000m,” he wrote. “I would have loved to compete in the 5000m as well, but unfortunately I had to decide not to start.”

Cheptegei has opted to rest a foot injury, alluded to by his coach Addy Ruiter after Cheptegei’s 10,000m victory. “He is having little injury under his foot. It was already there the past couple of weeks,” Ruiter said to the media, explaining that Cheptegei would have to see how his body felt before toeing the line at Thursday’s prelims. The 5,000m final will be held on Sunday, the last day of championship competition.

Cheptegei is the reigning Olympic champ in the 5,000m and holds the world record in the distance (12:35.36, set in 2020) as well as the world record in the 10,000m event. He is only the 10th man in history to hold both those records concurrently. At the 2022 Worlds in Eugene, Cheptegei attempted the double and finished ninth in the 5,000m after sustaining a hamstring injury, while his compatriot Oscar Chelimo ran to third. Fans will be looking to 21-year-old Chelimo to make it through to the final round while keeping an eye on Cheptegei in the future–the athlete is set to make his marathon debut on Dec. 3 in Valencia.

Joining Chelimo on the start line will be Canada’s Ben Flanagan in his first world championship race. Flanagan has shifted his focus to the 5,000m this season, and his efforts have paid off, breaking the 13:20 mark on three occasions. He took gold at the Canadian championships in 13:39.36, and shared on Instagram that he was “ready to capitalize” upon arrival in Budapest earlier this week, after wrapping up a solid training camp in Spain.

Canada’s Moh Ahmed will be hoping for redemption in the 5,000m event after what he felt was a disappointing repeat sixth-place finish in the 10,000 on Tuesday. It was Ahmed’s fourth consecutive sixth-place finish in the men’s 10,000m at a major championship, after finishing sixth at the 2022 Worlds in Eugene, sixth at the Tokyo Olympics and sixth at the 2019 Worlds in Doha, Qatar.

“I had high aspirations this year, and I’m very disappointed to be sixth, again,” Ahmed shared after the race. The athlete has previously won a silver and bronze over 5,000m, finishing fifth last year behind Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigsten.

The 2023 World Athletics Championships are taking place from August 19-27 at the National Stadium in Budapest, Hungary. All the action will be brought to you by Canadian Running and Asics Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Team Canada and up-to-date exclusive news and content.

Joshua Cheptegei: It’s time to transition to the marathon

Three time World 10,000m champion Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei has announced his intention to transition from track events to marathon races, saying that the time has come for him to embrace a new chapter in his athletic career.

Cheptegei’s decision comes after securing his third consecutive world title in the challenging 10,000-meter race at the prestigious stage of Budapest.At 26 years, Cheptegei, who holds world records for both the 10,000-meter and 5,000-meter distances, displayed incredible determination despite sweltering temperatures, completing the race in 27 minutes and 51.42 seconds.

His exceptional performance saw him outshine competitors like Kenya’s Daniel Simiu Ebenyo, who finished with a time of 27:52.60, and his long-time rival, Selemon Barega from Ethiopia, who crossed the line in 27:52.72.Speaking after his gold-winning race, Cheptegei mentioned that it was a special moment for him to defend his title, especially considering his return from an injury.

He expressed his belief that it’s time for him to transition to marathons, as he feels his journey in the middle-distance races has been a successful one.

Cheptegei’s return to the 10,000-meter race marked his first participation since 2022, a year in which he faced an injury setback during the 5000-meter event.

However, this did not diminish his ability to outcompete a strong field of 27 athletes in Budapest. Prior to his victory in Budapest, Cheptegei encountered an unexpected challenge when his fellow athlete Jacob Kiplimo, a prominent figure on the track, had to withdraw due to a hamstring injury.Despite the increased pressure, Cheptegei rose to the occasion and emerged triumphant.

This latest gold medal signifies Cheptegei’s remarkable achievement of securing three consecutive world titles in the 10,000-meter race, a distinction previously attained by legendary athletes like Great Britain’s Sir Mo Farah and Ethiopian icons Haile Gebrselassie and Kennenisa Bekele.

This accomplishment solidifies Cheptegei’s status as one of the foremost athletes of his generation.Benjamin Njia, the coach of the Uganda Athletics Federation, expressed his support for Cheptegei’s decision to venture into marathons.

He explained that while Cheptegei will be using a marathon race in December to assess his potential, this doesn’t immediately mark his departure from track events.Cheptegei will still have two more years to compete, including the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, where he aims to win gold in the 10,000-meter race while continuing to excel in the 5,000-meter event.

Cheptegei joins all-time greats after winning third world 10,000m title in Budapest

As in Oregon last year, and as in Doha in 2019, there was no stopping Joshua Cheptegei when it came to the crunch in a World Championships 10,000m final.

The fastest man in history over 5000m and 10,000m might have been outfought by Selemon Barega on the final lap of the Olympic final in Tokyo two years ago, but when the bell sounded in Budapest Uganda’s golden boy found his Midas touch to land the decisive blow in a gripping East African slugfest.

Cheptegei had already made what proved to be the decisive move by then, overtaking the Ethiopian wind-up merchant Berihu Aregawi with 600 metres to go.

Aregawi, who finished one place ahead of him as the silver medallist at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst in February, had upped the pace with a succession of 64-second laps from six laps out but was burned off when Cheptegei launched his pre-emptive strike.

In Oregon he struck at the bell and stayed there, resisting a challenge from Barega, who ultimately faded to fifth. This time the Olympic champion was his prime chaser again, closing down the back straight and cutting the gap to a metre with 200 metres left.

Gritting his teeth as he rounded the final turn, the Ethiopian prepared to launch a grandstand finish but Cheptegei pulled clear up the home straight, crossing the line a clear winner in 27:51.42.

Such was Barega’s sense of deflation, the wind evacuated his sails. Easing down as the line approached, he was pipped for second place by Daniel Ebenyo, the Kenyan claiming a silver to match his Commonwealth runners-up prize of last year in 27:52.60.

Barega took bronze in 27:52.72, followed home by compatriot Aregawi, fourth in 27:55.71, and Kenyan Benard Kibet, fifth in 27:56.27. Canada’s Mo Ahmed came next in 27:56.43, a lifetime best.

For Cheptegei, who closed with a 53.46-second final lap – near identical to his Eugene split of 53.42 – it was as momentous as any of his growing number of victories. At the age of 26, he entered the record books as the fourth man to claim a hat-trick of world 10,000m titles, following in the spikemarks of the Ethiopian greats Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele, who both won four, and Britain’s supreme championship performer, Mo Farah.

“I am very excited and proud that I have succeed in winning my third world title in a row, “said Cheptegei, who has had to contend with injury since his Oregon victory. “This was the best possible way to end the season.

“This might be my last championships on the track. That's why this gold medal means even more.”

With a marathon debut to come in December in Valencia, the city where he set his 10,000m world record three years ago, who knows what the future might hold for the man who has broken the traditional East African distance running stranglehold of the Ethiopians and Kenyans?

For the time being, he can content himself on a job well done in a curious race that was clearly dictated by clammy, humid conditions reminiscent of Osaka in 2007.

Cheptegei and the rest of the leading lights kept their powder dry as his Ugandan teammate Joel Ayeko set off on his lonesome in the phoney war of the opening 3km.

Passing 400m in 62.86 and 1km in 2:46.69, the 30-year-old was more than five seconds clear at one stage before Cheptegei steadily whittled it down, with Ebenyo and Kibet in his slipstream.

Kibet and Aregawi traded places at the front before 5km was reached in a pedestrian 14:21.75. The cat-and-mouse continued, Kibet also taking a turn in pole position.

All the while, Cheptegei kept his cool, literally and metaphorically. Having run out of gas at the end of the World Athletics Cross Country Championships on home ground in the humidity of Kampala back in 2017, he veered out to collect a sponge at a water station – then bided his time when Aregawi started injecting some meaningful pace.

In the end, it was his class that told. Once again. In three seasons, he has run just three 10,00m races. He has won Olympic silver and two more world golds.

Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei will run debut marathon in Valencia

Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei is already the 5,000-meter Olympic champion and a two-time world champ in the 10,000 meter distance and the world record holder at both distances, but it seems he’s just getting started. Cheptegei, 26, one of only ten men to ever hold both records concurrently, says he feels it’s time to step up his distance–and will be doing so in Valencia, Spain on Dec. 3.

The Valencia Marathon, known for its fast and flat course, is familiar ground for the 26-year-old athlete. “I have run 2 of my world records there and they organized the NN Valencia World Record Day for me in Covid-times,” Cheptegei told World Athletics. “Now they have given me the opportunity to run my first marathon. I already know the track in Valencia and I am very excited to explore the roads here.” Cheptegei runs with the world’s fastest marathoner, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge on the NN Running Team.

While Cheptegei says his main focus for the next year will be the 2024 Paris Olympics, he hopes his marathon debut will be a good experience–and it will help determine what direction his racing will head in post-Olympics.

Cheptegei finished second at the New York Half Marathon in March (his second-ever attempt at the distance), and ran a PB of 59:21 at the World Half Marathon Champs in 2020.

The current course record in Valencia is a scorching 2:01:53, set in 2022 by Kenyan runner Kelvin Keptum, also in his marathon debut. The last four editions of the race have been won in sub-2:04 times, and Cheptegei’s debut at such a remarkably quick race will be greatly anticipated.

Why Are Runners Suddenly So Fast?

Records are falling and times are dropping. Is it the shoes, or something else?

Consider the Paris Diamond League meet in early June. Jakob Ingebrigtsen smashed the two-mile world best by more than four seconds, becoming just the second man to run back-to-back sub-four-minute miles. Then Faith Kipyegon notched her second world record in a row, outsprinting the reigning record-holder over 5,000 meters just a week after becoming the first woman under 3:50 in the 1,500 meters. Then, to cap the night, Lamecha Girma took down the steeplechase record.

It was a great night—but it was just one of many great nights that track fans have been treated to recently. A week later, at the historic Bislett Games in Oslo, eight men broke 3:30 for 1,500 meters in one race, setting a new record—including Yared Nuguse, who set a new U.S. best. Meet records fell in almost every event. At the collegiate level, an analysis by Oregon-based coach Peter Thompson shows that the number of middle- and long-distance runners hitting elite benchmark times has doubled, tripled, or in some events even quadrupled in the last two years. Earlier in June, four high-school boys broke four minutes for the mile in a single race, matching the total number of people who’d done it in history prior to 2011.

I could go on.

There are two main questions that arise from this buffet of speed. First, is it real? Are runners getting faster across the board, or are we just being fooled by the brilliance of a few individuals and random fluctuations in the depth of different events? Second, if it’s really happening, then why? The easy answer is, “It’s gotta be the shoes” (or, in this case, the super spikes), but does the data really back that up?

I don’t have any definitive answers at this point, but here are my thoughts on some of the possible explanations.

It’s easy to make an anecdotal case that runners are faster than ever. Backing that up with data isn’t quite as straightforward. If you look only at whether the top-ranked time in the world is getting faster or slower from year to year, any trends will depend on whether you happen to have a generational athlete in the event at a given point in time. The effect of an Usain Bolt is bigger than the effect of, say, a new shoe design. Even if you go deeper, the top ten times in any year often come from just one or two races that took place in exceptionally good conditions. So you’re better off looking farther down the list.

For example, here’s some data for the men’s 1,500 meters between 2009 and 2022, drawn from the World Athletics database. I’ve shown the first, tenth, 100th, and 1,000th ranked performers (not performances) for each year. The horizontal dashed lines show the average for 2009 to 2018. The first super spike prototypes had shown up on the circuit by 2019 at latest, and were widely available by 2021. The big spike of slower times in 2020 is because there were so few races due to the pandemic.

The number-one times don’t show any particular trend. The tenth-best times show a dip since 2021, but no bigger than the dip in 2014-2015 (which corresponded to two particularly fast races in Monaco). For the 100th and 1,000th best times, the pre-pandemic data finally starts to look more consistent, which makes the dip since 2021 more telling. The 1,000th-best performer is now 0.9 percent faster than the pre-pandemic average, and the 100th-best is 0.5 percent faster. This is smaller than the 1.3-percent estimate derived from lab testing of super spikes, but in the ballpark.

Here’s comparable data for the women’s 5,000 meters:

Again, the first- and tenth-ranked times fluctuate too much to draw any conclusions. The 100th and 1,000th places do show an apparent drop in the last few years, by 1.9 and 2.0 percent respectively—more than the lab estimate. There are lots of possible explanations for this discrepancy, including that the benefits of super spikes are reduced at faster speeds.

I’ll add one more graph just for context. Supershoes came to road running way back in 2016 (for prototypes) and became widely available by 2018. I think most observers agree that these shoes really have affected road-running times. So what does the comparable data show for, say, men’s marathon times? Here it is:

The data is confounded by the effects of the pandemic, particularly in 2020. Still, the post-supershoe improvement looks fairly similar to the track data. Compared to the 2009 to 2016 average, last year’s times were 0.7 percent faster at tenth, 1.6 percent faster at 100th, and 1.3 percent faster at 1,000th.

The conclusion I take from all this data? It does like there’s something going on, both on the track and on the roads. But it’s way less obvious in the data than I expected. My subjective feeling was that the last few years have seen records broken and times redefined at a totally unprecedented rate. I thought I’d see robust improvement of at least three or four percent. But that scale of change is not there, at least in the events I sampled.

So with that in mind, what explains the changes we do see?

My starting assumption is that any performance improvements we’ve seen in the last few years are because of the shoes. I’m not going to belabor that point here, because I’ve already written plenty on both road supershoes and super spikes.

But I do want to make one key point. The reason my prime suspect is the shoes is that we have direct laboratory evidence that both types of shoes improve running economy, by around 2 percent on the track and at least 4 percent on the roads (and, to complete the circle, lab evidence that improved running economy directly translates to faster race times). It would take some weird and hitherto undiscovered science in order for the shoes not to make us faster. In contrast, the other hypotheses that I’m going to discuss below may be compelling to various degrees, but all rely on some assumptions and guesses and hand-waving.

Here’s a sentence you wouldn’t have read prior to 2018, from Letsrun’s description of Kipyegon’s thrilling 1,500 world record in Florence: “Kipyegon sprinted away from the pacing lights with 200m to go, lengthening her gap from the green lights as she rounded the turn and entered the home straightaway.” I wrote about World Athletics’s introduction of Wavelight pacing lights when Joshua Cheptegei set the 5,000-meter world record in 2020, positing that more even splits could make a notable difference to times. Good pacing has been a hallmark of this year’s records too, all assisted by Wavelight.

Wavelight doesn’t factor in on the roads, but ever since Eliud Kipchoge’s sub-two marathon exhibitions, big-time marathons have devoted more attention to providing top-notch pacers for their elite runners. That has the double benefit of saving the mental effort of setting the pace, and of reducing air resistance. I think good pacing and drafting are both beneficial. But that can’t explain why the 100th and 1,000th performers seem to be getting faster, because Wavelight and paid rabbits are generally reserved for the front of the pack.

Freed from the tyranny of over-frequent racing during lockdowns, runners spent 2020 building up a massive base of endurance that has catapulted them to new levels. It’s even possible that, having learned their lesson, they’ll continue with this more patient approach to training. This theory has the disadvantage of being both unprovable and unfalsifiable. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s untrue, but if performance levels don’t start regressing to their pre-pandemic means over the next few years, I’ll remain skeptical.

It’s the “big, sexy thing” in endurance training these days, as miler Hobbs Kessler put it in a recent interview: lactate-guided double-threshold training, as popularized by Norwegian Olympic champions Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Kristian Blummenfelt. As I explained in this article, the approach emphasizes high volumes of threshold training with very tight control on the intensity to avoid going too hard. Whether it’s objectively better than other training approaches remains to be seen—but it hasn’t yet been adopted widely enough to make a noticeable impact on the top-1,000 list.

In the past, when I’ve looked at broad trends in performance over time, one of the first factors I’ve considered is changes in drug availability or drug testing. It’s extremely noticeable (though of course not proof of anything) that long-distance track times took off like a rocket shortly after the introduction of EPO in the early 1990s. If you look carefully, you can find what seems to be the performance signature of various drug-related events like the introduction of EPO testing and, more recently, the implementation of athlete biological passports.

Is there something new on the scene over the last few years? Or are we still seeing the effects of pandemic-related disruptions in out-of-competition drug testing? I certainly hope it’s not the case, but you’d have to be amnesiac to discount the possibility entirely. Once again, the best counterargument is that the performance improvements are noticeable even at the 1,000th-best level—though perhaps I’m being naive.

As you can probably tell, I don’t think any of the alternative explanations I’ve offered so far hold water compared to my default assumption that it’s the shoes. But this last category is a little different. If you spend enough time arguing with people about why runners are getting faster, you’ll encounter a number of broad, hand-waving theories that are hard to substantiate but nonetheless sound reasonable.

For example, I can attest to the fact that the Internet has made training knowledge far more widely accessible than it was when I was a young athlete in the 1990s. Ideas and approaches (like the Norwegian model) are endlessly debated and dissected, and any student of the sport is exposed to multiple perspectives. (In contrast, when I arrived at university and found that the workouts were different from those I’d done in high school, I thought the world was ending.) This theory has been offered frequently over the last decade or more as an explanation for steadily improving U.S. high school times. Maybe it’s true more broadly: people everywhere simply know more about the principles of training, and are doing it better (or at least fewer people are doing really stupid training) compared to the past. Even if elite coaching was always pretty good, this creates a wider pyramid of prospective talent feeding into the elite coaches.

I also have the sense that the pendulum has swung away from sit-and-kick racing towards aggressive front-running. After the 2019 world championships, where super spikes first made headlines, I wrote an article about the unusually fast early paces of the races. Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the current king of the 1,500, is notable for running from the front and pushing the pace rather than relying on a finishing sprint—which likely helps explain why he led those seven other men under 3:30 in Oslo. If runners these days are more focused on running fast times rather than trying to win sprint finishes, it stands to reason that times would get faster overall.

And there are plenty of other theories out there—broader support for professional training groups, better nutrition and recovery, the inevitable march of progress, and some that I’ve undoubtedly missed completely. As I said at the top, I don’t know the answers, and I don’t think anyone else does either. Times do seem to be improving, but not as much as I would have guessed based on all the hype about recent record-breaking. The shoes almost certainly play some role—but if there’s some other secret sauce in there, it’ll be fun trying to figure out what it is.

Ingebrigtsen and Girma go head-to-head in hunt for fast 1500m in Lausanne

Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Lamecha Girma both made history earlier this month in Paris, where they set a world two-mile best and a world 3000m steeplechase record, respectively. Now they have the chance to push each other to fast 1500m performances when they return to Wanda Diamond League action in Lausanne on Friday (30).

Norway’s Ingebrigtsen, who broke the world indoor 1500m record by running 3:30.60 in Lievin in February, clocked 7:54.10 in Paris to improve Daniel Komen’s world best for two miles. Despite still having that race in his legs, the 22-year-old improved his own European 1500m record to 3:27.95 in Oslo six days later – a time that places him sixth on the world all-time list.

Although the world record had not been his aim in Oslo, Lausanne’s Athletissima gives Ingebrigtsen another opportunity to take further strides toward Hicham El Guerrouj’s almost 25-year-old world record of 3:26.00.

“I 100% have more left in me,” Ingebrigtsen said after his performance in Oslo. “I just have to keep focused on each race ahead in the build-up to Budapest (World Championships), where it really matters.”

Girma will hope to be up there with him. The Ethiopian 22-year-old stormed to a time of 7:52.11 for his specialism in Paris, taking 1.52 seconds off the world 3000m steeplechase record set by Said Saeed Shaheen in 2004, and then turned his attention to attacking the Ethiopian 1500m record of 3:29.91 at the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Ostrava on Tuesday (27). He still looked like he had plenty left in the closing stages but having to run wide down the home straight, he focused on the win, running a PB of 3:33.15 that he will aim to improve again in Lausanne.

It will be the first time that Ingebrigtsen and Girma have clashed in any discipline.

In Oslo, Ingebrigtsen led the first eight men under 3:30 for the first time in history, and this time the line-up includes two other men who have dipped under that barrier so far in their careers: Britain’s Olympic bronze medallist Josh Kerr and Australia’s Stewart McSweyn. They are joined on the entry list by Ethiopia’s Teddese Lemi, New Zealand’s Sam Tanner and Britain’s Neil Gourley.

In the 5000m – the discipline in which Ingebrigtsen won world gold last year after his 1500m silver – Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei will take on Olympic 10,000m gold medallist Selemon Barega, world 5km record-holder Berihu Aregawi, Telahun Haile Bekele, Birhanu Balew and their fellow sub-13:00 runner Muktar Edris.

In the women’s 3000m steeplechase, world U20 silver medallist Sembo Almayew is back on the track after her world-leading PB performance of 9:00.71 to win in Florence. The 2021 world U20 gold medallist, Jackline Chepkoech, was second on that occasion and is also racing, along with world record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech and world bronze medallist Mekides Abebe.

The world leader also heads the entries in the women’s 800m, where world and Olympic silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson – who improved her British record to 1:55.77 to win in Paris – will look to make another statement as she renews her rivalry with Kenya’s Mary Moraa.

World bronze medallist Moraa, who won Commonwealth Games and Diamond League titles ahead of Hodgkinson last year, has run a best of 1:58.72 so far this season and the strong field also features Habitam Alemu, Noelie Yarigo, Jemma Reekie, Catriona Bisset, Natoya Goule and Switzerland's Audrey Werro, who recently ran a world U20 1000m record of 2:34.89 in Nice.

Is Wavelight technology good for the sport?

Last week at the Paris Diamond League, we witnessed one of the most extraordinary single-day spectacles in the history of the sport. Over the course of two hours, two world records and a world best were shattered; the races were nothing short of spectacular, particularly when Faith Kipyegon skilfully closed the gap on the Wavelight during the final two laps, leaving Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey in the dust and achieving the seemingly impossible: a new women’s 5,000m world record.

The question of whether Wavelights are beneficial for the sport remains subjective, with opinions among track fans varying. On one hand, they enhance the performance and make races more engaging for spectators at the track or watching from home. On the other hand, they provide a precise pacing strategy for elite athletes, potentially facilitating faster times and diminishing the traditional element of intense competition.What is Wavelight technology?

Wavelight technology, named for the Mexican Wave, was introduced by World Athletics in 2019. It serves as a tool for athletes and spectators, offering assistance with pacing and providing a visual representation of the race’s progression. A wave of lights appears along the inside edge of the track, moving at the desired pace for the race. Typically used in distance events like the 800m, 1,500m, or 5,000m, these lights are programmed to signify specific benchmarks, such as world championship standards, meeting records or world record times.Pros

People are drawn to track and field events to witness athletes breaking records, and Wavelight can serve as a valuable tool for athletes to gauge their paces and attempt to break records. A notable example: at the Paris Diamond League on June 9, where Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway and Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia ran ahead of the lights to set new records in their respective races. In Girma’s case, the lights pushed and challenged him throughout the 3,000m steeplechase, with Girma narrowly staying ahead in the final 100m to break the previous world record by one second.

Girma’s reliance on the lights became evident as his pace dropped off after 1,000m, and he had to dig deep to maintain the pace set by the flashing lights. Without them, it is unlikely he would have achieved the record.Track and field has faced challenges since the departure of Usain Bolt in 2017, with the sport seeking its next superstar. The success of major events like the World Championships and the Olympic Games significantly increases the sport’s popularity.

World Athletics recognizes the importance of world or national records in the Diamond League circuit, which contribute to increased viewership. The implementation of Wavelight technology allows athletes to run faster and challenge these record times, catering to the audience’s desire for exciting and fast-paced performances.While not every race will produce record-breaking times, Wavelight enhances the potential for thrilling performances that captivate viewers and generate greater interest in the sport.

Cons

When Ingebrigtsen shattered Daniel Komen’s two-mile record, which had stood for 26 years, my immediate thought was how fast Komen could have run with today’s technology. Komen had pacers guide him through the first 2,000m before running the final kilometre alone against the clock. Similarly, Ingebrigtsen had pacers until around the 2,000m mark, but they gradually dropped off, leaving him with a lead of 10-15 metres over the lights.

Depending on the race style or purpose, I believe Wavelight can have a positive impact on the sport. But they also detract from what track and field is fundamentally about—the world’s best athletes competing against one another. Watching a Diamond League event where one athlete outpaces the rest of the field by 15 to 20 seconds in the 3,000m steeplechase does not benefit the sport. While celebrating superstars is important, track and field legends like Komen, Kenenisa Bekele, Genzebe Dibaba and David Rudisha never had events specifically set up for them to chase world records.

They achieved their records in the heat of competition, racing against other competitors. This is where I believe Wavelight technology crosses a line.A compelling comparison was published in Track & Field News in 2020, analyzing the current and former 10,000m world records—Joshua Cheptegei’s record with pace lights versus Bekele’s record without them. The analysis revealed that Cheptegei maintained much more even splits than Bekele, with a variance of less than a second (0.8s) between his kilometres, which is truly remarkable. In contrast, Bekele’s variance was five times greater, with a difference of nearly five seconds between his fastest and slowest kilometres.I am not suggesting that Wavelights are ruining the sport of track and field, but I believe their use should be limited to specific situations, such as aiming for world standards or being present only during the final lap or two of distances ranging from 1,500m to 10,000m.

By implementing such limits, World Athletics can strike a balance between using technology for pacing assistance and preserving the essence of competitive racing.

Going for the Two mile world record on June 9th

Jakob Ingebrigtsen doesn’t like talking about world records. But many others in the world of athletics are doing just that as the Norwegian prepares to compete in the non-Olympic distance two-mile event at the 2023 Paris Diamond League on 9 June.

Everything is set up for Ingebrigtsen to attempt to beat Daniel Komen’s time of 7:58.61 - a record that has stood since 1997. Not only will an elite field of pacers set the tempo, but the athletes racing will also have the benefit of Wavelight technology, which uses lights on the inside of the track to show the pace of the world record in real time.

If Ingebrigtsen breaks the record, he will have succeeded where many other of the world’s most celebrated distance runners have failed.

Mo Farah, Eliud Kipchoge and Joshua Cheptegei are just some of the big name athletes to have attempted the distance yet failed to beat Komen’s mark, with the nearest time an 8:01.08 set by the great Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie less than two months before Komen’s historic run.

10 Reasons to Start Following Track and Field This Year

The 2023 season should be full of record-breaking performances from the sport’s biggest stars. Here are the most important things to know. 

Track is back, and if the results from the indoor season and early outdoor meets are any indication, it should be another year of eye-popping results around 400-meter ovals this summer.

Why is track and field relevant to the average recreational runner?

Perhaps you’re running some of the same distances in your training and racing. Or maybe you have a connection to some of the events from your youth, days in gym class or on the playground. From a human performance perspective, no sport showcases the all-out speed, red-line endurance, max power, dynamic agility, and meticulous bodily control as track and field does.

Here’s a primer on the most awe-inspiring athletes and events of this summer’s track season. Because, come on: with a sport that includes events as multifaceted as the pole vault, as primal as the shot put, and as wild as the 3,000-meter steeplechase—a 1.8-mile race with 28 fixed barriers to hurdle and seven water pits to jump—what’s not to like?

One of the many things that makes track and field so special is that it’s one of the most diverse sports on the planet, both culturally and athletically.

Last summer, athletes from a record 29 different countries earned medals in the 25 different running, jumping, and throwing events at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

At the highest level, there are athletes of all shapes and sizes from every culture and socioeconomic background. While there certainly are racial and cultural stereotypes that need dissolving and vast inequality among competing countries, from a performance point of view the sport is largely meritocratic, based on the time or distance achieved in a given competition.

Watching American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone masterfully win the 400-meter hurdles in a world-record time last summer in front of a deafening crowd at Hayward Field in Eugene was a riveting experience. It was vastly different than watching Grenada’s Anderson Peters win the javelin world title with a career-best throw of 90.54 meters on his final attempt to beat India’s Neeraj Chopra, but both had edge-of-your-seat excitement, athletic excellence, and cultural significance.

One of the knocks against track and field in recent years is that it hasn’t done enough to attract casual fans the way professional football, basketball, hockey, and soccer have. Following the On Track Fest, the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix on May 26-27 in Los Angeles is trying to up the ante by combining a mix of elite-level competition, an interactive fan festival, and top-tier musical performances.

Billed as the one of the deepest track meets ever held on U.S. soil, it will feature a star-studded 400-meter face-off featuring Americans Michael Norman, the reigning world champion, and Kirani James, a three-time Olympic medalist from Grenada, and a women’s 100-meter hurdles clash with world champion Tobi Amusan of Nigeria, Olympic silver medalist Keni Harrison of the U.S., and Olympic gold medalist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico.

Saturday’s action will be broadcast live on NBC Sports from 4:30 P.M. to 6 P.M. ET and be followed by a concert event called the Legends Jam, which will include appearances from some legendary athletes and be headlined by Grammy-winning singer Judith Hill.

American sprint sensation Sha’Carri Richardson will be racing the 100-meter dash at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix. You probably remember her for her perceived failures more than the astounding times she’s actually achieved on the track.

Two years ago, the sprinter from Dallas blew away the field in the 100-meter dash at the U.S. Olympic Trials with a 10.86 effort, but then she was famously suspended after testing positive for cannabis (which is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances) and missed the Tokyo Olympics as a result. (She admitted using the drug to cope with the pressure of qualifying for the Olympics while also mourning the recent death of her biological mother.)

Then last year, despite strong early season performances, Richardson failed to make the finals of the 100-meter or 200-meter at the U.S. championships, so she missed out on running in the first world championships held on American soil.

This year, the 23-year-old sprinter appears to be locked in and better than ever, posting a world-leading 10.76 100-meter time on May 5 in Doha (she also ran an eye-popping 10.57 with an over-the-limit tailwind on April 9 in Florida) and posted the second-fastest time in the 200-meter (22.07) on May 13 at a meet in Kenya.

If she keeps it all together, expect Richardson to finally contend with elite Jamaican sprinters Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the 100 and 4×100-meter relay in August at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

A few years ago, American sprinter Fred Kerley was on his way to becoming one of the world’s best 400-meter runners. But he wanted more than that. What he really had his heart set on was becoming the world’s fastest man, a moniker that goes with the most dominant sprinter in the 100-meter dash.

Ignoring doubters, Kerley retooled his training and earned the silver medal in the 100-meter at the Tokyo Olympics (.04 seconds behind Italy’s Marcell Jacobs) and then continued his ascent last year by winning the U.S. championships (in 9.76, the sixth-fastest time in history) and world championships (9.86).

The 28-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, also became one of just two other runners (along with American Michael Norman and South African Wayde van Niekerk) to ever run sub-10 seconds in the 100-meter, sub-20 seconds in the 200-meter, and sub-44 seconds in the 400-meter. So far this year, Kerley has two of the four fastest 100-meter times of the season, including a speedy 9.88 on May 21 in Japan.

After trading barbs on social media this spring, Kerley and Jacobs are expected to face off in an epic 100-meter showdown on May 28 at a Diamond League meet in Rabat, Morocco, marking the first time the Olympic gold medalist and the world champion in the men’s 100m face off since the 2012 Olympic final, when Jamaican Usain Bolt beat countryman Yohan Blake. American Trayvon Bromell, the silver medalist at last year’s world championships, is also in the field, so it should be an extraordinary tilt.

If you’re a gambler, bet on Kerley to win that one and eventually get close to Bolt’s 9.58 world record. (To do so, he’ll be running faster than 26 miles per hour!) But don’t count out Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, the early world leader (9.84), or fellow American sub-9.9 guys Bromell, Norman, Christian Coleman, and Noah Lyles at the 2023 World Athletics Championships on August 20, in Budapest. Depending on which three Americans join Kerley (who has an automatic qualifier) at the world championships, it’s actually quite likely the U.S. could sweep the top four spots in the 100 in Budapest.

If you’ve ever wanted to see the world’s top track and field stars competing live in the U.S., this is the year to do it. The May 26-27 USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix meet and June 3-4 Portland Track Festival are part of what might be the mosst compelling outdoor track season ever held on U.S. soil.

If you’re looking for an athlete to marvel at, start with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the gold medalist in the 400-meter hurdles at the Olympics in 2021 and World Athletics Championships last summer. She’s been one of the sport’s rising stars since she was a teenager and yet she’s only 23. Her trajectory is still rising—especially since she moved to Los Angeles to train under coach Bob Kersee. Driven by her strong faith, McLaughlin-Levrone is the personification of hard work, grace and competitiveness.

This year she’ll temporarily step away from her primary event to show off her pure sprinting prowess when she opens her season in a “flat” 400-meter race at the Diamond League meet in Paris on June 9. Her personal best in the 400-meter is 50.07 seconds, set when she was a freshman at the University of Kentucky, but she clocked a speedy 50.68 while running over hurdles, en route to a world-record setting win at last summer’s world championships.

Her best 400-meter split as part of a 4×400-meter relay is 47.91, so it’s within reason to think she could be one of several runners to challenge the long-standing world record of 47.60 set in 1985 by East German Marita Koch. Because McLaughlin-Levrone has an automatic qualifier to the world championships in the 400-meter hurdles, she will likely run the open 400-meter at the U.S. championships and decide after the meet which one she’ll focus on.

American 800-meter ace Athing Mu has looked unbeatable for the past several years as she won Olympic gold in the event at the Tokyo Olympics and last year’s world championships. In fact, she has been unbeatable, having won 13 straight races since she dropped out of a mile race at the Millrose Games in January 2022. Going back to 2020 (when she was a senior in high school) and 2021 (during her one season at Texas A&M), she’s finished first in 51 of her past 53 races (relays included), with her only loss being a narrow runner-up finish to Kaelin Roberts in the 400-meter at the 2021 NCAA indoor championships.

Mu, who is also coached by Kersee and trains with McLaughlin-Levrone, seems to be the most likely athlete to challenge the women’s 800-meter world record of 1:53.28, set in 1983 by the Czech Republic’s Jarmila Kratochvílová. It’s the longest standing record in track and field, and only two runners have come within a second of it in the past 15 years. Her personal best of 1:55.04 is an American record and the eighth-fastest time in history. She’s still only 20 years old, so she has many years to keep improving and other historic opportunities ahead of her.

Mu said earlier this year she’d like to try a 400-800-meter double at an Olympics or world championships if the schedule permits—it’s only been done once successfully by Cuba’s Alberto Juantorena at the 1976 Games—but her coach has said she might attempt a 800-1,500-meter double next year at the Paris Olympics.

This year, Mu will run the 1,500 meters at the USATF Championships in July, but will likely defend her 800-meter title at the world championships in Budapest, as well as potentially running on the U.S. women’s 4×400-meter relay and the mixed-gender 4×400-meter relay (with McLaughlin-Levrone) for an opportunity to win three gold medals in a single championships.

With apologies to quarterback extraordinaire Patrick Mahomes, gymnastics all-arounder Simone Biles, and skiing superstar Mikela Shiffrin, pole vaulter Armand Duplantis just might be the most dynamically talented athlete in the world. That’s because he’s the world’s most dominant athlete (and has set six world records) in arguably the most demanding discipline, not only in track and field but quite possibly in any sport. No sport discipline involves such a dynamic combination of speed, power, precision and agility, and Duplantis, who is only 23, is already the greatest of all-time.

Prove me wrong or watch him set his latest world record (6.22 meters or 20 feet, 5 inches) at an indoor meet on February 25 in Clermont-Ferrand, France. That’s the equivalent of vaulting onto the roof of a two-story building, and in his case, often with room to spare.

Duplantis, who grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana, to athletic parents with Swedish and Finnish heritage, represents Sweden in international competitions. He started pole vaulting at age three, set his first of 11 age-group world-best marks at age seven, and won an NCAA title in 2019 as a freshman competing for LSU before turning pro.

All indications are that North Carolina State junior Katelyn Tuohy could become the next American running star. All she has done since she was young is win races and break records.

After winning the NCAA outdoor 5,000-meter a year ago, she won the NCAA cross country title in November. During the indoor track season this past winter, she set a new collegiate mile record (4:24.26) and won both the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter title at the NCAA indoor championships in March. On May 7, the 21-year-old from Thiells, New York, broke the NCAA outdoor 5,000-meter record by 17 seconds, clocking 15:03.12 at the Sound Running On Track Fest.

Tuohy will be running both the 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter at the NCAA East Regional May 24-27 in Jacksonville, Florida, with the hopes of eventually advancing to the finals of both events at the June 7-10 NCAA Division I championship meet in Austin, Texas.

University of Arkansas junior Britton Wilson is a top collegiate star who is ready for prime time at the pro level. She won the 400-meter in a world-leading and collegiate record time of 49.13 in mid-May at the SEC Championships, where she also won the 400-meter hurdles (53.23) in a world-leading time. The 22-year-old from Richmond, Virginia, was the runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles at last year’s U.S. championships and fifth in the world championships, and could contend for a spot on Team USA in either event at the July 6-9 U.S. championships.

Kerley and Lyles are expected to square off in a 200-meter race at the USATF New York Grand Prix meet on June 24 at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island in New York City. There are also two high-level Puma American Track League meets in Tennessee—the Music City Track Carnival June 2 in Nashville and the Ed Murphey Classic August 4-5 in Memphis—and two Under Armour Sunset Tour meets organized by Sound Running on July 22 in Los Angeles and July 29 in Baltimore.

The best U.S. meet of the year, though, will be the USATF Outdoor Championships held July 6-9 in Eugene, Oregon, where American athletes will be vying for top-three finishes to earn a chance to compete for Team USA at the 2023 World Athletics Championships August 19-27 in Budapest.

The U.S. season will culminate with the September 16-17 Pre Classic in Eugene, Oregon, a two two-day meet that will double as the finals of the international Diamond League circuit and should include many of the top athletes who will be representing their countries in next summer’s Paris Olympics. (And if you want to see the country’s top high school athletes run unfathomable times for teenagers, check out the Brooks PR Invitational on June 14 in Seattle, Washington.)

At the June 2 Diamond League meet in Rome, Italy, the men’s field in the 5,000-meter run will have what might be the fastest field ever assembled, with 13 runners who have personal best times of 12:59 or faster.

The field will be headlined by Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda, who lowered the world record to 12:35.36 in Monaco three years ago. (That’s a pace of 4:03 per mile!). But it will also include Kenya’s Jacob Krop (12:45.71) and Nicholas Kipkorir (12:46.33), Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha (12:46.79), American Grant Fisher (12:46.79), Canadian Mohammed Ahmed (12:47.20), and Guatemalan-American Luis Grijalva (13:02.94), among others. With a big prize purse at stake and pacesetters ramping up the speed from the start, it should be a race for the ages.