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Hassan and Tebogo named World Athletes of the Year

Olympic champions Sifan Hassan and Letsile Tebogo have been announced as World Athletes of the Year at the World Athletics Awards 2024 in Monaco.

Following a vote by fans, Hassan and Tebogo received top honors on an evening that saw six athletes crowned in three categories – track, field and out of stadium – before the overall two winners were revealed.

Tebogo was confirmed as men’s track athlete of the year, with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone receiving the women’s honour. Hassan claimed the women’s out of stadium crown and Tamirat Tola the men’s, while Mondo Duplantis and Yaroslava Mahuchikh were named field athletes of the year.

This year’s Rising Stars were also celebrated, with Sembo Almayew and Mattia Furlani receiving recognition.

World Athletes of the Year for 2024

Women’s World Athlete of the Year: Sifan Hassan (NED)Men’s World Athlete of the Year: Letsile Tebogo (BOT)

Women’s track: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA)Women’s field: Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR)Women’s out of stadium: Sifan Hassan (NED)Men’s track: Letsile Tebogo (BOT)Men’s field: Mondo Duplantis (SWE)Men’s out of stadium: Tamirat Tola (ETH)

Women’s Rising Star: Sembo Almayew (ETH)Men’s Rising Star: Mattia Furlani (ITA)

“At the end of what has been a stellar year for athletics, we are delighted to reveal our list of World Athletes of the Year – both in their respective disciplines and overall,” said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. “This group of athletes represents the very best of our sport and has this year redefined what is possible in terms of athletic performance.

“Our 2024 cohort set new standards in heights, speed and distance, including six world records and a host of Olympic and national records between them.

“I congratulate all our award winners, and all of the athletes nominated for these honors, and I thank them for inspiring us all with their performances this year.”

World Athletes of the Year Hassan and Tebogo both won gold and claimed multiple medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Dutch star Hassan’s medal treble in Paris was capped by her winning the final athletics gold medal of the Games with her triumph in the marathon in an Olympic record of 2:22:55. That performance came just 37 hours after Hassan claimed bronze in the 10,000m, and six days after her first medal in the French capital – also bronze – in the 5000m.

As a result, she became the first woman to win medals in the 5000m, 10,000m and marathon at the same Games, and the first athlete since Emil Zatopek, who won all three men’s titles in Helsinki in 1952.

Tebogo also made history in Paris when he won the 200m, as he claimed a first ever Olympic gold medal in any sport for Botswana. He ran an African record of 19.46 – a time that moved him to fifth on the world all-time list – and that performance followed his sixth-place finish in the 100m final. He went on to form part of Botswana’s silver medal-winning men’s 4x400m team.

He dipped under 20 seconds for 200m a total of nine times in 2024, with those performances topped by his Olympic title-winning mark which remained the fastest of the year.

His fellow track athlete of the year, McLaughlin-Levrone, improved her own world 400m hurdles record twice, to 50.65 and 50.37, and claimed Olympic gold in that event as well as in the 4x400m. Tola, who joined Hassan in being named out of stadium athlete of the year, won the Olympic marathon title in Paris in an Olympic record.

World records were set by both field athletes of the year. Mahuchikh cleared 2.10m to improve the world high jump record before winning Olympic gold, while Duplantis revised his own world pole vault record three times, eventually taking it to 6.26m, and won the Olympic title.

"Thank you to the fans, to everybody who voted," said Hassan, who was in Monaco to receive her two awards. "I never thought I was going to win this one. This year was crazy. It’s not only me – all the athletes have been amazing. I’m really grateful. What more can I say?"

Standing alongside Hassan on the stage at the Theatre Princesse Grace, Tebogo said: "It feels amazing to know that the fans are always there for us athletes. It was a great year.

"This means a lot," he added. "It’s not just about the team that is around you, there are a lot of fans out there that really want us to win something great for the continent. It was a real surprise to hear my name because I didn’t expect this."

Almayew and Furlani named Rising Stars of 2024

Not only did Sembo Almayew and Mattia Furlani achieve great things as U20 athletes in 2024, they both also secured success on the senior stage.

Almayew finished fifth in the 3000m steeplechase final at the Paris Olympics, going close to her own national U20 record with her 9:00.83 performance, before she travelled to Lima where she won the world U20 title, setting a championship record in the process. With that win, the 19-year-old became the first ever Ethiopian world U20 women’s steeplechase champion.

Furlani improved the world U20 long jump record to 8.38m at the European Championships on home soil in Rome to secure silver, and he won two more senior major medals at the World Indoor Championships, where he got another silver, and the Olympic Games, where he claimed bronze.

In Glasgow – at the age of 19 years and 24 days – Furlani became the youngest athlete ever to win a world indoor medal in the horizontal jumps.

Knight wins President’s Award

The winner of the President’s Award was also announced in Monaco on Sunday (1), with Nike co-founder Phil Knight receiving the honour in recognition of his constant inspiring support for athletics and the development of the sport.

The President's Award, first awarded in 2016, recognises and honours exceptional service to athletics. Past winners of the award include the Ukrainian Athletics Association, British journalist Vikki Orvice, Swiss meeting director Andreas Brugger, Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt, the Abbott World Marathon Majors, and 1968 men’s 200m medallists Tommie Smith, Peter Norman and John Carlos for their iconic moment on the podium in Mexico.

“Phil Knight’s passion for athletics is pretty much lifelong,” said Coe. “He developed an almost father-son relationship with his coach, the legendary Bill Bowerman, whose training approach was a departure from the orthodoxies of the day and who not only guided Knight’s career on the track but became a central figure when Phil took his first tentative steps in the running shoe business that became the dominant global force Nike.

“His love of athletics runs through Nike. It is a business created and driven by runners, with Phil never afraid to be the front runner.”

Knight said: “Thank you, Seb Coe, for the ultimate honour of the President’s Award, given by World Athletics. I am in great company, with Tommie Smith and John Carlos, and Usain Bolt. Obviously, I didn’t run as fast as those guys, but I am in such high company that I am thrilled by the award. Track and field has always been an important part of Nike – it has always been a central part of who Nike is.

“I do think running will continue to grow. Not only does Seb and his team do a great job promoting the sport, but it is a sport that not only is enjoyable, but it is probably the best fitness activity you can do. So, for me to win this honour, it is very meaningful.”

During the ceremony, a moment was taken to remember last year’s men’s out of stadium athlete of the year Kelvin Kiptum, the marathon world record-holder who died in a road traffic accident in February, as well as other figures from the sport who have passed away in 2024.

Compression socks might help your race-day tummy troubles

Compression socks have sprinted from the clinic to the track, with pro runners like Sifan Hassan and Eliud Kipchoge touting their recovery and performance benefits. Are they really more than just a fashion trend? Here’s the scoop on what compression socks deliver, and where the hype might be outpacing the science.

Better blood flow and swelling control

Studies suggest that compression socks really do promote blood circulation and reduce swelling in the legs. Whether you’re logging miles on the trail or pounding the pavement, compression can help prevent that dreaded heavy-leg feeling by keeping blood moving efficiently back to the heart, as recently reported in SELF magazine. Dr. Leada Malek, a San Fransisco-based sports physical therapist, notes that compression socks are particularly useful for runners dealing with recurring swelling or minor injuries like ankle sprains. By reducing fluid buildup, the socks help maintain freedom of movement, letting you run without the drag of swollen, tired legs.

Compression socks can also be helpful for runners who experience postural dizziness after intense effort. For runners with conditions like postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which can cause lightheadedness when shifting from sitting to standing, the socks help push blood back to the brain and heart.

A calmer stomach on race day

If you’ve ever experienced a queasy stomach during a race, compression socks might help. Running can decrease blood flow to your gut, which leads to discomfort or even nausea. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research suggests that compression socks can direct more blood from your legs to your GI tract, helping reduce digestive distress. By maintaining better blood circulation, you may find yourself more comfortable mid-race, with fewer interruptions from an unhappy stomach.

A boost for post-workout recovery

The role of compression socks in post-workout recovery is widely debated. Some research suggests that wearing compression garments can reduce markers for muscle damage. While the effects vary, many athletes report feeling less sore after wearing them. Even if muscle repair benefits are unclear, the stable, “hugging” sensation of compression might help you feel ready to move your body sooner.

Compression socks for travel and long races

Planning to run a far-off race? Compression socks might help keep you healthy by reducing your risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) on long flights. According to research, wearing compression socks during prolonged sitting can prevent blood clots by keeping blood flowing in the legs.

Research also suggests that wearing them during a race might reduce DVT risk for the flight home, as the pressure supports blood flow and circulation.

The takeaway

Compression socks may not shave seconds off your race time, but they do offer a variety of benefits, from easing leg swelling to calming a queasy stomach. And if they make you feel more confident on race day, that extra motivation could be all you need to push harder.

Chebet braces for Italica International Cross Country meeting on November 17

Double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet is set to bring her fierce form to the 42nd Italica International Cross Country meeting on November 17, a highlight event on the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold circuit.

Chebet stunned the world in Paris in August with her dual gold-winning performances in the 5,000m and 10,000m.

She secured the 10,000m gong in a time of 30:43.25 leading Italy’s Nadia Battocletti ( 30:43.35 ) and Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan of Netherlands ( 30:44.12 ).

Chebet went on to add the 5,000m title, finishing in 14:28.56 outpacing three-time Olympic 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon ( 14:29.60 ) and Hassan ( 14:30.61 ).

Chebet is no stranger to cross-country success.

She captured the World U20 Cross Country title in Denmark in 2019 in 20:50.

In 2021, Chebet placed second at the Atapuerca 8km Cross Country event in 25:04 behind Eritrea’s Rahel Ghebreneyohannes ( 25:03 ).

That same year, she clocked 24:35 for a third-place finish at the Seville 7km cross-country meeting.

In 2022, she returned to Atapuerca, this time claiming the title in 25:39.

Last year, she claimed the World Cross Country Championships title in Bathurst, Australia clocking 33:48 with Ethiopia’s Tsigie Gebreselama ( 33:56 ) in second and Agnes Ngetich ( 34:00 ) completing the podium.

She defended her title this year in Belgrade, Serbia, finishing in 31:05 ahead of compatriots Lilian Kasait ( 31:08 ) and Margaret Chelimo ( 31:09 ).

Her illustrious track career boasts silver and bronze medals in the 5,000m during the 2022 (Eugene) and 2023 (Budapest) World Championships.

She boasts gold from the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games as well as the Saint Pierre African Games, both in the 5,000m.

Chebet is the 2018 World Junior 5,000m champion as well as the 2019 African 5,000m junior champion.

In Italy, Chebet will be in the company of 2024 World U20 3,000m steeplechase bronze medallist Diana Chepkemoi as well as the 2018 World 3,000m steeplechase champion Daisy Jepkemei.

The trio will face off against European 3,000m steeplechase record holder Alice Finot of France as well as the World U20 5,000m bronze medallist Charity Cherop of Uganda.

Sweden’s Sarah Lahti, Portugal’s Mariana Machado and Spain’s Carolina Robles will add depth to the field.

In the men’s field, Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Berihu Aregawi from Ethiopia will lead the charge.

His main rivals will be the 2024 Rome Half Marathon champion Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy as well as Ugandan’s Dan Kibet, Hosea Kiplangat and Kenneth Kiprop.

Portugal’s Etson Barros, Uruguay’s Santiago Catrofe and Spain’s adel Mechaal add depth to the field. 

Who will win 2024 Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year?

year filled with unforgettable moments in the sport, the nominations highlight remarkable performances from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, Label road races, and other global events.

World Athletics announced the nominees for the esteemed 2024 Track Athlete of the Year award last week. The list of 12 outstanding athletes features some of the biggest names in international athletics, each having left a significant mark on the season.

The nominees for 2024 Women’s Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year are:

Sutume Asefa Kebede, Ethiopia

• Tokyo Marathon winner• No.2 marathon time of 2024

Sutume Asefa Kebede made waves this year with her victory at the Tokyo Marathon, clocking in at 2:15:55, the fastest marathon time of 2024, securing her place as the eighth-fastest woman in marathon history. Since her debut in 2016, Kebede has steadily risen through marathon ranks, often training alongside her husband and coach, Birhanu Mekonnen, whose support has been instrumental. Along with her Tokyo triumph, she delivered an exceptional performance at the Houston Half Marathon, winning in 1:04:37, a record-breaking time on US soil.

Ruth Chepngetich, Kenya

• World marathon record• Chicago Marathon winner

Ruth Chepngetich solidified her status as the world’s top marathoner by winning this year’s Chicago Marathon with a groundbreaking world record, becoming the first woman to break the 2:10 barrier with a time of 2:09:56. She also holds the world record for the half marathon and has consistently excelled in major marathons. Known for her bold, high-powered pacing, Chepngetich’s approach has led to multiple victories throughout her career, including previous wins in both Chicago and London.

Sifan Hassan, Netherlands

• Olympic marathon champion• Olympic record

Dutch runner Sifan Hassan’s victory in the Olympic marathon in Paris marked a pivotal achievement in her celebrated career, as she set a new Olympic record. Renowned for her versatility, Hassan has excelled across a range of distances, both on the track and road. Her transition from shorter track events—where she’s earned medals and set records—to marathon racing initially surprised many. However, she showcased her remarkable endurance and adaptability by winning not only at the Olympics but also in London and Chicago in 2023.

Tigist Ketema, Ethiopia

• Berlin Marathon winner• Dubai Marathon winner

Ketema had an exceptional year, claiming victories at both the 2024 Dubai Marathon and the 50th Berlin Marathon. In Dubai, she set a record for the fastest debut marathon by a woman with a time of 2:16:07, establishing herself as a standout among elite runners. Continuing her stellar performance in Berlin, Ketema crossed the finish line in 2:16:42, the third-fastest time in the event’s long history. Leading the women’s field from early on, she finished well ahead of her competition in Berlin.

Agnes Jebet Ngetich, Kenya

• World 5km and 10km records• World half marathon lead

Ngetich’s 2024 season has been outstanding across multiple distances. She set new world records in both the 5km (14:25) and 10km (29:24) road races, demonstrating impressive speed and endurance over varied distances. Additionally, she topped the global rankings in the half marathon this year, underscoring her versatility and dominance in road racing worldwide.

The nominees for 2024 Mens’s Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year are:

Yomif Kejelcha, Ethiopia• World half marathon record• World 10km lead

Yomif Kejelcha has captured attention in 2024 with an extraordinary season on the road. He set a new world record in the half marathon in Valencia, clocking an impressive 57:30, and continued to demonstrate his strength over longer distances. Known for his range, Kejelcha also recorded outstanding times in the 5km and 10km, including a remarkable 10km finish of 26:37 earlier this year in Laredo, Spain. These performances add to his accomplished career, which includes two World Indoor Championship titles and a Diamond League title, affirming his status among the elite in both track and road racing.

Jacob Kiplimo, Uganda• World Cross Country Championships gold• Valencia 10km winner

Ugandan distance star Jacob Kiplimo has consistently showcased his prowess in cross-country and road events. In 2024, he secured gold at the World Cross Country Championship, excelling against a formidable field and challenging conditions. His impressive season also included a victory in the 10km in Valencia, further adding to his accolades. Kiplimo’s performances in recent years have established him as one of the world’s leading long-distance runners, highlighted by his Olympic bronze medal and his world record in the half marathon, set in 2021.

Benson Kipruto, Kenya• Tokyo Marathon winner• Olympic marathon bronze

Ugandan distance star Jacob Kiplimo has continually demonstrated his skill in cross-country and road races. In 2024, he captured gold at the World Cross Country Championship, excelling in a competitive field and tough conditions. His remarkable season also featured a win in the 10km in Valencia, further enhancing his achievements. Kiplimo’s recent performances have solidified his position as one of the top long-distance runners in the world, marked by his Olympic bronze medal and his world record in the half marathon, established in 2021.

Brian Daniel Pintado, Ecuador• Olympic 20km race walk champion• Olympic marathon race walk mixed relay silver

Brian Pintado’s career soared to new heights in 2024 with his historic Olympic gold medal in the 20km race walk, bringing Ecuador into the spotlight. He further enhanced his accomplishments by helping Ecuador secure silver in the mixed relay marathon race walk. Pintado’s achievements this season have established him as a leading figure in the race-walking community, making him the only race walker among the nominees.

Tamirat Tola, Ethiopia• Olympic marathon champion• Olympic record

Tamirat Tola capped off his 2024 season with an Olympic marathon victory, during which he set a new Olympic record, solidifying his status as an elite long-distance runner. He has consistently ranked among the world’s best, having previously claimed the World Championships title in 2022 and achieving top times in various marathon circuits.

Sifan Hassan and Ruth Chepngetich headline nominations for Female Athlete of the Year

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

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

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

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

Men’s nominees

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

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

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

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

'Give Ruth the respect she deserves!'- Athletics Kenya jumps to Ruth Chepng'etich's defense following doping accusation

Athletics Kenya has defended Ruth Chepngetich after her record-breaking Chicago Marathon win, urging respect and dismissing doping accusations, emphasizing her consistent, hard-earned success.

Athletics Kenya has called for the respect of newly-crowned Chicago Marathon champion Ruth Chepng’etich who is fresh from breaking the marathon world record.

Ruth Chepng’etich clocked an impressive 2:09:56 to win the race at the Chicago Marathon, shattering Tigst Assefa’s previous record of 2:11:53 that she set to win the 2023 Berlin Marathon.

The Kenyan distance sensation ran a solo race to showcase her mastery of the course after winning the 2021 and 2022 editions of the race and finishing second behind Sifan Hassan at the 2023 edition of the event.

However, rumours have emerged that Ruth Chepng’etich might have doped following her impressive splits and that her world record might not be credible. However, Chepng’etich is one of the most consistent marathoners who has a lot of titles including the world marathon title she won at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Following a ton of accusations, Athletics Kenya has jumped to her defence, urging the public to allow her to celebrate her huge feat and acknowledge her efforts as one of the most outstanding marathon runners in the world.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Athletics Kenya acknowledged her efforts, noting that she has been extraordinary in her performances for over five years and has joined the exclusive world of world record holders including Faith Kipyegon, Beatrice Chebet and Beatrice Chepkoech.

“In any case, many world records were broken this year, and to single her out is utterly unfair. It is therefore disheartening to witness some sections of the media casting unwarranted doubt on her achievements. Such aspersions, made without due process, undermine not only her efforts but the integrity of the sport,” Athletics Kenya said in a statement.

“We urge the media and the global community to give Ruth the respect she deserves and protect athletes from harassment. Let her celebrate this hard-earned victory and let us acknowledge the years of hard work and discipline that have brought her to this moment.”

The Kenyan federation was quick to note that every athlete, including Ruth Chepng’etich, underwent the required anti-doping tests and defended her performance on the global stage.

Top five fastest women marathoners in the world

Discover the top 5 fastest female marathoners in the world, featuring record-breaking athletes from Kenya and Ethiopia who continue to redefine the sport.

Kenya and Ethiopia, long-standing powerhouses in long-distance running, are known for producing some of the greatest female marathoners of all time, consistently setting new records and redefining athletic excellence.

Athletes such as Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya and Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia have not only dominated the marathon world but have also broken significant barriers with their remarkable times.

The competitive landscape of the World Marathon Majors (WMM) — including iconic races like the Berlin Marathon, Chicago Marathon, and London Marathon — has seen historic performances from these and other top runners.

In this article, we review the top 5 fastest female marathoners in the world, analyzing their breakthrough races, their contributions to the sport, and how they continue to inspire future generations of athletes.

5. Amane Beriso Shankule (Ethiopia) – 2:14:58

Rounding out the top 5 is Amane Beriso Shankule of Ethiopia, whose incredible performance at the 2022 Valencia Marathon earned her a place among the fastest female marathoners. Shankule completed the race in 2:14:58, showcasing her strength and determination in long-distance running.

Although still relatively new to the elite marathon circuit, Shankule’s time places her in an elite group of women who have broken the 2:15 barrier. Ethiopia has long been a dominant force in long-distance running, and Shankule’s success further underscores the depth of talent in the country. Her performance in Valencia will likely serve as a stepping stone to even greater achievements in the future.

4. Brigid Kosgei (Kenya) – 2:14:04

Brigid Kosgei of Kenya is no stranger to marathon success, having made history during the 2019 Chicago Marathon. On October 13, 2019, Kosgei crossed the finish line in 2:14:04, breaking the previous world record and establishing herself as one of the sport’s all-time greats.

Kosgei’s performance in Chicago was groundbreaking, as she broke the world record that had stood for over 16 years. Her run was characterized by her smooth stride and exceptional stamina, which allowed her to dominate the race from start to finish. Her record time remained unbeaten until 2023 when Tigst Assefa surpassed it.

Kosgei’s marathon career has been illustrious, with multiple wins in prestigious events such as the London Marathon. Her success has further cemented Kenya’s reputation as a global leader in marathon running. Although her record was eventually broken, Kosgei’s achievements remain a significant chapter in the history of women’s marathoning.

3. Sifan Hassan (Netherlands) – 2:13:44

In third place is Sifan Hassan, a Dutch athlete known for her incredible versatility. Originally a middle-distance runner, Hassan shocked the world when she ran the 2023 Chicago Marathon in 2:13:44, marking her debut in the marathon with one of the fastest times ever recorded by a woman.

Hassan’s ability to transition from track events to the marathon is nothing short of exceptional. Her success in the 1,500m, 5,000m, and 10,000m events — where she has multiple Olympic and World Championship titles — clearly translated well to the marathon. Her 2023 performance in Chicago not only placed her among the fastest female marathoners but also demonstrated the potential for athletes to excel across different distances.

Hassan’s achievement has inspired many young runners, especially those who see her as a symbol of athletic versatility. By running one of the fastest marathons on her debut, Hassan proved that success in the marathon does not always require years of specialized training in the event.

2. Tigst Assefa (Ethiopia) – 2:11:53

Second on the list is Ethiopian sensation Tigst Assefa, who delivered a breathtaking performance at the 2023 Berlin Marathon. On September 24, 2023, Assefa finished the race in 2:11:53, setting a new course record and breaking the previous world record for female marathoners at the time. This monumental run placed her firmly among the fastest women in marathon history.

Assefa’s journey to the top has been remarkable. A former middle-distance runner, she transitioned to marathon running with great success, demonstrating her versatility across different distances. Assefa’s victory also highlighted Ethiopia’s dominance in marathon running, adding her name to a long list of world-class Ethiopian athletes who have left their mark on the sport.

With her record-breaking time, Assefa solidified her position as one of the greatest marathoners of all time.

1. Ruth Chepngetich (Kenya) – 2:09:56

Ruth Chepngetich stands as the fastest female marathoner in history, having recently shattered records at the 2024 Chicago Marathon. On October 13, 2024, Chepngetich clocked a stunning time of 2:09:56, becoming the first woman to break the 2:10 barrier. This incredible achievement has cemented her position as the top female marathoner globally.

Known for her aggressive pacing and strong endurance, Chepngetich’s performance in Chicago was nothing short of extraordinary. She had already been a prominent figure in the marathon world, having won the 2019 World Championships Marathon in extreme heat conditions. However, her 2024 run in Chicago redefined what was possible for women in the marathon, establishing her as a trailblazer in the sport.

Chepngetich’s ability to push boundaries continues to inspire countless female athletes, especially those from Kenya, where marathon running has become a symbol of national pride. Her record-breaking marathon will undoubtedly remain a benchmark for years to come.

Legese and Chepngetich lead Chicago Marathon fields

Ruth Chepngetich heads to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on the hunt for a hat trick, while Birhanu Legese is the fastest in the men’s field for the World Athletics Platinum Label road race on Sunday (13).

The women’s race features a clash between Chepngetich, her Kenyan compatriot Joyciline Jepkosgei and Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede – three sub-2:17 runners who form part of a field that includes another six women to have dipped under 2:20.

Chepngetich, the 2019 world marathon champion, won in Chicago in 2021 and 2022, and followed that with a runner-up finish to Sifan Hassan last year. She clocked 2:14:18 on that occasion, while her PB of 2:14:18 set in Chicago in 2022 makes her the fourth fastest women’s marathon runner in history.

She ran 2:24:36 for her most recent marathon, in London in April, and placed ninth, but then clocked 1:05:58 to win the 21k Buenos Aires half marathon in August.

Jepkosgei, who won the London Marathon in 2021 and New York City Marathon in 2019, finished fourth in Chicago last year in 2:17:23. 

She improved by one place when returning to marathon action in London in April, setting a PB of 2:16:24.

It’s Kebede who leads this season’s top list, thanks to the PB of 2:15:55 she set to win the Tokyo Marathon in March. That puts her at No.8 all time and she will be hoping to make the most of the fast course in Chicago.

“After seeing what my teammate Kelvin Kiptum did last year, I want to come to Chicago to do something great,” said Kebede, who finished 15th in last year’s race.

Kiptum, who was part of Kebede’s training group, died in a road traffic accident in February, just four months after he set his world marathon record of 2:00:35 in Chicago. This year, the event will honour Kiptum’s legacy with a moment of silence at the start line.

Joining Chepngetich, Jepkosgei and Kebede on that start line will be three more women with PBs under 2:18 – Ethiopia’s Degitu Azimeraw, Ashete Bekere and Hiwot Gebrekidan – plus Kenya’s Irine Cheptai, who ran 2:18:22 in Hamburg in April.

The field also features the second and third fastest ever US women’s marathon runners, Keira D’Amato and Betsy Saina, who have also dipped under 2:20. They are joined in this competitive field by their compatriots Sara Hall and Emma Bates.

Ethiopia’s Legese leads the men’s field with the PB of 2:02:48 he ran in Berlin in 2019. That performance puts him sixth on the men’s world marathon all-time list but since then his highest marathon finish has been a third place, achieved in Rotterdam with a 2:05:16 run in April.

The two-time Tokyo Marathon champion will want to return to winning ways when he heads back to Chicago, where he placed 10th when making his World Marathon Majors debut in 2018, but he faces tough opposition.

Six other men in the field have PBs faster than 2:06, including Kenya’s Amos Kipruto, Vincent Ngetich and John Korir, and Ethiopia’s Dawit Wolde, Amedework Walelegn and Mohamed Esa.

Kipruto, the 2019 world bronze medallist, and Ngetich have matching PBs of 2:03:13. Kipruto won the London Marathon in 2022 and trains with Benson Kipruto, who won that year’s Chicago Marathon, while Ngetich was second in the Berlin Marathon last year, five places ahead of Kipruto. He was also third at this year’s Tokyo Marathon.

Korir ran his PB of 2:05:01 when finishing third in Chicago in 2022, while Wolde ran 2:03:48 in Valencia last year, Esa has a best of 2:05:05 from Amsterdam in 2022 and Walelegn clocked 2:04:50 in Rotterdam in April, finishing runner-up – one place ahead of Legese.

Looking to join them at the front of the field will be Kenya’s Daniel Ebenyo, the world 10,000m and half marathon silver medallist who makes his marathon debut. The 29-year-old ran a 59:30 half marathon in Berlin in April, 26 seconds off his PB set in Manama in 2022.

Ethiopia’s Jemal Yimer Mekonnen, who finished fourth in the half marathon at last year’s World Road Running Championships behind runner-up Ebenyo, is back in marathon action after his win in Seoul in March.

Among the athletes racing on home soil are USA’s Zach Panning, CJ Albertson and Brian Shrader.

Elite fields

WomenRuth Chepngetich (KEN) 2:14:18Sutume Kebede (ETH) 2:15:55Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) 2:16:24Degitu Azimeraw (ETH) 2:17:58Ashete Bekere (ETH) 2:17:58Hiwot Gebrekidan (ETH) 2:17:59Irine Cheptai (KEN) 2:18:22Keira D'Amato (USA) 2:19:12Betsy Saina (USA) 2:19:17Sara Hall (USA) 2:20:32Emma Bates (USA) 2:22:10Buze Diriba (ETH) 2:23:11Sara Vaughn (USA) 2:23:24Susanna Sullivan (USA) 2:24:27Gabi Rooker (USA) 2:24:35Lindsay Flanagan (USA) 2:24:43Stacey Ndiwa (KEN) 2:25:29  Lauren Hagans (USA) 2:25:56Annie Frisbie (USA) 2:26:18Jackie Gaughan (USA) 2:27:08Dominique Scott (RSA) 2:27:31Diane Nukuri (USA) 2:27:50Makena Morley (USA) 2:30:25Anne Marie Blaney (USA) 2:30:43Amy Davis-Green (USA) 2:33:09Aubrey Frentheway (USA) debut

MenBirhanu Legese (ETH) 2:02:48Amos Kipruto (KEN) 2:03:13Vincent Ngetich (KEN) 2:03:13Dawit Wolde (ETH) 2:03:48Amedework Walelegn (ETH) 2:04:50John Korir (KEN) 2:05:01Mohamed Esa (ETH) 2:05:05Jemal Yimer (ETH) 2:06:08Kyohei Hosoya (JPN) 2:06:35Toshiki Sadakata (JPN) 2:07:05Tatsuya Maruyama (JPN) 2:07:50Yuichi Yasui (JPN) 2:08:48Jorge Castelblanco (PAN) 2:09:24Zach Panning (USA) 2:09:28Brian Shrader (USA) 2:09:46CJ Albertson (USA) 2:09:53Tomoki Yoshioka (JPN) 2:10:03Reed Fischer (USA) 2:10:34Nathan Martin (USA) 2:10:45Colin Mickow (USA) 2:11:22Kevin Salvano (USA) 2:11:26Jacob Thomson (USA) 2:11:40Turner Wiley (USA) 2:11:59Shadrack Kipchirchir (USA) 2:13:02JP Flavin (USA) 2:13:27Charlie Sweeney (USA) 2:13:41Ben Kendell (USA) 2:15:49Phil Parrot-Migas (CAN) 2:15:53Aaron Gruen (USA) 2:15:56Daniel Ebenyo (KEN) debutPeter Lynch (IRL) debutAlex Maier (USA) debutAlex Masai (USA) debut

Ruth Chepngetich leads Chicago Marathon elite line-ups

The Kenyan will be targeting her third victory in Chicago whilst Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese leads the men’s field.

This weekend, all eyes will be on Chicago as the city hosts the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday (October 13), promising a thrilling showdown amongst top-tier athletes.

In the women’s competition, Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich, a former Chicago Marathon winner in 2021 and 2022 and the fourth-fastest woman in marathon history, is set to return to the course, which winds through 29 neighborhoods.

The 30-year-old enters as the fastest woman in this year’s line-up after winning the title in 2022 by running her fastest time of 2:14:18. At the time, she was 14 seconds short of Brigid Kosgei’s world record of 2:14:04, before Tigist Assefa (2:11:53) and Sifan Hassan (2:13:44) went quicker in 2023.

The 2019 world champion secured a second-place finish in Chicago last year behind Sifan Hassan.

Yet, it will not be an easy run to victory for Chepngetich. Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede, fresh off her Tokyo Marathon win, arrives with the fastest marathon time of 2024, having ran 2:15:55 in Tokyo.

Kebede has had a stellar year, setting a record time of 64:37 at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon – the fastest-ever women’s half marathon time on US soil.

Chepngetich and Kebede will be joined by Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei, who has previously taken titles at the New York City Marathon in 2019 and London Marathon in 2021. Jepkosgei finished third this year in London where she clocked her personal best of 2:16:24.

American athletes Keira D’Amato (2:19:12) and Betsy Saina (2:19:17) join the list of athletes. D’Amato, a former American record holder in the marathon, is making a comeback as a competitor after working as a commentator. Meanwhile, Saina, who had to withdraw from the Chicago Marathon in 2019 due to illness, returns to make her mark.

The men’s race will also feature a highly competitive field with Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese leading the charge. Legese, who recorded an impressive 2:02:48 at the 2019 Berlin Marathon is the fastest on paper.

A two-time Tokyo marathon champion, this will be his second time tackling the Chicago course after finishing 10th in 2018 with a time of 2:08:41. Most recently, Legese took third place at the 2024 Rotterdam Marathon.

Legese will be up against strong competition, particularly from Kenya’s Amos Kipruto and Vincent Ngetich, who both hold personal bests of 2:03:13.

Kipruto, a bronze medallist at the World Championships in Doha 2019, claimed victory at the 2022 London Marathon. Ngetich won bronze in the Tokyo marathon earlier this year.

Sutume Kebede: Inspired by former training teammate Kelvin Kiptum's historic win ahead of 2024 Chicago Marathon

After missing selection the for Paris 2024 Olympics, the reigning Tokyo women's marathon champion - and fastest marathoner this year - is set to compete in Chicago on Sunday October 13th. You can watch the race on the Olympic Channel via Olympics.com.

As a world-leading marathoner, Sutume Kebede has accumulated training volumes of up to 700 hours weekly on forest paths and dirt roads around the world.

But there are some brief stints of her workouts that have stayed with her over the last few months.

The Ethiopian chose Chicago, where she trained last year in a group that included the late world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum. It was a routine experience that is now etched forever in her memory.

She is hopeful that the utterly incredible run that changed the men’s marathon can inspire her to achieve her greatest marathon win.

“After seeing what my teammate Kelvin Kiptum did last year, I want to come to Chicago to do something great,” she said on setting her sights on winning a first World Marathon Majors in the U.S.

The fastest woman over the marathon distance this year headlines the Chicago Marathon on Sunday  October 13, looking to continue making history with every stride.

Sutume Kebede looks to extend her strong form in Chicago after Tokyo win

When Kebede chose to race competitively, she looked up to one of the greatest track distance runners ever, Tirunesh Dibaba. She based herself at the legend’s Athletics Training Academy, training as a 5000m and 10,000m athlete.

And when she was ready for the international stage, the budding Ethiopian runner, who grew up as one of ten siblings, decided to forego the track and head straight to the roads.

In May 2015, the then 21-year-old achieved the world's best performance in the 25km with a time of 1:21:55, which was also an Ethiopian record.

This was a pivotal moment that gave her the courage to stay on the roads and make her debut at the Dubai Marathon in 2016.

A few years, and lots of half marathons and several marathons later, Kebede, now 29, has carved her name among the best marathoners. She is coached by her husband Birhanu Mekonnen, a retired roadrunner who prematurely ended his career to fully support hers. She is always quick to credit him as one who helped her reach this position.

Kebede has achieved a new level this year. She ran the fastest women’s half marathon on US soil when she won in Houston last January, beating a strong field that included Olympic silver medallist Hellen Obiri. Her unexpected victory of 1:04.37 set her up for her biggest win yet.

She returns to Chicago to run again, though with a heavy heart, but at the pinnacle of her career after winning the 2024 Tokyo Marathon in 2:15:55, the eighth-fastest woman of all time.

“I am extremely happy to come back to Chicago and run on a course that has proven to be very fast,” said Kebede, who is motivated to try again in Chicago, where she last met Kiptum. They were both managed by Marc Corstjens at Golazo Talent. The flashbacks of their training sessions around the Windy City and their ensuing races are still very fresh in her mind.

It’s been a year of highs and lows for the East African runner. As the fastest woman marathoner this year, she was banking on being an automatic pick for the Paris 2024 Olympics. But after missing out on selection, she opted to give the Chicago Marathon another shot. She was 15th last year when Olympic champion Sifan Hassan raced to the second-fastest time of the year.

"All the races I've won bring me joy, but my victory in the Tokyo Marathon, one of the world's major marathons, stands out as a highlight,” she told Ethiopian press.

She will face a strong field led by the two-time Chicago Marathon winner Ruth Chepngetich, runner-up last year, and 2021 London champion Joyciline Jepkosgei, who is coached by her husband Nicholas Koech and trains with American Betsy Saina. Saina is among the local stars tipped to shine alongside former American marathon record holder Keira D’Amato.

The races will also be broadcast live on Olympics.com in a number of territories.

Olympic Champions Are Wearing This $200 Cooling Headband. Does It Actually Boost Performance?

A new study tests the performance claims of Omius’ unique looking headband worn by Olympic legends Sifan Hassan and Eliud Kipchoge.

As the best men’s marathoners in the world prepared to race in Paris last month, Jake Leschly was waiting at the 3K mark, peeping over the shoulder of the spectator next to him, who was streaming the race broadcast on his phone. Leschly is the CEO of a small three-person company called Omius, which makes a bulky, futuristic-looking headband that purports to keep you cool—and he was about to get a pleasant surprise: “They introduce Kipchoge,” Leschly recalls, “and I’m like, ‘Son of a bitch, he’s wearing it!’”

Omius’s headband first showed up in the triathlon world back in 2019. The fledgling company took a hiatus during the pandemic, but resumed sales in 2022. Triathletes have been enthusiastic: according to Leschly, 43 of the 53 pros at last year’s Women’s Ironman World Championship in Kona wore it, along with a third of the 2,000 age-group competitors.

But the headband’s conspicuous presence at this summer’s Olympic marathons—along with Kipchoge, other notables wearing it included Sifan Hassan and Hellen Obiri, the gold and bronze medalists in the women’s race, and Bashir Abdi, the silver medalist in the men’s race—brought it to a new audience. In the

The one simple trick that Omius relies on is to increase the surface area available for evaporation. The headband contains 20 cooling units, each of which consists of nine mini-towers of porous and heat-conducting graphite. Overall, this increases the surface area of the relevant patch of your forehead by a factor of five. The cooling units can be swapped in and out; Omius also makes visors and caps, and is developing other garments.

As long as you keep the headband damp and have airflow passing across it, water will evaporate from this large surface area, drawing heat away from your forehead and creating a cooling effect. Sweat can help moisten the cooling units, but in most situations you’ll need to periodically splash or spray them with water. You’ll generate enough airflow simply by running outdoors, but to use the headband indoors on a treadmill or stationary bike, you’ll need a fan. Leschly advises against cycling outdoors with it, because the cooling units don’t have appropriate impact properties.

The one simple trick that Omius relies on is to increase the surface area available for evaporation. The headband contains 20 cooling units, each of which consists of nine mini-towers of porous and heat-conducting graphite. Overall, this increases the surface area of the relevant patch of your forehead by a factor of five. The cooling units can be swapped in and out; Omius also makes visors and caps, and is developing other garments.

As long as you keep the headband damp and have airflow passing across it, water will evaporate from this large surface area, drawing heat away from your forehead and creating a cooling effect. Sweat can help moisten the cooling units, but in most situations you’ll need to periodically splash or spray them with water. You’ll generate enough airflow simply by running outdoors, but to use the headband indoors on a treadmill or stationary bike, you’ll need a fan. Leschly advises against cycling outdoors with it, because the cooling units don’t have appropriate impact properties.

You might think that the goal of sucking all this heat from your forehead is to cool your whole body down. That’s been the claim for some previous cooling devices, like palm-coolers that purported to lower your core temperature. But Omius isn’t going down that road. “It obviously does not change your core temperature,” Leschly says. “Nothing changes your core temperature.” Instead, he says, it’s a local effect that makes you feel cooler, enabling you to go faster. That’s not a crazy claim: one study, for example, found that applying a tiny amount of heat through a heat pad caused cyclists to slow down even though their core temperature didn’t change. But it makes Omius’s claims much harder to test.

Desroches’s study involved ten volunteers who completed a running test twice: once with the real headband and once with the sham headband. The test involved 70 minutes of running in a heat chamber set to 95 degrees Fahrenheit with 56 percent humidity at a predetermined moderate pace, followed by an all-out 5K time trial. The researchers measured all sorts of physiological data, including core temperature with a rectal thermometer, skin temperature with four different probes, and forehead temperature

It’s probably worth mentioning that the basic headband with cooling pieces currently costs $204. That’s considerably more than other cooling options like, say, pouring water on your head. As it happens, there’s another new study, just published in the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance by a team led by Samuel Chalmers of the University of South Australia, that explores the benefits of pouring water on yourself during hot runs.

While the details differ, the two studies are remarkably similar. In this case, 13 runners did a 10K time trial followed an hour later by a 60-minute moderate run, in a room set at 87 degrees Fahrenheit and 47 percent humidity. They completed this protocol twice; in one of the sessions, they poured two cups of water over their head, face, and arms every 2.5K or ten minutes. As with the headband, water dousing made them feel cooler and lowered their skin temperature, but didn’t change their core temperature. There is one key difference compared to the headband, though: they ran 1.0 percent faster in the water dousing time trial, which was a statistically significant benefit.

Because of the differences in protocol—the lack of a placebo trial

Faith Kipyegon hints at moving to different discipline after dominating 1,500m for years

Multiple World and Olympics champion Faith Kipyegon is not ruling out a switch to other distances next year after dominating the 1,500m for many years.

Multiple world and Olympics champion Faith Kipyegon is weighing whether to take on other challenges next season after totally dominating the 1,500m race.

Kipyegon has three Olympics titles, a world record, and as many world titles, which makes her the greatest female athlete in history over the distance.

She added a fifth Diamond League title to her trophy cabinet last weekend and she says a switch to other races to test herself is not off the table in 2025.

“I hope to stay strong and healthy towards next year and see what I am capable of doing. I don’t know if I will still do 1,500m or move to 5,000m but I hope for the best next year,” Kipyegon told Athletics Weekly.

Kipyegon says she has been motivated by other athletes who have contested different disciplines, such as Norwegian Jokob Ingebrigtsen who made his half marathon debut last weekend, and Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan, who has won titles in marathon, half marathon, 1,500m and 10,000m.

“I have seen Jakob is running in Copenhagen, I hope he gives me the motivation and I can also do half [marathon],” she added.

“Also, Sifan [Hassan] doing half, marathon and coming to 1,500m, 5,000m so I think it is only to twist how you think and say I am going to do this and hopefully we will do it.”

Kipyegon has already proven that she has what it takes to compete in the 5,000m after winning a world title in Budapest last year, this coming after she had broken a world record, while she also claimed Olympics silver in Paris over the distance.

She has also previously expressed her interest in running a marathon in future and 2025 could be the year she starts the transition if she makes the decision.

Beatrice Chebet: How Sifan Hassan inspired my record-breaking 2024 season

Double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet has opened up about how Dutch woman Sifan Hassan motivated her history-making season in 2024.

Beatrice Chebet has opened up about drawing her inspiration from Sifan Hassan, a move that has enabled her to break barriers and make history this season.

The double Olympic champion pointed out that two-time Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri has also been a vital part of her career growth but Hassan has stood out for her this season. Chebet explained that Hassan, the reigning Olympic marathon champion, is never afraid of making bold moves and she is a source of motivation to the Kenyan distance sensation.

At the Paris Olympic Games, Hassan competed in the women’s 5000m, 10,000m and marathon and she claimed bronze medals in the 5000m and 10,000m and a gold in the marathon, a feat that has never been achieved in the history of the Olympic Games.

“Hellen Obiri has always been a role model to me but for now, I’ll talk about Sifan Hassan. She is a lady who believes in herself and when she says that she will go for something, then she will pursue it, be it the 1500m or the marathon. Sifan has always motivated me and she gives me the confidence that I can do it,” Chebet said.

At the Olympic Games, Chebet claimed the gold medal in the women’s 5000m and 10,000m. It was a historic feat as no woman has ever won double gold over the two distances on the Olympic stage and she was also the first woman to win gold over the 25-lap race.

She explained that going into the Olympics, she wanted to do something unique since she had yet to win a gold medal at the World Championships. Chebet added that after winning the 5000m, the toughest of the two races, she knew the 10,000m would not be difficult.

After the Olympics, Chebet still had it in her as she went on to win the Diamond League Meeting in Zurich before claiming the Diamond League trophy in Brussels.

“This season has been great, especially going to the Olympics as a debutant and winning two gold medals. I can say it was not easy but I had to remain focused and believe in myself. When I entered the 10,000m race, I just wanted to win a medal but making history motivated me to go for a gold medal,” Chebet said.

“I had been to the World Championships but never won a medal and I wanted to do something great in Paris. The 5000m was the hardest event and going into the 10,000m, I knew I could do it. After the Olympics, I had to believe in myself and since I was the Olympic champion, I knew I had to do it,” she added.

Double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet reveals when she will fully transition to road racing

Chebet, who won gold medals in both the 5000 and 10,000 meter races at te Paris Olympics, has revealed when she is going to fully transition into marathon racing.

Fresh off her dominating performance in Zurich, where she marked her return to action with a win in the 5000 meters, double Paris 2024 Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet has disclosed when she plans to fully transition into marathon running. 

Chebet, who has had a stellar year, has been eyeing the marathon as her next frontier after conquering the track.

Chebet’s 2024 season has been nothing short of extraordinary. She claimed gold in both the 5000 meters and 10,000 meters at the Paris Olympic Games, cementing her status as one of the premier long-distance runners of her generation. 

Earlier in May, Chebet also broke the world record in the 10,000 meters, clocking an impressive 28:54.14 in Eugene, Oregon. Her dominance extended to the road as well, where she set a world record in the 5-kilometer road race in Barcelona with a time of 14:13.

However, the 5000-meter world record, held by Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay at 14:00.21, remains elusive for Chebet. She attempted to break the record at the Zurich Diamond League but fell nine seconds short under challenging rainy conditions. Despite the near miss, Chebet's eyes are firmly set on new goals, particularly in road racing and eventually marathon running—a natural progression for the long-distance star.

In a recent interview, Chebet revealed her long-term plans, stating that she is taking a gradual approach to marathon running, drawing inspiration from fellow Kenyan marathon legends like Hellen Obiri and Vivian Cheruiyot.

“We are going slowly. Everything now has its own time so we have to go gradually until we reach the marathon,” Chebet told Citius Mag.

Chebet, who won gold medals in both the 5000 and 10,000 meter races at te Paris Olympics, has revealed when she is going to fully transition into marathon racing.

Fresh off her dominating performance in Zurich, where she marked her return to action with a win in the 5000 meters, double Paris 2024 Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet has disclosed when she plans to fully transition into marathon running. 

Chebet, who has had a stellar year, has been eyeing the marathon as her next frontier after conquering the track.

Chebet’s 2024 season has been nothing short of extraordinary. She claimed gold in both the 5000 meters and 10,000 meters at the Paris Olympic Games, cementing her status as one of the premier long-distance runners of her generation. 

Earlier in May, Chebet also broke the world record in the 10,000 meters, clocking an impressive 28:54.14 in Eugene, Oregon. Her dominance extended to the road as well, where she set a world record in the 5-kilometer road race in Barcelona with a time of 14:13.

However, the 5000-meter world record, held by Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay at 14:00.21, remains elusive for Chebet. She attempted to break the record at the Zurich Diamond League but fell nine seconds short under challenging rainy conditions. Despite the near miss, Chebet's eyes are firmly set on new goals, particularly in road racing and eventually marathon running—a natural progression for the long-distance star.

In a recent interview, Chebet revealed her long-term plans, stating that she is taking a gradual approach to marathon running, drawing inspiration from fellow Kenyan marathon legends like Hellen Obiri and Vivian Cheruiyot.

“We are going slowly. Everything now has its own time so we have to go gradually until we reach the marathon,” Chebet told Citius Mag.

Reflecting on her remarkable performances this season, Chebet expressed her satisfaction, especially with her ability to maintain her form late into the season. “It was amazing because it was the beginning of the season so you feel stronger and energetic, but in the 5000, coming here at the end of the season, I just said, ‘let me go and try’,” she explained.

Chebet’s 14:09 finish in Zurich was impressive, given that she ran 2.5 kilometers alone in the race. “I am so happy. A good performance after Paris. Running 14.09 is not easy, especially after running 2.5 kilometers alone,” she added.

As the season winds down, Chebet is looking forward to taking a well-deserved break. “Take part in the Diamond League, get back and relax, and then prepare the season again for next year,” she said.

Chebet had earlier expressed her admiration for Ethiopian-born Dutch runner Sifan Hassan, whose versatility across multiple events has inspired Chebet’s future ambitions. Hassan took bronze in both the 5000 and 10,000 meters in Paris before striking gold in the marathon, a feat that left a lasting impression on Chebet.

“She always motivates me. She has personal bests in the 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 10,000m, and even the marathon. She’s a great athlete and makes me believe that you can do anything if you believe in yourself,” Chebet said.

Looking ahead, Chebet hopes to follow in Hassan’s footsteps, testing her capabilities in the marathon. “I want to follow in her footsteps too. In some years to come, I will also try the marathon,” she hinted.

Olympic medalists Chebet, Kibiwott promoted to corporal

Beatrice Chebet and  Abraham Kibiwott left Kenya for the Paris Olympics games as a constable in the police service, but ascended to the rank of Corporals, upon landing back.

Chebet was promoted to the rank by acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli at Jogoo House on Wednesday, after grabbing gold in the women's 5000m and 10000m races.

Meanwhile, Kibiwott won bronze in the men’s 3000m race, to also get one star added on his sleeve, moving to the Corporal rank.

It is a custom that officers in the discipline forces are always promoted one rank higher for their stellar performances in all disciplines on the international stage.

Chebet who is based in Kericho couldn’t hide her joy, saying she achieved her goals through hard work and discipline and promised to continue making Kenya proud.

“It feels good to be promoted and I thank my boss Masengeli, for awarding my efforts handsomely. I also appreciate my collogues, teammates, and my family for pushing me towards this achievement.”

The Olympics debutant beat an experienced field of runners on August 6t, to claim the 5000m gold in 14 minutes and 28.56 seconds, finishing ahead of compatriot Faith Kipyegon and Dutch legend Sifan Hassan respectively.

The 24-year-old national police officer is based in  Kericho and is coached by Peter Bii.

The best performer in team Kenya’s camp completed her historic double on August 9th 2024 in style grabbing the 10,000m race in 39:43.25.

She beat Italy's Nadia Batocletti and Sifan in that order, at the iconic Stade de France.

Chebet’s historic performance places her among the legends of long-distance running, becoming only the third woman to win both events at the same Olympics.

Meanwhile, Abraham Kibiwott who is an Administration police officer based in APTC training school Embakasi, also made a courtesy call to his boss for his coronation hours after landing from Paris.

Kibowott who was among the five Kenyan bronze medalists, clocked 8:06.47, to finish behind America’s Kenneth Rooks and Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali.

The 28-year-old who hails from Uasin Gishu County, has a personal best of 8:05.51 minutes. 

He also claimed bronze in the 2023 World Championships in Budapest and the 2016 Durban, African Championships.

“I did my best, but I couldn’t get the desired gold. I will continue working towards it. I want to thank my boss for acknowledging my efforts, I am so happy to have climbed one rank higher,” said Kibiwott.

Both athletes proceeded to Eldoret the City of Champions where President William Ruto, hosted the Kenyan Olympics for a breakfast meeting. 

President Ruto is expected to award the medalists with cash-winning bonuses.

Team Kenya finished at position  17 in Paris with 11 medals; 4 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze medals.

Sifan Hassan promises to outrun Kenyan and Ethiopian legends until her last breath

The Dutch marathon runner has vowed to dominate her Kenyan and Ethiopian rivals aiming to race until her last breath.

Dutch distance running great Sifan Hassan has set a new gold standard in Olympic marathon running emphatically stating she plans to dominate the event for years to come.

After a stunning victory at the Paris Olympics, Hassan warned her top rivals from Kenya and Ethiopia that she is just getting started.

In one of the most grueling tests of human endurance, Hassan pulled off a historic victory in what was dubbed the toughest Olympic marathon course ever.

The race included punishing hills and an elevation surpassing those of the Boston and New York marathons.

Despite these challenges, Hassan managed to claim gold with a new Olympic record of 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 55 seconds, narrowly defeating world record holder Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia by just three seconds.

“I’m really crushed.I don’t want to disappoint myself. I want to give everything. That’s what I did. It feels like a dream," she said as per Independent..

The 31-year-old Dutch athlete has now become the first woman to secure Olympic gold medals in the 1500m, 5,000m, 10,000m, and marathon across multiple games.

“Everybody else was fresh but I was telling myself, I don’t feel fresh, I don’t feel good, why didn’t you just run the marathon? From the beginning to the end, I felt uncomfortable,” Hassan explained.

Yet, her strategic focus on the marathon paid off, culminating in a breathtaking final sprint that left onlookers gasping at the idyllic gardens surrounding the golden dome of Les Invalides.

The race was not just a physical battle but also a mental one.

Hassan has been open about her fears and the immense pressure she faces each time she lines up at the starting line.

“Yes, I’m still scared of the marathon, I’ve only done four and they’re all different.You’re uncomfortable for two hours or more, and the brain wants to protect you," she added.

Hassan’s mental resilience and ability to manage her heart rate were critical in her Olympic success.

“I recover great, that’s good, but the rest is the challenge, I love the extra challenge. I like to try things out. I’m not scared... I mean, I am scared but I like to try things. Does it work or does it not? That’s what makes me better than others, I try,” Hassan said.

“I’ll still get nervous, but I’m not finished yet, I think I’ll do marathons until I die. I’m not going to stop. It’s a lot of fun,” she declared.

Sifan Hassan is simply one of the best female distance runners ever

Sifan Hassan defies conventional logic or reasoning. It shouldn’t be possible to do many of the things she does. However time and again she sets herself impossible challenges and goes about achieving them. At this Olympics, she started by securing bronze medals in the 5000m and 10,000m in perhaps the most efficient way possible, staying at the back of the pack, running her own race and kicking through the field over the last lap to secure a bronze medal in each.

Then she took on the ultimate racing challenge, the Olympic marathon, on one of the most challenging courses ever seen. When she was with the leaders with two kilometers left to go, there was a sense of inevitability, and of destiny, that awaited her in front of the appropriately golden dome of Les Invalides on the final morning of the Paris Olympics.

As she crossed the finish line to secure the third Olympic gold of her career, she became the first female athlete to win individual Olympic golds across 5000m, 10,000m and the marathon.

At two successive games, she has medalled in not one, not two, but three different individual events, achieving this whilst battling a schedule that would make it near impossible for an athlete to give their best across all three events. The triple she attempted on this occasion has only been attempted (at least successfully) by one athlete in history: the Czech athlete Emil Zátopek at the 1952 Olympics, in which he won all three events.

Olympic marathon headbands create buzz in Paris

You may have noticed that a number of elite athletes in the weekend’s Olympic marathons, including former Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, Olympic champion Sifan Hassan and bronze medallist Hellen Obiri, were sporting unusual headbands that look almost like miniature solar panels. In fact, they were taking advantage of some “cool” new wearable tech for athletes exercising in hot weather. 

The headbands are made by the company Omius, and comes in various configurations (there is also a cap and a visor) and two colours, but all feature the 20 squares of graphite that provide the cooling. 

The graphite pieces contact the skin directly and are held in place by a silicon grid. They function by absorbing  sweat, and their irregular surfaces greatly increase the amount of surface area subject to sweat evaporation, which speeds cooling. (Evaporation of sweat is the body’s mechanism for cooling it down.) The headband weighs only 50 grams (a little more than an ounce and a half), and require no freezing or charging. The cooling pieces continue to provide cooling as long as needed, as long as they stay moist and are subject to airflow (either outdoors, or from a fan if using indoors). The pieces are reusable.

The Omius website warns that the cooling pieces are fragile and should be washed, handled and stored with care. (It suggests treating them like an expensive pair of sunglasses.)

They are also not cheap. The headband will set you back CDN $277.50; a cap incorporating the tech is $291.38, and a set of cooling pieces on its own is $124.08. Yes, they ship internationally, and no doubt they will be swamped with orders since the weekend.

What next for Kenya after Paris 2024 Olympic Games

The curtains for the 2024 Paris Olympics fell on Sunday night with Kenya ranking 17th in the world after winning 11 medals.

Despite Kenya topping the African continent with 4 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze medals, the results left a lot to be desired.

From 83 athletes competing in seven disciplines, a significant impact was expected from the Kenyan athletes and the world.

The show started with Judoka Zeddy Cherop falling 10-0 to Portugal’s Patricia Sampao in a record 22 seconds while Fencing African champion Alexandra Ndolo crushed out 13-12 to Ukranian Olena Kryvytska in her debut.

Maria Brunlehner and Ridhwan Mohamed finished 3rd and 4th in the women’s 50m freestyle and Men’s 400m freestyle heats respectively to crush out of contention for a swimming medal.

The sevens rugby team also crushed out in the group stage, after going down to Australia, Argentina and Samoa.

The women’s volleyball team booked their next flight after failing to win a single set following three identical 3-0 losses in a tough group B pool comprising Brazil, Poland and Japan.

Paris, the City of Love, had very little affection for Kenya as former world champion Julius Yego, finished a distant 5th in the javelin final with a 87.72m throw, to also bite the dust.

Africa's fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala's 100m Olympic medal dream was shattered in the semi-finals after clocking 10.08 seconds to finish 8th.

However, Kenya redeemed herself with debutant Beatrice Chebet grabbing double gold in the 5000m and 10000m women’s races.

The best performer was followed closely by Faith Kipyegon who defended her 1500m gold and added the 5000m women’s silver.

Another debutant, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, grabbed the 800m gold, while Ronald Kwemoi struck the men’s 5000m silver.

Mary Moraa, the dancing queen, grabbed the 800m bronze, same as Faith Cherotich (3000m steeplechase) and Abraham Kibiwot (3000m steeplechase).

Hellen Obiri and Benson Kipruto rounded up the bronze tally in the men's and women's marathons.  

Obiri failed in her quest for an Olympic medal having won silver in the women's 5000m in Tokyo, 2020 and Rio 2016 games.

History Making

Kenya will however keep pride in making history after Faith Kipyegon became the first woman to complete an Olympic hat trick after breaking her 1500m record in 3:51.29, before a fully packed iconic Stade de France. 

Debutant Beatrice Chebet was the best performer entering the history books by winning a double gold in the women's 5000m and 10000m.

The feat makes Chebet the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic 10000m gold for Kenya since the race was introduced in the 1988 Olympics.

She is the third woman after Tirunesh Dibaba and Sifan Hassan to win the 5000m and 10000m double at the Olympic Games.

"I'm dedicating this medal to all Kenyans. I just want to hear my country is proud. This was for you, you were in my mind and heart in every lap; I might have made history but I will sleep better knowing Wananchi wataenjoy the weekend," she said.

Kenya’s legend Eliud Kipchoge failed to complete an Olympic marathon treble after dropping out of the race at the 20km mark.

Kipchoge later confirmed he won’t be running in the Los Angeles 2028 summer games.

“I felt a sharp pain in the stomach and I couldn’t continue. I'm disappointed that for the first time in my career, I failed to finish a race .” Kipchoge said.

Lady luck also smiled on Kenya after Kipyegon's 5000m silver medal was reinstated following an appeal, after a push and shove with Ethiopian nemesis, Gudaf Tsegay, had her initially disqualified.

In the 800m final, Canada appealed against Kenyan winner Emmanuel Wanyonyi's personal best of 1:41.91 in the 800m, claiming he obstructed silver medallist Marco Arop. Kenya won the appeal.

Tokyo 2020

Despite the dismal show in Paris, Kenya had bettered the 2020 Tokyo tally of 10 medals and a 19th spot finish.

The post-Covid games had challenges but Kenya grabbed four gold, four silvers and two bronze medals.

Emmanuel Korir (800m), Faith Kipyegon (1500m), Peres Jepchirhir (marathon), and Eliud Kipchoge (marathon) were the gold medalists while Hellen Obiri (5000m), Fergussin Rotich (800m), Brigid Kosgei (marathon) and Timothy Cheruiyot (1500m) won silver.

Benjamin Kigen and Hyvin Kiyeng won the men's and women's 3000m steeplechase races respectively.

Rio 2016 

In the 2016 Rio De Janeiro games, Kenya managed six gold, six silver and one bronze medal for a tally of 13 medals. 

Rio 2016 Olympics gold medalists were Jemima Sumgong in women's marathon, David Rudisha in 800m, Faith Kipyegon in 1500m, Conseslus Kipruto in 3000m steeplechase, Vivian Ceruiyot in 5000m and Eliud Kipchoge marathon.

Meanwhile, Vivian Cheruiyot (10000m); Paul Tanui (10000m); Hyvin Kiyeng (3000m steeplechase); Boniface Mucheru (400m hurdles); and Hellen Obiri (5000m) all grabbed silver, while Julius Yego managed a rare javelin silver. Margaret Wambui won bronze in women's 800m.

London 2012  

The London 2012 Summer Games saw Kenya manage 2 gold, 4 silver and 7 bronze for a total of 13 medals.

Despite a cold and warm performance in the Queens land, Kenya won two gold medals to finish a distant 29th in the world rankings.

Legendary track masters Ezekiel Kemboi and David Rudisha grabbed gold in the men's 3000m and 800m races respectively.

Sally Kipyegon brought home the women's 10000m silver, while Priscah Jeptoo won the women's marathon silver medal as Vivian Cheruiyot grabbed the women's 5000m race.

Abel Kirui rounded up the silver medals haul after clinching the men’s marathon race.

Vivian Cheruiyot won bronze in the 10000m women's race, while Asbel Kiprop and Milcah Chemos clinched bronze in the men's and women’s 3000m steeplechase.

Timothy Kiptum and Pamela Jelimo clinched the men's and women's 800m race respectively while Thomas Longosiwa and Wilson Kipsang rounded off Kenya's bronze medals haul, winning the 5000m men's and women's marathon races.

What next?

As the nation awaits the Paris 2024 Games report on what worked and what didn't work, a lot will be looked into including preparations, sports science, lack of stadia and lack of funds among others.

However, one constant reminder is that Kenya must smell the coffee, lest our legacy is discarded by the improving rival nations every day.

The next Omanyala, Yego, Obiri and Kipchoge should be nurtured immediately if we are to remain world beaters in the summer games.

Beating the 2008 Beijing Summer Games remains the target, where Kenya sent a total of 46 athletes: 28 men and 18 women who brought home the best tally of six gold, four silver and six bronze medals.

The journey to the Los Angeles 2028 games starts with a new sheriff in town, CS Kipchumba Murkomen, at the helm of the Sports ministry.

Four ways to run like Sifan Hassan

On Sunday, Dutch distance star Sifan Hassan won the Paris Olympic marathon in her usual thrilling style, setting a new Olympic record only days after capturing bronze in both the 5,000m and 10,000m events. Hassan has created a name synonymous with excellence in distance running, and all athletes can incorporate some of her extraordinary qualities into their training, regardless of distance goals or ability.

Hassan’s race victories constantly demonstrate unparalleled versatility, mental resilience and a powerful finishing kick. She made history by winning the London Marathon on her debut, and her trifecta of medals in Paris showcased her fearless approach to trying new challenges. Here’s how you can channel Hassan in your own training.

1.- Dominate the finish

Hassan’s ability to close races from behind is legendary. No matter the race distance, she consistently outkicks her rivals when it matters most. To build your own finishing power, incorporate some strides or accelerations at the end of your easy runs. Adding just a tiny amount of speed reminds your legs how to move quickly even when fatigued, and helps you develop the strength to finish strong like Hassan.

2.- Be brave and try new things

One of Hassan’s most admirable traits is her courage to step out of her comfort zone, as seen in her marathon debut and distance triple in Paris. She is open about facing self-doubt and fear, but she still lines up and gives each race her all. This willingness to try new things, even if they frighten her, has been key to her success and growth as an athlete. To channel this mindset, don’t shy away from trying new distances, races or training techniques. Embracing challenges will not only make you a better runner but also build your mental toughness.

3.- Embrace versatility

Hassan’s success across a range of distances, from the track to the roads, is rooted in her versatility. This adaptability was on full display in Paris, and she was able to transition from track races to the marathon distance. Make sure to switch up your training by incorporating a mix of workouts—speed work, tempo runs and longer-distance sessions (with lots of easy runs in between)—to build a versatile skill set that can adapt to any race scenario.

4.-Build that base

Winning the London Marathon on her debut, and pulling off a distance triple in Paris, are testaments to Hassan’s incredible endurance. She’s known for her high-mileage training weeks, which prepare her for everything from the 800 meters to the marathon. Gradually increasing your weekly mileage while allowing for adequate recovery will help you build the stamina necessary to tackle any distance.

Hassan’s combination of speed, endurance, versatility and courage sets her apart in the world of distance running. By incorporating these four strategies into your own training, you can start to emulate the qualities that have made her one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Sifan Hassan caps remarkable Olympics with women’s marathon gold by 3seconds after winning two medals days earlier

Sifan Hassan and Tigst Assefa moved towards the final corner of the breathless, frenetic women’s marathon shoulder‑to‑shoulder as they fought desperately for one of the last gold medals of the Paris Olympics. Under normal circumstances, Hassan’s supreme footspeed would almost always outstrip marathon specialists, but this was remarkably her 62nd kilometre of the Games after 10 days of racing. Anything was possible.

Only Hassan is crazy enough to attempt a ridiculous treble of 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon, but she is also the only athlete talented and versatile enough to succeed in all three. In the final metres, the Dutchwoman pulled away from Assefa, after a dramatic coming together, to win her first marathon gold medal with a blistering Olympic record of 2hr 22min 55sec. Assefa of Ethiopia, the world record holder, finished 3sec behind Hassan in second place while Kenya’s Hellen Obiri took the bronze.

“Can you imagine for two hours, just focusing on every step? I have never focused like I focused today,” said Hassan, who had to survive an appeal from the runner-up. “I’m Olympic champion and what can I say? Marathon; I’ve been Olympic champion [in other events] but it’s something else.”

Having already built up one of the most extraordinary track and field careers of all time, this is surely Hassan’s crowning achievement. The 31-year-old has won three medals at the Paris Olympics, her marathon gold complemented by bronzes in the 5,000m and 10,000m. The last athlete to win medals in all three events in one Olympics was the Czech Emil Zatopek in 1952. She is also the first woman to win Olympic gold in 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon competitions, having won the first two in Tokyo. She is a six-time Olympic medallist overall.

Nine days earlier, Hassan’s Olympics began in the women’s 5,000m heats on Friday 2 August before she won bronze in the rapid, hectic final last Monday. The women’s 10,000m final followed four days later on Friday, Hassan also finishing with an excellent bronze medal.

Just 35 hours later, Hassan lined up for a legendary Olympic marathon performance. The race came alive at the 28km mark as the runners scaled a painfully steep hill. Hassan struggled badly and a significant 50m gap opened up between her and the leading pack as, with her closing speed in mind, the marathon specialists accelerated up the hill in order to distance themselves. But they just could not get rid of her. As the course flattened, Hassan quickly closed the gap, stalking the leaders from the back of the group.

The formidable final five of Hassan, Assefa, Obiri, Sharon Lokedi and Amane Beriso Shankule remained extremely tight. But as the pace picked up, the group gradually thinned out until only Hassan and Assefa remained. Hassan made her move with about 300m to go, drawing her brilliant speed developed through years of greatness in 1500m races. As she took the inside line and flitted past Assefa, all the Ethiopian could do to try to stop her was put her body in the way and extend an elbow. But Hassan nudged the 27-year-old back and tore past her rival to close out an unforgettable win.

“I have no words for it. When I started this morning, every single moment [in the race] I was regretting that I ran the 5,000m and 10,000m,” Hassan said. “I was telling myself: ‘If I hadn’t done that, I would feel comfortable today.’ From the beginning until the end, I felt every step so hard and I regretted it: ‘What is wrong with me?’ The moment I felt good was at 20km.”

The post-event ceremony was significantly delayed after Ethiopia filed a protest over the incident when Assefa and Hassan crashed into each other towards the end of the race. Their protest was unsurprisingly rejected. Afterwards, Assefa claimed the clash had cost her the gold.

Hassan, who was born in Ethiopia before becoming a refugee and moving to the Netherlands in 2008 at 15, ran her first marathon only last year, in London. After her first medal in the 5,000m final, Hassan explained that she had chosen such an intense challenge because she is equally crazy and inquisitive: “I’m very curious. Could I podium? Could I even complete [each race]? I’m trying to fight with myself. What can I do after the 10,000m? Am I strong enough to keep the pace?”

As has been the case throughout a career in which she has constantly experimented and pushed her athleticism to its limits, her performance answered every single question affirmatively.

Wow, what an amazing athlete! Maybe the best of the games! 

SIFAN HASSAN WINS WOMEN’S MARATHON IN NEW OLYMPIC RECORD

Sifan Hassan has raced to victory in a new Olympic record in the Paris 2024 women’s marathon on Sunday 11 August.

The Dutch athlete braved the undulating course that wound through some of the most iconic sights in Paris, finishing the race in 2:22:55.

Hassan raised eyebrows when she announced she would complete the 5000m/10,000m/marathon treble at these Games. However, her brilliant gold in today's marathon, added to the bronze medals she won over the shorter distances, is proof that the 31-year-old is able to overcome the type of sporting challenges others would deem impossible.  She placed third in the 10000m as well.  

Much has also been made about the unique challenges posed by the Paris 2024 marathon course with its steep, gruelling inclines followed by fast downhill sections.

But in front of a cheering crowd that lined the streets of France’s capital, Hassan proved herself strongest, fastest and more determined over the 42.195km race.

Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia won silver (2:22:58) with Kenya’s Hellen Obiri claiming bronze (2:23:10).

Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet wins 10,000m gold for historic distance double

Chebet is the first Kenyan athlete to win two Olympic gold medals in a single Games.

After winning the women’s 5,000m gold earlier in the week, Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet made history on Friday in the women’s 10,000m, taking gold to compete the Olympic distance double. Italy’s Nadia Battocletti set a national record to win silver in 30:43.35, and fan favourite Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands won her bronze of the Games in 30:44.12.

It’s the first time a Kenyan athlete has won two gold medals on the track in a single Olympics, and the first time a Kenyan has won gold in the women’s 10,000m since its addition to the Olympic program in Seoul 1988.

Chebet, the current world record holder in the 10,000m (28:54.15, set earlier this year) positioned herself near the front of the pack during the first few laps and remained there throughout, with Battocletti in the middle and Hassan running near the back, where she stayed until the final two laps. Chebet is also the 2024 world cross-country champion, a title she also won in 2023.

The group stayed tightly bunched through most of the race, with around a dozen women running closely together into the final laps. Chebet began to pick up the pace at the bell, followed by Battocletti, who finished fourth in the 5,000m final earlier in the week. Battocletti ran a tactically smart race, putting herself in an ideal position to strike in the final stretch.

With 200m to go, Hassan, the defending Olympic champion, who had only begun moving up from the rear in the final two laps of the race, began a push toward the front of the lead group, eventually clinching third place and her second bronze medal of the Paris Olympics. (She won bronze in the 5,000 also.)

Hassan is attempting an ambitious triple, competing in the 5,000m, 10,000m and the marathon at these Olympics. She will have one day of rest on Saturday before tackling the women’s marathon on Sunday, the final day of the Games.

Chebet strikes a second gold and Kenya's first Olympic women's 10,000m title in Paris

Kenya’s Olympic 5000m champion Beatrice Chebet accomplished her double golden glory by winning the 10,000m at the Paris 2024 Games on Friday (9).

Just four days after striking gold in the 5000m final, Olympic debutant Chebet emerged victorious in the women’s 10,000m in 30:43.25 at the Stade de France.

Italy’s Nadia Battocletti, who was fourth in the 5000m, finished strong in a national record of 30:43.35 to secure the silver as Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands ran 30:44.12 for bronze – her second medal of that colour in Paris after her third-place finish in the 5000m. 

The feat makes Chebet the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic 10,000m gold and only the third woman after Tirunesh Dibaba and Hassan to win the 5000m and 10,000m double at the Olympic Games.

The 24-year-old also became the first to win 5000m and 10,000m Olympic titles in addition to the world cross country title and the 10,000m world record. 

Chebet, who shattered the world 10,000m record in May’s Prefontaine Classic, was no doubt the centre of focus in the final. She did the sign of a cross before taking off as part of a field that featured defending champion Hassan, 5000m world record-holder Gudaf Tsegay and Battocletti.

The rain had stopped and the sun was shining bright when the women took off in the 10,000m on a somewhat wet track.

Rahel Daniel of Eritrea had an early leading role with Battocletti behind her, taking the field through 1000m in 3:12. The main cast included Chebet and Tsegay tucked in the middle of the pack, while Hassan stayed behind.

The race was tactical and Daniel was in the lead until she dropped out of the competition and Rino Goshima of Japan took over, leading the pack through 3000m in 9:26.94 and 4000m in 12:38.12. Chebet had moved up to third position, and throughout the whole race she had no interest in going in front. 

Thirteen athletes were still bunched together with eight laps remaining. This time it was Ethiopian Tsigie Gebreselama’s turn to lead, taking them through 7000m in 21:15.65. The pack had Chebet, Margaret Kipkemboi, Lilian Kasait Rengeruk, Fotyen Tesfay, Tsegay, Sarah Chelangat and Battocletti. 

With two laps to go, Kenya’s Kipkemboi pushed the pace and just before the bell it was an East Africa contest. Kipkemboi stepped on the gas again after the bell, with Rengeruk on her shoulder. Their intention – to drop the rest, a move that made Chebet and Battocletti immediately respond. Hassan also covered the move.

With 200 metres to go, Chebet – who had run a very tactical race – overtook Kipkemboi, with Battocletti hot on her heels. But Chebet’s strong kick was enough to earn the 10,000m gold medal in 30:43.25, the slowest winning time since the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

Battocletti crossed the line a tenth of a second after Chebet, taking home a silver medal and a national record of 30:43.35. 

Hassan's triple quest in Paris amounted to a second podium finish, as she came home third in 30:44.12. She will next compete in the marathon on Sunday. 

“I’m so happy," said Chebet. "To do the 5000m and 10,000m is not something easy. But just focus, and know that you can achieve. Just believe in yourself.

"I believed that I could do it. I just wanted to win the 10,000m for my country. My country has never won a gold medal (in the women’s 10,000m). So I said I wanted to be the first."

Chebet seeks Olympic double in 10,000m race as Wanyonyi eyes 800m final spot

Olympic 5,000m champion Beatrice Chebet will be seeking a historic double when she lines up in the 10,000m women's final at the Paris 2024 games Later tonight.

Chebet, won the 5000m on Monday night, dashing in the last 50m to beat two-time Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon and Dutch woman Sifan Hassan to the tape.

She will fly the Kenyan flag alongside compatriots Margaret Chelimo and Lilian Kasiait.

Kasait, is the second fastest runner this year with another sub-30 display of 29:26.89, while Chelimo  finished fifth in the 5000m final, has a best time of  (29:27.59), in the 25 laps race

The world record holder with a time of (28:54.14), will face a rich field led by defending champion Sifan Hassan (29:06.82), Ethiopian two-time world 5000m record-holder Gudaf Tsegay and compatriots Fotyen Tesfay (29:47.71) and Tsigie Gebreselama (29:48.34).

While Chebet will be seeking to become the first Kenyan to clinch an Olympic double, Sifan's victory will see the Dutch star become the only woman to have won the title consecutively after Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba's grabbed the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 titles.

The 24-year-old Olympics debutant faces an acid test in her quest for a second gold medal despite being among the favourites despite flooring seasoned track legends Faith Kiyegon, Sifan and Ethiopia's Tsegay Gudaf. In the 5000m race.

“This is a different race and I have to use a different technique to emerge victorious. "It will be tough but I will try my best," Chebet said.

The race takes place at 9.47 pm at the iconic Stade de France.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Commonwealth Games title holder Wycliffe Kinyamal will kick start team Kenya’s track events this afternoon when they line up in the men's 800m semifinals at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Faith Kipyegon ready for historic 1,500m Olympics hat-trick

Two-time 1,500 Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon will be seeking to become the first woman to win three titles in the same individual track event at the Olympics, when she lines up in the semifinals of the race on Thursday at the Stade de France.

The defending champion clocked (4:00.74) to finish fourth in heat two, behind winner Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji (3:59.73), Britain’s Georgia Bell (4:00.290 and USA’s Nikki Hiltz (4:00.42) yesterday.

The heats came barely 12 hours after Kipyegon successfully appealed to overturn her disqualification from the 5,000m after a mid-race altercation with Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay in which both narrowly missed crashing onto the track.

Kipyegon grabbed silver in 14:29.60, finishing ahead of the Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan (14:30.61) as compatriot Beatrice Chebet grabbed gold in (14:28.56).

However, the track queen will have to be mentally fit in Thursday’s semis, to reach Saturday’s finals, following a drama packed Monday night 5,000m race finals.

“I feel fresh and ready for the semis, I am Faith and I participate in a good way and I believe in myself. It was a good race a lot of pushing up and down but all in all, it is finished and I focus on the 1,500m semis,” Kipyegon said.

Kipyegon who didn’t manage to talk to journalists after Monday’s drama didn’t want to dwell much on the matter.

“I just went to the village and took a nap knowing that I had another race the next morning. I was not disappointed but this is another distance altogether, I really thank Kenyans for the support and prayers as we continue pushing in the 1,500m,” Kipyegon said.

Having put Monday’s drama behind her, she goes to the semis not having lost in the 1,500m since 2021, with the historical third Olympic title beckoning.

The world champion must beat three of the five fastest 1,500m runners in history, including her Ethiopian rival Tsegay and Austraila’s Jessica Hull, to reach her dreams.

She will fly the Kenyan flag alongside compatriots Susan Ejore and Nelly Jepchirchir who also qualified for the semis.

The Kenyan star ended her 2023 track campaign with a 1,500m win at the Wanda Diamond League final in Eugene on 26 Aug 2023.

She ran 3:53.98 in the 1,500m and 14:46.28 for 5,000m in Nairobi, during the Kenyan Olympic trials.

Faith warmed up for the Olympics by breaking the world 1,500m record again at the Paris Diamond League meeting on July 7, 2024 after clocking 3:49.04

Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk is the only woman in the history of the games to ever claim a threepeat, as well as possessing the two fastest performances of all time in the hammer throw.

Sifan Hassan says she thought about Olympic marathon during 5,000m final

"I am really freaking scared of the marathon," says Hassan.

Sifan Hassan won her first medal of her attempted distance triple at the Paris 2024 Games, taking bronze in the women’s 5,000m behind Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet and Faith Kipyegon. At the post-race press conference, Hassan said she was super happy with the bronze, since the only thing on her mind during the race was how much harder the marathon will be compared to the 5,000m.

The Dutch distance runner is attempting the 5,000m, 10,000m and the marathon at these Games, which means she will compete in three races over seven days. Hassan said she was happy to win bronze in 14:30.61: “I would have been proud even if I was fourth,” she laughed. “It was an incredible field.”

She mentioned in the post-race press conference that whenever the 5,000m got tough, she reminded herself that it’s not as hard as the marathon. “I am really freaking scared of the marathon,” Hassan admitted.

Hassan crossed the line in third, but was briefly upgraded to silver after Kipyegon, the second-place finisher, was disqualified for obstructing another athlete with two laps to go. However, Kipyegon was reinstated to the silver medal position following a successful appeal from Athletics Kenya. Hassan said she was happy to see Kipyegon reinstated. “She’s a phenomenal athlete, and I have a lot of respect for her,” she said. “I was here to medal, and I’m really grateful to get one.”

The four-time Olympic medallist from the Netherlands said she has never pushed her limits as she has this year in preparation for the distance triple at the Paris Olympics. “I really want to cry before every race; I am so under pressure—like, ‘how am I going to do this? Why do I put myself through this?'” said Hassan. “Maybe I am just crazy.”

The 31-year-old will next compete on Friday in the women’s 10,000m final, and then run in the marathon on Sunday.

Athletics events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are taking place from Aug. 1-11. Today’s coverage is brought to you by Canadian Running and New Balance Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Team Canada and up-to-date exclusive news and content.

Faith Kipyegon Disqualified, Then Wins Appeal To Earn Back Olympic Silver

A dust up just before the 800m mark in the women's 5,000 meter final at the Paris Olympics cost one Kenyan a silver medal, before an appeal overruled it.

An instinctive moment initially cost Faith Kipyegon an Olympic 5,000 meter silver medal on Monday at the Paris Olympics. 

And then after appeal, it didn't. 

But first, here's what happened: 

The Kenyan outstretched her right arm, making contact with Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay with a little more than 800 meters left to go and created a reaction that unbalanced her competitor before the race continued on. The official ruling was obstruction for the infraction.

Kipyegon went on to battle stride-for-stride with her countrywoman Beatrice Chebet, the world record-holder over 10,000 meters, over the next two laps, eventually relenting for silver. 

After an appeal by the Kenyan Federation, Kipyegon was re-instated with her silver medal. 

Chebet took the Olympic gold with a time of 14:28.56. 

Originally, Kipyegon was disqualified for her obstruction with just over 800 meters remaining. That result initially re-ordered the podium and lifted the Netherlands' Sifan Hassan to second in 14:30.61 and Italy's Nadia Battocletti to third in 14:31.64.

With the appeal won, Battocletti moved back to fourth and Hassan to third. 

Tsegay, crucially involved in the dust up, settled for eighth in 14:45.21. She is the world record-holder for 5,000 meters, but that fact means little after Monday's performance. 

Hassan, who's eyeing up an incredible Olympic triple with her performance in the 5K, 10K and marathon, made swift work over the last lap to close on the Kenyans. 

Battocletti, meanwhile, scored a new Italian national record with her performance. 

Kipyegon, the world record-holder in the 1,500m and mile, was a former record-holder in the 5K before Chebet passed her. 

Americans Karissa Schweizer and Elise Cranny finished ninth and 10th, respectively, in 14:45.57 and 14:48.06.

Beatrice Chebet wins Kenya's first gold medal at Paris Olympics as Faith Kipyegon is disqualified

Beatrice Chebet won Kenya's first gold medal at the Paris Olympics after a great victory past favorite Faith Kipyegon with the world champion losing silver over a track offence.

Beatrice Chebet executed a top strategy to stun Faith Kipyegon and claim Kenya’s first Olympics gold medal in Paris on Monday.

The world silver medalist saved the best for last in what was an ill-tempered race that had a quality field.

With all eyes on Kipyegon, world record holder Guday Tsegay of Ethiopia and Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan, Chebet ran without pressure and waited for the right opportunity to go for the kill.

Hassan briefly surged forward before retreating while Ethiopian runners also took the lead after which Kipyegon raced head.

There was a moment of worry when the world champion was boxed in and had a go at Tsegay with two laps to go. She then sprinted forward after the bell and it appeared she was set to claim gold.

However, Chebet kept pace with her and in the final 60m, the double world cross-country champion went past Kipyegon to claim her first Olympics title and a first gold for Kenya at the 2024 Games.

Chebet clocked 14:28.56 as Kipeygon finished second but there would a be a further shocker for her as she was disqualified with Hassan elevated to second place in 14.30.61 while Italian Nadia Battocletti was awarded a bronze medal.

It was not cleat why Kipyegon was disqualified but it appears her altercation on the track with could have led to the shocking decision with obstruction cited as the main reason.

There Are Going to Be People Walking:’ A Look at the Grueling Olympic Marathon Course

Getting to run by all those historic spots requires some epic climbs and descents.The final weekend of the 2024 Paris Olympics will host back-to-back days of thrilling marathons. These prestigious races, set against the backdrop of two of France’s most iconic landscapes—Paris and Versailles—will weave through a tapestry of history, culture, and breathtaking scenery. They begin on August 10 with the men’s race, and then, in a nod to the 40th anniversary of the first women’s Olympic Marathon in Los Angeles, the Paris Olympics will conclude on August 11 with the women’s race for the first time in history.

Here are some of the key details you’ll want to know:

What sites will the runners pass?

It’s not a bad way to tour the area, and it’s quite different than the Paris Marathon that is held each April. Athletes will find themselves tracing a route that dances through nine arrondissements (neighborhoods) of Paris along the banks of the Seine. The runners will begin at the Hôtel de Ville, or city hall, and then pass landmarks such as the Palais Garnier opera house, Place Vendôme, the Louvre museum, and past the Trocadéro. 

Next, they will leave the city to run through historic French towns, including Sevres, on their way to Versailles. The return to the city is a different route and will take them through the Forêt Domaniale de Meudon, a forest. When back in the city, they will be on the Left Bank and run past the Eiffel Tower as well as Parisian neighborhoods. The race ends at the Esplanade des Invalides, in which Napoleon is buried.

This route is based on significant French history. In October 1789, between 6,000 and 7,000 Parisian women, joined by men, marched from the Hôtel de Ville through the city to Versailles. It was because of that march that Louis XVI agreed to ratify the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens. The marathoners are symbolically running in their footsteps. 

How tough is the course?

Unlike some more recent Olympics and U.S. Marathon Trials races, this course isn’t a circuit of repeated loops. Instead, it’s a full loop starting in Paris and loops down to Versailles outside of the city. 

While the elevation profile for the first nine miles looks fairly tame, once the runners are past the halfway mark the landscape changes. The most notable course feature is the three uphill stretches—they’re incredibly steep and very long. 

The first big hill comes just before the 10-mile mark, and it climbs at a 4 percent grade, which is roughly the same as Boston’s famed Newton hills. The difference with the Paris version is that it ascends for about 1.25 miles before it levels off for a bit. (Boston’s longest hill is less than half a mile, according to Sean Hartnett, emeritus professor of geography at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, who specializes in marathon routes and other running competitions.)

The next hill at the 12-mile mark is at 5 percent, steeper than anything on the Boston course and 900 meters long. But those two are just appetizers for the real challenge. That hits just after the 18-mile mark. 

Runners will have to climb for 600 meters, at an average grade of 10.5 percent. Yes, picture putting your treadmill at 10 percent and trying to run up it at marathon pace. Hartnett calls it a “doozy” and struggles to find courses to compare it to. The Bix 7 in Davenport, Iowa, perhaps? Then he gives up. “It’s unlike anything in any competitive road marathon,” he said. (You can view a detailed description of the 15K-33K section as mapped by Hartnett here.)

In total, the route will include 1,430 feet of elevation gain. Possibly more challenging is the 1,437 feet of descent. The make-or-break point for the route might be just after that final brutal uphill, when they are bombing downhill—at some points at a gradient of 13.5 percent. Runners will have to be efficient going down, without pounding so much they trash their quads before the final flat stretch before the finish. To put the course into some more perspective, the World Marathon Majors that are considered the hilliest—Boston and New York City—each have an elevation gain of a little over 800 total feet. And for one final nugget, the average grade of the Mount Washington Auto Road Race is 12 percent. The course record for that 7.4-miler is at around 8:00 pace. 

This course will make the fastest marathoners in the world look almost human at times.

How do the marathoners feel about the course?

Pat Tiernan, an Olympian for Australia who is running the marathon, made two trips to Paris from his training base with Puma in North Carolina to examine the course. His first trip, in early April, was just to get a feel for the course. The second, in late May, was to train on it. 

“The first thing you notice,” Tiernan said in a phone call with Runner’s World, “is that it’s going to be a brutal course. There are going to be people walking.” 

If you look closely at the official Strava route, you can spot some U.S. Olympic marathoners on the leaderboards of the course’s toughest segments.

On April 10, U.S. team member Clayton Young did a 12.80-mile run on the hilliest section of the course, where he “pushed the uphills, chilled the downhills.” During the steepest climb—right before the mile 18 split—Young tackled a .44-mile segment in 3:09, giving him a modest average pace (for a world-class marathoner) of 7:01 per mile. But if you look at Strava’s “grade adjusted pace,” which factors in elevation, that 7:01 converts to 5:03 mile pace. His average heart rate was 179 beats per minute.

Dakotah Lindwurm, a U.S. team member for the women, also previewed the course in April in a run she called, “Tour de La Olympic hills ?].” She racked up an impressive 16 “course records” during her 10.87-mile workout, and on the same steep segment that Young ran, she averaged 7:43 pace with a grade-adjusted pace of 5:21 per mile. 

Emily Sisson, the U.S. record holder in the marathon, has been training for both the hills and the flats. “We’ve been doing a lot of stuff on hills, because [we] want to come out of the hills into the last 10K feeling good,” she says. “That’s also why you don’t want to slack on 10K work, because it could be quite fast at the end. So kind of trying to do it all.” 

Tiernan agreed with Sisson on the unique challenge. If marathoners go too hard through the hills, they could struggle at the end, he said. If they go too easy through the hills and subsequent descents, they might be out of touch by the final 10K. He said the Paris course is as “if you were to do a 10K road race, then go and run a hard 10K hill cross country course, then a 10K road race.” 

If nothing else, it could make for some surprises on the podium.

When exactly are the races?

The men’s event happens on Saturday, August 10. If you want to watch live, get your favorite espresso ready. The event begins at 2 a.m. ET/11 p.m. PT in the U.S. The following day for the women’s race, the 2024 Paris Olympics fully conclude in honor of the 40th anniversary of the first women’s Olympic marathon event, won by Joan Benoit-Samuelson. The start time is also at 2 a.m. ET/11 p.m. PT.

Who are the major names in each race?

Both races are packed with star power in the form of returning Olympic champions, world record holders, and World Marathon Majors winners. The biggest storyline in the men’s race is whether Eliud Kipchoge, the two-time Olympic marathon gold medalist who many consider to be the greatest of all time, will be able to retain his crown in what may be his final Olympics at age 39.

The women’s event is even more stacked and should make for quite the event to cap off the 2024 Olympics. Newly ratified world record holder Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia will have to match speed and strategy against the likes of Hellen Obiri and Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya and the Netherlands’s Sifan Hassan, who is running the marathon after racing in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters on the track. 

Men’s Marathon Contenders

Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya (2:01:09)

Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopia (2:01:41) 

Benson Kipruto, Kenya (2:02:16)

Tamirat Tola, Ethiopia (2:03:39)

Conner Mantz, USA (2:07:47)

Clayton Young, USA (2:08:00)

Women’s Marathon Contenders

Tigist Assefa, Ethiopia (2:11:53)

Sifan Hassan, Netherlands (2:13:44)

Peres Jepchirchir, Kenya (2:16:16)

Emily Sisson, USA (2:18:29)

Hellen Obiri, Kenya (2:21:38)

Rose Chelimo, Bahrain (2:22:51)

Fiona O’Keeffe, USA (2:22:10)

Sharon Lokedi, Kenya (2:22:45)

Did you know there is a mass participation race?

If not, now you do. It’s called the Marathon Pour Tous, and we’re pretty jealous we can’t run this one. There will be a full marathon and a 10K on the same route as the Olympic marathon on the evening of August 10. Yes, a night race in the City of Lights. More than 20,000 participants are expected for each event.

Marathoner runs 100m for the first time at Paris Olympics

Until today in Paris, Sharon Firisua of the Solomon Islands had never run a 100m race.

Of the 87 athletes in the women’s 100m at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Sharon Firisua of the Solomon Islands stood out for one specific reason. She was the only athlete who had never run a 100m race before the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

On Friday morning in the women’s 100m prelims, Firisua quickly fell behind out of the blocks, finishing last and nearly three seconds behind the first-place finisher, with a time of 14.31 seconds.

The 30-year-old marathon runner from the small Oceanic nation previously competed at the Tokyo Olympic Games in the women’s marathon, finishing 72nd out of 73 entrants with a time of 3:02:10.

You might be wondering how Firisua qualified for the Games despite never having raced this distance. She was granted a universal spot for the women’s 100m via the Solomon Islands Athletic Federation. Universal spots at the Olympics ensure broader global representation by allowing athletes from countries with less-developed sports programs to participate and become Olympians.

Firisua is one of two athletes from her nation at the Paris Olympics, the other being women’s 50m freestyle swimmer Isabella Millar.

Despite her lack of sprinting experience, Firisua is a celebrated athlete in her homeland. She has won five gold medals at the Pacific Games–in the 5,000m, 10,000m and half-marathon events–and is a six-time medallist at the Oceania Championships, with four golds. In 2013, she was named her country’s sportswoman of the year.

Athletics events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are taking place from Aug. 1-11. Today’s coverage is brought to you by Canadian Running and New Balance Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Team Canada and up-to-date exclusive news and content.

The Dutch distance specialist has decided to drop the 1,500m to focus on the marathon

After the Dutch Olympic team announced that distance phenom Sifan Hassan was set to become the first athlete in history to attempt four Olympic athletics events, Hassan has decided to drop down to a triple. In 2023, she became the first athlete to medal in the 1,500m, 5,000m, and 10,000m at a single Games, bringing home a bronze (in the 1,500m) and two golds. This year, she will swap out the 1,500 for her newest discipline, the marathon.

Hassan’s third-place finish in the 1,500m at Tokyo 2020, behind Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon and Team GB’s Laura Muir, was the weakest of her three performances. Now, the deep field in the women’s 1,500m in Paris threatens her chances to bring home another medal in the event. Kipyegon (the defending world champion and world record holder) and Australia’s Jessica Hull (the newly crowned 2,000m world record holder), ran the world’s best times in the discipline earlier this month. Muir (the Olympic silver medallist) and Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay (5,000m world record holder) are also medal contenders in the event, adding to the challenge.

Hassan only made her marathon debut in 2023, and followed up her win at the London Marathon by clocking a 2:13:44 (the second-fastest women’s marathon time in history) to win the 2023 Chicago Marathon. With world record holder Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia the sole competitor ranked ahead of her, Hassan stands a much better chance of bringing home a medal in the marathon. (Additionally, the women’s 1,500m final is scheduled for Saturday evening, Aug. 10, which is the night before the marathon–obviously not ideal timing for a strong marathon.)

With three races removed from her Olympic itinerary, Hassan’s new schedule is somewhat less demanding, with her races spaced out by a couple of days each.

Aug. 2: 5,000m, Round 1 – 6:10 p.m. local timeAug. 5: 5,000m, Final – 9:10 p.m.Aug. 9: 10,000m Final – 8:55 p.m.Aug. 11: Marathon – 8:00 a.m.

50 laps and then a marathon: Sifan Hassan chases the ‘impossible’ dream at Paris Olympics

The Olympics is a time to marvel at the incredible but the sheer size of the opportunity should ensure an element of caution among athletes.

Not so for Sifan Hassan, the Dutch middle and long distance runner, after she announced her bid to pull off a historic treble at the Paris Olympics when she will compete in the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon events.

The Olympic champion in Tokyo over 5,000m and 10,000m, Hassan had entered the 1,500m, too, before dropping that event on Wednesday.

Hassan provoked excitement in the sport three years ago when she attempted an exhausting Tokyo treble.

She would add bronze to her two golds in Tokyo when she rallied in the 1,500m heats after falling over, before settling for bronze in the final after a fierce battle with Faith Kipyegon and Laura Muir.

That bronze, while adding a dash of disappointment in the Tokyo rush for three golds, was a gift to the sport in hindsight. It delivered a shove, compelling Hassan to roll the dice and taste 26.2 miles on the roads.

The marathon and the roads bring acclaim and fortunes rarely afforded on the track and the hope was that Hassan, with her formidable track speed, would graduate in time. Yet her transition was seamless: She made her debut in London last year, pulling off one of the most staggering comebacks.

Hunched over and stationary in the middle of the race at 19km, Hassan desperately stretched to rid her aching body of lactic acid. Not only did it vanish, but she found a spring to outkick Alemu Megertu and win by a mere four seconds in two hours, 18 mins and 33secs.

More was to come, with victory and the second-fastest women's marathon of all time (2:13.44) in Chicago, before a respectable fourth in Tokyo this year. It begs the question as to why Hassan would risk scuppering hopes of marathon gold by subjecting her legs to 20km (the 5,000m has two rounds) on the track. Notably, the marathon course will present a number of hills, which could see each race unfold into a tactical affair with the opportunity for a sprint finish.

Even with 4mins 4.08secs in the 1,500m this year, Hassan would revel in the opportunity to test Ethiopian world record holder Tigst Assefa (2:11:53) and Kenyan trio Peres Jepchirchir, Helen Obiri and Sharon Lokedi over a late dash.

But the 31-year-old, whose face can be seen across many of the metro stations in Paris for an eye-catching Nike campaign, insists the attempt is nothing more than intrigue. And for that. she should be praised, in a sport where so many play it safe.

“I’m a very curious person,” she remarked. “Is life all about a gold medal? I'm very curious to do many events. I think it's impossible. So I want to see if it is, so I have to try. In Tokyo, it was successful after the three events. I discovered myself, also.

“Curiosity, when I try new things, is actually what keeps me going in my career. My journey is more important, the other things come after. I love the journey as much as the challenge.

“Did I balance speed on the track with enough endurance in the marathon? Let’s find out together. It’s not easy to face the unknown but my curiosity has driven all my training towards this goal. I will try my best to succeed.”

Hassan starts her campaign in Paris in the 5,000m opening round on Friday and will return on Monday for the final, should she qualify.

The 10,000m final is set for 9 August, meaning less than 48 hours of rest before lining up for the marathon.

“For anyone else this would be insane!” American track legend Michael Johnson wrote on social media. “I don't believe there's ever been an athlete who enjoys racing more than Sifan Hassan.”

And her attempt has left many of her fellow athletes in awe, with 1,500m world champion Josh Kerr impressed by her versatility.

“I don't think I could do that on the women’s side... to do a triple like that, the training is so gruelling for the marathon,” said Kerr. “She’s so well rounded that being able to have enough speed in the rank to do track races, it’s two rounds in the five, she’ll be out there having fun. Very impressive.”

“It's good sometimes when I'm nervous ... I do better,” Hassan laughed. Her rivals will hope she is not.

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.

Sifan Hassan to race four events at Paris 2024 Olympics

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Dutch distance runner Sifan Hassan made history by winning three individual medals across three different athletics disciplines, two golds and one bronze. She won golds in the women’s 5,000m and 10,000m events, and bronze in the women’s 1,500m behind Faith Kipyegon and Laura Muir. Well apparently three events didn’t keep Hassan busy enough, raising the stakes for Paris 2024 by competing in the 1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m and the marathon—an unprecedented Olympic quadruple.

According to an announcement from the Dutch Olympic team, Hassan is entered in all four disciplines and will race a total of seven times over 10 days. Her most challenging stretch will be from Aug. 8-11, when she is scheduled to race the 1,500m semi-finals and finals, the women’s 10,000m final, and the women’s marathon on the final day of Paris 2024 (Aug. 11); all on consecutive days.

Hassan is the only athlete in Olympic history to have medaled in the 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m events at a single Games. She is also the first to qualify for and attempt this quadruple-distance feat.

Last year, Hassan expanded her repertoire by adding the marathon to her list of racing disciplines. She won her marathon debut at the 2023 London Marathon and went on to clock the second-fastest women’s marathon time in history (2:13:44) to win the 2023 Chicago Marathon.

Hassan’s Paris 2024 schedule is ambitious. Although she is one of the greatest distance runners in history, replicating her Tokyo success will be incredibly challenging. The women’s 1,500m and 5,000m are two of the deepest events right now, featuring formidable competitors like defending world champion Faith Kipyegon, Laura Muir (Olympic silver medallist), Australia’s Jessica Hull (2,000m world record holder), Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay (5,000m world record holder), and Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet (world XC champion). Hassan’s best chances for a medal lie in the women’s 10,000m final and the marathon, which come at the end of the Olympic schedule.

Here’s a look at Hassan’s Olympic schedule:

August 2: 5,000m, Round 1 – 6:10 p.m.

August 5: 5,000m, Final – 9:10 p.m.

August 6: 1,500m, Round 1 – 10:05 a.m.

August 8: 1,500m, Semifinal – 7:35 p.m.

August 9: 10,000m Final – 8:55 p.m.

August 10: 1,500m, Final – 8:25 p.m.

August 11: Marathon – 8:00 a.m.

Only two athletes have won four medals at a single Olympic Games: U.S. sprint icon Florence Griffith-Joyner, who won three golds and one silver (in the 4x400m relay) at Seoul in 1988, and Fanny Blankers-Koen of the Netherlands, who won four golds at the 1948 Olympics in London in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, and 80m hurdles.

Mile clash the big attraction in Eugene

Going strictly by time, the Bowerman Mile at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday (25) is one of the fastest races in the meeting’s 49-year history.

Add in the storylines, and it’s one of the most anticipated, too.

Featuring seven men with lifetime bests faster than 3:50, Olympic and world championship gold medallists, world record-holders and rivals whose banter has preceded the matchup for months, the mile caps a Wanda Diamond League meeting at Hayward Field whose potential for world-leading marks extends far beyond its final event.

Consider, for one, the women’s 800m, and the early window it will open into this summer’s Olympics. The field includes six of the eight competitors from last year’s World Championships final in Budapest, including gold medallist Mary Moraa and silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson. Notably absent will be bronze medallist Athing Mu, the Olympic champion, who was initially scheduled to race but has been withdrawn out of precaution because of a sore hamstring.

Raevyn Rogers, the 2019 world silver medallist whose image adorns a tower standing high above Hayward Field, also is entered, along with Jemma Reekie, Nia Akins and Halimah Nakaayi, who is coming off a victory at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix.

World champion Sha’Carri Richardson and Elaine Thompson-Herah headline the women’s 100m, along with world indoor 60m champion Julien Alfred and Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith, while world indoor 60m champion Christian Coleman and Ackeem Blake are among the fastest entered in the men's 100m.

Perhaps the most dominant athlete entering the meeting is Grant Holloway, the world 110m hurdles champion who has won all 10 races he has contested this year, including the indoor season and heats. That also includes running a world-leading 13.07 into a headwind to win in Atlanta last weekend.

The three-time world champion's last loss came on the very same Hayward Field track, at last September’s Prefontaine Classic. The only remaining gap on Holloway’s resume is an Olympic gold medal, and Saturday’s race could be an early preview of Paris, as the field includes five who raced in last summer’s World Championships final in Budapest, including silver medallist Hansle Parchment and Daniel Roberts, who earned bronze.

Shot put world record-holder and multiple world and Olympic champion Ryan Crouser will open his outdoor season in his home state and at the stadium where he owns the facility record, while trying to best Leonardo Fabbri’s world-leading mark of 22.95m.

Since 2023, Crouser has lost in just one final – and it was at September’s Prefontaine Classic to Joe Kovacs, who won in Los Angeles last weekend with 22.93m, and is entered again. Payton Otterdahl, who owns the world No.3 mark this year, also is in the field.

Those events offer no shortage of global medallists. Few, however, carry the prospect for as much drama as the mile.

Over the past year, Olympic 1500m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr, who outkicked Ingebrigtsen for last year’s world title in Budapest, have carried on a battle of words through the press about who could prevail in Paris.

Commonwealth champion Olli Hoare, who is part of the field following his 1500m win in Los Angeles last week, said the sport was better for the attention drawn by the back-and-forth between Ingebrigtsen and Kerr – but added that other racers wanted to strike the appropriate level of respect for their competitors, such as Yared Nuguse, whose PB of 3:43.97 was set battling Ingebrigtsen (4:43.73) down to the line at September’s Pre Classic.

“This is a big one. This is going to be a big one for a lot of egos,” Hoare said in Los Angeles. “But I think it’s going to be a big one for me because it’ll be the first race where I’ll have an inkling of where I am with the world’s best. There’s a bit of tossing and turning with the banter but you can’t disrespect that field. If you do, you’ll get eaten alive.”

That list of seven men under 3:50, which includes Hoare, notably doesn’t include Jake Wightman, who will be racing Ingebrigtsen for the first time since their duel at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, when Wightman won gold; Abel Kipsang, who was fourth at the Tokyo Olympics; Geordie Beamish, less than three months after he stormed to the world indoor title; or Lamecha Girma, the steeplechase world record-holder who is making his mile debut.

“Jake Wightman’s back, he’s a world champion,” Hoare said. “Yared Nuguse, 3:43 mile – these guys are keeping quiet and they’re going to wait for their opportunity to strike. And when they do strike, I guarantee they will make a comment.”

They are not the only accomplished names entered in the distances.

Athletics Kenya will determine its men's and women's Olympic 10,000m qualifiers at Hayward Field, with Kenya's two-time world cross-country champion Beatrice Chebet, the world leader at 5000m this season, part of a women's race that will include world champion Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia, eight months after Tsegay set the world 5000m record on the same track.

World record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech will attempt to retain her controlling hold over the steeplechase when she races top challenger Faith Cherotich. The Kenyan duo produced the two fastest times in the world this year at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, which Chepkoech won in 8:55.40 to Cherotich’s 9:05.91. Olympic silver medallist Courtney Frerichs will no longer run after injuring the ACL and meniscus in her right knee.

One week after winning in Los Angeles, Diribe Welteji leads the 1500m field that includes 13 women who have run under four minutes. World indoor 3000m champion Elle St Pierre, who won the 5000m in Los Angeles, is running her first 1500m of the season, with Laura Muir, Nikki Hiltz, Jessica Hull, Hirut Meshesha and Cory McGee also entered.

Multiple world and Olympic gold medallist Sifan Hassan, as well as world No.2 Ejgayehu Taye, will feature in the 5000m.

In the field, world and Olympic pole vault champion Katie Moon opens her outdoor season against Sandi Morris, and in the triple jump four of the top five women this season are entered, led by Thea LaFond, whose 15.01m jump to win the world indoor title in Glasgow still stands as the mark to beat.

Olympic discus champion Valarie Allman has not lost in Eugene in two years, a run that includes claiming September’s Diamond League final. That could change on Saturday because of the presence of world leader Yaime Perez, who finished second to Allman in Xiamen last month.

In the men’s 200m, top US sprinters who will duel at the Olympic trials only weeks later will face off. Kenny Bednarek, fresh off a world-leading 19.67 in Doha, is scheduled to race against world No.2 Courtney Lindsey (19.71), with world silver medallist Erriyon Knighton making his season debut. Joe Fahnbulleh and Kyree King, winner of the Los Angeles Grand Prix 100m, are also entered.

Another winner in Los Angeles, Rai Benjamin, headlines the men’s 400m hurdles, and he enters with considerable confidence after running 46.64, the ninth-fastest performance of all time.

“I think I’m the fastest guy in the field, honestly,” Benjamin said of potential Olympic chances.

The women’s 100m hurdles and women’s hammer will not count towards Diamond League points totals, but will be more potential previews for global championships.

Women who account for five of the year’s six fastest times, all of whom are separated by fractions of a second, will face off in the hurdles. Tonea Marshall, fresh off her victory in Los Angeles in 12.42, leads 2019 world champion Nia Ali, Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, two-time world champion Danielle Williams and world indoor champion Devynne Charlton.

Brooke Andersen’s 79.92m throw from earlier this month remains the world-leading hammer mark this season but she will be challenged by world champion Camryn Rogers, 2019 world champion DeAnna Price and world silver medallist Janee’ Kassanavoid, who own the next three farthest throws this season.

The TEN Preview: Nico Young Debuts, Alicia Monson Chases AR, and Karissa Schweizer Returns

Saturday night’s races at The TEN in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., will play a significant role in determining who gets to represent the United States in the 10,000 meters at this summer’s Olympics in Paris. The 2024 Olympic auto standards are incredibly tough — only three Americans have ever run under the 27:00.00 men’s standard and only five Americans have hit the 30:40.00 women’s standard — and you can count the number of world-class track 10,000-meter races each year on one hand. That’s why Grant Fisher, Nico Young, Woody Kincaid, Joe Klecker, Abdihamid Nur, Alicia Monson, Karissa Schweizer, Emily Infeld, Weini Kelati, and many more will be heading to SoCal Saturday night.

Since its first edition in 2021, The TEN has become the place for Americans to run a fast 10,000. Fisher set the men’s American record here in 2022 while Monson set the women’s American record here in 2023 and will be looking to repeat the feat in 2024.

To watch the main events, you’ll have to stay up late — the top heat of the women’s 10,000 does not start until 11:58 p.m. ET with the men to follow at 12:35 a.m. ET. Before then, we’ll get appetizer with the men’s 1500 (10:05 p.m. ET), which features Olympic medalists Matthew Centrowitz and Evan Jager kicking off their 2024 seasons.

Matthew Centrowitz and Evan Jager have seen it all in running. They both graduated from high school in 2007 and made their first US teams as young guns — Jager as a 20-year-old in 2009, Centro at 21 in 2011. For much of the 2010s, they were among the very best in the world in their events, with Centro bringing home a gold medal from the 2016 Olympics and Jager a silver. Now Centro (34) and Jager (35) are the elder statesmen, trying to fend off a host of younger rivals and make one last Olympic team in Paris.

Both men will run their 2024 outdoor openers in the 1500 on Saturday (Centro did run a 3:59 indoor mile on January 27 while Jager ran the first 4k of a 5k in Boston on February 16 before dropping out). Which means it’s time for one of our favorite games: how fast (or slow) will Centro run?

Throughout his career, Centrowitz has established himself as one of America’s greatest ever milers by delivering when it counts. He made every US team from 2011 through 2021 and won three outdoor medals as well as the 2016 World Indoor title. Yet in the latter years of his career, Centro thrown out some stinkers to begin his seasons before working his way into shape. In 2021, he opened with a 3:40 1500 on March 6 followed by a 1:50 800 on April 10 but ended the year running a 3:49 mile and making the Olympic team. Last year, he went to Australia and ran 1:56 for 800 on February 11 and 4:06 for the mile on February 23 but was running 3:36 for 1500 by May and eventually made the US final (though he only finished 10th).

So if Centro runs poorly here, it’s not cause for total panic. Heck, the fact that both he and Jager — who missed most of the 2023 campaign with a foot injury — are healthy enough to be racing is a promising sign. But the American 1500 scene is also more competitive than when Centro last made a team in 2021. Tactically, there is no better US racer than Centro, but he’s up against a group of young studs that includes three medalists from this year’s World Indoors (Yared Nuguse, Cole Hocker, Hobbs Kessler) and a trio of NCAA champions from the University of Washington (Luke Houser, Joe Waskom, Nathan Green). Nuguse is the oldest of that group at 24 — a full decade younger than Centro. Centrowitz is facing an uphill battle to make Olympic team #4 but if he can run 3:36 or 3:37 here and stay healthy for the next three months, he could still have a shot.

As far as the man most likely to win here, Sweden’s Samuel Pihlström ran 3:35 in February and just finished 8th at World Indoors.

Women’s 10,000 (11:58 p.m. ET): Alicia Monson tries to become the first US woman under 30:00 as Karissa Schweizer returns.

Unlike almost every other athlete in this meet, Alicia Monson already has the Olympic standard thanks to the 30:03 American record she ran here last year. So why is she back for another crack?

Monson laid it all out in an interview with LetsRun.com back in December:

Basically, it was just what can we do that would make me feel the most ready for the Olympics? And I feel like that’s running a sub-30:00 10k. I guess the plan would be to break the American record again, but really it’s how fast can I run to feel the most prepared? Because obviously I’m running against people who can run very fast and [I need to] be prepared to run at a pace that feels easy to them and then kick off of it.

Monson was still with the leaders at the bell at last year’s World Championships and her 5th-place finish was the best of her career in a global final. But she finished nearly four seconds out of the medals and the competition will be fierce in Paris. The last three global 10k champions — Sifan Hassan (29:06 pb), Letesenbet Gidey (29:01 pb), and Gudaf Tsegay (29:29 pb) — occupy three of the top four spots on the all-time 10,000m list. The slowest of them, Tsegay, still has a pb 34 seconds faster than Monson’s.

Men and women course records set at Tokyo Marathon

The Tokyo Marathon—the first World Marathon Major of 2024—took place Sunday morning in Japan. In near-perfect conditions, with a starting temperature of about 42 degrees, more than 37,000 runners took to the streets in Japan’s capital city. Course records fell, although several notable pre-race favorites fell short.

Benson Kipruto wins men’s race in a course record

It was a Kenyan sweep in the men’s race: Boston and Chicago Marathon champion Benson Kipruto, 32, of Kenya, won in 2:02:16, a course record by 24 seconds. Timothy Kiplagat, 30, placed second in a personal-best 2:02:55, while Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich, 25, was third in 2:04:18.

Led by a trio of pacers, a pack of seven men blazed out at world record pace, traveling the first 5K in 14:16 (4:36 pace). By 15K, the pace had slowed, but only four men (and two pacers) remained: Kipruto, Kiplagat, and Ngetich, and Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, 39, the two-time Olympic champion and former world record holder.

Unlike the men, the women started more conservatively, then picked up the pace. The lead pack covered the first 5K in 16:16, a 5:12 pace. Shankule led much of the race as competitors dropped off; the pack thinned to seven by 15K, four by 25K, and the top three by 30K as the pace ratcheted down (Shankule, Wanjiru,and Kebede covered 25K to 30K in 15:59, 5:09 pace).

Just before the 40K mark, Shankule fell back. Then, at the fluid stop just after the 40K mark, Kebede pulled ahead of Wanjiru, battling to the clock to better the 2:16:02 Brigid Kosgei ran here in 2021. 

Sifan Hassan, 31, of the Netherlands, was fourth in 2:18:05—it was her third marathon, and her first loss. However, her time was still faster than the 2:18:33 she ran in her victorious London debut.

Saina shines after disappointment at Trials

Four weeks ago, American marathoner Betsy Saina, 35, who had been a favorite to make the U.S. Olympic team, dropped out of the Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, Florida, after the 21-mile mark of the race. Even though Saina had been in contention for the third spot, she suddenly pulled off the course and flopped in the grass at the side of the road, a victim of the rising temperatures.

Saina quickly regrouped and was a late addition to the field for the Tokyo Marathon on March 3. In much cooler weather, Saina finished fifth in 2:19:17. It was a PR by 2:23, the third-fastest time by an American woman (behind Emily Sisson and Keira D’Amato), and some measure of redemption after the disappointment of the Trials. She averaged 5:18.7 per mile.

Benson Kipruto and Sutume Asefa Kebede both won in course records, and American Betsy Saina ran a big PR to take fifth.

Sifan Hassan fires stern warning shot to Rosemary Wanjiru ahead of Sunday's Tokyo Marathon

Dutch woman Sifan Hassan is not resting on her laurels as she looks to dethrone defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru at Sunday's Tokyo Marathon.

Reigning Chicago Marathon champion Sifan Hassan has opened up on her main target ahead of the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday.

Hassan, who made her full marathon debut last year, has noted that she will be going for the Tokyo Marathon course record.

The reigning London Marathon champion noted that she is physically fit and ready to attack the record time of 2:16:02 that was set by Brigid Kosgei during the 2021 edition of the event.

“I have prepared well for this race…I mean the period between after the Chicago Marathon and now. I’m going for a course record,” the Dutch woman said during the pre-race press conference.

The double Olympic champion has only competed in two marathons in her career so far which she has won, and she will be keen to continue the winning streak in more races to come.

However, the Tokyo Marathon pits her against some of the strongest marathoners too, including defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru and the 2022 Valencia Marathon champion Amane Beriso.

During last year’s edition of the race, Wanjiru destroyed a strong field to claim the top prize, stopping the clock at 2:16:28.

Wanjiru also represented Kenya at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary where she finished sixth in the marathon. She enjoyed her 2023 season and will be looking to have an amazing season in 2024.

On her part, Ethiopia’s Beriso, the reigning World marathon champion will not let her fans down as she takes on the tough Tokyo Marathon course.

Beriso, a very soft-spoken athlete, will once again showcase her prowess and skills on the roads with the hope of bagging her first World Marathon Major title.

Kenyan-born American runner seeking redemption at Tokyo Marathon after US Olympic trials heartbreak

Kenyan-born American runner Betsy Saina is seeking a comeback at the Tokyo Marathon after missing out on the US Olympic marathon trials.

Kenyan-born American runner Betsy Saina will seek redemption at the Tokyo Marathon after a heartbreaking run at the US Olympic Marathon trials.

Saina exuded confidence ahead of the Olympic trials in Orlando but unfortunately failed to finish the race after the hype surrounding her. She now heads to the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday, March 3 where she hopes to bounce back to winning ways.

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Two days ahead of the marathon trials, Saina had opened up on how her son motivates her to do better and she was optimistic of representing the US at the Olympic Games.

In a post on her Instagram, she said: “My little man has taught me to be resilient and brave. Everything I do he is the priority before anything else comes.

On Saturday I will be running for him, He has changed my life in many ways, I am the happiest woman in the world.”

She has now put the setback behind her and is looking forward to bouncing back at the Tokyo Marathon where she will be up against some of the greatest marathoners.

Defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru will be returning with the hope of bagging another title. During last year’s edition of the race, Wanjiru destroyed a strong field to claim the top prize, cutting the tape in 2:16:28. She enjoyed her 2023 season and will be looking to continue the hot streak to 2024.

Wanjiru also represented Kenya at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary where she finished sixth in the marathon.

2023 London Marathon champion Sifan Hassan will also be in the mix, hoping to notch up her third marathon victory since her debut in London last year. The Dutch woman has proven what she can do both on the track and the full marathon.

Hassan made her full marathon debut at the London Marathon and won most dramatically. She clocked 2:18:33 to beat marathon experts including Peres Jepchirchir, the reigning Olympic marathon champion.

She extended her winning streak to the Chicago Marathon where she stunned defending champion Ruth Chepng’etich to second place.

Hassan will be eyeing the Olympic Games and the Toyo Marathon is a better place for her to build up for the event.

Kenyan-born Israeli Lonah Salpeter has also been invited and she will be out to challenge the double Olympic champion and Wanjiru for the top prize. The Ethiopian charge will be led by Sutume Kebede and Tigist Abayechew who will be out to reclaim the title they lost to Kenya last year.

Magdalena Shauri of Tanzania will also be hoping to continue soaring high after her dominant exploits in Berlin last year where she finished third.

Faith Kipyegon donates history-making spikes to the Museum of World Athletics

Double world record holder Faith Kipyegon has donated her history-making bright pink running spikes to the Museum of World Athletics.

Three-time World 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon has donated the spikes that she competed in at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary to the Museum of World Athletics.

The reigning World 5000m champion wore those bright pink running spikes while making history during last year’s global bonanza.

Kipyegon has now graciously chosen to donate to MOWA in recognition of the historic double accomplished by the Kenyan phenomenon with her formidable finish in the gripping 12-and-a-half lap final.

Kipyegon was in a class of her own during last year’s event, bagging both the 1500m and 5000m titles. In the 1500m final in Budapest, she controlled the race all the way, gradually winding up the pace before kicking hard at the bell and opening up a wide gap with 200m remaining.

She crossed the line in 3:54.87, comfortably clear of the young Ethiopian Diribe Welteji, who took second in 3:55.69. The fast-finishing Sifan Hassan claimed bronze in 3:56.00.

As would be the case in the 5000m, Kipyegon with the smooth, perfectly balanced high temp running style secured a historic achievement with her 1500m success.

No woman had ever completed a hat-trick of World Championships titles at the distance. Algeria’s Hassiba Boulmerka, Tatyana Tomashova of Russia, and Bahraini Maryam Jamal all won twice at the distance.

Kipyegon's first 1500m title came in London back in 2017 and her second in Oregon in 2022. In between, in Doha in 2019, on the comeback trail after the birth of her daughter, Alyn, she took the silver medal behind Hassan.

She now has focus on the Olympic Games where she intends to make history one more time by bagging her third Olympic title.

“That’s the big fish. If I win three times, back-to-back Olympic titles at 1500m, it will be a motivation to the next generation. And it will be a big motivation for me to try to achieve it. It would be a big legacy to leave behind. It would be something else,” she said as per World Athletics.

National record holder Kengo Suzuki joins Tokyo Marathon field

Japanese national record-holder Kengo Suzuki will be part of a strong Tokyo Marathon men's field, led by two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, organizers said Tuesday.

The March 3 marathon is the last of the two remaining "final challenge" races for Japan's third and last spot in the men's marathon at the Paris Olympics.

Also invited are Ichitaka Yamashita, Kenya Sonota and Kazuya Nishiyama, who represented Japan at last summer's world athletics championships in Budapest.

The Osaka Marathon, scheduled for Feb. 25, is the second of the three races, the first having taken place in Fukuoka in December.

Naoki Koyama and Akira Akasaki have already clinched their Paris Olympic berths by finishing first and second, respectively, at October's Marathon Grand Championship in Tokyo.

The Tokyo Marathon women's race will feature Hitomi Niiya, runner of Japan's third-fastest marathon, and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, who won both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru pitted against Sifan Hassan at Tokyo Marathon

Rosemary Wanjiru will return to the Tokyo Marathon to defend her title and she will have her work cut out since in-form Sifan Hassan has also been confirmed.

Defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru will be up against the 2023 Chicago and London Marathon champion Sifan Hassan at the Tokyo Marathon scheduled for Sunday, March 3.

During last year’s edition of the race, Wanjiru destroyed a strong field to claim the top prize, cutting the tape in 2:16:28. She enjoyed her 2023 season and will be looking to continue the hot streak to 2024.

Wanjiru also represented Kenya at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary where she finished sixth in the marathon.

Dutch woman Hassan is, however, not to be downplayed since she has proven what she can do both on the track and the full marathon.

Hassan made her full marathon debut at the London Marathon and won in the most dramatic way. She clocked 2:18:33 to beat marathon experts including Peres Jepchirchir, the reigning Olympic marathon champion.

She extended her winning streak to the Chicago Marathon where she stunned defending champion Ruth Chepng’etich to second place.

Hassan will be eyeing the Olympic Games and the Toyo Marathon is a better place for her to build up for the event.

Kenyan-born Israeli Lonah Salpeter has also been invited and she will be out to challenge the double Olympic champion and Wanjiru for the top prize. 

Salpeter has also been making headlines recently and she finished third at the World Championships last year.

The Ethiopians will be led by Sutume Kebede and Tigist Abayechew who will be out to reclaim the title they lost to Kenya last year. 

Magdalena Shauri of Tanzania will also be hoping to continue soaring high after her dominant exploits in Berlin last year where she finished third.

Canadian Olympian Andrea Seccafien to debut at Tokyo Marathon

After reaching the Tokyo Olympic 5,000m final in 2021, the next two years were a whirlwind for Canadian 10,000m record holder Andrea Seccafien. The 33-year-old suffered a root meniscus tear in early 2022, then a stress fracture in 2023, and at times, contemplated calling it a career to go back to school. She felt like she was missing something and had one final box to check as a runner: the marathon.

“The plan has always been to move up to the marathon,” says Seccafien. “I will be running the Tokyo Marathon on March 3.”

Seccafien told Canadian Running that she wants to be on the Canadian Olympic team for the marathon in Paris: “The Olympic standard [2:26:50] is the goal in Tokyo. I would not be running the marathon if my coach and I did not think it was possible.”

There were a lot of changes for Seccafien last year, who moved from Melbourne, Australia, to Portland, Ore., and back to Melbourne. She left Nike Bowerman Track Club in November 2023 after two years of training under coach Jerry Schumacher. She joined the group with fellow Canadian Lucia Stafford in November 2021 (who also subsequently left the club). 

Seccafien says she left Bowerman on good terms. “It wasn’t anything with Jerry; I just did not have a community in Portland or Eugene,” she says. “My life was in Australia, and not in the U.S.” Seccafien is the ninth woman to leave Bowerman Track Club in the past two years, leaving the team with only two women on their roster, according to their website.

When asked about the downfall of the Bowerman team and the timeline around Shelby Houlihan’s doping suspension, Seccafien said that Gabriela DeBues-Stafford was the only athlete who left for that reason specifically: “No one else thought that way about Shelby,” she says. “Everyone in the club has been open with each other’s decision, and I think everyone left for many different reasons.”

“When I joined, I thought running the marathon there would work with Bowerman. Jerry doesn’t have time to coach a marathoner; you’d essentially be training on your own,” says Seccafien. Schumacher took a role with the Oregon Ducks group in Eugene, Ore. (two hours from Portland) while still coaching the Bowerman group. “It’s now a totally different environment than when I joined.”

Since returning to Melbourne, Seccafien has begun working remotely with Canadian physiologist and coach Trent Stellingwerff, who also coaches Olympians Natasha Wodak and DeBues-Stafford. “I wanted to find someone willing to coach me remotely and to give me some stability in my life again,” she says. “Trent calls the shots on mileage, and I just follow his plan. Our training is based more on intensity rather than miles.”

Seccafien says she now does most of her training on her own, with her partner, Jamie, occasionally joining her on the bike. “Like everyone, I’ve started doing double threshold workouts, and Jamie, who’s an exercise physiologist, will test my blood lactate.”

Seccafien told Canadian Running that training has not been easy. “There were a lot of lows. I felt like I had retired at times,” says Seccafien. “I could not put any load on my knee for four months to recover from my meniscus surgery… I could only swim, but could not kick my legs.”

She says it was great when she was finally able to run again, but shortly after, she got a stress fracture –another huge low. “Now, I’m just trying to stay consistent and take things as they come,” she says. Seccafien is seven weeks out from the 2024 Tokyo Marathon, where she will be in the elite field alongside Chicago and London marathon champ Sifan Hassan, whom Seccafien last ran against in the 5,000m final at the Tokyo Olympics (where Hassan won gold).

Nike Alphafly 3 sells out in less than 24 hours

One of the highest-profile carbon-plated running shoes, the Nike Alphafly 3, hit Canadian stores on Jan. 4, and in 24 hours, it has already sold out online and in-store.The carbon-plated shoe Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum wore to set the marathon world record at the 2023 Chicago Marathon is the lightest and fastest version of the Nike Alphafly to date, and many runners tried to get their hands on a pair, which is selling for CAD $375.The shoe first made an appearance as a prototype on the feet of Sifan Hassan at the 2023 London Marathon, which she won. Nike formally announced the public release of the shoe in late November, naming Thursday as the global release date.

Some run specialty stores across Canada were sold out of the shoe in a matter of minutes. Nigel Fick and Sarah Deas, the owners of Culture Athletics, an independent running store in Toronto’s east end, say they’ve never seen demand for any shoe this high. “Our men’s size range sold out in a minute, with sizes 9.5 to 11, going within seconds,” says Fick. “We had hundreds of customers refreshing the page, waiting for the 10 a.m. launch.”Deas told Canadian Running that they have been receiving emails about the Alphafly 3 for two months. “We have not seen this demand for a shoe launch since the first Alphafly in 2020–it’s been wild,” says Deas.The popularity of the Alphafly 3 is backed by the Nike’s marketing strategy, and defined by the performances of world-class athletes. But the hype around the shoe is also backed by science. Nike’s competitive advantage lies in the innovative system of speed embedded in the Alphafly 3. This proprietary combination features ZoomX foam, Air Zoom units and a carbon-fibre Flyplate, powering the Alphafly and giving distance runners a distinct edge.

The Nike Alphafly 3 is also built on the success of its predecessors, with Eliud Kipchoge achieving the seemingly impossible in the OG Alphafly, breaking the two-hour barrier at the INEOS-1:59 event in 2019. In 2022, wearing the Alphafly 2, Kipchoge lowered his world record to 2:01:09 at the Berlin Marathon.

Those looking to wear the Alphafly 3 for their spring marathon may have to wait a little longer. Culture Athletics and other independent retailers will not receive additional stock until the second colourway is released in April. 

‘This is the first time the prototype colourway of an Alphafly or Vaporfly has been made available for run specialty retailers in Canada,” Fick says, talking about the buzz of the new shoe. “This launch has been exciting for us and all of our run community.”

Ten reasons to be excited for 2024

There are many things to look forward to in the sport of athletics in the upcoming year.

There’ll be six global championships in 2024, with ever-expanding one-day meeting circuits spread throughout the year. Rivalries will be renewed, and record-breakers will continue to push boundaries in their respective disciplines.

Here are just 10 of the many reasons to be excited by what’s to come over the next 12 months.

1. Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Athletics is the No.1 sport in what will be the biggest event on the planet this year. 100 years after Paris last hosted the Games, the Olympics will return to the French capital where 2000 athletes from about 200 countries will compete for medals in 48 disciplines from August 1-11 . Expect duels, drama and record-breaking performances as athletes compete for the highest honor in the sporting world.

2. World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24

The first global track and field championships of the year will start in just two months’ time as Glasgow hosts the World Indoor Championships on March  1-3. In Belgrade two years ago, pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis and triple jumper Yulimar Rojas set world records to claim gold; they’ll be looking to add to their medal – and record – tally in Glasgow, as will a host of other top track and field stars.

3. World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24

For the first time since 2017, the World Relays will be held in the Bahamian capital as the global event returns to the venue of the first three editions. From May 4-5, athletes will be vying to secure their place in the 4x100m, 4x400m and mixed 4x400m for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Expectations of a nation rests on their shoulders – and their baton exchanges.

4. World Athletics Cross Country Championships Belgrade 24

Just two years after the Serbian capital hosted the World Indoor Championships, Serbia will this year play host to the world’s best cross-country runners. Recent editions of the event, in both Aarhus and Bathurst, have put athletes to the test on grueling courses, so expect more of the same on 30 March.

5. World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24

After the latest successful edition of the World U20 Championships in Cali two years ago, the global event will return to South America as Lima becomes the first city in Peru to host a World Athletics Series event. The championships will take place from August 27-31, and will showcase the world’s most promising up-and-coming stars.

6. World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Antalya 24

Is there room on the calendar for one more global event? Go on, then. For the first time ever in the history of these championships – including all previous iterations – Turkiye will play host to the World Race Walking Team Championships on April 21 . The first 22 teams here will automatically qualify for the marathon race walk mixed relay – the newest Olympic discipline – at the Paris Games.

7. One-day meeting circuits

While championship action is great, the likes of the Wanda Diamond League and World Athletics Continental Tour is where athletes can be seen in action week in, week out throughout the peak of the outdoor track and field season. Before that, there’s also the World Indoor Tour, while other series such as the Cross Country Tour, Combined Events Tour, Race Walking Tour and Label road races will provide competition opportunities throughout the year.

8. Record breakers

Athletes continued to push boundaries throughout the past 12 months on the track, field and roads. Expect more of the same in 2024 as the likes of Faith Kipyegon, Mondo Duplantis, Kelvin Kiptum, Yulimar Rojas and Ryan Crouser look to run, jump and throw better than they ever have done before.

9. Big clashes

Rivalries between the sport’s biggest stars always provide a gripping narrative for any season. For 2024, expect some mouth-watering clashes to come from the likes of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol in the 400m hurdles, Kelvin Kiptum and Eliud Kipchoge in the marathon, Gudaf Tsegay and Sifan Hassan in the 10,000m or Daniel Stahl and Kristjan Ceh in the discus to name but a few.

10. New stars

Every year a new generation of talent emerges. Some of those will be athletes who started to make a bit of a breakthrough towards the end of last year, while others may be athletes who fans have barely heard of. Either way, keep your eyes peeled as the season unfolds to witness the future stars of the sport mixing it with the world’s best athletes.

Why Sifan Hassan is highly charged to triumph in Tokyo Marathon

Chicago Marathon champion Sifan Hassan has explained why she is motivated to compete at the Tokyo Marathon.

Reigning Chicago Marathon Sifan Hassan is bubbling with excitement as she gears up for the Tokyo Marathon scheduled for Sunday, March 3, next year.

Hassan is particularly excited to be one of the top runners to be announced alongside former world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge, her mentor.

“Alhamdulillah, I’m good and my preparations have just started…maybe I celebrated too much after Chicago and I took a long break and just started training a week ago.

“But I’m physically and mentally fresh, which for me is the most important and I’m really happy to be with Eliud because he is my greatest role model in running,” Hassan said.

The reigning London Marathon champion noted that she is training in Ethiopia since African countries tend to have great altitude. She added that at the moment, the Netherlands and America usually have a lot of snow during the winter period, making it impossible for her to train.

“I’m currently training in Ethiopia because of the high altitude and the weather in Africa is good…during the winter, I can’t train in the Netherlands or America because we have snow,” Hassan said.

Meanwhile, Hassan made her full marathon debut earlier this year and has been unbeaten in all her two marathons. She started with a win at the London Marathon and later went to end her season with a win at the Chicago Marathon.

Shoe tech advances is the key reason why the winning time at the Paris Olympics marathon could be under two hours

Racing shoe tech advances is helping bring the sub-2 hour marathon ever closer, but will barrier finally be broken in France?

The winning marathon time at the 1924 Paris Olympics was more than 40 minutes slower than the 2:00:35 run by Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in 2023

With shoe technology advancing by the day, an official marathon time of below two hours is seemingly just months away.

A century after the 1924 Paris Olympic men’s marathon was won by Finn Albin Stenroos in two hours, 41 minutes and 22 seconds, next year’s Games in the same city could feature the first official sub-two hour time for the distance after 2023 saw more barriers smashed.

Kenya’s double Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, who dipped under two hours with his unofficial Ineos challenge run in 2019, had dragged the record down to 2:01.09 in 2022.

But in October this year compatriot Kelvin Kiptum stunned the sport when the 23-year-old took more than half a minute off the great man’s mark to post 2:00.35 in Chicago to kick-start talk of when, rather than if, a legal sub-two would arrive.

That came two weeks after Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa took more than two minutes off the women’s record with 2:11.53 - a time that would have been the men’s world record until 1967.

Talented and hard working though both champions are, the key component of their incredible times was unquestionably the latest developments in shoe technology that has made comparisons with earlier eras, even last decade, largely meaningless.

(First photo) Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden, holds a shoe worn by Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa when she set a new women’s world record at the Berlin Marathon.

Kipchoge’s performances opened the world’s eyes to the condensed foam, carbon-plated super shoes Nike claimed could increase running efficiency - the amount of oxygen consumed per minute - by 4 per cent.

Soon, every major race start line was awash with the trademark dayglow Nike Vaporfly and Alphafly.

Although the sport’s governing body, World Athletics, tried belatedly to rein things in with their stack height regulations in 2020, the genie was out of the bottle and it did not take long for other companies to close the gap.

Assefa ran Chicago in a new Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 shoe, retailing at just under US$500. It conforms to the 4cm height rule but, at 138 grammes, weighs about 40 per cent less than any previous Adidas racing shoe.

The latest theory around the shoes is that the carbon plates have only a limited effect and it is the “barely-there” weight, combined with the energy-return cushioning and “rockers”, that prevents the fatiguing impact of previous thin-soled “racing flats” and allows athletes to maintain their optimum speed for longer.

Adidas says its newest shoes are “enhanced with unique technology that challenges the boundaries of racing” and highlight a foot rocker that it claims triggers forward momentum and further enhances running economy.

Nike is not about to hand over the baton just yet, however, as Kiptum achieved his record in yet another prototype, the Alphafly 3, also worn by women’s Chicago champion Sifan Hassan, who took almost five minutes off her personal best with the second-fastest women’s time ever of 2:13.44.

It was a similar story in several athletics events at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics where a combination of a fast track and revolutionary spikes produced some jaw-dropping records.

Such is the sport’s seeming obsession with times rather than races that the pressure to keep installing faster tracks and allowing ever more beneficial shoes shows no sign of abating.

The Paris Olympic athletics programme will undoubtedly produce magical moments, but it is photographs of athletes posing by their world record time on the finish line clock that usually claim the front pages.

Sifan Hassan will headline 2024 Tokyo Marathon

Dutch distance runner Sifan Hassan will attempt to maintain her unbeaten record in the marathon when she races in Tokyo for the first time on March 3.

Hassan won in London on her debut in April and then took the women’s victory in Chicago in October too in 2:13:44. The course record in Tokyo is 2:16:02 held by Brigid Kosgei from 2022.

"I am so excited to announce my participation in my next marathon," Hassan said in a release. "I feel Tokyo is the perfect preparation towards the Paris Olympic Games, because I have great Olympic memories in the city of Tokyo and I feel I can fuel my Olympic fire there."

Third time charm for Hassan?

Hassan, who is coming off wins in her first two career marathons (London and Chicago), will make her debut in Tokyo. The 30-year-old had a lot of success in the Japanese capital at the 2020 Olympic Games, winning two golds and a bronze across three athletics disciplines. Hassan is undecided if she will tackle the quadruple at the Paris Olympics: the 1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m, and marathon, but she said her goal for this race is to “continue her marathon journey.”

“I do not have any time-based expectations for Tokyo,” Hassan told Athletics Weekly. “I want to continue to learn the distance and gain more experience and have fun doing it.”

Although she has no specific goal, Tokyo is considered one of the faster Abbott World Marathon Majors and has a similar course profile to the London Marathon. In London last year, Hassan ran a stunning 2:18:33 debut to win, despite stopping twice. She redeemed herself with a fast time in Chicago, setting a course record and running the second-fastest marathon time in history (2:13:44).

“In the streets of Tokyo, I will be looking to continue my marathon journey. I want to learn from every marathon, since every marathon is different and I can’t wait to come to Tokyo.”

Hassan will then have to decide which events to do in Paris, with the Olympic women’s marathon to take place on the final day of the athletics programme – August 11.