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Ethiopia dominates women’s marathon on Saturday morning in Budapest at the 2023 World Athletics Championships

The third-fastest marathoner in history, Ethiopia’s Amane Beriso, claimed her first world title on Saturday morning in Budapest at the 2023 World Athletics Championships. Beriso broke away from the field in the final 10K to win in 2:24:23 on a warm morning in the Hungarian capital.

The race started as a tactical affair, with nearly 20 women passing the halfway point on a 2:29 marathon pace in 1:14:30. As the final lap of four began, Ethiopia had four women in the lead group of seven athletes until Tsehay Gemechu dropped out as Beriso started to surge. It seemed like there would be an Ethiopian podium sweep with three kilometres to go, but 10K world record holder Yalemzerf Yehualaw faded from third to fifth, losing nearly two minutes to her competition in the final kilometers.

Morocco’s Fatima Gardadi took advantage of Yehualaw’s faltering, having the race of her life to win bronze in 2:25:17, behind 2022 world champion Gotytom Gebreslase, who won silver in 2:24:34.

Beriso has had quite a track record in her last three marathons. Last December, Beriso pulled off an upset over her compatriot Letesenbet Gidey at the 2022 Valencia Marathon to win and become the third-fastest woman in history in 2:14:58. Beriso was also the runner-up at the 2023 Boston Marathon, finishing behind Kenya’s Hellen Obiri.

Wodak: “I ran as hard as I could.”

Vancouver’s Natasha Wodak was in the mix with the lead group in Budapest as she started her third lap but started to feel nauseous and fell back to the chase pack at 27km. She finished 15th overall in 2:30:09. “I ran as hard as I could,” Wodak told Canadian Running post-race. “It was tough, and I am a little disappointed.”

Wodak, 41, said her goal was to finish inside the top 10, and even though she positioned herself to achieve that, she admitted she didn’t have the legs in the final 10K. “To be 15th in the world is still a good day,” said Wodak.

Toronto’s Sasha Gollish made her return to the marathon at the world championships and savoured every minute of it. In 2019, she experienced heartbreak after failing to finish the marathon at the World Athletics Championships on a hot morning in Doha, Qatar. Today, Gollish achieved redemption, finishing 61st overall in 2:45:09 and bringing her energy for every second.

“I hope my journey inspires everyone who has not run a marathon to go out and test themselves,” said Gollish to Canadian Running. “Cause anything is possible.”

Gollish received an invitation to represent Team Canada in this marathon only a month ago after Canada’s Kinsey Middleton and Elissa Legault withdrew due to injury. Gollish was the third Canadian finisher at the 2022 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, where she ran a personal best of 2:31:40.

For full results from the women’s marathon at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, check here. The men’s marathon will take place tomorrow morning in Budapest at 7 a.m. C.E.T. and 1 a.m. E.T. Ben Preisner, Justin Kent and Rory Linkletter will represent Team Canada in the event.

4 Stunning Moments at the World Track and Field Championships

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sifan Hassan did workout immediately after her 1,500m final

If competing in three distance events in nine days at the 2023 World Athletics Championships wasn’t hard enough, Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan completed 400m repeats after Tuesday night’s 1,500m final, where she won bronze in 3:56.00.

Hassan told the media in Budapest after her 5,000m heat on Wednesday evening that she did a speed workout of five 400m reps in around 65 seconds with 40 seconds of rest, even though she had the 5,000m heats less than 24 hours later.

“I was just doing some easy making kilometers, some 400s,” says Hassan. “It’s not really a big deal. They (the media) make it a big deal.”

The 30-year-old reigning London marathon champion said her reasoning behind the workout was to continue to prepare for the 2023 Chicago Marathon on Oct. 8. “In six weeks, I have to run the Chicago Marathon,” says Hassan. “I am trying to prepare for that.”

Her triple at worlds got off to a rough start, falling in the final 50 meters of the women’s 10,000m on Day 1, finishing 11th. She won her first medal of the championships on Tuesday evening in the 1,500m, but faltered in the final 50 meters, conceding silver to Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji, while Faith Kipyegon defended her world title.

On Wednesday night, she squared up against Kipyegon again in the heats of the women’s 5,000m. Hassan won the heat in 14:32.29 over Kipyegon, both qualifying for Saturday’s final, which will be Hassan’s last race at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

Faith Kipyegon storms to her second straight 1,500m world championship victory

It was her race to lose–Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, who is indisputably the greatest 1,500m runner the world has ever seen, would have had to make a serious mistake (or suffer a freak injury) to avoid winning the women’s 1,500m in Budapest on Tuesday. Neither happened, and the double Olympic champion and now three-time world champion and world record holder takes home another gold medal, with a finishing time of 3:54.87.

Former world junior champion Diribe Welteji of Ethiopia ran a smart race, positioning herself just behind Kipyegon near the start, and took home silver, in 3:55.69. And Olympic bronze medalist Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, after a disastrous 10,000m race on Sunday in which she fell in the final meters of the race she was leading, came from behind with her trademark finishing kick to take home bronze in 3:56.00.

Ciara Mageean of Ireland, the 2022 European silver medalist, ran an excellent race also, finishing fourth with a national record in 3:56.61. Nelly Chepchirchir of Kenya, who finished fifth, ran a personal best (3:57.90).

2022 bronze medalist Laura Muir of Team Great Britain ran 3:56 in the semi-final and was in the race for the first couple of laps, but ultimately faded to sixth (3:58.58).

After a fast first 100m, the race became very slow and tactical, but surprisingly, no one attempted to challenge Kipyegon’s lead, and allowed her to control the pace; the leaders went through 800m in 2:11 and were at 2:58 at the bell. And of course she closed lightning fast, with a 56.5-second final lap, completely unchallenged.

It was also Kenya’s first gold medal of the games. When asked in a post-race interview how it felt to bring home her country’s first gold medal of the games, the humble Kipyegon responded, “I’m so grateful,” and she repeated this when asked whether she felt that this third world title cemented her legacy as the greatest-ever 1,500m runner, adding that nothing in particular had changed in her training with coach Patrick Sang (who is coach also to marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge) to get her the extraordinary results she has seen so far this year.

Kipyegon set the world record at the distance at the Florence Diamond League earlier this season, becoming the first woman in the world to go sub-3:50. She, along with Hassan, will also race the 5,000m, which has been rescheduled from Wednesday morning to Wednesday evening, due to the extreme heat and humidity in Budapest. 

You can watch the World Athletics Championships live in Budapest at cbcsports.ca. For full results, click here. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ethiopia’s Waganesh Mekasha to race TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Ethiopian women have featured prominently at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon winning eight of the past fifteen editions of this World Athletics Elite Label race. If Waganesh Mekasha has her way this dominance will continue.

The 31-year-old mother of two brings extraordinary credentials to this year’s event on October 15th as well as some useful ‘intel’.

“I watched the Toronto [Waterfront] marathon many times on television and Yihunilign Adane, who won the 2022 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, told me more about it,” she reveals. The two not only share a manager – Britain’s Malcolm Anderson of Mayo Sports – but each won their respective divisions in the 2023 Ottawa Marathon.

“I watched the Toronto [Waterfront] marathon many times on television and Yihunilign Adane, who won the 2022 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, told me more about it,” she reveals. The two not only share a manager – Britain’s Malcolm Anderson of Mayo Sports – but each won their respective divisions in the 2023 Ottawa Marathon.

Asked if Levins, who used the pacesetting task as a long training run following his second-place finish in the Canadian 10km championship, did a good job she responds with grace.

“He did an amazing job until he dropped out. He was not only pacing me but motivating us all the way to 35km,” she remembers.

Ironically, Waganesh nearly didn’t make it to the start line in the nation’s capital. Despite getting her visa well in advance of the race she was prevented from boarding her flight to Canada by airline officials.

“Oh, yes that was frustrating,” she recalls. “I was shocked when the boarding person told me that I cannot fly to Canada. But many thanks to the race organizers and to my management I made it at last. But I stayed eight hours in Frankfurt airport. I hope that will not happen again.”

Fifteen hours in the air followed by eight stuck in an airport terminal would unsettle most athletes but Waganesh has proven resilient time and time again. Although she ran extremely well at Ottawa, also a World Athletics Elite Label race, she can point to a credible 5th place finish at the 2022 Chicago Marathon in 2:23:41 as another career highlight.

Chicago is one of only six World Athletics Major marathons and a place in the elite section is highly coveted.  A top five finish is, therefore, an extraordinary achievement.

Waganesh has run faster than both of her aforementioned appearances in Ottawa and Chicago.  Her personal best is 2:22:45 which she recorded at the 2019 Dubai Marathon. She would like to go faster on Toronto’s course where the course record is 2:22:16 held by Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai from 2019.

“My training is going very well. I am so excited to be back to Canada,” she says knowing she has a couple of months of intense work to complete before her journey to Canada. “If the conditions are good, and we have a good pacemaker, I will break the course record and win the race.”

That’s a bold prediction. The record is a very good one. But her confidence comes from training under the guidance of famed coach Getamesay Molla alongside other great Ethiopian marathoners such as Yeshi Kalayu who has a personal best of 2:21:17, Azmera Gebru (2:20:48 PB) and Tigist Ambaychew (2:18:03 in Berlin 2022).  Their training is done outside Addis in the dusty hills of Sendafa and Sululta at 2750m altitude.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shocker! Sifan Hassan falls near the finish, Ethiopians sweep the 10,000 meters at the World Championships

The World Athletics Championships is the most important meet of the year for most elite track and field athletes. From August 19 to August 27, the best from across the globe will compete for medals and titles during a thrilling nine days in Budapest, Hungary.

Sifan Hassan had gold in her sights. Hours after winning her heat in the 1500 meters, she’d moved from eighth place to the lead in the final two laps of the women’s 10,000 meters—the first final of the meet.

It was a head-to-head battle that many may have predicted, but the closing drama came as a shock.

Gudaf Tsegay and Sifan Hassan – shoulder to shoulder with their arms pumping and their eyes fixed on the finish – both chasing 10,000m gold in a thrilling first track final of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23.

Two of the fastest ever women over 25 laps of the track, locked in a fierce fight. Until suddenly, they weren’t. Just metres from the finish line, after both had used their 1500m speed to superb effect, Hassan fell – the Olympic champion's dreams of another global medal treble crashing down with her.

As Hassan stumbled, Tsegay remained resolute. The world 5000m champion from Oregon last year gritted her teeth and ended up adding a maiden 10,000m title to her burgeoning global medal haul, clocking 31:27.18 to lead an Ethiopian medal sweep ahead of world record-holder and defending champion Letesenbet Gidey, and world indoor medallist Ejgayehu Taye.

At first, Hassan played it safe. Sticking to the back of the pack as the race set out at a conservative pace, she covered the first 400m in 87 seconds, four seconds back at the end of a line of athletes snaking around the track.

As they ticked the laps off, the Dutch star moved up a few places – still sitting back off the leaders but close enough to cover any moves, if necessary. Tsegay and then Gidey took a turn at the front, as the race continued to build.

Then Hassan pounced. Gidey led at the bell – a stride ahead of Tsegay, with USA’s Alicia Monson just behind them. Hassan was fourth at that stage, having passed Taye plus Kenya’s Grace Loibach Nawowuna and Agnes Jebet Ngetich.

Unleashing the sort of pace that helped her to the world 1500m title in 2019, the 30-year-old blazed past her rivals along the back straight and led into the final bend. She was holding off a chasing Tsegay and seemed strong.

But Tsegay – the world indoor 1500m record-holder – wasn’t giving up. She drew level with Hassan on the home straight and they jostled for position. As Hassan stretched, she lost her rhythm and fell to the track, only able to watch as gold ran away.

So did silver, and bronze. After crossing the finish line in 31:28.16 to add 10,000m silver to the gold she won in Oregon, Gidey went back to help Hassan.

Taye ran 31:28.31 to complete the third medal sweep for her nation in the event at the World Championships, while Kenya’s Irine Jepchumba Kimais finished fourth, Monson fifth and Ngetich sixth.

Hassan wound up finishing in 11th place in a time of 31:53.35.

American Alicia Monson ran a strong race, looking as if she was in position to contend for a medal before Hassan’s last surge. She finished fifth in 31:32.29. Elise Cranny was 12th in 31:57.51, her best time this season, and Natosha Rogers was 14th in 32:08.05.

Malindi Elmore to run Berlin Marathon

Malindi Elmore will toe the start line at this year’s Berlin Marathon–the same course where Natasha Wodak broke Elmore’s Canadian marathon record last year.

Elmore is among a blazingly fast women’s field the Berlin Marathon has confirmed for the Sept. 24 race. Other runners announced so far include Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui (who finished fourth at this year’s London Marathon) and a strong Ethiopian contingent led by 2022 Berlin champion and course record holder Tigst Assefa, Tigist Abayechew and Workenesh Edesa.

The famously flat and fast Berlin course could lay the groundwork for Elmore to reclaim the mantle as the fastest Canadian female marathoner. Her former Canadian marathon record of 2:24:50, which she set at the Houston Marathon in 2020, was bested by Wodak by more than 90 seconds in the German capital last September (2:23:12). Wodak, who is currently in Budapest for the World Athletics Championships, is not expected to compete in Berlin.

Elmore looks to be in a good position to reclaim the Canadian crown following a string of strong performances. The Kelowna, B.C., native took the women’s title in 2:25:14 at the Canadian Marathon Championship at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon last October. In April,  Elmore ran a massive PB at the Gifu Half Marathon in Japan, posting a final time of 1:10:11 and finishing fourth overall.

The following month, she threw down a gutsy performance at the 2023 Tartan Ottawa International Marathon. Going into the race with the goal of the 2024 Olympic standard of 2:26:50, she was on pace for 2:26 through 30K and sat in fourth position. As the temperature climbed to 24 C, she gave everything she had over the final 12 kilometres, moving up two spots to finish second to Ethiopia’s Waganesh Mekasha in 2:27:45.

Elmore has also been making bold statements at shorter distances. Last September she bested her own course record in the tenth Under Armour Eastside 10K in Vancouver, running a blistering 32:37.

Silver medalist Brenda Chebet will target 1500m in Budapest

The 2022 World Under 20 silver medalist Brenda Chebet has pledged to storm the final of the 1500m race at World Athletics Championships in Budapest on her debut in the senior ranks.

Chebet, 19, was enlisted on the Kenyan continent for the premier annual global showpiece at the eleventh hour to replace Purity Chepkirui Thursday who withdrew from the team last week. 

Speaking before departing for the championships, Chebet thanked Athletics Kenya for allowing her to compete for the nation in the Hungarian capital, saying she will not disappoint.

"I feel great having graduated to the senior's stage and received an invitation to compete in the World Championships," Chebet said.

She predicted abrasive competition from a rich field of rivals including her compatriots. 

"It won't be easy because we have some very gifted runners in the race such as Faith Kipyegon and the Ethiopians, who are known to pose a great challenge. I'll do my best in the race and wait to see how things will turn out," she said.

The diminutive runner said she feels privileged to be on the same team as Kenyan track queen Kipyegon, who boasts a world record over the distance.

 "Competing against Kipyegon means a lot to me because this will be the first time we shall be competing in the same event. She is a celebrated runner and any athlete would be proud to be in the same race with her," said Chebet. 

"Let's hope I'll make it to the final and then we can see what to do next."

She heads into the race buoyed by a sterling performance in Bathurst, Australia in February, where she and teammates Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Miriam Cherop, and Kyumbe Munguti delivered a gold medal in the mixed relay at the World Cross Country Championships.

The four wrapped up the race in 23:14 minutes ahead of bitter rivals Ethiopia's Adehera Kasaye, Hawi Abera, Getnet Wale, and Birke Haylom (23:21).

 Chebet also won the silver medal in the 1500m at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, running a personal best time of 4:04.64, behind Haylom.

In June 2022 Chebet finished fourth in her specialty at the African Championship in Saint Pierre, Mauritius. She followed that with a sixth place finish in the women's 800m final. 

World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 preview: marathon

In Oregon last year, Tamirat Tola ran his way into the World Championships history books with the fastest ever winning time in the men’s marathon: 2:05:36. Thirteen months on, the 31-year-old Ethiopian has the chance to add his name to the select band of marathon men to manage a successful title defence.

Only three have achieved the feat thus far: Spain’s Abel Anton (1997, 1999), Jaouad Gharib of Morocco (2003, 2005) and the Kenyan whose championship record Tola broke in Oregon, Abel Kirui (2009, 2011).

Tola was a class apart in 2022, the 2016 Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist showing his track pedigree as he blitzed the final 10km circuit in 28:31 to finish a decisive 1:08 clear of compatriot Mosinet Gerenew, also the silver medallist in Doha in 2019.

Tola, who was the marathon runner-up at the 2017 World Championships, has maintained his form this year, finishing third at the London Marathon in April in 2:04:59, behind Kelvin Kuptum (2:01:25) and Geoffrey Kamworor (2:04:23).

Neither of those two Kenyans will be on the start line in Budapest, but the defending champion will face two rivals from Kenya who have run faster than him in 2023. Timothy Kiplagat stands third on the world list with the 2:03:50 he clocked as runner-up to Belgium’s Bashir Abdi in Rotterdam in April. Abdi, the bronze medallist in Eugene, will be absent in Budapest but Kiplagat will be joined on the Kenyan team by Joshua Belet, runner-up at the Hamburg Marathon in April in 2:04:33. The third Kenyan in the field is Titus Kipruto, fourth at this year’s Tokyo Marathon in 2:05:32, who set a PB of 2:04:54 as runner-up in Amsterdam last year.

Ethiopians have finished first and second at the last two World Championships and Tola will have notable support in Budapest. Milkesa Mengesha, the 2019 world U20 cross-country champion, won the Daegu Marathon in April and clocked a best of 2:05:29 in Valencia last December. Chalu Deso won in Tokyo in March in 2:05:22. Leul Gebresilasie finished second and fourth at the last two London Marathons and has a best of 2:05:12. Tsegaye Getachew placed third in Tokyo in April in 2:05:25.

Not that the race looks like being an exclusive battle between the two established East African giants of distance running.

Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands was runner-up to Eliud Kipchoge in the 2021 Olympic marathon in Sapporo. The 34-year-old finished third in New York last November and in Rotterdam in April.

Tanzania’s Alphonce Felix Simbu is a seasoned major championship marathon campaigner. The 31-year-old earned world bronze in London in 2017 and Commonwealth silver in Birmingham last year. He also finished fifth and seventh in the last two Olympic marathons.

Commonwealth champion Victor Kaplangat is joined on the Ugandan team by Stephen Kissa, who set a national record of 2:04:48 in Hamburg last year. Morocco’s Mohamed Reda El Aarby placed second in New York in 2021 and fourth last year.

There are a host of other sub-2:06 performers in the field: Israel’s European bronze medallist Gashu Ayale, Kaan Kigen Ozbilen of Turkey, Eritreans Goitom Kifle and Oqbe Kibrom, plus the Japanese duo Kenya Sonota and Ichitaka Yamashita.

Ayale’s Israeli teammate Marum Terifi is the second-highest placed runner from last year’s race on the entry list. He finished 11th in Oregon and then took silver at the European Championships in Munich.

Veteran Spaniard Ayam Lamdassem was sixth in Munich but fifth at global level in the Olympic marathon in 2021. Another 41-year-old on the start line will be the remarkable Ser-od Bat-Ochir. The Mongolian is unlikely to be troubling the medal contenders but will be contesting his 11th successive World Championships marathon – his 16th successive global championship marathon, having also contested the past five Olympic marathons.

Women's marathon

In Oregon last year Gotytom Gebreslase won in the fastest ever time in a women’s championship marathon, 2:18:11, but the Ethiopian will have to beat two of the six fastest women of all time if she is to successfully defend her title in Budapest.

The 2011 world U18 3000m champion was unable to keep up with one of them on the rolling hills of Boston in April, finishing 10th in her only marathon of the year in 2:24:34 – eight places and 2:44 behind compatriot Amane Beriso Shankule, who was runner-up to two-time world champion Hellen Obiri.

At 31, the formerly injury-plagued Beriso produced a stunning performance in Valencia in December last year, upsetting world 10,000m champion Letesenbet Gidey’s world record attempt with a victory in 2:14:58, putting her third on the world all-time list behind Kenyans Brigid Kosgei (2:14:04) and Ruth Chepngetich (2:14:18).

Gebreslase will also have to contend with Rosemary Wanjiru, who moved above Gidey to sixth on the world all-time list with a winning time of 2:16:28 in Tokyo in March. The 28-year-old Kenyan, fourth in the world 10,000m final in Doha in 2019, clocked one of the fastest marathon debuts in history, 2:18:00, as runner-up to Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa in Berlin last year.

In addition to Gebreslase, five other finishers from the top 10 in Oregon last year will be on the start line: bronze medallist Lonah Salpeter from Israel and fourth-placed Nazret Weldu of Eritrea, plus Keira D’Amato of the US (eighth), Japan’s Mizuki Matsuda (ninth) and Mexico’s Citiali Moscote (10th).

The loaded field also includes the second-fastest woman of 2023, Ethiopia’s Tsehay Gemechu, the runner-up to Wanjiru in Tokyo in 2:16:56, who finished fourth in the 5000m in Doha in 2019, and Bahrain’s 2017 marathon world champion Rose Chelimo.

The Ethiopian challenge will be strengthened by world 10km record-holder Yalemzerf Yehualaw, who ran 2:17:23 on her marathon debut last year then won in London later in 2022 before finishing fifth at this year’s edition of the race. Wanjiru, meanwhile, is joined on the Kenyan team by 2014 world half marathon bronze medallist Selly Kaptich, who was third in Berlin in 2019, and Shyline Jepkorir, a winner in Enschede in April in 2:22:45.

At 36, the veteran Kaptich is four years younger than Australia’s two-time Commonwealth medallist Lisa Weightman, who showed her enduring class with 2:23:15 for fourth place in Osaka in February.

Another notable entrant is Poland’s Aleksandra Lisowska, who broke away in the final 2km to win the European title in Munich 12 months ago.

Bat-Ochir made his world debut in Paris back in 2003 and boasts a highest placing of 19th in Daegu in 2011. He finished 26th in Oregon last year, his second-best global performance. His appearance in Budapest will match Portuguese race walker Joao Viera’s tally of 11 – two shy of Spanish race walker Jesus Angel Garcia’s record.

Obiri, Sisson to Face Off in ASICS Falmouth Road Race

Two high-profile and highly-competitive women in distance running will headline the international elite field at next week’s ASICS Falmouth Road Race. Hellen Obiri and Emily Sisson, both making their Falmouth debut, will face off on the roads for the third time this year when they line up for the seven-mile race on Sunday, Aug. 20.

This year, Obiri has won half marathons in the United Arab Emirates and New York City before winning the Boston Marathon in April. Since her Boston victory, Obiri has also won the B.A.A 10K and was runner-up in the Mastercard New York Mini 10K. Last weekend, she won the Beach to Beacon 10K in Maine.

“The roads and the people of Massachusetts have been good to me so far this year,” said Obiri, a two-time world champion and two-time Olympic silver medalist for Kenya. “I know it will not be easy, but I hope I can keep my record going. It will be nice to test myself before I get back into my preparations for an autumn marathon.”

For Sisson, Falmouth is part of the build up to this fall’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon where she will attempt to lower her own American record of 2:18:29 in the event. This past January, she also set the American record in the half-marathon (since broken by Kiera D’Amato) and won the USATF 15km title for the third consecutive year.

“I have not had the chance to race Falmouth before, but I have wanted to ever since I started spending summers in New England,” said Sisson, a graduate of Providence College. “I’m excited for my first Falmouth Road Race to be in the build up to Chicago. I cannot wait to line up in a few weeks time!”

Other top contenders include 2021 Falmouth champion and last year’s runner-up Edna Kiplagat, U.S. 5K Champion Weini Kelati and reigning U.S. 10 Mile champion Fiona O’Keeffe.

Fresh off a victory at last week’s Beach to Beacon 10K in Maine, Addisu Yihune will attempt back-to-back New England wins. The 20-year-old Ethiopian leads the men’s field.

Last year’s third place finisher, David Bett is returning in 2023. Other contenders include 2022 Los Angeles Marathon champion John Korir, two-time Pittsburgh Half Marathon winner Wesley Kiptoo and 2019 NCAA Cross Country Champion Edwin Kurgat.

In the Wheelchair Division, sponsored by Spaulding Rehabilitation, Daniel Romachuk, who set the course record in 2019, will chase his fifth Falmouth win. He championed last year’s race by three and a half minutes over Hermin Garic, the 2021 Falmouth winner who is also returning this year.

In the women’s race, 2022 champion and course record holder Susannah Scaroni will defend her title. Scaroni has dominated the road circuit in 2023 winning the Boston Marathon, New York Mini 10K and AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta. Scaroni will face 2021 women’s champion Emelia Perry and 2022 third place finisher Yen Hoang who won the B.A.A. 10K earlier this year.

The 51st running of the ASICS Falmouth Road Race is the culmination of an entire weekend of running that kicks off with the Falmouth Elite Mile, held this year on Friday evening for the first time. The women’s field is led by former Oregon standout Susan Ejore of Kenya and three-time NCAA Champion Dani Jones. It also includes Belmont, Massachusetts high school phenom Ellie Shea.

The men’s race will welcome the deepest men’s field in its history. Olympic gold medalist Matthew Centrowitz will make his first trip to Falmouth to toe the start line with some of the nation’s top middle-distance runners. Past winner Craig Engels also returns this year as does Seekonk, MA native Johnny Gregorek, a World Championship qualifier who won the Guardian Mile in Cleveland last month and Vince Ciattei who won last weekend’s Beale Street Mile in Memphis.

In the Wheelchair division, both Romanchuk and Garic will also compete as will Scaroni, Perry and Hoang in the women’s race.

“From the track to the roads, there is going to be exciting racing to witness all weekend in Falmouth,” said Jennifer Edwards, Executive Director of Falmouth Road Race, Inc. “It’s an honor to welcome so many legends and future legends of the sport who will lead our field of 10,000 to the finish line.”

The Falmouth Track Festival which includes the Falmouth Elite Mile will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18 at Falmouth High School. The ASICS Falmouth Road Race gets underway at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 20 with athletes running the traditional course starting in Woods Hole and ending at Falmouth Heights Beach.

Sharon Lokedi, Hellen Obiri, Peres Jepchirchir and Brigid Kosgei to Race 2023 TCS New York City Marathon

Defending TCS New York City Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi, reigning Boston Marathon and United Airlines NYC Half champion Hellen Obiri, Olympic gold medalist and 2021 TCS New York City Marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir, and marathon world-record holder Brigid Kosgei will headline the women’s professional athlete field at the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 5.

When the four Kenyans line up in New York, it will be the first time in event history the reigning TCS New York City Marathon champion, Boston Marathon champion, Olympic champion, and world-record holder line up against each other in the TCS New York City Marathon.

Lokedi won the TCS New York City Marathon in her marathon debut last year, pulling away in the final two miles to finish in 2:23:23 and became the eighth athlete to win the race in their true 26.2-mile debut. In preparation for the marathon, Lokedi had raced the United Airlines NYC Half and the Mastercard New York Mini 10K, finishing fourth and second, respectively, in those races.

“Last year, I came into the TCS New York City Marathon with the goal of being in the thick of the race, and the result was better than I could have ever hoped for,” Lokedi said. “This year, I’m returning with a different mindset, hungry to defend my title and race against the fastest women in the world.”

Obiri is a two-time Olympic medalist and seven-time world championships individual medalist who earlier this year won the Boston Marathon in her second-ever attempt at the distance, in addition to winning the United Airlines NYC Half in her event debut. Obiri holds the Kenyan record for 3,000 meters and represented Kenya at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics, earning silver medals in the 5,000 meters at both. In her marathon debut last year in New York, she finished sixth.

“With a year of marathon experience now under my belt, a win in Boston, and my move to the U.S., I’m coming to New York this year with more confidence and in search of a title,” Obiri said. “I’m excited to show the people of New York what I’m capable of and that my win at the United Airlines NYC Half in March was just the beginning.”

Jepchirchir is the only athlete to have won the Olympic marathon, TCS New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon. She is also a two-time world championships gold medalist in the half marathon. In 2021, she won the Tokyo Olympic marathon to claim Kenya’s second consecutive gold medal in the event. Four months later, she won the TCS New York City Marathon, finishing in 2:22:39, the third-fastest time in event history and eight seconds off the event record. In April 2022, in a back-and-forth race that came down to the final mile, she fended off Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh to take the Boston Maraton title on Boylston Street in her debut in the race in 2:21:02. This April, she recorded another podium finish, taking third at the TCS London Marathon.

“I was so disappointed that I couldn’t defend my title in New York last year due to an injury, and winning again in Central Park has been my main motivation as I begin my preparations for the autumn,” Jepchirchir said. “New York is an important step in defending my Olympic gold medal next summer in Paris, and I will do my best to make my family and my country proud.”

Kosgei is the world-record holder in the marathon and has won an Olympic silver medal and five Abbott World Marathon Majors races; she will now make her TCS New York City Marathon debut. In 2019, Kosgei broke Paula Radcliffe’s 16-year-old world record by 81 seconds, running 2:14:04 to win the Chicago Marathon. It was her second Chicago Marathon victory, as she’d also won in 2018. Additionally, she won back-to-back London Marathons in 2019 and 2020, the Tokyo Marathon in 2022, and the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympic marathon.

“I am very excited to make my New York City debut this fall, and attempt to win my fourth different Major,” Kosgei said. “I am not worried about the course, as I have had success in hilly marathons before, but New York has always been about head-to-head competition, and I know I must be in the best possible shape to compete with the other women in the race.”

The 2023 TCS New York City Marathon women’s professional athlete field is presented by Mastercard®. The full professional athlete fields will be announced at a later date.

The 2023 TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 5 will have 50,000 runners and be televised live on WABC-TV Channel 7 in the New York tristate area, throughout the rest of the nation on ESPN2, and around the world by various international broadcasters.

Florence Kiplagat will make her return into competitive athletics at the Stockholm Marathon

Her last competition was during the 2019 Outdoor Meeting in Israel where she competed over the 10,000m and finished third.

The 2009 World Cross-Country champion Florence Kiplagat will make her return into competitive athletics at the Stockholm Marathon 0n Saturday, 3rd June 2023.

She has been out of competition for four years since her last competition was during the 2019 Outdoor Meeting in Israel where she competed over the 10,000m and finished third. The Sirgoech Secondary School alumnus is one of the leading entrants to the event.

She will be lining up with a Personal Best time of 2:19:44, a time she clocked while winning the 2011 Berlin Marathon. She is the fastest in the field that has also attracted the Ethiopian duo of Tadelech Bekele and Sifan Melaku.

Kiplagat will be testing if she still has the mileage in her against the duo who unlike her, have been competing. Melaku opened her season with an impressive fifth-place finish at the Mumbai Marathon and she will be keen to improve on that as she takes on her opponents.

On her part, Tadelech will be opening her season in Stockholm. The last time she was in competition was during the Zurich Marathon in May 2022 where she also finished fifth.

Kiplagat has a decorated career owing to the fact that she ruled the track and road races before taking the break.

She is a former world half marathon record holder, status she achieved after winning the Barcelona Half Marathon in 2015. Winning the cross-country senior race title in 2009 also saw her become the second Kenyan to achieve the gong after Hellen Chepngeno who won in 1994.

Kiplagat also boasts of two Berlin Marathon titles, one in 2011 when she was debuting and the other one during the 2013 edition. She is also a two-time Chicago Marathon champion.

Ethiopia’s Addisu Yihune, Kenya’s Hellen Obiri win Beach to Beacon 10k

Ethiopia’s Addisu Yihune and Kenya’s Hellen Obiri won the men’s and women’s titles at the 2023 TD Beach to Beacon 10K on Saturday morning.

Yihune crossed the finish line in an unofficial time of 27 minutes, 56 seconds. Conner Mantz of Utah was second (27:58) and Muktar Edris of Ethiopia was third (28:06).

Obiri won the women’s race in an unofficial time of 31:36, followed by Ethiopia’s Fotyen Tesfay (31:38) and Keira D’Amato of Virginia (31:58).

Matt Rand of Portland was the top finisher among the Maine men in an unofficial time of 30 minutes, 44 seconds, followed by Grady Satterfield of Bowdoinham (30:52) and Ryan Jara of Gorham (30:55).

Ruth White, who will be a senior this fall at Orono High, was the top finisher among Maine women in an unofficial time of 34:56. Alexis Wilbert of Cumberland placed second (35:46) and Veronica Graziano of Falmouth was third (36:15).

Hermin Garic of Utica, New York, won the men’s wheelchair division in an unofficial time of 23 minutes, 20 seconds. Yen Hoang of Vancouver, Washington, won the women’s wheelchair division in 28:24.

In the men’s race, Mantz, 26, was visibly upset when he finished the race. He said Yihune, 20, twice pushed him in the final quater-mile, both times causing him to break stride and bang into the fencing that separated the runners from the crowd. Yihune, through the translation of countryman Edris, said he did not push Mantz. Yihune, competing in his first road race, said he was merely closing the lane to block Mantz’s path. Mantz, who had a fresh abrasion on his upper left arm, said that possibly the first incident with about 400 meters could have been accidental or unintended.

The second time, with about 200 meters to go, “The second time I tried to pass him there was plenty of room. Enough for two people to pass on his left. The second time I hit the fence pretty hard. I hate this because there’s a part of me that feels like I got gypped but I also don’t want to go out and protest and like make it into somebody else’s bad experience.”

Yihune won $10,000 for the victory. Mantz also earned $10,000 – $5,000 for finishing second and another $5,000 as the top American.

“I feel like I had first in me today and when you lose by just that much and you lose your momentum, it’s easy to get upset,” Mantz said.

Beach to Beacon, founded by 1984 Olympic women’s marathon champion Joan Benoit Samuelson, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. More than 8,000 people registered for the event, Maine’s largest road race and one of the premier road races in America, with over 6,400 finishing.

Stacy Ndiwa debuts World Marathon Majors in Chicago

Seven months after winning the Los Angeles Marathon, Stacy Ndiwa will be returning to American soil in search of her first World Marathon Majors title at the Chicago Marathon on October 8.

The former Commonwealth Games 10,000m silver medalist, will be up against top marathon runners across the world led by the defending champion Ruth Chepngetich.

Chepngetich has a personal best of 2:14:18. Another Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei (2:17:43) will also be competing. 

Ndiwa, who is now training in Iten, said her preparations are in top gear and she is hoping to return good results.

“This will be my first time to compete in World Marathon Majors and I am ready for the world,” she said.

The former Africa 10,000m champion made her debut in the 42km race last year, placing fourth at the Istanbul Marathon in 2:31.53 and went ahead to win the Los Angeles Marathon in 2:31.00 in March last year.

In May, Ndiwa won the second edition of the Iten 15km Road race and went ahead to finish second at the Boston 10km in 31:25 behind champion Hellen Obiri (32:21) with Sheila Chepkirui (31:27) third in an all-podium Kenyan sweep.

“This time, I have had a very busy schedule and I need to crown it all by posting better results in Chicago,” said the athlete who compete for the National Police Service.

“This will be an avenue for me to enter into the big marathon big league. Competing at the World Majors Marathon is not a walk in the park and  I really need to work hard,” she said.

Others in the race will be the Ethiopian quartet of Genzebe Dibaba (2:18:05), Tigist Girma (2:18:52), Sutume Kebede (2:18:12) and Ababel Yesheneh (2:20:51).

Emily Sisson (2:18:29) will lead the home team consisting of Des Linden (2:22:38), Emma Bates (2:23:18), Aliphine Tuliamuk (2:24:37), Nell Rojas (2:24:51), Molly Seidel (2:24:42), Dakotah Lindwurm (2:25:01), Sara Vaughn (2:26:23), Gabriella Rooker ( 2:27:38), Diane Nukuri (2:27:50) and Maggie Montoya (2:28:07).

Reigning London Marathon champion Sifan Hassan (2:18:33) from the Netherlands will also be in the contest.

Kenya’s Hellen Obiri highlights field for Beach to Beacon 10K

Kenya’s Hellen Obiri highlights field for Beach to Beacon 10K on Saturday

Obiri, the 2023 Boston Marathon winner and the only woman to win world championships outdoors, indoors and in cross country, will compete at Beach to Beacon for the first time.

Hellen Obiri of Kenya won the women’s division of the Boston Marathon in April. On Saturday, she’ll compete for the first time in the TD Beach to Beacon 10K in Cape Elizabeth. Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, the 2023 Boston Marathon champion, highlights a group of elite runners who will compete Saturday in the TD Beach to Beacon 10K road race in Cape Elizabeth, race officials announced Monday.

Obiri – a two-time Olympic silver medalist and the only woman to win world championships outdoors, indoors and in cross country – will compete at Beach to Beacon for the first time. She’ll be joined by fellow Kenyan and two-time Boston Marathon champion Edna Kiplagat.

The women’s division also will feature Keira D’Amato of Virginia, who set an American marathon record (2 hours, 19 minutes and 12 seconds) last year, and Sanford native Rachel Schneider Smith, who competed for the United States in the 5,000 meters at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and placed fifth at last year’s Beach to Beacon.

A trio of Ethiopians – Addisu Yihune, Amedework Walelegn and Muktar Edris, a two-time world champion – are expected to contend for the men’s title. Top Americans in the field include Utah’s Conner Mantz, a two-time NCAA cross country champion, and Biya Simbassa, who placed third at the 2022 Beach to Beacon.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Beach to Beacon, founded by Cape Elizabeth native and 1984 Olympic women’s marathon champion Joan Benoit Samuelson.

Brimin Misoi determined to defend Nairobi Marathon title

Nairobi City Marathon 42km champion Brimin Misoi will be back on the streets of the Kenyan capital to attempt to defend the title he won in 2022.

The second edition of Africa's richest marathon in terms of winners' prize money will be held on Sunday and will be majorly run on the Expressway.

Misoi, the winner of the 2022 Frankfurt Marathon is full of confidence and believes he has what it takes to defend his title. He said he is currently enjoying top shape and has undergone intensive training.

"I feel great and I believe in my training. I trust my abilities and I believe no one will beat me to the title. Nairobi's altitude is a bit lower compared to Kapkitony, Elgeyo Marakwet County where I train thus making it easier for me to win," he said.

The double Nairobi Standard Chartered Marathon winner clocked two hours and 8:03 minutes to win the race in 2022 after breaking off from the leading pack at the 34km mark. 

The 35-year-old had a poor run in Japan at the Tokyo Marathon in March, where he finished 13th in 2:07:36. 

"My target is to defend my title and lower the time I set last year. I target to run sub-2:06:11, which is my PB set in Germany last year,"  Misoi added.

This year's edition has attracted more than 13,000 athletes with the organisers targeting 15,000.

On his quest for title defence, Misoi will be up against a group of elite athletes who have registered for the race.

Among the names to watch out for during the race include Edwin Kemboi with a personal best of 2:06:52 and who finished fourth in this year’s Seoul Marathon in March.

Joshua Kipsang (2:08:09), Simon Kipkosgei (2:07:07), and Robert Kipkemboi (2:07:09) are among the fastest athletes who have also registered for the 42km race.

An Ethiopian quartet led by Haile Mekonnen with a PB of 2:14:13, Maseret Yitbarek (2:11:34), Desta Tafa (2:11:13) and Haile Assefa will also be in the chase for the Sh3.5million winner's purse. 

In the women’s 42km race, Lydia Simiyu (2:25:44), Sheila Chepkoech (2:27:04) and Sharon Cheimo (2:33:03) are among the fastest Kenyans who will battle it out in the women’s 42km race.

Defending champion Agnes Barsosio who clocked 2:24:45 in last year's event pulled out of Sunday's race after picking a hamstring injury in training.

Sir Mo Farah confirms final race in London before Olympic hero's retirement

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Sir Mo Farah has announced the Big Half will be his last race in London before retiring.

Farah, who won back-to-back Olympic golds in the 5,000m and 10,000m, revealed ahead of the London Marathon in April that 2023 would be his final year as a competitive athlete. The 40-year-old cited injuries as the reason behind his decision, admitting: "My body is not allowing me."

And it has now been confirmed his final competitive race in London, the city where he won his first two Olympic golds in 2012, will be the Big Half on September 3. It is an event he has won three times, most recently in 2022.

"I'm excited to run my last ever London race at The Big Half," Farah said. "It will be bittersweet, knowing it will be the last time I race competitively in my hometown but it's always such a great day and I know the London crowds will be cheering me on, as they always do. I look forward to being back in London and hope to bring home the win one final time."

Spencer Barden, Head of Elite Athletes at London Marathon Events which organises the Big Half, added: "It's fantastic to have Sir Mo leading the field at this year's The Big Half. Mo has had a phenomenal career and everyone at London Marathon Events wishes him all the best in his retirement.

"Before that though, we hope he signs off his racing career in London with another record-breaking win at The Big Half." However, the Great North Run on September 10 will be Farah's final race altogether.

"I have so many incredible memories of racing at the Great North Run, my first ever race there in 2013 was billed as one of the greatest men’s half marathons in history," he said. "It was a special experience to line up against Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele and the iconic Haile Gebrselassie.

"Kenenisa took the top spot that day, but there was so much support for me all along the course. Even at the finish line in the pouring rain, all I can remember was people shouting my name, it made me even more determined to come back and do them proud.

"From 2014 onwards I won the event in front of that incredible crowd six times. There were some really tough races, but the phenomenal support always saw me through.

"It's fitting the AJ Bell Great North Run will be my last ever race as an elite athlete. It will definitely be emotional, but I’m so happy to have the opportunity to celebrate the end of my professional career on that famous finish line."

Daisy Kimeli reigns supreme at the Bogota Half Marathon

Kenya’s Daisy Kimeli and Morocco’s Omar Ait Chitachen have reigned supreme in the women’s and men’s races respectively at the Bogota Half Marathon.

Kimeli, 28, was in the leading pack from gun to the 19th km mark where she unleashed a finishing kick to cut the tape in 1:15:13 ahead of Ethiopia’s Anchialem Haymanot who clocked 1:15:36. Colombia’s Angie Orjuela shone on home soil and sealed the podium in 1:15:43.

Defending champion Angela Tanui, who had entered the race with the hope of successfully reclaiming the title but unfortunately missed out on a podium finish. She was leading for the better part of the race but faded as the race intensified.

In the men’s race, Chitachen was in a class of his own as he also controlled the better part of the race before sprinting to the finish line. He crossed the finish line first in 1:03:51.

The Kenyan duo of Ezra Tanui and Edwin Soi finished second and third in respective times of 1:04:50 and 1:04:56.

Soi, the defending champion, had also made a return to the streets of Colombia with the hopes of winning back-to-back titles but unfortunately, the field was too strong for him.

He was also looking comfortable in the leading pack but Chitachen reacted before him and he was forced to settle for third place.

Kipruto eyes history in Chicago Marathon, Jepkosgei set for debut

Benson Kipruto will hope to make history during this year's edition of the Chicago Marathon, set for October 8.

Kipruto, 32, is a regular podium finisher in the world marathon majors and has a chance to make more history in the Chicago Marathon when he defends his title in the men's race. If he manages to win the competition, he’ll be the first back-to-back men’s open field champion since the late Sammy Wanjiru in 2010.

To win the title in the last edition, the long-distance runner broke away in the 25th mile last year to win in 2:04:24, which is the fourth fastest time ever in Chicago.

Kipruto should expect stiff competition from Kelvin Kipruto, the second-fastest man in history. The 23-year-old Kiptum will make his U.S. marathon debut in Chicago.

Kiptum won the London Marathon in 2023, which is his second marathon ever, at 2:01:25, which was just 16 seconds shy of Eliud Kipchoge’s world record. 

Jepkosgei's debut

Meanwhile, Joyciline Jepkosgei is set to make her debut in the Chicago Marathon. The winner of the 2021 London Marathon and the 2019 New York City Marathon will compete alongside 2022 Chicago Marathon champion Ruth Chepng'etich, American record holder Emily Sisson, and 2023 London Marathon winner Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands.

Apart from Jepkosgei, Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia will also be making her Chicago Marathon debut. Dibaba, who made her marathon debut in Amsterdam last fall, placing second in 2:18:05, has established herself as one of the top athletes as she holds six world records from the 1500m to the 5000m.

More than 45,000 participants will take part in the 45th edition of the Chicago.

Half Marathon specialist Daniel Mateiko is excited to make his debut in this year’s Chicago Marathon

Daniel Mateiko promises to pull a major upset in Chicago Marathon.

Mateiko, who has been competing on both track and the road, has promised a surprise this year despite the presence of top-notch athletes in Chicago this year. 

“Yes, this will be my first time to run a marathon, and a major one. This means I have to work extra hard in training to keep up the pace,” he said.

He said he was spotted by Chicago race organisers in London Marathon where he paced Kelvin Kiptum to victory early this year.

"In London, I paced Kiptum to the second-fastest marathon in the world in London and exited at the 30km mark, just 12km to the finish. Some race organizers were amazed at what I did and that is why I am heading to Chicago,” he revealed. 

After finishing second in at the Kip Keino Classic last year, he went ahead to finish in position eight in the 10,000m at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

The inaugural Eldama Ravine Half Marathon champion said he is undergoing intense to post good results in Chicago. 

The Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon silver medalist failed to make Team  Kenya for the 2021 Olympic Games after finishing sixth in 10,000m at the national trials.  

Mateiko has a personal best time of 58:26 set in the Valencia Half Marathon last year, where he finished third. He finished third in Copenhagen after timing 59:25. 

He will be up against defending champion Benson Kipruto, who will be seeking to defend his title after winning last year's race in 2:04:24— the fourth-fastest time ever in Chicago. Should Kipruto win again, he’ll be the first back-to-back men’s open field champion since the late Sammy Wanjiru in 2010. Also in the race are Kenya's John Korir ( 2:05:01) and Wesley Kiptoo (debutant). 

Other key names in the field include Belgium's Bashir Abdi (2:03:36), the Ethiopian duo of Dawit Wolde (2:04:27) and Seifu Tura(2:04:29) and United States Galen Rupp (2:06:07) among others.

Defending champions Angela Tanui and Edwin Soi to return to Bogota Half Marathon

Tanui and Soi won last year’s edition of the Half Marathon in style, clocking 1:13:29 and 1:05:27 respectively.

Defending champions Angela Tanui and Edwin Soi will return to Colombia for the Bogota Half Marathon on Sunday, July 30.

Tanui and Soi won last year’s edition of the Half Marathon in style, clocking 1:13:29 and 1:05:27 in the women’s and men’s races respectively.

Soi is the fastest in the men’s field with a Personal Best time of 1:00:24 and he will be opening his season at the event. He will enjoy the company of compatriot Daniel Muteti who is also among the top entries.

On his part, Muteti will be lining up as the third fastest in the field and so far, this year, he has only participated in two Half Marathons. He opened his season with a 12th-place finish at the Nationale-Nederlanden Warsaw Half Marathon before winning the Cereales Angel Lima Half Marathon.

The Kenyan duo will face a stern test from Morocco’s Omar Ait Chitachen who will be lining up as the second fastest in the field. Chitachen has competed in three races so far. He opened his season with a 16th-place finish at the Osaka Marathon.

He then proceeded to the Xiamen Marathon where he finished third before winning the Rabat Half Marathon.

Another threat will come from Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma. The 32-year-old Ethiopian has competed in two marathons so far this season. He started off with the Tokyo Marathon which he unfortunately did not finish and then later went for the Prague Marathon where he finished second.

In the women’s field, Tanui will be joined by compatriot Veronica Wanjiru who has also recorded good times over the 21km distance since the season started.

Wanjiru finished fourth and third at the Publix Atlanta Half Marathon and the San Blas Half Marathon respectively.

The Kenyan duo will be up against the Ethiopian duo of Zenebu Fikadu and Anchialem Haymanot who will be looking to give them a run for their money.

Kelvin Kiptum to race 2023 Chicago Marathon

The second fastest marathoner in history will not face Kipchoge at Berlin after all.

The 2023 Chicago Marathon revealed on Tuesday morning that Kiptum will make his North American marathon debut on Oct. 8, postponing the highly anticipated potential clash against Eliud Kipchoge, who will appear at the 2023 Berlin Marathon.

In the last eight months, Kiptum has emerged as one of the world’s fastest marathoners. In December, he made his marathon debut at the 2022 Valencia Marathon, securing a commanding victory in a remarkable 2:01:53, the fastest debut in history. He continued his dominance at the 2023 London Marathon, where he shattered Kipchoge’s course record and came remarkably close to the world record, with a 2:01:25 finish.

Despite his achievements in London, Kiptum remains relatively unknown on the major marathon scene. The 23-year-old from Eldoret, Kenya, is self-coached and did not enter marathoning from a prolific track career like Kipchoge, or Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele.

In June, Kiptum was selected for Team Kenya in the 2023 World Athletics Championships marathon. However, he declined the invitation to focus on a fall marathon instead. With Kiptum eyeing either Chicago or Berlin, many anticipated a head-to-head battle between the two Kenyan titans in Berlin, renowned for its flat and incredibly fast course, having been the location where the previous eight men’s marathon world records were set.

Choosing Chicago, which takes place two weeks after Berlin, clearly indicates Kiptum’s intent to vie for a victory and target Kipchoge’s world record of 2:01:09. Chicago’s primarily flat course, with only 70 metres of elevation gain, offers a promising setting. 

However, a win in Chicago won’t come easy, as Kiptum will face off against one of the best tactical marathoners in the world and the reigning champion, Benson Kipruto. Kipruto comes off a second-place finish at the 2023 Boston Marathon, where he was runner-up to his training partner, Evans Chebet. Ethiopia’s Seifu Tura, who knows the Chicago course well, having won the race in 2021 and finished as runner-up to Kipruto last fall, will also return. Among the other elite names in the men’s field are Galen Rupp, Conner Mantz and Belgian 2020 Olympic marathon bronze medallist Bashir Abdi.

Ruth Chepngetich in search of a 3rd consecutive win at Chicago Marathon

Ruth Chepngetich will be on the starting line for the Chicago Marathon this Sunday. And the Kenyan champion is aiming for a third consecutive success. She will have her work cut out against some formidable competition, including Sifan Hassan.

Ruth Chepngetich dominated the Chicago marathon last year. Chepngetich won last year's race in 2:14:18, just 14 seconds off the world record. It was the second-fastest women's marathon performance of all time. It was the Kenyan's second consecutive victory. And this year, she is aiming to win for the 3rd time in a row. And she's hoping to clock her best time over the 42.195 km distance.I plan to defend my title and improve my time," said Chepngetich. There is no better race in the world than the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

To do that, she will have to beat double Olympic gold medallist Sifan Hassan. The Ethiopian-born Dutchwoman hit the ground running on her marathon debut in London in April. Despite stopping twice to stretch, she closed a 25-second gap on the leaders to win and set a national record of 2h18mn33s.

The world champion is nevertheless focused on the forthcoming World Athletics Championships. "At the moment, I'm concentrating on the World Championships in Budapest, so my preparation for the marathon will be very short, but as most people know, I like to be challenged," maintained Hassan.

Chepngetich and Hassan have only met once, at the 2018 Copenhagen Half Marathon where Hassan broke the European record with 1h05mn15s in his first serious attempt at the distance and Chepngetich finished fifth in 1h07mn02s.

Tigist Ketema set a course record to win the women’s contest, and USA’s Diego Estrada won the men’s wharf to Wharf race

The latest results from the 2023 Wharf to Wharf 6 Mile race, which took place on Sunday, 23 July, in the City of Capitola. This year was the 49th edition of the event, and the races were won by Ethiopia’s Tigist Ketema, who set a course record to win the women’s contest, and USA’s Diego Estrada, the winner of the men’s race.

Highlighting the 2023 Wharf to Wharf 6 Mile competition, which took place in California, was the record-breaking performance by Tigist Ketema, who clocked an impressive 29:51 to secure the victory. Her time was a new women’s course record, and she pocketed USD $4000 for her effort.

The previous Wharf to Wharf 6 Mile course record of 29:59 was set by Kenya’s Caroline Rotich in 2018.

Kenya’s Sarah Naibei ran a time of 30:13 to take second place behind Ketema to collect USD $3000, with third place going to Ethiopia’s Werkuha Getachew, who clocked 30:37 and earned USD $2000.

Meanwhile, USA’s defending champion Ednah Kurgat, who clocked 30:29 to win last year’s race, was only fourth this year in 30:38.

Diego Estrada Dominates Men’s Race

In the 2023 Wharf to Wharf 6 Mile men’s race, experienced runner Diego Estrada returned from his second-place finish to Emmanuel Bor last to clock 27:14 to run away with the title this year and earned USD $4000, plus an additional USD $1000 in bonus money.

Kenya’s Josphat Kipchirchir clocked in at 27:48 for second place, with his fellow countryman, Shadrack Keter, following home closely at 27:50 in third place. USA’s Colin Bennie (27:56) and Ben Blankenship (28:02) rounded out the top five men’s finishers.

The women elite talent will be the strongest in the event’s history, at the 51st Wharf to Wharf race Sunday morning

The lineup of elite talent will be deep and the storylines numerous when runners of all ages and skill levels line up for the start of the 51st Wharf to Wharf race Sunday morning.

The excitement and anticipation will be palpable. For some, the goal is to complete the annual six-mile race to Capitola. Others will be costumed, poised to update their social media apps with colorful photos, full of smiling faces.

There will also be a more competitive bunch of runners who look to reach the Capitola Wharf in personal-record time, or post a top-100 finish in their gender division to claim elite Wharf to Wharf apparel.

And there will be a select few looking to take first, well ahead of the sea of runners, which has been capped at 15,000.

Among them is defending women’s champion Ednah Kurgat of Colorado Springs, who looks to again secure the Mayor’s Cup and $4,000 prize awarded to the winners.

Repeating as champ won’t be easy. “The women’s field is arguably the strongest in the event’s history,” said Dane Gradone, the event’s elite athlete coordinator. “It’s completely (awesome).”

Kurgat’s solid ’23 season includes a win at the USATF Cross Country Championships in January and a sixth-place finish in the 10,000-meter race at the USATF Outdoor Championships earlier this month.

Everlyn Kemboi, the ’23 NCAA champion in the 10,000 and runner-up in the 5,000, should contend for supremacy. Also entered are Kenyan Mary Munanu, last year’s Wharf to Wharf runner-up, Ethiopian Werkuha Getachew, the runner-up at last year’s World Championships in the steeplechase, and fellow Ethiopians Tigist Ketema and Weynshet Ansa, both multiple-time national champions. Kenyan Sarah Naibei is a world-class runner on the roads, and a 52-minute 10 miler. Annamaria Kostarellis is a freshly minted NCAA All-American.

The local contingent is equally impressive. It includes former Santa Cruz High and Oregon State University standout Mari Friedman, the top female local finisher in ’22.

“I’m super excited,” Friedman said. “It’s one of my favorite races. It’s a holiday for me.”

Friedman’s goal? “To race happy and have fun,” she said, noting her best results come when she follows that plan.

Back in the field for the first time since 2014 is Nike runner Vanessa Fraser, a Scotts Valley High and Stanford University alumna. She’s coming off a 12th place finish in the 10,000 at the USATF Outdoor Championships.

Fraser, who lives in San Francisco, is in the process of transitioning to more road races. She returns to the one that got it all started for her.

“I’m excited to mix it up and see how I can finish and be competitive,” said Fraser, who has qualified for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials on Feb. 3. “Top 10, that’s a good goal. Anything higher would be great.”

Ashlyn Boothby, an incoming senior who has broken most of Fraser’s records at Scotts Valley, will compete in the race for the first time. She’ has been at camp with the Falcons in Truckee, doing altitude training and bonding with teammates.

“This is super special to be in the same race as Vanessa Fraser,” Boothby said. “She’s my idol. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up with her.”

The men’s field is primed to produce another exhilarating finish.

Salinas’ Diego Estrada, an Alisal High alum and former Olympian in the 10,000, finished second in the ’22 Wharf to Wharf and expects himself to be in title contention again after upping his training. He finished in 27 minutes, 18 seconds last year, two seconds behind champion Emmanuel Bor.

“I’d like to break 27 (minutes),” said Estrada, who is running 90 miles a week. “If I lose and break 27, I’ll be really happy. And if I win and don’t break 27, I’ll be really happy. But there’s so much talent in our area, I don’t know what will happed til we get to the downhill.”

Estrada will be tracked closely by a fair share of challengers and hardened road running veterans.

Fellow Olympian Ben Blankenship, who currently lives and trains in Eugene, Oregon, is also in the field. So is established marathoner Colin Bennie of San Francisco, the top American at the Boston Marathon in 2021. He finished ninth in Capitola last year.

This year’s International contenders include a trio of experienced Kenyans, James Ngandu, Josphat Kipchirchir, and Shadrack Keter, who have all run nearly an hour in the half marathon and racked up numerous racing honors.

Aptos’ Jack Rose is back after finishing as the top local male finisher in ’22, but a handful of young collegians will be gunning to unseat him. Among them are former Scotts Valley star Jeremy Kain, who runs for Duke University; Julian Vargas, a St. Francis alum who runs for Xavier University; Aptos talent Trent Nosky, a recruited walk-on for Colorado State University’s cross country and track programs; and Patrick Goodrich, a former Scotts Valley standout who competes for Cal Poly-SLO’s club team.

Rose, winner of the Ventura Marathon in February in a PR time of 2:21:39, said the quality of his workouts have improved since he finished as top local last year. He excited to hear the bands stationed along the route and hear spectators shout support as he passes them.

Kain is hoping to unseat Rose as top local. He’s increased his miles from 40 a week to 65-70. “I do think I’m in pretty good shape right now,” he said.

Experience is key, and Kain is competing in the race for the first time. “I’m kinda ashamed of myself that it’s my first year,” he said. “It never worked in my training block, but, this year, getting out there and giving it my all is going to be exciting.”

Faith Kipyegon obliterates women’s mile world record by almost five seconds

On Friday at the Monaco Diamond League, Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon ran the fastest women’s mile in history, breaking her third distance world record in the last two months. The 29-year-old mom clocked a jaw-dropping 4:07.64, taking over four seconds off the previous mile record.

In her first mile race since 2016, Kipyegon led the race from start to finish, going through the first 800 in 2:04 and closing in a negative split 2:03. Kipyegon broke the former mile world record of 4:12.33 set by Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands at the same meet in 2019.

It has been a sensational season for the women’s Olympic and world champion in the 1,500m, who previously lowered the 1,500m and 5,000m world records in June over a seven-day span. There was never a doubt heading into the meet that Kipyegon would break the record, but the question was by how much–and she made a statement, becoming the first woman to run a mile under 4:10.

The mile world record was the only record broken in the race, Kipyegon dragging six athletes to their own respective national records in the mile. Ireland’s Ciara MaGeean finished behind Kipyegon in an Irish national record of 4:14.58, and Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu, who went out with Kipyegon through the first two laps, finished third in a season’s best 4:14.79. Olympic 1,500m silver medallist Laura Muir finished fourth in a British national mile record of 4:15.24.

Six-time world champion confirms attendance for this year’s Antrim Coast Half-Marathon

Six-time world champion and former Olympic silver medalist Genzebe Dibaba has confirmed she will take to the starting line for this year’s Antrim Coast Half-Marathon.

The 32-year-old Ethiopian, who finished second in the 1500m at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, is the latest elite name to be added to the field for this year’s event, which takes place on August 25-27.

A former World Junior champion, and a two-time junior race winner at the World Cross Country Championships, Dibaba won her first world title in the 1500m at the 2012 World Indoors in Istanbul.

Her second came two years later in the 3000m at the World Indoors in Sopot, Poland, before she added the 1500m title at the 2013 World Championships in Beijing.

She would add another 1500m World Indoor title in 2016 in Portland before claiming gold in both the 1500m and 3000m at the 2018 World Indoors in Birmingham.

Dibaba, whose best half-marathon time is 1:05.18, will face stern competition from the likes of Amsterdam Marathon winner Degitu Azimeraw and former Great Ethiopian Run winner Zeineba Yimer.

However, Dibaba will enter the event as one of the favorites to cross the line first and race director Ruth McIlroy is thrilled they have added another huge name to the line-up.

"Everyone is delighted we have secured Genzebe, she's been someone we have been working towards getting to the event over the last 12 months,” said McIlroy.

"We feel we have one of the fastest half marathon courses in the world and think she, along with some other stars, will run extremely quick.

"Both the men's and women's elite races have a similar calibre to a global final so we could be looking at something very special in August.”

On the men’s side of the event, Ethiopian great Jemal Yimer is going for his third straight win in the event and is boasting considerable form after winning the Los Angeles Marathon and setting a UK & Ireland All-Comers record with a time of 58.33.

However, Yimer is only one of three runners who have broken the 59-minute mark in the field this year, with Kenya’s Daniel Mateiko having set a time of 58.26 and two-time Tokyo Marathon winner Birhanu Legese also competing.

The local challenge will be spearheaded by Irish Olympian duo Paul Pollock and Kevin Seaward, while Scotland’s Callum Hawkins also runs in a star-studded field.

Meanwhile, world junior champion Ermias Girma has been confirmed for the Condor Executive Street Mile to be run on the Friday night, with the Ethiopian eyeing up the first sub-four-minute mile.

Former Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Winnie Nanyondo is also confirmed for the event as she looks to better her personal best time of four minutes and 18 seconds.

Elsewhere, McIlroy is keen to see the Antrim Coast & Belfast bid given the green light to represent the United Kingdom in its bid to host either the 2025 or 2026 World Road Running Championships.

The bid, which has already been endorsed by Northern Ireland’s five main political parties, is Athletics UK’s preferred choice and will be the last to present to World Athletics president Sebastian Coe.

"With 50,000 runners from over 160 countries, it would be a truly great way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement and showcase the beauty of our province and sporting excellence to the rest of the world,” added McIlroy.

The bid will be heard on Tuesday, July 4, with the winning regions revealed on August 18 at the World Track & Field Championships in Budapest.

When Will Eliud Kipchoge Slow Down?

What we can learn from the world’s greatest distance runner of all-time while he’s still in his prime

Eliud Kipchoge has expanded the universe of what’s humanly possible in the marathon, and he will forever remain a legend in the sport of long-distance running.

Not only for himself, but especially for those who have come after him. That includes everyone, both elite and recreational runners, who are preparing a marathon this fall or some distant point in the future. His current 2:01:09 world record and his barrier-breaking 1:59:40 time-trial effort in 2019 are legendary feats, both for the current generation of runners and for all time.

The 38-year-old Kenyan marathoner is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete, but time waits for no one, and especially not a long-distance runner. Like all elite athletes, his time at the top is limited, but fortunately, there is still time to immerse in the inspirational examples he’s providing.

Kipchoge recently announced he’ll return to the Berlin Marathon on September 24, where, last year, he won the race for the fourth time and lowered the world record for the second time. It is most likely what will be the beginning of a grand denouement as he goes for another gold medal at the 2024 Olympics next summer in Paris.

Given that he won his first global medal in the City of Light—when, at the age of 18, he outran Moroccan legend Hicham El Guerrouj and Ethiopian legend-in-the-making Kenenisa Bekele to win the 5,000-meter run at the 2003 world championships—it would certainly be one of the greatest stories ever told if he could win the Olympic marathon there next year when he’s nearly 40.

Certainly he’ll run a few more races after the Olympics—and maybe through the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles—but, realistically, it is the start of a farewell tour for a runner who will never be forgotten.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not at all writing Kipchoge off. In fact, I am excited to see him run in Berlin and can’t wait to watch next year’s Olympic marathon unfold. But just as we’ve watched Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, Shalane Flanagan, Usain Bolt, Allyson Felix, and other elite athletes succumb to the sunsetting of their peak performance level, so too will Kipchoge eventually suffer the same fate.

What I’m saying here is that we still have time to watch and appreciate Kipchoge eloquently working his magic and continue to be inspired in our own running and other pursuits in life. Remember how we marveled at Michael Jordan’s greatest in “The Last Dance” more than 20 years after his heyday? This is the start of the last dance for Kipchoge, who, like Jordan, is much, much more than a generational talent; he’s an all-time great whose legacy will transcend time.

Running has seen many extraordinary stars in the past 50 years who have become iconic figures— Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Ted Corbitt, Carl Lewis, Steve Jones, Paul Tergat,  Catherine Ndereba, Paula Radcliffe, Haile Gebrselassie, Kenenisa Bekele, Mary Keitany, Brigid Kosgei, and Kilian Jornet, to name a few—but none have come close to the body of work and global influence of Kipchoge.

Not only is Kipchoge one of the first African athletes to become a household name and truly command a global audience, but he’s done more than other running champions because of he’s been able to take advantage of this advanced age of digital media to deliberately push positive messages and inspiring content to anyone who is willing to receive it.

Kipchoge has won two Olympic gold medals, set two world records, and won 17 of the 19 marathons he entered, but he’s so much less about the stats and bling and more sharing—to runners and non-runners alike—that “no human is limited” and also that, despite our differences, we’re all human beings faced with a lot of the same challenges in life and, ultimately, hard work and kindness are what put us on the path to success.

How can an average runner who works a nine-to-five job and juggles dozens of other things in daily life be inspired by an elite aerobic machine like Kipchoge?

He is supremely talented, no doubt, but many elite runners have a similar aerobic capacity to allow them to compete on the world stage. What Kipchoge uniquely possesses—and why he’s become the greatest of all-time—is the awareness and ability to be relentless in his pursuit of excellence, and the presence and good will of how beneficial it is to share it.

If you haven’t been following Kipchoge or heard him speak at press conferences or sponsor events, he’s full of genuine wisdom and encouragement that can inspire you in your own  running or challenging situation in life. His words come across much more powerfully than most other elite athletes or run-of-the-mill social media influencers, not only because he’s achieved at a higher level than anyone ever has, but because of his genuine interest in sharing the notion that it’s the simplest values—discipline, hard work, consistency, and selflessness—that make the difference in any endeavor.

This is not a suggestion to idolize Kipchoge, but instead to apply his wisdom and determination into the things that challenge you.

“If you want to break through, your mind should be able to control your body. Your mind should be a part of your fitness.”

“Only the disciplined ones in life are free. If you are undisciplined, you are a slave to your moods and your passions.”

“If you believe in something and put it in your mind and heart, it can be realized.”

“The best time to plant a tree was 25 years ago. The second-best time to plant a tree is today.”

Those are among the many simple messages that Kipchoge has lived by, but he also openly professess to giving himself grace to take time for mental and physical rest and recovery. It’s a simple recipe to follow, if you’re chasing your first or fastest marathon, or any tall task in life.

Kipchoge seems to defy age, but his sixth-place finish in the Boston Marathon in April proved he’s human. As much as it was painful to watch him falter, it was oddly refreshing and relatable to see him be something less than exceptional, and especially now that he’s tuning up for Berlin. He has nothing left to prove—to himself, to runners, to the world—but he’s bound to keep doing so just by following the same simple, undaunted regimen he always has.

There will be other young runners who will rise and run faster than Kipchoge and probably very soon. Fellow Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum—who has run  2:01:53 (Valencia) and 2:01:25 (London) in his first two marathons since December—seems to be next in line for Kipchoge’s throne of the world’s greatest runner. But even after that happens, Kipchoge’s name will go down in history alongside the likes of Paavo Nurmi, Abebe Bikila, Emil Zátopek, Grete Waitz, Shorter and Samuelson because of how he changed running and how he gave us a lens to view running without limits.

Berlin is definitely not the end of Kipchoge’s amazing career  as the world’s greatest long-distance runner. I fully expect him to win again in an unfathomable time. But the sunset is imminent and, no matter if you are or have ever been an aspiring elite athlete at any level, a committed recreational runner, or just an occasional jogger trying to reap the fruits of consistent exercise, his example is still very tangible and something to behold.

John Korir eyes Chicago Marathon after second place at Boilermaker 15km race

Two times Los Angeles Marathon champion John Korir has confirmed participation in the Chicago Marathon set for October 8 in the United States of America (USA).

The younger brother to former Boston Marathon champion Wesley Korir will be seeking his maiden Chicago Marathon win after finishing third last year in 2:05.01, behind champion compatriot Benson Kipruto (2:04.24) and Ethiopia's Seif Tura, who placed second in 2:04.49.  Bernard Koech (2:07.01) and Ethiopia's Shifera Tamiru at 2:07.53 completed the top five places in last year's event.

Korir is fresh from finishing second at the Boilermaker 15km road race behind Ethiopian Jemal Yimer last Sunday.

“I was using the Sunday race as part of my training ahead of the Chicago Marathon. Last year, Chicago Marathon was too tough but I want to try my luck this year,” said Korir.

At Bolmaker’s race, Korir said he lost the title in the last kick to finish second in 42:13 behind Yimer (42:06). Kenya’s Charles Langat completed the podium in 42:28.

“He beat me in the last stretch of the race after I miscalculated. However, I thank God for the second position considering the event was very competitive,” he said.

“I normally run two marathons a year plus a few short races as built-up for the World Marathon Majors across the world. Races in the USA have always been my priority,” he added.

Korir said his aim is to once again finish on the podium but a win but if victory comes his way it will be a bonus. 

Korir has been out of competition since finishing ninth in 2:1004 in a race won by compatriot Benson Kipruto in the Boston Marathon last April.

“Before heading to Chicago, he will be competing at the Falmouth 12km race on August 20. 

In women's cadre, Kenya’s Jesca Chelangat won the Boilermakers 15km after timing 47:31. She was followed by Sarah Naibei (48:45) and Cynthia Limo (48:50).

Chelangat broke the course record set by Edna Kiplagat 13 years ago by 24 seconds. Kiplagat, who was part of the race, placed fourth in 49:10.

Kenyan trio to headline 2023 Sydney Marathon

Kenyan trio of Judith Korir, Angela Tanui and Moses Kibet will be among the elite athletes set to feature in the 2023 Sydney Marathon set for September 17.

Defending champion Kibet, the fastest marathoner on the streets of Sydney, will face competition from Ethiopia's Tamirat Tola and Tanzania's Gabriel Geay who both have personal bests of 2:03.

Eritrea's Nazret Weldu and Haven Hailu of Ethiopia will pose a big threat to Tanui, the 2021 Amsterdam marathon champion as Korir makes her debut in the Australian streets.

A new route will be used in this year's event with the race starting at Bradfield Park in Milsons Point and finish at the Opera House forecourt.

Athletes will pass by some of the most historic landmarks in Australia including the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

This is the second year the marathon will be vying for the Abbott World Marathon Majors (Abbott WMM).

Over the next 3 years, the Sydney Marathon will be required to meet strict criteria to achieve ‘Majors’ status by 2025.

“We are thrilled to have assembled such a high caliber field for this year’s Marathon, as we head into our second year as a candidate race for the Abbott World Marathon Majors,” race director Wayne Larden said.

“The presence of these exceptional runners is a testament to the event’s status as a world-class marathon for elite athletes, running enthusiasts and recreational runners alike," he added.

Ethiopian Tamirat Tola headlines an elite field for the Sydney Marathon

Men’s world champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia and 2022 Paris Marathon women’s champion Judith Jeptum Korir of Kenya will headline the fields for the Sydney Marathon in September.

Organizers on Tuesday said it will be the fastest and most decorated elite field in the Sydney Marathon’s history.

Tola will compete in Australia for the first time and will be up against defending champion Moses Kibet, who holds the record for the fastest marathon time ever run in Australia.

Sydney is a candidate for the World Marathon Majors, a series of elite events that includes New York, London, Berlin, Boston, Tokyo and Chicago.

The new route for the Sept. 17 Sydney marathon will take in some of the city’s most historic landmarks, including the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

Tola has a personal best of 2 hours, 3 minutes, 39 seconds. Gabriel Geay of Tanzania, who placed second at the 2023 Boston Marathon, has the fastest personal best of the field at 2:03:00.

Jeptum Korir will also make her Australian debut and has a personal best of 2:18:20. She will be competing against a number of runners who have recorded times under 2:23:00 including Nazret Weldu of Eritrea, Haven Hailu of Ethiopia and Angela Tanui of Kenya.

“We are thrilled to have assembled such a high calibre field for this year’s Sydney Marathon, as we head into our second year as a candidate race for the Abbott World Marathon Majors,” race director Wayne Larden said in a statement. “The presence of these exceptional runners is a testament to the event’s status as a world-class marathon for elite athletes, running enthusiasts and recreational runners alike.”

The marathon route takes in some of the most historic landmarks in Australia’s biggest city, including the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. The race starts at Bradfield Park in Milsons Point and finishes at the Opera House forecourt.

The Sydney Marathon is a participation legacy project from the Sydney 2000 Olympics, when the marathon course started in North Sydney and passed some of the city’s landmarks before finishing at the Olympic Park. The Opera House was also the backdrop for the Olympic triathlon events in 2000.

Ethiopian Jemal Yimer successfully defended his men’s open division crown at the 46th running of the Boilermaker 15K

Jemal Yimer of Ethiopia successfully defended his men’s open division crown at the 46th running of the Boilermaker 15K Road Race presented by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, shattering the event record he set last year by 32 seconds.

Yimer won the event in 42 minutes and six seconds, besting Kenyans John Korir and Charles Langat who finished second and third respectively, in a race that saw the top four men beat the event record.

Runners took advantage of the cloudy conditions to get off to a fast start with an unusually large lead pack of about 16 runners staying together through the 2-mile mark. The lead pack dwindled to nine by the 5K mark, with Yimer, Langat and early leader Omar Ait Chitachen pushing the pace.

Yimer began to assert himself further on mile five, pushing the pace with a 4:08 split on the mostly downhill stretch. Tuliamuk fell off the pace by the seventh mile, leaving just Yimer, Langat and Korir to battle for the title. Yimer broke away from there, leading to a relatively comfortable win.

Reid Buchanan of San Diego, CA led American males with his seventh place finish, crossing the line in 43:44.

Kenyan Jesca Chelangat broke Edna Kiplagat’s 13-year old event record, taking home the women’s open division crown with a time of 47 minutes and 33 seconds. Chelangat bested Kiplagat’s record, which was set in 2010 by 24 seconds, beating fellow Kenyan Sarah Naibei by one minute and 13 seconds.

Kilpagat did not stay out of the Boilermaker record book for long, however, as her fourth overall finish in the Women’s Open Division was more than enough to break the women’s master’s division (over 40). Her time of 49:11 beat Edith Masai’s 2002 record by 1 minute and 29 seconds.

The American women’s contingent was led by Aliphine Tuliamuk of Arizona, who finished in fifth place overall with a time of 49:18. Racing at the Boilermaker as a professional for the first time, three-time 5K champion Jessie Cardin of Rochester Hills, MI, was the second best American female, finishing ninth overall with a time of 49:46.

Canadian Josh Cassidy took home the men’s open wheelchair division with a time of 33:10, beating Manuel Vergara of California who finished second with a time of 34:52.

2022 Women’s Wheelchair Open Division champion Jenna Fesemyer of Illinois defended her Boilermaker Crown, finishing in 40:32, 1 minute and six seconds in front of second-place finisher Yen Hoang of Champaign IL.

19-year-old D. Casey Malloy of New Hartford won the 5K Road Race presented by Utica National in 15:56, crossing the finish line 12 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Tyler Vega of Elkton, MD. Ashley Rathbun of Springfield, NJ won the women’s open division of the 5K, with a time of 20:23.

This year’s 15K race saw 6973 finishers with the 3125 crossing the finish line for the 5K, up from 5848 and 2469 respectively in 2022.

“Today was an absolutely amazing day for our race,” said Boilermaker race director Jim Stasaitis. “The weather turned out to be perfect for the runners and spectators alike. Seeing three records fall was something that is special and rare. We celebrate with each and every one of the record holders, including the everyday athletes who set personal bests today.”

Ethiopian runner misses Peachtree Road Race victory due to last-minute detour

In an unexpected turn of events during the AJC Peachtree Road Race 10K on Independence Day, Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi, the reigning champion, was poised to claim victory and the USD $10,000 prize. However, a wrong turn in the final 200m foiled her plans, resulting in a third-place finish and causing her to miss out on a large sum of money.

Teferi was closely following a leading police motorcycle as it suddenly veered off the course with 200m to go. Without hesitation, Teferi followed suit, mistakenly believing that the race course took an unconventional right turn.

Despite having a nearly 10-second lead over her compatriot, Fotyen Tesfay, Teferi’s confusion led to her sprinting back to the course and finishing third, with a time of 30:47. She was only two seconds short of second place, which went to Kenya’s Jesca Chelangat in 30:45. Tesfay seized the opportunity and claimed victory, finishing four seconds ahead of Teferi in 30:43.

Tesfay also briefly followed Teferi’s detour before swiftly correcting herself and surging ahead to win the 10K title and the USD $10,000 prize.

While it’s not uncommon for runners to take wrong turns near the finish line, it is surprising that it happened to someone who won the race just last year. This a reminder that even professional runners make mistakes.

The AJC Peachtree Road Race is held annually in Atlanta on Independence Day. It is currently recognized as the world’s largest 10K race, with over 60,000 participants. Canada’s own Rory Linkletter finished 17th overall in this year’s race, posting a time of 29:12.

Charles Langat wins 2023 AJC Peachtree Road Race

Charles Langat won The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race’s men’s elite division Tuesday with a time of 27:43.

Tanzanian Gabriel Geay and Ethiopian Nimbret Melak finished second and third, respectively. Langat, Geay and Melak all finished at near identical times, officially recorded as 27:43. Race organizers later remarked that the finish may have been the closest in AJC Peachtree Road Race history.

Following his victory, Charles Langat expressed his confidence in winning the race after discussing it with his manager beforehand.

“Yesterday, I talked to my manager, and I told them that I would win the race,” Langat said after his winning performance.

Meanwhile, Andrew Colley was the top US finisher in 28:47 for 13th place.

In the women’s race, Senbere Teferi appeared to be on track to defend the title she won at the 2022 AJC Peachtree Road Race, but she took a wrong turn in the final moments, allowing Haiylu to seize on the instant and overtake the defending champion.

Jesca Chelangat from Kenya secured second place with a time of 30:46, while Teferi managed to recover and take third place with a time of 30:47.

The top American finisher in the race was Annie Frisbie, who clocked a time of 32:20 for 15th place, with Emma Grace Hurley running 32:28 to take 16th.

Kenyan Beatrice Chebet eyes podium finish in Budapest after Stockholm victory

The world cross country champion Beatrice Chebet has her eyes trained at setting a personal best and a podium finish in the 5000m race in world championships in Budapest, Hungary next month.

Chebet's sentiments come on the back of winning the Diamond League meet in Stockholm on Sunday where she cut the tape in a time of 14:36.52. 

"My main goal now is the new PB at 5000m, so maybe in London, if the conditions are good, I can try to do it. My body is in perfect shape so anything is possible,” said Chebet in a post-race interview.

The world silver medalist turned up the heat in the final lap beating the Ethiopian duo of world indoor 3000m champion Lemlem Hailu (14:38.06) and 18-year-old Medina Eisa (14:40.02) to second and third respectively.

This was the second consecutive Diamond League victory for Chebet following her 3000m triumph in Oslo, Norway on June 15.  

The 23-year-old said she was undeterred by the wet weather conditions at the Olympic Stadium.

‘The first thing was to get the win. The second was to fight the tough conditions. Yes, the weather was not really good but you need to run in any conditions. It was not easy to finish the race,” she added.

On the World Championships she said: "I am already thinking about Budapest where my main target is to get on the podium in my specialty."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eliud Kipchoge says he is determined to keep on writing history — and secure a third Olympic marathon crown next year

Eliud Kipchoge is widely regarded as the greatest marathon runner of all time has set himself many challenges in his dazzling career, and remains insatiable despite his two Olympic titles, his world record of 2:01:09 in Berlin in 2022 and an incredible 15 wins in 18 marathons he has entered.

He broke the mythical two-hour barrier over the 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometre) distance in Vienna in 2019, with a time of 1:59:40, but the feat was not recognised as an official world record as it was not in open competition.

Victory has eluded the 38-year-old in the Boston and New York marathons, which if he won would make him the first man to have all six major titles under his belt.

"The priority now is to focus on the Olympics and win a third time. The other (challenges) will come later," Kipchoge says in an interview with AFP at the renowned Kaptagat training camp in Kenya's Rift Valley.

His two Olympic marathon gold medals in 2016 and 2021 put him at level pegging with Ethiopia's Abebe Bikila (1960, 1964) and Waldemar Cierpinski of East Germany (1976, 1980).

A third gold at the Paris Olympics in 2024 would make Kipchoge the undisputed marathon giant at the Games, and bring him a victory steeped in symbolism.

The French capital was the city where he won his first international crown in 2003 at the age of 18, clinching the 5,000 metres world championship title ahead of sporting legends Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco and Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele.

However, Kipchoge does not rule out giving up on his other goals.

"If time comes in to hang the racing shoes, I will say bye to other big things in sport."

'I know myself'

Sitting on a shaded bench in the Kaptagat camp where he has lived and trained for several months a year for 20 years, Kipchoge looks back on his poor showing in Boston on April 17, where he dropped from the lead group in the 30th kilometre and ended up finishing sixth.

This rare failure dampened his spirits.

"I'm trying to forget what has happened in Boston. It's caught in my mind... but I believe that what has passed has passed."

With his lifelong coach Patrick Sang, he has analysed the reasons for his disappointing performance, saying "it's mostly the hamstring".

He brushes aside concerns about his difficulties on hilly courses such as Boston and New York and which will also confront him in Paris.

"It is not really a concern, but I respect everybody's thoughts," he says. "I think it was a bad day and every day is a different day. I'm looking forward for next year.

"Everybody can write anything, you have no control. But I know myself."

'Want to be an inspiration'

Kipchoge is now preparing for his final marathon of the year.

"I'm doing well. My training is going on in a good way," he says.

But he has not yet disclosed which event it will be — Berlin on September 24, Chicago on October 8 or New York on November 5.

"At the end of July, I will know where to go."

He is following his usual training programme, eating up more than 200 kilometres a week on the red dirt tracks of Kaptagat forest, 2,400 metres above sea level.

Among his 20-odd training partners at the camp at the time of the AFP interview were Kenya's new 1,500m and 5,000m world record holder Faith Kipyegon and two-time New York marathon winner Geoffrey Kamworor.

As the respected dean of Kenyan athletics, Kipchoge is happy to see the emergence of 23-year-old compatriot Kelvin Kiptum, who won the London Marathon in April in 2:01:25, the second fastest time in history and just 16 seconds away from his own world record.

"I want to be an inspiration and I trust my breaking the world record twice is an inspiration to many young people. I trust they will want more and even beat my records."

'Prioritise drugs tests'

But in a country where athletics has become tainted by large-scale drug use, Kipchoge laments that "many people are going into shortcuts to advance".

"I think doping is there... It's all more about getting rich."

Kipchoge says the authorities should prioritise testing for performance-enhancing substances, saying it was much more important than education "because everybody who is doing doping knows what is going on".

"Just pump everything in testing, put testing as a first priority and all will be well," he says.

"The moment we prioritise testing and we register those who are handling the athletes across the country, we have the right data to know who is who in the whole country.

"But if we really ignore the people who are working with athletes and athletes themselves, then we are in danger."

Is Wavelight technology good for the sport?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cons

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

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

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

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

Jakob Ingebrigtsen to chase his national record at Oslo Diamond League

At the Paris Diamond League last week, the incredible Norwegian athlete and Olympic 1,500m champion  Jakob Ingebrigtsen achieved a remarkable two-mile world best. On Thursday evening (afternoon for viewers in North America), the 22-year-old superstar will be competing in his home country, aiming to challenge his national record of 3:28.32 at the Oslo Diamond League.

Jakob’s WR bid

Ingebrigtsen headlines a deep men’s 1,500m field, featuring the silver and bronze medallists from Tokyo 2020, Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot and Josh Kerr of Great Britain. Other notable athletes are American Yared Nuguse and Mohamed Katir, who came off a Spanish national record performance over 5,000m in Florence two weeks ago, taking the win in 12:50.79. 

During the pre-race press conference, Ingebrigtsen put his confidence on display and said he’s eager to chase a personal best and even take a shot at Hicham El Guerrouj’s 1,500m world record of 3:26.00 “If I break the world record Thursday, I deserve a statue,” said Ingebrigtsen. The Bislett Games meet director responded: “If you do it, I’ll personally set up a statue outside Bislett [Stadium].”

Although there has been a lot of world record talk from Ingebrigtsen and the media, the Wavelight pace in the 1,500m will be set to the meeting record of 3:29.12, going through 800m in 1:52 and the first kilometre in 2:19. Ingebrigtsen will have to close the final 500m in 66 seconds and a sub-53-second final lap if he hopes to take down the world record. 

Canadians in Oslo

Two prominent Canadian athletes are competing at Oslo Diamond League Thursday. Olympic 200m champion Andre De Grasse looks to get his season back on track in the men’s 200m. The last year hasn’t been easy for De Grasse, changing coaches, battling injury and a slow start to the 2023 season. In his first three 200m race of the season, he has struggled to dip under the world championship standard mark of 20.24 seconds, a time he has frequently sailed under over the last two seasons. In his first Diamond League race in Doha on May 5, his turnover in the final 70 metres wasn’t there, and he faded to sixth in 20.35. It’s been three weeks since his last race, and he will come into Oslo as one of the favourites on paper, having the second-fastest personal best in the field after the young American, Erriyon Knighton.

Canadian mile and 1,500m record holder Gabriela DeBues-Stafford had a successful outing in her Diamond League return in Florence two weeks ago. After a full year off due to injury, the 27-year-old Olympic finalist ran to a season’s best 4:03.64 over 1,500m. She will come into the Oslo Diamond League as the top-ranked woman in the mile event. This race in Oslo should be more tactical and better suited for DeBues-Stafford’s racing style than the 1,500m in Florence, which resulted in a new world record for Faith Kipyegon. 

Two other athletes who will be a tough test for DeBues-Stafford are Jessica Hull, who recently set an Australian record of 3:57.29 in Florence, and Ethiopian rising star Birke Haylom, who ran a giant personal best of 3:57.66 for third place at the Rabat Diamond League. DeBues-Stafford’s mile best is 4:17.87 from Monaco Diamond League in 2019, but any result under 4:23 for her would be a step in the right direction as she continues to prepare for the 2023 World Athletics Championships later this summer. 

Teferi runs 30:12 race record to win New York Mini 10k

Senbere Teferi outsprinted Hellen Obiri to win the New York Mini 10K in a PB and event record of 30:12 on Saturday (10).

Ethiopia’s 2015 world 5000m silver medallist Teferi beat Kenya’s two-time world 5000m gold medallist Obiri by seven seconds to retain her title in New York.

Teferi and Obiri broke away from the rest of the field in the first half of the race, leaving a chase group of Emily Sisson, Laura Galvan, Cynthia Limo, Keira D’Amato and Emily Durgin behind.

The leaders reached the 5km mark in 15:28, 10 seconds inside the half way split recorded by Teferi en route to her win in 30:43 in 2022.

Galvan and Sisson were seven seconds behind them at half way, with Limo and D’Amato another couple of seconds back.

Just before the clock showed 27 minutes, Teferi put in a surge and moved a stride ahead, but Obiri – who won the Boston Marathon in April and the NYC Half in March – was quick to cover it. A minute and a half later, it was Obiri’s turn to push the pace as they hit another hill, but again, Teferi – runner-up behind Obiri at the NYC Half – matched it and they continued to run shoulder to shoulder.

The six-mile marker sent a signal to Teferi and, clearly still feeling good, she kicked again. This time Obiri couldn’t respond and the 28-year-old sprinted away over the final 200m to a successful title defence.

“It was tough,” said Teferi, speaking through an interpreter. “From the beginning, we were running together. It was extremely competitive. On the uphills I could tell she (Obiri) was tiring a bit, so I could pull away then. I also know the course well, so that helped me.”

Although the fastest women’s 10km ever recorded on US soil, Teferi’s performance does not improve the US all-comers’ record as the undulating course is slightly downhill overall, and is therefore not record-eligible.

Mexico’s Galvan finished third in 31:14, while Sisson finished fourth (31:16) and D’Amato fifth (31:23).

Leading results

1 Senbere Teferi (ETH) 30:122 Hellen Obiri (KEN) 30:193 Laura Galvan (MEX) 31:144 Emily Sisson (USA) 31:165 Keira D’Amato (USA) 31:236 Cynthia Limo (KEN) 31:277 Emily Durgin (USA) 31:358 Kellyn Taylor (USA) 32:159 Edna Kiplagat (KEN) 32:1710 Emma Grace Hurley (USA) 32:32

Ethiopia selects marathon squad for the marathon event at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest

The Ethiopian Athletics Federation has selected 12 athletes to compete in the marathon events at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, from August 19–27.

Leading the Ethiopian marathon squad are defending champions Tamirat Tola and Gotytom Gebreslase, who won the men’s marathon gold at the 2022 World Championships.

Following their world rankings and personal best times last year, the EAF selected 12 marathon competitors (six men and six women) to compete in the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. Reigning world champions Tamirat Tola and Gotytom Gebreslase, who won the gold medal in the marathon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, are among them.

Tsegaye Getachew, Chalu Deso, Leul Gebresillassie, Seifu Tura, and Amhed Essa will represent the Ethiopian men’s squad, while Worknish Edessa, Megertu Alemu, Yalemzerf Yehualaw, Tsehaye Gemechu, and Amane Beriso will represent the women’s team.

The EAF has announced that all selected athletes will attend a training camp starting June 14, 2023, to begin their usual two-month preparation. The EAF has also appointed two national team coaches to oversee the athletes as they prepare for the competition.

The EAF stated that after the two months of training camps, three athletes will be chosen to join the two defending champions to represent Ethiopia at the World Championships.

EAF Technical Director Asfaw Dagne told The Reporter, “The two months of training will be followed by the selection of the top three athletes. Their health condition and performance after their training in those two months will determine the final selections.”

World Athletics published the qualification standards for the championships, including lists of courses and competitions that comply with the standards. According to the qualification standards, athletes must achieve qualifying performances on a course measured by World Athletics and graded by the Association of International Marathon and Distance Races (AIMS).

Athletes must meet a minimum time of 2:09:40 for men and 2:28:00 for women.

Men’s 3000m Steeplechase: Mr Second Place, Gets His Second World Record of 2023

For most of his career, Lamecha Girma was known for finishing second.

At the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Girma got the silver medal in the steeplechase losing to Conseslus Kipruto of Kenya. At the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, he got the silver medal losing to Soufiane El Bakkali. At the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, he got the silver medal in the 3,000m flat losing to his fellow countryman Selemon Barega.

Finally, in Eugene last year for the World Championship, he got the silver medal once more, losing to the man who is now his fiercest rival, El Bakkali. 

Girma’s fate has changed in 2023 and second took on a whole different meaning Friday night in Paris as Girma ran a sensational 7:52.11 in the 3000m steeplechase to break Saif Saaeed Shaheen’s nearly 19 year-old world record of 7:53.63. It was Girma’s second world record of 2023, to go with his 7:23.81 indoor 3000m record.

The RaceGirma was hot on the pace right from the gun, pressing the two pacers in front of him as soon as the three of them were in a single-file line together. The wavelight technology was set to the WR of 7:53.63, so Girma knew exactly where he was in relation to making history. The pacemaker’s assignment was not clear watching the race, as Girma went by the second pacemaker with more than four laps remaining in the race. Passing the pacemaker who was on schedule for the world record displayed the fact that Girma meant business. The wavelights were well behind him as he hit 4:41 with three laps remaining.

His second kilometer was a blistering 2:35, hitting 2,000m at 5:12.5, a full six seconds faster than Shaheen during his world record performance. As the laps went on, Girma definitely was tiring, as the water jumps looked to take more and more out of him. As he hit the bell, the distance from him to the front of the wavelight (the previous WR) was shrinking.

The Ethiopian was about even with the lights with 300m to go and looked exhausted, but he found another gear and lengthened his lead from the lights with 200m to go and cleanly cleared the final two barriers en route to his new WR of 7:52.11. 

Quick Take: Girma’s WR was no surprise to him

On the LetsRun.com homepage, 80% of voters said that Girma would not take down the steeplechase world record. Nonetheless, there was reason to believe in Girma tonight. Girma broke Daniel Komen’s indoor 3,000m WR less than four months ago and Komen’s records are known as some of the most elusive on the books. If that was too far away for your liking, Girma also ran a 7:26.18 outdoor 3,000m in Doha in May to beat a very strong field. He even beat his rival El Bakkali by approximately seven seconds in that race. 

After the race, Girma said “I felt so fast during the race, so confident. The world record is not a surprise, I planned to beat it tonight in Paris. It’s a result of full determination.” 

Kipyegon, Girma and Ingebrigtsen make history in Paris

It will go down in history as one of the greatest nights in athletics.

Between them, Faith Kipyegon, Lamecha Girma and Jakob Ingebrigtsen broke two world records* and one world best at the Meeting de Paris on Friday (9), providing the standout moments at a highly memorable Wanda Diamond League meeting in the French capital.

A week after breaking the 1500m world record in Florence, Kipyegon etched her name into the record books for 5000m, winning in 14:05.20.

Ahead of the race, the world and Olympic champion hadn’t made too much noise about a possible world record attempt in tonight’s 5000m. It was, after all, just her third ever race at the distance, and her first 5000m outing in eight years.

But, as is always the case with Kipyegon, the 29-year-old Kenyan showed no fear as she navigated her way through the race, the early pace – 2:52.31 at 1000m and 5:42.04 at 2000m – seemingly no bother for the two-time world U20 cross-country champion.

Steeplechase world record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech was the third and final pacemaker, leading the field through 3000m in 8:31.91. At this point, world record-holder Letesenbet Gidey led from Kipyegon with Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye, the world 5km record-holder, a few strides behind.

Kipyegon took the lead with about 600 metres to go, but Gidey kept close contact. They were about six seconds outside of world record pace, but Gidey also knew what Kipyegon is capable of. The world 10,000m champion knew that Kipyegon had the finishing speed to break Gidey’s world record.

Kipyegon – now speeding up with each and every stride – hit the bell in 13:04.1, needing a final lap of about 62 seconds to break Gidey’s record. She did exactly that, covering the last 400m in 61.1 seconds to cross the line in 14:05.20 – a 1.42-second improvement on Gidey’s mark.

Gidey, competing for the first time since her unfortunate episode at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, finished second in 14:07.94, the third-fastest time in history. Taye was third in 14:13.31, while the next three women – Lilian Kasait Rengerek, Freweyni Hailu and Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi – all finished inside 14:24.

“I didn’t think about the world record, I don’t know how I made it,” said a delighted and surprised Kipyegon. “I just focused on the green light and tried to stay relaxed and enjoy the race. When I saw that it was a world record, I was so surprised – I just wanted to improve on my PB, the world record was not my plan. I just ran after Gidey – she is an amazing lady.

“I do not know what will be next – I’ll have to discuss it with my coach and my management,” she added. “If my body is healthy, anything is possible.”

Girma had requested an ambitious pace for the men’s 3000m steeplechase – one that would result in a finishing time of about 7:52. The world and Olympic silver medallist almost got a bit carried away mid-race, though, and ran well ahead of the wavelights through the middle section of the race.

With two laps to go, the lights almost caught up with the Ethiopian – who by now was well ahead of the rest of the field. But the sound of the bell and the reaction of the crowd seemingly gave him added impetus on the final lap as he moved clear of the lights once more.

He sped around the final lap in about 64 seconds, crossing the line in 7:52.11, taking 1.52 seconds off the world record set 19 years ago by Said Saeed Shaheen.

“I feel so happy,” said Girma, who started his year world a world indoor record over 3000m. “I’m happy and very proud. I felt so fast during the race, so confident. The world record is not a surprise; it was my plan to beat it tonight in Paris. It’s the result of my full determination.”

Two miles not be an official world record distance, but that mattered not to Jakob Ingebrigtsen – or indeed the sell-out crowd at the Stade Charlety – as the Norwegian won the event in a world best of 7:54.10.

The race wasn’t a scoring discipline on this occasion, and as such was held outside of the main broadcast window. But that didn’t deter the world and Olympic champion, who stuck to the pacemakers throughout, passing through 1000m in 2:29.07 and then moving closer to the second pacemaker – and, significantly, ahead of the green wavelights.

Once the pacemakers had done their job, Ingebrigtsen maintained his tempo and breezed through 3000m in an official split of 7:24.00 – a European record and the third-fastest performance of all time for that distance. At this point he had a 13.5-second lead over Ethiopia’s Kuma Girma. Victory was Ingebrigtsen’s; his next target was Daniel Komen’s world best.

He charged through the final 218 metres, roared on by the crowd, and crossed the finish line in 7:54.10, winning by 15 seconds.

“Being able to break this mark feels amazing,” he said. “It is my first world best outdoors. The pace felt very smooth for me, coming out of the 1500m. The public was amazing; without their help, it would have been more difficult. I was a bit surprised by the time in the end.”

World leads for Hodgkinson, Wanyonyi and Holloway

World and Olympic silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson opened her outdoor season in stunning fashion in the women’s 800m, winning by more than two seconds in a world-leading national record of 1:55.77.

The European champion stuck to the pacemaker and covered the first lap in 57.7 seconds, already a stride or two ahead of the rest of the field. With 200 metres to go, there was clear daylight between Hodgkinson and Jamaica’s Natoya Goule, who was being pursued by world indoor champion Ajee Wilson.

But none of them could get near Hodgkinson, who eased down the home straight to cross the line in 1:55.77, taking 0.11 off the British record she set two years ago in Tokyo. Wilson finished second in 1:58.16 and Goule was third in 1:58.23.

Sheila Chepkirui over the moon after making Team Kenya to Budapest

Kenyan marathon runner, Sheila Chepkirui, has expressed her delight at being selected for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Chepkirui, 33, comprises the stellar list of headliners unveiled by Athletics Kenya (AK) last week to hold forte for the country in the flagship global extravaganza set for August. 

The Commonwealth Games 10,000m bronze medalist said she has already begun her preparations in anticipation of a monumental conquest in the central European nation. 

"I'm overjoyed to have made the team. It is always a wonderful honour to be given the rare opportunity to represent the country on such a stage. "I'm hoping to do well," Chepkirui said. 

She said she plans to participate in the Boston 10k race on June 25 as part of her training program."Right now my focus is to prepare adequately for the World Championships. I'll be traveling to the US to battle out in the Boston 10k race to evaluate my speed," Chepkirui remarked.  "I don't intend to compete in any major marathon events until then," Chepkirui said. 

Budapest will be her third marathon attempt after she clocked 2:17:29 to wrap up sixth on her debut over the distance in Valencia last year.

She heads into the championships buoyed by her impressive show at the 2023 London Marathon on April 23, where she placed fourth behind Holland's Sifa Hassan, Ethiopian Alemu Megertu, and compatriot Peres Jepchirchir respectively.

  The Kenya Defence Forces officer said she is currently on vacation in Kericho county, where she is perfecting her act for the herculean task. I am currently on leave, so I am training alone at home in Kericho. I usually work out with the KDF team in Ngong," she stated. 

Chepkirui will be heading to Budapest strengthened by a recent heartwarming report that ranked her fourth in the 10 km road race on the world all-time list.

A natural trailblazer, Chepkirui defeated Japan's Yuriko Kobayashi over 1500m at the 2005 World Youth Championships to storm her maiden global title after posting a championship record of 4:12.29. 

After enrolling with Kenya Defence Forces around 2012, she secured a spot on the plane to the 2016 African Cross Country Championships, where she bagged the silver in a Kenyan podium sweep alongside compatriots Alice Aprot and Beatrice Mutai.

Chepkirui will, however, first have to fend off a stiff challenge from 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medals Brigid Kosgei who won the 2018 and 2019 Chicago Marathons, the 2019 and 2020 London Marathons, and the 2021 Tokyo Marathon. 

She won the Paris Half Marathon title in France after clocking 66.00 minutes ahead of Ethiopian Betelihem Yemer (66.45) and Kenyan Marion Kibor (66.45). Unforeseen visa gremlins saw her painfully miss out on this year's Boston Marathon as well as the Oregon22 World Athletics Championships.  

She nonetheless secured a place in Team Kenya for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games last year, where she blazed to the 10,000m bronze podium behind Scot Eilish McColgan and compatriot Irene Cheptai.   

Going for the Two mile world record on June 9th

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

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

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

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

Ethiopians Ashenafi Moges and Sifan Melaku runs away with titles at 2023 Stockholm Marathon

Ethiopia’s dominated the 2023 Stockholm Marathon, a World Athletics Label Road Race event, took place on Saturday, June 3. The following are top 20 results from 2023 Stockholm Marathon with Ashenafi Moges and Sifan Melaku running away with the tiles.

On the men’s, Moges away late to win with a time of 2:10:32 pulling away from his countryman Derara Hurisa (Ethiopia) who finished second in a time 2:11:01 ahead of Tsegaye Mekonnen (Ethiopia) who ran 2:12:32 for third place.

The Sweden National Senior Marathon Championships went to Samuel Tsegay after finishing fifth overall with a time of 2:14:28.

On the women’s side, Ethiopian athletes swept the competition with Sifan Melaku running 2:30:39 for the victory. Her compatriot Sorome Negash (Ethiopia) clocked 02:33:26 for second place with Yenenesh Dinkesa (Ethiopia) getting third in 2:36:39.

The Sweden national title went to Carolina Wikström (Sweden), who finished fourth overall with a time of 2:36:52.

Faith Kipyegon smashes women’s 1500m world record in Florence

Kenyan Faith Kipyegon smashed the women’s 1500m world record, clocking 3 minutes, 49.11 seconds at a Diamond League meet in Florence, Italy, on Friday.

Kipyegon, a two-time Olympic champion and two-time world champion, took 96 hundredths of a second off Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba‘s world record from 2015. Kipyegon began the day as the second-fastest woman in history at 3:50.37.

The 29-year-old was already the most decorated female miler in history, the only one with four global 1500m titles. Her Olympic gold medals in 2016 and 2021 were separated by a 22-month maternity leave from competition (that included 12 months without running).

Kipyegon was the eighth of nine children growing on a farm in the Kenyan Rift Valley. She was a soccer player at age 14 when she lined up for a one-kilometer run in PE class, according to World Athletics.

“I won that race by 20 meters,” Kipyegon said, according to World Athletics in 2016. “It is only then I knew I could run fast and be a good athlete.”

In 2010, a barefooted Kipyegon placed fourth in the world cross country championships junior race as, at age 16, the youngest finisher in the top 21. The next year, she won it. The year after that, she made her Olympic debut at age 18. By 2015, Jenny Simpson, arguably the best American miler in history, had a nickname for her: “The Sniper,” for her ability to run people down in the final lap.

She ran her last lap on Friday in under 59 seconds.

Next year, Kipyegon can become the second person to win the same individual Olympic track race three times, joining Usain Bolt. She said last year that she may shift to the 5000m after the 2024 Paris Games, according to Olympics.com.

Also in Florence, world champion Fred Kerley extended a year-plus win streak in the men’s 100m, prevailing in 9.94 seconds over Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala (10.04) and American Trayvon Bromell (10.09).

Teferi and Scaroni Headline One of the Fastest Fields in History at the 54th running of the Peachtree 10k

The two defending women’s champions of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race will return to Atlanta to defend their titles next month. Atlanta Track Club, organizers of the annual 10K, announced the Susannah Scaroni (Ubrana, IL) will headline the Shepherd Center Wheelchair division while Senbere Teferi of Ethiopia tops the list of contenders in the women’s open division at the 54th Running of the race on July 4.

Teferi – who out leaned Irene Cheptai at the line last year to claim victory before crumpling to the ground in exhaustion – will have to fend off an all-star field including  two of the fastest 10K runners of all time − if she wants to retain her title. Six-time world-record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya has a personal best of 29:43, third on the all-time list. The winner of the New York City and London marathons, is making her Atlanta debut this summer, in her first 10K road race since 2019. Fellow Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui, who will also be making her Peachtree debut, is the fourth-fastest 10K runner of all time and coming off a fourth place finish at the London Marathon in April.

“I am excited to defend my title in the 2023 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race,”  said Teferi, the 5K world-record holder for a women-only race. “I look forward to the challenge from the best athletes in the world and am praying for cooler weather than last year; as the heat and humidity was very difficult in 2022″

Another top contender will be 2022 TCS New York City Marathon winner Sharon Lokedi of Kenya. Lokedi will return to racing this summer in a string of 10Ks that include the Peachtree. She was the upset winner in New York last fall, winning her marathon debut by seven seconds.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race course record in the women’s open division is 30:22, set by Brigid Kosgei in 2019. In the Shepherd Center Wheelchair division, that record is held by Scaroni who won the race in 21:14 to claim a $53,000 bonus. Scaroni said she looks forward to seeing how fast she can race the course in 2023.

“I am really looking forward to competing at Peachtree this year,” said Scaroni, the 2023 Boston Marathon winner. “I am always pushed to have a fun and fast race and plan to give this year’s everything I have.”

Registration for the 54th Running of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race is open through June 4.