Running News Daily

World Athletics ratify Kipchoge’s marathon world record

Eliud Kipchoge’s 2:01:09 marathon world record, along with world U20 records set last year by 100m sprinter Letsile Tebogo and Jamaica’s 4x100m team, have been ratified.

Double Olympic champion Kipchoge won the Berlin Marathon last year, taking 30 seconds off the marathon world record he had set in the same city on 16 September 2018.

The 38-year-old Kenyan went out hard, passing through 5km in 14:14 and 10km in 28:22 – not just comfortably inside world record pace, but also well inside a projected two-hour finish.

He maintained that pace through half way, which was reached in 59:50 – identical to his half-way split when he produced a sub-two-hour run in an unofficial orchestrated race in Vienna three years ago. His pace started to drop slightly from then on, but he was still comfortably inside world record pace.

Ethiopia’s Andamlak Belihu had been level with Kipchoge up until that point, but the Kenyan superstar then gradually pulled clear and was out on his own. He passed through 30km in 1:25:40, then reached 35km in 1:40:10.

By the time he passed through 40km in 1:54:53, his lead had grown to move than four minutes. Kipchoge went on to cross the line in 2:01:09, making this the eighth consecutive men’s marathon world record to be set in Berlin.

“I am overjoyed to have broken the world record,” said Kipchoge. “I wanted to run the first half so fast. After 38km I knew I would be capable of breaking the world record. The circumstances were great, and so was the organisation.”

Botswana’s Tebogo successfully defended his 100m title at the World Athletics U20 Championships Cali 22. He had broken the championship record in his heat with 10.00, then won his semifinal in 10.14 before going on to dominate the final in 9.91 (0.8m/s).

His winning time took 0.03 off the world U20 record he had set in Eugene on 15 July in the heats of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.

“When the gun went off, I had to make sure I made the best start of my life – and it was the best start of my life,” said Tebogo. “As soon as I took my first step, I knew the title was mine. I didn’t worry about the time. I didn’t look.”

Just three days later, another world U20 record fell, this time in the women’s 4x100m. The Jamaican quartet of Serena Cole, Tina Clayton, Kerrica Hill and Tia Clayton teamed up to take the title in 42.59, taking 0.35 off the previous record that the same team had achieved on August 22, 2021 at the previous World U20 Championships in Nairobi.

A similar quartet — but with Brianna Lyston on third leg instead of Hill — had clocked a marginally quicker 42.58 at the Carifta Games earlier in 2022, but it could not be ratified as a record.

Records Ratified

Men’s world marathon record: 2:01:09 Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) Berlin, September 25, 2022 

Men’s world U20 100m record: 9.91 (0.8m/s) Letsile Tebogo (BOT) Cali, August 2, 2022

Women’s world U20 4x100m record: 42.59 Jamaica (Serena Cole, Tina Clayton, Kerrica Hill, Tia Clayton) Cali, August 5, 2022

Emily Sisson sets a new half marathon American record in Houston

Emily Sisson shattered her own American record in the half marathon by finishing in 1:06:52. She is now the first American woman to break the 1:07 barrier after placing second behind race winner Hiwot Gebremaryam of Ethiopia, who ran 1:06:28.

Ethiopian Leul Gebresilase Aleme won the men’s half in a sprint finish. He ran 1:00:34—less than a second ahead of runner-up Wesley Kiptoo of Kenya.

Emily Sisson Re-Breaks Her Own American Record

Sisson improved on her record the hard way by going out fast, slowing down slightly through the last sections, and kicking it in towards the finish. After Gebremaryam broke the race open in the first few miles—by 5K, she was already 17 seconds ahead of the chase pack—Sisson ran with Jessica Warner-Judd of Great Britain through 15K. The American record-holder averaged 5-minute mile pace through the first 5K but struggled in the latter half of the course, clocking 5:12 miles around 20K.

“I went out a little too fast the first 5K or so, so the last few miles I was definitely feeling it,” Sisson said on the ABC 13 broadcast.

But Sisson pushed through the discomfort as she neared the finish line to make history once again. “I’m really excited about it. I really wanted to break 67 minutes and I’m happy I did,” she said. “I actually think I could have run a little more evenly so I’m already hoping to run another half and even try to run faster.”

Sisson broke the American record for the first time in May 2022 at the USATF Half Marathon Road Championships in Indianapolis. The Providence College alum won the national title in 1:07:11, four seconds faster than the previous American record set by Sara Hall less than four months earlier at the 2022 Houston Half Marathon.

Prior to the U.S. championships, Sisson came extremely close to the mark on two occasions. When the record was 1:07:25 (held by her former training partner Molly Huddle), she ran 1:07:30 in 2019 and 1:07:26 in 2020.

Last year, the momentum continued in a big way for Sisson when she broke the American record in the marathon. In October, she demolished the time by running 2:18:29 in Chicago—lowering the previous record set by Keira D’Amato at the 2022 Houston Marathon by 43 seconds.

Close Finish in the Men’s Half Marathon

The men’s half marathon featured one of the most exciting finishes of the day. After pulling away from the chase pack together with a few miles remaining, Aleme and Kiptoo battled down to the wire. The East African competitors fought through the homestretch—where Kiptoo kept looking back to assess the distance between himself and his rival—until Aleme sprinted ahead at the last second to claim the victory.

Aleme’s performance follows a breakthrough season, which included a runner-up finish at the 2022 London Marathon in October.

Conner Mantz was the first American to finish after placing sixth in 1:01:12.

Past Greats Return to Racing, While Familiar Faces Make Debuts

In addition to Sisson’s record, there were several other notable performances in the Houston women’s half marathon, including Huddle in her postpartum return to competitive racing. The previous American record-holder finished fifth in 1:10:01 almost nine months after welcoming her daughter. In her 13.1 debut, former 1500-meter specialist and Olympic bronze medalist Jenny Simpson placed ninth in 1:10:35. Also making her debut, Vanessa Fraser finished 13th in 1:11:00. All three had room to spare in achieving the standard to compete at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

Three-time Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba also made her highly anticipated return. In the Ethiopian's first race in four years, she finished 16th in 1:11:35.

2023 Houston Marathon was one exciting race right up to the finish

Thanks to record-breaking runs and heart-stopping finishes, this year’s races were memorably exiciting.

The Houston Marathon and Half Marathon are two of the fastest races in the U.S., and both occur on one exciting day. The competitive event delivered once again with a record-setting run and several memorable performances on Sunday, January 15.In the closest Houston finish since 1996, the men’s marathon was won by Dominic Ondoro. The Kenyan out-leaned Tsedat Ayana of Ethiopia to claim the victory in 2:10:36. 

The women’s race saw another impressive run with Hitomi Niiya of Japan winning in 2:19:24, more than six minutes ahead of the runner-up. 

What else might you have missed from the Houston Marathon and Half Marathon? Check out the full list of highlights below.

Another Close Call in the Men's Marathon

In the men’s race, Ondoro became a two-time Houston champion six months after winning the 2022 Grandma’s Marathon in June. 

The race also saw Americans achieve three top five finishes. After transferring his allegiance from Ethiopia to the United States last year, Teshome Mekonen has emerged as a rising star among the American ranks. On Sunday, he placed third in 2:11:05. Behind him, Parker Stinson finished fourth in 2:12:11, and Tyler Pennel placed fifth in 2:12:16.

Hitomi Niiya Almost Breaks the Japanese Record

In the women’s marathon, Niiya showed expert tactics by building up her speed through halfway to overtake early leader Muliye Dekeb Haylemariyam of Ethiopia. She continued to hold her position in the second half of the race and extend her lead in the later miles. Niiya was on pace to break the Japanese national record (2:19:12) but fell short by 12 seconds.Haylemariyam finished second in 2:25:35, and fellow Ethiopian competitor Sintayehu Lewetegn placed third in 2:26:33. American Tristin van Ord finished fourth in 2:27:07. Behind her, Maegan Krifchin continued her impressive marathon streak. After running three marathons in one month late last year, the pro runner finished sixth in 2:30:16.

Yalemzerf Yehualaw was just five seconds off her 10k world record in Spain

Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw clocked 29:19 at the Valencia 10K Ibercaja to come within five seconds of her own world record, while Kenya’s Weldon Kipkirui Langat won in 26:55 in a thrilling finish against compatriot Charles Langat at the World Athletics Label road race in the Spanish city on Sunday (15).

Paced by her compatriots Genetu Molalign Yehualaw and Tolcha Guta Beyene, Yehualaw opted for a conservative start, unlike last year in Castellón when she set the current world record of 29:14. The opening 2km was covered in 5:56 with Kenya’s Jesca Chelangat still running at Yehualaw’s shoulder.

The pace increased slightly in the third kilometre as they reached 3km in 8:51; shortly afterwards Chelangat began to lose ground on Yehualaw as the Ethiopian passed through 4km alone in 11:52, a strong headwind contributing to the slowest kilometre of the race. The world half marathon bronze medallist went through halfway in 14:47, 19 seconds down on her half-way split from her world record run.

Chelangat was eight seconds behind the leader at half way, but a comfortable nine seconds ahead of Uganda’s Sarah Chelangat. Kenyan duo Esther Borura and Naomi Chpngeno were another five seconds adrift (15:09).

Yehualaw increased her pace during the second half, covering most kilometres in 2:53-2:54 and reaching 8km in 23:29. After another swift 2:53 kilometre, the Ethiopian was unable to maintain that same cadence over the final kilometre but still held on to finish in 29:19, the second-fastest 10km performance in history.

Further back, Jeska Chelangat finished just outside the 30-minute barrier (30:01) with Borura completing a quality podium in 30:15. Sarah Chelangat set a Ugandan record of 30:24 in fourth, 16 seconds ahead of Chepngeno (30:40). Britain’s Samantha Harrison was sixth in 30:51.

The 23-year-old Yehualaw commented she was a bit disappointed for not having broken the world record but satisfied with her brave effort.

The men’s race kicked off at a relatively brisk pace, the opening kilometres covered in 2:38 and 2:39. The pacemaker dropped out just before the 3km (7:57) and the pace decreased slightly, so Lagat and Kenya’s world 5000m silver medallist Jacob Krop moved to the front in a bid to keep the pace alive. By halfway (13:30), nine men were still in contention for victory.

Despite the annoying headwind over the following kilometres, Krop and Langat managed to maintain a swift cadence in the 2:43/2:45 kilometre range, with Charles Langat always tucked behind them. During the long final straight, Charles Langat tried to overtake Weldon Langat but the latter held off his challenge and crossed the line victorious in 26:55 to equal his PB.

Charles Langat set a massive lifetime best of 26:57 while Daniel Kosen took third in 27:01, an 18-second improvement on his career best. Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera placed fourth (27:04) and Krop was given the same time for fifth.

“I’m delighted with my win,” said Langat. “I pushed hard throughout, looking for a fast time, and my tactic paid off.”

Langat missed out on making the Kenyan team for the World Cross Country Championships, so his next outing will be at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on 18 February. He’ll then turn his attention to making the Kenyan 10,000m team for the World Championships in Budapest.

Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

Leading results

Women1 Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH) 29:192 Jesca Chelangat (KEN) 30:013 Esther Borura (KEN) 30:154 Sarah Chelangat (UGA) 30:245 Naomi Chepngeno (KEN) 30:406 Samantha Harrison (GBR) 30:517 Vicoty Chepngeno (KEN) 31:058 Brenda Tuwei (KEN) 31:209 Stella Chesang (UGA) 31:3310 Alemaz Samuel Teshale (ETH) 31:39

Men1 Weldon Langat (KEN) 26:552 Charles Langat (KEN) 26:573 Daniel Kosen (KEN) 27:014 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 27:045 Jacob Krop (KEN) 27:046 Rogers Kibet (UGA) 27:077 Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu (SSD) 27:098 Laban Kiplimo (KEN) 27:159 Richard Kimunyan Yator (KEN) 27:3210 Isaac Kipkemboi (KEN) 27:34

Ethiopia’s Lemi & Haymanot set course records in Tata Mumbai Marathon

Mumbai sprung to life early on a nippy Sunday morning as over 55,000 people took part in the 18th edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon.

 Records tumbled in Asia’s most prestigious race as the Ethiopian duo of Hayle Lemi and Anchalem Haymanot won with new course records to take home USD 45,000 winners prize and a course record bonus of USD 15,000 each.

Lemi took advantage of the slow pace in the first half of the men's race.  The 2016 Boson Marathon winner ran alongside the defending champion and countryman Derara Hurisa, Kenyan Philemon Rono and half a dozen other runners as they passed through the iconic Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link towards the halfway mark.

Lemi, Rono and another Ethiopian Hailu Zewdu broke away from the rest of the group at the 26th kilometre.  The three athletes climbed the Peddar Road together on their return journey.  Lemi increased his pace while coming down to enter Chowpatty beach corner and started running on the Marine Drive well ahead of the other two.  His 2:07:32 is an early season lead in the world this year.  Rono clocked 2:08:44 and Zewdu 2:10:23 for the other two places on the podium.

The women started their race at a fast pace and there was a keen tussle between five Ethiopian runners at the midway stage.  Worknesh Alemu, the 2019 champion here, drew from her past experience on the course to take the lead at that point. However, Haymanot, a marathon debutant, broke away from Alemu.  Rahma Tusa, two times Rome Marathon winner, and 2022 Sydney marathon runner-up Letebrhan Haylay ran shoulder-to-shoulder with her.   "Running along with these two experienced runners with fast timings to their credit was really a challenge, but I gained much experience from them,” Haymanot revealed during a post-race press conference.

For the first time, the podium finishers in the women’s section finished under 2:25, as Tusa (2:24:22) also finished under the previous course record of 2:24:33 held by Valentine Kipketer (Kenya) since 2013.

Gopi T made a winning return to competitive action while Chavi Yadav pulled off a spectacular victory on her marathon debut in the Indian race.

Olympian Gopi, the first Indian male to win the Asian Marathon Championship in 2017, clocked 2:16:41 to finish on top of the domestic Elites and 10th overall in the 18th edition of the USD 405,000 prize fund World Athletics Gold Label Road Race.

All eyes were on Gopi who was returning to competition after three years following knee surgery and the Army runner didn’t disappoint as he clocked 2:16:41, and was followed by Man Singh, who was 17 seconds behind, and Kalidas Hirave.

Gopi fell short of the upcoming Asian Games cut-off of 2:15 but said the win in India’s largest marathon gave him a tremendous boost.

“It felt good to be back after three years. I maintained a good pace for the first 30-odd kilometres but slowed down towards the end,” the Army runner told a news conference. “I never give up,” added Gopi, who previously won in 2018.

The 2020 winner Srinu Bugatha finished fifth in 2:23:05.

Bhopal’s Chavi said she was running the classic distance for the first time. “I didn’t run more than 25 km even in training,” she told a news conference. Arati Patil finished second, over 10 minutes behind, and Renu Singh was third.

The Elite Indian podium finishers were richer by INR 500,000, 400,000 & 300,000 respectively.

Meanwhile, Parul Chaudhary bettered her course mark in the women’s half marathon and Murli Gavit won the men’s crown. The podium finishers took home INR 100,000, 75,000 & 60,000 respectively.

Defending champion Hurisa eyes winning return in Tata Mumbai Marathon

Defending champion Derara Hurisa is back to where his marathon journey began — the prestigious Tata Mumbai Marathon — as he eyes a winning return from injury in the upcoming 18th edition on Sunday, January 15.

The 25-year-old Ethiopian clinched the 2020 crown with a blistering course record of 2:08:09 and went on to win both his outings over the classic distance in 2021 — Vienna and Guadalajara Marathon (Mexico) — but was disqualified in Austria due to a shoe technicality.

He spent 2022 recovering from a hip injury.

“I’ll try to defend my title, but the competition here is really good,” Hurisa told a news conference on Saturday. “My training was nice, with the focus on the Tata Mumbai Marathon,” he added.

In the men’s field, 10 runners hold personal bests under the course record, including Hurisa’s compatriot and training partner Hayle Lemi.

The 28-year-old is a winner of seven marathons, including the Boston Marathon in 2016 and Dubai in 2015. “The conditions here look good for me,” said Lemi, a.k.a. Lemi Berhanu, runner-up in the 2021 Boston Marathon in 2:10.37 and with a preference for warm weather.

Leading the Kenyan charge in the men’s International Elite field of 16 is Philemon Rono, the training partner of marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge. “My training has been good, I just got to go out there and express myself,” said the 31-year-old, who finished an impressive sixth at the 2019 Boston Marathon and won the Toronto Marathon for the third time that year in 2:05:00.

The women’s International Elite field will feature 2019 winner Worknesh Alemu of Ethiopia and the 2020 runner-up from Kenya, Rodah Jepkorir Tanui, and six runners with personal bests under the course record (2.24.33), headlined by the experienced Kenyan Sharon Cherop.

The 18th edition of the USD 405,000 prize fund World Athletics Gold Label Road Race takes place after a two-year pandemic-forced break and will also witness over 55,000 amateurs across six categories on its much-awaited return.

The elite men’s and women’s winners will take home USD 45,000 each. The runners will be further incentivized by a Course Record Bonus of USD 15,000.

Yalemzerf Yehualaw will challenge her global mark of 29:14 this weekend in Valencia

Get ready for some quick times on Sunday (Jan 15) when the self-styled “ciudad del running” stages its annual 10km Valencia Ibercaja event on its famously fast roads.

Many of the world’s top distance runners will descend upon the Spanish city this weekend in search of record-breaking performances. These include Yalemzerf Yehualaw, who will attack her own women’s world record of 29:14 set in Castellón 11 months ago.

The 23-year-old impressed over the marathon last year, too, as she clocked what was, at the time, the world’s fastest ever debut by a woman with 2:17:23 in Hamburg before later capturing the London Marathon title in 2:17:26.

British athletes are in Valencia in force too. The Spanish road race clashes with the trial in Perth, Scotland, for the World Cross Country Championships, but many have opted to slip on their super-shoes rather than spikes to chase PBs on the road.

Yehualaw is the star attraction and will wear No.1 on her singlet on Sunday, but she is joined in Valencia by fellow Ethiopian Ejgayehu Taye, who holds the world 5km record with 14:19 from Barcelona in 2021. In addition, Karoline Grøvdal of Norway will attack the European record of 30:05 held by Lonah Salpeter of Israel.

In the men’s field, sub-27min performers Richard Kimunyan Yator and Weldon Kipkirui Langat of Kenya plus Rodrigue Kwizera of Burundi lead the men’s entries in a field of around 11,000 runners which is set to feature about 100 elite athletes from 15 different nations.

Jacob Krop, the world 5000m silver medallist and 12:45.71 runner on the track, is also in the line-up together with Paul Chelimo of the United States, while Morhad Amdouni and Jimmy Gressier of France lead the European challenge.

Their target is Rhonex Kipruto’s world record of 26:24, which was set in this event in 2020.

“We want the men to approach the European record (27:13 by Julien Wanders set in Valencia in 2020) and, with the African armada, to look for sub-27 records and even approach the world record,” said Acuña. “The 2023 race will be the most competitive of all editions. The best European athletes want to run the 10km Valencia Ibercaja – and we have been working for months in that direction.”

He added: “The goal of the race is to become more international year after year and reach more and more countries. We are a world reference for the distance and the best athletes want to run in Valencia.”

Don’t be surprised to see the UK all-time rankings revised on Sunday when a large contingent of British athletes tackle the Valencia 10km.

They are led by Samantha Harrison, who already sits No.5 on the UK all-time rankings with 31:10 from Telford in December.

Calli Thackery, the fifth quickest British woman in history over 5km with 14:58, is also set to compete. Add to this Olympic marathoner Steph Twell, plus Amelia Quirk, Lucy Reid and Sarah Astin.

One week after out-kicking Jake Wightman indoors over 3000m, Phil Sesemann takes to the roads looking to beat his 28:24 PB from 2019.

The Mahamed brothers – Mahamed and Zak – are also in the line-up, plus Olympic 5000m finalist Andy Butchart, Efrem Gidey, Ellis Cross, Calum Elson and Kadar Omar.

The list goes on with Kieran Clements, Jack Gray, Jonathan Hopkins, Alfie Manthorpe, Lewis Jagger, Ronny Wilson, Jonny Davies, Alex Lepetre, Jonathan Escalante, Dan Studley, Norman Shreeve and Corey De’Ath. 

Ollie Hoare to defend Wanamaker mile title at Millrose Games

Organizers of the Millrose Games have announced that Ollie Hoare will defend his Wanamaker Mile title at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in New York on February 11.

Hoare, the Commonwealth 1500m champion, won last year’s Wanamaker mile in an Oceanian indoor record of 3:50.83.

“I’m thrilled to be able to come back and defend my Wanamaker title,” said the Australian. “It will be great to be out there competing at one of my favorite mile races in the world.”

He will take on a field that includes 2021 US 1500m champion and Olympic finalist Cole Hocker, European bronze medalist Mario Garcia Romo of Spain, US Olympian Yared Nuguse, NCAA record-holder Eliud Kipsang of Kenya, 2017 world finalist Johnny Gregorek, three-time New Zealand champion Sam Tanner, world indoor and outdoor finalist Neil Gourley, as well as USA’s Josh Thompson, Sam Prakel and Drew Hunter.

Boston Athletic Association announces 2023 Boston Marathon men´s field

The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced today the men’s professional field for the 127th Boston Marathon, featuring 15 men who’ve run under 2:07 for the marathon distance, as well as multiple Abbott World Marathon Major race champions, Olympic and Paralympic stars.

Today’s announcement expands upon four previously announced men’s entrants including world record holder and double Olympic gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge, reigning Boston Marathon champion Evans Chebet, 2021 winner Benson Kipruto, and two-time victor Lelisa Desisa. A total of 109 men’s athletes from 21 countries are in this year’s professional field across the men’s Open, Wheelchair, and Para Athletics Divisions.

“The Boston Marathon is known for its competitiveness, with many races decided in the final meters on Boylston Street,” said Mary Kate Shea, B.A.A. Director of Professional Athletes. “This year’s field brings together athletes who’ve excelled at both speed and championship-style racing. Combined with the women’s professional field announced on Monday, this will be the fastest and most decorated Boston Marathon across all of our divisions in race history.”  

Behind Kipchoge and Chebet, the fastest man in the field will be Tanzanian national record holder Gabriel Geay, who finished runner-up at the Valencia Marathon last month in 2:03:00. Geay has had success racing on the roads of Boston, winning the 2018 B.A.A. 10K, placing fourth at last year’s Boston Marathon, and finishing in second and third at the B.A.A. Half Marathon in 2019 and 2018, respectively.

“I am excited to be returning to the Boston Marathon this year,” said Geay. “I fulfilled a dream by racing in Boston last year, but my goal is to one day win the race, and I hope that 2023 will be my year. Thank you, Boston for the opportunity!”

Joining Geay will be past Abbott World Marathon Majors winners including Albert Korir of Kenya (2021 New York City champion), Ghirmay Ghebreslassie of Eritrea (2015 World Championships gold medalist and 2016 New York City champion), and Shura Kitata of Ethiopia (2020 London Marathon champion). Brazilian Olympian and national record holder Daniel Do Nascimento will make his Boston debut, as will Ethiopia’s Herpasa Negasa, a 2:03:40 marathoner.

Last year’s seventh-place finisher and top American, Scott Fauble, returns for his fourth Hopkinton-to-Boston race, and will be joined by 50K world record holder CJ Albertson. After a 2:08:16 marathon debut in Chicago last year, Conner Mantz will take on the Boston course for the first time. He is coached by Olympic marathoner Ed Eyestone.

“I love the Boston Marathon. It’s one of the greatest sporting events in the world,” said Fauble. “It has a way of bringing the best out of people.”

"Boston is such a historic marathon, and I want to be a part of that history,” said Mantz. “I love the aspect of racing with no pacers and hills that break up rhythm, and Boston has both of those. When you add in the competition Boston is bringing this year with Eliud Kipchoge and many others, it makes the race so exciting!"

Ben True, a Maine native and four-time winner of the B.A.A. 5K, also is part of the American field. B.A.A. High Performance Team members Matt McDonald, Paul Hogan, and Jonas Hampton will have the hometown edge; McDonald set a new B.A.A. club record and lifetime best of 2:09:49 in Chicago last fall.

American Daniel Romanchuk will return as defending champion in the wheelchair division, coming off a 1:26:58 victory last April. Romanchuk also won Boston in 2019 (1:21:36), though he looks to be challenged by wheelchair marathon world record holder and reigning Paralympic marathon gold medalist Marcel Hug. Hug returns in search of his sixth Boston Marathon title and holds the Boston course record of 1:18:04. In 2022 the Swiss ‘Silver Bullet’ won the B.A.A. 5K in 10 minutes, 5 seconds, a course record time.

“Nothing can compare with the excitement and anticipation at the Boston Marathon,” said Romanchuk. “I’m incredibly excited and honored to be part of what should be a great race through the hills and all the way to Boylston Street.”

Aaron Pike, last year’s wheelchair division runner-up, and Ernst van Dyk, a ten-time Boston winner, are also racing. A $50,000 course record bonus is available to any open division or wheelchair division athlete who breaks a course record.

Paralympians Matthew Felton and Atsbha Gebre Gebremeskel lead the Para Athletics Division in the T46 classification (upper-limb impairment). American record holder and Massachusetts native Chaz Davis will look to defend his T12 (vision impairment) Para title.

Headlining the T62 and T63 classification are Marko Cheseto Lemtukei and Brian Reynolds. Cheseto Lemtukei earned a victory in 2:37:01 last year, while Reynolds set a pending T62 world record of 1:25:46 at the B.A.A. Half Marathon in November.

“A perfect society is one that sees diversity of its members as her strength,” said Cheseto Lemtukei, who returns as a two-time Boston Marathon Para Athletics Division champion.

The 127th Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023 – Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts—and will feature 30,000 participants. 

Fit-again Philemon Rono bullish ahead of Sunday's Mumbai Marathon

Fit-again Philemon Rono remains optimistic ahead of his Mumbai Marathon on January 15, in Mumbai, india.

Rono, popularly known as 'Baby Police' due to his pint-sized stature, Rono said he has managed to fend off a calf injury in time for his first outing of the year.

“I missed last year’s last season due to an injury but I have fully and ready for the Mumbai race,” said Rono, who is based at the Global Sports Communication in Kaptagat.

Rono, who won the 2017, 2018 and 2019 Toronto marathon will be up against defending champion Derara Hurisa from Ethiopia, who clocked 2:08:09 to break the course record of 2:08:35, set by Kenya’s Gideon Kipketer.

“I want to have a better time in India. I have competed in some half marathons in the country but I am heading there for my first marathon. I have previously run in New Delhi and Bangalore,” he added.

Abshero, who was second behind Hurisa at this event last year, comes to this race with the fastest time of 2:04:23 set while winning the 2012 Dubai Marathon.

Rono established himself globally as a pacemaker, pacing for former world marathon record holder Wilson Kipsang (2:03:23). The 31 year-old trains alongside world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge, two-time world champion Abel Kirui, Laban Korir, Augustin Choge among other top stars.

Bryce Hoppel and Noah Kibet head Millrose Games 800m

Bryce Hoppel and Noah Kibet will renew their rivalry at the Millrose Games, the fourth Gold level meeting in this season’s World Athletics Indoor Tour, in New York on February 11.

Hoppel is back to defend his Millrose Games 800m title, now as a world indoor bronze medallist. The 25-year-old, who won US titles indoors and outdoors in 2022, claimed the first global medal of his career in Belgrade, where he clocked 1:46.51 to finish third in a race won by Spain’s Mariano Garcia.

Second in that Belgrade final was Kibet, who at the age of 17 became the youngest ever track medallist in World Indoor Championships history. Now aged 18, the Kenyan seeks further indoor success in New York. Kibet ran 1:46.35 to win his world indoor medal and also claimed bronze at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi in 2021.

Looking to challenge them both will be Clayton Murphy, the 2016 Olympic bronze medallist and fourth-fastest US athlete in the history of the event. Murphy made a second Olympic final in Tokyo and is also a six-time national champion.

Lining up alongside them will be Isaiah Harris, who finished runner-up behind Hoppel at last year’s US Indoor Championships, and Kyle Langford, Britain’s 2018 Commonwealth silver medallist.

Also in the field are Mexican record-holder Jesus Tonatiu Lopez, Irish record-holder Mark English and USA’s Cade Flatt.

Already announced for the meeting are showdowns in the pole vault between Katie Moon, Sandi Morris and Katerina Stefanidi, and in the shot put between Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs. The women's 300m will feature Abby Steiner, Jenna Prandini and Brittany Brown, while the women’s 3000m will star Konstanze Klosterhalfen and Alicia Monson. Two-time world 200m champion Noah Lyles will race for more sprint success in the 60m and Laura Muir will race the Rudin Women’s Wanamaker Mile.

B.A.A. announces women’s elite field for 127th Boston Marathon

The Boston Athletics Association (B.A.A.) has revealed the women’s elite field for the 127th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 17. The field features 16 women who have run under 2:21, including the 2022 world marathon champion Gotytom Gebreslase and two-time Boston champion Edna Kiplagat.

Three other notable athletes who are making their Boston debuts are 2022 world championship bronze medallist Lonah Salpeter of Israel, 2022 NYC Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi, and 2022 Valencia Marathon champion (and third fastest woman of all-time 2:14:58) Amane Beriso of Ethiopia.

“I am very excited to run the B.A.A. Boston Marathon this year,” said Salpeter in a press release. “It has always been my dream to run on this course and to experience the incredible atmosphere.” Salpeter is coming off a second-place finish at the New York City Marathon in November and a bronze medal in the 10,000m at the European Championships in August.  

Last year’s second and third-place finishers in Boston, Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia and Mary Ngugi of Kenya, both return with hopes of claiming the top spot on the podium. Yeshaneh came within four seconds of victory, while Ngugi placed second and third in Boston in back-to-back years.

Also back is Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya, a past winner of the New York City and London Marathons. Jepkosgei fell shy of her expectations in her 2022 debut, with a seventh-place finish. She will look to better her time of 2:24:43 in 2023.

Among the American contingent are Sara Hall, Aliphine Tuliamuk, Emma Bates, Nell Rojas and 2018 champion Des Linden. Rojas has finished as the top American at Boston two years in a row (fifth in 2021 and 10th, 2:25:57 in April 2022), while Hall and Bates were fifth and seventh in the marathon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Ore.

Canada will be well represented in Boston with three athletes on the elite list. Liza Howard, the top Canadian at the 2022 Chicago Marathon, will lead the way with the top qualifying mark of 2:35:29. Howard is an up-and-coming marathoner out of Toronto, who had a breakthrough 2022 with a 19th-place finish in Chicago and a 12th-place result at the Canadian 10K Championships in Ottawa last May. 

Other Canadians on the elite list are 2004 1,500m Olympian and masters athlete Carmen Hussar, who has returned to racing recently, coming off a Boxing Day 10 Miler win in Hamilton, Ont., and Julie Lajeunesse of Montreal, with a personal best of 2:44:49 from the 2022 Chicago Marathon.

AIU report shows five nations represent 54 per cent of banned athletes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kenya targeting 2029 World Athletics Championships

Kenya has revealed plans to bid for the 2029 World Athletics Championships after missing out on the 2025 hosting rights last year.

Sports Minister Abadu Namwamba has confirmed Kenya's intent to become the first African nation to stage the event as the country looks to play host in six years' time.

Namwamba's announcement came during World Athletics President Sebastian Coe's visit to Kenyan capital Nairobi this week.

"Having lost the bid for 2025, we will prepare for 2029 and we believe we will be in a very strong position to put in a compelling bid," said Namwamba.

"We will be banking on the goodwill from World Athletics.

"We will come up with a much stronger bid."

Nairobi was among four bidders for the 2025 World Athletics Championships with Japanese capital Tokyo securing the event in July 2022.

Speaking at the time of the decision, Coe cited concerns over the Moi International Stadium as a reason why the Kenyan capital lost out to Tokyo.

The venue in Kasarani hosted the 2020 World Athletics under-20 Championships and has also staged the Kip Keino Classic, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, in the past two years.

"There were challenges around the stadium which would have needed a great deal of refurbishment and that was concern expressed by the [World Athletics] Council about the timeframe and the quantum of resource that would be needed in order to do that," said Coe in July.

"I have spoken to the Kenyan Athletics Association, and they know that I am fully committed to helping them or any other African country stage a World Championship in the foreseeable future."

Only the United States has won more medals than Kenya at the World Athletics Championships.

Kenya has claimed 62 gold, 55 silver and 44 bronze medals with much of their success coming over the long-distance races.

Coe visited Nairobi where he met Kenyan President William Ruto and Sports Minister Abadu Namwamba as well as representatives from Athletics Kenya and anti-doping authorities and several athletes.

There were fears that Athletics Kenya would be banned by World Athletics following a spate of positive doping cases.

However, the governing body evaded a lengthy ban after the Kenyan Government acted promptly, committing $25 million (£20.5 million/€23.7 million) to fight doping.

According to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), Kenya has 54 athletes serving bans - the third most behind Russia with 92 and India with 65.

Kenya is one of seven "Category A" nations deemed by the AIU to have the highest doping risk and threaten the overall integrity of the sport.

Diana Kipyokei and Lawrence Cherono, both former Boston Marathon winners, are among the high-profile Kenyan athletes currently banned.

Last year's delayed World Athletics Championships was staged in Eugene in the US.

Hungarian capital Budapest is set to host this year's edition before Tokyo stages the event in two years' time.

Marathon wisdom - what fires you up?

This year’s stupendous season of outdoor track and field has finally drawn to a close, and goodness me, what a season it has been!

The World Athletics Championships Oregon22 took place only two months ago, but it feels like an eternity has passed since, with the Commonwealth Games, World U20 Championships, European Championships and NACAC Championships giving athletics fans the world over a feast of unforgettable performances.

If you are feeling your athletics fever dwindling somewhat, fear not, because September is always the month when we turn our attention to the roads and (I admit I am biased) the best event of them all – the marathon!

The names of iconic marathon host cities – Berlin, London, Chicago, Valencia – will soon be in the news. Perhaps you are taking on the 26.2-mile challenge at one of these events? Or thinking about dipping your toe in during 2023 as the northern hemisphere spring marathon season beckons? The lure and appeal of the legendary marathon distance seems as popular as ever. If you haven’t tried a marathon yet, naturally I recommend it; and I always advise persevering beyond the first time as it definitely improves with a few attempts.

It is nearly 10 years since I retired from elite competition, so I’m thrilled that my first book, Marathon Wisdom, An Elite Athlete’s Insights on Running and Life, was published earlier this year by Meyer & Meyer Sport. It is a collection of 42.195 (the number of kilometres in a marathon) nuggets of wisdom which I learned from a lifetime of running – as a child, a young adult, a world-class athlete, and now as a retired recreational runner.

From setting goals and overcoming setbacks, to making the best of a bad situation and celebrating success when it comes, these insights are universal and relevant for all levels of runner. The following extract – Insight 1: What Fires You Up? – gives you a flavour of my book. It can be read from cover to cover, or dipped in and out of when time allows. It is available now from online retailers and in bookshops.

What fires you up?

When I was a small child growing up in Nairobi, Kenya, I loved playing outdoors. I ran up and down the steep driveway to our house and dived into all kinds of adventures in the garden. The year-round tropical, warm climate lent itself to spending time outside. I grew up loving sports and being physically active. At weekends and during the holidays, my parents took my sister and me on safari, or to the coast and the Indian Ocean, or any number of exciting adventures under Africa’s sun and big skies.

Fast-forward to 1984 and my family had moved to Oxford, England. During that summer, at age 11, I remember watching the Los Angeles Olympics on television and being utterly mesmerised by the sports extravaganza taking place on the other side of the world. The enormous stadium, the glitz and glamour, the athletes giving it their all … I was transfixed by this spectacle and spent many hours watching it all on television.

Strangely, in hindsight I was not really interested in the women’s marathon, which was making its hard-won debut in the Olympic Games. Instead, I was focused on the best all-rounders there are, the decathletes and my hero, Daley Thompson. To be able to compete brilliantly in all those various events inspired awe in me, and encompassed what I wanted to be: an all-round athlete.

The excitement of watching wore me out and I could not stay awake for the final event, the 1500m. My mother woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me that Daley had won the gold. After the Games were finished, I watched the BBC’s highlights on videotape, set to Spandau Ballet’s Gold, again and again. After watching those Games, I decided I wanted to be a top-class, world-beating athlete. At age 11, I had no idea how I was going to do it, but from that summer on I had discovered something that really fired me up – a dream of becoming a sporting champion.

Becoming beside yourself with excitement is one of the wonders of childhood. Many children want to be like the fabulous and attractive people they encounter. But if I can describe in general terms what that summer gave me, it was an enduring, aspirational desire to do something special and specific with my life. This desire never left me and always gave me a clear goal to aim and strive for. Between that summer and 17 August 2008, when I finally stood on the start line of my first Olympic marathon in Beijing, 24 years had passed. A quarter of a century! You could say it was not a very motivating or compelling dream since it took me so long to make it happen. But it was not a straightforward journey. I had become side-tracked with other activities along the way, such as earning a living. I believe it is testament to how strong that desire was that it sustained me for so many years to keep going and ensured that I never gave up on my dream.

What I learnt from this burning desire born all those years ago was that discovering a love for something is immensely valuable and worth spending time on. That having a dream which really inspires you provides the engine for hard work, a motivating goal to focus on, and the ability to keep going through hard times. That a love for a particular activity might hit you at a time when you can’t do much about it and you might need to return to it later. And that being clear about what you are aiming for is important because it gives you direction and motivation.

Why did it take me so long to realise my childhood dream? Most world-class athletes become professionals straight after or during their full-time education and retire while they are young adults. For me, it was different. When I left university, I wanted to become a full-time athlete but was nowhere near fast enough to earn a living from it. My parents encouraged me to look for a ‘proper job’. Like many students, I had no money. Therefore, on leaving full-time education I had no choice and simply had to find a job. I applied to the British Civil Service’s Fast Stream graduate recruitment programme and became a diplomat with the Foreign Office. This too was a fascinating adventure. I travelled to places I had never been, had the opportunity to learn Japanese and the privilege of working with issues that mattered. I was posted to the British Embassy in Tokyo and enjoyed further adventures there … but during all that time, the dream of becoming a world-class athlete was always there in the back of my mind.

When my Tokyo posting came to an end and I returned to London at the age of 29, I decided that if I was to realise my childhood dream, it was now or never. I spent the next three years working and training hard and finally became a full-time athlete in 2006 at the age of 33. I was 35 when I finished sixth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics women’s marathon, the joint best performance ever by a British woman in the Olympic marathon. I was 35 when I set my personal best of 2:23:12 in the 2009 London Marathon.

It was a long journey of ups and downs, going off on tangents, and spells when realising my dream seemed like a very distant prospect. But throughout that quarter century, I was always clear what my goal was and what I wanted to be.

Sport is not everyone’s cup of tea. Nor is spending a large part of your life pursuing one clear goal. I am not claiming that this is the only way to live a life. But this was my experience. My wish is that by sharing it, you will see how you can pursue and achieve an ambitious goal. We all have talents and gifts of one kind or another, whether it’s in sport, music or something else.

Having a dream or overall goal provides motivation, direction and meaning. It might take time, but pursuing what you love is an enriching, life-changing journey.

Sydney chasing Kipchoge in race to join world’s ‘major’ marathons

Sydney Marathon officials are in talks to bring the greatest marathon runner in history, Eliud Kipchoge, to the 2024 race and help Sydney secure a prestigious new status as a world “major” marathon.

The Sydney Marathon, which began in 1999, is bidding to formally become one of the world’s leading 42.195km races, alongside legendary events such as the London Marathon and the New York Marathon.

Similar to tennis and golf, the top six marathons in the world – Boston, Berlin, Tokyo, Chicago, London and New York – are known as the “World Marathon Majors”. Each event attracts elite fields, and huge amounts of amateur applicants, every year.

Many marathon enthusiasts set out to collect a six-star medal, earned by running in each of the majors.

In coming years, however, the medal is likely to be upgraded with the organisation taking on three candidates for potential entry into the elite club: Sydney, Cape Town and Chengdu in China.

The Sydney Marathon announced its candidacy in July and the evaluation process runs for three years. It is already regarded as the strongest candidate.

“It’s a big deal for a number of reasons,” Sydney Marathon race director Wayne Larden said. “The main one is just the sheer volume of runners that take part in these events. Every single one of the Abbotts World Marathon Major events is oversubscribed by between 250,000 and 400,000 runners.

“Which means when we become a major, our numbers are going to leap, with people wanting to get that seventh star. We are expecting a huge boost in numbers, a massive increase in economic impact.”

Though recently upgraded on World Athletics’ ranking system to a “platinum” marathon – making it the eighth best in the world – the Sydney event is relatively modest compared to the majors, which have about 50,000 finishers. Sydney usually has about 5000 finishers, although many thousands more compete in the half-marathon and 10km events run simultaneously.

Destination NSW is backing Sydney’s candidacy for major status and the reasons are straightforward, says Larden. With tens of thousands of tourists coming to race each year, studies show cities gets a massive financial boost. The Chicago Marathon generated almost $600 million for the city’s economy this year.

Sydney must meet certain criteria for two years in a row over the next three years before a vote of other race directors can upgrade it to a major. The tourism and grandeur components are well-covered, with the race route including the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House as a finish line.

But Sydney will also have to increase its finishers to 15,000 and support the race in bigger numbers like the other major marathons, where there is a culture of people lining the course to cheer on runners, entertainment and a festival atmosphere.

“There are benchmark things, you either have it or you don’t. Is the air clean? Is it a marketable city? Do people want to visit? These are things we have; Sydney is a beautiful place and a global destination,” Larden said.

“More specific things, there are a few key things. We have to triple our number of finishers in the marathon, we have to engage the Sydney community and get them out on the course, like what runners experience in Boston or New York or London. We have to get people out and cheering people on their journey.”

The Sydney Marathon course – which this year saw the fastest time ever run in Australia by Kenya’s Moses Kibet (two hours, seven minutes, two seconds) – will also be altered slightly, replacing the narrow sections of course winding along the edge of wharves at Pyrmont, with more roadway. And it will become a standalone race, with a half-marathon and shorter runs done a day before.

Australian marathon legend Steve Moneghetti, who won the Berlin Marathon in 1990 and is an adviser to the Sydney Marathon, believes the event can be the equal of any in the world.

“I can tell you that in all the world’s top marathons, and I ran a fair few of them, that no one has anything close to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House on the course. They are iconic,” he said.

“You name me any city in the world and if you can name a better start/finish than that, then you’ve got me. That’s the selling point.

“It is really exciting. And I was a bit surprised, I thought, ‘The world marathon majors? Hey the six is the six and that’s that’. When I sort of considered it, I thought, ‘Yeah, why should it be just those six?’ Marathon running is booming around the world and it’s nice to think they are open to adding to it and Sydney is in the running for it.”

Kipchoge is undisputedly the greatest marathon runner ever, and proved as much by breaking the world record in Berlin in September, running 2:01.09.

The 2016 and 2020 Olympic gold medallist became the first man to run a marathon in under two hours in 2019, in an event that didn’t qualify for a record.

Kipchoge, 38, has vowed to collect a six-star medal before he retires, but Sydney hopes to lure the Kenyan to Australia even before it becomes an extra point on the medal, with an appearance in 2024. Kipchoge running in Sydney would give the race a major boost of global credibility, and be a big help in meeting the targets for finisher and crowd numbers, too.

“He would definitely bring Sydneysiders out. He is like Usain Bolt on a track - when Bolt ran, the stands were full,” Larden said.

“We are talking to Kipchoge’s management and have been since we got nominated. He wants to finish the six next year, so our goal is to try and get him to Sydney in 2024, as that big drawcard.”

Moneghetti said having Kipchoge run across the Harbour Bridge in 2024 would be a massive coup: “To say you ran in a race when Kipchoge ran, that’s a selling point. That’d be huge.”

Edward Cheserek to battle Shura Kitata in Houston Half Marathon

Kenya’s Edward Cheserek will be the star to watch at the 51st edition of the Aramco Houston Half-Marathon that will be held on January 15, 2023 in Houston, Texas, United States.

The 28 year-old comes to this race with the fourth fastest time on paper of 1:00.03 that he got last year in Valencia Half marathon, comes to this race with the fourth fastest time on paper.

After Valencia last fall, I’ve trained harder and I think sub-60 is possible. Houston is known for being a fast course and I want to have a chance with a personal best,” said Cheserek.

Cheserek who is the the 17-time NCAA champion, will battle the 2020 London Marathon champion, Shura Kitata who comes to this race with a life time best of 59:47 that he got at this same event in the same year.

The two will have to get past the 2015 All-African Games Silver medalist, Leul Gebresilase who comes to this race with the fastest time on paper of 59:18 that he got at the 2017 Valencia Half Marathon, where he took the silver medal and the 2018 Mediterranean Games half marathon champion, Mohamed El Aaraby who also comes with a personal best of 59:54 that he got last year at the Meta Time Trials By Asics.

The race organizers have assembled this deep field to chase the race course record of 59:22 that was set ten years ago by the 2016 Rio Olympics marathon silver medalist, Feyisa Lilesa from Ethiopia.

Infrastructure key in hosting major global events, Sebanstian Coe Says

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has said that Kenya will need to work on its infrastructural facilities among other areas if they are to host the World Athletics Championships.

Coe said that the county’s capacity and integration of all different facets that will give athletes the very best, must be attained as Athletics Kenya president Jack Tuwei disclosed that Kenya is now keen on hosting the 2029 World Athletics Championships.

Kenya lost its bid to host the 2025 World Athletics Championships to Tokyo, Japan with the country's poor infrastructure especially the lack of a modern stadium costing the country dearly.

Coe hinted that World Aesthetics is ready to help Kenya build capacity in terms of the technical aspect to bolster their chances of hosting the world event.  

“It’s quite understandable this is a country with a passion for athletics and wanting to stage big events. While the country’s track record is good, other areas still fall short,” said Coe, adding that the country also has to show progress and make coherent steps in resolving doping challenges.

Coe noted that Kenya might have hosted quite successful 2017 World Athletics Under-18 Championships and 2021 World Athletics Under-20 Championships but having a strong technical base will be key to hosting major events.

Coe said by-passing the 2027 bid will help Kenya prepare well for 2029 bid.

Tuwei welcomed the move by World Athletics to help them in technical capacity saying Kenya won’t relent on putting up another bid.

Coe, at the same time, said the only way out for Kenya to get out of Category “A” of the countries with most doping cases is the reduction of the cases.

In 2018, World Athletics placed Kenya among four countries in ‘Category A’, the others being Ethiopia, Belarus and Ukraine.

Athletes from these federations selected to compete in major events will have to undergo at least three out-of-competition doping tests in the 10 months before a World Athletics Championships or Olympic Games.

One of the tests must be of blood and the tests should be done two weeks apart.

Refugee Olympic Team for Paris 2024 to have base in Kenya

The Refugee Olympic Team (EOR) will have a base in Kenya to prepare for the next year's Olympic Games in Paris, with eight athletes set to train in the North Rift of the country.

The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) has worked with the United Nations High Commission of Refugees and Athletics Kenya to find athletics training bases starting this month, with these visits led by its President Paul Tergat.

Kenya hosted five EOR athletes prior to Rio 2016 - all from South Sudan - with another four coming to the country from the same nation ahead of Tokyo 2020.

During a visit, the NOC head praised the work of Olympian and former women's marathon world-record holder Tegla Loroupe for their work in including refugees into sports programmes, like this one.

"The first batch of the athletes competed during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and Loroupe was the Chef de Mission of the [EOR] Team," said Tergat, the double Olympic 10,000 metres silver medallist, according to Kenyan publication The Star.

"We are very proud of the work and achievements that Loroupe, through her Foundation, has done in giving opportunities to these athletes."

This time, eight athletes are set to be at the training base.

Anjelina Nadai Lohalith is hoping to compete in her third Olympic Games as part of the EOR team with the South Sudanese athlete ready to race the women's 1500m again.

Dominic Lokolong, also from the country that spent seven years officially in a civil war, is to race the men's 1500m at his first Games.

Kun Waar and Rose Ihisa, competing in the men's and women's 400m respectively and originally from South Sudan, are on the team; as are their compatriots John Lokibe and Josephine Tein in the men's and women's 800m.

Emmanuel Ntagunga of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is to enter the men's 5,000m, while Gasto Nsazumukiza, also from this country, is the only member of the EOR team in Kenya who will not compete in athletics.

Nsazumukiza is set to compete in taekwondo.

NOC-K secretary general Francis Mutuku promised they would continue working with the refugees throughout the build-up to Paris 2024.

"The Refugee Team will now be working under NOC-K and we want to ensure that we get a good place for their training and produce proper results," said Mutuku.

"These athletes will fly the International Olympic Committee flag.

"We are not just looking at training camps but a good place for them to train. 

"We are working hand in hand with Athletics Kenya and UNHCR to ensure that they perform well."

Parties visited the Complete Sports in Kaptagat, Lornah Kiplagat High Altitude Performance Centre in Iten, Kipchoge Keino facility and Ndura Sports Complex in Kitale as part of its training camp inspections.

The Paris 2024 Olympics are scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11 2024, followed by the Paralympics from August 28 to September 8.

Ten reasons to be excited for the 2023 Athletics season

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

There’ll be three global championships in 2023, with ever-expanding one-day meeting circuits spread throughout the year. Rivalries will be renewed, and record-breakers will continue to push boundaries in their respective disciplines.

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

1. World Athletics Championships Budapest 23

More than 2000 athletes from about 200 countries will head to the Hungarian capital to compete in the world’s biggest track and field event of 2023. Taking place just 13 months after the last edition, it will be the shortest ever gap between two World Championships, so fans won’t have long to wait before seeing the best athletes on the planet re-engage in battle for global honours.

2. Pushing boundaries

World Athletes of the Year Mondo Duplantis and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone have elevated their respective events to new heights in recent years.

Both aged just 23, their progression and record-breaking exploits will most likely continue in 2023. The same applies to other dominant forces within the sport, such as world and Olympic triple jump champion Yulimar Rojas and marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge.

3. New eras

The sport, as with everything in life, continues to evolve. Kenya, for example, dominated the steeplechase for years, but now the leading forces in that discipline are from Morocco, Ethiopia and Kazakhstan.

The women’s throws, meanwhile, are now the domain of North America. And Japan is a leading force in men’s race walking.

New faces and countries will likely emerge in 2023, changing the landscape of the sport.

4. Sprint showdowns

Gone are the days where the world’s leading sprinters avoid each other on the circuit. Multiple world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, for example, will often line up against fellow Jamaican stars Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shericka Jackson. And 200m specialists Noah Lyles and Erriyon Knighton have clashed frequently in recent years. No doubt there will be many more high-octane sprint duels in store in 2023.

5. World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23

The newest global event within the sport, the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 will unite elite and recreational runners in the Latvian capital on September 30 and October 1. The range of distances — mile, 5km and half marathon — means there’s something for all of the world’s best endurance athletes to sink their teeth into. The same applies to the thousands of runners who’ll take to the streets of Riga for the mass races as they race in the footsteps of legends.

6. Crouser vs Kovacs

They provided one of the greatest duels the sport has ever witnessed at the 2019 World Championships, and there’s no sign of the rivalry ending between Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs. The shot put giants have won numerous global titles between them. Crouser has been a dominant force in recent years, but Kovacs also hit an all-time career peak in 2022 with a lifetime best of 23.23m, taking him to No.2 on the world all-time list behind Crouser. No one would be surprised if either man broke the world record in 2023.

7. At the double

When the timetable for the 2023 World Championships was release a few months ago, it became clear that many popular doubles — such as the 100m and 200m, 800m and 1500m, 1500m and 5000m, 5000m and 10,000m, 20km and 35km race walk, women’s long jump & triple jump, and women’s 200m and 400m – would be doable in Budapest. The likes of Yulimar Rojas, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Fred Kerley and Sydney McLaughlin have all hinted at attempting major championship doubles in recent years, so it will be fascinating to see who enters more than one discipline in the Hungarian capital.

8. Continental Tour Gold expands

The global one-day meeting circuit will have 14 Gold level meetings in 2023, taking in new stops in Botswana, Grenada and Melbourne.

It means there are now Gold meetings in five different continental areas. The wider series has also expanded with 165 Continental Tour meetings currently on the calendar for 2023, 13 more than in 2022.

9. Distance duels

Endurance athletes are extra fortunate in 2023 because they will be able to compete at all three global championships, covering a range of surfaces. Letesenbet Gidey and Hellen Obiri provided one of the most thrilling clashes at the World Championships in Oregon, and there’s a good chance they’ll race one another again, either in Bathurst, Budapest or Riga.

World 5000m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, meanwhile, could potentially line up against two-time world 10,000m champion Joshua Cheptegei in Budapest — or even on the circuit throughout the season.

There are four women active in the marathon — Brigid Kosgei, Ruth Chepngetich, Amane Beriso and Tigist Assefa — with sub-2:16 PBs, all of whom could push one another to a world record. And in the race walks, the likes of Toshikazu Yamanishi and Massimo Stano could clash at either 20km or 35km — or both.

10. World Athletics Cross Country Championships Bathurst 23

One of the first big highlights of the year will take place Down Under when Bathurst hosts the World Cross Country Championships.

Recent editions have been highly competitive and engaging, and that will no doubt be the case once more as hundreds of the world’s best distance athletes take to Mount Panorama. And, as is the case with Riga and Budapest, there are opportunities for recreational runners to be a part of the event too.

World Athletics boss Sebastian Coe meets Sports CS Ababu

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Emily Sisson, Conner Mantz, Jenny Simpson, Tirunesh Dibaba Headline 2023 Aramco Houston Half Marathon

The Houston Marathon Committee announced today the elite athletes who will chase the $10,000 first-place prize in this historically fast race. Elite fields for the Chevron Houston Marathon which is held simultaneously on Sunday, January 15, will be announced tomorrow.

American records in the half marathon and marathon were set in Houston last year, but by the end of 2022, Emily Sisson had broken them both. Houston will be Sisson’s first race since running 2:18:29 at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October, shattering Keira D’Amato’s record by 43 seconds. Earlier in the year, her 1:07:11 performance in Indianapolis shaved four seconds off Sara Hall’s half marathon record.

“I have really enjoyed racing here in the past and am excited to start my 2023 season in Houston,” said Sisson who finished fifth in the 2019 Aramco Houston Half Marathon. “I felt good coming out of Chicago and am really looking forward to another opportunity to race.”

Sisson will have to contend with one of the greatest distance runners of all time as Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia makes a return to competition after a more than four-year hiatus. The three-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion has not raced since 2018 but says after giving birth to a second child in 2019 and then battling COVID-19, she is ready to add another chapter to her storied career.

“Houston is a famous race and my training has been going well,” said Dibaba, the 2017 Chicago Marathon Champion. “It seemed like the best way to test myself and see what could be next.”

Other top contenders in the women’s half marathon elite field include 2021 Berlin Marathon runner-up Hiwot Gebrekidan of Ethiopia and 2022 World Championship Marathon fourth-place finisher Nazret Weldu of Eritrea. Dom Scott will attempt to break the South African half marathon record of 1:06:44, after a 3rd place finish in Houston last year. The top Americans include 28-time U.S. Champion Molly Huddle who set the then-American record here in 2018, as well as World Champion and Olympic Bronze Medalist Jenny Simpson who will make her half marathon debut.

“All of the racers I am learning from speak so highly of their experience with the Aramco Houston Half Marathon,” said Simpson. “It’s the perfect place for me to make my half marathon debut because the timing, course and organization are so well tested.”

In the men’s race, Edward Cheserek of Kenya, known to fans as “King Ches,” will look to trade in his crown for a king-sized belt buckle. Cheserek is coming off a 1:00:13 half marathon personal best in Valencia last month. “After Valencia this fall, I’ve trained harder and think sub-60 is possible,” said Cheserek, a 17-time NCAA Champion at the University of Oregon. “Houston is known for being a fast course and I want to have a chance at a personal best.”

Cheserek will face off against 2019 champion Shura Kitata of Ethiopia who lines up for his fourth Aramco Houston Half Marathon. With career marathon victories in London, Frankfurt and Rome, Kitata says he “feels home and comfortable in Houston.”

Other contenders to watch are Ethiopia’s Leul Gebresilase Aleme, runner up at last year’s London Marathon, and 2020 Olympian Mohamed El Aaraby of Morocco. The top American in the field is Conner Mantz of Utah. Mantz, the 2020 and 2021 NCAA Cross Country Champion at BYU, made his much-anticipated marathon debut in Chicago last October running 2:08:16, the fastest debut ever by an American-born runner.

Houston-native Frank Lara will return for a second consecutive year. Lara, a former Gatorade Texas High School Runner of the Year, was the top American finisher in the marathon last year. This year he competes in the half marathon.

The HMC is the only organizer to host two World Athletic Gold Label events simultaneously, which are Sunday’s Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon. These two races will have over 27,000 registrants, with an additional 6,000 registrants in the We Are Houston 5K presented by Aramco and Chevron, held on Saturday, January 14.

“Whether you are an elite athlete or a new runner, our committee is dedicated to hosting your individual pursuits with the utmost care and respect for the extraordinary efforts made to toe the start line with us,” said Wade Morehead, Executive Director of the Houston Marathon Committee.

The Aramco Houston Half Marathon and Chevron Houston Marathon will be broadcast on ABC13 from 7 a.m.-10 a.m., on Sunday, January 15 with a race day recap at 10:35 p.m. Joining ABC13’s Greg Bailey and Gina Gaston as expert commentator will be Des Linden, the 2018 Boston Marathon winner and 50K world-record holder. Linden made the first of her two U.S. Olympic Marathon teams in Houston in 2012. The trio will be joined by long-time analyst and Rice University cross country coach Jon Warren.

Ethiopian Derara Hurisa to defend crown at 2023 Tata Mumbai Marathon

Ethiopia’s Derara Hurisa returns to defend his crown at Asia’s most prestigious Tata Mumbai Marathon on January 15, 2023, in a competitive Elite men’s field, with a dozen runners holding personal bests under the 2:08:09 course record he set in 2020.

The 18th edition of the USD 405,000 prize fund World Athletics Gold Label Road Race takes place after a two-year pandemic-forced break and will also witness over 55,000 amateurs across six categories on its much-awaited return.

The elite men’s and women’s winners will take home USD 45,000 each. The runners will be

further incentivized by a Course Record Bonus of USD 15,000.

“I’m up for the challenge and have set my sights on the title,” said Hurisa, who clinched the 2021 Guadalajara Marathon in Mexico in a time of 2:12:28.

Toeing the start line in the men’s section are also Hurisa’s compatriots Ayele Abshero and

Hayle Lemi and Kenya’s Philemon Rono, a training partner of the legendary Eliud Kipchoge.

Abshero was runner-up here in 2020, 11 seconds adrift of Hurisa, on an AIMS-certified course that is widely regarded as challenging. Abshero, who finished 10th at the 2022 Linz Marathon in Austria in 2:09:37, has a personal best of 2:04:23, which makes him the fastest in the field.

With a personal best of 2:04:33, Lemi is the second fastest in the group.

“I’m excited about my first Tata Mumbai Marathon. I’ve heard it’s a tough course,” said Lemi, winner of seven marathons, including the Boston Marathon in 2016 and Dubai in 2015. “It’s a tremendous field and is going to be close,” added the Ethiopian, a.k.a. Lemi Berhanu, who was runner-up in the 2021 Boston Marathon.

Rono finished an impressive sixth at the 2019 Boston Marathon and won the Toronto Marathon the same year in 2:05:00. He recorded sixth-place finishes at the 2021 Abu Dubai Marathon and the 2022 Seoul Marathon.

Chepkech, the dark horse

In the women’s field, seven runners hold personal bests under the course record of 2:24:33 set by Valentine Kipketer in 2013, with Dera Dida (Ethiopia), Sharon Cherop (Kenya) and Rahma Tusa (Ethiopia) leading the charge on their debut here.

Silver medalist at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships, Dida won bronze in 10,000m at the 2019 African Games. In 2022, she won the Bejaia Half Marathon in 71:17 and finished eighth at the Great Ethiopian Run 10K.

“The Tata Mumbai Marathon has been on my running bucket list for some time. I’ve heard the people of Mumbai and India are very passionate about the running festival, and I look forward to this experience,” Dida said.

Cherop won marathon bronze at the 2011 World Championships and emerged victorious at the 2012 Boston Marathon. In 2022, she finished third at the Nairobi Marathon and the Buenos Aires Marathon.

Tusa took fourth place at the 2022 Sydney Marathon in 2:26:30 and the 2021 Valencia Marathon (in 2:23:20). She was fifth at the 2018 New York Marathon and won in Rome the same year.

Kenya’s Sheila Chepkech, also a first-timer in Mumbai, is the dark horse here. She won the 2022 Nairobi Marathon in 02:27:04. Previously, she finished second at the 2018 Milan Marathon and the 2017 Kosice Marathon. Also in the fray is the 2019 winner Worknesh Alemu of Ethiopia.

Vivek Singh, Jt MD, race promoter Procam International, said: “A truly world-class field will descend in Mumbai for the Tata Mumbai Marathon, a reflection of the event’s stature as one of the top 10 marathons in the world. The TMM returns bigger and better, and the spirit of #HarDilMumbai will burst to life come race day, with runners taking part across six categories.”

International Elite field:

Men:

Derara Hurisa (ETH) 2.08.09 (Course Record holder)

Ayele Abshero (ETH) 2.04.23

Hayle Lemi (ETH) 2.04.33

Philemon Rono (KEN) 2.05.00

Kebede Wami (ETH) 2.06.03

Aychew Bantie (ETH) 2.06.23

Hailu Zewdu (ETH) 2.06.31

Merhawi Kesete (ERI) 2:06:36

Masresha Bere (ETH) 2.06.44

Okubay Tsegay (ERI) 2.06.46

Reuben Kerio (KEN) 2.07.00

Hosea Kiplimo (KEN) 2.07.39

Abdela Godana (ETH) 2.08.06

John Langat (KEN) 2.09.46

Abida Ezamzamil (MOR) 2.09.52

Mesfin Nigusu (ETH) 2.09.53

Augustine Choge (KEN) 2.20.53

Women:

Dera Dida (ETH) 2.21.45

Sharon Cherop (KEN) 2.22.28

Rahma Tusa (ETH) 2.23.20

Sifan Melaku (ETH) 2.23.49

Adanech Anbesa (ETH) 2:24:07

Zinah Senbeta (ETH) 2.24.21

Ayantu Kumela (ETH) 2.24.29

Worknesh Alemu (ETH) 2.24.42

Letebrhan Haylay (ETH) 2.24.47

Zenebu Fikadu (ETH) 2.25.11

Rodah Tanui (KEN) 2.25.46

Kumeshi Sichala (ETH) 2.26.01

Lemeneh Kasu Bitew (ETH) 2.26.18

Sheila Chepkech (KEN) 2.27.04

Beshadu Birbirsa (ETH) 2.30.03

Gode Chala (ETH) 2.33.22

Anchalem Haymanot (ETH) Debut.

You cannot perform well in a polluted environment Says Eliud Kipchoge

Protecting the environment is a priority for many in 2023, and athletes like Eliud Kipchoge are leading the way.

In 2020, the Kenyan double Olympic gold medalist and world record holder adopted 50 hectares of forest land in the Kaptagat Forest near where he spends most of the year training at high altitude.

“If you train in a polluted environment, then you cannot perform,” marathon great Kipchoge told the BBC from his homeland.

“Kaptagat Forest made a huge difference in my career. I’ve been here for the last 20 years and without this forest, and staying in the area, I think that I could not be where I am today.”

“I realized that the only way to perform and to actually enjoy running is by training in a good place, breathing clean air.”

A year later, the distance-running great decided to create a foundation that focused on education and the environment, including planting trees.

To date, Kipchoge has adopted 130 hectares of forest, and claims that it’s ‘just the start’.

His wider goals include adopting a forest in every country in which he would plant indigenous trees.

Kipchoge revealed the principles he employs in his daily routine in order to help protect the environment, in an interview with Olympics.com for Earth Day 2022:

 “Every day is Earth day for me,” Kipchoge told Olympics.com.

“I have improved my lifestyle to help fight climate change. I walk more, I minimize my water usage and I always try to encourage others to plant a tree on an important day or anniversary.

"My daily green effort is walking. I walk as much as I can instead of driving everywhere, so I can minimize my emissions."

Creating Africa’s Olympic Forest

Protecting the environment is also an area of focus for the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In 2021, the IOC started an initiative to grow 590,000 native trees across approximately 90 villages in Mali and Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games host nation Senegal.

The Olympic Forest is an important element of the IOC’s strategy to address climate change, which includes cutting emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, and reducing the impact of the organisation’s footprint. With an end-goal to become climate positive, the IOC is set to cut its emissions 30 percent by 2024 and 50 percent by 2030, and compensate more than its remaining emissions.

While planting trees will help to protect the environment, the project also aims to create wider social and economic benefits for communities in Mali and Senegal that are heavily impacted by droughts and floods.

Ugandans Joshua Cheptegei and Prisca Chesang reign in Madrid

Two-time world 10,000m champion Joshua Cheptegei and Ugandan compatriot Prisca Chesang were victorious at the San Silvestre Vallecana, a World Athletics Elite Label road race, in ideal conditions in Madrid on Saturday (31).

The men's 10km race had been billed as a thrilling encounter between world 10,000m record-holder Cheptegei and Spain's world 1500m bronze medalist Mohamed Katir. The Ugandan star, who hadn’t competed since the World Championships in Oregon, took command of the pacing duties right from the start and his swift early pace could only be followed by Katir, his compatriot Jesús Ramos and Italy's Ilias Aouani.

The first kilometer, which includes an uphill section of about 350 meters, was covered by the lead quartet in 2:41. The speed then increased over the second kilometer, covered in 2:36 for a 5:17 2km split, with Cheptegei always at the helm. During the third kilometer the two Spaniards briefly took the lead to reach 3km in 8:00, a pace which proved too fast for Aouani.

Over the following kilometers, Katir and Cheptegei ran absolutely even, none of them ahead of the other and the tandem went through halfway in a brisk 13:16, still with Ramos for company. Ramos began to fade about 200 meters later and the race became a fascinating clash between Cheptegei and Katir.

The Ugandan, who holds the second ever quickest 10km performance of all time (26:38), tried to get rid of Katir after reaching 7km in 18:35, but the 24-year-old Spaniard remained in close attendance. The key move came with the clock reading 20:45, shortly before the 8km checkpoint, when Cheptegei finally managed to open up a gap of a few seconds over the Spaniard.

The Kapchorwa native progressively extended his lead over the ninth kilometer – the toughest of the race – and then cruised home in 27:09, the fifth quickest performance in Madrid, to finish 10 seconds ahead of Katir while Ramos managed to keep his chasing Spaniards at bay to finish third in 27:52.

“I knew Katir was going to be a tough rival since he has improved a lot over the last few seasons,” said Cheptegei. “Today's race was my first competition in more than five months so my only target was to regain sensations. Of course I also wanted to win so I’m leaving Madrid delighted.”

Chepetegi confirmed that he plans to defend his world cross-country title in Bathurst on 18 February and that he’ll likely make his marathon debut after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Following the last-minute withdrawal of pre-race favorite Tsehay Gemechu, the early stages of the women's race became a three-way battle between world U20 5000m bronze medalist Prisca Chesang, Burundi's Francine Niyonsaba and Kenya's world steeplechase record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech. That trio covered the opening kilometers at 2:56/km pace, reaching 3km in 8:44, then the Ugandan teenager broke away from her rivals. By midway (14:29) she was six seconds ahead of Chepkoech, herself another 11 seconds clear of Niyonsaba.

The leader maintained her rhythm over the following kilometers but her pursuers' pace decreased. With a quarter of the race to go, Chesang's advantage on Chepkoech had grown to 18 seconds.

At the tape, Chesang was timed at 30:19, the third quickest performance here, bettered only by Brigid Kosgei (29:54) and Hellen Obiri (29:59) in 2018. Further back, Niyonsaba overtook a fading Chepkpech on the last uphill section to take the runner-up place in 30:58 to Chepkoech's 31:06.

Leading results

Men

1 Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) 27:09

2 Mohamed Katir (ESP) 27:19

3 Jesús Ramos (ESP) 27:52

4 Sergio Paniagua (ESP) 28:00

5 Aaron Las Heras (ESP) 28:04

6 Carlos Mayo (ESP) 28:04

7 Ignacio Fontes (ESP) 28:06

8 Carlos Díaz (ESP) 28:08

9 Nassim Hassaous (ESP) 28:13

10 Juan Anronio Pérez (ESP) 28:18.

Women

1 Prisca Chesang (UGA) 30:19

2 Francine Niyonsaba (BDI) 30:58

3 Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN) 31:06

4 Mahelet Mulugeta (ETH) 31:57

5 Naima Ait Alibou (ESP) 32:36

6 Laura Priego (ESP) 32:49

7 Nina Chydenius (FIN) 32:51

8 Laura Luengo (ESP) 32:53

9 Laura Méndez (ESP) 33:06

10 Clara Viñarás (ESP) 33:54.

Adam Craig now setting sights on going the distance at 2024 Olympics

Borders athlete Adam Craig is setting his sights high but keeping his feet on the ground after completing his first competitive marathon.

Craig finished this month’s Valencia Marathon in two hours 13 minutes and 58 seconds and is now intent on improving on that to boost his hopes of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in France.

“I’d love to be able to run at the Paris Olympics,” the 27-year-old told us. “Those sorts of races are the ones that I want to be in.”

UK Athletics requires athletes to achieve specified times to be considered for Olympic selection and to make it to the French capital, Craig reckons he will need to better his debut effort over 26 miles on the Spanish east coast by about five minutes, though target times have yet to be set for 2024.

Craig remains focused on getting faster as 2023 goes on, however, and isn’t letting himself think about the Olympic Games too much just yet.

“Obviously to think about the Olympics is good to fuel the fire, but I’m also not putting everything on that just because very few people actually get to go to the Olympics and compete on that stage,” he said.

“It’s certainly something that’s on my mind but it’s not always to the forefront.”

Craig is planning to compete in two marathons in 2023 and how he fares in those races will determine whether he’s ready for the Olympics or not.

“If next year goes really well and I get another two marathons and can knock another couple of minutes off that time, then I’d probably go into 2024 thinking ‘right, let’s try and qualify for this’, but it could go really well or it could go the other way,” he said.

Whether they’re trying to qualify for the Olympics or just aiming to cover the distance, a runner’s first marathon is a step into the unknown, so in preparation for the Valencia Marathon – won by Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum in 2:01:53, the fastest debut ever over that distance – Craig asked peers and coaches for advice.

“Everyone that I spoke to kind of said the same thing, which is that I can give you my experience of a marathon but yours will be totally different,” he said.

"Everyone said you get to 20 miles and that’s when the race starts. I saw that 20 mile-sign and I thought ‘OK, yeah, I’m in a position now where I can switch that race head on and start looking to push on, even if it’s just a second or two per mile quicker’.”

Having got that race, held annually since 1981, under his belt, finishing 42nd out of almost 22,000 runners, Craig reckons he’s got plenty of room for improvement.

“In our build-up, me and my coach decided that we’d play it quite safe and leave a few stones to be turned over next time around, so we didn’t go away and use any kind of heat or altitude training or anything like that,” he said.

“There’s room for improvement, which is quite exciting.”

It’s often said by those running them that marathons are just as tough mentally as they are physically, the psychological aspect of keeping running for that long often being daunting even for seasoned athletes, and that’s something Craig agrees with now he’s got first-hand experience of going the distance.

He says he was forewarned and forearmed about the mental strength required before heading over to Spain and decided to break up the race into sections in his mind to give himself a sense of achievement along the way rather than just being faced with a distance close to that from his former home-town of Lauder to Edinburgh as a single sizeable challenge.

Even adopting that strategy, he admits he did have a wobble early on, however.

“About eight or nine kilometers in, I remember thinking ‘I’m not even a quarter of the way through this yet – there is a long way to go’,” he recalled.

“I definitely had dips in the race, but I had lots of little markers along the way, which helped me switch off and almost lose focus of where I was in the race or how far I had to go.”

Craig, currently racing for Team New Balance Manchester, has previously enjoyed success over shorter distances, competing for Great Britain over half-marathon and 10,000-meter distances, but is now looking to play a longer game.

Hundreds of runners collapse in wild start line video, Who could have seen this coming?

Start lines at a race can be intimidating, especially if, only 10 meters in, there is a big tree that you and hundreds of runners have to go around. In this bizarre race video from a 10K in Paris last week, hundreds of elite and sub-elite runners fell in perhaps the most chaotic start line we’ve seen this year.

The Corrida de Houilles is one of the most popular 10K road races in France, due to its fast course and deep field. The race has a strict entry standard of sub-44 minutes for women and sub-37 minutes for men, which attracts top domestic and international talent. 

The giant tree a few metres from the start line isn’t the only obstacle runners have to avoid—street lamps and curbs make it almost impossible to avoid falling. Once one person goes down, there is a domino effect, as you see in the video.

The race had 63 men who finished under 30 minutes, with Ethiopia’s Halie Bekele taking the win in 27:29, one second ahead of Vincent Kibet of Kenya. Bekele was fourth in the men’s 5,000m at the 2019 World Championships in Doha. Jimmy Gressier of France finished third in a European-leading time of 27:43.

In the women’s race, Kenya’s Mercy Cherono won with a time of 30:55 seconds. Cherono won silver in the 5,000m at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow.

Welsh marathoner Josh Griffiths, who starred in the iconic airport half-marathon video, said the start was a disaster. Many other elites are calling on the organization committee to move the start line past the tree in 2023. “It was complete carnage,” one runner said.

Changing any part of the course would require the race organizers to obtain a new certification from World Athletics. The race is currently listed as an Elite Label race on the World Athletics calendar. 

The 10K Valencia Ibercaja hopes to have more world class times this year

The 10K Valencia Ibercaja is finalizing the details to offer again a great show in what will be its 15th edition. The race, which is currently approaching 11,000 registered participants, will feature a hundred elite athletes of 15 different nationalities in search of their best times in the city of running.

The fastest 10K in the world continues to set the bar high and, after the World Record still in force achieved in 2020 by Rhonex Kipruto (26:24), on January 15, 2023 will seek to break other records. In fact, the recordwoman Yalemzerf Yehualaw, who achieved the women's world record this year 2022 in Castellón (29:14), will be at the starting line of the 10K Valencia Ibercaja and will try to beat it.

The Ethiopian will not be alone in this feat, as she will be accompanied by her compatriot Ejgayehu Taye Haylu, who holds the 5K world record (14:19, Barcelona 2021). Also, Norwegian athlete Karoline Grøvdal, who holds her country's national 5,000ml record and was recently proclaimed European Cross Country Champion, will try to achieve the European 10K record.

The fact that the two fastest women in the world in 10 and 5 kilometers on the road participate in the 10K Valencia Ibercaja is the result of the work done for many months led by the Sports Director of the event, José Enrique Muñoz Acuña.

"It is a great pride to have the two athletes who hold the world record in 10K and 5K," said Acuña, who has advanced that the women's lineup continues to dazzle with other athletes who also have very important marks such as the national record of 10K (Meraf Bahta) and Half Marathon (Sarah Lahti) of Sweden or the 3,000m steeplechase of Germany (Kristina Hendel). "In women, we will have a total of eight U31 athletes, ten U32 athletes and nine U33 athletes," he explains.

International men's elite

As for the participation of elite male athletes, he highlights that the race will have four U27 runners led by the Ethiopian Hagos Gebrhiwet Berhe, who achieved the mark of 26:48 in Hengelo (2019). "We will have - adds Acuña - five U27 athletes, more than 20 U28 athletes, about 40 U29 athletes and around 100 U30 athletes."

In addition, up to six runners who hold national records in 5K, 10K or Marathon distances in their country, such as the French athlete Jimmy Gressier or the Burundian athlete Rodrigue Kwizera will also take the start in the Paseo de la Alameda, along with the Kenyan Jacob Krop, who won bronze in the last World Championship in 5000ml, or the athlete who achieved the Ethiopian national record in 3000mlm Getnet Wale.

"We want, in men, to approach the European record and, with the African armada, to look for sub 27 records and even approach the World Record, without being a specific objective of this edition". Thus, the 2023 edition "will be the most competitive of all editions. The best European athletes want to run the 10K Valencia Ibercaja, and we have been working for months in that direction".

"The goal of the race is to become more international year after year and reach more and more countries. We are a world reference for the distance and the best athletes want to run in Valencia," Acuña explains. The presence of athletes of up to fifteen different nationalities stands out. Among the most represented countries are Ethiopia, Kenya, France, Great Britain, Holland and Sweden.

Acuña has indicated that in the 10K Valencia Ibercaja "we will continue working to maintain the high level achieved in the 2020 edition when Rhonex Kipruto got the World Record (26:24), Julien Wanders the European Record (27:13) and Sheila Chepkirui the best female time of the circuit (29:46)".

Kipchoge wished the sporting fraternity God’s blessings during the holidays

World marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge spent his Christmas Day with his family at his rural home in Kapsisiywa in Nandi County.

“I’m getting re-energised for the next season which has already started and my focus will be on the Boston Marathon where I’m debuting. I believe I will be able to do well just like the previous races,” said Kipchoge.

This year, Kipchoge ran a new world record of 2:01:09 in Berlin Marathon, lowering his previous record of 2:01:39.

Kipchoge will come up against defending champion Evans Chebet and 2021 winner Benson Kipruto in Boston.

Chicago Marathon champion Benson Kipruto is also at his home in Kapsabet, Nandi County.

Kipruto is looking forward to a better season.

“I took a short break from training. I want to wish everybody a good festive season full of God’s blessings as we look forward to a busy season,” said Kipruto, who trains under the 2Running Athletics Club.

World 10,000m bronze medallist Margaret Chelimo is also in Kapsabet for the festivities but her eyes are fixated on winning gold over the distance in Budapest next year.

“We are celebrating Christmas but my training has been good since I resumed. I will be competing in various races just to prepare for the World Championships,” said Chelimo.

Athletes representative Milcah Chemos urged athletes to stay focused ahead of the new season and strive to run clean.

"We have a lot of competitions coming up this season. We have been fighting the doping menace for some time now and it is time the athletes reward Kenyans by avoiding use of banned substances,” said Chemos.

Mohamed Katir will defend his win at San Silvestre Vallecana

Spanish athlete Mohamed Katir will try to repeat his victory at the Nationale-Nederlanden San Silvestre Vallecana which will take place on December 31 through the streets of Madrid.

One of Mola became last year First national athlete to win the traditional test In men since the guy from madrid did it Chima Martinez in 2003after clearly outperforming its competitors, with the best Spanish brand in history (27:45), and came in second place with Burundian Rodrigue Kwezira.

Now the challenge for Cater will be even greater. Since then, in addition to trying to repeat his victory, something that has not happened in the men’s category since 2015 when Kenyan Mike Kegen repeated, he will have to fight Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei, Olympic champion in the 5,000-meter race meters.

Long distance runner He will try to bid farewell to the year 2022 with a new success After a season in which he finished second in Europe in the 5000m and won the bronze medal in the 1500m World Cup trials in Eugene (USA). On the other hand, Carlos Mayo, one of the top national specialists in the 10 km events, will also compete, as confirmed by the organization.

The Aragonese long-distance runner will for the first time take the traditional test through the streets of Madrid as he bids farewell to the year where he hopes to shine, buoyed by being the best. The current Spanish champion in the 10,000m race And the thirteenth in Tokyo 2020 and at the last World Cup in Eugene (USA).

Daniel Mateiko sets sights on World Championships

The 2022 Istanbul Half Marathon's runner-up Daniel Mateiko is targeting a podium finish at next year’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

This is after skipping  Athletics Kenya's national trials for next year's World Cross-country Championships.

Mateiko, who finished eighth (27:33.57) in the 10,000m during this year’s trials, said his main focus now is to qualify for the World Championships.

“My primary focus is on the World Championships, where I intend to finish among the top three athletes. I had really wanted to participate in the Word Cross-country Championships but the trials caught me off guard…I had not trained well,” Mateiko said.

He revealed he will not also participate in February’s Sirikwa Classic Cross Country meeting as he will be preparing for a half marathon race which will serve as a build-up for the global show.

He added that he had been battling an injury before competing at the Valencia Half Marathon, where he placed third in 58:40. “In Valencia, I did not perform to my expectations due to an injury which stalled my training process,” he said.

“At the moment, I am getting ready for a half marathon in February,  where I intend to lower my personal best time.”

His personal best time in the half marathon currently stands at 58:26.

At the moment, Mateiko revealed he is attending gym sessions with an aim of improving his endurance. “From January, I intend to start working on my speed,” he added.

Mateiko also said he is looking forward to making his debut at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

“When I come back from the World Championships, I will have identified some of my weaknesses which I will work on ahead of the 2024 Olympics. Participating in such a big stage will be a dream come true,” he concluded.

World Athletics offers certified coach training to refugee camp support staff

World Athletics, in collaboration with the area athletics development center (AADC) based in Nairobi, has boosted its refugee programme by sponsoring and hosting Level 1 coaching practical training for key refugee camp support staff working in the northwestern region of Kenya.

The focus was on the Kakuma, Kalobeyei and Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya, which are mainly comprised of refugees from South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Ethiopia and Uganda. Throughout the year, a group of six successfully completed the first phase of the World Athletics eLearning modules. The second phase was organized in the picturesque Lobo Village in Eldoret and was conducted by Samuel Litaba of Kenyatta University, a certified World Athletics Coaches Education and Certification System Level I and II lecturer.

The five-day practical programme focused on jumps, sprints, relays, throws, race walk and Kids’ Athletics, and included a visit to the Complete Sports Training Camp in Kaptagat. The group also assisted in a training session of elite Kenyan athletes at Kipchoge Stadium.

The last day was dedicated to assessment of various skills and coaching practice. It was a life-changing experience for the group and proved the benefit of a blended approach, combining online learning with practical sessions.

“Education and sport change lives,” said U20 refugee team project lead Barbara Moser-Mercer. “This course has set the coaching bar high and the skills and professional competencies we acquired will translate into life-changing experiences for refugee athletes. It will contribute to sustainable quality athletics programing in refugee contexts, linking these to the world of athletics in their hosting country, Kenya.”

Head coach Janeth Jepkosgei, the 2007 world 800m champion, added: “The experience and skills gained will go a long way, coupled with the long period in my career spent sharpening and positively impacting the upcoming Athlete Refugee Team (ART) athletes, physically, mentally and psychologically.”

Aware of the impact the programme could have on future team results at senior and U20 level, Kakuma camp on-site assistant coach Arcade Arakaza said: “I would like to extend my gratitude to World Athletics and the African Higher Education in Emergencies Network (AHEEN) for the chance given to me, to improve my skills and develop my experience in coaching. I see this as a supporting process in helping my fellow refugees and host community.”

AHEEN sports coach at the Dadaab refugee camp, Seraphin Uwizeye, said: “I take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in organizing this golden session that empowered different people from different nationalities. It was my first time attending a session like this but I felt included and I realized that age, nationality or being a refugee can’t limit anyone to fulfill their dream.

“I am sure that the knowledge and certificates earned will help many refugees and locals, not only in Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya but also in the other countries I will be able to reach, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo, my country, where sport is still not valued.”

Jaryd Mercer, online educator for the U20 team, said: “This engaging and educational course has helped me reassess the ways in which I hope to work with the U20 team in the future. Many of the techniques and practices discussed are applicable to both athletics and the general education of young adults and often tie the two together.”

While AADC Nairobi director Ibrahim Hussein commented: “We are grateful to World Athletics for giving us the opportunity to be part of the programme. AADC Nairobi appreciated the fact that most of the participants who enrolled in the course where from our region and included former top athletes who are playing their part in assisting the programme.”

It marked a positive end to the year’s activities, giving back to a group of dedicated people that spent much of 2022 training and nurturing young athletes. Climate and living conditions in the camps are challenging, but the strong desire to make a difference prevails.  

Vivian Cheruiyot keen to lose weight ahead of the 2023 season

Former Olympic Games 5,000m gold medalist Vivian Cheruiyot is optimistic she will perform well next year upon her return from maternity leave.

The double world 5,000m champion said she is working hard on cutting her weight after maternity leave and she is ready to swing back into action next year. "Before hanging my spikes, I want to run better than before," she noted.

The double world 10,000m champion won her first Olympic gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil before switching to the marathon. She made her debut in the marathon in London in 2017.

“At the moment, I haven't planned for any race because I have just started training. Cutting weight is my priority right now but I hope to be ready for competition next year,” said Cheruiyot.

Cheruiyot, who started her running career in 1998, stated that she wanted to win the 2020 London Marathon title but that did not happen despite enjoying top form during that period.

“My last race was the 2020 London Marathon, where I failed to finish because it was during the coronavirus pandemic period. It was almost canceled but they decided to host it. I was in good shape, very fit and everything went on well but it was really cold and too much rain. That took a toll on me forcing me to drop out,” said the 2018 London Marathon champion

As age continues catching up with the Pocket Rocket, she explains that transiting to marathon from track and field and cross country after 18 years was not easy but it was the best time for her to move.

“My next move is to train, cut off my weight and come back for a few years and I will be done. Marathon and track and field are totally different. In track and field, the training is a little bit friendly because you cannot go for long runs like 40km per day or once a week but training for a marathon needs dedication, and a lot of exhaustion among others,” she said.

Cheruiyot regrets that her exit from the track had left the country weaker in the 5,000m and 10,000m. 

"When I quit track in 2016, I left strong athletes like Hellen Obiri and the late Agnes (Tirop) among others. Today, the 5,000m and 10,000m is a pale shadow of what they used to be," she said.

"I don’t know where we are heading but I believe the upcoming athletes will soon fill the void with good guidance. It will, however, not be easy to get athletes of our generation including  Obiri (now in the marathon), me, and the late Tirop.

"We used to be very strong, especially at world events and any time we lined up, Kenyans were assured of medals,” she said. She said one can no longer bank on the Kenyan women in the two events.

" Our opponents including Ethiopia and other countries are having a field day," she added.  She urged Kenyan athletes to train hard if they are to win medals.

"Athletics has become competitive and we can't afford to sit on the laurels and expect things to happen,' she cautioned. 

Kenya's Evans Chebet keen to defend Boston Marathon title

The 2022 New York City Marathon champion Evans Chebet is keen to defend his Boston Marathon title when he lines up against a competitive field on April 17, 2023.

Chebet, the second runner’s-up at the 2019 Berlin Marathon, said retaining the title he won this year in 2:06:51 is his main focus. Chebet added that winning the New York City Marathon was motivation enough for him to return to Boston and try to execute a good run.

The race will not be short of competition with the presence of current world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge and Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa, the 2019 world marathon champion.

However, Chebet insists he is not afraid of the competition.

“I am aware of the elite athletes expected but I’m not afraid. I am confident I will achieve my target,” he said.

The 2020 Valencia Marathon champion revealed he is already back in training, adding that he doesn’t intend to change his program unless his coach, Claudio Berardelli, has other plans.

Chebet said he is equally inspired by his training mates' recent performances. Amos Kipruto won the London Marathon while Benson Kipruto, who is also lined up for Boston, won the Chicago Marathon.

“I will not change my program in training since it has helped my training mates win their respective marathons. However, I am waiting to see what my coach has in store for me,” he said, adding that he hopes to be injury-free.

Chebet put his 2023 World Championships ambitions on the knife edge since he also has New York City Marathon title defence in his plans.

However, he is keen on running at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Chebet said his 2022 season was a success and can only hope for better going forward.

“Winning two major marathons this year was a great achievement. The season has been amazing. I hope to replicate the same next year,” he concluded.

Three more kenyan athletes banned for breaking anti-doping rules

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

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

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

It meant he was not allowed to compete.

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

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

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

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

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

Kenya’s Edna Kiplagat upgraded to 2021 Boston Marathon champion

Edna Kiplagat of Kenya has officially become a two-time Boston Marathon champion. The BAA elevated Kiplagat to 2021 Boston Marathon winner on Tuesday after the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) handed down a six-year suspension to former 2021 champion Diana Kipyokei. Kipyokei tested positive for triamcinolone acetonide (a corticosteroid)–a banned anti-inflammatory substance–post-race in Boston.

Kipyokei was also suspended for providing misleading information in her attempts to explain her use of the substance, including “fake documentation which she alleged came from a hospital,” according to the AIU. Kipyokei’s provisional suspension was announced Oct.14, but began on June 27 and her six-year ban has been backdated to June.

Kiplagat is now a two-time Boston Marathon champion, after winning the race in 2017 (she also ran to second in 2019). Kiplagat, 43, is widely regarded as one of the all-time greats in distance running.

Dubbed the “Queen of Persistence,” Kiplagat has competed at both the Olympic and World championship marathons, taking gold twice at the World champs in 2011 and 2013, and silver in 2017. Kiplagat has run all six of the Abbott World Marathon Majors.

The Colorado-based athlete won the Abbott World Marathon Series VIII (2013–14) and was named the Series V (10–2011) champion following the disqualification of Russian athlete Liliya Shobukhova. 

Kiplagat won both the London Marathon (2014) and New York Marathon (2010) with many second-place finishes. In 2021 she won the 7-mile (11.3 km) Falmouth Road Race, running away from the field in the second half of the race to break the tape in 36 minutes, 52 seconds.

Diana Kipyokei banned six years, stripped of Boston Marathon title

Kenyan Diana Kipyokei was banned six years and had her 2021 Boston Marathon title stripped for a positive drug test and then providing false information to anti-doping officials.

Kipyokei, 28, tested positive for a metabolite of triamcinolone acetonide (a corticosteroid) from a sample given after she won the Boston Marathon in October 2021.

Kipyokei then provided false and/or misleading information in trying to explain her positive test, “including fake documentation which she alleged came from a hospital,” according to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), which handles doping cases in track and field.

She chose not to challenge the charges, according to the AIU.

Kipyokei’s provisional suspension while her case played out was announced Oct. 14, but it began June 27. Her six-year ban has been backdated to June 27.

The Boston Athletic Association, which announced Oct. 14 that Kipyokei would be stripped of her Boston Marathon title should her case not be overturned on appeal, followed up on Tuesday to officially disqualify her.

Kipyokei, in her World Marathon Major debut, won Boston in 2:24:45, beating countrywoman Edna Kiplagat by 24 seconds. Kiplagat, then 41, has been upgraded to champion, making her the oldest runner to win the Boston Marathon in its history dating to 1897.

Kipyokei, who has no registered results since the 2021 Boston Marathon, is the second Boston Marathon winner to be stripped of their title in the last decade. Kenyan Rita Jeptoo also had her 2014 win disqualified for doping.

Former Euro XC champ faces three year doping ban for EPO

Olympian and two-time European cross country champ Aras Kaya has been given a three-year ban for doping after testing positive for erythropoietin (EPO). EPO is a hormone that promotes red blood cell production, improving endurance.

Kaya, 28, was born in Kenya but competes for Turkey, after moving there in 2015 and receiving citizenship in 2016. He tested positive at the Brasov Running Festival 10K in Brasov, Romania in September, according to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). Kaya was given a four-year ban but admitted he was at fault and opted not to fight the case, reducing his ban to three years.

In 2021, Kaya took silver at the Euro cross country champs, runner-up to Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, and ran to bronze in 2018. He was set to run last weekend’s Euro Cross in Turin, Italy, but was a late withdrawal with his doping ban imminent, Athletics Weekly reported.

Kaya won the 2016 Euro cross country senior men’s title and took second in 2019 to Robel Fsiha of Sweden. Fsiha tested positive for artificial testosterone in 2020 and was banned for four years, elevating Kaya to the gold medal position. Kaya has a half-marathon PB of 60:51 and finished third in the 2022 European 10,000m cup.

In the last year, Kaya was reported to have been in the process of receiving Russian nationalization, as he has been based in the Russian city of Kazan.

Barsoton and Jisa run course records in Kolkata

Kenya’s Leonard Barsoton and Bahrain’s Desi Jisa ran course records to win the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K, a World Athletics Elite Label road race, on Sunday (18).

Barsoton, the 2017 world cross country silver medallist, retained his title with a time of 1:12:49, bettering the course record of 1:13:05 he set in 2019.

It was a tactical race. In the mix right from the start but not the leader of the pack, Barsoton was in fourth place behind Alfred Ngeno, Abdisa Tola and Birhanu Legese. He picked up the pace after the 20km mark and never looked back.

Having run in Kolkata before, he knew the course would include a bridge and then take a circuitous route around Babu in Kolkata Ghat along the banks of the Hooghly river.

While Tola of Ethiopia led the race from around the 15km mark, Commonwealth Games marathon champion Victor Kiplangat of Uganda soon set the pace. By the time the pack reached 23km, Barsoton was well ahead, increasing the gap between him and Legese in second place (1:12:54). Kiplangat appeared to have run out of gas and finished third in 1:12:56.

“I know the course and I knew exactly when to pick up the pace,” said Barsoton. “I had been preparing for the last two months. I had some niggles, but despite that, I am happy to have won here and with a course record. It was a very competitive race, and the others in the field gave me a tough fight.”

In the women’s event, Jisa took almost a minute off the previous course record set by Ethiopian Gutemi Shone, clocking 1:21:04 to eclipse the mark of 1:22:09 set in 2019.

Leading the group, Jisa slowed her pace in the 5km stretch between 15-20km, which looked like a tactical move to save her energy for a strong finish. With 5km left, she took complete control.

Ethiopia’s Zeineba Yimer (1:21:18) finished second and Uganda’s Mercyline Chelangat (1:21:31) third.

“I thank Kolkata for such a warm welcome,” said Jisa, runner up at the event in 2019. “I wanted to win the race and am thrilled to have done it with a course record. Now my target will be to participate in Paris (2024 Olympics), a dream for all.”

The top three in both races all finished under the previous course records.

Organisers for World Athletics

Leading results

Women

1 Desi Jisa (BRN) 1:21:04

2 Zeineba Yimer (ETH) 1:21:18

3 Mercyline Chelangat (UGA) 1:21:31

4 Obse Abdeta (ETH) 1:21:43

5 Ashete Bekere (ETH) 1:22:12 

Men

1 Leonard Barsoton (KEN) 1:12:49

2 Birhanu Legese (ETH) 1:12:54

3 Victor Kiplangat (UGA) 1:12:56

4 Alfred Ngeno (KEN) 1:13:15

5 Abdisa Tola (ETH) 1:14:27.

Kenyan and Ethiopian runners win Taipei Marathon 2022

Kenya’s Lani Kiplagat Rutto and Ethiopia’s Alemtsehay Asefa Kasegn won the 2022 Taipei Marathon men's and women’s divisions, respectively, on Sunday (Dec. 18).

Rutto finished with a time of two hours, nine minutes, and 42 seconds, and Kasegn clocked two hours, 25 minutes, and 55 seconds, which broke the women’s course record, CNA reported.

Rutto, who was just 25 seconds shy of breaking the men's record, won the first place prize of US$26,667 (NT$820,000), while Kasegn took home US$60,000 for breaking the women’s record of two hours 27 minutes and 36 seconds.

Kasegn was last year’s Taipei Marathon female champion, and she came back this year to break the women’s course record.

The fastest Taiwanese runner was 40-year-old Chiang Chieh-wen (蔣介文), who finished in two hours, 25 minutes, and 53 seconds. Meanwhile, Lisa Ries (雷理莎) won the women’s domestic contest in two hours, 40 minutes, and 54 seconds, which was her personal best, the report said. Chiang and Ries each won a cash prize of NT$100,000.Kasegn had tagged along behind Chiang from the beginning and followed him closely until the finish line. Chiang said jokingly after the event, “I was thinking ‘it doesn’t matter to me if she tags along behind me,’ but, shouldn’t she dole one-third of her NT$1.8 million prize money to me?”

Ries said she had to withdraw from the competition the previous two years because of injury, and this year she achieved her goal of finishing the race without getting hurt. She added that now all her efforts will be focused on qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Bahrain's Eunice Chumba wins Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon in her fourth attempt, Kenyan Timothy Kiplagat takes the men’s title after starting the race as a pacemaker

Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Eunice Chumba made her experience count as she won the elite women’s section of the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon on Saturday.

She clocked 2 hour 20 minutes and 41 seconds, just outside her personal best 2:20:02, to clinch the top prize.

Chumba changed gears in the final two kilometres to beat Kenya's Angela Tanui (2:21:14). Mare Dibaba (2:21:25) of Ethiopia was third.

In the men’s race, Kenyan Timothy Kiplagat ran the race of his life after starting as a pacemaker to become the fourth man to win the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon.

Kiplagat crossed the winning line in a personal best 2:05:20, nearly four minutes ahead of compatriot Felix Kimutai and Ethiopian Adeladhew Mamo, who was a further 10 seconds down in third.

Chumba, 29, was runner-up in the inaugural Abu Dhabi Marathon in 2018 and was fourth in 2019. She was runner-up again last year after the 2020 event was cancelled following the Covid-19 outbreak.

It was a festive atmosphere in the UAE capital as the fourth edition of the Abu Dhabi Marathon drew more than 20,000 runners in various categories - elite marathon, marathon relay, 10k run, 5k run, 2.5k 'Fun Run' and wheelchair race.

“I tried to win this race for Bahrain from my first visit to Abu Dhabi and I have finally managed to fulfil that dream in my fourth attempt,” Chumba told The National.“It was a very challenging race with Angela and Mare, who have both run better than my personal best time. We raced together for a long time and it wasn’t until the final five kilometres of the race I felt I could win.

“I tried my best to better my personal best time but just couldn’t do that. Perhaps on another day and another race. Having said that, I’m just delighted to win in Abu Dhabi.”

Chumba won a silver medal for Bahrain in 10,000m at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and ran a creditable seventh at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“Yes, 2024 Paris is very much on my radar,” she said of her plans.

“This year was fantastic and it certainly was a nice way to end the year. I’m going to take a small break and be back in training from January, and hopefully return to defend my title in Abu Dhabi.”

Kiplagat, 25, bettered his previous personal best time of 2:07:01, set at the Marathon Eindhovan in October 2021. He arrived in Abu Dhabi on the back of winning the Melbourne Marathon in October.

“I felt so good today, setting the pace and with nobody to challenge towards the finish. This was a great opportunity to win a race,” Kiplagat said.

“It was my first time in Abu Dhabi and what a wonderful day it has been for me. The race route was flat and fast, the weather was pretty ideal. It was one of those days when everything turned out to be beautiful for me.”

The Relay Marathon was won by the Irish pair Michelle Nagle and Niall McCarthy of Slainte Endurance in 2:58.53.

Anouar El Ghouz (29.09) led the first four home for Morocco in the men’s 10km race while Briton Eilish McCologan (31.44) took the women’s race.

Joren Selleslaghs of Belgium took the men’s 5km run while Egyptian Sara Salama won the women’s prize. UAE's Badr Al Hosani bagged the men’s wheelchair title.

Brigid Kosgei, Stanbic Bank partner to help teenage mothers in Marakwet

World marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei has partnered with Stanbic Bank to help 50 teenage mothers in Marakwet West to resume learning after terminating their studies due to early pregnancy.

Kosgei, who won the 2018 and 2019 Chicago Marathons, the 2019 and 2020 London Marathons and the 2021 Tokyo Marathon, said many girls in the area are dropping out of school due to pregnancy.

Kosgei thanked the bank after receiving Sh6 million from the institution to go towards the education of the 50 girls.

“Seeing the girls going back to school is one my greatest achievements. I challenge them to forget the past and focus on their education for a bright future,” said Kosgei.

Stanbic Bank CEO Charles Mudiwa said the bank decided to support the girls through the Brigid Kosgei Foundation so as they go back to school and proceed with studies.

Mudiwa regretted that many girls from Marakwet are dropping out of school due to teen pregnancy and hence there was a need for intervention by all stakeholders to enable the teenagers resume learning.

“On average one in five girls aged between the age of 15 and 19 drop out of school due to pregnancy. Today, we gave out Sh6m to more than 50 who had dropped out of school to go back to school,” said Mudiwa.

Mudiwa challenged the society not to condemn such children but instead help them resume learning.

He said that the bank will pay fees for the girls from Form One to Form Four.

The foundation will also support 10 boys from the same area from needy families to pay secondary school fees for the next four years.

Most of the beneficiaries are students at Kipkundul Mixed Day Secondary School.

Kosgei said the foundation will continue working with various institutions to support needy children in the area to pursue their studies.

“As a village girl, I know the challenges facing such girls. I am ready to go out of my way to support needy girls in society,” said Kosgei.

Area Member of parliament Timothy Kipchumba Toroitich pledged to support the initiative by improving infrastructure in all schools.

Toroitich cautioned parents and guardians against denying teenage mothers an opportunity to resume learning.

According to a report by the National Council for Population and Development, every year, about 13,000 girls drop out of school due to unplanned pregnancies.

In 1994, Kenya introduced a return to school policy for teenage mothers.

Under this policy, any girl who gets pregnant is allowed to remain in school for as long as she wants or is able to.

Slew of elite runners added to line-up ahead of Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon 2022

Some of the world’s best long-distance athletes will be among a record 20,000 participants when the 2022 ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon gets under way on Saturday morning, on a new course that snakes its way through the streets of the UAE capital.

Abu Dhabi Sports Council announced in a press conference at ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon — Event Village that Ethiopian Adeladlew Mamo, winner of this year’s Seville Marathon, joins the field alongside Kenyan pair Daniel Kibet, winner of the 2019 Istanbul Marathon, and Dickson Chumba, champion in Tokyo in 2015 and 2018, as well as Chicago in 2015.

Moreover, Olympian Eunice Chumba has also been added to the elite runners line-up. She will be looking to add the Abu Dhabi title to a collection that includes the 2017 Beirut Marathon. Chumba will face competition from, among others, 2016 Olympic bronze medallist Mare Dibaba of Ethiopia and Kenya’s Angela Tanui, winner of the Amsterdam 2021 Marathon.

Strong position

Mohamed Ahmed Al Remeithi, International Events Section Head: “The ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon has established itself as a staple sports event on the country’s annual sporting calendar. The fourth edition of the event will see the launch of a new track that passes several of the emirate’s prominent landmarks in Abu Dhabi. The ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon has attracted 20,000 registrations this year, indicating its strong position on both a local and international scale and further reinforcing the impact the marathon has on society in the UAE.”

The fourth edition of the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon includes the full 42.2km marathon, and the relay marathon in which two runners each cover 21.1km, in addition to 10km, 5km and 2.5km races under the name “We Run Together” and which are open to all. The marathon starts in front of the ADNOC Headquarters and passes through some of the UAE capital’s most famous landmarks of the UAE capital.

The opening ceremony will see the spellbinding Al Fursan aerobatics team carrying out spectacular aerial shows. The team will fly, tumble and twirl through the air, painting the sky with smoking trails of green, white, black and red above the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon race circuit, offering the spectators yet another treat.

Eunice Chumba hopes to make it fourth time lucky in Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon

Eunice Chumba is hoping she can make it fourth time lucky at the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon on Saturday.

The Kenyan-born athlete, competing under the Bahrain flag, is the most seasoned runner in the elite field.

Chumba, 29, was runner up in the inaugural race in 2018, finished fourth in 2019, and runner up again last year after the 2020 event was cancelled following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

She arrives for the fourth edition of the Abu Dhabi race on the back of a personal best 2 hrs 20 min and 02 sec that saw her finish third at the Seoul Marathon on April.

“It’s been a pretty good year for me so far and would be even better if I can finish it with a first position in Abu Dhabi,” Chumba told The National at the Event Village on Thursday.

“I have prepared well for this race and hoping I will be fourth time lucky in Abu Dhabi. It’s a title that I have been trying to win from its inaugural year. I have run two marathons and two half marathons this year, and I feel I’m in good shape coming into this race.

“There are lots of challenges of course but I hope I can better my own personal best to achieve this long-standing objective.”

Chumba will still have just over three minutes to make up to match Kenyan Angela Tanui, who ran the 46.2-kilometre distance in 2:17:57 in Amsterdam in 2021.

“My friend Angela has a personal best 2:17 and Mare Dibaba has a personal best 2:19, so I have a lot of catching up to do with these two, but I’m hopeful I can run a personal best on the day,” Chumba, who won silver in the 10,000m race at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and finished seventh in the Tokyo Olympics last year, added.

Tanui, 30, the winner of the Amsterdam 2021 Marathon, and Ethiopian Dibaba, 33, a bronze medallist at the 2016 Rio Olympics for Ethiopia, are both first time runners in Abu Dhabi.

Tanui listed the Abu Dhabi Marathon as a strong race based on her compatriot Judith Jeptum Korir’s results this year after her win in the UAE capital last year.

“Judith won the Marathon de Paris in April and silver in the World Athletics Championships in Oregon in July, which just go to prove what a strong race Abu Dhabi is,” she said.

“That’s a good yardstick to measure strength of the Abu Dhabi Marathon and I’m glad to be racing here on Saturday.”

The men’s elite race is headlined by the Kenyan pair Daniel Kibet, winner of the 2019 Istanbul Marathon, and Dickson Chumba, champion in Tokyo in 2015 and 2018, as well as Chicago in 2015. Adeladlew Mamo of Ethiopia arrives with this year’s Seville Marathon under his belt.

More than 20,000 runners are expected to participate across the marathon relay, half marathon, 10km, 5km and 2.5km races.

The marathon starts and finishes in front of the Adnoc Headquarters and the race-route takes the runners through some of Abu Dhabi’s most famous landmarks.

The 16th Monthly KATA Time Trial was dominated by Zachariah Kirika

Today in Thika, Kenyan Athletics Training Academy held its 16th edition of Time-Trial featuring 10Km and 5Km with on-form Zachariah Kirika winning both categories.

The monthly mini-competitions were held on a 5Km-loop that saw Zachariah stop at the turning point in 14:41 before deciding to run back with the newly recruited Evans Kiguru.

With rejuvenated strength, He overtook Evans at the 9th Kilometre and arrived at the finish in 31:17 with the latter trailing in 31:19.

Peter Mburu, the winner of last month’s 10Km run 15:04.9 to finish second in 5Km while Raphael Gacheru came third in 15:16.

In 10Km, Eston Mugo clocked 32:17  to close the podium where Alfred Kamandemanaged 4th in 32:35. 

In women, Kellen Waithera finished first in 39:04 while Naomi Wambui, both on-come back after their maternity leave, was second in 40:07.

Charles Ndirng’u took the masters 62-years class in 38:35 while Paul Ng’ang’a ruled the 40s category after finishing the loop in 34:35.

A total of 22 participants, all training under Kenyan Athletics Training Academy’s Programe, took part in event that was also the year-ender. 

The 17th edition will take place on January 18th, 2023.

POSITION:         Name:                BIB:           AGE:              TIME:

                       10Km

1.  Zachariah Kirika       88                21                31:17.8

2.  Evans Kiguru            102              27                31:19.2

3.  Eston Mugo              84                29                32:17.1

4.  Alfred Kamande      105             24                32:35.4

5.  Anthony Mukundi   80               34                32:49.7

6.  Paul Ng’ang’a           91               42                34:35.8

7.  Charles Ndirangu    210             62                38:35.4

8.  Kellen Waithera      86               36                39:04.8

9.  Michael Kimeu        96               28               40:07.3

10. Naomi Wambui      100               37               40:07.7

11. Kelvin Waiganjo     78                 26               47:47.2

                   5Km

1.  Zachariah Kirika      88              21                   14:41.1

2.   Peter Mburu           72              26                    15:04.9

3.   Raphael Gacheru   94              23                    15:16.9

4.   Levis Kuria              90               21                  15:37.3

5.   Fredrick Kiprotich 101             23                    15:44.3

6.   Jeremiah Obura     93               19                    18:15.3

7.   Stephen Kamau      500             19                   18:29.9

8.   Caren Chepkemoi  87                19                   18:38.8

9.    Peter Mukundi       70                25                  18:40.4

10. Lilian Musenya     103              21                     22:01.9

Kenyan John Korir ditches the Houston 21km for Boston Marathon

Houston half marathon runner-up John Korir will not defend his title on January 15, 2023 citing inadequate preparations.

Instead, Korir said he is focusing on the Boston Marathon, set for April 23 next year, where he will run alongside world record holder Eliud Kipchoge and Chicago Marathon champion Benson Kipruto.

“I feel like I have not done enough training to compete in Houston. I had a few issues I needed to handle but now my eyes are set for Boston,” said the newly-wed Korir.

“My target is to finish on the podium in Boston," Korir said, adding that he hopes to leave a mark on his debut of the city.

The two-time Los Angeles Marathon champion said he has just resumed training and committing to run in January would be hasty.

“My training will focus on hill running since Boston is a very hilly course, Korir said.

And following successful outings on American soil, Korir is hoping to extend his prowess.

At the 2022 Armaco Houston Half Marathon, Korir clocked 1:00:27 behind winner Milkesa Tolosa of Ethiopia (1:00:24).

He also won the 2021 and 2022 Los Angeles Marathon editions, clocking respective times of 2:12:49 and 2:09:08.

In his Chicago Marathon debut this year, Korir timed 2:05:01 for third, behind winner Benson Kipruto (2:04:24) and Ethiopia's Seifa Tura (2:04:49).

Kenyan graffiti artist Bankslave creates a mural for the GOAT in downtown Nairobi

The marathon world record holder, Eliud Kipchoge, was on hand with his kids for the unveiling of a mural in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi in his honor.

Kipchoge posted the mural on his social media with his two sons, Griffin and Jordon. The mural was created by renowned Kenyan graffiti artist Bankslave, who is well known in Nairobi as a voice of social change and expressionism.

The mural is located on Nairobi’s Kenyatta Avenue, which is the main road that enters the city’s central park (Nairobi National Park). In the past, Bankslave has also created murals of Barack Obama and Muhammed Ali. This isn’t the first time Bankslave has sketched the Kenyan marathon star—he made a mural of him and Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie inside a coffee shop in 2021.

The 38-year-old marathoner is a two-time Olympic champion with 10 Abbott World Marathon Major victories to his resume. Kipchoge has won four of the six majors and is set to compete at the Boston Marathon for the first time in April 2023 before setting his sight on the 2024 Olympic Marathon in Paris.

The bottom of the mural reads 1:59:40, representing Kipchoge’s mind-boggling sub-two-hour time at the INEOS-1:59 event in 2019, where he became the first man to (unofficially) break the two-hour barrier. The top of the mural has his famous inspirational quote, “No Human is Limited.”

An NFT (non-fungible token) of the Kipchoge mural is up for sale on the blockchain website OpenSea and has been listed for three Ethereum coins (approximately $5,100). 

Kenya’s Erick Kiplagat Sang took the top honors at the Jeddah Half Marathon

The 22 year-old led a 1-2 Kenyan podium finish as he cut the tape with a new personal best of 59:48 and was followed by his compatriot Samuel Nyamae who came in second also with a personal best of 1:00.50.

“I have been part of many marathons that have happened around the world and I am happy to be the winner today in the Jeddah Half Marathon,” said Sang

He added: “I am extremely happy with my performance and plan to participate in more marathons in the future.”

Ethiopia’s Kinde Atanaw closed the podium three finishes also with a personal best of 1:00.04.

Double World 5,000m champion Muktar Idris and the 37 year-old, Samir Jouaher, finished in fourth and fifth place in a time of 1:01.27 and 1:02.10 respectively.

LEADING RESULTS MEN

Erick Kiplagat          (KEN) 59:50

2.Samuel Nyamae   (KEN) 1:00.50

3.Kinde Atanaw       (ETH) 1:01.04

4.Muktar Edris          (ETH) 1:01.27

5.Samir Jouaher        (MOR) 1:02.10

David Rudisha taken to hospital after surviving plane crash

Decorated athlete, David Rudisha was rushed to hospital after surviving a plane he was in crash-landed on Saturday, December 10.

The world 800m record holder was travelling to Nairobi from Kimana Wildlife Sanctuary in the company of others when the light aircraft they were travelling in crash-landed at Imbirikana area of Amboseli.

Athletics Kenya (AK) official Barnaba Korir confirmed the incident, stating that he had talked to Rudisha who had been attended to and was out of danger.

Korir added that the injured were taken to a hospital in Makindu for treatment.

"I have spoken to Rudisha on phone and he told me that he has been attended to and is out of danger," Korir said in an interview with Nation.

The AK official added that the aircraft crash-landed shortly after taking off from Kimana Wildlife Sanctuary for Nairobi.

Kenya Defence Forces athletics chairman Stephen Ole Marai was also on board the aircraft at the time of the accident.

The occupants were rushed to a hospital in Makindu for treatment with investigations launched to establish the cause of the accident.

Initial reports indicate that the that the aircraft, bearing registration details FY-BGJ, developed mechanical problems that forced the pilot to crash-land.

The team was returning to the city from the 2022 Annual Masai Olympics where Rudisha was the chief guest at the event held at Kimana Wildlife Sanctuary in Kajiado South.

Earlier in the week, two people perished in a tragic plane crash in Tsavo East National Park on Thursday, December 8.

Mark Jenkins and his son, Peter died after the plane they were flying in crashed in Huri Plains in Tsavo East National Park.

Ethiopia’s Asefa Mengstu breaks Kenya’s Honolulu Marathon dominance

After sparring toe-to-toe for over half the race, Ethiopia’s Asefa Mengstu outpaced his cross-border Kenyan rival Barnabas Kiptum to cruise into Kapiolani Park and win the 50th anniversary Honolulu Marathon, breaking a long-standing Kenyan stranglehold of Hawaii’s flagship race.

Mengstu won in two hours, 14 minutes and 40 seconds with Kiptum second in 2:17:45, some 10 minutes ahead of third-placed Japanese Yuhi Yamashita (2:27:45) in the race run under brutally windy conditions.

Ethiopia’s Asayech Bere made it an Addis Ababa sweep taking the women’s title in 2:30:58 with her compatriot Abebech Afework Bekele (2:34:39) second and Japan’s Yuhi Yamashita third in 2:27:45.

Kenyan men had been unbeaten here since 2007, Ethiopia’s Ambesse Tolossa having interrupted the clean run by winning the 2006 edition.

Prior to that, Kenyans were unbeaten since Eric Kimaiyo took over as champion from South Africa’s Josiah Thugwane in 1996.

But it was Ibrahim Hussein, the legend, who made the breakthrough as the first African winner on this island city of O’ahu - birthplace of former US President Barack Obama - clinching a back-to-back hat-trick of victories from 1985 to 1987.

Sunday’s golden jubilee race started in it’s traditional night settings at 5am, local time, with spectacular fireworks and, as expected, it was the two Ethiopians, Mengstu and Shifera Tamru, who broke away together with Kiptum, crossing the 10-kilometre mark in 30 minutes and 30 seconds, paced by Kenya’s Reuben Kerio who is also preparing for next month’s Mumbai Marathon.

They then crossed the halfway mark in 1:06:38 under a slight drizzle at the Aina Haina sector after which pacemaker Kerio dropped off at the 30km mark (1:21:00).

There was drama shortly after when Kiptum and Mengstu dropped Tamru, racing on shoulder-to-shoulder as the sunrise launched in spectacular fashion at East O’ahu.

But at 33km, Mengstu broke away and ran a solo race all the way to the finish.

“It was a tough race… I’ve never competed under such tough conditions,” Mengstu said, referring to the furious headwind.

“My strategy was to attack at 35km and I was determined to win,” added Mengstu who trains under the Rosa Associati stable in Addis.

Kiptum was happy with his race, saying the atrocious winds slowed him down, but he remained confident of fighting for a place in Team Kenya to next year’s World Championships in Budapest.

“I ran in conditions similar to these in Hong Kong in 2018, but today’s wind was just too crazy,” he said.

“My body feels fine and I will now fight for a place in the team to the World Championships so that I can represent my country…

“I have what it takes, and I just have to throw in a race in spring and confirm my place in Kenya’s team to Budapest.”

Sunday’s golden Jubilee Honolulu Marathon celebrated the return of full racing and public events after two years of uncertainty occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic, much to the satisfaction of its long-standing President and CEO Jim Barahal.

After Kenya’s Titus Ekiru won back-to-back races here in 2018 and 2019, including setting a course record 2:07:59 in 2019, the race was held as a non-competitive event in 2020 due to the pandemic with Kenya’s Emmanuel Saina winning the title last year in 2:14:32.