Running News Daily

Peres Jepchirchir, Senbere Teferi and Sara Hall Headline 50th New York Mini 10K

With one month to go until the 50th anniversary of the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K, New York Road Runners (NYRR) announced today that Olympic, TCS New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir, United Airlines NYC Half champion and 5K world-record holder Senbere Teferi, and two-time Mastercard® New York Mini 10K champion Sara Hall will headline the professional athlete field for this year’s race.

The Mini 10K, which began in 1972 as the first women-only road race known as the Crazylegs Mini Marathon, has gone on to garner more than 200,000 total finishers to date. Former NYRR President Fred Lebow named the race after the miniskirt, which back then was in vogue. A total of 72 women finished the first race, and three weeks later, Title IX was signed into law, guaranteeing girls and women the right to participate in school sports and creating new opportunities for generations of female athletes.

Jepchirchir, of Kenya, is the only athlete – male or female – to have won the Olympic, New York City, and Boston marathons, and is also a two-time world champion in the half marathon. Last year, she won gold in the Tokyo Olympic marathon by 16 seconds, and then four months later ran the third-fastest time in TCS New York City Marathon history (2:22:39) to win the race in her U.S. debut. In April, in a back-and-forth race that came down to the final mile, she fended off Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh to take the Boston Marathon title in her debut in the event and will now be racing the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K for the first time.

“I have heard about the Mini and how it is a wonderful celebration of women and running,” Jepchirchir said. “It is very important to me that I use my success to inspire young women and girls coming after me. It is very special to be able to return to New York City after my marathon victories in New York and Boston to be a part of the 50th anniversary of this race.”

Teferi, of Ethiopia, is a two-time Olympian, two-time world championships silver medalist, and the 5K world-record holder. Earlier this year, she set both the course and event records at the United Airlines NYC Half, finishing in a time of 1:07:35 to win the race. She followed that up a month later by winning the B.A.A. 5K in a course-record time of 14:49. In her NYRR race debut, Teferi won the 2019 UAE Healthy Kidney 10K with a time of 30:59, breaking the previous course record set in 2014 by Joyce Chepkirui.

“My first race in the United States was in New York City in 2019, and I broke the event record at the Healthy Kidney 10K in Central Park,” Teferi said. “Then, earlier this spring, I broke the event record at the United Airlines NYC Half, again crossing the finish line in Central Park. I cannot promise another record on June 11, but I am happy to return to Central Park for my first Mini 10K, and look forward to be joined by thousands of my sisters-in-running.”

Hall, of the United States, who has 10 national titles to her name, ran what was then an American record-breaking 1:07:15 half marathon at the Houston Half Marathon in January. She was the runner-up at the 2020 London Marathon and that same year clocked what was then the second-fastest marathon ever by an American woman at The Marathon Project. She is the two-time reigning champion of the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K, having won the 2019 event that also served as the USATF 10 km championships and then following it up in 2021 with another victory.

“My three races at the Mini have all aligned with big important milestones in the history of the event: The first time hosting the USA Championships in 2019, the first big NYRR race coming out of the pandemic in 2021, and now the 50th anniversary in 2022,” Hall said. “I’m very aware that many of the opportunities I’ve had as an athlete are because of the groundbreaking work of the women who came before me, and of my duty to inspire the young women who will follow me, including my daughters. I will do everything I can to honor all of them with another top finish on June 11.”

The Mastercard® New York Mini 10K will offer $45,000 in total prize money, including $10,000 to the winner of the open division and $2,500 to the winner of the wheelchair division. The professional athlete races will be streamed live on USATF.TV beginning at 7:40 a.m. ET. Mastercard® will serve as title sponsor of the event for the second time, and as part of its on-going partnership with NYRR will also serve as the presenting sponsor of professional women’s athlete field.

To mark the 50th anniversary, several legends and pioneers of the sport will also be joining the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K race weekend festivities this year, including Jacki Marsh-Dixon, the first Mini 10K champion; Kathrine Switzer, the 1974 New York City Marathon champion who also ran the first Mini 10K; Deena Kastor, Olympic medalist and 2004 Mini 10K champion; and Lynn Blackstone, Pat Barrett, Jane Muhrcke, and Nina Kuscsik, four of the “Six Who Sat” at the 1972 New York City Marathon. Both Switzer and Blackstone will run the Mini 10K again this year.

TCSW10K Bengaluru 2022 elite fields packed with talent

The 14th edition of one of the world’s top road races over this distance will be held this coming Sunday 15 May.

Prestigious additions to those already named – Muktar Edris, Kibiwott Kandie and Tadese Worku in the men’s race; Hellen Obiri, Irene Cheptai and Joyce Tele in the women’s race – include Kenya’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games 10,000m silver medallist Paul Tanui and his compatriot Nicolas Kipkorir Kimeli, who was fourth in the 5000m at the Olympic Games in Tokyo last summer.

Tanui’s road racing record is rather modest, his personal best of 28:39 was when he finished sixth in the 2019 TCSW10K, but on the track the Japan-based runner has an outstanding record and has a best of 26:49.41. In addition to his Rio silver medal, Tanui has three World Athletics Championships 10,000m bronze medals to his name as well as a World Cross Country Championships silver medal.

His younger compatriot Kipkorir Kimeli was the 2017 African U20 10,000m champion on the track and will arrive in Bengaluru in very good shape after running 12:55 for 5km on the road last month.

Fellow Kenyan Bravin Kipkogei succeeded Kipkorir Kimeli as the African U20 10,000m champion in 2019 and made a big impression when he finished sixth in the famous 2020 Valencia Half Marathon, in which Kandie set a world record of 57:32, despite having been originally employed as a pacemaker.

Kipkogei has raced sparingly in 2021 and 2022 but has the pedigree to make an impact in Bengaluru.

A third notable Kenyan addition to the men’s field is Matthew Kimeli, who ran 58:43 for the half marathon last year and has already had three outings over that distance in 2022, culminating in a win in Herzogenaurach, Germany in 59:30 just nine days ago

Another man in great shape at the moment is the 2015 world U20 cross country champion Yasin Haji, from Ethiopia who has twice run 27:00 for 10km in recent weeks, firstly in the French city of Lille in March and then in Herzogenaurach.

In total eight men in this year’s TCSW10K have run faster – either on the track or the roads – than Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor course record of 27:44 that dates from in 2014

In the women’s race, a number of young and very talented road runners from Kenya and Ethiopia have been added to the elite field to challenge the three well-known names that have already been announced.

Faith Cherono, from Kenya is just 19 and had a sensational international debut less than two months ago when she stunned onlookers with a superb win over 10km in Lille in 31:06. She followed that up by improving to 30:50 in Herzogenaurach.

Ethiopia’s Tesfaye Nigsti is only two seconds slower than Cherono over 10km and has been in good form in half marathons recently, clocking a personal best of 1:06:17 in Valencia last October and going close to that mark twice in March, her only two races in 2022 before the TCSW10K.

Seven women in this year’s TCSW10K have personal bests quicker than the course record of 31:19 set by Kenya’s Agnes Tirop in 2018.

The TCS World 10K Bengaluru 2022 has a total prize fund of US$210,000, with the men’s and women’s winners taking home US$26,000 and course record bonuses of an additional US$8,000 on offer. “The world has had to wait three years because of the pandemic since the last TCS World 10K. This is the 14th edition of this fantastic race, and I am feeling very honoured because many of the world’s best distance runners have committed to coming back to India to make this one of the best events in the world over this distance,” commented Vivek Singh, joint managing director of race promoters Procam International.

TCSW10K Bengaluru 2022 elite fields (with 10km personal best times) Men Muktar Edris (ETH) 27:17 Paul Tanui (KEN) 26:49 (10,000m on the track) Kibiwott Kandie (KEN) 26:50 Tadese Worku (ETH) 26:56 Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli (KEN) 26:58 Yasin Haji (ETH) 27:00 Bravin Kipkogei (KEN) 27:12 Mathew Kimeli (KEN) 27:11 Abel Sikowo (UGA) 27.47 Telahun Bekele (ETH) 27:53 Reynold Kipkorir (KEN) debut Emmanuel Kiprop (KEN) debut

Women Hellen Obiri (KEN) 30:24 Irene Cheptai (KEN) 30:44 Faith Cherono (KEN) 30:50 Tesfaye Nigsti (ETH) 30:52 Joyce Tele (KEN) 30:59 Esther Borura (KEN) 31:02 Faith Chepkoech (KEN) 31:03 Pauline Esikon (KEN) 32:17 Lomi Muleta (ETH) debut Tariku Alemitu (ETH) debut Yitayish Mekonene (ETH) debut

In addition to the TCS World 10K for elite runners, there is an Open 10K, the Majja Run (5km) the Senior Citizens’ Race and the Champions with Disability Race (both 4.2km).

Ethiopian Tsehay Gemechu outkicked Brigid Kosgei to retain her title in Lisbon

Tsehay Gemechu outkicked Brigid Kosgei to retain her title, while Keneth Kiprop Renju claimed a clear men’s race win at the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon, a World Athletics Elite Label event, on Sunday (8).

Ethiopia’s world 5000m fourth-place finisher Gemechu ran 1:06:44 to win by two seconds ahead of Kenya’s world marathon record-holder Kosgei, while Kosgei’s compatriot Renju ran solo to a time of 1:00:13, 47 seconds ahead of Ethiopia’s Mohamed Esa.

Gemechu, Kosgei and Ethiopia’s Gotytom Gebreslase had remained together until the closing kilometres, passing 10km in 31:37 and 15km in 47:25. Before they reached 20km in 1:03:27, Gemechu and Kosgei had managed to drop Gebreslase and the leading pair were seven seconds ahead at that point.

Their advantage only grew and as they kicked in battle it was Gemechu who had the best closing strength, winning in a sprint finish. The race came a couple of months after Kosgei’s Tokyo Marathon victory in 2:16:02, with Gebreslase third on that occasion.

“I am so happy for my win,” said Gemechu, who finished second in the Istanbul Half Marathon in April. “The weather is very hot. I am happy to win against a strong athlete like Brigid Kosgei.”

Israel’s Lonah Chemtai Salpeter finished fourth in 1:08:33 and Italy’s Sofiia Yaremchuk fifth in 1:10:35.

Renju, meanwhile, passed 10km in 28:11 and 15km in 42:15 in the men’s race before clocking 57:02 at 20km and continuing on untroubled to triumph.

The battle for the runner-up spot was much closer and Esa ran 1:01:00 to beat Kenya’s Elvis Kipchoge Cheboi by three seconds, with his compatriot Kipkemoi Kiprono another five seconds back.

Ethiopians Adane and Dekebo break Barcelona Marathon records

Yihunilign Adane led the top two under the previous men’s course record, while Meseret Gebre Dekebo also ran the fastest ever women’s race at the Zurich Barcelona Marathon, a World Athletics Elite Label road race, on Sunday (8).

Achieving an Ethiopian double, Adane ran 2:05:53 to finish ahead of his compatriots Gebru Redahgne (2:05:58) and Kabede Wami, who matched the course record from last year with 2:06:03, while Dekebo also topped an Ethiopian 1-2-3, running 2:23:11 to beat Ayantu Kumela (2:25:00) and Zenebu Fikadu (2:25:11).

Adane, who finished third at last year’s Lisbon Marathon, took half a minute off his PB to win a close race and beat the course record set by Kenya’s Samuel Kosgei last year.

Dekebo’s time, meanwhile, takes more than four minutes off her previous best recorded when winning the Zurich Maraton Donostia-San Sebastian in November. It also improves the women’s course record set by Ethiopia’s Tadu Teshome last year by 42 seconds.

Kenya’s Kigen, Ethiopia’s Borecha win Prague marathon

Nobert Kigen of Kenya won the men's title at the Prague international marathon on Sunday while Bekelech Borecha of Ethiopia was the fastest woman in the race. Kigen crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 7 minutes and 54 seconds, beating a pair of Ethiopian runners.

Kelkile Woldaregay finished second in 2:08:30 with Yitayal Zerihun another 14 seconds back in third. Borecha clocked her personal best of 2:22:56.

More that 10,000 runners participated in the race that had two editions cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ethiopians will be vying for course records at 2022 Tartan Ottawa International Marathon

Ethiopia will again be favored to win when the Ottawa International Marathon returns to an in-person event on Sunday, May 29th.

Indeed, the Ethiopian women are expected to extend their 10-year winning streak as they vye to break the course record (CR) of 2:22:17, set in 2018 by returning champion Geleta Burka. Burka will be challenged by the 2019 defending champion, Tigist Girma, who has since run twice under 2:20

These blistering fast women will be challenged by countrywoman Bruktayit Eshetu who finished 2nd in the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon with a personal best of 2:22:40 and Juliet Chekwel of Uganda, who recorded a national record of 2:23:13 in her marathon debut two years ago.

Returning to Ottawa will be Lanni Marchant who broke the 28-year-old national record in 2013 by running it in exactly 2:28:00. Marchant will be heading off against Dayna Pidhoreski, the 2019 Canadian marathon champion with a personal best of 2:29:03.

Unprecedented depth of field in the men’s event

On the men’s side, Ottawa’s new Elite Athlete Coordinator Dylan Wykes, a 2012 Canadian Olympian, has assembled an unprecedented depth of field on Canadian soil. No fewer than eight of the men lining up on the start line will be boasting personal bests under 2:08, with three of them having recently run 2:06 or faster. The course record, set by fellow Ethiopian Yemane Tsegaye in 2014 is 2:06:54.

Wykes will be looking for return competitor Adugna Takele (2:05:57) and his fellow Ethiopian competitors Tsegaye Getachew Kebede (2:05:11) and Andualem Belay Shiferaw (2:05:52) to compete for that CR. The Ethiopians could see a fight from Kenyan Alex Kibet who recently won the Berlin Half Marathon with a personal best of 58:55, indicating his preparations are going well.

“It’s been an interesting challenge to build this start list with so little in-person competition over the past two years,” said Dylan Wykes, the Elite Athlete Coordinator. “Based on what we’ve seen recently with these athletes, and with how fast road races have been generally, I think we are quite likely to see some very fast times on May 29th. I can’t wait.”

The top Canadian in the men’s field is Tristan Woodfine, who was 10th in the 2018 Ottawa Marathon and will be seeking a top 10 finish.

Kenyan runners Wesley Kiptoo and Caroline Rotich Set Course Records at 2022 Pittsburgh Half Marathon

Rainy conditions Sunday morning in the City of Champions did not slow down Kenyan runners Wesley Kiptoo and Caroline Rotich from breaking course records and taking home the first prize of $10,000 at the 2022 UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh Half Marathon.  

In the men’s race, Kiptoo and James Ngandu took an early lead in the first mile. They stayed neck and neck until the final stretch when Kiptoo broke the finisher’s tape clocking 1 hour, one minute and twenty-five seconds. Ngandu took home second, finishing only two seconds later. U.S. Olympic marathoner Jared Ward finished third in 1:03:37.

“Today was my professional road racing debut,” Kiptoo said. “I will remember this race and the City of Pittsburgh forever. I’d like to thank the organizers and race sponsors for inviting me and for making it all possible.”

In the women’s race, Rotich smashed the UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh Half Marathon course record by 34 seconds finishing in 1:09:30. U.S. Olympic marathoner Aliphine Tuliamuk, who previously held the course record, took home second in 1:09:54, and Sarah Sellers finished third in 1:11:51.  

“It feels great to win my first race ever in Pittsburgh,” Rotich said. “It was so great seeing all the people on the course and cheering despite the rain. I can’t wait to be back!”

Giulietta & Romeo Half Marathon in Verona: Alfred Kipchirchir and Meseret Gola win

The Dermasphere Giulietta & Romeo Half Marathon and Avesani Monument Run 10k experienced another historic day of great international sport and strong solidarity with the A Casa far from Home project "Emergency Sick Children of Ukraine - We help sick little ones on the run"They traveled half the world to come to Verona starting from the endless African highlands to become the new champions of the Dermasphere Giulietta & Romeo Half Marathon.

The 'Romeo' of 2022 is Kenyan and bears the name of Alfred Kipchirchir, he is the winner of the 15th edition of the Verona half marathon where he crossed the finish line in 1h00'57 ".

The 'Juliet', on the other hand, is very shy but when she runs she has grit and class to spare, her name is Meseret Gola and she comes from Ethiopia. He took the success in 1h10'09 ".

Two excellent performances, even if both failed to beat their personal bests or even to beat the records of the course. It is difficult to do so at this point of the season that sees the great road racing competitions finish. The satisfaction of winning the prestigious Verona race was nevertheless great.A great event as usual was the one organized by the organizers of Gaac 2007 Verona Marathon Asd, in collaboration with the Municipality of Verona, which maintained organizational standards of excellence, confirming the Gold Label Fidal.

Official start complete with a gunshot entrusted to the mayor Federico Sboarina and for the following waves also to the Sports Councilor Filippo Rando present at the start to greet the thousands of Italian and foreign participants.

Surprise second in the standings was placed by the Polish Ada Nowicki in 1h02'51 ", delighted at the arrival for having established a new personal best. He beat his 1h03'11 "which he had done at the Napoli City Half Marathon last February. Place of honor again for the colors of Kenya with Bernard Musau Wambua with 1h02'57 ". First of the Italians is the South Tyrolean Hannes Perkmann (Atl. Valli Bergamasche Leffe), sixth in 1h05'03 ".  Kenyan Athletics Training Academy (KATA) athlete Peter Njeru finished fifth clocking 1h03'53 just 30 seconds back of 4th place.  

Female podium completed by the Kenyan Lilian Lelei (Atl. Castello), second in 1h14'04 "and third the Ethiopian Meseret Ayele (G.s. Il Fiorino) with 1h15'25". Holding the Italian flag high is Arianna Lutteri, the current Italian marathon champion, who ran in 1h21'40 ". Avesani Monument Run 10k, real 9.7km, which was won by Alessandro Comai (Venus Triathlon) in 29'19 ", while among women the success of Claudia Andrighettoni (Us Quercia) in 34'23". Hundreds of people also participated in the non-competitive Avesani Monument Run 10k.

Gianni Pistis, coach and runner of the Charity Partner A Casa Away From Home, engaged in the project "Emergency Sick Children of Ukraine - We help sick little ones on the run" has more than hit the target.

Leaving last, Gianni had the task of overcoming a minimum of a thousand athletes, for each of which a company from Varese, which wishes to remain anonymous, will donate a thousand euros. Gianni honored his commitment by finishing in general position 204 with a time of 1h28'18 "and thus surpassing over 2 thousand athletes.

Grooming Future Champions in Thika Kenya

The Kenya Athletics Training Academy (KATA) is barely eight months old since it was officially opened September 2021. (Founder and executive director Bob Anderson flew over from California USA for the opening.)

KATA's presence in Thika and Kiambu County is being felt widely after our pioneer athletes have gone flat-out to inscribe the name of the Academy in the region.

During the last two seasons, nearly 90 per cent of our trainees have participated in both Cross Country and Track with positive indicators.

Competing at County level and getting selected to represent the unit at regional level is a positive indication that with time, the future champions in Kenya’s Central region will be the products of the Kenya Athletics Training Academy (KATA).

In addition to winning slots to regional championships, all our athletes have posted their Personal Records in their individual events, again proving that KATA is attaining its objectives of seeing upcoming and young runners improving their times.

All this is because of the well-thought out Program in the Academy that combine a high level of discipline, hard-work, and self-realization among the current crop of our learners.  The on-site management team make it all work: Florence Kimiti (manager), Elam Wangwero (operations) and Joseph Ngure (head coach).  All report to Bob Anderson daily who works from his office in Mountain View, California.  

Our day’s Programe begins with morning workouts between 06.15 and 08.00am with easy morning run covering 12 to 18Km on alternative days before breakfast in our Olympic Dining Hall at KATA.  

After breakfast, cleaning and maintenance of the Academy is the duty of the day for everybody.  We feel this is one of the processes of making these future champions responsible and useful members of society. Some go to nearby colleges to acquire skills that will come in handy after retiring from their active sporting career.

Currently we have our most improved athlete Zakariah Kirika (29:54 10k) pursuing electrical wiring, Fredrick Kiprotich is studying Agriculture and Boniface Mungai is studying accounting at a local university.

During three training sessions daily (not including Sunday), our second training session takes place between 9:00am and 11am and is mainly for agility, coordination exercises and speedwork.  The last training session begins at 16:30 pm to 17:30 pm. This is easy jogging mainly around the Academy.

In addition to daily and weekly training, the athletes focus on short-term goals that is tested during our monthly 10Km time-trial that is held usually every third Wednesday of each month. (Eight have been held so far.) These trials are open and several athletes from our neighbouring training camps have joined our team in testing their training too.  We charge no entry fee and pay no prize money.  But we offer internet exposure to all our finishers. (All results, a story and photos are posted timely on the My Best Runs website which currently have over 100k visitors monthly.)

It is from this time-trial that those who meet the target get the opportunity to compete in Europe through their respective management. Three of our athletes have had the privilege of going to Italy last year and this year since February, Peter Mwaniki Njeru and Lucy Mawia are in Europe now and are posting remarkable results. This is a big motivation to our KATA team!  

Apart from training and keeping the Academy clean, our athletes’ trains on the use of computers and each has to post his or her work-out on My Best Runs where our editorial team, under the stewardship of Elam, Okata and Eston Mwangi, update races on a daily basis.  (My Best Runs also have editorial people (all runners) in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Bend Oregon, Chandler Arizona and Mountain View California.)

As the season moves on, we are expecting good performance in Road Races in Kenya beginning with the inaugural Uhuru marathon classic on May 8th in Kenya where four of our athletes will be flying the KATA flag.  

Lucy and Peter have already done well in races in Europe and will be racing again May 1 in France and Italy.  Lucy clocked a 31:20 10000m on the track in Italy and most recently Peter placed second on a tough 15k course in Istanbul clocking 46:33. Lucy is racing in France and Peter a half marathon in Italy on May 1. 

With a lot of potentials in the region, our next target will be young talents in our neighbouring schools and our technical arm will be visiting 2-3 institutions to help in training the school kids as they prepare for their inter-schools championships next month.

We are overwhelmed by the number of new athletes who want to join our Academy.  But then the opportunities are many. 

Elite runner leading Hamburg Marathon fumbles bottle, goes back to get it

Last weekend at the Haspa Hamburg Marathon in Germany, Abraham Kiptoo of Kenya was leading the race when he fumbled his hydration bottle at a water station. Instead of moving on, Kiptoo turned around and ran back to get it, while being passed by 10 or so runners.

We aren’t sure how much time this would’ve cost Kiptoo, but a sudden change in movement can certainly affect your rhythm and cadence. Kiptoo ended up finishing the race eighth, in a personal best time of 2:06:59. Cyprian Kotut of Kenya won the marathon in a course record time of 2:04:47, in a thrilling sprint victory over compatriot Stephen Kissa (2:04:48), whose time set a Ugandan national record.

On the other hand, Kiptoo obviously knows how important hydration is for optimal performance. Who’s to say he didn’t gain back what he lost, by making sure he salvaged his bottle? If you can constantly maintain your hydration, it will optimize your performance and might help you avoid a trip to the medical tent. It’s important to balance how much fluid your body loses through sweat and how much fluid you drink during a hard effort like a marathon or long run.

The incident happened between 25 and 30 km into the marathon, a point in the race where hydration is particularly important as your body becomes fatigued. Usually, at larger marathons, water/aid stations are available every two to four kilometres.

Although the young 23-year-old Kiptoo lost time, he managed to catch back up to the lead pack, to only drop off around the 35 km marker, as Kissa and Kotut surged on.

Kiptoo is an elite runner who trains with Eliud Kipchoge and Geoffrey Kamwaror of the Ineos NN Running Team based in Iten, Kenya.

Reigning world champions Muktar Edris and Hellen Obiri headline World 10K Bengaluru 2022

After a three-year hiatus enforced by the pandemic, with the last edition of the World Athletics Elite Label Race taking place in 2019, race promoters Procam International have pulled out the stops to bring the very best athletes in the world to India’s technology capital.

Edris, from Ethiopia, is the two-time defending world champion over 5000m on the track and will be using the Bengaluru race as part of his preparations to become just the second man to win three consecutive titles in the event at this summer’s World Athletics Championships in Eugene, USA.

He is no stranger to India having made his half marathon debut in the 2020 Delhi Half Marathon, where he finished fourth in the stunning time of 59:04.

His arrival in Bengaluru fulfils a promise he made after that run. “And when I come back to India, I will certainly be aiming to win and make a bigger impression,” said Edris in November 2020.

Edris will have some strong competition if he is to fulfil his ambition.

Also announced for this year’s TCS World 10K is the former holder of the world half marathon record Kibiwott Kandie, from Kenya, who has a 10km personal best of 26;51 from last year, almost a minute faster than the course record in Bengaluru.

Ethiopia’s Tadese Worku, who is still only 20, is another man with a 10km best inside 27 minutes, having run 26:56 last September just a few months after he won the world U20 3000m title on the track.

In the women’s race, Kenya’s Obiri will be making her Indian racing debut next month.

Like Edris, she has also won the 5000m at the last two editions of the World Athletics Championships and took silver medals over the same distance at the last two Olympic Games in Rio and Tokyo.

Into the bargain, Obiri can also claim two other world titles to her name after having won the world indoor 3000m crown back in 2012 and, more recently, she was the 2019 world cross country champion.

Both Edris and Obiri will have the TCS World 10K course records as their targets on 15th May.

Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor ran the men’s record of 27:44 in 2014 while the late Agnes Tirop, also from Kenya, set the women’s course record of 31:19 in 2018. Tirop also won the TCS World 10K in 2019.

Joyce Tele comes to Bengaluru having won the Agnes Tirop Cross Country Classic in February – a memorial race in her honour after her tragic death in October 2021 shocked the world – and has produced some outstanding half marathon times since the start of 2021. Tele ran a personal best of 1:05:50 to finish second in the Berlin Half Marathon earlier this month.

A third Kenyan to watch out for in the women’s race will be the 2017 world cross country champion Irene Cheptai, who also triumphed at the 2017 TCS World 10K a few months later.

Cheptai has been in good form recently with two strong second-place finishes in the prestigious New York and Prague half marathons in the last six weeks.

The TCS World 10K Bengaluru 2022 has a total prize fund of US$210,000, with the men’s and women’s winners taking home US$26,000. “It’s a true pleasure to be able to bring some of the world’s leading distance running stars to Bengaluru. The pandemic has meant this race has not happened since 2019 but we were always determined that, when conditions allowed, we would once again stage world-class races for elite runners and amateurs,” commented Vivek Singh, joint managing director of race promoters Procam International.

“Our commitment to getting India running again and helping people pursue a healthy lifestyle has never wavered and now we are back with a bang in Bengaluru,” he added.

In addition to the TCS World 10K for elite runners, there is an Open 10K, the Majja Run (5km) the Senior Citizens’ Race and the Champions with Disability Race (both 4.2km).

The Open 10K and the Majja Run can also be participated in virtual run. See the event website https://tcsworld10k.procam.in/ for details.

Boston Marathon's unique running history honored with World Athletics Heritage Plaque

The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.), which organizes the B.A.A. Boston Marathon (1897), the world’s oldest annual marathon, officially unveiled the World Athletics Heritage Plaque awarded to the race in 2019.

The World Athletics Heritage Plaque is a location-based recognition, awarded for 'an outstanding contribution to the worldwide history and development of the sport of track and field athletics and of out-of-stadia athletics disciplines such as cross country, mountain, road, trail and ultra-running, and race walking'.

The official presentation of the plaque by World Athletics Heritage, which had been on hold due to the pandemic, took place in the race museum at B.A.A.’s HQ on Dartmouth Street, Boston, Massachusetts, where the plaque will be permanently displayed, and is adjacent to the finish line of the race.

The plaque was unveiled by Thomas S. Grilk, B.A.A. President & Chief Executive Officer, and World Athletics Heritage Director Chris Turner, in the company of Jack Fleming, B.A.A. Chief Operating Officer, and fellow colleagues from the B.A.A. organization.

The tough one

Boston’s notoriously demanding course, with its final incline ‘Heartbreak Hill’ 20 miles into the race that has gone down in marathon folklore, has floored many a world beater.

Amby Burfoot, the 1968 Boston Marathon champion, confirmed on Boston.com that the challenge is also “the downhill from the top of Heartbreak Hill to Cleveland Circle. This is called ‘Cemetery Mile’ for two good reasons: Evergreen Cemetery to the runners’ right, and the way the steep downhill deadens the legs, specifically the quadriceps muscles.”

Notably, despite the stature of the race, only five Olympic champions have ever managed to win in Boston.

Four women, firstly two-time Boston victor Joan Benoit (1979, 1983), who won the 1984 Olympic title in Los Angeles, and two three-time winners in Ethiopia's Fatuma Roba (1997, 1998, 1999), the Atlanta 1996 champion; Portugal's Rosa Mota (1987, 1988, 1990), who took the Olympic title in Seoul in 1988; and Kenya's 2022 Boston winner Peres Jepchirchir, who was the Olympic victor in Tokyo.

The sole male runner so far to accomplish the rare double is Italian Gelindo Bordin (1990), the Seoul 1988 Olympic champion, who took first place in Boston two years later.

The ‘American Marathon’

The racing singlets, running shoes, medals and trophies and hundreds of pieces of historic memorabilia in the B.A.A.'s museum pay tribute to the city’s famous marathon, which was inspired by and founded a year after the running of the inaugural Olympic marathon at the 1896 Games in Athens.

The B.A.A. itself had been established 10 years before. It was one of the association’s members, John Graham, who, as USA team manager at those 1896 Games witnessed the marathon race, proposed creating a similar long distance race in Boston.

The race, originally called the American Marathon, has an annual Monday date which makes it unique among elite international marathons. The Boston Marathon has always been held on the holiday commemorating “Patriots’ Day”, which since 1969 has become officially recognized as the third Monday in April.

The B.A.A., which has a mission to promote a healthy lifestyle, especially through running, has its HQ and museum virtually located at the finish line of the marathon.

Running treasure trove

The plaque, which is mounted on a wall in its own showcase in the museum, has joined a verifiable treasure trove of distance running artefacts associated with the race’s storied history.

The B.A.A.’s collection of memorabilia and its archive is always growing. In fact, they recently received a gift of a rare finisher medallion from the 1903 Boston Marathon. The competition bib number of last week’s Boston winner Jepchirchir is the very latest acquisition.

The perpetual Champions’ Trophy, which the winners receive immediately following the Boston Marathon, and the second place award (mounted plaque) from the first B.A.A. Boston Marathon in 1897 are standout exhibits.

Poignantly, the 2013 champion's medallion won by men’s victor Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia was gifted back to the City of Boston in the summer of 2013, shortly after the notorious bombings which occurred on marathon day that year.

The collection, which contains hundreds of artefacts and thousands of images, has recently been renamed as the Gloria G. Ratti Collection in posthumous recognition of their long-time archivist and historian. Ratti was a B.A.A. Vice President on the Board of Governors.

Kenyan Maurine Chepkemoi runs Enschede Marathon record

The 75th anniversary of the oldest marathon in the Netherlands – the Enschede Marathon – was marked with a women’s race record of 2:21:10 by Maurine Chepkemoi, while her fellow Kenyan Julius Tuwei won the men’s race in 2:07:43.

Chepkemoi triumphed in the World Athletics Elite Label road race ahead of her compatriot Philomena Cheyech (2:23:53) and Ethiopia’s Bezabeh Alemtsehay (2:24:42), while Tuwei gained his title ahead of Kenya’s Enock Onchari (2:07:52) and Ethiopia’s Deme Tadu Abate (2:07:59).

After passing half way in 1:10:06, Chepkemoi broke away with Cheyech and they clocked 1:39:19 at the 30km point. After passing 35km in 1:56:01, Chepkemoi began to edge ahead and built a lead of more than a minute over the next 5km, clocking 2:13:24 at 40km. She went on to win in 2:21:10, claiming victory by more than two and a half minutes.

In the men’s race, Tuwei was joined by Onchari and Abate in a lead group that passed half way in 1:03:23. That trio remained together through 35km in 1:45:39 and 40km in 2:01:08 before Tuwei kicked to victory, winning by nine seconds in 2:07:43.

Munyao and Omare triumph at Gifu Half Marathon

Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso Munyao set a men’s course record and Dolphine Nyaboke Omare claimed a clear women’s race win at the Gifu Half Marathon, a World Athletics Elite Label road race, in Japan on Sunday (24).

In a close finish, Munyao clocked 59:56 to win by just seconds ahead of his compatriot Benard Kibet (59:57) and Emmanuel Moi Maru (59:58).

Omare, meanwhile, ran 1:08:13 to win by 47 seconds ahead of Australia’s Sinead Diver, whose 1:09:00 is a world W45 record. Japan’s Haruka Yamaguchi was third in 1:09:50.

In the men’s race, five athletes ­– Munyao, Kibet, Maru, Joseph Karanja and Charles Karanja Kamau – remained together through 15km, which was passed in 42:52. By 20km, reached in 56:51, it was down to just Munyao, Kibet and Maru.

From there, Munyao kicked to victory to lead his compatriots under the course record of 1:00:02 set by Bedan Karoki in 2014 and the one-hour mark.

Karanja was fourth in 1:00:12 and Kamau fifth, 10 seconds behind him.

Omare had built a 31-second lead by 10km in the women’s race, passed in 32:20. Diver was just ahead of the chase group by that point, with her compatriot Eloise Wellings four seconds back from her.

Omare reached 15km in 48:46 and 20km in 1:04:40 before crossing the finish in 1:08:13. Behind Diver and Yamaguchi, Wellings was fourth in 1:10:42, one second ahead of Japan’s Reia Iwade.

Fast times at the Meta Time Trials in Malaga

Eilish McColgan has set a UK 5km record of 14:45 at the ASICS META:TIME:TRIALS in Malaga.

She bettered her own 5km mark of 14:48 from the UAE back in February and Paula Radcliffe’s 14:51, set at Hyde Park in 2003, while McColgan is also close behind Sifan Hassan’s European 5km record of 14:44.

Fast times were the target and many were achieved at Sunday's META: TIME : TRIALS by ASICS, a World Athletics Label event in Malaga, with Ethiopia’s Tsegay Kidanu quickest in the men’s 10km with 27:14 and Britain’s Eilish McColgan among the national record-breakers in the 5km.

The event was specially organised to showcase the new METASPEED™+ Series footwear and McColgan, the 2018 European 5000m silver medallist, was among the athletes to go quicker than ever before. She led the women’s 5km in 14:45 to improve the official British record and finish ahead of Kenya’s Naomi Chepngeno with 14:57.

In the men’s race, Olympic finalist Mohamed Katir ran 13:20 to miss Jimmy Gressier’s European record by just two seconds. Felix Bour of France was second in 13:41.

Kidanu impressed on his 10km road race debut, running 27:14 after passing half way in 13:42. That saw the 2019 world U20 cross country fifth-place finisher win by nine seconds ahead of Kenya’s Boniface Kibiwott with 27:23.

Kenya’s Vicoty Chepngeno, winner of the Houston Half Marathon in January, was this time racing over 10km and claimed top spot in 31:39, 16 seconds ahead of Sweden’s Sarah Lahti with 31:55.

Three athletes dipped under the hour in the men’s half marathon, led by Morocco’s Olympic marathon 11th place finisher Mohamed Reda El Aaraby with 59:54.

That saw him break the hour barrier for the first time, improving on his previous best of 1:00:17 set when finishing 13th the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia.

Kenya’s Wilfred Kimitei and Alfred Kipchirchir were just two seconds behind him, both clocking 59:56, while their compatriot Vincent Ngetich clocked exactly an hour.

Ethiopia’s Yeshi Kalayu Chekole claimed a clear win in the women’s half marathon, running a PB of 1:07:30 to finish 38 seconds ahead of Kenya’s Sharon Kemboi with 1:08:08.

Aleksandr Sorokin breaks 100K world record, Sorokin ran 6:05:41, averaging an insane pace of 3:39 per kilometer

The 100-mile and 24-hour world record holder, Aleksandr Sorokin of Lithuania, has added another world record to his resume by running 6:05:41 over 100K at the Centurion Running Track 100 in Bedford, U.K. on Saturday. Sorokin broke Japan’s Nao Kazami’s previous 100k world record of 6:09:14 from 2018 by almost five minutes.

The pace of Sorokin’s new 100K world record is three minutes and 39 seconds per kilometer, which is equivalent to running back-to-back marathons in 2:32:33. According to his Strava activity, his goal was to go out at 3:40/km pace, but he found that he felt good 70 kilometers in, picking up the pace to 3:30/km. 

Sorokin also hit the 50K mark in 3:01:50 to set a new Lithuanian national record, breaking his previous 50K record of 3:02:39 from July 2021. The world’s fastest ultrarunner already owned three world records before this: 100 miles in 11:14:56, 12 hours (170.3 kilometers) and 24 hours (309.4 kilometres).

Leading up to his 100K world record attempt, Sorokin spent several months training at altitude in Kenya’s Rift Valley, running upwards of 250 to 300 kilometers a week (43 kilometers per day).

According to Ally Beaven on Twitter, Sorokin’s 50-mile split of 4:53:41 was the fourth-fastest ever, only three minutes behind Jim Walmsley‘s world record of 4:50:08.

It may not be too long until we see the Lithuanian ultrarunner go for his fifth world record over the 50-mile distance.

Yalemzerf Yehualaw runs sensational 2:17:23 marathon debut in Hamburg and Kipchoge’s course record was shattered in men’s race

Yalemzerf Yehualaw won the Haspa Marathon Hamburg, producing a sensational marathon debut. The 22 year-old Ethiopian clocked 2:17:23 which is the fastest time by a debutant ever. So far Paula Radcliffe’s time of 2:18:56 from London in 2002 was the fastest debut time by a woman.

Yalemzerf Yehualaw became the sixth fastest women in the history of marathon running, broke the course record and set a German Allcomer record. Fikrte Wereta took second in 2:26:15 and Bone Cheluke made it an all-Ethiopian podium with 2:26:23 for third place. 

In the men’s race Eliud Kipchoge’s 2:05:30 course record from 2013 was broken by fellow-Kenyan Cybrian Kotut. He clocked 2:04:47, just edging Uganda’s debutant Stephen Kissa who crossed the line one second behind the winner. Ethiopia’s Workineh Tadesse followed in third place with 2:05:07. 

A total of 20,000 entries from 68 nations were registered by organisers for the 36th edition of the Haspa Marathon Hamburg, including shorter running events on Sunday. Around 10,500 of them competed in the marathon. Additionally 9,000 children participated in a 4.2 k run on Saturday. 

“That was a great spring comeback for us. We presented a stunning race on the streets of Hamburg and we are proud of the extremely strong results including two course records and a unique debut by Yalemzerf Yehualaw,“ said chief organiser Frank Thaleiser.

Yalemzerf Yehualaw came in late on Thursday and missed the pre-race press conference, but she took centre stage on Sunday when it mattered. In sunny but windy conditions and temperatures around 10 Celsius Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw dominated the women’s race from the beginning and constantly increased her lead.

She ran past the half marathon mark in a super fast 68:30. At this point she was already over two and a half minutes ahead. At the end of the race the gap between her and the second runner was almost nine minutes. “The race went well for me considering this was my first marathon. The fast Hamburg course suited me and the spectators helped me a lot,“ said the winner.

Yalemzerf Yehualaw was around four and a half minutes faster than former Hamburg course record holder Meselech Melkamu of Ethiopia (2:21:54 in 2016). Additionally she broke the German Allcomers record of Kenya’s Gladys Cherono who ran 2:18:11 in Berlin in 2018.

In the men’s race things looked a lot closer from the beginning. 17 men passed the 10k mark in 29:29. A major surge came late in the race with only four kilometres to go. Cybrian Kotut and Stephen Kissa, a debutant from Uganda, broke away from the leading group which included six runners at that point. Both delivered a stunning showdown right to the finish line.

In the final sprint Cybrian Kotut pushed himself to a close victory in 2:04:47, a second ahead of Stephen Kissa (2:04:48). Ethiopia’s Workineh Tadesse took third spot in 2:05:07. All three runners were within the former course record of Eliud Kipchoge which stood at 2:05:30. The Kenyan superstar set this record back in 2013 running his marathon debut in Hamburg. ’’I am very happy that I broke the course record.

The pacemakers covered me well from the wind. It was not easy with the wind, but overall the conditions were very good,“ said Cybrian Kotut.

The fastest German runner was Florian Röser. He ran a solid marathon debut in 2:15:03. ’’I’m very surprised to be the fastest German athlete. The race was not ideal for me but considering that this was my debut it was good,“ he said.

Kristina Hendel was the dominant German woman in the field. She finished the race in a strong fifth position with a  personal best of 2:27:29. “We had to fight against the wind from kilometer 8 till 31. On top of that I got cramps but they eased later in the race. I broke my personal best and I am very proud of that. I hope I will run in a German vest at the European Championships in Munich,“ said Christina Hendel.

The former Croatian gained German citizenship in 2021 but is not eligible yet to compete for Germany internationally. Deborah Schöneborn finished the race as the second fastest German woman in 9th place with a time of 2:29:51.

Men:

1.  Cybrian Kotut KEN 2:04:47

2.  Stephen Kissa UGA 2:04:48

3.  Workineh Tadesse ETH 2:05:07

4.  Victor Kiplangat UGA 2:05:09

5.  Abebe Negewo ETH 2:06:05

6.  Masresha Bere ETH 2:06:44

7.  Edwin Kiptoo KEN 2:06:52

8.  Abraham Kiptoo KEN 2:06:59

9.  Bazewe Asmare ETH 2:07:13

10. Bernard Ngeno KEN 2:07:27

Women:

1.  Yalemzerf Yehualaw ETH 2:17:13

2.  Fikrte Wereta ETH 2:26:15

3.  Bone Cheluke ETH 2:26:23

4.  Tseginesh Mekonnen ETH 2:26:29

5.  Kristina Hendel CRO 2:27:29

6.  Priscah Jeptoo KEN 2:28:48

7.  Rosa Chacha ECU 2:28:52

8.  Gadise Mulu ETH 2:28:37

9.  Deborah Schöneborn GER 2:29:51

10. Jana Soethout GER 2:34:28

Vibian Chepkirui defended her title and smashed the course record at the Vienna City Marathon.

The Kenyan Vivian Chepkirui won with 2:20:59 after a close battle with fellow-Kenyan Ruth Chebitok who finished second in 2:21:03. Sheila Jerotich made it an all-Kenyan podium, taking third place in 2:23:01. 

Cosmas Muteti won the men’s race with 2:06:53, which is the second fastest time in the history of the Vienna City Marathon. Fellow-Kenyan Leonard Langat was second in 2:06:59 and Eritrea’s Oqbe Kibrom followed in third with 2:07:25.

Although there was no course record in the men’s race the wider top results were the best ever in the history of the event. There have never been two results below 2:07before in Vienna. And seven times sub 2:10 is also a record for Austria’s prime road race. 

A total of 32,000 runners from about 100 nations had registered for the 39th edition of the Vienna City Marathon, including events at shorter distances. Around 8,000 of them competed in the marathon. The Vienna City Marathon is Austria’s biggest sporting event and a World Athletics Label Road Race.

Men’s Race

There was good pacemaking with an even pace in the men’s race for a long time although the 2:05:41 course record was never really threatened. A group of 17 runners including the three pacers passed half way in 63:21 and then went on to a 30k split time of 1:30:12. However when the pacers all dropped out at the same time right after the 30k point the race for victory was on immediately.

It was Oqbe Kibrom who surged ahead instantly. The fastest runner on the start list (PB: 2:05:53) seemed on course for a first Eritrean victory in the history of the race. However with kilometer splits of 2:54 and 2:51 for the 31st and 32k Oqbe Kibrom misjudged his potential and the picture changed.

“I knew he was strong. But I decided not go with him at 30k and run my own pace instead. I hoped to close the gap slowly,“ explained Cosmas Muteti, who soon realised that he did gain ground on the leader. With around five kilometres to go the Kenyan, who is partly coached by former world marathon record holder Patrick Makau and was fifth in Berlin last September, caught Oqbe Kibrom and then moved away from him. 

In the final stages fellow-Kenyan Leonard Langat took second place and made up some ground to the leader. “I knew that he was coming nearer, but I was sure to win as I would have been able to put in a sprint if needed,“ said Cosmas Muteti, who wrote history by becoming the 50th runner of the Vienna City Marathon to achieve a sub 2:10 finish.

“This is my biggest victory. I hope to be able to defend my title here next year and then may be break the course record,“ said Cosmas Muteti, who improved his former PB of 2:08:45 by almost two minutes. 

Austrian’s Lemawork Ketema was the best European runner in Vienna with a 2:15:42 finishing time in 13th place. However he missed the qualifying standard for the European Championships.

Women’s Race

In relatively good weather conditions but some wind the women’s race developed differently. Defending champion Vibian Chepkirui, who ran only her second marathon after her Vienna debut triumph in 2021, broke away after eight kilometres. At the 10k mark she had a split time of 33:11 which pointed to a 2:20 finishing time.

She was six seconds ahead of fellow-Kenyans Ruth Chebitok and Viola Yator. For an unexpected reason the 27 year-old was then not able to maintain this pace. “My husband and pacemaker Wesley Kongogo had a problem with his shoes and got a blister, so he slowed a bit,“ explained Vibian Chepkirui. While she had a lead of nine seconds at half way, which she passed in 70:38, she was unable to significantly increase it.

In contrast Ruth Chebitok, who had left behind Viola Yator after the half way mark, made up the deficit and was running right behind the defending champion at 35k. 

Vibian Chepkirui stayed ahead by a step in the final section and it was with around one kilometer to go at Vienna’s Opera House when she increased the pace again and secured her second Vienna marathon victory.

“I am of course very happy to have won again in Vienna. I want to come back next year and then my goal will be to improve to 2:18,“ said Vibian Chepkirui, who ran 2:24:29 in her debut last September in warm conditions. 

Slovenia’s Neja Krsinar was the fastest European runner in Vienna. She finished eighth in 2:35:30.

Results, Men:

1. Cosmas Muteti KEN 2:06:53

2. Leonard Langat KEN 2:06:59

3. Oqbe Kibrom ERI 2:07:25

4. Charles Ndiema KEN 2:08:12

5. Raymond Chose KEN 2:08:32

6. Edwin Soi KEN 2:09:10

7. Noah Kipkemboi KEN 2:09:55

8. Abdi Fufa ETH 2:10:32

9. Abraham Kipyatich KEN 2:10:51

10. Mike Chesire KEN 2:11:32

Women:

1. Vibian Chepkirui KEN 2:20:59

2. Ruth Chebitok KEN 2:21:03

3. Sheila Jerotich KEN 2:23:01

4. Urge Soboka ETH 2:27:13

5. Caroline Kilel KEN 2:29:29

6. Viola Yator KEN 2:30:40

7. Teresiah Omosa KEN 2:31:44

8. Neja Krsinar SLO 2:35:30

9. Kellys Arias COL 2:38:28

10. Chaltu Marame ETH 2:38:34

Here's How How Evans Chebet of Kenya Won the 2022 Boston Marathon

He led a Kenyan podium sweep in the deepest Boston men’s pro field ever.

Thanks to covering the stretch between 35 and 40 kilometers in an astounding 13:55, Evans Chebet of Kenya won the 2022 Boston Marathon in 2:06:51.

Lawrence Cherono, the 2019 winner, and Benson Kipruto, the 2021 champion, made it a Kenyan podium sweep. Cherono placed second in 2:07:21. Kipruto took third in 2:07:27. 

Scott Fauble was the top American, placing seventh in 2:08:52. Fauble was also the top American in 2019, when he also finished seventh. Elkanah Kibet, ninth in 2:09:07, and CJ Albertson, 13th in 2:10:23, were the second and third U.S. finishers. All three set personal bests.

Here’s a full breakdown of the 2022 Boston Marathon men’s race, from how the race was won to the biggest surprise to the $$$. 

The Winner: Evans Chebet

Chebet, 33, has been near the top of world marathoning for the past few years. Only one man in the field has a better personal best than his 2:03:00, and before today he had placed first or second in 10 marathons. But his Boston win was still a big step forward in his career.

Chebet’s best races before today were in high-level marathons such as Valencia, Prague, and Seoul, not in World Marathon Majors. He placed third in Berlin in 2016, fourth in Tokyo in 2017, and fourth last fall in London. He started Boston once before today, in 2018, when he was among the one-third of elite entrants who dropped out during that year’s horrific wind, rain, and cold.

Certainly his momentum was heading in the right direction for today’s Boston. Other than that fourth in London in October, he has been on a winning streak, taking titles in Buenos Aries in 2019 and Lake Biwa and Valencia (where he set his PR) in 2020. Chebet will no doubt cherish but not be complacent about his new status among the world’s best. He likely knows that since 2009, only one man, Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia (2013 and 2015), has won more than one Boston title.

Where the Race Was Won

Chebet covered the 22nd mile in 4:27. Or as Geay apparently thought, “4:27?!” The Tanzanian looked at his watch, either in disbelief or in regret about how much time remained in the race now that he’d opted to go with Chebet. Whatever the case, Chebet dropped Geay a couple of minutes later en route to a 4:26 23rd mile. Then he ran another 4:26 mile. 

Chebet’s 13:55 5K between 35K and 40K is good enough to win most open 5K road races. Cherono and Kipruto gave chase and overtook Geay in the process, but Chebet’s victory was never in doubt once he started his fabulous display of late-race speed. Chebet acknowledged as much at the postrace press conference, saying through an interpreter he was confident that his move would get him the win.

The Biggest Surprise

It was a fast, deep race. The 10th finisher, Kinde Atanaw of Ethiopia, ran 2:09:16. That’s 35 seconds faster than Benson Kipruto ran to win the 2021 edition.

Wait, that’s surprising? Wasn’t this said to be the best Boston field in years? Didn’t the postponement of the London Marathon to October funnel that many more elites to the start line in Hopkinton? And doesn’t everyone run fast in the super shoe era?

Well, there were super shoes six months ago when winner Kipruto was the only one to break 2:10. Also, despite what may have appeared to be the case on television, the weather was challenging. The wind was slight—usually no more than 5 miles per hour while the pros were racing—but not favorable. Des Linden, who won during the 2018 monsoon and knows from wind, said there was a persistent headwind. A weather team from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell who tracked conditions confirmed to Runner’s World there was an atypical easterly (i.e., in-their-race) wind throughout the race.

And, as we noted above, it’s become common at Boston for the men to not really start racing until the final five miles. Today, they happened to do so after an opening half of 1:03:24, almost three minutes faster than the main pack ran last year.

So, yes, a bunch of really fast guys ran fast today at Boston. But that outcome was neither predictable nor weather-enabled.

In recent years, the men’s race at Boston has often featured a large lead pack cresting Heartbreak Hill together, and then someone shattering the pack with an aggressive move soon after. That trend continued today.

Chebet was among a pack of 20 that hit halfway in 1:03:24. He occasionally appeared near the front of the pack as they moved through the Newton hills, looking eager to get going, then perhaps reminding himself it was too early, and disappearing back into the group.

Fifteen men came up and over the most famous hill in running together. With five miles to go, two-time New York City winner Geoffrey Kamworor and last year’s champ, Benson Kipruto, appeared at the front for the first time. Chebet looked around some more. Then he started to push.

Within a minute, the field was single file. Only Gabriel Geay of Tanzania went with Chebet. Kipruto and 2019 winner Lawrence Cherono ran together in third and fourth

Tidbits From the Top 20

In addition to runner-up Lawrence Cherono (2019) and third-place finisher Benson Kipruto (2021), there were two other former Boston champions in the top 20. Lemi Berhanu of Ethiopia, the 2016 winner, placed 11th in 2:09:43. Yuki Kawauchi of Japan, winner during the apocalyptic storm of 2018, finished 20th in 2:12:55. 

If sixth-place finisher Albert Korir and his knock-kneed gait looked familiar, that’s because he won the 2021 New York City Marathon in November. 

Besides Scott Fauble, Elkanah Kibet, and CJ Albertson, there were four other American men in the top 20: Matthew McDonald, 14thin 2:10:35 (a PR); Reed Fischer, 16th in 2:10:54 (also a PR); Mick Iacofano, 17th in 2:11:48; and Colin Bennie, 19th in 2:12:08.

The Prize Money

Evans Chebet, $150,000

Lawrence Cherono, $75,000

Benson Kipruto, $40,000

Yehualaw runs 2:17:23 in Hamburg for fastest ever women's marathon debut

Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw made history in Hamburg on Sunday (24), running 2:17:23 for the fastest ever women’s marathon debut.

The 22-year-old won the Haspa Marathon Hamburg by almost nine minutes, breaking the Ethiopian record and German all-comers’ record, while just a second separated the top two in the men’s race. Kenya’s Cybrian Kotut clocked 2:04:47 to pip Uganda’s Stephen Kissa as the top four were all under the previous men’s course record of 2:05:30 set by Eliud Kipchoge in 2013.

Having broken the world 10km record with 29:14 in Castellon in February and with a half marathon best of 1:03:51 to her name, Yehualaw’s marathon debut was highly anticipated and she delivered in fine style.

Fast from the start, she ran with her male pacemakers through 10km in 32:39 and was on exactly 2:17 marathon pace through half way (1:08:30). Slowing only marginally in the second half, she went through 30km in 1:37:34 before running solo through 35km in 1:53:55 once her pacemakers had done their job.

The world half marathon bronze medallist continued on to eventually reach the finish line with 2:17:23 on the clock, well under the previous fastest ever women’s marathon debut time of 2:18:56 achieved by Paula Radcliffe in 2002.

The performance puts Yehualaw sixth on the women's world marathon all time list, topped by Brigid Kosgei’s world record of 2:14:04 set in 2019, and is the third-fastest time of the year so far.

She led an Ethiopian top three, with Fikrte Wereta and Bone Cheluke clocking respective times of 2:26:15 and 2:26:23, also on their marathon debuts.

In the men’s race, Kotut and Kissa had broken away from a six-strong group that passed 35km in 1:43:38, and so began their fierce battle for the finish. They were together through 40km in 1:58:18 and with two hours on the clock Kissa kicked, looking for a win on his marathon debut, but his rival responded.

It was Kotut, last year’s Florence Marathon winner and a training partner of recent Boston Marathon winner Evans Chebet, who had the stronger finish and he edged Kissa at the end - 2:04:47 to 2:04:48.

It was a PB for Kotut, improving on his previous best of 2:07:11 from 2016, while Kissa was rewarded with a Ugandan record on his debut.

Joining them under the previous course record were Ethiopia's Workineh Tadesse with a 2:05:07 PB and Uganda's Victor Kiplangat with a 2:05:09 PB.

Defending champion Vibian Chepkirui hoping to run 2:20 in Vienna

Defending champion Vibian Chepkirui hopes to make another big step at the Vienna City Marathon, aiming to win her second race at the classic distance as well. The Kenyan believes she is ready to run a time of around 2:20 on Sunday. Such a result would not only smash her PB but the course record of 2:22:12 as well.

It was in September when Vibian Chepkirui won her debut marathon in Vienna with 2:24:19 in very warm weather conditions. While five women feature personal bests of sub 2:25 there are two men on the start list who have run below 2:06. Oqbe Kibrom of Eritrea is the fastest runner in the field with a PB of 2:05:53. 

Organisers of the 39th edition of the Vienna City Marathon have registered more than 31,000 entries including events at shorter distances. Around 8,000 of them are marathon runners. The Vienna City Marathon is Austria’s biggest running event and a World Athletics Label Road Race.

The Vienna City Marathon will be streamed live from 8.30 am on Sundayat: www.vienna-marathon.com There will also be English live reporting of the elite races on the event’s Twitter account, which is accessible through the website as well.

"I have very good memories of Vienna and I am happy to be back. It is a good course and the people are fantastic,“ said Vibian Chepkirui, with her manager Julien di Maria of Ikaika helping her to answer the questions during the press conference. 

"I have prepared well and because of my training I think that in good weather conditions a time of around 2:20 is possible for me.“ As Julien di Maria explained Vibian Chepkirui became more confident when she saw the result of her training partner Joan Melly last Sunday: She won the Seoul Marathon with a course record of 2:18:04. 

“Vibian and Joan always train together in Iten. And they are more or less on the same level. It was only during the final stages of some sessions when Joan was a little stronger than Vibian,“ explained Julien di Maria. Vibian Chepkirui has only run a single international race since her Vienna triumph in September and has fully focussed on defending her title in the Austrian capital.

The 27 year-old was fifth in Spain’s Santa Pola half marathon in January with 69:35. On Sunday she will again be paced by her husband Wesley Kangogo, who also acts as a pacemaker for the group when they are training in Iten. 

There are four women with faster personal bests than the defending champion on the start list of the Vienna City Marathon. One of them is Ruth Chebitok, who has run 2:23:29 in Toronto in 2018. “I had injury problems for some time, but then ran quite well in Berlin last year with 2:28:18. Now I am well prepared and confident that I can run a time around my PB again,“ said the Kenyan. 

The Vienna City Marathon is among a number of top road races that experienced an unusually high number of late cancellations. Goitom Kifle of Eritrea had to cancel his start because of an injury. He had been the fastest runner on the start list with a PB of 2:05:28. Another one who can not compete in Vienna is the defending champion Leonard Langat of Kenya.

There could still be a winner from Eritrea, which would be a novelty in the history of the race. Oqbe Kibrom is now the fastest runner on the start list with a PB of 2:05:53. The Eritrean, who held the national record for some time with his PB from 2020, looks ahead with confidence.

“I have trained well and hope to run a personal best on Sunday,“ said Oqbe Kibrom. The pace of the leading group will likely be perfect for him as it is planned to pass through half way in around 63:00. An attack on the course record would then still be possible. Ethiopia’s Getu Feleke holds this mark with 2:05:41 from 2014.

Cosmas Muteti might not be a pre-race favourite, but the Kenyan has developed very well recently. Coached by former world record holder Patrick Makau he improved to 2:08:45 in Berlin last year, where he took a fine fifth place in warm conditions. „Patrick is a good coach and I have improved under his guidance,“ said Cosmas Muteti, who targets his personal best on Sunday.

There is also an OPEC Fund Rookie Team competing in Vienna on Sunday. The idea is to give unknown African athletes a chance to compete internationally in Vienna and to support them to hopefully build a successful career. Victor Serem is the most experienced of the group. The Kenyan has a PB of 2:12:00 which he ran in Nairobi in 2019. “This will be my first marathon outside Kenya and I am grateful for the opportunity. I hope to improve to 2:10 on Sunday,“ said Victor Serem. The other three runners of the OPEC Fund Rookie Team are Kenya’s Dickson Kiptoo (PB: 2:23:56 in Eldoret), Fanose Tessema Gonfa and fellow-Ethiopian Chaltu Fikadu Marame.

Elite fields with personal bests

Men:

Oqbe Kibrom ERI 2:05:53

Abdi Fufa ETH 2:05:57

Raymond Choge KEN 2:08:11

Cosmas Muteti KEN 2:08:45

Weldu Gebretsadik NOR 2:09:14

Edwin Soi KEN 2:09:16

Charles Ndiema KEN 2:10:43

Lemawork Ketema AUT 2:10:44

Leonard Langat KEN 2:10:49

Noah Kipkemboi KEN 2:11:09

Victor Serem KEN 2:12:00

Anderson Seroi KEN 2:12:21

Mike Chesire KEN 2:13:28

Tomasz Grycko POL 2:13:30

Solomon Tesfamariam SUI 2:14:51

Abraham Kipyatich KEN Debüt

Timon Theuer AUT Debüt

Women:

Caroline Kilel KEN 2:22:34

Ruth Chebitok KEN 2:23:29

Sifan Melaku ETH 2:23:49

Sheila Jerotich KEN 2:24:15

Vibian Chepkirui KEN 2:24:29

Esther Kakuri KEN 2:26:11

Urge Soboka ETH 2:28:10

Nataliya Lehonkova UKR 2:28:58

Kellys Arias COL 2:29:36

Viola Yator KEN 2:30:03

Teresiah Omosa KEN 2:30:12

Benny Cheruiyot KEN 2:34:18

Neja Krsinar SLO 2:35:44

Aliphine Tuliamuk, Jared Ward, Caroline Rotich and Abdi Abdirahman are ready to race the streets of Pittsburgh

Aliphine Tuliamuk, Jared Ward and Abdi Abdirahman are ready to race the streets of Pittsburgh in the UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh Half Marathon, scheduled for Sunday, May 1. Each of the members of this talented trio have a special connection to the City of the Champions and will embrace the city’s renowned sports fans and spectators to help them shine on race day.

Men’s Division

Ward and Abdirahman lead a talented field of top international and American runners who will be competing for the $10,000 top prize. Abdirahman, who is a 5-time Olympian, has never been to Pittsburgh but is a big fan of the city.

“It has been a dream of mine to race in Pittsburgh,” Abdirahman said. “It will be my first time in the city, and I am a big Steelers fan. I am looking forward to running the Pittsburgh Half Marathon. Training has been going great leading to this race, and I am excited to test my fitness.”

Ward will finally make his Pittsburgh racing debut after planning to run in 2020 and 2021 before the in-person events were canceled both years. He is excited to return to the city, which he hasn’t visited since he spent two years on Mormon mission after high school.

“I’m beyond excited to return to Pittsburgh,” Ward said. “I feel like I grew up here, while serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I look forward to seeing friends and touring around ‘dahntahn’ – this time on the streets as a runner.”

Joining Abdirahman and Ward in the men’s race is James Ngandu of Kenya, who earlier this year won the Houston Marathon, and American Lawi Lalang, an eight-time NCAA champion who holds a half-marathon personal best of 1:02:49. Wesley Kiptoo, who was the 2021 NCAA Indoor National Champion at 5,000 meters, will also make his half-marathon debut at the event. Local runners Colin Martin, who holds a personal record of 1:05:19, and Nick Wolk, who won the 2021 Richard S. Caliguiri City of Pittsburgh Great Race 5K and 10K, will also race.

Women’s Division

Aliphine Tuliamuk is excited to return to Pittsburgh to run her first race since the Tokyo Olympics. In 2015, she ran her first marathon at the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon, finishing in second in 2:34:44. She returned in 2018 to win the USA Half Marathon Championships.

“Pittsburgh has become a special city for me,” Tuliamuk said. “It’s where I learned that the marathon was painful but worth the struggle. Winning the 2018 USATF Half Marathon Championship gave me much needed confidence as I built toward the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials.  This year I am hoping for the same competitive atmosphere that Pittsburgh always brings. It will be my first race in a while, and I wanted to come to a place where I feel comfortable.”

Her speed will be tested against Caroline Rotich, who won the 2015 Boston Marathon and has a half-marathon personal best of 1:08:53.

“This will be my first time coming to Pittsburgh,” Rotich said. “It’s always exciting to travel to new places and Pittsburgh has been on my bucket list.  I’m motivated to capitalize on my training this spring, rather than refocus on another marathon. I am feeling fit and ready to run fast in Pittsburgh.”

The field also includes Jordan Hasay, who is the fourth fastest U.S. women’s marathoner of all-time and Canadian cross-country skier and Olympian Anne Marie Comeau. Local Pittsburgh runner Margo Malone, who ran in the 2020 U.S. Marathon Olympic Team Trials, will also compete.

This year’s UPMC Health Plan Pittsburgh Half Marathon offers a prize of $58,000, including $10,000 each for the top men’s and women’s finishers. For the first time, the event has been awarded a World Athletics Road Race Label. Only five other U.S. races carry a label from World Athletics.

About the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend of Events

The Pittsburgh Marathon was held annually from 1985-2003. After a five-year hiatus, the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon was relaunched in 2009 and debuted with a sold-out field of 10,000 participants. It has grown each year since, evolving from a single race day into a weekend of events for the whole family that annually attracts nearly 40,000 runners.

For more information about the 2022 DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend of Events, visit www.thePittsburghMarathon.com.

Yalemzerf Yehualaw among strong field of elite runners in Hamburg

The Haspa Marathon Hamburg returns to its traditional spring date on Sunday for the first time since 2019 with probably the strongest elite fields in the history of the event. Last year’s race was held under strict Covid regulations with less than 5,000 runners and almost no elite athletes.

The event on Sunday (April 24) will be the complete opposite: Including events at shorter distances organisers registered over 20,000 athletes from 65 nations and the elite fields boost eleven runners with personal bests of sub 2:08 and seven women who ran below 2:27. However the star name on the start list is not among them: Ethiopia’s 10k world record holder Yalemzerf Yehualaw will run her much anticipated debut at the Haspa Marathon Hamburg.

Germany’s biggest spring marathon, which will see its 36th edition, will be streamed live worldwide on Sunday from 9.20am (European time) at: www.haspa-marathon-hamburg.de 

“We are happy to be back in the spring with a large race and with a very strong elite field. I am really looking forward to some very good performances. We hope to see a women’s course record on Sunday,“ said chief organiser Frank Thaleiser.

The city of Hamburg might well be the place to see a new marathon star emerge on Sunday. And it would not be the first time this happens in the “Hansestadt“: Kenya’s superstar Eliud Kipchoge won his marathon debut here in 2013 with 2:05:30 which is still the course record.

Could Yalemzerf Yehualaw start an extraordinary marathon career in Hamburg as well? The 22 year-old Ethiopian brings all the requirements and characteristics for success in the marathon. With a half marathon PB of 63:51 she is the second fastest ever at this distance. Additionally Yalemzerf Yehualaw smashed the 10k world record this February with 29:14 in Castellon, Spain. 

“Yalemzerf has trained well and we are looking forward to a promising and interesting marathon debut,“ said Jurrie van der Velden, who is the elite coordinator of the Haspa Marathon Hamburg.

Unfortunately Yalemzerf Yehualaw’s flight to Hamburg was delayed so that she missed the press conference on Thursday. The Ethiopian could produce one of the fastest debuts ever and break the course record. Fellow-Ethiopian Meselech Melkamu is the current course record holder with a time of 2:21:54 from 2016. Despite running her debut Yalemzerf Yehualaw must be regarded as the favourite.

While the Olympic silver medallist of the London Games in 2021, Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya, is the fastest on the start list with 2:20:14 there are two women in the field who have won the Haspa Marathon Hamburg. Gadise Mulu is the defending champion and fellow-Ethiopian Dibabe Kuma, who took the race in 2019, is the second fastest on the start list with her PB of 2:23:24.

While the elite women often have their individual pacemakers Jurrie van der Velden hopes that a group of athletes will run together for at least the first half of the race. “The pace for this group will likely be between 70:30 and 71:00,“ he said.

Deborah Schöneborn and Kristina Hendel are the the top German runners in Hamburg. Schöneborn, who achieved a strong 18th place in the Olympic marathon last year, has a PB of 2:26:55. However she carried an injury during the winter months and is probably not yet at her best. Hendel has received German citizenship and hopes to be eligible to compete for Germany at the European Championships. Internationally at the moment she is still registered as Croatian. Kristina Hendel ran a 2:27:31 debut marathon last autumn and hopes to improve to around 2:25 in Hamburg.

Three men will be going to the starting line on Sunday knowing they have run faster than Eliud Kipchoge’s Hamburg course record of 2:05:30. Since Guye Adola had to withdraw due to an injury fellow-Ethiopian Abebe Negewo, who was also known as Abebe Degefa, now heads the start lists with a PB of 2:04:06 which he ran in Valencia in 2019. With Ethiopia’s Tsegaye Mekonnen the winner of the Haspa Marathon Hamburg 2017 returns.

He still is the unofficial world junior record holder with a time of 2:04:32. It was around half a year ago when Barselius Kipyego of Kenya clocked his PB of 2:04:48 in Paris. 

“For a number of athletes this will be their first major international race since the start of the pandemic. We hope that they will do very well,“ said Jurrie van der Velden. “The weather looks good at the moment. If it is like this on Sunday we are optimistic to see times of around 2:05.“

Philipp Pflieger, who has a personal best of 2:12:15, and Johannes Motschmann carry national hopes on Sunday. Motschmann ran 2:12:18 in Rotterdam last autumn and showed promising form recently at the Berlin Half Marathon where he improved to 61:45. As a number of other athletes he hopes to achieve the qualifying standard for the World Championships of 2:11:30 in Hamburg.

Elite runners with personal bests

Men:

Abebe Negewo ETH 2:04:06

Tsegaye Mekonnen ETH 2:04:32

Barselius Kipyego KEN 2:04:48

Dejene Debele ETH 2:05:46

Simon Kipkosgei KEN 2:07:07

Cybrian Kotut KEN 2:07:11

Bernard Ngeno KEN 2:07:18

Amos Mitei KEN 2:07:28

Workineh Tadesse ETH 2:07:42

Abrar Osman ERI 2:07:46

Mustafa Kedir ETH 2:07:49

Alfred Koech KEN 2:09:01

Victor Kiplangat UGA 2:10:18

Bazezew Asmare ETH 2:10:51

Masresha Bere ETH 2:10:55

Arturo Esparza MEX 2:11:04

Philipp Pflieger GER 2:12:15

Johannes Motschmann GER 2:12:18

Gasper Csere HUN 2:14:34

Dario Castro MEX 2:14:51

Marco Salami ITA 2:14:57

Stephen Kissa UGA Debut

Ronald Kirui KEN Debut

Ibrahim Hassan DJI Debut

Filimon Abraham GER Debut

Women:

Priscah Jeptoo KEN 2:20:14

Dibabe Kuma ETH 2:23:24

Carla Rocha POR 2:24:47

Tseginesh Mekonnen ETH 2:24:50

Gadise Mulu ETH 2:26:20

Alice Cherono KEN 2:26:51

Deborah Schöneborn GER 2:26:55

Kristina Hendel CRO 2:27:31

Rosa Chacha ECU 2:28:17

Andreia Hessel BRA 2:34:55

Maria Sagnes Wagan NOR 2:35:34

Camilla Elofsson SWE 2:35:37

Yalemzerf Yehualaw ETH Debut

Alia Mohamed UAE Debut

Former athlete Catherine Makau aiming to produce world beaters

When former athlete Catherine Makau visited the hilly area of Kea in Kitui County to distribute food to athletes in September, 2020 during the height of Covid-19, she was met with extraordinary scenes.

Over 300 athletes turned up for the exercise and it left Catherine’s mind brimming with ideas.

“As a former athlete, I saw potential, this being a high altitude area with lovely weather,” said Catherine, who is the wife of former world marathon record holder, Patrick Makau.

Catherine decided to start an athletics camp in the area in January last year, and the camp that is the latest in the country, now has over 60 athletes both junior and seniors.

Kea Athletics Club is among three that were picked by Athletics Kenya to host holiday camps in the Southern region to prepare juniors for the World Under-20 Championships trials.

The others are Iuani Athletics Club in Makueni County and Talent Discovery and Development Centre, Machakos County.

Catherine is confident that just like Iuani and Machakos, they will be able to not only compete effectively during the trials, but also qualify some athletes for the world event.

Machakos produced seven athletes for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships held last year in Nairobi.

The World Under-20 Athletics Championships are slated for August 1 to 6 this year in Cali, Colombia.

Among the athletes that Catherine singled out from her pool of 20; 10 boys and 10 girls, are the 1,500m runner Josephine Kalekye, who finished fourth in the girls under-18 5km race during the Memorial Agnes Tirop World Athletics Cross Country Gold Tour in February.

Naomi Kimanzi (3,000m), Joshua Kithoku (5,000m), Alexander Matiti (1,500m) are the others with great potential to make Team Kenya.

“I only pray for an injury free season and hope to represent Kenya,” said Kimanzi, who finished seventh in women’s Under-20 6km race during the National Cross Country Championships in January in Eldoret.

“I want to emulate the World 5,9000m champion Hellen Obiri.”

Nelson Mandela (3,000m/5,000m), who finished fourth in men’s 10,000m during the third Athletics Kenya Track and Field Meeting at the Nyayo National Stadium, is among 50 juniors preparing at Iuani hills.

Others are Justus Muasya (1,500m) and Dennis Mutuku (3,000m).

Other juniors not in camp, but likely to make the Iauni team are Emmanuel Lemama and Faith Salome (800m).

Lemama, who finished second in men’s 1,500m to qualify for last year’s world under-20, but was later dropped due to injury, is currently at the Kenya Defence Forces Recruit Training College, while Salome is attending the Elite Youth Camp by the National Olympic Committee at Kenyatta University.

Machakos once again should provide a huge number from Southern to Team Kenya including Peter Kithome, who claimed bronze in 4x400m at the world under-20 and Jonathan Mutua.

Kithome and Mutua are currently with Kenyan juniors receiving specialised training at Miramas Athletics Club in France.

Javelin thrower Christine Musembi looks promising from Machakos alongside Jackline Mikayo (200m), Damaris Nduleve (400m), Agnes Syometi (400m hurdles), Sebastian Sinoti (400m) and Alex Nzioka (3,000m).

Nell Rojas and Scott Fauble top americans at Boston Marathon

It was a Kenyan sweep at the Boston Marathon with Evan Chebet winning the men’s race in 2:06:51 and Peres Jepchirchir capturing the women’s title in 2:21:01.

The top Americas both have Colorado ties. Boulder’s Scott Fauble, who graduated from Wheat Ridge High School and is a two-time CHSAA champion, finished seventh among the men in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 52 seconds.

Boulder’s Nell Rojas, who was also top American last year, came in 10th among the women at 2:25:57.

The 126th running of the Boston Marathon marked the event’s return to its spot on Patriots’ Day, the Massachusetts state holiday, for the first time in two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Hopkinton, Massachusetts starting line saw 30,000 participants for the oldest annual marathon in the world. 

Peres Jepchirchir wins Boston in a final sprint and Evans Chebet takes the men's title

 It was not until 1972 that the Boston Marathon’s organizers allowed women to race as official entrants. Before then, those who were brave enough to defy the ban were often jeered or forcibly pulled off the course. Among the rationales cited? That women were “physiologically incapable” of running 26.2 miles.

It all seems so painfully misguided now, of course, but that pockmarked piece of the event’s history was worth remembering Monday as Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya and Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia charged through Kenmore Square, in the shadow of Fenway Park, not far from the finish line. The rest of a decorated women’s field had splintered in their wake, and now Jepchirchir and Yeshaneh went back and forth, trading the lead several times as they staged a memorable duel.

Finally, with one last push, Jepchirchir lengthened her stride to create some separation as she sprinted to the finish, her narrow win coming 50 years after women first vied for Boston Marathon glory. Perhaps the only person surprised by the outcome was Jepchirchir herself.

“I was not expecting to win,” said Jepchirchir, the reigning Olympic champion. “But I’m feeling grateful, and now I can say that I believe in myself more.”

 For the first time since 2019, the Boston Marathon returned to its traditional slot on the calendar. Until the coronavirus pandemic, the marathon had been staged every April since 1897. But in 2020, the race was canceled for the first time in its history. And last year, the race was pushed to October, when it competed for elite entrants with a cluster of other marathons.

Order was restored this year, as a full field of about 30,000 participants — runners, wheelchair racers, para athletes, hand cyclists — formed a giant wave from Hopkinton, Mass., to Boston on a cool, sun-splashed day.

No one shined brighter than Jepchirchir, 28, who finished in 2 hours 21 minutes 1 second, just four seconds ahead of Yeshaneh. Mary Ngugi of Kenya placed third after running a smart race: She knew enough to pace herself when Jepchirchir and Yeshaneh pounded the gas, blowing away the field.

“I’m glad I didn’t follow them and just die,” Ngugi said.

Establishing herself as the most formidable female marathoner on the planet, Jepchirchir has now won her last five marathons and three in the last eight months: After surviving extraordinarily hot conditions to win at the Tokyo Games in August, Jepchirchir won the New York City Marathon in November. Now, after another triumph, she is already looking ahead.

“I still have more to do,” she said.

Kenyans swept the men’s podium. Evans Chebet, 33, won his first world marathon major when he broke clear of a large pack, finishing in 2:06:51. Lawrence Cherono was second, and Benson Kipruto, last year’s winner, was third.

The pack began to dissolve behind Chebet after he covered the 22nd mile in 4:27, a preposterous tempo. Crushing his opposition only seemed to spur him forward.

“My counterparts were nowhere close to me,” he said through a translator, “and that gave me the motivation and the determination to hit it off and seize the win.”

On Monday, fortune largely favored the brave — but not everyone. CJ Albertson, a 28-year-old Californian who trains for marathons by doing marathons, pushed the pace from the start.

“My only chance to really win or be up there in the top is to kind of break some people,” he said. “I had the mind-set that I’m invincible, and you kind of have to run like that.”

The problem: “There are limits,” he said.

Albertson faded to a 13th-place finish in 2:10:23, which was still a personal best. Scott Fauble, 30, was the top American man, in seventh. “I think I do well with hills,” he said.

Molly Seidel, a crowd favorite and a former Boston-area resident, struggled in her Boston debut, dropping out at Mile 16. She said in a statement that she had been dealing with a hip injury.

“I had to make the difficult call to stop at a medical tent to avoid really damaging anything,” she said.

Seidel, the bronze medalist in the women’s marathon at the Tokyo Games, was coming off a fourth-place finish at the New York City Marathon with broken ribs.

Nell Rojas was the fastest American woman, finishing 10th in 2:25:57.

Manuela Schӓr of Switzerland won the women’s wheelchair race, cruising to her fourth victory in the event, and Daniel Romanchuk of the United States won the men’s title for a second time in Boston.

Many runners were drawn to this year’s race by the opportunity to accomplish a one-of-a-kind feat: running back-to-back Boston Marathons mere months apart.

“It feels almost a little bit too soon,” said Joyce Lee, who was running her sixth Boston Marathon after serving as guide for a visually impaired runner in the October race.

Many were also grateful for the chance to compete on the 50th anniversary of women’s official inclusion in the marathon. “It’s incredible to think that was a thing back then and women had to work so hard to participate in this event,” said Christine Valdes, 46. “They paved the way for us.”

Sport is seldom immune from global politics, and this year’s marathon was no different. Amid the war in Ukraine, runners from Russia and Belarus were barred from competing by the Boston Athletic Association, which organizes the race. (Citizens of Russia and Belarus who are residents of other countries were still allowed to take part.)

And there were, as always, reminders of the terror that tore through the marathon nine years ago. Henry Richard, 20, crossed the finish line at 2:52 p.m., and the timing could not have been more poignant: It was around that time in 2013 when two bombs exploded and killed his 8-year-old brother, Martin, and two other people, and wounded 264 others.

“I know Martin would have been doing it with me,” Richard said after the race on Monday. “That’s all I could think about.”

Richard finished in 4:02:20. “I did it for both of us, and my sister and the rest of our family,” he said. “I couldn’t be more happy now. I’m going to do it again.”

In her own subtle way, Jepchirchir offered a counterpoint to some of the world’s divisions. In the race’s late stages, she and Yeshaneh appeared to work together to extend their lead. At one point, Jepchirchir offered Yeshaneh some of her water.

It all seemed straight from the Jepchirchir playbook. Consider her performance in New York last year, when she encouraged Viola Cheptoo, a fellow Kenyan, to stick with her as they entered Central Park side by side. Jepchirchir eventually pulled away, but Cheptoo lauded her sportsmanship.

On Monday, it was more of the same, all those years after eight women broke the gender barrier by racing against more than a thousand men.

“I love my competitors,” Jepchirchir said, “because I can’t do it by myself.”

Kenyans Evans Chebet, Peres Jepchirchir win men's and women's titles

Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir outlasted Ethiopia's Ababel Yeshaneh in the final stretch down Boylston Street to capture the women's crown at the Boston Marathon on Monday.

The Kenyan star crossed the finish line in two hours 21 minutes and one second, four seconds ahead of Yeshaneh, who dueled with Jepchirchir in the final few hundred meters. Jepchirchir's win gave Kenya both the men's and women's titles as Evans Chebet topped the men's race in 2:06:51 — his first major marathon win.

He led a 1-2-3 finish for Kenya with countrymen Lawrence Cherono second in 2:07:21 and Benson Kipruto, the defending champion, third in 2:07:27.

The fastest Americans have crossed the finish line: Scott Fauble finished seventh among the men in 2 hours 8 minutes 52 seconds and Nell Rojas came in 10th among the women at 2:25:57.

American Daniel Romanchuk, who captured Boston in 2019, won the men's wheelchair event in 1:26:58. Defending champion Marcel Hug of Switzerland pulled out just before the start of the race due to medical reasons.

On the women's wheelchair side, Manuela Schar of Switzerland captured her fourth Boston title in 1:41:08.

The marathon returned to its traditional Patriot's Day timeslot after a three-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The in-person event was canceled in 2020 for the first time in history. It returned in 2021 but was held in October with a smaller field of around 20,000 runners. More than 30,000 competitors were registered for Monday's event.

Canada’s Charles Philibert-Thiboutot wins B.A.A. 5K while ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi breaks the course record

The Quebec native ran 13:35 and broke the Canadian 5K road record in the process.

Canada’s Charles Philibert-Thiboutot kicked off the Boston Marathon weekend in style this Saturday, winning the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) 5K in 13:35. His time took one second off the previous Canadian 5K road record, set by Paul Williams in Carlsbad, California in June 1986.

Philibert-Thiboutot ran a strong race from start to finish, but the win wasn’t handed to him. New Zealand runner Geordie Beamish and Zouhair Talbi of Morroco unleashed a couple of hard kicks in the final metres of the race in an attempt to overtake C.P.T., but fell short to finish second and third, both in 13:36.

“I’m really happy,” he said in an interview with Radio-Canada. “Honestly, it’s not the strongest Canadian record that existed, but it’s still my first Canadian record.”

Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi breaks course record

The Women’s-only 5K world record-holder, Teferi, broke the tape in the women’s race in 14:49, taking one second off Molly Huddle’s previous course record from 2015. Unlike in the men’s race, Teferi had a commanding lead over the rest of the field, with Weini Kelati, who holds the American women’s-only 10K record, finishing second in 15:04. Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi rounded out the podium in third in 15:16.

Who is Ready? Who is Not? What the Pros Said at Boston Marathon Media Day

2022 Boston Marathon and it’s time to get excited. The weather is nice, the trees are starting to bloom (well, some of them), and two dozen of the world’s best distance runners have descended upon the Hub for the most loaded Boston Marathon in race history.

LetsRun.com will have boots on the ground all weekend, and we had a chance to talk to a number of top athletes, agents, and coaches at this morning’s media availability ahead of Monday’s race. The B.A.A. announced two race updates, with 2017 champ Geoffrey Kirui scratching from the marathon and US 10,000m champ Emily Sisson scratching from Saturday’s B.A.A. 5K. Here are the other things we learned on Friday from speaking to Molly Seidel, Peres Jepchirchir, Geoffrey Kamworor, CJ Albertson, and many more.

Molly Seidel says she has had some privacy concerns with her Strava account but is feeling excited and fit for Boston

Seidel will run two marathons in the first seven months of 2022, with Boston on Monday and the World Championship marathon in Eugene in July, and she and coach Jon Green have built their strategy for the year around those two races.

“We were looking [at] Boston as coming into this with a lot of strength and using this to try and carry through and hone the speed for Worlds,” Seidel said. “Right now I feel like we’ve set it up really well like that, and I’m hoping that the speed’s gonna be there. Fingers crossed.”

Seidel will likely need that speed over the final, mostly downhill 10k in Boston, as that is where the race is often broken open. And with two top half marathoners leading the field – World Half champ Peres Jepchirchir and former HM world record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei – the pace could get very hot at the end of the race.

Challenging for the overall win will be tough, but Seidel said she is excited to race the best in the world on Boston’s hallowed course.

“Obviously intimidated, they’re incredible, and I’ve gotten my ass kicked by Peres the two times I’ve raced her,” Seidel said. “But getting to be in a race with a huge amount of competition like that, women with incredible credentials, that fires me up like nothing else.”

Seidel’s buildup wasn’t perfect, as she dealt with a hip impingement about a month ago and had to miss the NYC Half as a result. But she’s logged multiple 130+ mile weeks since then, which you can tell by visiting her Strava page. And while it’s great for most of the running community to be able to see what an Olympic medalist does for training – transparency that Seidel says she values – recently, she has met with some of the Strava staff out of concerns that some people have been using the data to figure out where she lives.

“It can be a lot sometimes, realizing you’ve got 60,000 people following your every move and a little bit scary sometimes when people start tracking that,”’ Seidel said. “So it’s something that I’m still figuring out, honestly. And I’ve wavered back and forth on getting off the platform, mainly because of that.”

Geoffrey Kamworor (photo) is all-in on the marathon and ready to go in his Boston debut

For the first decade of his professional career, Kamworor developed a reputation as a man for all seasons. He ran 12:58 and 26:52 on the track and earned a silver in the 10,000 at Worlds, won World XC twice, and won the World Half three times. He also mixed in two NYC Marathon titles during that span, but the marathon was never his full focus.

That, says his agent Valentijn Trouw, has now changed. Boston will be Kamworor’s first spring marathon since 2014, and he has already committed to the World Championship marathon in July. At this point, he is all-in on the marathon.

And that could be a scary prospect for the rest of the field. Kamworor’s 2:05:23 pb may only be 10th-best in the field, but he ran that in Valencia in December in a race Kamworor had barely been able to train for due to an ankle injury. For this buildup, Trouw said, Kamworor did not miss a step.

While the deep men’s field is pretty wide-open on paper, one prominent agent we spoke to (not Trouw) said he views Kamworor as the favorite due to his two NYC wins and his killer speed in the half marathon – two assets that should help significantly in Boston.

Defending champ Benson Kipruto ready to take on some big names

Kipruto was a surprise winner last year, but will not be able to sneak under anyone’s radar this year. He gave the platitudes about being “happy to be back” this year. But he said his training has gone well and the goal is the same as last year — to win, despite the field being stronger this year. “There are some strong guys, but I don’t care…my preparation was good.”

CJ Albertson isn’t a 2:06 guy yet, but he’s trying to think of himself that way

Albertson has run some insane efforts in practice, including a 2:09 marathon on a treadmill in 2020 and a 2:10:28 “split” three weeks ago at the Modesto Marathon (his result is listed officially as 2:11:56, but the lead bike led Albertson the wrong way, causing him to run extra distance). Yet Albertson’s official marathon personal best is still 2:11:18 from the Marathon Project in 2020. Is he leaving his best efforts in practice? Albertson doesn’t view it that way.

“At some point, I’m gonna run fast,” he said. “Hopefully it’s on Monday.”

Albertson also had an interesting perspective when we asked about all those hard efforts in practice. They might seem crazy for a guy whose official pb is 2:11, but Albertson said his goal is to run 2:06 one day and that he tries to think of his training in that context.

“Whatever you want to be, you have to mentally be there first before you’re actually there,” Albertson said. “I want to work out and train like I am an American record holder. Because one day I’m going to be or I’ll have a shot to be in that position and those two weeks before aren’t gonna matter, it’s gonna be what I did the five years leading up to it…The workouts that I’m doing, if you look at me like an American record holder and it’s like, he’s going out and running 5:00 pace on the weekends, it’s no big deal.”

He had one of those workouts on Sunday, running 4:50 pace (2:06:43 marathon pace) for 15 miles and feeling great doing it.

As for Monday, Albertson, who led for the first 20 miles last year and ultimately finished 10th, said he will likely go out hard again but expects he will have more company this time given the strength of the field and great conditions in the forecast.

Colin Bennie is running Monday’s race for the Play Ball Foundation while his contract situation with Reebok is sorted out

Bennie was the top American at last year’s Boston Marathon, finishing 7th in 2:11:26. It is a bit of a surprise, then, that he will not be racing on Monday in the colors of the Reebok Boston Track Club. The reason why is a bit complicated. Reebok has been undergoing an ownership change, and in March was officially sold by adidas to Authentic Brands Group. Bennie’s Reebok contract was up at the end of 2021, and as a result he’s in limbo as Reebok did not want to offer a new contract in the midst of an ownership change. The new owners are still figuring out what to do with the Reebok Boston Track Club, but Bennie is hopeful that the group’s strong recent performances, such as Josette Norris’ 5th-place finish in the 1500 at World Indoors, are proof that the team is still worth supporting (he is still training with the team and coach Chris Fox in Virginia).

“There’s been good support throughout,” Bennie said. “These things just do take time.”

With no sponsor for the moment, Bennie, a Massachusetts native, will be running Monday’s race for the Play Ball Foundation, a local charity dedicated to providing sports opportunities to middle schoolers in underserved communities. Play Ball’s logo is the letters PB in large, blue font – good letters for a marathoner.

“It’s a very good thing to have on you on race day,” Bennie said.

Jake Riley and Jared Ward are hoping things turn a corner for them in Boston

Riley and Ward are both US Olympians, but both have hit some rough patches recently. They’re hoping Boston is a first step back in the right direction.

Riley, 34, had been struggling in practice and had an awful tuneup race for Boston, running 46:27 at the US 15K champs on March 5 to finish in 35th place. After searching for answers, Riley finally determined, with the help of his nutritionist, that he was underfueling between runs, which meant that he struggled to finish workouts and races strong. 

Riley pointed out that he was able to go out with the pack at the 15K but just could not get his body to go faster over the final 5k when the racing picked up.

But Riley said that he has made some changes to his diet and that the last four weeks of training have gone very well.

“Since I’ve tried to fix that, things have finally started to come around,” Riley said. “My energy levels are better, I’ve been able to close out workouts better.

”Four weeks may not be enough to turn things around for a big race in Boston, though. Riley admitted that there is a wide range of outcomes for him on Monday.

As for the 33-year-old Ward, he was wondering, after a rough 2020 season, whether he might be nearing the end of his marathon career. Now a father of five, Ward was feeling more tired in practice and daily live and simply chalked it up to getting older

“I just kind of thought, this is just, I guess, how you feel,” Ward said.

But in marathon years, 33 really isn’t that old. So Ward endeavored to find out what was wrong. Ultimately, he was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and prescribed Levothyroxine, a thyroid-replacement drug, by his doctor. But Ward is well aware of the stigma around thyroid medication in the running world, and for two weeks, the medication sat untouched in his cupboard. Ultimately, however, he decided that he would take the supplement – which is legal under the WADA Code and does not require a TUE – but that he would be open and honest about exactly what he was taking and why ( this Instagram post has more details). So far, Ward says, the reaction has been positive from fellow athletes, who are grateful that Ward has addressed the issue in an honest manner.

“It’s around us a lot more than you might think, and for people that need it, it’s important,” Ward says.

Ward says that since taking the medication, his energy levels feel back to normal, which have made it easier for him to train – and to play with his kids. But he also said that his fatigue issues before that meant that he was not able to push as hard in practice as he would have liked, meaning he probably doesn’t have the base quite yet to get back to his best marathoning.

“I think it might take a year or two to climb back to where I’d like to be,” Ward says.

Jared Ward starting new pro group in Utah: the Run Elite Program

Utah has produced a lot of really good runners, but up until now it was not known for its pro training groups, despite being at altitude and a good place to train. Jared Ward and Isaac Wood (of the Wood Report) wanted to change that and set out to get funding for a pro running group in Utah. Mike McKell, a state senator in Utah and a big runner, said they should try to get state funding, which they did to the tune of multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Wood talks about the foundation of the group below, which is designed to be shoe brand agnostic.

Peres Jepchirchir and Joyciline Jepkosgei ready to battle

Jepchirchir and Jepkosgei will battle for the title of World’s #1 marathoner on Monday.  They sat next to each other in the media room and were both confident they would handle the Boston course on their first try.

Both said their preparations have gone well. While neither has run Boston, they both are New York City Marathon champions and have shown they can win non-rabbited hilly marathons.

Viola Cheptoo Lagat has found her event

Viola is the sister of 1500m star Bernard Lagat. So she naturally thought she was a 1500m runner and made the Olympic team for Kenya. But she never ran faster than 4:04. Turns out her event really was the marathon. Coming off her 2nd place finish at the New York City Marathon where she battled Jepchirchir nearly to the line, Lagat’s goal is to win on Monday, but with this tough field knows a top 3 finish would be a good accomplishment.

Ageless Edna Kiplagat discusses longevity: “This year the field is so strong, but I have no fear”

Kiplagat was born in the 1970s and she’s still a force in the pro running ranks, getting 2nd at 2021 Boston in the fall. Winning may be out of the question but it’s a strong bet Kiplagat will have a good race on Monday.  She said the key to her longevity has been staying focused and not over racing. As for this year, “This year the field is so strong, but I have no fear.”

Scott Fauble doesn’t mind flying under the radar in 2022

Since Meb Keflezighi’s win in Boston in 2014, no American man has run faster in Boston than Scott Fauble’s 2:09:09 in 2019. That led to a lot of attention and expectations over the next couple of years, but also pressure. 

“I sort of was the belle of the ball and I put a lot of pressure on myself,” Fauble said.

The spotlight on Fauble has faded recently, however, as he was only 16th in Boston last year and is currently unsponsored (he will race Monday’s race in a Lululemon singlet he bought himself). But it would be a mistake to sleep on him: Fauble, now working with coach Joe Bosshard, ran 61:11 in the Houston Half and knows what it takes to succeed on this course.

Melly and Geremew run course records for Seoul Marathon success

Joan Chelimo Melly and Mosinet Geremew both broke the course records to triumph at the Seoul Marathon, a World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race, on Sunday (17).

Ethiopia’s world silver medallist Geremew saw off the challenge of his compatriot Herpasa Negasa and Brazil’s Daniel do Nascimento to win the men’s race in 2:04:43, while Romania’s Melly made a breakthrough to win the women’s contest in 2:18:04 ahead of Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede and Bahrain’s Eunice Chumba.

Both eventual winners managed to pull away from their rivals over the final couple of kilometres and keep them at bay, but it remained a fight to the finish. Negasa was just six seconds behind Geremew, with Do Nascimento a further two seconds back in a South American record, and Kebede was eight seconds behind Melly, with those five athletes all finishing inside the previous respective course records of 2:05:13 and 2:19:51.

Geremew, Negasa and Do Nascimento had been part of a 19-strong group that passed 5km in 14:42 and 10km in 29:14. By 20km that pack had 14 members, with 58:43 on the clock. Over the next 10km, three runners were dropped, with Geremew, Negasa and Do Nascimento among those to the fore along with Kenya’s Elisha Kipchirchir Rotich, Philemon Rono and Mark Korir (1:28:41). Rotich, last year’s Paris Marathon winner and the 2019 runner-up in Seoul, dropped out a short while later, while Geremew, Negasa and Do Nascimento began to break away, with the Brazilian pushing the pace.

Geremew and Negasa then made a move and looked to be leaving Do Nascimento behind, with a six-second gap, 1:43:31 to 1:43:37, at 35km and Korir and Rono another eight seconds back.

But Do Nascimento wasn’t giving up and rejoined the leaders to trail by just a few strides as 40km was passed in 1:58:27.

It was London and Chicago runner-up Geremew who was strongest in the closing stages and he held off his challengers to return to winning ways after being unable to finish the Tokyo Marathon earlier this year.

Negasa, who was second in Dubai in 2019, claimed another runner-up spot in 2:04:49, while Do Nascimento improved Ronaldo da Costa’s South American record of 2:06:05 – a world record when it was run in 1998 – by more than a minute, finishing third in 2:04:51.

Korir was a couple of minutes back in fourth in 2:06:54, one second ahead of Moses Kibet.In the women’s race, Melly – who has a half marathon best of 1:05:04 and was contesting her fourth marathon – was among the nine runners who passed 5km in 16:40 and 10km in 32:58. The lead group was down to six at 15km (49:30) and Melly had broken away with 2019 Beijing Marathon winner Kebede, Chumba and Kenya’s Celestine Chepchirchir by 20km (1:05:44).

That quartet continued to race through 25km in 1:21:58 and 30km in 1:38:29, and while Olympic seventh-place finisher Chumba was 10 seconds back at 35km – 1:55:03 to 1:55:13 – she passed Chepchirchir in the closing stages to finish third, eight seconds ahead.

Melly and Kebede had broken away by 40km, passed in 1:12:16, with Melly eventually striding away to win by eight seconds, 2:18:04 to 2:18:12, and record an almost three-minute PB.

Chumba was third in 2:20:02 and Chepchirchir fourth in 2:20:10, one place off her position in Seoul in 2019.

Seven years after her victory in Seoul, Ethiopia's Guteni Shone finished fifth in 2:28:05.

Highly competitive fields ready to clash in Seoul this weekend

Organizers of the Seoul Marathon have assembled what is arguably their strongest ever line-up for the World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race on Sunday (17).

Eight men with sub-2:06 PBs and five women with sub-2:21 lifetime bests are among the highly competitive fields.

World silver medalist Mosinet Geremew heads the men’s line-up. The former Ethiopian record-holder, who has a PB of 2:02:55, has finished in top three in eight of his nine completed marathons. He was unable to finish the Tokyo Marathon earlier this year, but he’ll return to action on Sunday in a bid to become just the second Ethiopian man in history to win the Seoul Marathon.

If he falls short of that target, compatriot Herpasa Negasa stands a good chance. Runner-up in Dubai in 2019, he is a 2:03:40 performer at his best.

Elisha Kipchirchir Rotich leads the Kenyan charge. A formidable opponent, he won the Paris Marathon last year in a PB of 2:04:21. He also has five other career marathon victories to his name, and he finished second in Seoul in 2019.

Three-time Toronto Marathon winner Philemon Rono is also entered, as is Kenyan compatriot Mark Korir. The 2015 Paris Marathon winner has a 2:05:49 PB and will be making his fifth appearance in Seoul; he has made the podium three times in the Korean city but is yet to win.

Korea’s Joohan Oh – formerly known as Wilson Loyanae of Kenya – is also familiar with the streets of Seoul, having won the race four times. He also holds the course record at 2:05:13, but his last completed marathon was back in 2019 when he finished second in Gyeongju in 2:08:42.

Ugandan duo Filex Chemonges and Moses Kibet are also worth keeping an eye on. Chemonges, who represented Uganda at the Olympics last year, holds the national record at 2:05:12. Kibet, meanwhile, has only contested two marathons to date but already has a PB of 2:05:20.

Other entered athletes include 2017 Seoul runner-up Felix Kandie of Kenya, Kenneth Keter, Brazilian Olympian Daniel do Nascimento, two-time Amsterdam winner Benard Kipyego, Solomon Kirwa Yego and Martin Kosgey.

The women’s race looks just as competitive and similarly tough to call.

Guteni Shone returns to Seoul, seven years after her victory there. Since then, she has also won in Ottawa and Seville, while in more recent years she has finished second in Prague in 2021 and second in Dubai in 2020 – the latter with a PB of 2:20:11, making her the fastest in the field for Sunday. In fact, she has finished in the top two in her past four marathons and she won’t want to relinquish that streak this weekend.

She’ll be joined on the start line by two fellow Ethiopians who also have a strong marathon record. Sutume Asefa, winner of the Beijing Marathon in 2019, set a PB of 2:20:30 when finishing third in Tokyo two years ago. Shure Demise, meanwhile, set her PB of 2:20:59 on her debut at the distance in Dubai back in 2015, but has gone on to win in Toronto twice. She also placed third in Tokyo in 2019 and in Chicago in 2018.

Netsanet Gudeta may not have the fastest PB of the elite field – partly because she has only completed two marathons to date – but she is a proven contender at the half marathon distance, having won the 2018 world title. Her half marathon PB of 1:05:45 suggests she’s capable of improving on her 2:26:09 marathon PB.

Joan Chelimo Melly has an even quicker half marathon PB, 1:05:04, making her one of the fastest women of all time for the distance. The Kenyan has started to move up to the marathon in recent years and has a PB of 2:20:57.

Other Kenyans in the line-up include Agnes Jeruto Barsosio, who was third in Seoul in 2016, Selly Chepyego Kaptich, and Celestine Chepchirchir, who was third in Seoul in 2019. Bahrain’s Eunice Chumba, seventh at the Olympics last year, is another one to watch.

Elite field

Women

Guteni Shone (ETH) 2:20:11

Sutume Asefa (ETH) 2:20:30

Joan Chelimo Melly (KEN) 2:20:57

Agnes Jeruto Barsosio (KEN) 2:20:59

Shure Demise (ETH) 2:20:59

Selly Chepyego Kaptich (KEN) 2:21:06

Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:23:10

Celestine Chepchirchir (KEN) 2:23:38

Netsanet Gudeta  (ETH) 2:26:09

Men

Mosinet Geremew (ETH) 2:02:55

Herpasa Negasa (ETH) 2:03:40

Elisha Kipchirchir Rotich (KEN) 2:04:21

Philemon Rono (KEN) 2:05:00

Filex Chemonges (UGA) 2:05:12

Joohan Oh (KOR) 2:05:13

Moses Kibet (UGA) 2:05:20

Mark Korir (KEN) 2:05:49

Felix Kandie (KEN) 2:06:03

Kenneth Keter (KEN) 2:06:05

Daniel do Nascimento (BRA) 2:06:11

Benard Kipyego (KEN) 2:06:19

Solomon Kirwa Yego (KEN) 2:06:24

Martin Kosgey (KEN) 2:06:41

Vincent Kipsang Rono (KEN) 2:07:10

Lucas Kimeli Rotich (KEN) 2:07:17

Belachew Alemayehu (ETH) 2:07:55

Brian Kipsang (KEN) 2:09:07.

Strong Vienna elite fields could attack course records

Both course records could become a target at the Vienna City Marathon, which features strong elite races on April 24. Kenyans Leonard Langat and Vibian Chepkirui will return to defend their Vienna titles while there are three men on the start list who have broken 2:06 and five women featuring personal bests of sub 2:25.

With regard to these personal records it will be strongest line-up in the history of the Vienna City Marathon which will see its 39th edition next week. Including races at shorter distances more than 31,000 runners have registered for Austria’s biggest running event, a World Athletics Marathon Label Road Race.

“We are very happy that we were able to surpass the mark of 30,000 entries. Compared to our comeback race in September 2021 this is a nice step forward. We feel the enthusiasm of the runners,“ said Kathrin Widu, the General Manager of the Vienna City Marathon.

There has never been an Eritrean winner in the history of the Vienna City Marathon which had its first edition back in 1984. This may change next week though since the two fastest entrants are from this country: Goitom Kifle and Oqbe Kibrom feature personal bests of 2:05:28 and 2:05:53 respectively. Kifle had a fine year in 2021: He was third in Enschede, 14th in the Olympic marathon in Sapporo and then 6th in Valencia, where he ran his PB. With his personal record the Eritrean is a little faster than Vienna’s course record of 2:05:41 by Ethiopia’s Getu Feluke in 2014.

Abdi Fufa of Ethiopia is the third athlete in Vienna’s line-up who has run sub 2:06. A year ago he was second in Siena’s elite only race with 2:05:57. It looks a tough task for Leonard Langat to defend his title in the Austrian capital. The Kenyan improved to 2:09:25 in Vienna last September. But with this PB he is only the eighth fastest athlete on the start list.

Unfortunately there were a number of cancellations from elite runners recently. Among them are Mekuant Ayenew and fellow-Ethiopian Derara Hurisa, who had originally crossed the line first in last year’s Vienna City Marathon. However he then had to be disqualified for wearing illegal racing shoes and Leonard Langat became the winner.

The fastest runner on the women’s start list is Caroline Kilel, who ran 2:22:34 when she took the Frankfurt Marathon back in 2013. While the Kenyan did not reach these sort of times recently there are other athletes who showed promising last year. Defending champion Vibian Chepkirui may only be number five on the list with her PB of 2:24:29.

However she did run this time last September in Vienna in very warm conditions. Afterwards the Kenyan said that she could have been at least two minutes faster in more suitable conditions. 

Vibian Chepkirui could be capable of attacking the course record of fellow-Kenyan Nancy Kiprop who was the winner in 2019 with 2:22:12.

Kenya’s Ruth Chebitok and Ethiopia’s Sifan Melaku are number two and three on Vienna’s start list with PBs of 2:23:29 and 2:23:49 respectively. Sheila Jerotich of Kenya is a contender for victory as well. She took the Istanbul Marathon in November, improving to 2:24:15.

Elite fields with personal bests

Men:

Goitom Kifle ERI 2:05:28

Oqbe Kibrom ERI 2:05:53

Abdi Fufa ETH 2:05:57

Raymond Choge KEN 2:08:11

Cosmas Muteti KEN 2:08:45

Weldu Gebretsadik NOR 2:09:14

Edwin Soi KEN 2:09:16

Leonard Langat KEN 2:09:25

Charles Ndiema KEN 2:10:43

Lemawork Ketema AUT 2:10:44

Jeison Suarez COL 2:10:51

Iraitz Arrospide ESP 2:10.59

Noah Kipkemboi KEN 2:11:09

Ebba Chala ETH 2:11:27

Abraham Kipyatich KEN Debut

Timon Theuer AUT Debut

Women:

Caroline Kilel KEN 2:22:34

Ruth Chebitok KEN 2:23:29

Sifan Melaku ETH 2:23:49

Sheila Jerotich KEN 2:24:15

Vibian Chepkirui KEN 2:24:29

Esther Kakuri KEN 2:26:11

Urge Soboka ETH 2:28:10

Marcela Joglova CZE 2:28:16

Nataliya Lehonkova UKR 2:28:58

Kellys Arias COL 2:29:36

Viola Yator KEN 2:30:03

Teresiah Omosa KEN 2:30:12

Nataliya Lehonkova UKR 2:30:28

Training mates Evans Chebet, Benson Kipruto plot Boston Marathon conquest

The withdrawal of the Ethiopian long distance legend Kenenisa Bekele and Kenya’s Titus Ekiru from this years’ Boston Marathon may have grabbed the headlines, but the field still has some formidable names.

Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese (2:02:48) is now the fastest in the field, with Kenya's Evans Chebet the second fastest in the startlist with a personal best of 2:03:00 which he clocked in the 2020 Valencia Marathon.

Former champions Geoffrey Kirui (2017), Japan’s Yuki Kawauchi (2018), Kenya’s Lawrence Cherono (2019) and the defending champion Benson Kipruto will all be clashing for the title on Monday.

Other athletes who will be competing from Kenya are Bernard Koech (2:04:09), former New York Marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor (2:05:23), Eric Kiptanui (2:05:47), Bethwel Yegon (2:06:14) who was second in Berlin Marathon and New York Marathon champion Albert Korir (2:08:03).

But the duel has also some finest athletes from Ethiopia, the likes of Sisay Lemma (2:03:36), Kinde Atanaw (2:03:51), Lemi Berhanu (2:04:33) and Lelisa Desisa (2:04:45).

Training mates Chebet and defending champion Kipruto, who train in Kapsabet, Nandi County under 2Running Club, are optimistic that they will be able to run well.

Chebet said that the lineup is strong and they have discussed how they will compete.

Chebet competed in Boston in 2018 where a big number of athletes dropped out including him due to a storm.

“I’m heading to Boston Marathon once again and my target is to run well. Last time I competed in the race the weather affected us and had to drop at the 30km mark but I have seen the weather this year is fair,” said Chebet.

But for Chebet, he will be competing against Cherono whom he outsprinted in the last 50 meters in 2020 when they competed at the Valencia Marathon.

He said that he knows that it will be a tight contest but they are up to the task.

“I can see Cherono will also be competing in the race and having run with him at the Valencia Marathon, he is a tough opponent,” added Chebet.

Kipruto wants to ink his name in history books by defending his title.

“I’m glad to be back in Boston Marathon and my plan is to defend the title I won last year. The startlist is rich but I believe I would be able to run well and join the list of multiple champions,” said Kipruto. 

Kenyan long-distance runner Joyce Chepkirui has been banned for four years

The 33-year-old won the 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 and also took the African title over the same distance in Marrakech that year.

Chepkirui has been provisionally suspended since June 2019, after an expert panel studied anomalies in blood samples collected by World Athletics between 2016 and 2017.

The panel concluded the "likelihood of the abnormalities in results being due to blood manipulation" - the artificial increase of red blood cells using a stimulant - was "high".

Chepkirui explained the results by saying she suffered from hormone imbalance and vaginal bleeding, which was caused by a contraceptive injected every three months, had an iron-rich diet and took three drugs to treat these conditions.

However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) decided to ban Chepkirui after upholding an appeal filed by the Athletics Integrity Unit, and her four-year period of ineligibility has been backdated to the start of her provisional suspension.

Chepkirui's results between 6 April 2016 and 4 August 2017 - which include a third-placed finish in the Boston Marathon in April 2016 - will be disqualified and she will be required to forfeit any medals, prizes and appearance fees gained in that time.

Meanwhile, Cas have ruled the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya should pay 2,000 Swiss Francs (US$2,140) to World Athletics as a contribution towards its legal costs and other expenses.

Kenya is still listed as a category A nation by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), meaning the country remains a high risk for doping.

As a result, Kenyan athletes still need to undergo three out of competition tests in a 10-month period before a World Championships or Olympic Games.

BBC Sport Africa understands Athletics Kenya had been hoping to be removed from the category A classification.

WANYOIKE DEFENDS HIS TITLE AS JUNIORS SPARKLE AT EIGHTH KATA 10K TIME TRIAL

The Eighth Edition of Kenyan Athletics Training Academy (KATA) Time-Trial took place on Wednesday morning (April 13) in Thika Kenya with upcoming athletes recording remarkable improvement.

However, experience and international exposure was at play where Peter Wanyoike remained unbeaten for the second time after winning the race back- to-back.

Wanyoike did not only win the 10Kilometres event but also improved his previous 29:57.8 after clocking 29:53.7. It was not easy for the winner as he had to resort to experience to fight off strong opposition from upcoming Zakaria Kirika who stuck on his shoulders from the beginning.

Zakariah managed a sub-30 clocking  29:54.4 in second position during the race that brought together 19 athletes.  Levis Kuria out-grew himself to finished 7th with an impressive 33:11. His personal best was 35:38.8

In women, Lucy Muli, has just started her training after racing in Europe in January, February,and March, set a new course record of 33:22.5 in winning the ladies trophy. Her December course record was 34:58.3.    

The trial came ahead of Regional Athletics Championships that was moved to 22nd and 23rd. The trial was also be used to select a KATA team that will participate in the Uhuru Marathon Classic that will be held on 8th May in Nairobi.

The 9th Edition of the monthly 10k time trial series is set for May 18th on the same out and back course about 5k from KATA (Kenyan Athletics Training Academy) where over 20 athletes are training under coach Joseph.  Twelve are living, eating, training and working at KATA.  "I am so proud of our runners," says KATA Director Bob Anderson from his office in Los Altos California USA. "They are getting stronger and stronger.  Our monthly 10k series is a first for Kenya and  is helping our athletes (and guests) both mentally and physically."

Overall Resuls:

  Names                           Age       Gender          Time 

1. Peter Wanyoike          26             M           29:53.7

2. Zakaria Kirika             21             M            29:54.4

3. Peter Mburu               26             M            30:13.8

4. Erick Mutuku             20             M            31:41.3

5. Raphael Gacheru       22             M            32:28.4

6. Boniface Mungai     23             M             33:05.6

7. Levis Kuria                  21             M            33:11.6

8. Eston Mugo               29          M           33:22.1

9. Lucy Muli                   23           F             33:22.5

10. Paul Ng’ang’a         42           M            33:33.4

11. Alfred Kamande    24           M            34:19.1

12: Samuel Chege       24           M            34:32.7

13. Wilfred Mang’eni 32           M            35:22.8

14. John Mwangi        40            M           41:05.8

15. Karren Chepkemoi 19          F           42:30.5

16. Samuel Muiruri     27           M           42:30.8

17. Susan Njeri            36            F          45:30.2

Kenyan Edna Kiplagat targets top spot at 2022 Boston Marathon: I am not done yet

Kenya's 42-year-old two-time world champion wants a second Boston Marathon title on April 18, and reveals how she balances motherhood with running.

Since winning her Boston Marathon debut in 2017, the Kenyan running star Edna Kiplagat has made the podium of the oldest race twice.

Despite being 42-years-old, the double world champion believes she can finish top of the podium again at the 2022 Boston Marathon on 18 April.

“If everything goes well as per my training and my body responds well, I’m hoping to be on the podium (in Boston) or do even better," Kiplagat said in an exclusive interview with Olympics.Com from her training base in Longmont, Colorado, USA.

“I enjoy running and as a professional athlete I believe running never stops."

But even a podium place isn't a given in a star-studded women's field that also includes reigning Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir.

Running is a family affair for Kiplagat

Kiplagat remembers exactly when she started running, aged 16.

She is also very clear about when she first donned the Kenyan kit, saying: “I started representing Kenya in 1996 as a junior at the 1996 World (Cross Country) in South Africa."

What she doesn’t know is when she will finally hang up her competition trainers.

“I cannot say when I will stop. I know someday I will, but I am not done for now," she continued.

“I have my kids and other upcoming athletes looking up to me. I want to keep running to be a role model to them, motivate them and then use my experience later to help them in future.”

Kiplagat, who was scouted in high school by Brother Colm O’Connell - the legendary coach who moulded two-time Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha - sights her family as her key inspiration.

She is coached by husband and former runner Gilbert Koech, while her two children, Carlos (17), and Wendy (13), are already mastering distance running in school.

Kiplagat is also among a select group of athletes who have returned to the peak of their careers after giving birth.

“It’s not easy,” she admitted of raising her two biological children (born between 2004 and 2008) and three others that she adopted.

“After training, I have to come home and take care of my family as they are my priority. They need me and I must play my role as a mother.

“I have a great support team - my coach and my training partners, physio, and nutritionist who play an important role in my career. I get ample time to train and be with my family and even for recovery.”

Boston Marathon: A stepping stone to the Worlds and the Olympics

Two-and-a-half decades after her first race, Kiplagat is still runs between 110km - 130km in a week.

The passion and excitement the three-time World Marathon Major winner takes into every race has never wavered.

Last year at Boston she executed an incredible sprint finish to seal second behind Kenyan winner Diana Kipyokei.

“I know the course very well and I have had very good training in the build-up to this. I am expecting a very fast pace as most of the elites have run under 2.20 so they will push the pace from the start and even the course record may be lowered if the weather conditions are favourable,” the London 2012 Olympian said of what she expects to be a “very competitive race”.

Kiplagat has tuned up for her fifth Boston race with a ninth-place finish at the New York City Half Marathon on March 20.

“This was part of my speedwork to see how my body responds after the months of training."

The flame of ambition still burns brightly for Kiplagat, who in 2013 successfully defended her marathon world title.

A second win in Boston will make her only the second Kenyan woman to do so.

The first was 2008 Olympic silver medallist Catherine Ndereba, who clinched four-consecutive Boston titles.

Kiplagat, who finished fourth at the 2019 Worlds in Doha, now hopes to join the elite club of Kenyans who have won 13 of the last 21 Boston Marathon women's titles.

Kiplagat's 26-year career as a long-distance runner

Marathons are a gruelling endeavour that tests body and mind in equal measure.

But Kiplagat who honed her career in Kenyan running's spiritual home of Iten, and that may help explain her unbelievable longevity in the sport.

She is the first able-bodied athlete to record ten top-three finishes in World Marathon Majors New York, London, Boston and Tokyo, and wants to extend her top-flight marathon career - that dates back to 2010 when she won her debut 42km race in Los Angeles - to the Paris 2024 Olympics at least.

“I have been persistent with my routine. I believe in myself and fully trust my coach," she said.

"We have stuck to our plans, strategy on what we want to do and what we expect from each race. I always try to understand what is needed from me and plan how to execute my races on race day.

“I have tried to be consistent in everything I do. I am disciplined and I’m still looking forward to do even better.”

Younger athletes can also pick up valuable experiences from the running trailblazer.

“They need to have a plan for their races to avoid burnout. (They) must also have ample time for recovery, a good build-up and preparation. If you want to keep running for long it also needs a proper plan and patience with yourself.”

Everything you need to know about Boston Marathon 2022

Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist Peres Jepchirchir will headline the 126th edition of the Boston Marathon, which returns to its customary Patriots Day (April 18) for the first time since 2019.

The men's race, meanwhile, will see seven of the last eight winners will compete including Kenya's reigning champion Benson Kipruto.

Elsewhere in the women's race Jepchirchir's Kenyan compatriots Joyciline Jepkosgei and Edna Kiplagat, and Olympic bronze medalist Molly Seidel will offer a stern challenge.

Below, we take a look at the top athletes to watch out for in one of the top events of the 2022 athletics calendar, the route they will follow in Boston, the schedule and how to watch the action.

Tokyo star Jepchirchir targets podium

The quality of the women’s race is impressive, with 12 women on the start list having run under 2.23.00

A year after she claimed the Olympic title and the New York City Marathon, Jepchichir has one target: to be the first woman to cross the finish line on Boylston Street.

“My high expectations is to be a winner and I would like to arrive at the day of the race in my best shape,” said Jepchirchir.

The Kenyan will compete with a familiar rival from the Tokyo 2020 podium in Olympic bronze medalist Seidel. The former Boston resident is the third American woman in history to medal in the Olympic marathon.

Two former Boston Marathon champions in 42-year-old Edna Kiplagat (2017 winner), and American Des Linden (2018) will also toe the Boston course again.

The 2022 race will also mark the 50th anniversary of the first official women’s race in 1972.

To mark the occasion, an honorary team comprised of eight women who have made a powerful impact in athletics and human rights will compete. Among the group will be Valerie Rogosheske, one of the original eight finishers in 1972.

All eyes on the returning men's champions

A very strong contingent of men's runners will lock horns on the second stop of the World Marathon Majors, following Eliud Kipchoge's comfortable victory in Tokyo.

Keep an eye on Benson Kipruto, the defending champion from Kenya and his compatriot Lawrence Cherono (2019 Boston winner), Japan’s ‘citizen runner’ Kawauchi Yuki (2018), Kenya’s Geoffrey Kirui (2017), and Ethiopian pair of Lemi Berhanu (2016), and Lelisa Desisa (2015 and 2013).

Geoffrey Kamworor, the two-time New York Marathon winner who trains with Kipchoge in Kaptagat, is back in form after being hit by a motorbike in June 2020 and sitting out for a year.

Elite Americans runners Colin Bennie, hoping to improve on his seventh-place finish from 2021, Jake Riley and Jared Ward, will also be challenging for top honors.

The course

The Boston Marathon hasn't changed from last year, but does see the number of participants increased to 30,000.

The race starts in Hopkinton, MA and ends on Boylston Street in Boston, MA. The course is flat with the most challenging stretch of the race being the steep incline between 29km-34km (Miles 18-21).The notorious Heartbreak Hill is the last of the four hills in Newton.

The schedule of events

This year’s races will start earlier than previous years with expected rolling starts.

Men's Wheelchair - 8:02 am ET.

Women's Wheelchair - 8:05 am ET.

Handcycles & Duos - 8:30 am ET.

Professional Men - 8:37 am ET.

Professional Women - 8:45 am ET.

Para Athletics Divisions - 8:50 am ET.

Rolling Start Begins - 9:00 am ET.

Rolling Start Ends - 11:30 am ET.

How to watch

For Boston residents, they can follow the race live by finding a good spot on the spectator guide, or can kick back in their living room as the marathon will be aired lived on CBS Boston’s WBZ-TV from 7:00am (EDT).

NBC Sports Network and the NBC Sports App are the exclusive national television and streaming partner for the Boston Marathon for wider America.

Live race coverage will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network and the NBC Sports App 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET.

Abdi Nageeye and Haven Hailu triumph at Rotterdam Marathon

Olympic silver medalist Abdi Nageeye produced a well-timed finish to win the Rotterdam Marathon, his first career victory over the classic distance, while Ethiopia’s Haven Hailu won the women’s contest in convincing fashion at the World Athletics Elite Label road race on Sunday (10).

The two races played out in contrasting ways. A large lead pack formed early on in the men’s race as they passed through 10km in 29:29 and half way in 1:02:16. The pack started to whittle itself down in the second half though, and by 30km – reached in 1:28:31 – just seven men remained in the group: Nageeye, Olympic bronze medalist Bashir Abdi, Ethiopia’s Leul Gebreselassie, Kenya’s Dominic Kiptarus, Reuben Kiprop Kipyego, Kenneth Kipkemoi and Philemon Kacheran.

Kipyego and Gebreselassie continued to push the pace in the closing stages and it was enough to drop most of the athletes left in the lead pack. Abdi, who set a European record of 2:03:36 when winning at last year’s rescheduled Rotterdam Marathon in October, started to drift behind just before 40km, leaving Nageeye, Kipyego and Gebreselassie to battle it out for the podium places.

Kipyego couldn’t quite match the finishing pace of Gebreselassie and Nageeye as the duo sprinted for the line. In the end Nageeye just edged ahead to cross the line in 2:04:56, taking more than a minute off the Dutch record he set in this same city in 2019. Gebreselassie was given the same time in second place, the fifth sub-2:05 clocking of his career, while Kipyego took third in 2:05:12, 11 seconds ahead of Abdi.

In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Haven Hailu and Kenyan duo Daisy Cherotich and Stella Barsosio made an early break, reaching 10km in 32:55 – bang on pace to challenge the course record of 2:18:58 set 10 years ago by 2012 Olympic champion Tiki Gelana.

They were unable to maintain that pace for too much longer, but still reached the half-way point in a swift 1:09:56, just inside 2:20 pace. Almost two minutes behind them, relative newcomer Nienke Brinkman of the Netherlands was running in no-woman’s land.

A few kilometres later, Hailu broke away from Cherotich and Barsosio. Cherotich held on for a little longer than her compatriot, but by 35km – which Hailu reached in 1:57:34 – Brinkman had moved up to second place.

Brinkman continued to make up ground in the closing stages, but Hailu’s lead was safe and the 24-year-old crossed the finish line in 2:22:01. It was the second-fastest time of her career, after the 2:20:19 PB she set in Amsterdam last year, but her first marathon victory to date.

Brinkman, who only took up running in 2020, was rewarded with a huge PB of 2:22:51 in second place, breaking the Dutch record set in 2003 by Lornah Kiplagat. Kazakhstan’s Zhanna Mamazhanova finished well to take third place in 2:26:54, taking more than a minute off the national record that was set back in 1987.

Leading results

Women

1 Haven Hailu (ETH) 2:22:01

2 Nienke Brinkman (NED) 2:22:51

3 Zhanna Mamazhanova (KAZ) 2:26:54

4 Munkhzaya Bayartsogt (MGL) 2:29:25

5 Tristin Van Ord (USA) 2:29:32

6 Carolina Wikstrom (SWE) 2:29:51

7 Alisa Vainio (FIN) 2:29:56

8 Daisy Cherotich (KEN) 2:30:42

Men

1 Abdi Nageeye (NED) 2:04:56

2 Leul Gebreselassie (ETH) 2:04:56

3 Reuben Kiprop Kipyego (KEN) 2:05:12

4 Bashir Abdi (BEL) 2:05:23

5 Kenneth Kipkemoi (KEN) 2:06:22

6 Rodgers Ondati Gesabwa (KEN) 2:09:40

7 Abida Ezamzami (MAR) 2:09:52

8 Philemon Kacheran (KEN) 2:10:12.

2022 EDP Lisbon Half is back for more records

The fastest half marathon in the world is back. For 2022, in the 31th edition, scheduled for May 8th, the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon will be, once again, aiming for new records.

And, just like last November, there will be a bonus prize of EUR 50,000 (USD 54,000) up for grabs in case of new records.

To achieve this it will count on some of the best athletes in the world, especially in the women’s field, including the Kenyan Brigid Kosgei, the fastest female marathoner ever (2:14:04) and the eighth fastest in the half ever (1:04.49).

Tsehay Gemechu, the winner of last year’s race and the current course record holder (1:06:06) will also be present, with her fellow Ethiopians Gotytom Gebreselassie (1:05:36) and Bosena Mulatie (1:05:43). The Israeli Lonah Salpeter, the third fastest European woman ever (1:06:09), will also be present.

The time to beat for a new world record (in a women-only race) is 1:05:16, set by Peres Jepchirchir in Gdynia, at the 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships.

In the men’s race, with Kiplimo’s record in sights (57:31), the field has 11 runners with personal bests below the hour mark, four of them under 59 minutes: Kenneth Kiprop Renju (58:35), Abraham Cheroben (58:40), Kevin Kiptum (58:42) and Jorum Okombo (58:48).

Besides the international field, the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon will also have the best runners from Portugal, including Hermano Ferreira, Luís Saraiva, Rui Teixeira and Nuno Costa in the men’s field and Rafaela Almeida, Sara Moreira and Solange Jesus in the women’s field.

In this year’s race – the half marathon is already sold out – there will be almost 10,000 runners from nearly 96 different nationalities. There are a few last minute bibs available for the Vodafone 10k.

“Right after the men’s world record, last year, I started preparing in my head for the process of trying for the female record too,” admits Carlos Moia, race director.

Kamworor and Chepngetich will lead Kenya's marathon team for Oregon

Ruth Chepngetich will defend her marathon title at the World Athletics Championships Oregon 22 in July.

The 27-year-old leads the four-strong women’s team for Oregon, while Geoffrey Kamworor will contest his first major championship marathon as part of the men’s squad.

As Chepngetich gets a wild card entry by virtue of being the defending champion, Kenya will be represented by seven athletes in the marathon events.

Chepngetich claimed the first gold medal of the World Championships in Doha in 2019, clocking 2:32:43 to gain her first major gold. She went on to win the Bank of America Chicago Marathon last October and then was just 10 seconds off her PB when winning the Nagoya Women's Marathon in 2:17:18 last month – the second-fastest ever women-only marathon.

In Oregon she will be joined by Maureen Jepkemoi, Judith Jeptum and Angela Tanui. Jeptum set a French all-comers’ record of 2:19:48 to win the Paris Marathon on Sunday, while Tanui won the 2021 TCS Amsterdam Marathon in 2:17:57.

After world medal wins in track, cross country and half marathon events, Kamworor will look to add further success to a marathon CV that so far includes two wins in New York and a PB of 2:05:23 set in Valencia in December.

Lining up alongside the three-time world half marathon champion and two-time world senior cross country winner in Oregon will be Olympic marathon fourth-place finisher Lawrence Cherono and Barnabas Kiptum, with Geoffrey Kirui named as a reserve.

Kenyan marathon team for Oregon

Women: Ruth Chepngetich, Maureen Jepkemoi, Judith Jeptum, Angela TanuiMen: Lawrence Cherono, Geoffrey Kamworor, Barnabas Kiptum, Geoffrey Kirui (reserve).

The secrets behind Eliud Kipchoge's winning mentality

The world's fastest marathoner Eliud Kipchoge admits that he’s had to dig deep to find the strength to keep going.

Kenya's Double Olympic men's marathon champion says he often turns to the millions who have been inspired by his runs, his grandeur achievements, and his motivating quotes.

“I struggle with motivation, but I try all the time to get inspired by fans messages around the world,” Kipchoge said on Wednesday (April 6) during a webinar organized by his NN Running Team to mark five years of the athletics management group.

“I have been inspiring people around the world and [the thought of this] is what sometimes gives me the energy to jump out of bed and do the necessary.”

As amazing as his athletic accomplishments are, the world record holder has always been forthright on how much sometimes his passion hurts.

“In the journey of life, there [are] ups and downs. In marathon, there [are] a lot of challenges, ups and downs. There is pain in training, pain in running,” he shared on the documentary titled Kipchoge: The Last Milestone that focused on his successful attempt to become the first person to run a marathon in under two hours.

The 37-year-old champion cemented his position as the greatest distance runner of all time, by becoming the first man in 40 years to win marathon gold at successive Olympic Games, when he won at Tokyo 2020 in 2021.

And, as he targets an unprecedented third Olympic marathon title at Paris 2024, Kipchoge gave a sneak peak on how he manages to stay focused on his staggering racing goals.

“[When I am running] Many things are always crossing my mind from West to North, East to South, but I try to block them and concentrate fully on the road, concentrate fully on the task ahead and finishing the race,” the Kenyan, who enjoys his long runs, offered.

“After training for four months [for a race] I know that the only way to block what’s in my mind and concentrate fully is by making my mind easy and block any [distracting] messages coming in.”

During the hour-long webinar, the NN Running Team shared insights from the their management, physiotherapist, nutritionist, and Patrick Sang, the lead coach at the simple Kaptagat training camp.

“Running is a team sport. It is no longer an individual event as people think," four-time Olympic medalist Kipchoge said.

"When NN formed the running team we discovered that the team is especially important especially in marathon running, helping each other both physically and mentally.”

That team was formed in April 2017 by Jos Hermens, who assembled the some of the best distance runners in the world, led by the two fastest marathoners, Ethiopia’s triple Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele, and Kipchoge, to train in structured training camps.

It's a concept that the man who has won 14 of the 16 major marathons in his career claims has made him a better runner. Kipchoge also explained that during the pandemic he found it difficult to go back to training alone due to lockdown restrictions.

What next for Eliud Kipchoge in 2022

Kipchoge He opened his season on March 6 running the fastest time ever in Japan of 2:02:40 to win the Tokyo Marathon.

Since then, he has tapered down his training, focusing more on the gym sessions despite not ‘liking the weightlifting’ bit, but he’s enjoying working on his core muscles.

The huge Kelly Clarkson fan has not yet decided if he will do a marathon towards the end of the year, but has just added a new sport on his bucket list.

“I am bad at swimming. I don’t know how to swim…that’s on my bucket list…”

Kenenisa Bekele and Sara Hall drop out of the Boston Marathon

The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced updates to the professional fields at the 126th Boston Marathon in two weeks. Previous headliners Kenenisa Bekele, Titus Ekiru and Sara Hall have all announced that they will not be running, due to ongoing injuries. Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma and Birhanu Legese have both been added.

Hall posted on her Instagram that her knee tendon has been aggravated since she tripped on a run in February, landing on a rock. She insists that she has done everything to make it to the line in Boston but does not want to risk the chance of a setback before the World Championships in Eugene, Ore. this July.

Among other big names to drop out of the women’s field are: 2019 Valencia Marathon champion Roza Dereje (ETH); 2019 Ottawa Marathon winner Tigist Girma (ETH); 2021 NYC Marathon sixth-place finisher Kellyn Taylor (USA) and sub-2:20 marathoner Zeineba Yimer (ETH).

Kenya’s Ekiru was the second-fastest elite male in the field, behind Bekele, running the fastest marathon time of 2021 (2:02:57 in Milan). Ekiru has struggled to come back from an ongoing injury he suffered at the RAK Half Marathon in February, which forced him out.

Bekele has been very silent on social media since his sixth-place finish at the 2021 New York Marathon. The reasoning for his Boston withdrawal has not been announced; the former four-time world-record holder continues to fight Father Time, turning 40 this June.

Legese of Ethiopia has been added to the men’s field. He is a two-time Tokyo Marathon champion with a personal best of 2:02:48. Lemma is the other addition to the men’s field: he won the 2021 London Marathon and has previous wins in Berlin and Tokyo and a PB of 2:03:36.

For the first time in almost three years, the prestigious Boston Marathon will return to its traditional Patriots’ Day date of April 18. 

Titus Kipruto and Vivian Kiplagat cap sweet weekend for Kenya in Milano

Titus Kipruto on Sunday won the 20th edition of the Milano Marathon in Italy.

Kipruto recorded a time of 2:05:05 which is also his personal best.

The athlete is a half marathon specialist and had just made his debut in Marathon.

In the women category, Vivian Kiplagat emerged victorious after recording a time of 2:20:18.

This was also her personal best.

The last time the race was organized was in 2019 when its 19th edition was held.

In 2020 and 2021, the Marathon was not held because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kenyan Sheila Kiprotich Chepkirui breaks course record at Generali Berlin Half Marathon

Sheila Kiprotich Chepkirui produced the performance of the day, breaking the course record of the 41st GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON. Despite very cold conditions with almost freezing temperatures at the start she clocked a world-class time of 65:02. It is the 18th fastest half marathon time ever run by a woman.

Fellow-Kenyans Joyce Chepkemoi and Irene Kimais took second and third with 65:50 and 66:34 respectively. For the first time in the history of the race three women broke 67 minutes.

The men’s race was also dominated by the Kenyans, who took all podium places. Alex Kibet was the winner with 58:55, missing the course record by just 13 seconds. Joshua Belet was second in 59:53 while pre-race favourite Abel Kipchumba finished third with 59:58. Including competitions staged parallel to the main race, organisers of the 41st GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON registered a total of 33,336 athletes from 121 nations.

Cold temperatures and even a bit of snow just before the start did not provide good conditions for record attempts. Despite this 31 year-old Sheila Kiprotich Chepkirui stormed away right after the start. Guided by pacemakers she passed 10k in 30:32 and was on course for 64:30 at this stage of the race. “But during the final five kilometers I felt really cold and could not hold on to the pace,“ said Sheila Kiprotich Chepkirui. „I had hoped to break my personal best of 64:36, but at least I won the race with a course record. I am now planning to run my marathon debut later in the year, so maybe I will return to Berlin in September,“ said the Kenyan. She broke the course record of fellow-Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei who had won in Berlin in August last year with 65:16.

While Britain’s Samantha Harrison was the fastest non-African runner with a personal best of 68:12 in fifth place, once again Katharina Steinruck coped very well with cold conditions. She was the fastest German runner in sixth place with a personal best of 69:38. “For me it was fun today,“ said Katharina Steinruck.

As expected Kenya’s elite runners dominated the men’s race as well. Early on they were forming the leading group. After a 10k split time of 28:00 it was Alex Kibet who took the initiative soon after that mark. The 31 year-old broke away and no-one was able to challenge him in the second half of the race. Kibet had entered the race with a PB of 59:06 and was the number two on the start list. The Kenyan increased his advantage to almost one minute and crossed the line at the Brandenburg Gate in 58:55. While he missed the course record Alex Kibet clocked the second fastest time ever run in the history of the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON and a personal best. “I hoped to run quite a bit faster, but it was difficult in the cold conditions. I have not broken the world record today, but at least I have won the race,“ said Alex Kibet.

Norway’s Zerei Mezngi and Dominic Lobalu of Switzerland were the fastest Europeans taking fifth and sixth positions in 60:42 and 61:01 respectively. Surprisingly Germany’s national record holder Amanal Petros, who clocked 60:09 last year, was not the fastest German in Berlin. Trying to bring his own record down to a sub one hour time he faded in the cold conditions and finished 15th in 62:21. Johannes Motschmann was the fastest German runner. Competing for the Marathon Team Berlin of race organiser SCC EVENTS he improved to 61:45 and placed tenth.

German double victory by Josie Hofmann and Felix Rijhnen in the skaters' race

A spectacular sprint led Felix Rijhnen (Powerslide) to his third victory at the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON. He beat Frenchman Martin Ferrié (EOSkates) by a razor-thin margin in 33:49 minutes. A German also won the women's race: Josie Hofmann (Powerslide) from Erfurt in 37:53 minutes. A total of 1,042 inline skaters celebrated the start of the roller season and the GERMAN INLINE CUP 2022.

On the course, a leading group around Valentin Thiebault (FRA/Powerslide) had initially broken away. At kilometer 15 Felix Rijhnen and Martin Ferrié managed to close the gap to the leaders and pull away. Until the finish they extended their lead to almost 50 seconds. In the final sprint to the finish, Rijhnen beat Ferrié by a razor-thin margin. In the mass sprint of the chasing pack sprint specialist Valentin Thiebault (FRA/Powerslide) secured 3rd place in 34:41 minutes. "I am mega happy that I could win after such a long and hard ice season. I'm surprised how well it went today, especially since I couldn't prepare that well due to illness," Rijhnen said after the race. "I was able to make full use of my experience over the many years in Berlin. It's just a pity that Kathi couldn't be there due to her Corona infection," said the Darmstadt native with regard to his wife Katharina Rijhnen (formerly Rumpus), who herself has won the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON four times.

In the women's race, too, a duel on the home stretch decided the race. Josie Hofmann and Marine Lefeuvre (FRA/EOSkates) distanced themselves from the field already at the halfway mark. Until the finish they extended their lead to more than 1:30 minutes. Particularly noteworthy was the spectacular, especially deep finish step with which Hofmann pushed her rollers across the finish line first after 37:53 minutes. After Lefeuvre (37:53 minutes), Belgian Sabrina Gaudesaboos (EOSkates) finished third in 39:25 minutes. "My goal was clearly to win today. But having just switched from the ice back to the road, I didn't know how good I was," Hofmann said. "My long-term goal is clearly the Olympics on ice, but I won't let inline skating out of my sight for that," the winner explained.

Top men:

Alex Kibet KEN 58:55

Belet Joshua KEN 59:53

Abel Kipchumba KEN 59:58

Fastes German men: Johannes Motschmann (Marathon Team Berlin) 61:45

Top women:

Sheila Kiprotich KEN 65:02

Jocye Chepkemoi KEN 65:50

Irene Kimais KEN 66:34

Fastes German woman: Katharina Steinruck (Eintrach Frankfurt) 69:38

Sunday marked the first Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run since 2019

A local runner won the Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run for the first time since 1983.

Susanna Sullivan of Reston, Virginia, won the elite women’s race on Sunday.

“It’s indescribable, I mean, I dreamed of this and it just kind of came together,” Sullivan told WTOP shortly after crossing the finish line. “I felt great coming into the race, training’s been going well, I run these roads every weekend. Crucial. The conditions were perfect. I had close friends and teammates out on the course. So it was just amazing.”

Her unofficial time clocked in at 52 minutes and 32 seconds, making it a personal record for the long distance athlete who is also a fifth grade teacher at Haycock Elementary School in Fairfax County.

“It’s almost a two-minute PR. And that doesn’t happen when you’re 31,” said Sullivan “I feel like I’ve gotten a lot stronger in the last few years. I think the pandemic gave me time to really focus on not racing and building a really strong base. And they’re just doing more strength stuff. And that’s really helped.”

Nicolas Kosimbai of Mill Valley, Kenya, won the elite men’s race and tied the course record with a time of 45 minutes and 15 seconds.

Sullivan and Kosimbai were joined by 17,000 other eager runners on the chilly April morning. The course and weather made for a lot of personal best times for many of the amateur racers.

“I knew I did well, because I had nothing left when I crossed the finish line and I wanted to collapse,” said Alex Crisafulli, who lives in Washington D.C.

Hendrik Pfeiffer and Domenika Mayer win in Hannover and take German titles

In freezing conditions Germans Hendrik Pfeiffer and Domenika Mayer took the HAJ Hannover Marathon and the national championships which were included in the event. 

Hendrik Pfeiffer clocked 2:10:59 and was well ahead of Kenyan debutant Josphat Kiptis who ran 2:13:47. Martin Olesen of Denmark took third in 2:14:35. Despite temperatures around zero Celsius Domenika Mayer ran a surprisingly strong marathon debut with 2:26:50. German pre-race favourite Rabea Schöneborn was second with 2:27:35 while Croatia’s Matea Parlov Kostro took third in 2:28:39. Hendrik Pfeiffer and the top three women all achieved the qualifying standards for the European and the World Championships. 

In total 18,098 athletes were registered for the 30th edition of the HAJ Hannover Marathon, which is a World Athletics Label Road Race. 3,527 athletes ran the marathon distance. “We are impressed with the event and obviously we were able to make our participants happy,“ said Race Director Stefanie Eichel. Next year organisers hope to be able to come back with a bigger field and with a much stronger elite race. The 31st edition of the HAJ Hannover Marathon is scheduled for 26th March 2023.

A group of eight runners passed the half way mark in 65:25. That was almost exactly as planned. At around 25k Hendrik Pfeiffer began to take the initiative. He broke away with Kenyans Josphat Kiptis and Wilfred Kiptoo. Until the 30k mark they had support of pacemaker and fellow-Kenyan Kiprotich Kirui. With around 12k to go Hendrik Pfeiffer left behind his rivals and was then all alone at the front, building a huge lead. 

“The atmosphere was superb. The spectators helped me getting through the race. It was a bit tough during the final twelve kilometers,“ said Hendrik Pfeiffer, who ran his second fastest marathon in Hannover. The German has a PB of 2:10:18 from 2020. “I have reached all my goals today, which was important for me,“ said Hendrik Pfeiffer, who won the race and his first major German title. Additionally he achieved the qualifying standards for the European and the World Championships.

In the women’s race Domenika Mayer, Rabea Schöneborn and Kenya’s Flomena Ngurais were in the leading group when the half marathon mark was passed in 1:13:36. By 30k pre-race favourite Rabea Schöneborn had lost around 20 seconds and soon after that Flomena Ngurais could not cope with Domenika Mayer’s pace. The Kenyan dropped back to fourth later when Matea Parlov Kostro overtook her around the 40k mark.

"I did not think too much about what could happen. Sometimes in a race it just rolls, sometimes it does not. Today was a good day. I just concentrated on my pacemakers. But the wind was partly disturbing,“ said Domenika Mayer, who is a mother of two. “It was a great debut. Of course I had no clue before what could happen.“ While Domenika Mayer had a promising half marathon PB of 69:52 she had a Corona infection recently. Because of this her triumph was quite a surprise. And she came relatively close to Hannover’s course record: Three years ago Kenya’s Rachel Mutgaa clocked 2:26:15.

Runner-up Rabea Schöneborn ran 2:27:35 which was her second best marathon time. “It was a struggle today and I am happy to have finished,“ she said.

Results, Men:

1. Hendrik Pfeiffer GER 2:10:59

2. Josphat Kiprop Kiptis KEN 2:13:47

3. Martin Olesen DEN 2:14:35

4. Wilfred Kiptoo KEN 2:14:43

5. Frank Schauer GER 2:14:43

6. Erik Hille GER 2:15:04

Women:

1. Domenika Mayer GER 2:26:50

2. Rabea Schöneborn GER 2:27:35

3. Matea Parlov Kostro CRO 2:28:39

4. Flomena Ngurais KEN 2:30:42

5. Runa Skrove Falch NOR 2:33:53

6. Vaida Zusinaite-Nekriosiene LTU 2:36:04

Kipkemboi and Teklu confirm supremacy in Barcelona

Kenya's Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi (1:05:26) and Ethiopia's Haftu Teklu (59:06) were victorious at the Edreams Mitja Marató Barcelona, a World Athletics Elite Label race, on Sunday (3) on an ideal morning for distance running.

World 5000m silver medallist Kipkemboi was making her debut at the 13.1-mile distance while Teklu successfully defended his title and bettered the course record by 33 seconds.

Spain's Alejandro Rodríguez set the early pace for the elite women and he set off at a moderate 3:07-3:08/km pace for the opening uphill kilometres. The first 5km was covered in 15:39 with just Kipkemboi and Ethiopian duo Gete Alemayehu and Ayanech Awoke matching the pacemaker, while Ethiopia’s Rediet Molla was further behind (16:00).

The tempo heated up over the second 5km section which only took 15:19 for a 30:58 10km split; by then Awoke had begun to lose ground and only Kiplemboi and Alemayehu remained close to the pacesetter who dropped out of the race exactly at 12km with the clock reading 37:12, well on schedule to finish inside 1:06.

Over the following kilometres, Kipkemboi ran sandwiched between a number of male athletes, which helped to keep the pace fast enough to threaten her compatriot Florence Kiplagat's course record of 1:05:09 set in 2015 as another 15:24 5k split led to a 46:22 clocking at 15km. That kind of cadence proved to be too tough for Alemayehu, a 1:08:23 performer; the Ethiopian had lost 18 seconds on Kipkemboi by then.

Kipkemboi's rhythm slowed down a bit in the following 5km section, which she covered in 15:47, but she found another gear for a fast finish, crossing the line in 1:05:26 – the third fastest clocking in the history of the event, only bettered by Kiplagat's 1:05:12 (2014) and 1:05:09 (2015) then world records.

“It was my debut so I can’t be more satisfied,” said Kipkemboi. “Everything was superb, the circuit, the temperature and the pacemaker.”

Alemayehu's cadence decreased in the closing kilometres but the 23-year-old managed a huge lifetime best of 1:06:37 as a runner-up while Awoke finished a distant third in 1:09:34.

The men's contest opened at a steady 2:50/km pace set by leading cross-country runner Thierry Ndikumwenayo. The Spain-based Burundian led an 11-man pack which included the main favourites: Kenya’s Titus Mbishei and Elvis Cheboi, Uganda's Ali Chebures, Eritrea's Berhane Tesfay and Ethiopia’s Teklu, Chala Regasa, Antenayehu Dagnachew, Kindie Derseh and Teresa Nyakora.

As was the case in the women's event, the rhythm increased over the favourable following kilometres and the leading group went through 10km in 27:54 after a brisk 13:45 5km section and the pack whittled down to seven athletes with Dagnachew running closest to the pacemaker for much of the time. The Burundian made a brave final effort to reach 15km in 41:52 before dropping out the race and left the favourites on the right path to finish close to the 59:00 mark.

Dagnachew and Teklu took turns at the lead to maintain the rhythm with only Regasa, Derseh and Cheboi for company. That quintet ran together until the closing stages, the 56:20 20km split suggesting Teklu's crouse record of 59:39 from last year would be easily lowered. With about 600 metres remaining, Regasa unleashed a burst of speed which could be matched only by Teklu as the other three opponents were left behind.

In the final sprint between the two Ethiopians, Teklu prevailed over Regasa in 59:06, winning by four seconds to set a PB and course record. In the fight for third place, Cheboi (59:15) prevented an all-Ethiopian podium sweep as the unheralded Kenyan got the better of Dagnachew and Derseh.

“As I said before the race, I went out very determined to improve on my record,” said Teklu. “The weather was fantastic, the rhythm too and I managed to do it so I'm delighted.”

Jeptum breaks French all-comers’ record at Paris Marathon

Judith Korir Jeptum produced the first women’s sub-2:20 marathon on French roads when winning at the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris on Sunday (3). The 27-year-old Kenyan won the World Athletics Elite Label road race in a lifetime best of 2:19:48, while Ethiopia’s Deso Gelmisa took the men’s race in 2:05:07.

Sharon Chelimo and Marion Kibor, who spearheaded the lead group of seven runners, set out at an aggressive pace from the outset in sunny but cold conditions. They covered the first 10km in 32:23, suggesting a finishing time inside 2:17 – well under the course record of 2:20:55 set by Purity Rionoripo in 2017. The rhythm slowly faded over the next kilometres, though, as the pack reached half way in 1:08:31.

Five kilometres later, Keptum moved up a gear and broke up the lead group. By 30km, reached in 1:37:44, she had built a one-minute gap over the rest of the field. Although her pace slowed in the waning stages, she reached the tape in 2:19:48, taking almost three minutes off her PB and more than a minute off the course record.

"The cold weather made the race hard,” said Jeptum, who set a half marathon PB of 1:05:28 earlier this year. “But I tried to do my best and to push hard.”

Fantu Jimma crossed the line 3:04 behind the winner in a PB of 2:22:52 as Besu Sado rounded the podium in 2:23:16.

The men’s contest went down to the wire. 15 runners passed through the 10km checkpoint in 29:45, 15 seconds ahead of a second group of nine runners.

Pacemakers Kirwa Yego and Sila Keptoo set a steady rhythm, followed by France’s Morhad Amdouni, who was targeting the national record of 2:06:36.

Soon after reaching 30km in 1:29:28, Gelmisa and fellow Ethiopian Seifu Tura started to kick on. They opened a 50-metre gap over Amdouni who had separated himself from the rest of the field. Gelmisa and Tura clocked a strong 29:13 between 30-40km on the hilliest section of the race.

Following a fierce sprint, Gelmisa prevailed in 2:05:07, nine seconds faster than the PB he had set in Valencia in December where he had finished runner-up. Tura, winner in Chicago in 2021, finished three seconds in arrears in 2:05:10 as Amdouni rounded the podium in a national record of 2:05:22.

Thousands ran the marathon which takes you through the city of Paris.  

Kenyans Take First Prize at Prague Half Marathon

RunCzech finally returned to Prague after three years. Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon was attended by around 9000 runners, among them also elite world athletes.

Four Kenyans ran to the finish line in under one hour. The Prague Half Marathon was dominated by Keneth Kiprop Renju in a time of 59:28.

Philemon Kiplimo Kimaiyo finished second and Mathew Kipkorir Kimeli was third.

The fastest woman of this year’s edition was Nesphine Jepleting with a time of 1:06:57. The best Czech runner was Jiří Homoláč, who managed the half marathon in 1:04:36, the fastest female Czech was Hana Homolková (1:20:31).

“I really liked the race, I enjoyed it a lot. Even though it was too cold, it was good. I had a more critical moment in the middle of the half marathon. Even though I didn’t feel pressure on myself, I wanted to win,” Renju said at the finish. “The weather caught me by surprise, I didn’t expect it to be so cold. The worst was the headwind, which made it really hard in some moments. I wanted to break my personal best, but I’m glad I showed such time. It’s a good start to the season, next time I could reach my maximum,” Jepleting said.

Already at the fifth kilometer, a group of elite runners was formed, eight Kenyans had the same time. At the tenth kilometer, only a group of four, Keneth Kiprop Renju, Philemon Kiplimo Kimaiyo, Bernard Kimeli and Mathew Kipkorir Kimeli, were at the front. Everyone had a time of 27:52.

The same four runners led the fifteenth kilometer. Before the finish, Renju and Kimaiyo grabbed each other, after crossing the Mánes Bridge, the first mentioned one broke away, who then first reached the finish.

“The race was very windy, from the sixth kilometer it was causing problems because there was a headwind. I had to lean into it from the seventh kilometer. I would like to run here again next year because this track is fast. A world record may fall here. Despite the conditions here, it was fast,” Renju added at the finish. A world record may fall here. Despite the conditions here, it was fast,” Renju added at the finish.

For the women, From the 10th kilometer, the favourites Nesphine Jepleting and Chepet Irine Cheptai broke away from the rest, they were also at the front at the fifteenth kilometer and built up a one-and-a-half-minute lead over the others. At the finish, Jepleting finally rejoiced in the triumph.

“I could run faster, but it was too cold and windy. During the race, I doubted I could win. But the mental strength, my head, helped me. In the group we ran until the twelfth kilometer, then we accelerated as we wanted,” said the fastest woman Nesphine Jepleting.

Yeremchuk ran for Ukraine

Sofia Yaremchuk, who is originally from Ukraine but has been racing for Italy for a year, improved her personal best. She finished fifth in a time of under 1 hour and 10 minutes.

“I ran for Ukraine and for all the people and men who are fighting in Ukraine. I want to tell everyone that Ukraine does not want war, the whole world does not want war, we all want peace,” Yaremchuk added, showing a time of 1:09:09. “I’m happy because I have my new record and I finished with the Ukrainian flag.”

Ethiopian Gelete Burka announces a return to Ottawa, she broke the Canadian All Comers record in 2018, and she will be aiming for a sub-2:20 marathon on May 29

Gelete Burka is smiling warmly as she moves about her house in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital city. She’s looking into her mobile phone during a WhatsApp video call in which she confirmed her return to the newly renamed Tamarack Ottawa International Marathon, Sunday, May 29th.

The World Athletic Gold-label event will be held in person again after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

On her previous visit in 2018, Gelete – Ethiopians prefer to use their first names – broke the Canadian All Comers’ record (the fastest time recorded on Canadian soil) with a stunning 2 hours 22 minutes 17 seconds despite conditions that weren’t exactly agreeable.

“Of course that time everything was hard,” she remembers still smiling. “The weather! I had been training here in Ethiopia and it was so very hot and also the (strong) wind and I also had stomach cramps. Anyway, God is good and, for me that day, helped me for that victory. I was so very happy.”

The margin of victory despite stomach cramps, the wind and the cooler temperatures (it was a cool 13 degrees Celsius at 7am that day) was roughly four minutes such was the effort she expended.

“Ottawa is a good memory for me,” she continues. “When I was training I had a bit of a leg problem with an injury to my calf and I came to Ottawa with that injury. It was not easy. That was why I smiled when I came to the finish.”

Although she rarely leaves the hotel at a marathon – preferring to totally focus on the race at hand – after her Ottawa victory she attended an Ethiopian church with Ottawa friends to give thanks.

In Addis she is both an usher and a member of the forty-member choir at The Glorious Life Church. With two Sunday services, plus another on Tuesday nights, her devotion to the church is exemplary. No wonder she has little time, outside of training and travelling, for herself. When she does have free time she might have tea or coffee with friends.

As she speaks, Gelete shifts position for better light and the contents of her cabinet come into focus.

There is her 1500m gold medal from the 2008 World Indoor Championships, the 2006 World Cross Country gold and the 10,000m silver medal she earned at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing. Without a second thought she suddenly beckons two children to join her in the picture. They are her young niece and nephew, Deborah and Muse, and she asks them to say hello into her phone.

Family is ever so important. These are her youngest sister’s kids. The financial rewards of being a world class runner – she took CAD 30,000 (USD 24,120) prize money from Ottawa for instance – over two decades has allowed her to take care of both immediate family who live with her, while also contributing to the welfare of children in her home village of Kofele in south central Ethiopia.

Gelete has represented Ethiopia in six successive world outdoor championships and three Olympics. In Rio six years ago, she finished 5th in the 10,000m earning her personal best of 30:26.66. Had it not been for a slight on the part of the Ethiopian federation a year later, she might never have turned to the marathon.

“In 2017 I was in Hengelo (Netherlands) at the Ethiopian trials for the world championships. I won the Ethiopian 10,000m trials (30:40.87), but they never took me to the world championships in London,” she explains, her smile having vanished now.

“After that I stopped track and that is the point when I went to the marathon. So, I trained for the Dubai Marathon where I ran 2:20:45.”

A year later she won the 2019 Paris Marathon in 2:22:47, then finished 3rd in Chicago, one of the ‘World Majors,’ in 2:20:55. The latter result illustrates the importance of pacemakers to marathoners.

“In Paris we had a very nice pacer and also in Chicago, you remember the world record was broken,” she remembers. “The pacemakers went with the Kenyan lady (Brigid Kosgei set the world record of 2:14:04) and after 2km I was all by myself for 40km. Maybe when someone is pushing me I will run under 2:19. I need a good pacemaker. Yes I hope it is arranged (in Ottawa). I want to go under 1:10 the first half.”

Gelete is coached by Getamesay Molla and belongs to a group of strong Ethiopian runners who train together on the dusty roads of Sendafa, Sululta and Entoto outside Addis. Traffic inside the capital makes training there near impossible. Preparations, she says, are going well for Ottawa.

“My training now is very nice,” she allows. “I am happy with my training and I have another two months to get in good shape.”

Racing regularly again following the coronavirus pandemic is a welcome relief for her. Now that she is 36 years old, an age that used to indicate the twilight years of an athletics career, she doesn’t know how much longer she will continue training and racing. The Paris Olympics are two years hence.

“I don’t know about that (Paris) I don’t have an idea about this,” she says carefully.“Even if I run a good time it is not easy with my federation (to win selection). You saw like Kenenisa (Bekele who was controversially left off the Ethiopian Olympic team) last time in Tokyo. I will see what my time is. Sometimes you have the time, but I don’t know why they do this.”

Politics notwithstanding Gelete has several more world-class performances in those legs. Reducing her personal best and getting under the 2 hours 20 minutes barrier remains a target. She would like for that to happen on the streets of Ottawa.