Running News Daily

From Bathurst to Budapest, Chebet is motivated for more

While winning a global gold medal might be the pinnacle of the year – if not career – for many athletes, Beatrice Chebet remains motivated for another title to add to her ever-expanding CV.

The world 5000m silver medallist became the world cross country champion in February, winning the senior women’s race and leading the Kenyan squad to the team title at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Bathurst 23. Now the 23-year-old has turned her attention back to the track as she plots her path to the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 in August.

Chebet started her season on a high note, winning the 5000m at the Kip Keino Classic, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, in Nairobi, Kenya, on 13 May.

Her victory in front of a home crowd at the Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani was a good indication that her training is going well, and on the right course, for her next big goal: to win the world 5000m title in Budapest.

“I will be happy if I place on the podium this year in Budapest, although my main aim – which I know should be the same for all the runners who will be running at the World Championships – is the gold medal,” Chebet says. “However, I will be thankful for any medal I get there.”

On the morning of 23 August, Chebet – who already has a wild card place to run in Budapest after winning the 2022 Wanda Diamond League title, subject to selection by her national federation – will be standing at the start line for the heats of the women’s 5000m at the National Athletics Centre to begin her quest for the world title. But, with all the best runners in the world yearning for gold, she knows it won’t be easy.

From her experiences during past battles on the world stage, Chebet believes that the Ethiopian runners and some of her Kenyan compatriots are likely to be her main rivals. The defending champion, who won the 5000m title in a close race ahead of Chebet in Oregon, for example, is Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay. Another Ethiopian athlete, Letesenbet Gidey, is the world record-holder who had looked on course to beat Chebet to the world cross country title in Bathurst before she fell in the closing stages.

Chebet had similar encounters when winning her world U20 5000m title and world U20 cross country gold in 2019. In the latter, she won in a photo finish ahead of Ethiopia’s Alemitu Tariku and Tsigie Gebreselama as they all clocked 20:50 for the 6km race.

“I talked with Gidey some time after the incident in Bathurst, and she was doing well, health wise, and looking forward to coming back strong,” Chebet says.

Their rivalry is a friendly one. When asked whether she thinks Gidey will be looking forward to revenge in their next competition, Chebet replies: “We didn’t talk about competing against each other. It was to check up on her.”

While the rest of her 2023 racing calendar is yet to be confirmed, Chebet – who has a 5000m PB of 14:34.55 that she ran at the Oslo Diamond League in 2021 – will be hoping to remain a strong presence in the 12-and-a-half lap discipline this year.

“My training is going on well,” she says. “I am working hard and praying to God for good health and that everything else goes well. In my races this year, I will watch and hope to see continuous progress. I know all will go well with good training.”

Chebet currently trains in Kericho, on the undulating and beautiful landscapes of Kenyan tea plantations, under coach Gabriel Kiptanui as part of the Kericho Athletics Club.

Being part of the same training group and working with the same coach that guided her during her great 2022 season seems to be a good forecast of what Chebet’s season could look like this year.

“I hope I have another good year, like last year,” she adds.

So far, her career highlight was when, at the age of 18, she won her first gold medal at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland. It was a tough battle in the final 400m of the race between Chebet and Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye, who Chebet edged at the finish line by a mere 0.10. Taye’s compatriot, Girmawit Gebrzihair, completed the podium.

“Of all the medals and titles that I have ever won, the one that I cherish the most is the world U20 gold medal that I won at the Ratina Stadium in Tampere in 2018,” Chebet says of the 5000m victory that ended a 10-year winning streak by Ethiopian athletes. “It was my first big victory, so I will not forget it.”

Since then, Chebet has remained a force to be reckoned with in the women’s 5000m event. She won the African U20 title in 2019 and the African senior title last year in Mauritius, before she claimed her silver medal at the World Championships in Oregon and gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Can she emulate her 2022 success this year? It looks good so far, and a world title in Budapest would be the icing on the cake.

Edwin Kimaiyo to lead Kenyan trio at Stockholm Marathon

The 2011 Berlin Marathon bronze medalist Edwin Kimaiyo will be hoping to debut the 2023 season on a high with a win at the 44th edition of the Stockholm Marathon, Sweden on June 3.

Kimaiyo will be joined by fellow countrymen Robert Kipkemboi and Shadrack Kimining in the Scandinavian nation. 

Kimaiyo last raced in October last year at the Munich Marathon where he finished fifth in 2:11:02 a race won by compatriot Philemon Kipchumba in 2:07:28. 

The 37-year-old will be aiming to lower his personal best of 2:09:12 that he set at the Shanghai Marathon, China in November 2017.

The Kenyan trio will face stiff competition from an Ethiopian quintet led by the world junior record holder Tsegaye Mekonnen.

Mekonnen caused a major upset in the world of athletics when he won the Dubai Marathon in 2014 aged just 19 years old in a time of 2:04:32 to set the the unofficial world junior record.

Others who will pose a threat to the Kenyans include; Ethiopia's Ashenafi Moges, Zewdu Hailu, Derara Hurisa and Fikre Workneh, Eritrea's Berhane Tesfay and Mao Ako from Tanzania.

The course record is held by Ethiopia's Nigussie Sahlesilassie 2:10:10 a time he set in 2019.

10 Reasons to Start Following Track and Field This Year

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kenyan athlete killed in hit and run accident in Kapsabet

Kenyan athletics lovers woke up on Saturday morning to shocking news following the death of youthful athlete Sammy Kosgei which happened on Friday night in Nandi County.

Kosgei, who comes from Kamonjil village in Nandi County, was involved in a road accident along the Kapsabet-Lessos road at around 7:30 pm when he was knocked down by a hit-and-run passenger vehicle.

Nandi Police Commissioner Joseph Kavoo said that the accident at the Emaki Trading Centre killed him on the spot.

“The said athlete was walking along the road at the trading center before he was hit by a public service vehicle. However, we cannot ascertain where the athlete was going or coming from,” said Kavoo.

He added that the body of the deceased was taken to Kapsabet mortuary as the investigation into the incident commences.

According to the family spokesman, Hosea Saina, the family has lost a youthful athlete who had the potential to become the shining light of the community and nation at large.

“The accident has terminated the good career of a very young athlete. As a family, we have lost a young man who was to be the light of the family,” said Saina.

“As a family we shall sit and plan for his burial dates later,” he added.

Canfranc to host 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships

The third edition of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC) will take place in Canfranc-Pirineos, Spain, between 25-28 September 2025.

The awarding of the event to Canfranc in the Pyrenees follows a successful bid by the Government of Aragon, the Canfranc Town Council, the Huesca Provincial Council, the Higher Sports Council and the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA) to event partners the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU), the International Trail Running Association (ITRA) and the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA), alongside World Athletics.

As well as the four-day elite race programme, the event will include a summer-long cultural and leisure festival to promote the Pyrenees Mountain Range.

Around 1700 athletes from 70 countries are expected to meet in September 2025 in Canfranc-Pirineos, which takes over from Innsbruck in Austria – host of the next edition of the championships, taking place this year between 6-10 June.

The race programme will feature uphill mountain running, classic up and down mountain running, short trail, long trail and U20 classic up and down mountain events.

“On behalf of the LOC, we are thrilled to be hosting the 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in our country and look forward to welcoming the best mountain and trail runners from all corners of the globe,” said RFEA President Raul Chapado.

“As a team, we express our deep satisfaction and appreciation to World Athletics and its partners WMRA, IAU and ITRA for choosing our beautiful region of Canfranc and the stunning Aragonese Pyrenees as the venue for this world-class event.

“The championships offer a unique opportunity for fans to witness the best mountain and trail runners from around the world compete in an unparalleled natural environment. We are excited to collaborate with the public administrations, sponsors and volunteers to leave a permanent legacy and create an unforgettable experience for all participants.”

The Aragonese proposal was backed by great experience in the organisation of sporting events such as the Canfranc-Canfranc, an annual event that features two Gold level Valsir Mountain Running World Cup races.

Canfranc-Pirineos offers a superb sporting environment, which will allow each athlete to perform to the best of their ability and create a complete competitive experience for athletes, teams, federations and international associations. That is proven by the list of world champions who have run and won at the Canfranc-Canfranc: from Kenya’s Joyce Muthoni Njeru to USA’s Grayson Murphy and Britain’s Charlotte Morgan, as well as Spain’s Oihana Kortazar, Manuel Merillas, Luis Alberto Hernando and Daniel Osanz.

In 2024, the Canfranc-Canfranc will host the World Masters Championships, before the region welcomes athletes for the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in 2025.

Events due to take place as part of the associated festival include a series of awareness days, with emphasis on respectful use of the environment, and a natural running congress on the technical history and future convergence between the disciplines of athletics in nature: cross country, mountain running and trail running.

“It is our great pleasure to see the joint initiative to organise the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships continue its great momentum and we are excited that the third WMTRC will take place in Canfranc, Spain, in 2025 in the beautiful Pyrenees – a paradise for mountain and trail running,” said ITRA President Janet Ng, IAU President Nadeem Khan and WMRA President Tomo Sarf in a joint statement. 

“It will be the second time that the championships have been held in Europe. The initial event took place in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and was a huge success. We are confident that the second edition in Innsbruck and Stubai will build on that in the coming days and that the third edition in Canfranc will reach even greater heights. 

“We would like to thank the bidding committee, the Spanish athletics federation and World Athletics for all the cooperation and support during the application process to host the championships. The bidding committee worked extremely hard to prepare a compelling and impressive bid and we are all very much looking forward to being in Canfranc with the world’s best athletes in 2025.”

Innsbruck-Stubai entries confirmed

A total of 1122 athletes from 67 member federations are entered to compete in the next edition of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, taking place in Innsbruck-Stubai in Austria between 6-10 June.

That number includes 506 athletes entered into 574 women’s events and 616 athletes entered into 710 men’s events, with the programme featuring uphill mountain running, classic up and down mountain running, short trail and long trail. U20 men and women will compete in classic up and down mountain running.

USA’s Allie McLaughlin and Adam Peterman, Kenya’s Patrick Kipngeno, Norway’s Stian Angermund, Romania’s Denisa Dragomir and Blandine L'Hirondel of France were among the winners at the inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in November.

Kiptoo, Masai seeking big performances at Bolder Boulder

It's time to be bold for NAZ Elite.

The running team is sending Wesley Kiptoo and Alex Masai to the BOLDERBoulder 10K road race in Colorado set for Monday with the hopes of making some noise on the men's side of the prestigious event after producing some solid outings on the women's side the last few years.

Last year's BOLDERBoulder champion, in fact, was NAZ Elite's Aliphine Tuliamuk, who finished in third place at the 2019 edition of the race and was runner-up in 2018.

“We would love to win on the men’s side, but it’s really, really hard," NAZ Elite Executive Director Ben Rosario said Wednesday.

Only former member Scott Fauble has produced a top-10 finish in the men's race for NAZ Elite, taking sixth in 29:54 in 2016. This will be the eighth year that NAZ Elite has sent at least one athlete to the event since the team started racing in 2014.

The nature of the team-focused event typically leads to a loaded pack running up front, according to Rosario.

“When you have got three athletes from Kenya, three from Ethiopia, three from the U.S., et cetera, et cetera -- and they are all distance-running powerhouses -- it’s going to be hard to win the race because all these teams have somebody who could win.”

Rosario thinks that altitude also has something to do with how athletes perform at the race, which starts at 5,275 feet of elevation, peaks at 5,377 and ends at around 5,360 feet.

Fauble was born at altitude in Colorado, as was Tuliamuk, who is a Kenyan-born American. Both Kiptoo and Masai were born and raised in Kenya at an elevation higher than Flagstaff.

“It’s not a guarantee that they will run well, but I think they have a better chance to run well and race well at altitude than an athlete who was born and raised at sea level," Rosario said.

And both Kiptoo and Masai are in shape and coming off good performances.

Kiptoo won his last time out, repeating as the champion at the Pittsburgh Half Marathon on May 7. Meanwhile, Masai placed second in a 10,000-meter track event earlier this month and was fourth at the BAA 5K road race in mid-April with a time of 13:27.

“He’s look quite good in training over the last month," Rosario said of Masai, "and I would just say that he’s ready to go.”

Kiptoo normally draws energy from races that feature such strong talent up front, as the second-year pro likes competing with athletes who can produce the sort of times and results he hopes as his career unfolds. 

“He’s certainly excited about the race. He’s shown so far in his young career that he enjoys these big road races, and when he is fresh and ready to go, he runs very, very well," Rosario said.

Before Monday's BOLDERBoulder, NAZ Elite will have two athletes in Krissy Gear and Katie Wasserman at Friday's USATF Distance Classic 1500m on the UCLA campus.

Rosario said there will be 17 athletes packed on the track for the "regular-season" race that will provided a chance for Wasserman to get some racing rust off her legs after a pause in racing due to illness and Gear to keep the momentum going and experience building.

Wasserman has not raced since mid-February at the USATF Indoor Championships, where she produced a 12th-place result in the 3000m.

Florence Jebet Kiplagat is set to run in Gold Coast after four year break

Double Berlin Marathon champion Florence Jebet Kiplagat returns to action in July after four years out of competition due to an injury and prolonged illness.

The former World Half Marathon record holder will compete at the Gold Coast Marathon on July 2 and she can't wait. 

“It has been long since I completed and my return into action after four years in the cold is a sign that God loves me. I want my return to be better than before,” said Kiplagat.

Kiplagat was initially entered to compete at the Stockholm Marathon on June 2 but changed her plans after failing to secure vital travel documents on time.

She will be hoping to lower the course record currently held by Lindsay Flanagan at 2:24.43. Kiplagat’s best time stands at 2:19.44 set in 2011 at the Berlin Marathon on her second victory.

“I entered the Stockholm Marathon late and failed to secure a visa. That made me change my mind to compete at the Gold Coast Marathon in Australia,” she said.

The Iten-based runner had three incidents that kept her from running. First, the nagging injury, followed by the coronavirus then sickness. She says after the injury in 2019, she was to return to action but the world was hit by the  Coronavirus pandemic. "When the pandemic was over and planning to return, I fell sick," she explained. 

The mother of two has sweet memories of her World Half Marathon record feat, which she lowered twice; posting a new high of 1:05:12 in 2014 and 1:05:09 in 2015 during the Barcelona Half Marathon.

Under the tutelage of Italian marathon coach Renato Canova, Kiplagat says she is on top of her game and optimistic her performance in Gold Coast will be good despite the long period on the sidelines.

“Right now, I am coaching myself because my coach is currently unwell.  However, he has been sending me a training programme, which I follow religiously in a bid to make a successful return," she says.

She is well remembered to have ended Kenya’s 16-year-old gold drought at the 2009 World Cross-Country Championships in Amman, Jordan before winning the World Half Marathon title in Nanning, China in 2011. Kiplagat is a former footballer, who played at the national school games.

Boston champions and U.S. record holders return for 2023 B.A.A. 10K

The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced professional fields for the 2023 B.A.A. 10K presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, to be run on Sunday, June 25 through Back Bay. Among the challengers set to compete are Boston Marathon champions Hellen Obiri (2023) and Benson Kipruto (2021), defending B.A.A. 10K winner Leonard Korir, as well as national record holder Emily Sisson. Complete field lists can be found below.

The B.A.A. 10K presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital will be the second event of the 2023 B.A.A. Distance Medley, a year-long series featuring the B.A.A. 5K (April), B.A.A. 10K (June), and B.A.A. Half Marathon (November). Registration remains open with limited spots remaining.

“Many fan favorites and global stars return to Boston for this year’s B.A.A. 10K, including Boston Marathoners, American record holders, Olympians and Paralympians,” said Mary Kate Shea, Director of Professional Athletes for the B.A.A. “The B.A.A. 10K course is flat, fast, and –most importantly—fun for our top contenders. We look forward to kicking off summer with a memorable competition on June 25.”

Obiri, a two-time Olympic silver medalist, won April’s Boston Marathon in her Boston debut, and will return to the roads hoping to extend her winning streak. Her 30:15 personal best at 10K is fourth fastest among the field, only trailing Sheila Chepkirui (Kenya, 29:46), Vicoty Chepngeno (Kenya, 30:14), and Joan Chelimo Melly (Romania, 30:14). Chelimo Melly won the B.A.A. 10K in 2017, while Chepkirui placed fourth at last month’s TCS London Marathon.

Korir, the reigning B.A.A. 10K champion, is fresh off a win at the USA 25K National Championships on May 13, and looks to become the fourth man to win back-to-back B.A.A. 10Ks. Sisson, the current American record holder in the marathon and half marathon also will return, joined by Olympic Marathon bronze medalist and former Boston resident Molly Seidel.

Among the international field squaring off are Boston Marathon winners Kipruto (2021), Edna Kiplagat (2017 and 2021), and Caroline Rotich (2015), all of Kenya. Gabriel Geay (Tanzania) will return after a runner-up finish at April’s Boston Marathon, and previously won the B.A.A. 10K in 2018.

Geoffrey Koech, winner of last year’s B.A.A. Half Marathon, will compete, as will Callum Hawkins of Great Britain, twice the fourth-place finisher at the World Championships marathon, plus decorated road racers Edward Cheserek (Kenya), a 17-time NCAA champion, and Zouhair Talbi (Morocco), most recently fifth at the Boston Marathon. From Team B.A.A. are Matt McDonald, Paul Hogan, Jonas Hampton, and Eric Hamer.

Mary Ngugi of Kenya, a two-time B.A.A. 10K winner and two-time Boston Marathon podium finisher, will aim for title number three, as fellow Kenyan Sharon Lokedi, the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon champion, looks for her first B.A.A. event victory. Team B.A.A.’s Annie Rodenfels, third place and top American at the 2023 B.A.A. 5K, will make her debut at the 10K distance leading a full contingent of Boston-based B.A.A. teammates including Bethany Hasz, Megan Hasz, and Jenna Magness.

Hermin Garic, the 2022 B.A.A. 10K winner, returns in the men’s wheelchair division, while Yen Hoang, third place at the 2021 Boston Marathon, leads the women’s wheelchair division. Brian Reynolds and Liz Willis will compete in the T61-64 (lower-limb impairment) division having already earned podium placings at the Boston Marathon in April. Reynolds, a Massachusetts native, set a world best 1:25:46 at the 2022 B.A.A. Half Marathon. Local Para athlete and last year’s T61-64 women’s winner, Adrianne Haslet, will also compete. Additional 2023 Boston Marathon Para division winners Andrew Thorson (T11-T13 vision impairment) and Atsbha Gebre (T45/T46 upper-limb impairment) are racing.  The B.A.A. 10K presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital has been certified by World Para Athletics as a record-eligible competition, paving the way for Para Athletes to set world and national records this year.

Media members interested in covering the B.A.A. 10K, presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, may apply for credentials here.

Registration for the 2023 B.A.A. 10K presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is currently open through the B.A.A.’s online platform Athletes’ Village. All participants who enter will receive an adidas participant shirt, unique bib number, and finisher medal. Additional participant information can be found on baa.org. The race will start at 8:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, June 25 on Charles Street adjacent to Boston Common and Boston Public Garden.

Brigham and Women's Hospital, the B.A.A. 10K’s presenting sponsor and exclusive fundraising partner, will again field a team of fundraising runners. Since 2016, more than 2,100 runners and 180 teams have raised $1.2 million to fuel life-giving breakthroughs at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Learn more and register at www.runbwh.org/10k.

Commonwealth Games 4x400m relay bronze medalist Wiseman is focusing on Budapest

Wiseman Were has reaffirmed his intention to lead the country to unparalleled success at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. 

Were stated in an exclusive interview on Monday that he had stepped up training to place on the podium in the premier yearly global spectacle scheduled for August.

"August isn't that far away, so I want to keep putting forth my best effort in the meanwhile. I regret not being able to go to Oregon last year," Were said.

However, first things first and must work tirelessly to earn the qualification mark that will secure him a spot on the plane to Budapest.

"The entry standard for the 400m hurdles at the 2023 World Athletics Championships is 48.70s, and I'm still 1.09 seconds off the mark."

Already boasting an impressive personal best of 49.09, Were's best time this season is the 49.23 seconds he posted in Pretoria on April 12 on his way to victory during the Athletics South Africa (ASA) Grand Prix. 

 He ran 49.29 seconds to wrap up in third place at the Botswana Grand Prix and finished third in Johannesburg with a time of 49.78.

His most recent performance was at the Kip Keino Classic on May 13 where he clocked a meet record of 49.59 seconds to bag the men’s 400m hurdles race in yet another mesmerising on-track show of dexterity.

"That was a sweet victory. Winning at home is such a good thing. I'm happy with the outcome I recorded at the Kip Keino Classic," Were said.

Were stated that he will continue to compete in more races in the coming days to meet the championship threshold.

"I'm still waiting to hear from my manager which races I'll be running in the coming days as I eye the qualification mark for Budapest," Were said.

The 25-year-old effervescent sprinter underlined the necessity of tight collaboration between all parties, stating that achieving the ideal heights in sprints necessitates a concerted effort from everyone associated with the sport.

"It's not just about how hard an athlete works. To lead us to such heights, we need every bit of assistance from our coaches, the physios, the local athletics governing body, government, and supporters," Were stated.

Were believes he has set the platform for a slew of legendary performances after kicking off his season with spectacular victories in South Africa and Kenya.

He believes the results gave him the confidence he needs to advance his career.

"I had a commendable performance; my speed and skill were superb. I intend to replicate my performance and bring about the desired results," Were said.

"The ASA Grand Prix and Kip Keino Classic races offered me some crucial lessons. Competing against some of the best sprinters in the world and winning while posting good times boosted my self-belief."

Ethiopia’s Yasin Haji returns to defend Okpekpe 10km Road Race

Ethiopia’s Yasin Haji is seeking to make history as the first man to successfully defend the Okpekpe international 10km Road Race title. The 27-year-old has arrived in Lagos for Saturday’s race in Okekpe, Edo State.

Haji became the third, bonafide Ethiopian man to win the Okpekpe race title when he ran 29:05, the third fastest winning time in race history, to win the title in 2022.  Teshome Mekonen, who ran 28.35 in 2014 to set the race record, was the first Ethiopian to win the men’s race, while Leule Gebrselassie (29:28) became the second to win three years later. Haji, who raced to a 27:00 lifetime best in the event last year in Lille, has returned to form at the right time. 

The Ethiopian clocked 27:20 at the end of last month at the adizero Road to Records, Adi-Dassler-Straße 1 in Herzogenaurach, Germany to send a message to his countryman, Mekonen that he is returning to Okpekpe to break the course record and make history. The stage will not be for Haji alone, as a certain Kenyan, Daniel Simiu Ebenyo, will not only be seeking to return Kenya to the podium as Okpekpe race champion, but also challenge Mekonen’s 28.35 course record.  Ebenyo is one of just 14 athletes in the event’s all-time list to have broken 27 minutes when he ran 26:58 in Valencia, Spain in January 2022, and like Haji, the 27-year-old has also returned to form just in time for the Okpekpe race.

He ran 59:52 to win the Istanbul Half Marathon in Istanbul, Turkey at the end of last month and will be looking to become the fifth Kenyan winner of the Okpekpe 10km title.  In the women’s race, a new course record also looks to be in the offing following the quality of the elite cast for the event. Kenya’s Edith Jepchumba will lead the cast of athletes aiming to rewrite the 32:41 course record set by Ethiopia’s Wude Ayalew in 2014.  The Kenyan ran a 30:53 lifetime best over the distance last February, nearly two minutes inside the course record and she is the fastest athlete among the elite cast confirmed for the race.  Ethiopia’s Bertukan Welde has also ran inside Ayalew’s course record when she clocked 32:00 to come in behind Jepchumba in Castellon, Spain last February.  Abigail Jelimo will be seeking to get the gold this time after running 33.53 to place third at the eighth edition of the Okpekpe race last year.  Meanwhile, former Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police and now Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Solomon Arase, yesterday, commended owner of the Okpekpe 10km race, Mike Itemuagbor, for sustaining the world-class road running event in Nigeria.  He said: “Kudos to Mike (Itemuagbor), the great sports lover and administrator for putting the rural Okpekpe community on the map of the world. Okpekpe race has come to stay because of our brother, who has been able to sustain it over the years.”  The ninth Okpekpe International 10km Road Race will hold on Saturday in Okpekpe, Etsako East Council of Edo State. Edo State government, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Dan Oil, Petralon Energy Limited and Development Bank, back the race.

International Stars and Record-Holders to Clash at New York Mini 10K

TCS New York City Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi to challenge Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri; record-holders Emily Sisson and Keira D’Amato to lead Americans.

This year’s Mastercard® New York Mini 10K, the first women-only road race in the world, will feature Olympians, Paralympians, national-record holders and past event champions in what is expected to be the largest race in the event’s 51-year history with around 9,000 runners on Saturday, June 10 in Central Park.

The Mini 10K, which began in 1972 as the first women-only road race known then 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.

The open division will be headlined by TCS New York City Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi of Kenya, Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri of Kenya, and two-time Olympian and defending event champion Senbere Teferi of Ethiopia. Joining them will be a strong American contingent led by Olympian and U.S. marathon record-holder Emily Sisson, and U.S. 10-mile record holder Keira D’Amato.

Lokedi, who will return to Central Park for the first time since winning the TCS New York City Marathon in her marathon debut in November, was the runner-up at last year’s Mastercard® New York Mini 10K. Obiri, a two-time Olympic and seven-time world championships medalist, will be making her debut in the race after winning the United Airlines NYC Half in March and the Boston Marathon in April.

“The last time I was in New York, my entire life changed when I won the TCS New York City Marathon,” Lokedi said. “This iconic city will now always hold a special place in my heart and I’m eager to keep improving and show that I’m on top of the podium to stay.”

“There is no greater feeling than having my daughter watch me win races, and having her with me when I won the United Airlines NYC Half and Boston Marathon this year was truly special,” Obiri said. “Now, I’m looking forward to lining up for the women-only Mastercard Mini 10K for the first time, and having so many girls from the next generation watch me race, just like my daughter does.”

Teferi is a two-time Olympian who won the 2022 United Airlines NYC Half in an event-record time and returned to Central Park three months later to win her first Mastercard® New York Mini 10K. She is also a two-time World Championships silver medalist and the 5K world-record holder for a women-only race.

“Winning the 50th edition of the Mastercard New York Mini 10K last year was very emotional for me, and I was proud to lead thousands of women in celebration,” Teferi said. “I’m excited to return to Central Park again, which has been so kind to me in recent visits.”

Susannah Scaroni, a two-time Paralympic medalist, is the most dominant woman in wheelchair racing now as the defending champion of the TCS New York City Marathon, Boston Marathon, and Chicago Marathon. She has won the wheelchair division of the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K every year since it first began in 2018, and has previously set the world-best 10K mark at the race. This year, in addition to racing the likes of U.S. Paralympians Jenna Fesemyer and Hannah Dederick in the wheelchair division, she will serve as an ambassador for the NYRR Run for the Future program at the event.

NYRR Run for the Future is a free seven-week program is for high school girls in New York City with little to no running experience. It introduces participants to running and wellness through practices and panels focused on mental health, nutrition, and body image – some of which Scaroni has helped lead. At the end of the seven weeks, participants will take part in their first-ever 5K at the Mini 10K with Scaroni cheering them on at the finish line. Mastercard® will make a donation of $10,000 to NYRR Run for the Future – $5,000 on behalf of the open division champion and $5,000 on behalf of the wheelchair division champion.

“I’ve been fortunate to compete at this event since the addition of the professional wheelchair division to the Mini 10K in 2018, and I’ve absolutely loved everything about competing at this race,” Scaroni said. “This year, I’m thrilled to be giving back to NYRR and the next generation of women at the event by serving as an NYRR Run for the Future Ambassador cheering on the Run for the Future participants as they run their first-ever 5K will be incredible.”

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 third time, and as part of its on-going partnership with NYRR will also serve as the presenting sponsor of professional women’s athlete field.

Standard Chartered Marathon extends partnership with Athletics Kenya

Standard Chartered Bank has entered a new five-year partnership deal with Athletics Kenya to deliver the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon on October 29.

The partnership, which ends in 2027, will see the athletics body assist the organisers to ensure efficient running and coordination of the event. 

The event's Local Organizing Committee (LOC) chairman Peter Gitau said, “For nearly 20 years, the event has provided a stage for national and international athletes' stardom.

"This has only been achieved through the support of our partners, key among them, Athletics Kenya.

"Today, we are proud to extend our partnership with the athletics body and look forward to progressing our goal to deliver a collaborative, inclusive, sustainable, and premium marathon in the region."

Gitau cited the likes of former world marathon record holder Dennis Kimetto, Irene Jerotich, Chemutai Rionotukei, Fridah Chepkite Lodepa, and Elisha Kiprop among others as some of the products of StanChart Marathon.

He said AK have linked athletes to the Standard Chartered Marathon since 2003 and helped launch their careers.

Besides, the association has helped to design the race specificities including timings, and running tracks, and catered for athletes' welfare checks.

 Athletics Kenya (AK) president, Lt Gen (Rtd)  Jackson Tuwei said he is proud to extend the partnership with Standard Chartered Marathon for the next five years.

He said over the past 20 years, the event has not only nurtured sporting talent but also helped create a benchmark for other marathons in the region.

"We are excited to continue working with the Stan Chart Marathon LOC to deliver a top-notch and unmatched event experience. We are also excited to see more athletic careers being launched and nurtured through the marathon.”

He further thanked United Nations Environment Programme and the Stockholm Environment Institute for their efforts and revealed that they will use the platform to conduct real-time air quality monitoring. 

This year's event targets to register 25,000 runners and will start at the Uhuru Garden. The satellite marathons will start a week earlier prior to the main event  (October 22).

The event will feature seven race categories thus; 42km (men and women), 21km (men and women), 21km wheelchair (men and women), 10km (men and women), 10km CEO challenge, 5km Family Fun Run race and the Corporate Relay Challenge.

The registration portal is now open on www.nairobimarathon.com at a fee of Sh2000 and individual and corporate participants are encouraged to register early.

Last year, Elias Chelimo and Sheila Chepkech won the 42km individual men and women categories.

Kenyan’s Sabastian Sawe and Ethiopia’s Tsehay Gemechu were the winners in Bengaluru

Bengaluru, 21 May 2023: In what will go down as a classic in Indian road running history, Sabastian Sawe (Kenya) took the men’s title and Ethiopia’s Tsehay Gemechu the women’s crown in the Elite category of the landmark 15th edition of the Tata Consultancy Services World 10K Bengaluru on Sunday.

Among the Indian elite, Murli Gavit, making only his second appearance at the iconic race, dashed to a sensational finish to bag the Indian men’s title while debutant Tamshi Singh won the women’s category.

Sawe, who clocked the world’s fifth fastest 10K time in Germany last month, ran a superbly-paced race to win in a close contest and Gemechu was equally impressive in the way she kicked on at the end in the prestigious USD 210,000 World Athletics Gold Label Road Race. The winners took home an equal prize cheque of USD 26,000 each in what is possibly one of the greatest road races in Asia. Sawe won in a time of 27:58.24 and Gemechu in 31:38.

It was an Ethiopian 1-2-3 in the women’s race with Fotyen Tesafe finishing four seconds behind Gemechu and the experienced Dera Dida only seven seconds shy of the winner.

It came down to the final kilometre after the trio grippingly ran almost similar times through 2.5 km, 5 km and 7.5 km splits and it was a strong finish by Gemechu that saw this year’s Tokyo Marathon runner-up take the crown.

In her previous visit to Bengaluru in 2019 Gemechu had finished sixth. “I was determined to get this victory. In 2019, I had made one mistake, this time I had the experience so this was an easier race. I think my track experience came in handy today,” she told reporters after her sensational win.

Three Kenyans finished in the top four in the men’s race that saw last year’s winner and course record holder Nicholas Kipkoekir come fourth, as his countryman Sawe won in spectacular style after kicking on at the finish.

Sawe won milliseconds ahead of Rodrigue Kwizera (Burundi) after the latter was ahead moments earlier in what was a gripping race. “It’s my first time here. I was feeling confident coming into the run because I’m coming off a victory in Germany. The last two kilometres was really tough. I told myself I have to push really hard, even the last 500m was very challenging,” he said.

In the race for the Indian elite athletes, India's most promising distance runner  Murli ensured a brilliant finish clocking 29:58.03 with Harmanjot Singh giving a close contest for the top spot. He finished with a time of 29:59.10 and Uttam Chand finished third with a time of 29:59.24.  

The Indian men’s race followed a similar template as the international one with the athletes running together as a pack from the get-go. Initially, it was Uttam Chand who led the charge, with Gaurav hot on his heels.   

While Uttam was being chased by Gaurav for most of the race, it was Harmanjot Singh and Murli Gavit who powered through the pack in the latter stages of the contest. The rankings changed significantly in the final couple of kilometres as the likes of Harmanjot and Murli went through the gears and took the contest down to the wire.  

It was Murli who had just the right amount of fuel in the tank to power through the home stretch as he stormed into the lead and finished ahead of Harmanjot and Uttam.  “This was my second race here. I last took part in TCS World 10K in 2015. The weather didn’t matter much to me, I have been training well. Although this wasn’t my personal best, I am happy with the big win,” stated an elated Murli.

Among the Indian women, it wasn’t as much of a tight contest, as the 19-year-old Tamshi Singh produced a personal best performance in only her first appearance here. She timed 34:12 while Poonam Sonune was second with a time of 34:29, and Seema finished third with the clock reading 34:30. 

Both Murli and Tamshi walked away with a grand cash purse of INR 2,75,000 each.

The start of the women’s race, however, was a different story. It was Neetu Kumari and Bharti Nain who led the pack for the first 12 minutes, with Tamshi staying on their shoulders. But soon after, it was Tamshi who broke away just after the mid-way stage, and continued to build on.

Soon enough, the youngster had a lead of about 50 metres. With no one coming close to challenging her, Tamshi continued in her merry ways finishing off the contest in style. “It feels great to win in my debut race here. I’ve never ran the 10K before. The prize money here will definitely help me in my career to buy shoes and other gear. Next, I’m going to prepare for All India University meet, that is my next target,” stated Tamshi.

The 15th edition held in India’s running capital of Bengaluru also witnessed over 27,000 amateurs participate in a road race that has changed the fitness paradigm of the country and grown into one of the greatest road races in Asia.

African 100m record holder pledges to plant 1 million trees in 2023

African 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya has signed on to an initiative to personally plant one million trees in the 2023 track season. The Kenyan news outlet Nation reported that Omanyala, the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the 100m, discussed his tree-planting plans at a ceremony on Friday ahead of the Kip Keino Classic meet in Nairobi. 

Omanyala (whose 100m PB of 9.77 seconds is the fastest in African history) has been working on his tree-planting project since the start of 2023. He is working in tandem with Athletics Kenya, which has reportedly engaged in similar initiatives surrounding climate change and air quality. Jack Tuwei, Athletics Kenya’s president, told Nation that both climate change and air quality have negative effects on sport, which prompted the organization to act. 

Omanyala told the press that he hopes more athletes will support this campaign. “I’m aiming to plant one million trees this season, and my plea to the other athletes and anyone supporting sports is to join the campaign, because this is what we need as sports men and women,” he said.

He continued, saying, “by planting trees, the community is also set to benefit from clean air.” This is Omanyala’s main reason for setting out on his project of planting one million trees, adding that he wants to “fill every space available [in Kenya] with trees.” While he is only focused on working in Kenya, Omanyala acknowledged the global issues presented by climate change, saying it is “a worldwide concern.” 

A day after his tree-planting ceremony, Omanyala raced in front of a home crowd at the Kip Keino Classic. He beat Americans Kenny Bednarek and Marvin Bracy-Williams to the line, running a world-leading time of 9.84 seconds to take the win. Bednarek finished in second in 9.98 and Bracy-Williams crossed the line in 10.03. 

Mo Farah eighth in penultimate race of career

Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah finished eighth at the Great Manchester Run, the penultimate race of his career.

The 40-year-old Briton completed the 10km course in 29 minutes 11 seconds - 44 seconds behind winner Eyob Faniel of Italy.

Kenya's Hellen Obiri defended the women's title in 31 minutes 14 seconds.

Farah's final competitive race will be the Great North Run in Newcastle on 10 September.

"I'm so proud of what I've achieved throughout my career," he told BBC Sport.

"I was a bit nervous at the start, but this city has some great history and the support I got was amazing."

Farah won 5,000m and 10,000m gold at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

He has also won six world and five European golds, and was knighted in 2017.

Faniel, who was born in Eritrea but moved to Italy as a child, beat Briton Marc Scott by four seconds, with Australia's Stewart McSweyn a further four seconds back. Britain's Jonny Mellor was 10th.

Obiri, who won the Boston Marathon last month, finished 45 seconds ahead of compatriot Peres Jepchirchir in second.

Calli Thackery was third - 1min 37secs behind Obiri - one of five Britons in the top 10.

Stephanie Twell was fourth, Rose Harvey fifth, Natasha Cockram seventh and Rachael Franklin 10th.

Britain's Commonwealth 10,000m champion Eilish McColgan was absent as she recovers from a knee injury.

Peres Jepchirchir will compete in the Great Manchester Run 10km race on Sunday

Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir and Hellen Obiri will compete in the Great Manchester Run 10km race on Sunday.

Jepchirchir will be using the race to train for the next marathon season where she is optimistic of good results.

The Kapsabet-based Jepchirchir will battle it out with defending champion Hellen Obiri, who is fresh from winning the Boston Marathon last month in the USA, among other athletes.

“Competing in the race on Sunday is just part of my training as we start another marathon season. I’m still waiting for confirmation from my management on which race I will be competing in next,” said Jepchirchir.

She said that it feels good competing once again after being out for a long period due to injuries. She has set her eyes on performing well in the forthcoming assignments.

“Competing in the London Marathon and finishing on the podium was something sweet for me. I was running to see how my body would react and I was elated by my performance. I believe I will be able to compete well in the forthcoming events,” added Jepchirchir.

Obiri has risen to stamp authority in the road races after graduating from track where she ruled in the 5,000m and 10,000m. She said that she has just resumed her training and prepared for only two weeks. 

“I will be competing on Sunday but I don’t have anything in mind despite having ran a course record last year. I will be eyeing a good race because I have just trained for two weeks,” Obiri told Nation Sport on phone from UK.

Her debut in marathon saw her emerge sixth in the 2022 New York Marathon in a time of 2:25:49 before winning her second marathon race, Boston Marathon in a personal best of 2:21:38.

Also in the mix is Ethiopia’s former world silver medalist in the 5,000m Senbere Teferi, British athletes, Mollie Williams, Steph Twell, Rose Harvey, Lily Patridge among others.

In last year’s race, Obiri ran a course record of 30:15 winning ahead of British Eilish McColgan who clocked 30:19 while Kenya’s Ruth Chepng’etich settled for third place in 30:29.

Manchester stage set for speedy 10km contests

Mo Farah set for penultimate race while Hellen Obiri returns to defend her crown on city streets.

Mo Farah will tackle what is set to be the penultimate competitive race of his storied career as the 20th edition of the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run is staged on Sunday (May 21), but it won’t just be the multiple global track champion who will be attracting attention on the city streets.

Last year’s 10km event produced a spectacular women’s race as Hellen Obiri surged to a brilliant win in 30:15, four seconds ahead of Eilish McColgan’s British record-breaking performance.

The Kenyan returns to defend her title this year, fresh from winning the Boston Marathon last month, but the former 5000m world champion and 2022 Great North Run winner won’t be joined by McColgan who is continuing her recovery from the knee problem which prevented her from making her marathon debut in London.

Instead, the strongest challenge is set to come from Peres Jepchirchir, the Kenyan Olympic marathon champion who was third in London, and Ethiopia’s 2015 5000m world championships silver medallist Senbere Teferi.

Steph Twell will lead the home charge as part of a British contingent which also features the likes of Mollie Williams, Monika Jackiewicz, Lily Partridge, Rose Harvey and Natasha Cockram.

On paper, the fastest man in the men’s field is Callum Hawkins, though how close he can come to his 10km road PB of 28:02 remains to be seen following his injury problems in recent years. The Scot, who has twice finished fourth over the marathon at the World Championships, will be looking to make more progress back towards top form.

Fellow Brit Marc Scott, the winner of this event in 2021, has a PB of 28:03 and will want to make his mark in his first outing since coming 12th in the Istanbul Half Marathon at the end of last month. Farah can expect plenty of support again, having last been seen in action when coming ninth in the London Marathon, where he confirmed his intention to retire at the end of this year. The four-time Olympic champion also clocked 30:41 for 10km in Gabon last month.

The home athletes will be up against the Australian duo of Jack Rayner – runner-up in Manchester last year and the current national 10km record holder – plus Stewart McSweyn, the national 1500m and 3000m record-holder who has an identical road PB to Scott.

Last year’s Osaka Marathon champion, Japan’s Gaku Hoshi, plus Uganda’s Commonwealth marathon champion Victor Kaplangat, add to the strength of the international field.

The men’s wheelchair race should be a tight contest, too, featuring Sean Frame, Johnboy Smith and Commonwealth marathon bronze medallist Simon Lawson.

As well as the popular 10km, the event schedule also features a half marathon plus the Mini and Junior Great Manchester Run.

Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli and Irene Cheptai will defend titles against quality fields in Bengaluru

One year after setting course records at the TCS World 10K Bengaluru, Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli and Irene Cheptai return to the World Athletics Gold Label road race with the aim of becoming back-to-back winners on Sunday (21).

Kipkorir Kimeli won last year in 27:38, while Cheptai clocked 30:35. Kipkorir Kimeli, who has a PB of 26:51, is the fastest in the men’s field, but there are three athletes in the women’s line-up with a PB quicker than Cheptai’s (30:16).

“I’m excited to be defending my title,” said Kipkorir Kimeli, who finished fourth over 5000m at the Tokyo Olympics. “I’ve prepared well and am feeling confident.”

The 24-year-old Kenyan came close to his PB last month in Herzogenaurach, where he finished third in 26:54. Earlier in the year, he finished 13th at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Bathurst 23.

Twelve athletes in the men’s field have a PB quicker than the course record, and Kipkorir Kimeli is one of three runners with a sub-27-minute best.

Sebastian Sawe actually heads to Bengaluru in better form, having beaten Kipkorir Kimeli in two clashes earlier this year. Sawe was seventh at the World Cross, and then won over 10km in Herzogenaurach in a PB of 26:49. In between those races, Sawe also won the Berlin Half Marathon in 59:00 – his fifth sub-60-minute half marathon in just over 14 months.

Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera, one of the winners of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour, is the third athlete in the field with a sub-27-minute PB. The 23-year-old finished just behind Sawe at the World Cross, and more recently he won over 10km in Camargo.

Other contenders include Ethiopian duo Gemechu Dida and Birhanu Legesse, and Uganda’s Stephen Kissa.

Legesse is a two-time winner of the Tokyo Marathon, and in 2019 he clocked a marathon PB of 2:02:48 in Berlin, making him the fourth-fastest man in history at that distance. More recently he set a half marathon PB of 58:59.

“I’m feeling very positive but I hope that things fall my way,” said Legesse, who has raced in Bengaluru on five previous occasions, achieving three podium finishes.

Dida won over 10km in Lille in March in a PB of 27:12, while former track specialist Kissa clocked 2:04:48 on his marathon debut in Hamburg last year.

Cheptai, the 2017 world cross-country champion, enjoyed one of her best seasons to date last year. She took silver over 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games, then went on to win over 10km in Prague (30:16) and at the New Delhi Half Marathon (1:06:42), setting PBs on both occasions.

“I’m thrilled to be back in Bengaluru and I have fond memories of India,” said the 31-year-old Kenyan. “I’ve trained well, but a lot depends on how you feel on race day.”

The four fastest runners in the women’s race have PBs faster than the course record.

Jesca Chelangat is still relatively new on the international scene, but she has made a mark already, winning over 10km in Durban last year and finishing runner-up in Valencia in January in 30:01, making her one of the fastest women of all time.

Compatriot Vicoty Chepngeno finished more than a minute behind Chelangat in Valencia, but she is a 30:14 performer at her best, and should be in contention in Bengaluru.

Ethiopia’s Tsehay Gemechu is also one to watch. She finished second at the Tokyo Marathon this year in 2:16:56 who took second place at this year’s Tokyo Marathon in 2:16.56, moving to eighth on the world all-time list.

Other contenders include world 5000m bronze medalist Dawit Seyaum, and fellow Ethiopian Dera Dida, the 2019 world cross-country silver medallist, who won the Dubai Marathon earlier this year in a PB of 2:21:11.

Eliud Kipchoge feted with Princess Asturias Award

Kenyan marathon specialist Eliud Kipchoge has won the Princess of Asturias Award for sports for 2023, the Spanish foundation that organizes the prizes said Thursday.

Kipchoge, 38, who took Olympic gold medals in the marathon in 2016 and 2020 and was world 5,000 meters champion in 2003 “is considered a legend in world athletics and the best marathon runner of all time,” the foundation’s panel of judges said in a statement.

The foundation highlighted that he is known as “the philosopher” for his strategy and concentration in running. Kipchoge has won in 10 editions of four of the major marathons, including London and Berlin four times each.

He is the current Olympic marathon champion and holds the world record for the discipline, with a time of 2 hours, 1 minute, 9 seconds set in Berlin last year. That timing lowered by 30 seconds the record he himself had set in 2018.

In a statement from Kipchoge forwarded by the foundation after the announcement, he said it was an “absolute honor” to receive the award.

“It motivates me in my goal to leave a legacy in this world through running, since a running world is a more peaceful world, a happier world and a more healthy world,” he said.

Kipchoge is the only athlete in history who has run a marathon in less than two hours, although the timing of 1:59:40 set in Vienna in 2019 isn’t recognized officially as the race was organized so outside aid could be used to help him.

The 50,000-euro award ($54,000) is one of eight prizes awarded for outstanding work in areas such as the arts, communication, scientific research and literature. They are handed out annually by the foundation.

The Olympic Refugee Foundation and the refugee Olympics team won the sports award in 2022.

The prizes are among the most important in the Spanish-speaking world. The award ceremony is held each fall in the northern Spanish city of Oviedo.

Kenyan Edward Zakayo to use France Continental Tour as build-up for Budapest

Former Commonwealth Games 5,000m bronze medalist Edward Zakayo will compete at the Meeting International de la Martinique Continental Tour set for next week in France.

The former world under-20 5,000m champion said he wants to use the France race as a build-up for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. 

Speaking in Iten after competing in the Iten 15km Road race on Sunday, the former Africa 5000m champion said he has also been competing in road races just to enhance his career path and build on his endurance. 

“Today’s race was just but part of my training ahead of the Continental Tour in France,” said Zakayo, who finished 19th in the race that attracted over 500 athletes.

Zakayo stormed into the limelight in 2017 when he won 5,000m silver at the world Under 18 championships.

He added bronze at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, and added the world Under-20 5,000m title in Tampere, Finland.

He completed the year with gold at the Africa Athletics Championships in Asaba, Nigeria in 2018.

“For me to make Team Kenya to Budapest, I need to work hard this season. I missed the cut last year but I want to do my best this year,” said Zakayo.

He also won silver at the 2019 All Africa Games in Rabat, Morocco before venturing into road races. “My new venture in road running is earning fruits and I hope this will continue,” he said.

Kenyans Kipngetich and Chembai were the winners of the 42nd edition of Göteborgsvarvet

Edmond Kipngetich and Susan Chembai – those are the names of the winners of the 42nd edition of Göteborgsvarvet.

“I didn’t expect to win, but I am really happy I did,” said Chembai, who crossed the finish line 20 seconds before the runner-up.

Four male and two female runners came to Sweden with personal bests under the current course records at Götebortsvarvet, but no new records were broken this day. However, Edmond Kipngetich finished first of the 40,000 participants and Susan Chembai was the first woman to reach Slottsskogsvallen.

Edmond Kipngetich, with a personal best an impressive 59:25 from last year, was in the lead at each of the split times and crossed the finish line at 1:01:46, 40 seconds before his fellow countryman Braved Kiprop and another 58 seconds before Alex Kibet, the runner in the starting field with the best personal best.

“It was tough today, but it felt great to win. The course was tougher than I thought and I had to fight hard, but was stronger than the others today,” he said.

First among the runners competing for Swedish clubs was Samuel Russom (Hässelby SK). The Eritrean citizen finished sixth at 1:04:04 and was the best non-Kenyan. David Nilsson from Högby IF was the best Swedish citizen, six seconds before Archie Casteel (Spårvägens FK).

In the women’s class four Kenyans and two Ethiopians took the first six positions. The best of them was Susan Chembai who was 20 seconds ahead of the runner up, finishing on 1;10:40. As predicted Hanna Lindholm was the best Swedish runner, finishing seventh, more than one minute and two positions in front of Johanna Larsson from Örgryte IS.

Kirika and Mungai were the winners at the 21st monthly KATA Time Trial in Thika

Zakariah Kirika and Boniface Mungai lived up to expectation by ruling both the 10, 000 and 5,000metres during the May Kenyan Athletics Training Academy Time- Trial held at Thika Stadium May 17. 

The Star, who has been playing second fiddle to KATA's internationals Peter Mwaniki and Peter Wanyoike, timed 30:42.1 in his 10,000metres specialty while Mungai outclassed newcomer Simon Ngubao in the 5,000metres after clocking 15:04.6, improving his January’s time of 15:27.7 by 23 seconds.

During the 21st KATA (Kenyan Athketics Training Academy) Time Trial that alternated with the Road last month, Evans Kiguru took the silver position in 10,000metres behind Kirika in 32:13.3 with another newcomer Gabriel Kahura coming third in 32:27.3.

In the 5,000metres, Levis Kuria bettered his March’s 15:32.8 to record new personal record of 15:06.2, chopping off 26.5 seconds and finished ahead of perennial Fredrick Kiprotich who finished in 15:18.2.

In the Ladies, Caren Chepkemoi bettered her 5,000m Personal Best after registering a new17:28.2 from her previous 19:11.6 to come ahead in the category with Narok-based Maureen Nairesiae clocking 18:20.6.

KATA's Peter Njeru did not run the time trial because he had just gotten back after finishing third at the Petrom Bucharest Romania half marathon clocking 1:01:21.

The 22nd edition of the KATA monthly Time Trial will return to the Road on 14th June on the Ndarugo-Mang’u Road.

Name:                    Bib               Age          Time

     10,000Metres

1. Zakaria Kirika      114              22            30:42.1

2. Evans Kiguru         93              27            32:13.3

3. Gabriel Kahura    124             40            32:27.3

4. Anthony Mukundi 84         35                32:41.8     

5. Alfred Kamande   113              25                34:01.1

6. Paul Ng’ang’a        106        42                34:05.3

7. Charles Ndirangu  90         60                 36:13.2

8. Moses Mutunga    121      27                 37:44.4

5,000Metres

1.Boniface Mungai     111      24                 15:04.6

2. Simon Ngubao        121      28                 15:05.4

3. Levis Kuria               117      22                 15:06.2

4. Fredrick Kiprotich   122      24                15:18.2

5. John Mutiso             109      19                16:14.8

6. Amos Chirchir          126      23                16:19.3

7. Peter Mukundi         115      25                17:22.0

8. Caren Chepkemoi    89        21                 17:28.2

9. Ismael Mburu          120       22                18:18.1

10. Maureen Nairesiae  107    107              18:20.6

11. Virginia Wanjiru      123      21                20:14.2

12. Hannah Njeri           110      24                21:04.6

13. Nancy Githaiga        108      32                22:33.5.

Rhonex Kipruto, 10K world record holder, suspended on doping allegations

On Wednesday, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced the provisional suspension of 10K world record holder Rhonex Kipruto of Kenya. The 23-year-old was charged with the use of a prohibited substance or a prohibited method related to his Athlete Biological Passport (ABP).

Kipruto is the fastest man in history over 10 kilometres, clocking an impressive 26:24 on the roads at the Valencia 10K in January 2020. He is also the third-fastest half marathoner in history with a personal best of 57:49. Kipruto won a global medal at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha in the 10,000m, finishing third behind Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei and Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha.

Kipruto has been informed by the AIU of alleged inconsistencies in his ABP blood values, dating back to 2018. The AIU has not directly accused him of using prohibited substances, but he is provisionally suspended and asked to provide an explanation.

What is an ABP suspension?

The purpose of an Athlete Biological Passport is to track their blood values over a long period to monitor for possible signs of doping, even if they never fail a drug test.

The AIU will analyze an athlete’s ABP data to monitor select biological parameters over time that may indirectly reveal the effects of doping. This approach allows the AIU to generate profiles for each athlete and to look for any fluctuations that may indicate that the athlete has been using performance-enhancing drugs.

The profile for each athlete is generated based on statistics that utilize data from previous (given) samples to predict the individual’s performance limits or range for future samples. According to the AIU, if any data from a test sample falls outside of the athlete’s range, it could be an indication of doping.

In Kipruto’s case, he has been sentenced to a provisional suspension while the AIU investigates further and schedules a hearing, meaning he is unable to compete or train with his training group until the case is closed. If Kipruto is found guilty at the hearing, he could face a four-year plus suspension. 

Kipruto denies the charges

Kipruto’s agency, Ikaika Sports, released a 4,000-word press release acknowledging the provisional suspension, denying the charges. “I don’t cheat or dope!” said Kipruto after the announcement. “The truth is on my side. This is all I can say.”

His agency included expert opinions suggesting that there may be other factors, such as training load, health status, hydration, travel, and alcohol consumption, that could explain Kipruto’s ABP values.

Kipruto is coached by the famous Irish athletics coach Colm O’Connell, who is nicknamed the “Godfather of  Kenyan running”. O’Connell has coached the likes of two-time Olympic 800m champion and world record holder David Rudisha and two-time Boston Marathon champion Edna Kiplagat. According to the press release, O’Connell has not had a single doping case in his 50-year coaching career.

His agency expresses concerns about the presumption of guilt and the lack of transparency in the ABP process, emphasizing Kipruto’s clean record, regular testing, and willingness to undergo further study to clear his name.

Abel Kipsang eyes gold at World Championships in Budapest

The 2022 World Indoor Championships 1500m bronze medalist, Abel Kipsang will be targeting gold in his specialty at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. 

"I'm aiming for gold, but if things go wrong, I should be able to finish on the podium in Budapest," said Kipsang in an exclusive interview on Monday.

Kipsang has been honing his skills at the Traffic Police headquarters training ground under the watchful eye of legendary athletics coach Alfred Sang.

The National Police officer will attempt to beat his personal best time of 3:31.65, which he set at the Tokyo Games last year. 

"I also want to beat my previous best time. I've already clocked a 3:29.56 and my new goal is a 3:28.00."

Kipsang expressed his satisfaction with his performance at the weekend's Kip Keino Classic at Moi Stadium in Kasarani. He clocked 3:32.70 minutes to finish second to Reynold Kipkorir, who won in 3:32.01.

"I prepared well for the race, and my body was in top shape. I'm pleased with the time I set at Kasarani. I'm hoping to accomplish a lot more in the coming events," Kipsang remarked.

With his sights set on boarding the Team Kenya jet to Budapest, Kipsang is overjoyed to have already met the qualification standards for the much-anticipated annual global extravaganza, which will be held in August.

"The qualification time set by World Athletics is 3:34.20, and I managed a 3:32.70 at the Kip Keino Classic on Saturday," Kipsang stated.

Despite the stiff competition he is going to face in Budapest from a talented field of rivals, Kipsang says he is not nervous.

"I'm not training with any particular opponent in mind. It's all about getting the greatest time possible to give me an advantage in competition."

He will rely primarily on his extensive knowledge and superior skill to lead him to stardom in Budapest.

Kipsang won the bronze medal at the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade after finishing fourth in the 1500m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

At the 2019 African Games in Rabat, he competed in his first international competition, finishing fourth in the 800m with a time of 1:45.43 mins.

On June 9, 2021, in Marseille, he ran a personal best of 3:32.6 in the 1500m. He had placed third at the Kenyan Olympic trials 10 days earlier, securing his spot in the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

His score from Marseille put him in the top ten in the world. Kipsang achieved a new Olympic record in the semifinals of the 1500m on August 5, 2021, in Tokyo, clocking 3:31.65, to improve his personal best.

This record was eventually surpassed by Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who ran 3:28.32 in the final, while Kipsang finished fourth in 3:29.56. Timothy Cheruiyot won silver in 3:29.01, while Josh Kerr finished third in 3:29.05.

In 2022, he won a bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, clocking a personal best of 3:33.36 and finishing behind Samuel Tefera (3:32.77) and Ingebrigtsen (3:33.02).

Kenya's Nicholas Kosimbei provisionally suspended by AIU

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has provisionally suspended Kenya's Nicholas Kosimbei for the presence/use of prohibited substance Trimetazidine.

The 26-year-old and the 2014 world U-20 10,000m bronze medalist has been served with the notice over the allegation as investigations continue.

According to AIU, a provisional suspension is when an athlete or other person is suspended temporarily from participating in any competition or activity in athletics prior to a final decision at a hearing conducted under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules or the Integrity Code of Conduct.

Kosimbei joins a list of 15 other athletes including compatriot Purity Changwony who was provisionally suspended on July 26, 2022 after testing positive for 19-Norandrosterone, Triamcinolone acetonide.

This suspension adds to the list of 25 Kenyan athletes suspended by AIU and Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya since 2022.

Route du Louvre Marathon record smashed by two minutes

It's a rain of records broken a year before the Olympic Games and in particular for the Frenchman Mickaël Gras. 7 lap times in less than 2H10 and a record for the race itself. Never had the Route du Louvre marathon been run so fast, in 2h 8'5". Results that marked this record 18th Route du Louvre.

Over two days, nearly 13,000 set off for all the La route du Louvre 2023 meetings. The marathon, the queen event, took place this Sunday, May 14 with 1,700 participants. 

The Kenyan Frédérick Kibii pulverized both his personal best and the La route du Louvre record in 2h08'05". The Ethiopian Mitku Dekeba is second in 2h08'18" followed by another Kenyan, Abdnego Cheruiyot in 2H08'40^ .

The first Frenchman is Mickael Gras who came to play the hare and not to beat his record. He collapses when he arrives. "I didn't come for that." But what he has done is exceptional and promising. 

"it's the end of the mind, in the end the muscles are wood ." He changed his objective at the 35th kilometer and opened the door to the Olympics, here in Lens.

Marie Bouchard is the first Frenchwoman on the finish line after 2h42'54". 

I dedicate this race to my nephew Honoré who lives in Lille and who is fighting against a rather rare syndrome, nemo syndrome. He sees the end of the tunnel and it is a symbol for me. I really thought of him on my end of the race.

Marie Bouchard, French premiere.

Kenyans Victor Kipruto and Veronica Loleo reign supreme in blustery Run Your City Cape Town 10K

Kenyan duo Victor Kipruto and Veronica Loleo reigned supreme in Sunday's Run Your City Cape Town 10K, which was run in windy and blustery conditions in the Mother City,

Kipruto won the men's event in 28:28 after an exciting duel in the final stages of the race. The next eight runners all finished in under 29 minutes.

The next four places went to South Africans led by Precious Mashele (28:36), Thabang Mosiako (28:38) and Elroy Gelant (28:51).

“My plan was to win the race. I came here to win,” said Kipruto, who ran the second half of the race in 13:45.

“We were a big bunch in the beginning because of the wind, and it is easier to run in a bunch when the wind blows, but once we had some shelter, I knew it was time to go.”

Second-placed Mashele led a bunch of about 20 runners that included SA 5 000m record holder Gelant, at the halfway mark. He said the cool conditions proved restrictive in the final stages.

“I felt a bit cold towards the end and that stopped me from being able to sprint in the final kilometre,” said Mashele, who broke the SA 10km record in Gqeberha, taking three seconds off the previous record.

The women's race was dominated by international runners who claimed the first five places.

Loleo, who came into the race with a 30:53 personal won in 31:38, She was followed by Ugandan Docus Ajok (32:09), Lesotho's Neheng Khatala (32:13), Uganda's Prisca Chesang (32:45) and Ethiopia's Genet Abdurkadir Habela (33:08).

The first South African across the line was sixth-placed Glenrose Xaba in 33:35.

After the race, Loleo said the race had gone according to plan.

“I stuck to the pacesetter as he was doing exactly what we asked him to do,” said Loleo. “I’m really happy with my run in the wind.”

Michael Meyer, managing director of Stillwater Sports and founder of the Run Your City Series said: “Congratulations to Victor Kipruto and Veronica Loleo for their stellar performances.

“Not even the Cape Doctor could get in the way of these world-class athletes.

"Today the event was back to its full-scale, post the Covid-19 pandemic, and it felt amazing. From Monday onwards it’s full steam ahead as we shift our focus to Durban.”

Tanui and Kirwa are the winners at the 2023 Copenhagen Marathon

Kenyans Rodah Chepkorir Tanui and Solomon Kirwa survived the heat to win the women’s and men’s 2023 Copenhagen Marathon on Sunday (14). 

Running her second marathon of the year, Tanui pulled away from the field to better her personal best from 2:25:46, which was set in Buenos Aires on 22 September 2019. She ran 2:28:30 for sixth place in her other marathon race in 2023 in Riyadh in February.

For her top performance today, Tanui collected €$6000 for the win and an extra €$3000 in bonus prize for breaking the race record. Look for her to race in other big marathon races in the near future!

Valentina Mateiko, the 2014 World Junior 3000m bronze medalist, made an impressive start to her marathon career in the extremely hot condition in Copenhagen today, clocking in at 2:25:05 to take second place on debut before being well received by her Kenyan teammate at the finish line.

Philippa Bowden of Great Britain also smashed her personal best big time when she ran in at 2:29:16 for third place, lowering her previous mark by almost five minutes.

The top American finisher today in the women’s contest was Roberta Groner, the 2019 World Championship sixth place finisher, who ran 2:31:37 to take sixth place today as well.

Karen Ehrenreich won the Danish title with a time of 2:35:02 for 9th place overall, with Stine Schønning a distant second place in the Danish Championships at 2:45:10.

Kirwa Leads Kenyan Sweep in Men’s Race

Meanwhile, Solomon Kirwa led a Kenyan podium sweep in the men’s race at the 2023 Copenhagen Marathon. The 36-year-old, running for the first time in the Copenhagen race, made it a fruitful debut at the Denmark event, clocking in at 2:09:12 for first place after surging away from his rivals after the 40km mark.

Edwin Kiptoo of Kenya, who led after the halfway mark, was second in the end with a time of 2:09:51, followed by countrymen Kenneth Keter, who posted 2:09:47 for third place and Pius Karanja in fourth.

T-Roy Brown was the best-placed male runner from the United States today, taking 18th place with a time of 2:21:17.

Karen Ehrenreich was crowned the Denmark champion after he finished at 2:35:02 for 9th overall, while Andreas Lommer of Denmark, who changed his race plans to work with Tanui in her chase for glory today, ran out of gas and finished with a time of 2:23:50.

Olympian Precious Mashele looks the pick of the men's field for Sunday's Absa Run Your City 10K series in Cape Town

Olympian Precious Mashele will be SA's best bet for Absa 10K line honors.

Mashele finished second to Kenya's Daniel Ebenyo (0:27:21), but Mashele's time of 0:27:35 was a South African 10km record.

Ebenyo is not in the Cape Town field and Mashele will face stiff competition from fellow countryman Thabang Mosiako (0:27:52), who was the only other athlete in Gqeberha to finish the 10K in under 28 minutes.

Apart from Mashele and Mosiako, the other leading contenders for honours are Anthony Timoteus, Melikhaya Frans, Elroy Gelant and Kenyan Denis Kipngetich, who finished fourth in Gqeberha (0:28:01).

An interesting inclusion in the field is 38-year-old South African road running legend Stephen Mokoka, who dreams of a sub-28-minute 10km on South African soil.

Moh Ahmed, Cam Levins to face off at Ottawa 10K

Two of the fastest distance runners in Canadian history will go head-to-head.

Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend will once again host the Canadian 10K Championships in 2023, and as always, this is an event that no runner or fan will want to miss. Two of the best distance runners in Canadian history, Cam Levins and Moh Ahmed, will headline the men’s race alongside former national champions. And four of the top five women from last year’s championships are returning, making the Ottawa 10K one of the most anticipated races on the 2023 event calendar.

It’s an equally fun and exciting race for non-elites, as the 10K follows a beautiful course through Ottawa, one of Canada’s most beautiful cities. The 2023 Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is set for May 27 and 28.

The elite fields

Canadian Olympic marathoner Dylan Wykes has been the elite athlete co-ordinator at Run Ottawa for four years, but due to the pandemic, the 2023 race weekend will mark only the second in-person edition of the event he has worked on since taking over the role in early 2020. Wykes says this year’s race will be a special one, as “the best 10K runners in the country will be hitting the streets of Ottawa.”

Headlining the event are Levins and Ahmed, neither of whom have ever competed at Ottawa Race Weekend. Ahmed, a 2020 Olympic medallist in the 5,000m, holds the Canadian record for 10,000m (26:34.14 on the track), but has not yet raced on the roads in his professional career. Ahmed is amped about the opportunity to kick off his 2023 season at the Ottawa 10K and make his road-racing debut.

Levins told race organizers he’s eager to check the Ottawa 10K off his bucket list. “The opportunity to run in such a competitive field in Canada is really great,” Levins said. “Ottawa has always been an event at which I’ve wanted to race.” Joining Ahmed and Levins in the men’s field are 2:10 marathoner Tristan Woodfine, U Sports cross-country champion Max Turek, Canadian cross-country champion Connor Black and others. 

The women’s field is equally stacked, with four of the top five women from the 2022 Ottawa 10K returning to this year’s championship race. Natasha Wodak, who won last year’s race, will not be back to defend her title, but second-place Leslie Sexton, third-place Sasha Gollish, fourth-place Emily Setlack and fifth-place Cleo Boyd are all in the lineup and ready to fight for the win. “It’s a really great group of women,” Wykes says, pointing out that the field spans more than 15 years in age. “All these women have great stories and are an inspiration. 

“This is a great opportunity for fans of the sport to see [these athletes] in action,” Wykes continues, pointing to Ahmed and Levins, who headline the men’s 10K field. “Levins is performing incredibly well right now, as well as any Canadian ever has on the roads at the world level, so it’s an exciting opportunity for fans of the sport to get to see him compete on home soil.”

Wykes adds that the 10K isn’t the only spectacle for fans who will be in Ottawa on May 27 and 28. “The entire weekend is a great opportunity to see some of the world’s best runners,” he says. “Our marathon is a World Athletics Elite Label event and will have athletes from three of the best marathoning nations in the world: Ethiopia, Kenya and Japan.” 

The race

For runners who aren’t looking to go sub-30 at the Ottawa 10K, this is still a great race. One detail Wykes points out that makes it unique is the race’s start time. “I think it is special because it is an evening race,” he says. “Most road races are held in the morning, so there is definitely a bit of a different feel to things when the race is in the evening.” 

Wykes says fans are “a bit rowdier” than they might be at the crack of dawn, and he says there’s “a bit more of a party atmosphere.” This all adds up to a great night of adrenaline, fast racing and post-race fun. 

The race starts on Elgin Street, not far from Parliament Hill, and takes runners down to the Rideau Canal. “Elgin Street is lined with patios and restaurants,” Wykes says, so there are plenty of people to cheer runners on as they kick off the race. Once at the Rideau Canal, runners follow the water all the way to Dows Lake, then cross a bridge and head for the finish on the other side.

“The final mile of the race is packed with fans along the Pretoria Bridge and Colonel By Drive,” Wykes says. “I’m getting excited now, just thinking about it.” 

Nijel Amos is trying to sell his 2012 Olympic silver medal

One week after Botswana’s Nijel Amos was handed a three-year ban for doping, he is now selling the Olympic silver medal he won in the 800m at the London 2012 Olympics.

Amos’ reason for selling his Olympic medal is to support his family. According to the BBC, the 29-year-old met with someone who wants to buy it for 4.5m Botswanan pula (USD $300,000), but Amos believes the value of his medal will double with the release of his upcoming documentary on Netflix, to be released later this year.

He finished second in the 800m behind world record holder David Rudisha of Kenya, making him the first Botswanan to win an Olympic medal in any event. Amos holds the third-fastest 800m time in history (1:41.73), and is one of only five men who have gone under 1:42. 

The 800m runner was initially suspended in July 2022 after an out-of-competition test revealed a banned metabolic modulator, GW1516. Amos faced a four-year ban, but it was reduced to three years after he signed a letter of admission.

However, he is still fighting the case. “It has been a financially draining process,” Amos said in a statement. He has reportedly incurred $67,000 in legal fees and travel expenses.

Amos said it is difficult to survive in Botswana, where athletes are not given pensions or any lump sum insurance payouts.

GW1516 was originally developed to treat obesity and diabetes but is not approved for human use, since it was discovered to be carcinogenic. It is banned in and out of competition, and not eligible for a therapeutic use exemption (TUE).

World record holder Rhonex Kipruto to vie for honours at 15th TCS World 10K Bengaluru on May 21, 2023

Men’s field includes defending champion & world’s 4th fastest marathoner

Bengaluru, 8 May: Rhonex Kipruto, the men’s world 10K road race world-record holder, will go for gold at the landmark 15th edition of the World Athletics Gold Label, TCS World 10K Bengaluru on Sunday, May 21, 2023.

The Kenyan set a world mark of 26:24 in January 2020 in Valencia (Spain), a year after claiming the 10,000m track bronze at the World Athletics Championship in Doha.

The 23-year-old, a former World U-20 10,000m champion, headlines an exciting field in the USD 210,000 prize fund race that includes 14 runners with personal bests under the course record of 27:38 set last year by defending champion Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli of Kenya.

The race promises to be a treat for running aficionados given the talented mix at the men’s start line that includes, apart from Kipruto and Kipkorir Kimeli, Gemechu Dida (winning the 10K in Lille, France in March), Birhanu Legese (the world’s fourth fastest male marathoner), Stephen Kissa (2:04.48 on his debut Haspa Marathon in Hamburg in 2022), and Sabastian Sawe (who finished seventh at this year’s World Cross Country Championships in Australia).

The women’s field is equally exciting, with defending champion Irene Cheptai (Kenya), Ethiopia’s Dera Dida, the 2019 World Cross Country silver medallist), and the talented Tsehay Gemechu (who took second place at this year’s Tokyo Marathon in 2:16.56).

The Elite winner takes home USD 26,000, and the athletes are further incentivized by an Event Record bonus of USD 8,000.

Kipruto came fourth with a time of 27:09 in the Adizero Road to Records event in Germany last month, which was won by Sawe in 26:49 to move to fifth position on the men’s world 10km all-time list. Kipkorir Kimeli was third in the race in 26:54.

“Considering the quality of the field there is big chance a new course record will be set this year. I hope that will be me!  I’m thrilled to be coming to India. I’ve heard so much about this event and the field is truly exceptional,” Kipruto said.

“This elite athlete field is amazing. Its like a World Championship taking place here in Bengaluru. It’s going to be exhilarating, both for the Elites and the amateurs. Can’t wait for May 21," said Vivek Singh, Jt MD of race promoter Procam International.

Hellen Obiri: Boston Marathon winner on family sacrifice and quitting the track

As Hellen Obiri crossed the finish line to win this year's Boston Marathon, a few metres ahead was her daughter, Tania.

The double world champion was soon locked in an embrace with both her husband, Tom, and Tania as the family celebrated the surprise win in what was only her second marathon.

Speaking to BBC Sport Africa, Obiri found it all hard to describe.

"That was one good moment for me, at the finish line seeing my daughter. I cannot even explain what I felt."

The rush of emotion, which left Obiri in tears, is understandable when placed in the context of her decision to uproot her family and move them from Kenya to the United States after she quit track running to target the marathon.

"When switching to the road, I felt I needed a coach on the ground with me in training," the 33-year-old explained.

"On track you can train without a coach present and do well, but with the marathon sometimes you need a coach to watch what you are doing."

The Obiris' new home is in the city of Boulder, Colorado. But her husband and daughter only arrived a few weeks before the race in Boston. For months before that Obiri had been on her own.

'Why am I here?'

Previously a 5000m specialist who claimed world titles over the distance in 2017 and 2019, the 2018 Commonwealth title and Olympic silver medals in 2016 and 2020, Obiri made her marathon debut in New York last November.

Two months prior she had moved to the US to join her coach, retired American athlete Dathan Ritzenhein.

At the time, it meant leaving Tania and Tom back in Kenya waiting on their visas.

"It was a challenge because you don't have a family in the US. Sometimes the time difference (for) calling is not good. Maybe when you call the child is sleeping," she said.

"The most important thing is the family understands what you are going there to do, because it's a short career. The family give me a lot of time, support and a lot of encouragement."

But the pain of separation sometimes led Obiri to question her decision.

"She (Tania) was always telling me 'Mommy, I want you to come now'. When she tells you, you feel like crying, you feel you don't have morale.

"Why am I here and my baby's crying there?"

Despite her best efforts to remain focussed, New York did not go as planned as poor race tactics saw her finish sixth on her marathon debut.

"I used to run from the front in track races. I thought even in a marathon I can run in front. That cost me a lot because in marathon you can't do all the work for 42 kilometres," she admitted.

"What I learned from New York is patience, just wait for the right time so you can make a move."

Obiri proved to be a fast learner. With her family now watching on, she won her second marathon, taking more than four minutes off her time in New York.

"When you have your family around you, that means you don't have stress.

"You don't need to think about anything else. You are thinking about your family and the race and when your family is there to watch you, they give you a lot of encouragement."

Rocking life in Boulder

With the family now settled in their Colorado home, Tom has enrolled as a student. But Obiri worries about how a seven-year-old Kenyan girl will adjust to life in a different country.

"The first week was terrible for her because she didn't have friends here, it's a new environment," she said, fretting as any mother would.

"(But) Tania is so friendly. So after one week and a half, she was coming and telling mum 'I have some friends, this one and this one...'"

Obiri also had concerns when it came to Tania enrolling in school.

"I was so worried. I wondered, how will the teachers treat her as she's from Africa?

"Maybe some schoolmates will think 'You are from Africa, we don't want to be your friends.'

"I used to ask after school, 'Who wasn't nice to you? Do they treat you well?' and she said 'No, I'm okay with my friends and my teachers'."

Olympic agenda

The 2019 world cross country champion says not all of her friends understood her decision to uproot her family, but Obiri blocks out the "negative talk" to focus on her athletic ambitions and is also now at peace with her family situation.

Her next big mission, away from the six World Marathon Majors - which are Boston, New York, Chicago, London, Berlin and Tokyo - is to try to complete her list of global titles, filling the one very obvious hole in her list of achievements.

"I will work hard to be in the Kenya (marathon) team for Paris 2024."

"I have won gold medals in World Championships so I'm looking for Olympic gold. It is the only medal missing in my career."

Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso and Workenesh Edesa of Ethiopia won the 2023 Prague Marathon

Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso Munyao and Workenesh Edesa of Ethiopia won the 2023 Prague Marathon.

Mutiso clocked a time of 2:05:09 to take the men’s title and break the course record, finishing comfortably ahead of Ethiopia’s Sisay Lemma, who finished second with a time of 2:06:26. Philemon Rono of Kenya came in third place, recording the third-fastest time of his career at 2:06:51. Mutiso’s personal best of 2:03:29 was achieved in Valencia in December 2022.

In the women’s race at the 27th Prague International Marathon, Edesa secured the top podium spot by running a time of 2:20:42. Three Kenyan runners finished in the top four, with Margaret Wangari Muriuki finishing second with a personal best time of 2:23:52.

Viola Jelagat Kibiwot also recorded a personal best of 2:24:54 to finish third. Pamela Rotich of Kenya completed the top four with a time of 2:27:35, while Mélody Julien of France finished fifth with a time of 2:29:07.

2023 Prague Marathon Results

Men’s Marathon Final results:

Alexander Mutiso Munyao (Kenya) – 2:05:09

Sisay Lemma (Ethiopia) – 2:06:26

Philemon Rono (Kenya) – 2:06:51

Justus Kangogo (Kenya) – 2:07:40

Takayuki Iida (Japan) – 2:09:34.

Women’s Marathon Final results:

Workenesh Edesa (Ethiopia) – 2:20:42

Margaret Wangari Muriuki (Kenya) – 2:23:52

Viola Jelagat Kibiwot (Kenya) – 2:24:54

Pamela Rotich (Kenya) – 2:27:35

Mélody Julien (France) – 2:29:07.

Placentia Half Marathon: Kipkemboi wins, Michira triumphs among women. Tuzzi first among Piacenza and Italians

Kenya, Isaac Kipkemboi Too, wins the 26th edition of the Placentia Marathon Half Marathon with a time of 1.03'.02''. Left alone at the tenth kilometre, he made a gap and arrived alone. In second place Solomon Koech with 1.05'.09'' with two minutes behind. Third Kalale Ishmael Chelanga 1.06'.06''. The first of the women is Morine Gesare Michira (1.10'.10''), second Dorine Jerop Murkomen (1.12'.10''), Lenah Jerotich third with 1.12'41''.

There is already a first record, that of total participants: since 2017, in fact, the Placentia Half Marathon has not recorded similar numbers. But the organizers take a further leap forward and have put together a cast that will aim for the supremacy of the event. To find out if they've succeeded, meet around 10.30 in Piazza Cavalli, when the best are expected to arrive.o underline the performance of Piacenza, Tuzzi, Marchesi and Maiocchi who take the podium of the Italians. The first from Piacenza is Serena Zani, among the Italians Luciana Bertuccelli wins.

Kenya's track sensation Mary Moraa has her eyes firmly focused on a World Championship conquest in Budapest later in the year

Barely in her 20s, Kenya's track sensation Mary Moraa is already hogging the global limelight and stealing headlines at whim. 

The 2022 Commonwealth Games 800 metres gold medallist has rocked premier global athletics shows in recent years to deservedly cut herself a niche in the Hall of Fame. 

Fondly known as "The Kisii Express" by her dotting fans, Moraa has already claimed her space in the cutthroat world of athletics. Undoubtedly, the decorated track prodigy deserves every ounce of international acclamation.

Only recently, she set a new PB in April after storming to the 400m title at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in an astonishing time of 50.44. 

The sublime performance she pulled off in the blistering contest saw her smash her previous national record by 0.24 seconds, subsequently attaining the World Athletics Championships qualifying standards of 51.0 seconds.

"My previous 400m best was 50.67, which I attained at the Diamond League meeting in Brussels in September."

In Botswana, the two-lap specialists obliterated a stellar field that boasted Olympic and world finalist Candice McLeod of Jamaica, USA’s Kyra Jefferson, and the Botswana duo of Naledi Lopang and Thompang Basele. 

She breezed to victory ahead of South Africa’s Miranda Coetzee and McLeod who crossed the line in 51.13s and 51.17s respectively.

She rallied from behind to take the lead with 30m to go on her way to the winner's podium at the National Stadium, Gaborone.

Moraa smashed the national record when she won the Kenyan trials for World Championships and Commonwealth Games in 50.84 on June 25, last year at the Moi Stadium, Kasarani.

Moraa, 23, has vowed to step into the big shoes of her role model Hellen Obiri, the middle and long-distance track sensation.

 "I've always admired Obiri. I grew up watching her clinch titles and her amazing performances have inspired me a great deal. To an extent, there is a part of her that lives in me. I just want to be exactly like her," Moraa said.

"To date, Obiri still inspires me a great deal and I'm eager to emulate her success on the international stage," she added. 

Indeed, Moraa has every reason to admire Obiri. She is the only woman to have won world titles in indoor track, outdoor track, and cross-country races. 

Notably, Obiri is a two-time Olympic 5000 metres silver medallist from the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she also placed fourth over the 10,000 meters.

 She is a two-time world champion, having claimed the 5000 m title both in 2017 and 2019 when she set a new championship record. 

Obiri also tucked away a bronze in the 1500 metres during the 2013 World Championships and a silver in the 10,000 m in 2022.

She won the 3000 meters race at the 2012 World Indoor Championships, claimed silver in 2014, and placed fourth in 2018. She romped to the 2019 World Cross Country title and triumphed in the 2023 Boston Marathon.

Moraa said she and Obiri share a lot in common. Besides being compatriots, Moraa is elated they hail from the same county.

 Coached by seasoned National Police athletics team gaffer Alex Sang, Moraa has her eyes firmly trained on a World Championship conquest in Budapest, Hungary later in the year.

She said she intends to run the 800m race at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary in August, adding that she is determined to breast the tape in under two minutes. 

Born on June 15, 2000, Moraa attended Nyangononi Primary School in Bassi Borabu, Kisii County where she sat for her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in 2014.

Her potential in athletics came to the fore at Nyangononi when she ran away with several titles in the sprints and middle-distance races.

 "I stamped authority in 100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m and even shattered the 400m East Africa school games record in 2014," Moraa proudly recounted. 

Upon completing her studies, Moraa proceeded to Ibacho Secondary School in Kisii County but lasted there for only two years before transferring to Mogonga PAG Mixed secondary school where she sat for her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in 2018.

"While at Ibachi, I experienced difficulties paying my school fees and it was the principal who would chip in most of the time. Unfortunately, he got transferred from the school and I was left stranded. 

"I later joined Mogonga Mixed Secondary School, where I got a lot of support from the principal who also happened to be my coach."

An orphan from a disadvantaged background, Moraa got financial help from her school principal Aron Onchonga who paid all her school fees at Mogonga. Indeed, aside from affording her pertinent financial assistance, Onchong'a played a key role in honing her skills and carving her path to stardom. It was during her years in Mogonga that Moraa started jutting out her talons on the track.

 "I am grateful to the school administration and the Principal for the moral and financial support they gave me while there."

During my years in Mogonga, I wanted to remain a role model to the young girls who shied away from sporting activities. I was determined to train and participate in various activities even after completing school," said Moraa.

Kibiwott Kandie set sights on warm-up events ahead of Budapest

Commonwealth Games 10,000m bronze medalist Kibiwott Kandie has said he will grace as many events as possible as he eyes a World Championship conquest in Budapest Hungary in August. 

In an exclusive interview on Wednesday, the 2020 World Half Marathon silver medallist said he had already gauged his potential in two global events this year and noticed an impressive rise in his curve. 

The latest of his conspicuous achievements is the scintillating form he pulled off at the Adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany, on April 29.

Kandie emerged second behind compatriot Sabastian Sawe who stormed to the title in 26:49 to move fifth on the men’s world 10km all-time list. 

Kandie said the outcome attests to the fine form he currently enjoys after recuperating from injuries sustained earlier. 

"I successfully competed in the 10km Road to Records race in Germany on Saturday and I was lucky to finish second in 26:53. This is a great result after recovering some injuries," Kandie said.

"I'm glad I'm gradually brushing off injuries in the past two years that locked me out of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics as well as last year’s World Championships in Oregon and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham," he added. 

The Kenyan contingent claimed a clean sweep with Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli coming third in 26:54. World record-holder Rhonex Kipruto secured a fourth-place finish in 27:09 as Levy Kibet wrapped up the top-five in 27:14.

"My intention was to check my shape on a faster 10k road race abroad as we head to the World Championships in August," he added. 

Kandie said he is limbering up to flex muscles at the upcoming Kenya Defence Forces Athletic Championships, adding that he intends to leverage every competition that comes his way.

"At the moment, I am preparing for the KDF championship as well as the World Championship trials later on," Kandie said.

"All I can hope for is a positive result in Budapest. My training has been superb and I aim to keep up the effort. That's why I performed so well in the 10k road race," he remarked.

Kandie reflected on his historic performance in Birmingham, revealing that earning a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games had inspired him to punch above his weight at the next World Championships when he will aim for nothing less than a gold medal.

Kandie made an impressive track debut, winning bronze at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games after he accepted a challenge from NOC-K President Paul Tergat to run the 10,000m race.

"Since it was my first international track meet, winning bronze was a huge accomplishment. This was sufficient proof that I can achieve more not only on the road but also on the track.

"I'm working particularly hard to make a name for myself at the World Athletics Championships, where I'll compete in the 10,000m," he continued.

Kandie captained Team Kenya at the World Cross-Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia in April where the country emerged best overall with 10 medals — six gold, two silver, and two bronze.    

Defending champions Nicholas Kimeli and Irene Cheptai set to return for TCS World 10K Bengaluru

The Tata Consultancy Services World 10K Bengaluru is set to witness a fierce competition on Sunday, May 21, 2023, as Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli and Irene Cheptai return to defend their titles in the men’s and women’s categories respectively.

The event, which holds a prestigious World Athletics Gold Label Road Race status, boasts of a prize fund of USD 210,000 and saw the two athletes shatter the course records last year. Kimeli clocked a remarkable 27:38, while Cheptai stormed to victory in 30:35.

The event will feature an impressive International Elite field and enthusiastic amateurs from all over India and the world, converging on the Garden City to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the race. Kimeli, who won last year’s edition, said, “I’m excited to be defending my title. I’ve prepared well and am feeling confident.” The men’s field is set to be highly competitive, with the top 12 runners holding personal bests under the course record and the top 3 having timed below 27.

In the women’s section, Cheptai will face tough competition from several other runners. The top four runners have personal bests under the course record. “I’m thrilled to be back in Bengaluru, and I have fond memories of India. I’ve trained well, but a lot depends on how you feel on race day,” said Cheptai.

Ethiopians Gemechu Dida and Birhanu Legese, Ugandan Stephen Kissa, and Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe are among the top runners in the men’s category. Legese, who is the world’s fourth fastest male marathoner, has finished on the podium a few times but is yet to secure the top spot at the TCS World 10K Bengaluru. “I’m feeling very positive, but I hope that things fall my way,” said Legese.

Dida, who won the 10K in Lille, France, in March, and finished fourth in the RAK Half Marathon in the UAE in February, is in excellent form. Kissa, who represented Uganda in the Tokyo Olympics over 10,000m, brings years of track speed to the road, and clocked an impressive 2:04.48 on his debut Haspa Marathon in Hamburg in 2022. He was also a third-place finisher at the 2020 Delhi Half Marathon in 58:56.

On the women’s side, Ethiopia’s Dera Dida, the 2019 World Cross Country silver medallist, ran a personal record and took home her first marathon victory in 2:21:11 at the Dubai Marathon in February this year. Among the favourites for the women’s honours is the talented Tsehay Gemechu, who finished second at this year’s Tokyo Marathon in 2:16.56.

Botswana’s Nijel Amos 800m star and Olympic medalist, banned three years for doping

Botswana’s Nijel Amos, the joint-third-fastest 800m runner in history, was banned three years for doping.

The case stemmed to last June, when he tested positive for GW1516, an experimental drug which can modify the body’s metabolism but has been considered too dangerous for human use.

The ban was backdated to last July, when Amos was provisionally suspended pending an investigation. His ban now runs to 2025, which means the 29-year-old Amos will miss the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Amos received a one-year reduction of what would otherwise be a four-year ban because he made an early admission and acceptance of the suspension.

That came after he requested a supplement be tested for the presence of the drug. The test did not detect any GW1516 in opened and sealed bottles.

GW1516 was developed to help build endurance and burn fat but was found to cause cancer during tests on rodents. Anti-doping organizations have warned athletes not to use it on safety grounds.

The drug has previously been found in samples given by professional cyclists and by Olympic race walker Elena Lashmanova. The Russian served a two-year ban and was later stripped of the 20km gold medal she won at the 2012 Olympics for another doping offense.

In 2012, Amos, then 18, took silver in the 800m at the London Games in what many called the greatest Olympic race in history. Kenyan David Rudisha lowered his world record. Amos matched Seb Coe as the third-fastest man in history in the event (1:41.73). Every runner’s time was the fastest ever for that finishing placement.

Amos has not won an Olympic or world championships medal since. In July 2019, he ran 1:41.89, the world’s best time since that London Olympic final.

At the Tokyo Olympics, Amos and American Isaiah Jewett got tangled in the final lap of their semifinal. In an act of good sportsmanship, the runners helped each other up and later jogged across the finish line together in the last two places. Amos was granted a place in the final and finished eighth.

Sabastian Sawe moved to fifth on the men’s world 10km all-time list, while Medina Eisa raced to a women’s world U20 5km best at the Adizero Road to Records event

SabastianSawe moved to fifth on the men’s world 10km all-time list, while Medina Eisa raced to a women’s world U20 5km best at the Adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany, on Saturday (29).

Competing on a loop course in blustery conditions, Kenya’s Sawe turned the tables on last year’s 10km winner KibiwottKandie to triumph in 26:49 – three seconds ahead of his compatriot.

With that time, Sawe improved his PB by five seconds to better the 26:54 he ran when finishing runner-up to Kandie in Herzogenaurach last year. Forming part of a Kenyan top five, Nicholas KipkorirKimeli was third in 26:54, world record-holder RhonexKipruto was fourth in 27:09 and Levy Kibet was fifth in 27:14.

Kandie and Sawe were to the fore as the first kilometre was covered in 2:41 and then Kandie took control, leaving the pacemakers behind, as 3km was hit in 8:04. The halfway point was reached in 13:27 as Kandie led from Kipruto and they started to string out the field, a 2:37 sixth kilometre further breaking up the pack.

But then the pace dipped slightly and Sawe took advantage, gaining a gap on his rivals that he wouldn’t relinquish. Always in control, he continued to move ahead and claimed a clear win – a second consecutive victory after his half marathon triumph in Berlin at the start of this month.

Kenya’s IrineJepchumbaKimais also maintained a win streak, taking top spot in the women’s 10km in a PB of 30:23 as she held off the challenge from Ethiopia’s FotyenTesfay and Kenya’s Agnes JebetNgetich.

Kimais, who claimed half marathon victories in Barcelona in February and Prague earlier this month, improved her previous 10km best of 31:21 that secured her ninth place at this event last year, winning by three seconds ahead of Tesfay. Ngetich, who claimed bronze at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst in February, finished third in 30:27 as the top three all set PBs.

Behind them, Kenya’s JanethChepngetich finished fourth in 30:28 and Ethiopia’s 17-year-old SenayetGetachew set a world U20 best of 30:34 to finish fifth.

Eisa pips Teferi 

Ethiopia’s Eisa narrowly denied her compatriot SenbereTeferi a third consecutive women’s 5km victory in Herzogenaurach as she sprinted to a world U20 best of 14:46 to beat her rival in a photo finish.

Further demonstrating her versatility, 18-year-old Eisa adds this latest victory on the roads to a CV that already includes a world U20 5000m win on the track in Cali last year and a second place finish in the U20 race at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst in February.

Teferi, who set the women-only world record of 14:29 at this event in 2021, made a move in the second half of the race, but her compatriots Eisa and Gebrzihair were ready to respond. The defending champion sprinted towards the finish line and raised her arms in anticipation, but Eisa had chased her down and made it to the tape first, breaking it in 14:46.

Gebrzihair finished two seconds behind them, while LemlemNibret was fourth in 14:57 and YalemgetYaregal fifth in 15:00 in an Ethiopian top five.

There was also a close finish in the men’s 5km as Ethiopia’s long-time leader YomifKejelcha was surprised by Bahrain’s BirhanuBalew in the final strides and had to settle for second place this time, after his win in Herzogenaurach last year.

Two-time world indoor 3000m champion Kejelcha was running solo by 3km – reached in 7:45 – but Balew never lost sight and he stormed past Kejelcha at the finish to win in 13:06.

Kejelcha clocked the same time in second, while Burundi’s RodrigueKwizera was third in a national record of 13:11 on his 5km race debut.

The women’s half marathon was won by Ethiopia’s BertukanWelde Sura, making her debut at the distance. The 18-year-old, who finished fourth in the 3000m at the World U20 Championships in Cali last year, timed her kick to perfection and won a sprint finish against her more experienced compatriots NigstiHaftu and DeraDida.

Haftu finished second, clocking the same time as the winner, while Dida was third in a PB of 1:07:47, a couple of months after her Dubai Marathon win in 2:21:11.

Another rising talent won the men’s half marathon, 20-year-old Tadese Takele surging away from his rivals over the final kilometer to win in 1:00:04.

Waving to the crowds and celebrating on his way to the finish line, Takele went from fifth in this event last year – when he set his PB of 59:41 – to first, winning by three seconds ahead of Kenya’s JosphatChumo and RoncerKipkorir.

The best ways to improve distance running performance

Maximizing speed and performance in distance running can be achieved by improving lactate threshold and running economy. While VO2max—the maximum volume of oxygen your muscles can consume per minute—has received most of the attention among runners and coaches, a high VO2max alone is not enough to attain competitive performances.

A high VO2max simply gains one access into the club, since a runner cannot attain a high level of performance without a high VO2max. But, while you can improve your VO2max, it is largely genetically determined.

The other two major physiological players of distance running performance—lactate threshold (LT) and running economy (RE)—influence your performance more, and are more responsive to training.

From the time of the classic study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise in 1979 by some of the most prominent names in exercise physiology—Farrell, Wilmore, Coyle, Billing and Costill—research has shown that the LT is the best physiological predictor of distance running performance.

LT is an important physiological variable that demarcates the transition between running that is almost purely aerobic and running that includes significant oxygen-independent (anaerobic) metabolism. It represents the fastest speed you can sustain aerobically. Since the LT represents your fastest sustainable pace, the longer the race, the more important your LT.

What is LT Pace?

LT pace is about 10 to 15 seconds per mile slower than 5K race pace, or about 10K race pace for runners who take 40 minutes or more to complete 10K. If using a heart-rate monitor, the pace should be about 75 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. 

For highly trained and elite runners, LT pace is about 25 to 30 seconds per mile slower than 5K race pace, or about 15 to 20 seconds per mile slower than 10K race pace, and corresponds to about 85 to 90 percent max heart rate. The pace should feel "comfortably hard."

How to Improve LT?

Sample workouts to improve lactate threshold include:

Continuous runs at LT pace, starting at 3 miles and increasing up to 7 to 8 miles, or about 45 minutes for marathoners

Intervals at LT pace with short rest periods, such as 4 to 6 x 1 mile at LT pace with 1 minute rest

Shorter intervals at slightly faster than LT pace with very short rest periods, such as 2 sets of 4 x 1,000 meters at 5 to 10 seconds per mile faster than LT pace with 45 seconds rest and 2 minutes rest between sets

Long, slow distance runs with segments run at LT pace (for marathoners), such as 12 to 16 miles with the last 2 to 4 miles at LT pace, or 2 miles + 3 miles at LT pace + 6 miles + 3 miles at LT pace.

How Running Economy Makes Running Easier

Running Economy is the volume of oxygen consumed at submaximal speeds. In 1930, David Dill and his colleagues were among the first physiologists to suggest that there are marked differences in the amount of oxygen different athletes use when running at the same speeds, and that these differences in "economy" of oxygen use are a major factor in explaining differences in running performance in athletes with similar VO2max values.

For example, research has shown that, while Kenyan runners have similar VO2max and LT values as their American or European counterparts, the Kenyans are more economical—possibly due to their light, non-muscular legs that resemble those of thoroughbred race horses. The heavier your legs, the more oxygen it costs to move them.

RE is probably even more important than the LT in determining distance running performance because it indicates how hard you're working in relation to your maximum ability to use oxygen. 

For example, if two runners, Jack and Martin, have a VO2max of 70 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute and a LT pace of 7 minutes per mile, but Jack uses 50 and Martin uses 60 milliliters of oxygen while running at 7:30 pace, the pace feels easier for Jack because he is more economical. Therefore, Jack can run faster before using the same amount of oxygen and feeling the same amount of fatigue as Martin.

I have yet to see a runner who has superior RE who does not also have a high VO2max and LT.

4 Strategies to Improve Running Economy

Despite its importance, RE seems to be the most difficult of the three physiological players to train. While many runners and coaches think that RE is a reflection of running form, it is more influenced by those microscopic structures that influence oxygen delivery to and use by the muscles—capillaries and mitochondria, the densities of which are both enhanced with high mileage.

Research has shown that runners who run high mileage—more than 70 miles per week—tend to be more economical.

In addition to increasing mitochondrial and capillary density, the greater repetition of running movements may result in better biomechanics and muscle fiber recruitment patterns and a synchronization of breathing and stride rate, which may reduce the oxygen cost of breathing.

RE may also be improved by the weight loss that often accompanies high mileage; the change in body weight lowers oxygen cost.

Since VO2max plateaus with about 70 to 75 miles per week, improved RE may be the most significant attribute gained from running high mileage. However, it's not entirely clear whether high mileage runners become more economical by running more miles or they're innately more economical and can therefore handle higher mileage.

Intervals and tempo runs can also improve RE since, as VO2max and LT improve, the oxygen cost of any submaximal speed is also likely to improve.

However, it is possible to become more economical without improving VO2max or LT, as research on power training with very heavy weights and plyometrics has shown.

Power training focuses on the neural, rather than metabolic, component of muscle force development to improve RE.

Purity Komen upsets Ruth Chepngetich and Daniel Ebenyo wins in Istanbul

Purity Komen was the surprise winner of the N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon. Overtaking fellow-Kenyan and race favourite Ruth Chepngetich the 24 year-old stormed to her biggest career win with a personal best of 66:30. Course record holder Chepngetich followed in second with 67:18 while Evaline Chirchir made it an all-Kenyan podium with 67:31. Stella Rutto of Romania was the fastest European, finishing 10th with 70:05.

In partly windy conditions hopes for a course record faded in the men’s race as well after a fast first section. 27 year-old Daniel Ebenyo of Kenya was the winner of Turkey’s best quality road race with 59:52. Marokko’s Hicham Amghar took second place in 59:58 and Haftu Teklu clocked 60:03 for third. Britain’s Marc Scott was the best European runner in 63:17 for 12th place.

A record number of 12,300 runners competed in the 18th edition of the half marathon and the 10k race staged parallel. Many athletes ran for charity, collecting money for the victims of the devastating earthquake that shook southern Turkey earlier this year. The N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon is a Gold Label Road Race of World Athletics. 

"It was a nice race and especially the men’s elite was very competitive. We are happy that we continue to register record fields. It is always exciting to experience the historic atmosphere here in Istanbul and we are now inviting everyone to be back for our marathon on 5th November,“ said Race Director Reynar Onur.

The women’s race began as expected. Ruth Chepngetich sped away from the field right after the start and was so quick that even the TV cameras missed her on a few occasions early on. Passing the 5k mark in 15:16 the Kenyan was almost on course for breaking her Kenyan record and her Istanbul course record of 64:02, which in 2021 was a world record as well.

However once the 2019 Marathon World Champion came off Galata Bridge and had to run against the wind for almost four kilometers she slowed considerably. At the 10k point her 31:09 split time then indicated a 65:45 finish and her lead had shrunk to only four seconds. Purity Komen, Evaline Chirchir and Ethiopia’s Bosena Mulatie caught her a few minutes later. Then it was  Komen, who had only been number nine with a PB of 67:08 on the final start list, who moved ahead before the 15k mark. Chepngetich tried to follow her in a bid to make it six wins from six races in Istanbul, but today she was unable to do so. Purity Komen won the race with 66:30 and became the first woman to beat Ruth Chepngetich on the historic roads of Istanbul. 

“My body did not respond after the early part of the race. I don’t know why, but I assume that may be the race came a bit too soon after the Nagoya Marathon in March,“ said Ruth Chepngetich. “I have not yet decided if I will run the World Championships’ marathon or an autumn race. The big goal is the Olympic Games next year and I hope to be selected for the team.“

While Ruth Chepngetich is an experienced marathoner the victory in Istanbul may well have brought Purity Komen closer to her debut at the classic distance. “This victory was unexpected. I was surprised when I suddenly saw Ruth in front of me and was then able to pass her,“ said Purity Komen. “I had hoped to achieve a 65 minutes’ time, but it was too windy today. I now plan to run my marathon debut next year.“

The men’s race began very fast as well with the first couple of split times indicating a finishing time of around 58:00. But as in the women’s competition the pace then dropped considerable once the leading group hit the wind. A group of around ten athletes passed the 10k mark in 28:22, which is sub 60 minutes’ pace.

Two athletes were pushing the pace at the front: Kenya’s Daniel Ebenyo and Hicham Amghar of Morocco, who have PBs of 59:04 and 59:53 respectively. Soon after the 15k point (42:33) Ebenyo took the lead, covering the 16th kilometre in 2:46. Only Amghar was able to follow him, but when Ebenyo indicated to him to help pushing the pace the Moroccan stayed right behind him. Ebenyo then kept pressing ahead and opened up a decisive gap with around 4k to go. 

“I hoped to catch Daniel but I am happy with my result. I was going for a PB, but it was not possible in the wind,“ said Hicham Amghar, while Daniel Ebenyo was happy about his first major half marathon victory. “I am excited to have won this race. My aim was to run 59:00 minutes but it was too windy for that,“ said the Kenyan. “I will probably run my marathon debut next year. May be I come back to Istanbul for that.“

Results, Men:

1. Daniel Ebenyo KEN 59:52

2. Hicham Amghar MOR 59:58

3. Haftu Teklu ETH 60:03

4. Charles Langat KEN 60:07

5. Vincent Kipkemoi KEN 60:09

6. Boniface Kibiwott KEN 60:23

7. Benard Biwott KEN 60:47

8. Ashenafi Kiros ETH 61:21

9. Alfred Ngeno KEN 62:24

10. Alene Mekonen ETH 62:32

Women:

1. Purity Komen KEN 66:30

2. Ruth Chepngetich KEN 67:18

3. Evaline Chirchir KEN 67:31

4. Bosena Mulatie ETH 67:43

5. Tigist Gezahagn ETH 68:49

6. Betelihem Afenigus ETH 69:04

7. Beatrice Cheserek KEN 69:14

8. Bekelech Gudeta ETH 69:35

9. Shamilah Kipsiror KEN 69:38

10. Stella Rutto ROM 70:05

Five Lessons from the Marathon Goat and his team

THE MOST REMARKABLE aspect of the fastest marathoner in history is how unremarkable—and how accessible—his training is. Eliud Kipchoge has the best resources in the world at his disposal, but rather than relying on treadmills that cost more than a Lexus or recovery devices worthy of NASA missions, he follows simple training tenets that maximize how he recovers, what he eats, his mindset, and the conditioning he does after his runs. 

1. SLEEP LIKE YOUR RUN DEPENDS ON IT

ELIUD KIPCHOGE SLEEPS up to 9 hours at night, often also taking an hour-long midday nap. Most of us don’t have the time or the 120-mile weekly workload to clock that much shut-eye, but we can still benefit from Kipchoge’s sleep hygiene cues. 

At least 30 minutes before bed, he turns off or puts down all electronics. The habit reduces his exposure to blue light, known to delay the release of melatonin, leading to a decrease in sleepiness, says Kannan Ramar, MD, past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Then, instead of scrolling through social media (he prefers Facebook), Kipchoge winds down by reading at least two chapters of a book.

“If I have enough sleep, my body and my mind are free of stress and ready to go with the programs,” says Kipchoge. 

While you’re asleep, your body is doing more than resting. Crucially, your pituitary gland releases growth hormone, which helps your muscles repair and grow, says Ramar. 

Most runners don’t need a nap if they consistently get the recommended 7 to 9 hours, Ramar says. But when you don’t hit that target, naps can help counter short-term sleep loss and provide an energy boost for a late-day run, Ramar adds. He suggests a 20-minute doze between noon and 3 p.m. to relieve fatigue. Napping longer than 20 minutes can leave you feeling groggy due to entering a deep-sleep state, Ramar says. 

2. REVIVE SORE MUSCLES WITH AN ICE BATH

TWICE A WEEK, Kipchoge takes a 10-minute plunge in his camp’s ice baths to aid his postrun recovery. It may not be pleasant, but studies find that cold water immersion (CWI) therapy like Kipchoge’s ice bath is effective. “Most research shows that over 48 hours, athletes have reported an improvement in DOMS [delayed onset muscle soreness] and sometimes corresponding improvements in strength and/or flexibility,” says Rebecca Stearns, PhD, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut. 

Cold water reduces the body’s temperature, which narrows the blood vessels. This flushes metabolic waste from inflammation out of muscles to speed recovery, says Stearns. Water temperature between 50 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes is cold enough to produce results, she adds. 

You can set up an ice bath at home by filling a tub halfway with cold water. Then, depending on your tap temperature, add one to three 5-pound bags of ice. Stearns suggests trying CWI once or twice a week and checking with your physician to make sure you don’t have any contraindications for doing ice baths. 

“It’s very intense. It’s not for everybody,” Kipchoge says. “You need to learn to relax and learn to absorb pain.” 

3. UPGRADE YOUR DIET WITH PROTEIN

KIPCHOGE HAS ALWAYS maintained a highcarb diet, but after running 2:00:25 in Nike’s 2017 Breaking2 project, he began working with exercise biochemist Armand Bettonviel to improve his nutrition and further push his performance. Bettonviel, who develops nutrition plans for elite athletes, sought to up Kipchoge’s protein intake to aid his recovery as well as help to build and maintain his lean muscle. 

“I’ve noticed a difference since I started to be serious about nutrition,” Kipchoge says. “Recovery is very fast, I have a lot of energy.” 

While Kipchoge’s exact protein intake is confidential, Bettonviel suggests runners aim for 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. For a 150-pound runner, that’s 102 to 136 grams. 

Kipchoge’s meals feature Kenyan staples like ugali (a cornmeal porridge), potatoes, rice, chapati (a wheat flatbread), managu (an iron-rich leafy green), beans, whole-fat milk, eggs, chicken, and beef. Meat is only served about half the week, so to hit his protein goal Kipchoge drinks mala, a local sour milk, says Bettonviel. Every 6 ounces has about 7 grams of protein, making it comparable to kefir found in most stateside dairy aisles. 

Bettonviel also introduced a high-protein porridge to the camp menu (Kipchoge eats it with fruit after training) made with whey protein and teff, an ancient grain that offers 10 grams of protein per cooked cup. You can DIY by mixing a half scoop of protein powder with whole-grain teff—stocked at many grocery stores and sold on Amazon—and cook it similarly to oatmeal. Alternatively, Kodiak Cakes makes oatmeal with whey protein and 12 grams of protein per serving. 

4. MEDITATE TO BUILD MENTAL STRENGTH

KIPCHOGE IS AN especially mindful runner, says his coach Patrick Sang. While training and racing, he focuses on his breath and his movements, and aims to minimize outside distractions. It’s a skill that helps him embrace the pain and challenges of a marathon. 

Mindfulness—a practice of focusing your awareness on the moment, with a kind and curious attention in a nonjudgmental attitude—can benefit any runner, says Corrie Falcon, director of mindfulness-based training for athletes at the University of San Diego Center for Mindfulness. Resting your attention on elements of a present moment, like your breath, heartbeat, or even a drip of sweat, can prevent you from getting caught in an inner dialogue mid-training or competition that may unravel your focus. 

“In moments of high stress before or during a race, mindfulness has been shown to reduce the production of stress hormones, reduce blood pressure and heart rate, improve emotional regulation, and promote relaxation in the body,” says Tara Zinnamon, PhD, a neuroscientist and meditation teacher. 

Kipchoge credits his focused, spartan lifestyle for developing mindfulness, but it can also be cultivated through a consistent mindfulness routine. Even just 12 minutes of guided meditation five days a week for one month can be effective, says Amishi Jha, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Miami. 

If guided meditation seems outside your comfort zone, Falcon recommends a strategy you can try while running. She describes it as a “sense practice.” Run in silence. For two minutes, focus on what you see, then focus on sound, followed by what sensations you feel, and then smell. “And when you have a thought, label it ‘thought’ or ‘thinking’ and return to the present moment experience through the senses,” says Falcon.

5. BUILD BONUS ENDURANCE ON A BIKE

TO BOOST HIS training volume without increasing his risk of a running injury, Kipchoge rides a stationary bike for an hour twice a week after his runs. 

Cycling is a concentric (shortening) muscle-contraction activity, which is easier for muscles to recover from, says Colorado-based coach Bobby McGee, who has worked with runners and triathletes (including Olympic gold medalist Gwen Jorgensen) for more than three decades. In running, the primary loading is eccentric (lengthening), which is more demanding and damaging. 

“A one-hour endurance run is limited by leg fatigue, not heart and lung fatigue. A two-hour ride doubles the cardio conditioning but has minimal leg-muscle damage,” says McGee. 

Kipchoge spins at an easy pace, which he says also helps reduce muscle soreness. “Cycling is a far more effective recovery modality than an easy run, especially for bigger runners with a slower cadence,” says McGee. He recommends cycling no more than twice weekly and for less than 20 percent of your overall training time. 

Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich wants to make it six out of six in Istanbul

Ruth Chepngetich, one of the world’s leading long distance runners, will be the star attraction of the N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon on Sunday. The Kenyan, who broke the world record on this course with 64:02 two years ago, has a unique win streak in Istanbul.

The 28 year-old competed five times in Turkey’s two major international road races, the half marathon and the marathon. She always won and broke the course record on each occasion. There is no other city in the world where Ruth Chepngetich participated more often in a road race. On Sunday the Kenyan World Marathon Champion from 2019 wants to make it six wins from six races in Istanbul. With her PB of 64:02 she is currently the third fastest half marathon runner of all times and leads a very strong women’s start list, which features 14 runners with personal bests of sub 68:00. Fellow-Kenyan Charles Langat head the men’s list with a PB of 58:53. There are seven men in the field who have already run below the hour mark.

A record number of 12,300 runners will be competing in the half marathon and the 10k race staged parallel on Sunday. This is an increase of participants of close to 25 percent compared to the previous entry record from 2022. The 18th edition of the N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon, which is an Elite Label Road Race of World Athletics, will start at 9.30 am and will be streamed worldwide at: https://youtube.com/@IBBSporIstanbul

“Turkey has gone through a difficult period due to disasters. During these times sport is the best way to stand up. We are looking forward to the N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon, it will be a very competitive race. Ruth, who broke the world record on this course in 2021, is with us again. May be this year we will see another record,“ said Race Director Renay Onur.

A large number of runners who have entered the N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon will be running for charity on Sunday, collecting money for the devastating earth quake that hit the southern area of the country in winter. One group of charity runners, that is close to race organizer Spor Istanbul as it was founded by Renay Onur, will have over 1,250 runners alone on Sunday.

Turkey’s Yayla Gönen, who is on the women’s elite start list with a PB of 70:26, was in a training camp in Diyarbakir when the earth quake struck. The 26 year-old was lucky since the house in the camp did not collapse. But it was a struggle for her to get food for a week and she was then brought back to Istanbul by her club IBBSK. Despite this she still managed to run a marathon PB of 2:29:10 in Sevilla in February. Yayla Gönen is the favourite to win the Turkish Half Marathon Championships which are included in Sunday’s event.

“Istanbul is a beautiful city, the people and their support are amazing. It is my favourite city and I have to thank the race organisers for inviting me back once again“ said Ruth Chepngetich, who last raced on 12th March when she won the Nagoya Marathon in a world-class time of 2:18:08. “My recovery after the marathon was good and after a two-week-break I started preparing for the N Kolay Istanbul Half Marathon. Compared to my race here in 2021 I can say that my form is better now.“ However the Kenyan record holder does not have a certain time goal.

"My goal is to win and as always in this race I will do my best,“ said Ruth Chepngetich, who will have some additional motivation since her daughter Shalyne has accompanied her to Istanbul. “My daughter always motivates me a lot. Since she is here with us I will have to make sure not to disappoint her!“

Ruth Chepngetich knows that it will not be an easy task to make it six wins from six in Istanbul on Sunday. Ethiopia’s Bosena Mulatie has a strong PB of 65:46 while fellow-Kenyan Evaline Chirchir has run 66:01.

Charles Langat is the fastest runner on the men’s elite start list. He improved to an impressive 58:53 when he won the Barcelona half marathon in February. With this time the 27 year-old is currently the third fastest half marathoner in the world this year. “If the weather conditions are good and the course is fast then I will try to run sub 59:30,“ said Charles Langat, who also won the Lisbon Half Marathon last autumn.

Fellow-Kenyan Daniel Ebenyo is the number two on the start list with a PB of 59:04 while defending champions and course record holder Rodgers Kwemoi of Kenyan had to withdraw due to an injury. Great Britain’s Marc Scott is the fastest European runner on the list with a personal record of 60:39.

Vicoty Chepngeno eyes World Championships after 10,000m win

Vicoty Chepngeno has set her eyes on the World Championships in Budapest after claiming the women's 10,000m title at the sixth leg of the Athletics Kenya (AK) track and field weekend meet at Kasarani Stadium on Thursday.

This was her first AK meeting in two years having featured last in 2021.

In an interview, Chepngeno said: "After this win, my next target is the  World Championships in August in Budapest Hungary. I intend to double my effort because I know it won't be easy achieving my dream," she added.

The 29-year-old attributed her victory to discipline and focus. 

" I will take this step by step until I achieve my goal because I feel this is the time to represent my country and I am ready to travel to Budapest and bring the medal back home," she added.

"Discipline makes me different from the rest of the athletes and that is why I am able to win today. In everything I do, It's all about discipline and that is why I believe I will make the cut for Team Kenya to Budapest," he noted. 

She said she followed the program given to her by the coach strictly and she is happy it bore fruits. 

Chepngeno added: "I was not expecting this win but I thank God. I worked very hard during the training and patience was one of my key guiding factors," she noted. 

Eliud Kipchoge to rest before planning on next marathon

World Marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge has prioritised recovery before making a decision on his next marathon.

Kipchoge, who flagged off the the London marathon men's elite race last Sunday that was won by Kenya's Kelvin Kiptum, said he is firmly focused on the challenges ahead.

"Thank you London for having me. I felt inspired to meet so many runners from around the world. Their energy motivates me for the challenges ahead. I'm heading back to Kenya to recover and make plans for my next marathon," Kipchoge posted on his twitter account.

Kipchoge has won the London and Berlin Marathons four times apiece.

Speaking on BBC One before flagging off the race, he said: "I love being in London. The crowd is always wonderful and it's great to see how the running community is coming together. London is like home to me and it is the place to be for a marathon.

On Sunday April 16, Kipchoge finished sixth in the Boston marathon where he was making his debut. The 38-year-old who is a two-time Olympic champion, failed to sparkle in the much-hyped marathon.

Defending champion Evans Chebet won the Boston Marathon, surging to the front at Heartbreak Hill to cut the tape in a time of 2:05:54.

Pro triathlete takes shots at Olympians after doping ban

Ironman champion Collin Chartier said he won't blame a "tainted burrito or tainted COVID vaccine" for his positive EPO test.

American professional triathlete Collin Chartier was handed a three-year ban from competition on Monday after a positive result for erythropoietin (EPO) in a random drug test from February. The Ironman champion took to Instagram to address the positive test, stating that he was not going to make excuses, instead admitting his guilt. At the end of his apology note, Chartier took blatant shots at Olympic runners Shelby Houlihan and Zane Robertson, both of whom have faced doping bans in recent years.

Shots fired

“I am not going to give myself or anyone else the bullshit excuse like a tainted burrito or tainted COVID vaccine,” Chartier wrote. The “tainted burrito” was a reference to Houlihan’s post-doping-ban excuse in June 2021, while the COVID vaccine line was a nod to Robertson’s more recent doping bust in March.

After testing positive for the steroid nandrolone in Dec. 2020, Houlihan claimed it was due to contaminated meat that she ate at a food truck the night before her test. Robertson took a similar route following his ban, blaming his positive test (which occurred in May 2022) on a COVID-19 vaccine he received in Kenya. 

Chartier’s apology has not been well received by the triathlon community, with many of his peers going after him online. While there is no excuse for his actions or decision to use EPO, at least he admitted to cheating. 

“Tell the whole truth” 

Chartier’s apology has sparked an important conversation in the triathlon world surrounding dopers and the help they receive to cheat. Many other pro triathletes have demanded that Chartier take his admission of guilt a step further by exposing anyone who helped him cheat and any other athletes whom he knows have doped. 

“Tell the whole truth,” eight-time Ironman champion Ben Hoffman wrote on Instagram. “How did you do it, who helped, who else is involved, and give the full story of why.” Former Ironman world champion Sebastian Kienle commented directly on Chartier’s apology post, writing, “Let me guess, you bought [the EPO on] the internet and also learned how to use it—all from the internet. Nobody helped you, nobody knew.” 

These athletes—and many fans—have said Chartier’s apology feels hollow and insincere, since he has yet to identify others who helped him or who are also cheating. They object to any praise he may be receiving for being honest about having cheated, insisting that he has a further role to play in cleaning up the sport. (Robertson admitted to doping after originally making the bogus COVID vaccine excuse.)

Although Chartier said he is retiring, he is now serving a three-year ban from competition. Houlihan was given a four-year ban and is not eligible to race again until 2025. Robertson announced his retirement before his ban was made public, but was still given an eight-year ban.

Esther Chesang banned for four years

29-year-old marathoner Esther Chesang has been banned for four years by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya for use of a prohibited substance.

"The period of ineligibility (non-participation in both local and international events) for the respondent shall be for four years from the date of mandatory provisional suspension that is 11/5/ 2022 pursuant to article  10.2.1.2 of the WADC," read a Sports Disputes Tribunal ruling of  April 23.

Chesang, the Sierre-Zinal 2022 women's winner, was suspended for the presence of triamcinolone acetonide.

The panel was chaired by Gichuru Kiplagat while Peter Ochieng and Gabriel Ouko were members.

The Tribunal added: "The disqualification of results in the event during which the ADRV occurred and in competitions after sample collections or commission of the ADRV with all resulting consequences including forfeiture of any medal, points and prizes pursuant to Article 9 and 10 of WADC."

Kenya’s Samwel Mailu smashed the course record at the Vienna City Marathon

Kenya’s Samwel Mailu smashed the nine-year-old course record of the Vienna City Marathon, running 2:05:08 at the World Athletics Elite Label road race on Sunday (23).

Despite warm conditions during the second half of the race, the 30-year-old was 33 seconds quicker than the former course record-holder GetuFeleke of Ethiopia, who clocked 2:05:41 in 2014. Mailu’s compatriots BethwelYegon and Titus Kimutai followed with 2:06:57 and 2:07:46 in second and third, respectively.

There was a Kenyan double as Magdalyne Masai won the women’s race in 2:24:12 from Agnes Keino, who ran 2:24:25. Ethiopia’s GadiseMulu was third with 2:24:50.

With temperatures climbing to around 20°C in unexpectedly sunny conditions during the second half of the jubilee race, the men’s leading group ran a consistently fast pace. After a 29:43 10km split, a group of 11 runners including three pacemakers reached halfway in 62:43.

The pace continued to be fast and the group then partly broke up between 26km and 28km in the Prater Park, where EliudKipchoge broke the two-hour barrier in 2019.

There were still six runners in contention when the leaders reached 30km in 1:29:13 and it was an all-Kenyan affair: Yegon, Mailu, Kimutai, Joshua Kogo, Bernard Chepkwony and debutant Elvis Cheboi. The latter two then lost contact, while Mailu started to pull away.

Between 32-33km he had a lead of around 10 meters over Kimutai and another 15 meters over Yegon. While these gaps grew considerably in the final five kilometers, Yegon was able to overtake Kimutai for second place.

But there was no way of catching Mailu, who ran an unexpected marathon debut in Frankfurt last year. He was a pacemaker but then continued to run and finished second with 2:07:19.

“The race in Frankfurt gave me a lot of motivation,” he said. “For me, today was kind of another marathon debut. This was my biggest career win.”

In contrast, the women never really started the planned attack on the course record. With slower split times than expected, there were initially 11 runners in the first group. Once the pace picked up a bit the group was reduced to seven at the 10km mark (33:48). Six women then reached halfway in 72:04: Kenyans ViselineJepkesho, Masai, RebeccaTanui and Keino as well as Ethiopians Mulu and NuritShimels. Tanui and Shimels were then dropped while the other four passed the 30km mark in 1:41:58.

With little over seven kilometers to go, Keino made a move in the Prater Park. The winner of last year’s Munich Marathon was around 15 meters ahead of Masai, but she could not increase her advantage. Instead, Masai responded and overtook her Kenyan rival soon afterwards.

“It was a perfect race for me,” said Masai, who is the younger sister of 2009 world 10,000m champion Linet Masai and 2009 world 10,000m bronze medalist Moses Masai. “I ran well and had some energy left for the last couple of kilometers. I have prepared for the Vienna City Marathon since January. I am very happy to have won, but I would have like to run a bit faster than 2:24.”

London Marathon Men — Kiptum Blinder With Boggling Splits

Kelvin Kiptum found a way to better his marathon debut world record as he dashed away from a quality field, blitzing a stupefying 59:45 second half to win the London Marathon with a 2:01:25 clocking.

“I am so happy with my performance in my first World Marathon Majors, and to run the second fastest time in history,” Kiptum beamed. “The secret is hard training, and my preparation was very good. Everything was going one way, and I was expecting good results.”

Race day certainly went Kiptum’s way as the 23-year-old not only pared 72 seconds off Eliud Kipchoge’s London course record, he scared Kipchoge’s 2:01:09 global standard, and moved past Kenenisa Bekele to No. 2 on the all-time list.

Left far behind was the competition as Geoffrey Kamworor ran a PR 2:04:23 to finish 2nd as Tamirat Tola filled out the podium with a 2:04:59 effort.

Kiptum picked up right where he left off last December in Valencia when he ran a stunning 2:01:53 marathon debut, closing the second half in 60:20. Having logged that impressive sub-2:02 debut, this run was less stunning than it was spectacular as Kiptum hit speeds seldom seen on a marathon course.

While the runners set off on wet pavement, the expected steady rain did not materialize and the light wind, 50-degree (10C) temperatures and a crisp 38-degree dewpoint combined for some fast running. Well at least for Kiptum.

Defending champ Vincent Kipruto and Kiptum were ready for a fast getaway, clipping at the pacers’ heels through the downhill opening 5K (14:30) before settling into a steady 2:56K pace.

Crossing 20K on the Tower Bridge in 58:31 (2:03:27 pace), Kiptum seemed to egg on the trio of pacers as they upped the tempo to pass halfway in 61:40. The move also yielded a generational change of sorts as the 40-year-old Bekele slipped out of contention while Kiptum sped on in an effort that would supplant the Ethiopian’s 2:01:41 Berlin ’19 win.

The ensuing 5K segment in 14:22 between 20 and 25K pared the pace down to a 2:03:01 clip, and the lead group to 6 contenders. Kenyans Kiptum, Kamworor and Kipruto led the charge, a stride ahead of the Ethiopian trio of Tola, Seifu Tura and Leul Gebrselassie.

Covering the subsequent 5K in 14:30 pushed the tempo down to 2:02:57 at 30K (1:27:23) when Kiptum’s obvious exuberance could no longer be restrained.

Kiptum’s break came after he missed his 30K fluid grab. “My plan was to catch a water,” he said. “But unfortunately, I missed and I said, ‘Let me make a move,’ so I try.”

Kiptum’s try was a sharp acceleration covered at first by Kamworor and Tola, but soon they were left behind.

After facing Kiptum in Valencia, Tola was ready for the move but discovered one of his legs wasn’t: “When he was moving, I start with him but my leg was not OK, so I kept on my pace to finish.”

Kamworor clung to the radical speed a bit longer before coming to his senses: “When Kelvin made a move, that was a crazy pace and I couldn’t go with it because that was insane, so I said, let me go with my pace.” Note that this perspective comes from an athlete who knows something about insane pace as he closed out his 2018 World Half-Marathon Championship in Valencia with a blistering 13:01.

Once cut loose, Kiptum covered ground effortlessly, with a little side-to-side shoulder movement in his arm swing, but from his bib number on down he ran as smoothly as Kipchoge. Looking well within his comfort zone Kiptum’s breakaway was sealed with a 13:49 split to hit 35K in 1:41:12 — 2:02-flat pace.

The sub 2:50 kilo pace continued all the way down the Thames Embankment with a 14:01 split through 40K, and running 6:12 over the final 2195m.

Kiptum admitted, “It was difficult between 30 and 40K, and at 41 and 42 I was so exhausted I had no energy.”

The 58:42 half-marathoner’s transition to the full distance seems complete as for a second race in a row, after some 30km of running, Kiptum was able to shift back into the 2:48 pace of a sub-59:00 HM.

Scant few marathoners split a sub-2:50 kilometer; Kipchoge recorded 8 in the first half of his WR run last October, and 4 in his 2:01:39 record run. Kiptum ran 6 consecutive sub-2:50s between 31 and 37K in Valencia, and went even faster here, averaging 2:47.5 over the final 12,195 meters.

That’s 1:57:48 marathon pace.

Kiptum’s improbable finishing speed and rise to the top tier of marathoners over the short span of 5 months and two competitions is a rare achievement. The Kenyan phenom has impacted the marathon world like an unassuming rookie pitcher hitting the big leagues and pounding the strike zone with 105mph fastballs.

Managed by Marc Corstjens, the soft-spoken Kenyan is based in Chepkorio, 6km east of Kipchoge’s Kaptagat camp. Kiptum is self-coached, often trains alone with a preference for long, hilly runs in the forest — reminiscent of Sammy Wanjiru’s ’08 Olympic year training.

“My focus now is marathon,” Kiptum said. “I have done some half-marathons, I have run 59 or 58 seven times, so I said, ‘Let me try to shape up for the marathon.’”

As for chasing Kipchoge’s WR, Kiptum demurred with the patience evidenced in his opening 30K: “I will go home and see, but not now. Maybe in 2 or 3 years with good preparation.”

Among the field’s highly decorated veterans, Kamworor was happy to run his best race since his ’19 motorbike accident: “The race was good, and I am happy that I have come back after a long time struggling with injuries.”

Mo Farah closed out his marathon career finishing 9th in 2:10:58, while Bekele was less fortunate, perhaps closing out his stellar career with a DNF.

Top 10 Men Finishers

1. Kelvin Kiptum (Kenya) 2:01:25

2. Geoffrey Kamworor (Kenya) 2:04:23

3. Tamirat Tola (Ethiopia) 2:04:59

4. Leul Gebresilase (Ethiopia) 2:05:45

5. Seifu Tura (Ethiopia) 2:06:38

6. Emile Cairess (Great Britain) 2:08:07

7. Brett Robinson (Australia) 2:10:19

8. Phil Sesemann (Great Britain) 2:10:23

9. Mo Farah (Great Britain) 2:10:28

10. Chris Thompson (Great Britain) 2:11:50