Running News Daily

Two clocked sub 1:02 at the PZU Warsaw Half Marathon

The winner of the 14th PZU Warsaw Half Marathon was Gilbert Masai (Kenya), who clocked 1:01:43. Also on the podium were: Cheruiyot Kirui Peter (Kenya) with time 01:01:57 and Sila Kiptoo (Kenya), who beat the marathon route at 01:02:03. The fastest Pole was Kamil Karbowiak with the time 01:06:51.

The finish line of the 14th PZU Warsaw Halfmarathon was also surpassed by women. Just nine minutes after Gilbert Masai, Gladys Jeptepken (Kenya) finished the race, who defeated the distance at 1:10:19.

Also on the podium were: Oichia Tabitha Wamubi (Kenya) with time 01:11:07 and Muluget Gela Abebech (Ethiopia), who beat the marathon route at 01:12:20. Natalia Mierzlikin was the fastest Polish woman with the time 01:18:35.

Marius Kimutai of Kenya will lead a deep field at the Chongqing Marathon aiming to break the course record

The men’s course record belongs to Ethiopia’s 2017 winner Afewerk Mesfin, who clocked 2:09:49 to mark the first ever sub-2:10 result since the race launched in 2011.

Nine sub-2:10 runners will line up for the top honours at the southwestern Chinese city this year and Kimutai is the fastest entrant on paper thanks to his personal best of 2:05:47 set in Amsterdam in 2016.

He came close to that mark two years ago when he clocked a winning time of 2:06:04 in Rotterdam. His only outing over the 26.2-mile distance last year was a fourth-place finish in Seoul in 2:07:45.

It will be Kimutai’s first appearance in Chongqing but his third race in China following a victory in Danzhou in 2014 and a runner-up finish in Dongying in 2016.

Ethiopia’s Gebretsadik Abraha could be the biggest challenge to Kimutai. Although his career best of 2:06:21 was set back in 2012 from his third-place finish in Amsterdam, the 26-year-old Marrakesh and Prague marathon winner has an impressively consistent record over the classic distance, registering a sub-2:10 result each year for the past seven years.

Kenyan veteran Philip Kimutai Sanga is another man to watch on Sunday. The 35-year-old has a lifetime best of 2:06:07 from the 2011 Frankfurt Marathon but has not bettered 2:10 since 2017.

The field also includes Asbel Kipsang, whose PB of 2:07:30 was set in Seoul three years ago, and Edwin Koech, a 2:08:17 performer who set the course record in Dalian last May.

The women’s field is led by Lydia Cheromei of Kenya, who will carry on the hope of breaking the long-standing 2:22:41 course record set by local runner Wang Jiali in 2012.

Although usually competing with runners just half of her age, the 41-year-old Cheromei is still highly competitive. Last December she ran 2:22:11 to finish second at the Valencia Marathon, 41 seconds shy of her PB recorded back in 2012. She also clocked 2:28:48 to win in Rabat 12 months ago and four months earlier she clocked 2:23:31 to finish as the runner-up in Shanghai.

Aberu Mekuria also competed in the Valencia Marathon last year and improved her PB by nearly one minute to finish fourth in 2:24:35. It will be the third race on Chinese soil for the 35-year-old, who won the 2016 Hengshui Lake Marathon in 2:26:07.

Flomena Chepchirchir is the second fastest on paper in the field with a PB of 2:23:00 set in Frankfurt in 2013. But the 37-year-old Kenyan is struggling to return to her best form in recent years as her best performance last year was a sixth-place finish in Prague in 2:32:10. Chepchirchir will be contesting the race for the first time.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen is aiming to make history in Aarhus Denmark

It has been 25 years since a European athlete last finished in the top 10 in the U20 men’s race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. The last individual medallist – a gold one at that – from Europe came 10 years before that.

But Jakob Ingebrigtsen could be capable of rewriting both of those statistics when he lines up for the U20 men’s race in Aarhus, Denmark.

The 18-year-old Norwegian caused a stir last year when he won the 1500m and 5000m at the senior European Championships in Berlin, setting a continental U20 record of 13:17.06 in the latter. One month prior he had set a European U20 1500m record of 3:31.18 in Monaco.

After winning his third consecutive European U20 cross-country title in December, he beat world indoor record-holder Samuel Tefera over 1500m in Dusseldorf in February and went on to win 3000m gold and 1500m silver at the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow.

Ingebrigtsen boasts the fastest track PBs of the field and has considerably more international racing experience. But he has never raced farther than 6.3km and could become something of a target if some of the stronger nations utilise team tactics.

All 39 individual medals on offer in the U20 men's race from the past 13 editions have been shared between Kenya (23), Ethiopia (10) and Uganda (6). The same three nations once again look poised to battle it out for individual and team medals.

Unsurprisingly, the Kenyan team appears to be the strongest. Led by national U20 cross-country champion Samuel Chebolei, the team also includes Commonwealth Youth Games 3000m champion Edwin Kiplangat Bett, who finished eighth in the U20 men’s race two years ago in Kampala, and Leonard Bett, the world U18 steeplechase champion.

World Cross Country defending champion Geoffrey Kamworor is ready to defend his title this weekend

World Cross Country defending champion Geoffrey Kamworor has sent a warning to his opponents ahead of the world championships in Denmark that he is not ready to relinquish his title.

Kamworor will lead team Kenya for the championships to be held on the 30th of March seeking to make it a third in a row.

As defending champion, let’s take Kamworor first. Not only will he be going for his third straight senior title at cross-country in Aarhus, but also for a sixth straight world title in six years, his two previous cross-country victories in Guiyang (2015) and Kampala (2017), augmented by World Half Marathon championships in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Kamworor has already joined the group of men to have won at least two world cross-country titles. A further triumph this weekend would put him in the select company of those to have won three or more – Kenenisa Bekele (six), John Ngugi and Paul Tergat (five) and Carlos Lopes (three).

He finished only fifth in the Kenyan championship, won by Amos Kirui, but neither the Kenyan, nor Ethiopian, trial has proven a reliable guide to relative finishing order at recent world championships.

Expect Kamworor to present on the start line at Aarhus in excellent shape. He deserves the status of the "man to beat."

There will be $310,000 of prize money on the line, certainly the most of any cross-country races.

Former world and Olympic marathon silver medalist Priscah Jeptoo says she intends to run the Milan Marathon

The 34-year-old Kenyan has been out for two years on maternity leave, but surprised her rivals by winning her first international race since her return at the Stramilano Half Marathon on Sunday, edging Ethiopia's Meseret Meleka to claim the win in 1:08:26.

Now Jeptoo, who is also a former New York and London Marathon winner, says she will be ready for the 42km distance in the autumn.

"I have dedicated the past two years to my family and I did not compete due to maternity leave," she said.

"I am happy with my comeback. Last week I fell during training and I was not in top shape. I will run a half marathon in Gothenburg in May and possibly a marathon in the autumn," she added.

Jeptoo had not raced since October 2016 when she finished fourth at the Amsterdam Marathon in a time of 2:25:57. However, she has ruled out running at the Athletics World Championships in Doha later this year.

"I have been there before and done my part. I am done with the national team. I also need a few races up my sleeves to be certain that I am back to my level best," she added.

The Berlin, Chicago and New York Marathons are some of the big city races that interest Jeptoo, and she is also open to compete in China at either the Beijing or Shanghai Marathon.

Priscah Jeptoo and Vincent Rerimoi claimed a Kenyan double at the 44th edition of the Stramilano Half Marathon in Milan

Held in warm weather conditions with a temperature of 22C, Jeptoo returned from a two-year maternity break to win the women’s race in 1:08:26.

Rerimoi, meanwhile, was a surprising winner of the men’s race in 1:00:10, beating steeplechase specialist Jairus Birech, who finished runner-up in 1:00:32 on his debut at the distance.

Jeptoo and Ethiopia’s Meseret Meleka took an early lead in the women’s race, covering the first five kilometres in 16:10 and 10 kilometres in 32:16. Kenya’s Lucy Murigi Wambui, twice world mountain champion and Stramilano winner in 2014, was in third place at that point with 33:07.

Jeptoo, the 2011 world and 2012 Olympic silver medallist, pulled away from Meleka after the half-way point and went through 15 kilometres in 48:27. The 2013 London and New York City marathon champion stepped up her pace in the final six kilometres and romped home in 1:08:26 in Piazza Castello in the centre of Milan. Meleka finished second in 1:10:39, ahead of Wambui (1:11:47).

Jeptoo, now 34, hadn’t raced since October 2016 when she finished fourth at the Amsterdam Marathon in 2:25:57.

“I have dedicated the past two years to my family and I did not compete due to maternity leave,” she said. “I am happy with my come-back. Last week I fell during training and I was not in my top shape. I will run a half marathon in Gothenburg in May and possibly a marathon in the autumn.”

Kenya’s Paul Tiongik took the early lead in the men’s race, clocking 13:55 for the first five kilometres. He was followed 15 seconds later by a chasing group comprising Rerimoi, Birech, James Kibet and James Mburugu.

Birech, a two-time Diamond League champion in the steeplechase, had a five-second lead over Rerimoi at 10 kilometres, reached in 28:14. His lead grew to 17 seconds at 15 kilometres, which he passed in 42:32.

Rerimoi came from behind in the closing stages and overtook Birech at 18 kilometres. He crossed the finish line in 1:00:10, smashing his previous of 1:01:19 set last year in Japan, where he lives and trains.

Birech, competing in his first half marathon and just his third road race at any distance, finished second in 1:00:32 ahead of Tiongik (1:02:07) and Joel Mwangi (1:02:15). Italy’s Lorenzo Dini was fifth in a PB of 1:03:35

Belay Tilahun of Ethiopia and Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya won their New York City racing debuts in the open division

Tilahun, a 24-year-old member of West Side Runners, recorded his surprise victory in a time of 1:02:10 with an exciting kick through the final two miles. 

“I was feeling quite cold at the beginning, but as I was warming up, I began to feel better. After about 15 kilometers, I was confident that I could win. So I used the finishing kick that I had to win,” Tilahun said. 

Eritrea’s Daniel Mesfun finished second in 1:02:16 after leading for the majority of the race, while U.S. Olympic silver medalist Paul Chelimo took third in 1:02:19 in his half-marathon debut. 

A record eight American men finished in the top 10 in the open division, as Chelimo was followed by Jared Ward, Noah Droddy, Brogan Austin, Tim Ritchie, John Raneri, Parker Stinson, and Ben True, respectively.

 In the women’s open division, Jepkosgei, the half marathon world record-holder, won her first-ever race in the United States on a solo run to the finish in a time of 1:10:07. The world championship silver medalist in the distance became the sixth woman from Kenya to win the event, and the first to do so since 2014. “This season I am preparing to debut in the marathon, and this was a great half marathon to see how my body feels,” Jepkosgei said.

Fellow Kenyan Mary Ngugi came through the finish line one minute later in 1:11:07 to take second place, 15-hundredths of a second ahead of last year’s champion, Ethiopia’s Buze Diriba.

Emma Bates, the 2018 USATF Marathon champion, was the top American in the women’s open division, taking fourth place in 1:11:13. She was followed by 2018 Boston Marathon winner Des Linden in fifth place in 1:11:22.

Sondre Nordstad Moen of Norway easily won the Gdynia Half Marathon

Sondre Nordstad Moen of Norway and Genet Gashie of Ethiopia turned in dominant victories at the Gdynia Half Marathon, an IAAF Bronze Label road race, on Sunday March 17. 

After running alone for much of the race, Moen  clocked 1:01:18 more than a minute clear of his closest competitor while Gashie took the women’s race in 1:12:05, 37 seconds ahead of compatriot Shegae Maeregu who clocked 1:12:42.

The race served as a test event for next year’s IAAF World Half Marathon Championships which will be hosted by this Baltic Sea coast city of 250,000 on March 29 ,2020. Runners competed on a new course whose finish is situated on the city’s main municipal beach, the same course that will be used for next year’s championships.

Despite the presence of some strong names -- most notably two-time winner Hilary Kimaiyo of Kenya -- the competition quickly evolved into a one-man show with Moen upping the pace when the pacemaker began to struggle after 7 kilometres. He reached the 10 kilometre mark in 29:14 but didn’t look back. Behind him, the only race that was developing was the battle waged for second between Ethiopian Shumet Akalnew and Pole Krystian Zalewski.

When Moen finished a long climb between kilometres 9 and 12, he still appeared fresh and ready to maintain that tempo. He was already more than a minute ahead at 15 km (44:00) and used the downhill section to further cushion his lead in the race’s waning stages. He clocked 58:13 at the 20 km checkpoint and sprinted along the seaside boulevards in Gdynia en route to his 1:01:18 race record, a solid peformance given the windy conditions.

“I had to run alone since the pacemaker struggled,” Moen said. “It was hard to keep the pace on the uphill section but the last six kilometres were very strong for me although the wind was not making it easy.

Surprisingly, Zalewski finished second clocking 1:02:36 in his half marathon debut. Akalnew completed the podium in 1:02:54. Kimaiyo finished a distant sevent in 1:05:28.

In the women’s race, Christine Oigo was looking to repeat her victory from last year. She initially formed part of the leading group of three, together with the Ethiopians Gashie and Maeregu, who covered the first five kilometres in 17:06.

But it was Gashie who then took command, passing ten kilometres in 34:11, four seconds ahead of Maeregu. She continued to pad her advantage to the finish line, her 1:12:04 run a race record as well.

Maeregu held on to finish second in 1:12:42. Poland’s Anna Gosk passed Oigo by the 15th kilometre and held on to claim the final podium spot, clocking 1:13.07.

Kiplagat led four men under 2:07 at the Seoul Marathon

Kenyan Thomas Kiplagat Rono and Desi Jisa Mokonin of Bahrain took convincing victories at the Seoul Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on Sunday March 17.

Kiplagat led four men under the 2:07 mark, clocking 2:06:00 to win his third career marathon. The 32-year-old knocked nearly two minutes from his previous lifetime best of 2:07:52 set at the 2014 edition of the Joongang Marathon, Seoul's annual autumn marathon.

Elisha Kipchirchir was second in 2:06:12, a massive improvement on his previous best of 2:07:32, set when winning the Eindhoven Marathon last October.

Mike Kiptum Boit rounded out the podium sweep for Kenya, clocking 2:06:24 to beat Ethiopian Fikre Bekele who clocked 2:06:27, career bests for both.

In a quality race, Robert Kiplimo Kipkemboi crossed the line in 2:07:11 to round out the top five. 

Desi Mokonin who was seventh at the IAAF World Half Marathon Champpionships Valencia 2018, was even more dominant, winning by 25 seconds in 2:23:45, just six seconds shy of the personal best she set in Amsterdam last October. This was the first victory in four starts over the distance for the 21-year-old.

Hirut Tibebu, the winner here last year, was second this time around in 2:24:10.

Kenyan Celestine Chepchirchir was third in 2:24:49, a lifetime best for the 29-year-old. Zinash Mekonen of Ethiopia clocked 2:25:44 to round out the top four.

The men's course record of 2:05:13 was set by Kenyan Wilson Loyanae Erupe in 2016. Zhou Chunxia women's course record of 2:19:51 has stood since 2006.

Geoffrey Kamworor says he isn't quitting track anytime soon despite his success on the road

Two-time world cross country champion Geoffrey Kamworor has revealed he is not going to quit track anytime soon despite his success on the roads.

Speaking at the Kigari Teachers Training College, where Team Kenya to the World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark is in residential training, Kamworor said he is still keen to be part of Team Kenya to August’s World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

However, the three-time World Half Marathon Champion could not reveal his distance of choice, between 5,000m and 10,000m, ahead of the global championships.

“I have not decided which race to run, but yes, it’s a priority once we are done with the World Cross Country,” said the 2:06 marathon man.

He remains determined to score a hat-trick of titles in Aarhus with his fifth-place finish at the national trials not a concern for him. He won the World Cross title in Guiyang, China in 2015, defended it in Kampala two years ago and he still keeps his push of emulating cross greats like Paul Tergat and John Ngugi, who won it five times each.

“I’m not worried about what happened at the national trials. Of importance is that I was selected in the team and I am confident I will retain my title,” he added.

Kamworor, who is captaining the side, expressed optimism that the team selected was the best he has been part of. “This is my fourth time at the world cross and if you look around, we have a good team, the best we have had so far. Remember, I have been with the team since my junior days,” he said. Kamworor said he is relishing the challenge of facing perennial rivals Ethiopia, Uganda and US runners at the event.

“This year will be tough. We have competition from our Kenyan brothers competing for America while Ethiopia and Uganda have come up very well lately,” he remarked.

He thanked Athletics Kenya for continued support in the availing kit and training allowances on time, saying: “We don’t have any complaints. We have been taken care of and we are grateful.”

The strongest fields ever assembled for the New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi Marathon will be gunning for race records

On the men's side, four entrants with sub-2:10 credentials will be on the start line targeting the 2:13:05 standard set by Kenyan Josphat Too in 2013.

Among the favourites is Kenyan Mike Mutai, the winner of the 2016 Hong Kong Marathon who also boasts podium finishes from marathons in Singapore, Hangzhou and Hefei. Mutai, 36, clocked his 2:09:18 lifetime best in Dubai in 2012.

Another contender is Ethiopian Abraham Girma whose 2:06:48 personal best set in 2012 makes him the fastest in the field. More recently, he clocked 2:12:46 in Porto last November, finishing fifth.

A third contender is Philip Kangogo of Kenya, who set his 2:08:16 lifetime best when winning the 2015 Barcelona Marathon in his debut over the distance.

Mathew Kipsaat, who clocked 2:09:19 at the 2017 Rome Marathon, is also in the field. 

Similarly in the women's race, five women with sub-2:30 credentials have been recruited to set their sites on Kim Jong-hyang's 2:34:53 race record set in 2014.

He Yinli (marathon world ranking: 164) of China is the fastest in the field with a personal best of 2:27:35 set at the 2015 Chongqing Marathon where she's finished on the podium twice. She clocked 2:31:14 at the Osaka Women's Marathon in January, her most recent race.

Kenyan Nancy Koech (marathon world ranking: 318) is another contender. She arrives armed with a 2:29:30 career best set at the 2017 Daegu Marathon, with wins at the Malaga, Copenhagen and Munster marathons to her credit.

Another Kenyan, Sylvia Medugu (marathon world ranking: 201), has a 2:29:09 personal best, set at the 2017 Frankfurt Marathon. 

Some of the best elite runners from around the world, are set to compete today in the inaugural Bahrain Night Half-Marathon offering $100,000 to the winner

The prestigious race is being held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad and organised by BAA in cooperation with International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Association of International Marathons and Distance Races, BOC, Asian Athletics Association and Tumooh Sports Management.

The event features separate categories for men and women over 21.1kms while there are also six-km events for those who want to run for fun and be a part of the biggest half-marathon in the region.

The participants include some of the biggest names in international long-distance running, such as world record holder in half-marathon Abraham Kiptum of Kenya.

Kiptum was upbeat yesterday heading into tonight’s event despite it being his first night race. Just last September he set his world record of 58 minutes 18 seconds in Valencia, Spain, and is confident he can maintain his fine form in Bahrain.

“Let’s hope we can be as strong as we can be,” Kiptum said. “Although it is my first night race, if the weather is good, the pace is good and if we can be strong, then we shall have a good time.

“I always train in the mornings so it is a little new to me, but I’ll do my best.”

Among the men’s elite runners who are expected to challenge Kiptum are Ethiopian Jemal Yimer Mekonnen and Bahraini Hassan Shani.

Among the women, reigning world champion and world record holder of a women-only race Netsanet Gudeta Kebede of Ethiopia is one of the pre-race favorites as is reigning women’s full marathon world champion Rose Chelimo of Bahrain.

Rose’s fellow-Bahraini Eunice Chumba, who is a bronze-medallist at last year’s World Half-Marathon Championships, will also be competing along with Ethiopian Senbere Teferi, who is a former gold-medallist in the World Cross Country Championships and a former silver medallist in the 5,000m.

Mekonnen, Shani, Netsanet, Eunice and Senebre were present with Nasser and Kiptum at yesterday’s press conference along with BAA technical director Taher Righi and renowned Ethiopian coach Haji Adilo.

“It is very important for us to do well in this race, especially since we are representing Bahrain. We will try our best to get a good time and also win,” said Eunice.

The men and women winners receive a prize money of $100,000 each. All runners finishing in the top ten in both categories will also win cash prizes totaling over $350,000 plus possible bonus money. 

There are bonuses of $30,000 for new world records.

Kenyans Erick Kiptanui and Vivian Cheruyiot lead strong field's for the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon this weekend

The EDP Lisbon Half Marathon field includes 21 male runners with personal bests of under 1:01 and ten in the women's field who have dipped under 1:10.

Erick Kiptanui made his debut over the distance in this race last year, winning in 1:00:05, and went on to improve to 58:42 in Berlin one month later. Two other sub-59:00 runners are in the field: 2013 winner Bernard Kiprop Koech, who has clocked 58:41, and Solomon Kirwa Yego, who set his 58:44 best in the 2016 Rome-Ostia Half Marathon.

But there are more athletes in this race who can produce some surprises. Ethiopia comes armed with Mosinet Geremew, winner of the 2018 Dubai Half Marathon with a 59:11 lifetime best from 2014, and Betesfa Getahun, who has a 1:00:26 personal best. He was third in the Barcelona Half Marathon last month.

Behind Kiptanui, the solid Kenyan contingent includes Micah Kogo, the 2008 Olympic bronze medallist over 10,000m who's clocked 59:07; Simon Cheprot who has a 59:20 lifetime best; Edwin Kiprop Kiptoo, who has a 59:26 best; Nicholas Kosimbei, who clocked 1:00:21 at this race last year; late addition Edwin Soi, the 2008 Olympic 5000m bronze medallist, who improved to 1:00:24 in Granollers, Spain, this year; and Japhet Korir,  who has run 1:00:08.

Others to watch include Callum Hawkins of Great Britain, who'll be looking to improve on his 1:00:00 personal best and Abrar Osman of Eritrea, who's clocked 1:00:19.

In the women's field, Vivian Cheruyiot, the 2016 Olympic 5000m champion, is the undisputed star of the field. The 35-year-old, who also won three world titles on the track and the 2017 London Marathon, was second in this race last year clocking 1:09:44. She clocked 1:07:43 at last year's Great North Run, also finishing second.

She'll face a formidable field however, led by Ethiopia's Gelete Burka, who has a solid 1:06:11 lifetime best set last year.

Past Olympic champion Uganda´s Stephen Kiprotich is set to run the Haspa Marathon Hamburg April 28

Stephen Kiprotich, the 2012 Olympic and 2013 world marathon champion, will return to the northern German port city for the third time, after finishing second in 2017 and fifth one year ago.

The 29-year-old, who is the national record holder at 2:06:33, clocked sub-2:08 performances in both of his Hamburg appearances.

Ezekiel Kemboi meanwhile, a two-time Olympic and four-time world champion in the 3000m steeplechase, will be making his eagerly-anticipated marathon debut.

The fastest runner in the field is Ayele Abshero, who clocked 2:04:23 in his marathon debut at the 2012 Dubai Marathon. The Ethiopian returns after finishing third last year.

World half marathon record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei, who will also be making her marathon debut, and two-time world marathon champion Abel Kirui were previously announced.

Abel Kirui, the world champion over the distance in 2009 and 2011, has already announced his intention of chasing the course record of 2:05:30, set by Eliud Kipchoge in his marathon debut in 2013. Compatriots Jonathan Korir and Amos Mitei, who have personal bests of 2:06:51 and 2:07:28 respectively, are expected to join the hunt.

Japan's Taku Fujimoto, who clocked his personal best of 2:07:57 in last year’s Chicago Marathon, will also be in the race.

Alemu Bekele and Kuftu Tahir destroy the Zurich Marathon Barcelona course records

Alemu Bekele set a new course record at the 41st edition of the Zurich Marathon of Barcelona. The Ethiopian and Bahrain nationality athlete, who has been distanced from his rivals in the Via Laietana section, completed the course in a personal best of 2 hours, 6 minutes and 4 seconds. The previous record set in 2010 by Kenyan Jakson Kotut (2:07:30). Abebe Negewo (2:06:49) and Anthony Maritim (2:06:54) were second and third.

"I've made my best record. The race has been very nice and I enjoyed it a lot. I did not expect a record like this, but I'm doing well now," explained Bekele, who has run just four marathons. 

"The trip was better than I expected, but the competition was hard. I have resisted in the first group at all times and I have waited to attack where I thought I could do it. I knew it could beat the record," he said.

"Despite suffering a lot in the final stretch, Ethiopian Kuftu Tahir was first female and also set a course record clocking 2:24:44.

"We went out at a good pace from the start and and that was key. We were together for almost 40 kilometers." Second place placed third.  

"The new course was improved so that it is faster, but without removing any of the emblematic points that characterize us. We have had a balanced marathon, very linear, with few curves and great avenues. Also, we have reduced 20% the a positive difference compared to 2018," syas Cristian Llorens.

There were 17,465 participants. Almost half (49%) were foreigners, from 107 different countries, another historic record.

The Roma-Ostia Half Marathon was once again a fast race but with some surprises

The Roma-Ostia Half Marathon once again lived up to its reputation as being a fast race with a winning time of 01:00:17 by Ethiopian runner Guye Adola in the men’s race and 01:06:40 by Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, of Israel, in the highly anticipated women’s race.

Adola, winner of the 2017 edition of this competition, now in its 45th year, ran a smart race, tucking into the lead pack for most of the way until a final sprint to the finish, beating Kenian Geoffrey Yegon by 6 seconds in a race that saw 8,456 finishers run from Rome’s EUR neighbourhood to Ostia, the city’s honky tonk beach town.

In the women’s race, Salpeter, bettered her PB by 1:15, running a constant pace of 3:08/km, while the American Jordan Hasay, finished with a time of 01:11:06, well above the expected PB that everyone was hoping to see her run. At the presentation of elite runners on Saturday, Hasay seemed to want to run a fast race and, with an identical PB as Salpeter, everyone was hoping for an exciting and fast duel to the finish. But today wasn’t going to be that day for Hasay. During the race, the live tracking for Hasay did not work so there were no live split times for her at the 5km, 10km or 15 km markers and commentators never mentioned where she was during the race.

Only when she arrived at the finish line 4:26 after Salpeter (and 6th woman overall), was it obvious that she was way off a PB pace today. Hasay, part of the Nike Oregon Project and trained by Alberto Salazar, is set to run in the Boston Marathon on April 15. An Italian male runner who finished in a little over 1hr 7 minutes and who was at the start with Hasay, said she ran the first 2 kms very fast but then dropped off her PB pace and he passed her at km 3. A spokesperson for Hasay said after the race that Hasay did not have any injuries that affected her performance today, citing that after a year away from competition she was only a bit “race rusty.”

Ethiopia’s Guye Adola from Ethiopia and Lonah Chemtai Salpeter from Israel lead the field at the Huawei Roma-Ostia Half Marathon

Adola made a major breakthrough at the 2017 Berlin Marathon, when he ran the fastest ever time for a debutant with an impressive 2:03:46 performance to finish just 14 seconds behind Olympic champion and world record holder Eliud Kipchoge.

Adola, who clocked his 59:06 half marathon career best in New Delhi in 2014, will be chasing his second win at the Roma Ostia after his 2017 victory in 59:18.

His top rivals will include Kenyan Geoffrey Yegon, who has a 59:44 PB from 2016 and more recently finished second at last year’s Prague Half Marathon in 59:56. Three other Kenyans are also expected to contend: Emmanuel Kipsang, who has clocked a lifetime best of 1:00:14 and finished fourth at this race last year; Kiprono Kipkemoi, who ran 1:00:56 in Lisbon 2018; and prolific racer Cornelius Kangogo, a three-time winner of the Corrida de Houilles and two-time champion at the Media Blenio in Dongio.

The Italian challenge is led by 2014 European marathon champion Daniele Meucci, who is returning to his best form after a tough 2018 season. He’ll be joined by Stefano La Rosa, who has a marathon PB of 2:11:08 set in Seville in 2018.

Salpeter came to the fore last summer when she won the European 10,000m title, and has continued to impress. Last November Chemtai broke the Israeli national marathon record with a 2:24:17 run in Florence. A month earlier she produced her half marathon best, clocking 1:07:55 in Lisbon.

Haftamnesh Tesfay Haylu won here last year in 1:09:02 and returns to defend her title. She’ll also face Kenya’s Antonina Kwambai, who clocked 1:08:07 at the Paris Half Marathon in 2018 and her compatriot Diana Chemtai Kipyogei, who set her lifetime best of 1:07:07 in Valencia last October. 

The field also includes established marathoner Jordan Hasay of the USA. The 27-year-old finished third at the Boston Marathon in 2017 in 2:23:00, the fastest ever performance by a US debutante. Six months later she finished third at the Chicago Marathon in 2:20:57.

Kenya's Duncan Koech and Karolina Nadolska of Poland will head the field at the HAJ Hannover Marathon

Duncan Koech, 37, was third in Hannover last year in 2:10:19, but holds a 2:07:53 lifetime best set in Cologne in 2012, the fastest in the field.

Samwel Maswai, another Kenyan, is expected to mount a stiff challenge. Maswai clocked his 2:08:52 lifetime best at the 2013 Berlin Marathon where he finished fifth. More recently, he finished third in Vienna last year, running 2:11:08 in very warm weather conditions.

Five other runners with sub-2:10 credentials have also been announced: Kenyans Edwin Kimaiyo (2:09:12), Paul Kangogo (2:09:20) and Josphat Leting (2:09:34), Ethiopia’s Alebachew Wale (2:09:40), and Arne Gabius of Germany.

Gabius, the German record holder in the event, will be gunning for the first marathon podium finish of his career. The 37-year-old came close at the Frankfurt Marathon in 2015, when he broke the 27-year-old German record with a 2:08:33 run to finish fourth.

Hannover’s course record, set six years ago by South African Lusapho April, is just one second faster than Gabius’ personal best. 

"Hannover is one of three spring marathon races where I have to put things right,“ said Gabius, who was forced to drop out of this race by an ailing achilles tendon after 33 kilometres two years ago.

On the women's side, Nadolska is the fastest of the entrants, courtesy of the 2:26:32 personal best set at the Osaka Women's Marathon in 2014. But in her most recent marathon appearance, last year's Nagoya Women's Marathon, the 37-year-old finished a distant 14th.

The field also includes Ethiopia’s Tigist Memuye Gebeyahu, whose biggest career win came two years ago at the Zhengzhou Marathon when she clocked 2:27:39, clipping more than nine minutes from her previous personal best. Kenya’s Racheal Mutgaa will also be among the favourites. The 31-year-old ran 2:28:39 at last year’s Hefei Marathon, finishing second.

Like Gabius in the men's race, Anja Scherl will be defending German turf in the women's. The 32-year-old finished third in Hannover in 2016 clocking 2:27:50, an improvement of more than eight minutes.

Defending champion Nancy Kiprop hopes to make it three victories when she returns for the 36th edition of the Vienna City Marathon

More than 30 years ago, Austrian Gerhard Hartmann won three consecutive victories from 1985 to 1987 in Vienna.  More recently Kenya’s Henry Sugut became a three-time champion with victories in 2010, 2012 and 2013. While no woman has achieved this feat, Kiprop is in a position to do so after collecting victories at the last two editions.

In 2017 she won with a personal best of 2:24:20, finishing just five seconds ahead of fellow-Kenyan Rebecca Chesire. Last year she dominated, beating back the warm conditions and winning by more than five minutes in 2:24:18, another lifetime best. In the meantime, the 39-year-old has gotten even faster, clocking 2:22:46 in Frankfurt last October.

"For me it is an easy decision to return to Vienna, as the race is well organised, people are welcoming and I feel appreciated and respected. I am truly humbled by each experience in Vienna,“ said Nancy Kiprop, a mother of seven who used most of her winnings to found a school in her home village of Chesitek near to Iten.

Her victories in Vienna have been instrumental with her school project, Kiprop said, helping to make “the impossible possible."

“My school, the Nancy Cletius Academy in Chesitek, is now educating 122 pupils, providing employment to five teachers. We have a total of five classrooms and administrative buildings with two staff. Our plans are to continue to grow. We want to add one new class each year and keep on investing in education of the next generation."

Kiprop’s strongest rival may well be 25-year-old Ethiopian Rahma Tusa, who achieved a hat-trick of her own when winning the Rome Marathon last year for the third consecutive time. In 2018, she improved her personal best to 2:23:46. Tusa also showed fine form in the New York City Marathon last November, finishing fifth with 2:27:13. This will be her first appearance in Vienna.

Switzerland’s national record holder Maja Neuenschwander, who won at this race in 2015, is also hoping for a successful return to the marathon after a stress fracture cut her season short last year. 

Meb Keflezighi became the first American male to win the Boston Marathon in 31 years in 2014

Two nights before the 2014 Boston Marathon, I was walking from the Harvard Club with race director Dave McGillivray after a meeting with the Martin Richard Foundation.

Dave asked me, “What’s your goal for Monday?” I said, “To win. I’m going to go for it.”

Of course I always ran to win, in the sense of getting the best out of myself on race day. But this time was different — I meant it literally.

Boston 2014 was a special focus long before I broke the tape on Boylston Street.

I had watched the 2013 Boston Marathon from a grandstand by the finish with my good friend from San Diego, Rob Hill. Injury had scuttled my plan to be there as a competitor.

While I would have liked to be racing, watching thousands of runners finish amid the palpable positive energy was a great experience. I was taking photos and notes on the positive humanity and camaraderie the marathon embraces. It had been 30 years since an American man won Boston.

As soon as Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia broke the tape in 2:10:22, I texted my friend and fellow US Olympian Ryan Hall, who also missed the race because of injury. “WE CAN DO THIS,” I wrote. Ryan texted back almost immediately, “We’ll get after it.” Already fired up for 2014, I left the stands.

Yomif Kejelcha smashed the Indoor Mile World Record clocking 3:47.01 in Boston Sunday

Yomif Kejelcha from Ethiopia broke the world indoor mile record when he clocked three minutes 47.01 seconds during an invitational meet in Boston on Sunday.

The 21-year-old smashed the 22-year-old record of 3:48.45 set by Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj in 1997.

Kejelcha had come within one hundredth of a second of the record when he clocked 3:48.46 at the Millrose Games in New York last month.

The twice world indoor 3,000 meters champion was also targeting the indoor 1,500m record but narrowly missed it with a 3:31.25.

This makes Kejelcha, who is coached by Alberto Salazar, the third-fastest in the 1500m behind compatriot Samuel Tefera's February world record of 3:31.04 and El Guerrouj's 3:31.18

Eariler in the week Oregon live reported, “As promised, Nike Oregon Project coach Alberto Salazar has declared the NOP’s Yomif Kejelcha will be running for a world indoor record in the 1,500 meters -- and, possibly, the mile -- in the Bruce Lehane Invitational Mile Sunday at Boston University.

Salazar said making a world-record assault public puts pressure on the runner making the attempt, but also causes the runner to focus. And, he thinks, world-record attempts create the kind of publicity and attention the sport needs.

"If we’re going for a record in Boston, people are going to know," Salazar said then. “If we say we’re going for it, we’ll go for it.”

He told DyeStat’s Doug Binder on Wednesday that Kejeclha is fit and ready.

“He likes the 1,500 (meters), but I think the mile is more prestigious,” Salazar told Binder. “He’s going for the 1,500 record, and afterwards just hopes to maintain so he can get the mile as well.”

This is how the race in Boston unfolded as described by the IAAF. 

Kejelcha followed three different pacemakers for the opening laps and passed through 809m in 1:52. Worried the pace wasn't quick enough, he moved past the final pacemaker about two minutes into the race and was then out in front alone.

He was inside 2:51 with two laps remaining and kept up his swift pace for the last 400 metres. The clock had already ticked over to 3:31 by the time he passed the 1500m checkpoint, but he – and the eager fans – would have to wait until after the race to find out his official split. His immediate concern was reaching the finish line of the mile.

Kejelcha dug in deep and crossed the line in 3:47.01, taking 1.44 seconds off the previous world indoor record set by Hicham El Guerrouj in 1997. Moments later, his 1500m split was confirmed at 3:31.25, making him the third-fastest indoor performer in history behind Tefera and El Guerrouj.

Kejelcha's mile time is also an outright Ethiopian record, bettering the outdoor mark of 3:48.60 set by Aman Wote.

America's Johnny Gregorek (second photo)  finished second in 3:49.98, moving to sixth on the world indoor all-time list, just 0.09 shy of Bernard Lagat's North American indoor record.  This is the seventh best time by an American Indoor or outdoors according to LetsRun.  

Legese pulled away at 30k and ran alone to the finish line of the Tokyo Marathon clocking 2:04:48

 Ethiopian Birhanu Legese cruised to victory at the Tokyo marathon on Sunday, winning in a time of two hours, four minutes and 48 seconds in miserable conditions to claim his first major title.  It was raining and 41 degrees at the start and throughout the race.  

The 24-year-old was part of a small leading group for the first 30 kilometres before pulling away easily from runnerup Kenyan Bedan Karoki (2:06:48) and strolling to victory.

Karoki's compatriot Dickson Chumba, twice a winner in Tokyo, was third.

With rain lashing down for much of a frigid morning, it was never likely to be a fast race.

Japan fancied their chances of a homegrown male victory for the first time since 2010 but Suguru Osako, who set a new Japanese national record in October, struggled to stay with the leading group and pulled out with an injury 30 kilometres in.

The 27-year-old, touted as Japan’s best hope of delivering Olympic marathon gold when Tokyo hosts the Games in 2020, was distraught as he limped from the route.

Ethiopian Ruti Aga won the women’s race in a time of 2:20:40, edging out compatriot Helen Tola by 21 seconds.

While the cold and wet conditions served as an enemy for many of the elite runners, Legese put on a convincing performance and posted the second-best time in the event’s history, behind only Wilson Kipsang’s record 2:03:58, set in 2017.

“The weather was tough and it affected the result a little bit,” Legese said through an interpreter. “There were a lot of difficulties like the cold and the breeze, but because this course is a good course, if the weather had held up, I’m confident that I would’ve been able to run under 2:04.”

Ethiopians have now won the women’s marathon in Tokyo in six of the last eight editions.

Kenyan´s Abel Kirui hopes to get the title at Hamburg Marathon

Two-time world marathon champion Abel Kirui has landed an invite for this year’s Hamburg Marathon set for April 28th in Germany.

The two-time world marathon champion, who registered back-to-back IAAF world marathon titles in 2009 and 2011, said he is already looking beyond the event as he wants to cap the year with his third World Championship marathon medal in Doha, Qatar.

“I have had a good training since joining Global Sports Communication and my skills have improved tremendously. I look forward to a good event in Hamburg,” said the Kapsabet-born runner.

The 2012 London Olympic Marathon silver medallist failed to retain his Chicago Marathon title last year after winning in 2016. Galen Rupp won the title in 2017 while multi Olympic champion Mo Farah won last year.

Kirui said has been motivating and refreshing training with top athletes including world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge (2:01.39), former New York marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor, two-time Toronto marathon winner Philemon Rono and 2012 Olympic marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda. Kirui, the 2008 Vienna marathon winner, suffered a knee injury that kept him off competition for about three years and on his return in 2016, he won Chicago (2:11.23).

“I want to end the Ethiopian dominance in Hamburg and I know I now have what it takes to deliver,” he added.

The man, who started his career as a pacesetter, finished second at the 2007 Berlin Marathon, third at 2009 Rotterdam Marathon, won 2007 Paderborn Half Marathon and finished 4th at 2010 London Marathon. Lucas Rotich is the last Kenyan to have won Hamburg in 2015 and Ethiopians have since dominated for the last three years.

Can Japan’s Suguru Osako Win the Tokyo Marathon on home soil? Yes it is possible but there are five Africans in the field with faster times

Japan’s national record holder Suguru Osako, is running Japan’s biggest marathon, Tokyo. And that’s exciting. Because as great as Japan has been at the marathon in recent years, Kenya and Ethiopia have still been way better.

Prior to last year, no Japanese man had broken 2:07 since 2002, which is almost a prerequisite to win a WMM these days: since 2013, 89% of men’s WMM champs have entered the race with a sub-2:07 PR. 23 Kenyans had broken 2:07 in 2018 alone.

But Japan is narrowing the gap to the East Africans. Last year, after going 15 years without a sub-2:07 marathoner, Japan produced three: Osako (2:05:50), Yuta Shitara (2:06:11), and Hirohito Inoue (2:06:54). And both Osako (3rd in Chicago) and Shitara (2nd in Tokyo) were in the mix for the win at majors.

This weekend kicks off an incredible 18 months of marathoning in Japan. It begins with the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday, the first WMM of 2019, and continues in September with the Japanese Olympic Trials, also in Tokyo.  Then there’s the 2020 Tokyo Marathon and, of course, the Olympic marathon in August 2020.

The biggest reason to be excited about this year’s Tokyo Marathon is Osako, who is based in the US and trains under Nike Oregon Project coach Pete Julian.

A win by Japan’s best marathoner on home soil just 17 months before they host the Olympics would be a huge story, and it could actually happen. That doesn’t mean it will happen — there are five guys entered with faster PRs than Osako, including four under 2:05 — but it certainly can happen!

World Half Marathon record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei will headline the star-studded field at the United Airlines New York City Half on March 17

Joyciline Jepkosgei, 26, will use the race as a warm up for her eagerly awaited marathon debut in Hamburg on April 28. In 2017, the Kenyan had a sensational year when she broke six world records, four of which came in the one race.

Coached by her husband Nicholas Koech, Jepkosgei took the half marathon world record in Prague in a time of 64:52, along with new world best for 10km in 30:05, 15km in 45:37 and 20km in 61:25.

“I’m excited to be running my first New York Half Marathon in two weeks’ time. The field has very good and experienced runners and it will give me great opportunity to gauge myself ahead of my full marathon debut in Hamburg in April,” Jepkosgei told Standard Sports.

“I’m eager to see how I will run my full marathon,” she added, “it will be a new experience for me, and I don’t really know what is in store for me, and marathon is torturing.  I will just want to run and finish the race.”

Jepkosgei will be joined by her countrywoman Mary Wacera, a two-time World Half Marathon Championships medalist. The Nyahururu-based Wacera won the silver at the 2014 World Half Marathon in Copenhagen and followed it with bronze from Cardiff’s global showpiece.

The two Kenyans will face tough challenge against Ethiopian Buze Diriba, the race’s defending champion and American Desire Linden.

Linden will be using the half marathon as her final tune-up race before attempting to defend her Boston Marathon title in April. Last year, she became the first American to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years.

The Zurich Marathon de Barcelona course Record set nine years ago is under attack with an easier course, less curves, wider streets and less unevenness

The Zurich Marathon de Barcelona course Record was set in 2010, when Jackson Kotut clocked 2:07:30. 

Anthony Maritim, winner in 2018, wants to retain the crown.  Anthony clocked a PR in the Condal City 2:08:08 last year and will now try to improve on it.  The course this year is an easier circuit, with less curves, wider streets and less unevenness.

Laban Korir, with the second best mark of all the participants, 2:05:54 achieved in Amsterdam 2016. Last year he clocked 2:05:58 in Rotterdam, a record that suggests that he has many options to reduce the top of Barcelona.

Eliud Kiptanui is the one with the best mark of all the participants: 2:05:21, achieved in Berlin 2015. Also in the field is Kenya’s Laban Mutai who clocked 2:07:38 a PR in Eindhoven last autumn.

The Ethiopians look very strong too, Adebe Negewo Degefa is in good shape after his great second place at the eDreams Mitja Marató in Barcelona, ​​just one second behind the winner, Eric Kiptanui. His compatriot Limenih Getachew with 02:06:49, also aspires to beautiful things. 

Former Olympic and world steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi will begin another chapter in his career as he plans to make his marathon debut in Hamburg on April 28

The steeplechase legend, 37-year-old Ezekiel Kemboi, believes he still has a lot to offer as he transits from the track to the marathon distance. So far he has run nine 10km road races, with the latest two being in Prague where he clocked 29:59, later improving his time to 29:54 in Italy last year. His personal best in the 10km race is 28:38, set in 2011.

"Today I did my speed work in readiness for the Hamburg Marathon in April. It will be my debut after a long steeplechase season," said Kemboi on Wednesday in Eldoret.

The steeplechase champion has joined a team of marathon runners to try to help him polish his skills and improve his endurance to last the full distance in a competition believed to be the hardest in athletics.

"I am motivated by Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, with whom I ran during the 2003 World Championships. I will be venturing into the 42km race, where I want to perform as well as on track," added Kemboi.

But Kemboi should not expect any favors as he moves up to the marathon distance. Former two-time world marathon champion Abel Kirui, who will also be running in Hamburg, has stated his own intentions ahead of that event.

"It will be a big challenge for me as I will be preparing to beat Eliud Kipchoge's course record of 2:05:30. It will be a big show and I welcome the fans to cheer me on."

Kirui and Kemboi will not only face the challenge of beating the course record, but will come up against the formidable Ethiopian duo of Ayele Abshero and Dibabe Kuma.

The course record has remained since 2012 when Kipchoge first ventured into the marathon, also picking Hamburg for his debut. However, Kemboi does not expect anyone to compare him with Kipchoge, as he seeks to chart his own course in the unknown waters.

The athlete, who trains in Eldoret, said that he has been training hard and has already had his fair share of success.

"Many people have been asking where I have been and they will get answers soon after seeing my performance. I have competed in 10 road races and won seven of them, and that shows good progress," said Kemboi.

Kenya’s Joan Melly Chelimo is upbeat ahead of her debut in the Tokyo Marathon Sunday

The Kenyan, 29, feels she has enough experience after a string of good results in China as she returns to Asia.

Chelimo, who has picked up two wins in 2018 in Prague and Boston over the 21km distance, will jump into the firing line in Tokyo as she seeks to transform her prowess on the half marathon to the full distance, with a hope of returning to the Japanese capital to compete at the 2020 Olympic Games.

"It is a bag of mixed fortunes for me. I want to run fast and win the race, but it is a new venture and I have no idea of how my body will react. I have done more training to build on the endurance and hopefully it will pay dividends in Tokyo," Chelimo said on Tuesday in Nairobi.

The former Kenyan-turned Bahraini trains in Kapsabet, near Eldoret and will launch her title campaign in Tokyo after winning the Asian Games.

Chelimo, alongside winning gold for her adopted country in London in 2017, she represented Bahrain at the 2016 Olympic Games, placing eighth in the women's marathon.

"It is a new challenge for me in Tokyo. I have trained hard for the race since I want to win a gold medal," said Chelimo. The Bahraini says she is injury free after returning to fitness last year.

The two women will come up against Ethiopia's Ruti Aga, who recorded the personal best of 2:18:34 at the Berlin Marathon last September.

In addition, there are three other runners with the personal best of 2:19 including Florence Kiplagat, the former Chicago Marathon champion.

Barcelona Marathon champion Ruth Chebitok, who holds a personal best time of 2:23:29, will seek to steal the limelight as she makes her debut in the 2019 season.

Last year, she competed in three marathons winning in Barcelona and Gold Coast and finished third in Toronto.

"I have high expectation to win in Tokyo. There are a few Ethiopians in the race who can spring a surprise and I will be prepared for them.

Afera Godfay Berha of Ethiopia broke the women’s Mexican all-comers half marathon record at the 33rd Electrolit Guadalajara Half Marathon

Godfay, 27, clocked 1:08:53 to break the all-comers mark set of 1:09:07 set by Paula Radcliffe when the Briton won the 2000 world half marathon title in Veracruz.

Kenya's Mathew Kisorio won the men's race in 1:01:48, well inside the course record of 1:02:31 set by his countryman and seven-time winner Julius Kipyego Keter in 2011.

Godfay and Kenyan Joyce Chemkemoi set an aggressive pace from the start, covering the opening five kilometres in 15:58, running five second ahead of Naomi Vaati. By the 10km mark, covered in 32:06, she extended her lead to 22 seconds.

Berha made her decisive move in the next five-kilometre stretch and built a 35-second lead by 15 kilometres, reached in 48:41. She then cruised on to become the second Ethiopian woman to claim victory in Guadalajara since two-time winner Shewarge Alene Amare won in 2010 and 2011.

The 27-year old winner, a 2:23:54 marathoner, came within 22 seconds her half marathon best set in 2016. 

Chemkemoi held on for second in 1:10:06 with Vaati, who clocked 1:10:17, finishing third.

Esmerala Rebollo was the first Mexican across the line, finishing fifth with a new personal best of 1:12:52. Her countrywoman, two-time winner Mayra Sanchez Vidal, finished eighth in 1:13:18.

In the men's race, a group of nine took up a conservative pace early in the contest, covering the first five kilometres in 14:13. Kisorio and three other men upped the pace, reducing the lead group to four as they reached 10 kilometres in 29:06. Then Kisorio found an extra gear, dropping his three remaining opponents as he reached 15 kilometres in 43:42, 34 seconds ahead of his closest rival.

Rhonzas Lokitam Kilimo and Justus Kangogo battled for the two remaining spots on the podium, a war Kilimo won as he pulled away to repeat his runner-up finish from 2018, clocking 1:02:43. Kangogo was next, four seconds behind.

Two-time Olympic finalist and two-time winner Juan Luis Barrios was the first Mexican finisher, taking fifth in 1:03:06.

“This performance is the result of running with great athletes who come to produce a great show," said Barrios, now 35. "They pushed hard and I tried to stay with the leaders as long as possible."

Each winner collected MXN 150,000 for their effort ($7,840). 13,568 runners finished the race.

Belayneh Densamo the former Marathon World Record holder should have had more support to train and he had to flee his country and was left for dead

Belayneh Densamo ran the first sub 2:07 marathon 30 years ago. Yet he was not able to run in the 1988 or 1992 Olympics.

Belayneh was born on June 28, 1965 in Diramo Afarrara, Sidamo. He held the world record in the marathon for 10 years (1988-1998). This was the third longest span without the record being broken since the event was first organized at the 1896 Olympics. The record was set when he ran 2:06:50 at the 1988 Rotterdam Marathon in the Netherlands. The record was eventually broken by Ronaldo da Costa at the Berlin Marathon in 1998.

His first international marathon race was in Japan in 1986 where he finished second in 2:08.29.  

He became the second world record holder in the marathon from Africa after his barefoot running compatriot Abebe Bikila.

In 1988 the Ethiopian regime decided to boycott the Games in Seoul.  Densamo could do nothing but accept the dictator Mengistu's decision and not run in the Olympics.

In 1992, Densamo's preparation for the Games in Barcelona was severely disrupted again. In his homeland a fierce battle was going on for political power. Densamo was pressured by a gang to give them money, but did not succumb to the threat.  However, after a bomb exploded under his house, he fled. "I had to protect my family. These were sad times, my head was no longer into running. As the best marathon runner in the world, I should have had all the support to train, but I had to flee and was left for dead. I did not get a fair chance at the Olympics. Very sad.''

Things did improve for him and he did represent Ethiopia at the marathon at the 1996 Summer Olympics, but the hot and humid summer in Atlanta, Georgia was just too much for him and he was among 13 of a field of 130 who did not finish.

Densamo moved from his native Ethiopia to Rotterdam in 2003, he says, but he eventually opted for the United States. He wanted to give his three daughters the chance to get a good education.

The shy man escaped poverty through his running talent, is now a proud family man living with his family in Boston, Massachusetts. At 52 he leads a regular, quiet life.  "When people see me, they estimate me 35 years. I live healthy, I still work hard and I am an assistant coach at Boston University," he says.

This interview was done in December 2018 by Markos Berhanu for Ethiosports. 

Beijing Marathon champion Valary Aiyabei Jemeli is set to participate at the Nagoya Women's Marathon and improve on her second place finish last year

Beijing Marathon champion Valary Aiyabei Jemeli hopes her top form will help her to make the Kenyan team at the World Marathon Championships.

Jemeli, 28, will return to the Nagoya Women's Marathon on March 10 hoping to improve on her second finish last year to boost her chances of breaking into the Kenya team to the global championships which will be held in Doha, Qatar in October.

"The immediate challenge is to improve on my silver medal from Nagoya to gold. I know the challenge will be of international class, but my training has been good and I have recovered since my last run in Ras Al Khaimah in United Arab Emirates," said Jemeli on Friday from Eldoret.

Jemeli's profile was enhanced when she defied the odds to win in the Chinese capital last year. She started the season with a strong run in UAE where she was fifth. She hopes to improve and prepare to defend her title in Beijing.

"My plan is to make the Kenya team to the World marathon championships. But that is not down to me to make the decision. So I will have the Beijing marathon as my main target, to go and defend my crown and should the coaches opt to offer me the chance to run in Qatar, then we will have to reschedule," said Jemeli.

Last year, Jemeli ended a four-year winning run by Ethiopian runners in the Beijing marathon when she clocked 2:21:38, the fourth fastest in the history of the race and the quickest mark since 2005, but was two minutes shy of the 2:19:39 course record set by Sun Yingjie in 2003.

Justus Kipkogei Kangogo and Rhonzas Kilimo will headline the 33rd Electrolit Guadalajara Half Marathon

Veronica Wanjiru and Agnes Barsosio will aim to break 1:10 for the  first time in the event’s history at the 33rd Electrolit Guadalajara Half Marathon.

The women’s race will crown a new champion, a title left vacant by Diana Chemtai, who lowered the previous course record by almost a minute and a half to 1:10:00, the fifth fastest half marathon ever run by a woman on Mexican soil.

Veronica Wanjiru, the fastest in the field with a 1:07:58 personal best, will try to keep the Kenyans on top, as will her countrywomen Agnes Barsosio (1:08:21), Joyce Chempkemoi (1:09:21) and Milliam Ebongon (1:10:34).

Four former champions are back in Guadalajara: Kenya’s three-time winner Risper Gesabwa (2015-2017) and Ethiopia’s Shewarge Alene Amare (2010-2011), as well as Mexico’s Marisol Romero (2013) and Mayra Vidal (2013).

Colombian record holder Kellys Yesenia Arias (1:11:21) could also be in the mix for the leading positions.

For the men´s race, Justus Kipkogei Kangogo, 23, is the fastest in the Kenyan squad, thanks to his 59:31 run in Ostia, Italy, in 2017. Rhonzas Kilimo brings the experience from his runner-up performance in Gualajara in 2018, were only one second separated him from the win.

Six-time winner and course record holder Julius Kipyego Keter is also back to help maintain Kenyan supremacy in the men’s race, which they've won in all but three editions since 2013.

John Langat, Moses Kibet and John Kipsang Loitang, all boasting personal bests under 1:01, should secure close battle for the top prize, which may bring down the course record of 1:02:31 set by Kipyego in 2011.

However, two sub-60 minute runners may have other plans to spoil the Kenyan party. Eritrea’s Samuel Tsegay is the fastest in the field with his 59:21 performance in Copenhagen five years ago. Ethiopia’s Ayele Abshero, who ran 59:42 in 2011, may also feature well for the top positions.

After a successful career on the track, two-time Olympic finalist Juan Luis Barrios returns to Guadalajara, a race he won in 2015 and 2016 to break the Kenyan hegemony.

Leading the Mexican charge, Barrios will be joined by other top local athletes, including 62-minute runner Jose Antonio Uribe, Jose Luis Santana, Juan Joel Pacheco and Juan Carlos Carrera.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen defeats the new 1500m world Record holder Samuel Tefera

Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen defeated new world record-holder Samuel Tefera in the 1,500m at the IAAF World Indoor Tour in Dusseldorf today, running 3:36.02 to Tefera’s 3:36.34. Filip Ingebrigtsen, the middle brother finished in third place, in 3:38.62. Jakob’s time represents a new personal best and a new U20 indoor world record, as well as a Norwegian national record.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen showed his ‘majority’ to pounce at the perfect time and take the win down the home straight at the International PSD Bank Meeting Dusseldorf.

After breaking the world indoor mile record in Birmingham on Saturday, it was no surprise to see Ethiopia’s teenage star Samuel Tefera at the front behind the pacers in the early laps around the 200m track in the German city.

Once the final pacemaker stepped off the track, Tefera was at the forefront, but European 1500m and 5000m champion Ingebrigtsen was quick to close the gap to ensure the final leg of the IAAF World Indoor Tour had an exciting finish.

As the two teenage stars came around the final bend in Dusseldorf, Ingebrigtsen moved out to the second lane, and powered home with strength beyond his years, to take to win in 3:36.02, with Tefera clocking 3:36.34.

Ingebrigtsen’s victory set a new indoor under-20 world record and broke the Norwegian indoor best.

Even though Tefera ran 3:31.04 last week, the time isn’t an under-20 record because his 20th birthday is later this year.

Samuel Tefera faces Norway’s brothers at Düsseldorf Indoor meet

Nine of this season's 11 IAAF World Indoor Tour titles will be up for grabs when the six-meeting series concludes with the PSD Bank Meeting in Dusseldorf on Wednesday (20) night, but none will be as eagerly anticipated and as closely watched as the battle for the men's 1500m when Samuel Tefera returns to the track just four days after his sensational world record-breaking run in Birmingham.

The Ethiopian teenager shocked the world when he prevailed in a tactical race to win the world indoor title one year ago, but when he returned to the same Arena Birmingham track last Saturday, few expected the 19-year-old to take down a record set in 1997 - more than two years before he was born - by the all-time great Hicham El Guerrouj. But he did, clocking 3:31.04 to clip 0.14 from the Moroccan’s mark with a convincing victory over pre-meet favourite Yomif Kejelcha.

Here in Dusseldorf, Tefera will be running for another fast time as well as series honours. He trails Kenyan Bethwell Birgen by one point in the standings with 23; so long as he finishes ahead of the Kenyan, he'll take home the US$20,000 prize bonus and a wildcard entry for the IAAF World Indoor Championships Nanjing 2020.

The field also includes all three of Norway's Ingebrigtsen brothers, Filip, Hendrik and Jakob, setting up an intriguing head-to-head with the latter, another teenager, who famously cruised to the European 1500 and 5000m titles last August.

The 18-year-old has raced once this season, clocking a 3:36.21 national record eight days ago. Given the largely solo nature of that run, it's clear he can run faster. 

World record holder Kenenisa Bekele has withdrawn from Tokyo Marathon with Stress Fracture

The Tokyo Marathon announced that 5000m and 10000m world record holder Kenenisa Bekele(Ethiopia) has withdrawn from the Mar. 3 Tokyo Marathon 2019 due to injury.

The statement read, "He has a stress fracture that is going to take a little more time to heal. His motivation to recover and set his sights on a new goal is high, but unfortunately it seems that is still going to take a while."

"I am hungry and motivated to still achieve big results on the marathon as I know what I am still capable of when my body can fully co-operate. It is therefore that I must now take the time to recover fully, get healthy in order for me to achieve the goals that I have left to prove for myself on the marathon."

Bekele is confident that with a strong and healthy body he is able to flash his greatness once again.

"My body is starting to feel that I have over 20 years of the highest level in sports in my body. Injuries have plagued my move to the marathon a little bit but I have also really great memories since becoming a marathoner. My time in Berlin for example but also my win in Paris are races that I am really proud of."

"I have a desire and dreams that I have left to achieve and I am not finished with the marathon. If I didn't had the fire burning anymore I would have walked away already. My full focus now is on becoming 100 per cent healthy and in shape so that I can reach my goals."

Both the men and women course records were smashed at the 35th Annual Zurich Marathon in Sevilla

Ethiopians Ayana Tsedat and Guteni Shone grabbed convincing victories at the 35th Zurich Maratón de Sevilla, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on Sunday February 17. 

Running in nearly ideal weather conditions, the 22-year-old Tsedat clocked 2:06:36 to improve the race record by 1:07. Likewise Shone’s winning time of 2:24:29 broke the course record by a similar difference, 1:06.

Both men’s and women’s contests had strong depth as five men ducked under 2:07 while four women ran inside 2:27 as the new circuit proved to be even faster than the previous one.

The men’s race opened at a steady pace of 3:00m per kilometer.  A group of 13 runners hit the 10km point in 29:56 with Kenya’s Daniel Kipkore Kibet plus the Ethiopian group of Tsedat, Belay Asefa and Birhanu Berga.

The Madrid-based Tsegay went through the halfway point in 1:03:18 with ten men still running at his shoulder. By the 27k it was Kibet who moved to the front to maintain the rhythm, sharing the lead with Tsegay by 30 kilometers, reached in 1:30:09. Surprisingly, the Eritrean, a 2:09:56 performer, didn’t quit the race at that point and ran on with relative ease.

By then the main group included Tsegay, Kibet and the Ethiopian trio of Tsedat, Asefa and Berga, with the race record of 2:07:43 seemingly well within reach. In the closing kilometer Tsedat launched his attack. First Kibet and then Tadese fell back while Asefa and Berga followed behind in single file, but unable to maintain the pace. Tsedat cross the line in 2:06:36 to obliterate his previous lifetime best of 2.09:26 set last year in Barcelona while Asefa (2:06:39) and Berga (2:06:41) secured an Ethiopian podium sweep, also improving their career bests.

Meanwhile Tsegay, the designated pacemaker, crossed the line in 2:06:46 to break the Eritrean national record and obliterate his previous best. Tsegay trains in Madrid under the guidance of Jerónimo Bravo, the coach who led Zersenay Tadese to the world half marathon record of 58:23 back in 2010.

In the women's race, it was Spanish marathon Roger Roca who was given pacing duties on track to break the 2:25:35 record set last year. He set a steady 3:26 per kilometer pace to go through the opening 10,000m in 34:25 with ten women following closely. The halfway point was reached in 1:12:40 by a group of eight Ethiopians.

The leading quintet passed 30k in 1:43:17, still led by Roca and well on schedule to set a new race record. Shone and Gebremeskel proved to be the strongest as they comfortably led by the 35k point, still on track for a sub-2:25 performance.

Then Shone, one of Tirunesh Dibaba’s training partners, made her move, reaching the 40km point in 2:17:03 with a 12 second advantage over Gebremeskel. The 27-year-old injected an even faster pace over the closing kilometers to romp home in 2:24:29, less than one minute outside of her PB set four years ago. Gebremeskel clocked 2:24:53, improved her previous best by more than five minutes. 

Kenyan Barnabus Kiptum was so far ahead of his rivals that the runner-up thought he had won

Kenyan Barnabus Kiptum was so far ahead of the chasing pack in Sunday’s Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon that runner-up Dawit Wolde of Ethiopia thought he had won.

After finishing third in last year’s race, 32-year-old Kiptum was out of sight and out of mind as he blazed to a new course record. The Kenyan said it felt “amazing” to win such a prestigious race in an “iconic” city like Hong Kong.

“I’m so happy,” said Kiptum. “Hong Kong is one of my favourite places, full of good people. The race had so many [people watching] and this is how races, competitions, should be.

“I had so much fun and I hope I will be invited next year to defend my record.”

What makes Kiptum’s record of two hours, nine minutes, 21 seconds even more impressive is that he was able to achieve it despite rain, wind and humidity.

“I actually thought the weather was better than last year, when it was very hot,” he said. “If you want to be a champion runner, you have to be ready for any kind of weather.”

Kiptum beat the previous record of 2:10:31 set in 2017 by Ethiopian Melaku Belachew and he claimed a US$10,000 bonus for beating a 2:09:30 target set by organisers.

He takes home US$65,000 in prize money for his efforts, the most he has ever won in his career. But he insisted that he was more pleased with the result.

“I always just want to be number one, and to finish ahead of all these good runners, I am just so happy,” said Kiptum, who was surprised at how dominant his performance was.

In fact, he was so far ahead of his competitors that second-placed Wolde did not realise he had only finished second.

“I did not even know the Kenyan guy had won already,” said the 27-year-old Wolde, who hails from Ethiopia. “I only realised when they gave me a medal that said second place and I said ‘what is this?’ I thought I had won.”

Wolde finished with a time of 02:11:11, just one second ahead of countryman Tsegaye Getachew Tadese and three seconds ahead of Kenyan Joel Kemboi Kimurer.

“I thought the fight was between us three, and I thought I won the fight,” Wolde said.

Thetrio take home US$30,000, US$15,000, and US$10,000 respectively – all decided by a few seconds’ difference.

“I am still happy with the result, and it’s not about the money, it’s the challenge,” said Wolde. “Last time I was here, I finished closer to 20th because I got injured. So I told myself, next time I come here I’m going to give a better performance. My dream is to win this race.”

Volha Mazuronak of Belarus blew away the field at the Hong Kong Marathon winning by nearly four minutes

Volha Mazuronak of Belarus finished nearly four minutes ahead of her closest rival clicking 2:26:13 at the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon. Mazuronak also smashed the women’s record of 2:29:37 set by Ethiopia’s Gulume Tollesa last year also claimed the US$10,000 bonus for finishing under 2:28:00.

“I feel really tired. It was a very different course from what I’m used to,” said Mazuronak. “It was very challenging because of the humid air and strong wind, but I am very happy because today I was victorious.

“I really like Hong Kong,” she added. “The food is very good.”

Mazuronak, 29, has a long-distance pedigree, with a best of 2:23.54, a victory in the European women’s marathon in Berlin last year in 2:26.22, and a fourth place in the 2016 London Marathon among her achievements.

Kenya’s Eunice Chebichi Chumba finished second in 2:30:01, and Ethiopia’s Jemila Wortesa came third in 02:32:06.

Laura Muir breaks the British indoor mile record that has stood for 31 years

Scot Laura Muir smashed Kirsty Wade's 31-year-old British record to win the women's indoor mile in Birmingham.

The 25-year-old finished in four minutes 18.75 seconds, breaking Wade's mark of 4:23.86.

Muir told BBC Sport: "I knew I was in great shape. It was about winning the race, but also about running fast.

"I'm so chuffed to get the record on home soil. I knew the spilt halfway and knew I was there and thereabouts. The crowd were fantastic."

Her time was the third fastest indoors in history, behind Ethiopian great Genzebe Dibaba (4:13.31) and Romania Doina Melinte (4:17.14).

Muir will be hoping to defend her 1500m and 3,000m European indoor titles in Glasgow in March.

Samuel Tefera breaks long standing world indoor 1500m Record in Birmingham, Yomif was second

Samuel Tefera from Ethiopia upstaged compatriot Yomif Kejelcha to break the indoor 1500m record at the IAAF World Indoor Tour meeting in Birmingham England on Saturday Feb 16.  The record has stood for over twenty years.  

Kejelcha, who last week came within 0.01 of the world indoor mile record, had announced his intentions to break the 1500m mark ahead of his race in Birmingham. The pacemakers hit their required target times, taking Kejelcha through 800m in 1:52.70 and 2:49.28 at 1200m.

But Tefera, the world indoor champion at the distance, was tucked right behind Kejelcha and looked ominously comfortable with the pace. The clock ticked through 3:03 as the bell sounded for the final lap and Tefera made his move, kicking past Kejelcha to take the lead.

Tefera charged towards the line and stopped the clock at 3:31.04, taking 0.14 off the previous record set by Hicham El Guerrouj in 1997.

Kejelcha finished second in a personal best of 3:31.58.

Top photo by Mark Shearman 

A strong field is expected at the 35th Zurich Maratón de Sevilla on Sunday

The Zurich Maratón de Sevilla is one of the flattest courses worldwide and the new circuit is just as flat and fast.

The large Ethiopian contingent includes Belay Afesa, holder of a 2:07:10 lifetime best set in Hamburg five years ago, sub-2:10 runners Seboka Nigusse (2:09:14) and Ayana Tsedat (2:09:26) and sub-11 men Melaku Bechalew (2:10:31) and Regasa Mindaye (2:10:51).

Meanwhile, the Kenyan challenge will be led by Samuel Kiplimo Kosgei, whose 2:06:53 career best dates back to 2016. More recently, he ran 2:09:07 last October in Gyeongju. Another contender is Jonah Chesum, winner of the 2017 Barcelona marathon with a lifetime best of 2:08:57. He last raced in October's Lisbon Marathon clocking 2:10:08.

Eritrea’s Yohanes Gebregergish boasts a 2:08:14 career best from the 2017 Tokyo Marathon. He clocked 2:11:27 in Valencia in December, his last outing. His countryman Okubay Tsegay will be the designated pacemaker chargeed with leading the main group to the 30 kilometre checkpoint. The scheduled split for the half is 1:03:30, well inside the pace required to challenge the 2:07:43 course record set by Kenyan Titus Ekiru two years ago. 

Likewise, the women's race is wide open.

Ethiopia’s Hiwot Gebrekidan, who arrives on the heels of a 1:07:36 half marathon personal best set in Copenhagen in September, is among the athletes to beat. The 23-year-old will be aiming to improve on her personal best of 2:25:45 set in 2017. Guteni Shone is the quickest woman in Sunday’s line-up thanks to a 2:23:32 outing in Houston in 2015, though she was far from that in her last appearance, a 2:31:41 effort in Lisbon last October.

Other Ethiopians include Aynalem Kassahun (PB 2:28:18) and Meskerem Abera (2:28:35). Kenya will be represented by Susan Jeptoo who set her 2:30:50 best in Prague last year.

European hopes rest on two debutants: Sweden’s 2014 European 3000m steeplechase silver medallist Charlotta Fougberg, who has a 1:11:58 half marathon best to her credit, and 24-year-old Dutchwoman Jip Vastenburg, who clocked 1:11:04 for the half marathon in Valencia in 2017. 

The 2:25:35 course record was set last year by Moroccan Kaoutar Boulaidran, who has struggled with injury since. Still on the mend, she won’t be back to defend her title.

Mercy Cherono is back after a long maternity leave break

Mercy Cherono is a Kenyan long-distance runner. She was the silver medalist in the 5000 meters at the 2013 World Championships.

She is a two-time world junior champion in the 3000 metres (2008, 2010) and has also won gold medals at the 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics and 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games.

The great Champion is back after a long maternity leave break. The 5000M commonwealth games gold medalist Mercy Cherono (in yellow) in action during her home Bomet County Ahletics Kenya Cross Country competition.

Cherono hopes to join the elite club of greats runners who posted impressive shows on their return from maternity break.

These include London Marathon winner Vivian Cheruiyot, women-only world marathon record holder Mary Keitany, two-time Berlin Marathon winner Florence Kiplagat and Ethiopia’s Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba.

“It was only a short break but I am back,” says Cherono.  “I know people have been asking where I disappeared. I was on maternity break and I’m happy to be back.” 

She got married in 2016 and gave birth to a baby girl in 2018. Mercy has a PR of 8:38:51 in 3000m which she set in 2012.

Her beauty and style appeals to many in the global athletics scenes. The great champion who started running while in primary school and mentored by her father John Koech who also runs a training camp in Kipajit village, has a most promising career. Mercy is coached by Gabriel Kiptanui. She is the oldest in her family of six.

Laura Muir is set for the Muller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham as well as more than 50 global medallists on Saturday

Britain’s Laura Muir will compete in the women’s mile with an eye on Kirsty Wade’s 31-year-old British record of 4:23.86. Following her victory at the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships over 3000m and her Scottish indoor record over 800m in Torun, Muir’s race will be one of the highlights of the meet.

Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha’s next race on the track will be greatly anticipated as he will run the 1500m with Hicham El Guerrouj’s 22-year world indoor 1500m record of 3:31.18 under threat.

Among the Olympic champions in action are Rio 2016 double gold medallist Elaine Thompson and Katerina Stefanidi who will feature in highly competitive women’s 60m and women’s pole vault fields respectively.

Furthermore, five 2018 world indoor champions return to the venue including Ethiopia’s Samuel Tefera over 1500m, in addition to Kejelcha and Stefanidi, and men’s and women’s long jump champions Juan Miguel Echevarria of Cuba and Serbia’s Ivana Spanovic.

World number two in 2019 following his 6.53 clocking in Berlin two weeks ago, Reece Prescod goes in the men’s 60m, taking on world indoor silver medallist Su Bingtian of China. Newly-crowned British champion Dominic Ashwell and second-place Adam Thomas will have a last chance to chase European Indoor championship qualifying times.

Yomif Kejelcha going after 1500m World Record at the Muller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham

The two-time world indoor 3000m champion won the mile at the recent Millrose Games in 3:48.46, just 0.01 outside Hicham El Guerrouj’s world indoor record set in 1997, six months before Kejelcha was born.

The Ethiopian will be targeting another one of El Guerrouj’s marks in Birmingham: the world indoor 1500m record of 3:31.18. El Guerrouj recorded that time just 10 days before his world indoor mile record, so given that Kejelcha is in near identical form as the Moroccan during his record-breaking run in 1997, the 21-year-old stands a good chance of taking down the mark in the shorter distance.

There will be tough opposition, too, including the three other men who have won 1500m races in this year’s World Indoor Tour: Torun winner and world indoor champion Samuel Tefera, Madrid winner Bethwel Birgen, and Karlsruhe winner Vincent Kibet.

One week after coming within a whisker of the world indoor mile record, Yomif Kejelcha will be one of the biggest focal points of the Muller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham when he lines up for the 1500m at the penultimate IAAF World Indoor Tour meeting of 2019 on Saturday

Eric Kiptanui of Kenya and Ethiopia’s Roza Dereje take the crown in Barcelona Half-Marathon

Eric Kiptanui and Roza Dereje raced to victories at the Dreams Mitja Marato Barcelona,  road race, on Sunday.

While the 21-year-old Dereje was an overwhelming winner ahead of her fellow Ethiopian Dibabe Kuma in the women’s race, Kiptanui took the top spot over Ethiopia’s Abebe Degefa after a thrilling sprint in the men’s.

The women’s race had been billed as a serious attack on the world record by the rising star Dereje. She came up short, but still clocked 1:06:01 to clip a full minute from her previous lifetime best. The Ethiopian came within 16 seconds off the national record set by Senbere Teferi in Ras Al Khaimah.

Paced throughout by her fellow Ethiopian Fekele Darsema, Dereje’s early rhythm proved too slow for the record assault, with the opening five kilometres covered in 15:37, some 15 seconds behind world record pace. By then only Kuma and Kenyan Lucy Cheruiyot remained with Dereje, with Kenya’s Sally Chepyego another 12 seconds back and her compatriot Celestine Chepchirchir a distant fifth, 48 seconds behind the leaders.

The following five kilometres section was covered slightly faster, with the leaders reaching the 10-kilometre point in 31:10 with Dereje at the front and Kuma, last year’s runner-up, tucked in behind. Chepyego travelled 24 seconds adrift.

Dereje found the required world-record pace (3:04/3:05/km) over the following kilometres to pass 15 kilometres in 46:51. Kuma couldn’t respond to that turn of speed, dropping some 30 metres behind with Chepyego now 1:16 behind Dereje.

Another 15:52 five kilometres split led the leader through 20 kilometres in 1:02:43, keeping prospects alive for a sub-1:06 performance. Dereje stepped up the pace in the waning stages but nonetheless just missed the barrier, clocking 1:06:01.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen broke the world U20 indoor 1500m record, clocking 3:36.21 at the Nordenkampen Indoor Match in Baerum, Norway

Jakob Ingebrigtsen closed his 2018 season by creating history with an unprecedented third successive U20 title at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Tilburg and he opened his 2019 account with yet another record-breaking performance.

Fresh from a month-long training stint at altitude in Dullstroom in South Africa, Ingebrigtsen won maximum points for Norway at the Nordenkampen on home soil in Baerum on Sunday (Feb 10), comfortably winning the 1500m in 3:36.21 against Sweden, Finland and a combined team from Denmark and Iceland.

Not only was his time a European lead with the Glasgow 2019 European Indoor Athletics Championships three weeks away, Ingebrigtsen also smashed his European indoor U20 record of 3:40.96 and older brother Henrik’s four year old national indoor record of 3:39.70.

Jakob’s time was also the second fastest ever by a junior indoors after world indoor champion Samuel Tefera from Ethiopia clocked 3:36.05 last year. This time could be a target for Jakob when he lines up at the PSD Bank Meeting in Dusseldorf on February 20.

Filip Ingebrigtsen was also in action yesterday and the recently crowned European cross country champion won the men’s 3000m in 7:49.73. All three Ingebrigtsens are targeting the European Indoor Championships but their racing schedules still haven’t been finalised.

There was another national record in the women’s 3000m as Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal broke one of the longest standing marks on the books. Grovdal clocked a solo 8:44.68 to better Ingrid Kristiansen’s previous mark of 8:50.26 which had stood since 1985 - the year in which Kristiansen also set a world marathon record of 2:21:06.

Switzerland’s Julien Wanders made history this morning by setting a European record of 59:13 at the 2019 RAK Half Marathon

After Switzerland’s Julien Wanders made history this morning by setting a European record of 59:13 at the 2019 RAK Half Marathon, becoming the fastest non-African-born runner ever in the process. 

Swiss 22-year-old runs 59:13 to break Mo Farah’s mark as Stephen Kiprop and Senbere Teferi storm to success

Julien Wanders smashed Mo Farah’s European record, while Stephen Kiprop and Senbere Teferi secured thrilling sprint finish victories at another fast and exciting edition of the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on Friday.

In an historic event which saw a total of 11 athletes break 60:00 – the most ever in a single race – Wanders clocked 59:13 to improve the 59:32 continental mark set by Britain’s 10-time global track champion Farah in Lisbon in 2015.

Such was the standard, that time only saw the Swiss 22-year-old finish fourth as Kenya’s 19-year-old Kiprop stormed to success, running a PB of 58:42 to deny Ethiopia’s Abadi Hadis in the closing stages.

The Rak Half Marathon was amazingly fast as 11 men clocked times under an hour

Kenya's 19-year-old Stephen Kiprop won the Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) half marathon on Friday in a course record-equalling 58 minutes and 42 seconds, the fastest time ever recorded by a teenager.

Ethiopians Abadi Hadis and Fikadu Haftu completed the podium and Switzerland's Julien Wanders was fourth in a time of 59:13, a Swiss national record.  This also beats Mo Farah’s European record of 59:32. 

Hadis led Kiprop until the final 50 meters of the race before the young Kenyan powered past him to finish two seconds ahead.  

The race lived up to its billing of being the world's fastest half marathon as 11 men finished inside an hour, the first time it has happened in half-marathon history.  Five women finished under 1:06:30 which makes RAK the fastest women’s race ever too.

Kenya’s Stephen Kiprop continued where he left off last year by winning the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on Friday Feb 8 in an equal course record of 58:42, moving to joint sixth on the world all-time list. In a close women’s race, Senbere Teferi won in 1:05:45, the fastest debut half marathon time in history, with just one second separating the top three finishers.

The men’s field got off to a steady start with a large lead group passing through five kilometres in 14:13 and 10 kilometres in 28:10. 15 men were still in the front pack at that stage, all operating well within the required schedule for a sub-60-minute finish.

The pace continued to increase, though, and by 15 kilometres – reached in 41:48 – Kiprop and Ethiopia’s Abadi Hadis had broken away from the rest of the pack. Ethiopia’s Fikadu Haftu, Switzerland’s Julien Wanders and Kenya’s Morris Gachanga formed a chase trio about eight seconds adrift of the leaders.

Hadis and Kiprop gradually increased their lead in the closing stages. After passing 20 kilometres in 55:46, it became clear they could challenge Bedan Karoki’s course record of 58:42 set last year. Haftu and Wanders, meanwhile, had dropped Gachanga by this point and were 17 seconds behind the lead duo with a larger chasing pack not too far behind.

Kiprop, still just 19 years of age, proved to have the stronger finish and outkicked Hadis to win in 58:42, the fastest time in history by a teenager. It was another big step forward for Kiprop, who first broke through last year when winning the Venloop Half Marathon in 59:44 on his debut at the distance. He went on to win the Usti Nad Labem Half Marathon in 59:41 and reduced his PB to 59:21 when finishing fifth in Valencia.

In the women's race, Ethiopia's Senbere Teferi won in 1:05:45, ahead of compatriots Netsanet Gudeta and Zeineba Yimer, with only one second separating all three runners.

Teferi also set a record for the fastest debut time in a half marathon.

There were 2423 men finishers and 755 women.  

Mary Keitany, Vivian Cheruiyot And Tirunesh Dibaba will battle at the London Marathon

The defending champion Vivian Cheruiyot and the current TCS New York City Marathon champion Mary Keitany return to the Virgin Money London Marathon in 2019.

They join their compatriots Gladys Cherono (2018 BMW Berlin Marathon champion) and Brigid Kosgei (2018 Bank of America Chicago Marathon champion) meaning the winners of the last four Abbott World Marathon Majors will be on the Start Line in London on Sunday 28 April.

Cheruiyot, who is also the reigning Olympic 5000m champion and the runner-up behind Keitany at last November’s TCS New York City Marathon, said: “It was a great moment for me winning last year’s Virgin Money London Marathon and I am very much looking forward to returning in April.

“The line-up for this year’s race is, once again, incredibly strong so I know I will need to be at my very best to repeat last year’s victory but it is a challenge that I’m really looking forward to. I will be ready.”

Also confirmed to run are the Ethiopian trio of Tirunesh Dibaba,  the three-time Olympic champion on the track and third fastest woman of all time, who finished second in London and won Chicago in 2017, Tadelech Bekele, who finished third in London last year, and 21-year-old Roza Dereje, second in Chicago and winner of the Dubai Marathon in 2018.

Cherono, Kosgei and Keitany top the current Abbott World Marathon Majors Series XII rankings with 25 points apiece from their wins in Berlin, Chicago and New York. Dereje and Cheruiyot are on 16 points apiece following their second places in Chicago and New York respectively. The Series XII title could be decided in London.

The Abbott World Marathon Majors series adds up points for the best finishes in the world’s six best marathons. Series XII started at the 2018 BMW Berlin Marathon and will finish at the same race in 2019, taking in the 2018 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, 2018 TCS New York City Marathon, 2019 Tokyo Marathon, 2019 Boston Marathon and the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon.

Hugh Brasher, Event Director, said: “This is a truly amazing women’s field which features the five best women marathon runners in the world last year. The stage is set for a fascinating race on Sunday 28 April.

Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha will attempt to break the mile world record at Millrose Games

Yomif Kejelcha, the 21-year-old Ethiopian middle distance runner, is attempting the world record in the Wanamaker mile on Saturday, February 9 at the Millrose Games at the Armoury Track in New York City. 

The Nike Oregon Project athlete announced on Friday that he believes he’s capable of a 3:48 mile, and that the field of men he’s racing against can help him get there. The record is currently 3:48.45 and held by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco. Last year Edward Cheserek, who is also in Saturday’s field, ran the second fastest indoor mile mark in history, hitting 3:49.44 at the Valentine Invitational in Boston. 

Clayton Murphy, who just set the world record for the 800m on an indoor flat track will also be running Saturday. Murphy, who also trains with the Nike Oregon Project, ran a 1:45.92 on Saturday at JDL Fast Track in North Carolina. American Ajee Wilson also set an indoor flat-track world record yesterday, running a 1:59.26 800m at the same meet. 

My Best Runs will be there to cover the action.