Running News Daily

Belete and Belet triumph at Amsterdam Marathon

Ethiopia’s Meseret Belete and Kenya’s Joshua Belet were victorious at the TCS Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday (15), winning the World Athletics Platinum Label road race in 2:18:21 and 2:04:18 respectively. Both champions produced the third-fastest winning times ever recorded in the Dutch capital.

Belete smashed her PB by more than two minutes and notched up her second victory of the year, having won in Doha back in January in 2:20:46, her previous lifetime best.

Belet, meanwhile, bounced back from his World Championships withdrawal to record a PB, improving on the 2:04:33 he clocked when finishing second in Hamburg in April.

Belete maintained a remarkably consistent pace throughout, and for most of the way she ran alongside compatriots Meseret Abebayehu and Ashete Bekere, as well as Kenya’s Dorcas Tuitoek.

A large lead pack passed through 5km in 16:27 and 10km in 32:45. About nine runners were still in contention as they passed through the half-way point in 1:09:05. It indicated they were set for a finishing time in the region of 2:18, though Almaz Ayana’s course record of 2:17:20 was perhaps by now slightly out of reach.

By 30km, reached in 1:38:08, there were just four women left in the lead pack – Belete, Abebayehu, Tuitoek and Bekere. They ran together for a further 10 minutes or so, then Belete started to forge a lead.

She didn’t have to increase her pace; she simply maintained it while her last few opponents drifted off it. Belete eventually entered the stadium with a comfortable lead and crossed the line in 2:18:21, winning by 89 seconds.

Abebayehu, winner in Riyadh and Xiamen earlier this year, held on for second place in 2:19:50, smashing her PB by more than four minutes. Tuitoek placed third in 2:20:02.

In the men’s race, a large lead pack covered the opening 5km in 14:54, then sped up to reach 10km in 29:28 and 15km in 44:03. The pack still contained about 12 men as they passed through 20km (58:48) and the half-way point (1:02:01), which was 10 seconds quicker than Tamirat Tola achieved when he set the course record of 2:03:39 in 2021.

The lead pack started to whittle down gradually in the second half. After going through 30km in 1:28:28, Belet made his move and opened up a gap on the rest of the field, one he wouldn’t relinquish.here were several changes of position among the athletes in the chase pack in the final kilometres, but Belet held on to his lead and went on to win in 2:04:18. Fellow Kenyan Cybrian Kotut came through to take second place in 2:04:34, finishing just three seconds ahead of Bethwel Chumba, who completed the all-Kenyan podium. Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese was a close fourth in 2:04:44.

Peres Jepchirchir shares why it will take time to break the women's world record again

Peres Jepchirchir has shared her insights on why it will take longer for the women's marathon world record to be broken.

The streets of Berlin witnessed a historic moment on September 27 when Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women-only world record.

Assefa clocked 2:11:53 to completely obliterate Brigid Kosgei’s world record time of 2:14:04. Having clocked that time, the Ethiopian became the first woman in history to have run under 2:12:00.

Kosgei had set the world record in 2019 and in less than five years, it has already been shattered. However, Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir has admitted that lowering Assefa’s world record time will definitely take more time.

“For now, it’s difficult, 2:11:00 is a very difficult barrier to break. Maybe it will take some years to break that barrier.

It took time to break Kosgei’s record and it was 2:14…but for this world record, it will take more time. I know we are strong ladies and we will break it one day.

If it will not be me, then my colleagues will definitely break it and make history,” Jepchirchir explained.

The 2022 Boston Marathon champion will be heading to the streets of New York for the New York City Marathon on November 2.

She noted that she does not intend to go for a world record on the course since it is not suitable for a world record. However, she is bullish about reclaiming her title that she won during the 2021 New York City Marathon.

She missed out on last year’s edition of the event due to an injury setback but she has since announced her comeback. She opened her season at the London Marathon where she finished third.

She then bagged a win at the Great North Run before defending her World Half Marathon title at the World Road Running Championships.

TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon: elite women’s and men’s preview

For the first time in the 34-year history of the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, the race has reached over 25,000 runners. Toronto has established itself as Canada’s premier marathon and has set a precedent in the global running community, with participants coming from 78 countries around the world for the marathon on Sunday, Oct. 15.

The elite field at the 2023 edition of the marathon looks significantly different from last year, and two new champions will be crowned on the men’s and women’s sides, as Ethiopia’s Yihunilign Adane and Kenya’s Antonina Kwamboi will not be returning. The 2023 elite field features up-and-coming stars, along with several American women aiming to achieve the Olympic standard of 2:26:50 ahead of the upcoming U.S. Olympic Trials in February.

The race will also determine two new Canadian marathon champions, with compelling storylines on both the men’s and women’s sides.

Women’s race

Will we see an American winner?

It has been 22 years since an American woman last won the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon (Leslie Gold in 2001) but in this year’s field, two American elites could possibly end the drought. One of them, Emily Durgin, a road racing specialist based out of Flagstaff, Ariz. came to Toronto looking for redemption after a less-than-ideal marathon debut in NYC last year.

Durgin said during Friday’s elite press conference that she felt the pressure to hit times and perform during her debut and ended up dropping out of the race before 30 km. “I learned a lot from New York and my build for Toronto has been different,” said Durgin. “As for a goal time, I want to run in the low 2:20s and be competitive.” The 29-year-old marathoner hopes to use Toronto as a stepping stone for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February 2024 in Orlando. Durgin was able to qualify for the trials from her time at the 2022 Houston Half Marathon where she finished 6th overall, clocking the seventh-fastest half-marathon in U.S. history with 67:54. “I came to Toronto to be competitive and contend for the the podium, as that’s what it will take to qualify at trials come February,” she said.

Another U.S. name in the women’s elite field to watch is Molly Grabill, who is running her sixth career marathon in Toronto on Sunday. Grabill told the media that she has similar plans to her compatriot Durgin and hopes to bounce back after, in her words, falling short of her goals in her last marathon in Hamburg earlier this year. Although Grabill ran the second-fastest marathon time of her career in Hamburg, she said she was disappointed as she took a swing and missed, struggling in the second half. “The goal in Toronto is to control the second half of the race better and gain strong momentum heading into the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials,” said Grabill. The 31-year-old from Boulder, Colo., is coming off a top-15 finish in 69:53 at the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia, earlier this month, which she says has given her a lot of confidence for Sunday.

Eyes on the course record?

Outside of the American duo, two other international athletes to watch are the Ethiopian duo of Afera Godfay and 2023 Ottawa Marathon champion Waganesh Mekasha. For Godfay, Toronto is her first marathon in three years after giving birth to her daughter. Her last marathon came in 2020 when she ran 2:26:43 to place third overall at the Xiamen Marathon in China. In her first two races back since becoming a mother, Godfay has run respectable half marathon times of 70 and 71 minutes but has not yet returned to her previous form. She said at Friday’s press conference that she hopes to come through the half mark in 1:11 and feels well-prepared for her marathon return. A glimpse of hope for Godfay is that she currently trains alongside the new women’s world record holder Tigist Assefa in Ethiopia. So, who knows what she is capable of?

The favourite in the women’s race is Mekasha, who is coming off a win in the scorching heat at the 2023 Ottawa Marathon in May. Mekasha is targeting the Canadian all-comers’ women’s marathon record on Sunday of 2:22:16, set four years ago by Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai at this race. Mekasha holds a personal best of 2:22:45 from the 2019 Dubai Marathon and said that she expects around a similar time on Sunday. “If the pacemaker runs a good pace, I hope to break the course record,” says Mekasha.

The Canadian contingent

Two of the top three Canadians from last year’s race have returned to the 2023 field, with Malindi Elmore, the reigning Canadian marathon champion, opting to run Berlin, where she clocked the second-fastest time in Canadian history (2:23:30). Returning are second and third place Canadian finishers Dayna Pidhoresky and Toronto’s own Sasha Gollish. Pidhoresky had an iconic moment here in 2019, when she raced just under the Olympic standard at the Canadian trials, winning in 2:29:03–qualifying her for the marathon at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Although the Olympic marathon didn’t go as planned for Pidhoresky, she was able to bounce back at this event last year to place seventh overall (second Canadian) in 2:30:58. 

“Growing up in Windsor, Ont., I came to Toronto for so many races,” said Pidhoresky on tackling on her fourth Toronto Waterfront Marathon. “I feel I know the course very well, which is helpful in a marathon, and it’s great to have a high-quality field that’s close to home.” Pidhoresky told the media that this build has not been smooth but she is still confident she can run a personal best Sunday. “This course is advantageous, and I need to be smart and just run my race,” she said.

It is a similar story for Gollish, who is running in her second consecutive TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, less than eight weeks after her last marathon at the 2023 World Championships in August. Gollish told Canadian Running at the press conference that she wants to go into this race with a similar mindset that she had in Budapest. “It feels like a privilege to be here, and I am not putting any pressure of a personal best on myself,” says Gollish. “For the longest time, I avoided this race because I felt there would be pressure to perform, but why not run something in your backyard fuelled by a community that has done so much for me?” Last year, Gollish surprised herself with a personal best time of 2:31:40 after a short marathon build. Could she do the same on Sunday?

A few other Canadian marathoners to watch are Emily Setlack, Toronto’s Liza Howard and Kim Krezonoski of Thunder Bay, Ont. It has been four years since Setlack has last touched the marathon, but with a personal best of 2:29:48 from the 2019 edition of this race, her potential to finish as the top Canadian should not be ignored. Setlack has had a quiet 2023 season but has strung together solid performances, winning Toronto’s historic Sporting Life 10K and placing eighth overall at the Canadian 10K Championships in May.

Howard has a personal best of 2:35:29 (Chicago 2022) and was the top Canadian finisher at the 2023 Boston Marathon (37th overall) in cold, wet and windy conditions. Krezonoski moved to Toronto within the last year and has been studying the course thoroughly in the hope of crushing her marathon personal best come Sunday. She ran her personal best of 2:37 at the California International Marathon last year but has dropped her half-marathon PB by nearly four minutes since. The spots on the domestic podium are up for grabs, and each of these three women could break through. 

Men’s race

The rise of Elvis 

The absence of Adane opens the door for several East African men hoping to establish their marathon careers in Toronto. One of these men is Kenya’s Elvis Kipchoge, who may already lay claim to the title of the best running name. This Kipchoge is a little less well-known than the former world record holder but boasts a faster half marathon personal best of 59:15, which earned him third place at the 2022 Barcelona Half Marathon. However, this Kipchoge has not had much luck in the marathon. At the young age of 27, he ran 2:10:21 at the Vienna Marathon earlier this year. He hopes to turn things around on a fast and flat Toronto course. Kipchoge has ties to the race, training alongside women’s course record holder Magdalyne Masai in Iten, Kenya. 

While there is no relation between Elvis and Eliud Kipchoge, besides sharing the same last name and initials, Ethiopian athlete Adugna Bikila hopes to follow in the footsteps of his uncle, Worku Bikila. Worku was a world-class 5,000m runner who finished sixth in the 1992 Olympic 5,000m final in Barcelona and took fourth place at the World Championships the following year. Bikila enters Toronto with the fastest time in the field, holding a personal best of 2:05:52 from the 2022 Seville Marathon, where he finished fourth.

All the East African men will be aiming to break the Canadian all-comers record and course record of 2:05:00, held by Kenya’s Philemon Rono, set in 2019. The weather forecast for Sunday indicates cool and favourable conditions for both the men’s and women’s fields, which should make both course records vulnerable.

Who’s next for Canada?

A new men’s Canadian champion will be crowned Sunday, and for the first time since 2016, their last name will not be Levins or Hofbauer. The 2023 men’s field is full of up-and-coming Canadian talent on the precipice of breaking into the elite scene. Mississauga’s Sergio Raez Villanueva returns to Toronto after a stunning 2:18:04 debut last year, which earned him top-five Canadian honours. Challenging Raez Villanueva is Ottawa’s Blair Morgan, who was the second Canadian at the hot and humid Ottawa Marathon in May, running 2:19:50. Morgan ran his personal best of 2:18:29 at the 2018 Toronto Waterfront Marathon but is looking for a sub-2:18 result this time around.  

Challenging Raez Villanueva and Morgan are debutants Thomas Broatch of Vancouver and 4:01 miler Kyle Grieve. Broatch is coming off a win at the Vancouver Eastside 10K where he beat three-time Toronto champion Trevor Hofbauer. “Winning the Eastside 10K was a huge confidence booster for me,” says Broatch. “Whenever you take the start line the objective is to win and run fast.” The 24-year-old software engineer told Canadian Running that he has ambitious goals to run under 2:15 on Sunday and that his marathon build has gone near perfect.

For Grieve, who grew up and still resides in Toronto, this marathon has always been on his bucket list. “I’ve been wanting to try a marathon for a few years and have just kept putting it off,” says Grieve, who got married in the summer. “Canada Running Series is a big reason I am still competing today, so it was never a question of where I wanted to run my first marathon.” His goal is to be competitive against a strong Canadian field and let the time come along with it.

How to watch?

Marathon fans from around the world will have the opportunity to watch the 2023 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon live on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, beginning at 8:00 a.m. ET with a pre-race introduction followed by the introduction of the elite field. The gun for the men’s and women’s elite field fires at 8:45 a.m. ET. All race action can be followed on torontowaterfrontmarathon.com or CBCsports.ca /CBC Gem or AthleticsCanada.tv.

Faith Kipyegon looks to add marathon record to her collection in future

Double World and Olympic champion, Faith Kipyegon has expressed her desire to smash the World Marathon record in the coming years.

The 29-year-old mother of one reaffirmed her ambition to enter the fierce road racing competition when she is finished with the track.

Speaking on Citizen TV, Kipyegon revealed that her masterclass act in Monaco on July 22, where she smashed the world record in the one-mile race was her initial step towards venturing into the roads.

"The mile was my first road race as I look to take up a career in the marathon. Expect to see me in the next Berlin Marathon race. I will run the marathon one day," Kipyegon said.

"I intend to run every major marathon in the Abbott series including the BerIin, London, and Amsterdam," she added.

Kipyegon lavished praise on marathon icon Eliud Kipchoge for inspiring her to take a stab at the blistering 42km race.

"I train in Kaptagat with Eliud Kipchoge and Geoffrey Kamwaror in a global training camp and they have done quite a lot to inspire me to take an interest in the 42km race," Kipyegon stated.

"On Mondays, we do easy runs, and on Tuesdays, we are on track. We allow the men to start ahead of us and we try as much as we can to catch up. We cannot compete with them because their training is more intense. So we only work alongside them in easy runs.

"If you love something and have a passion for it,  then going for training doesn't become a burden," she quipped.

Kipyegon added that she hopes to reclaim the women's 5000m world record at the 2024 Paris Olympics after surrendering it to Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay in Eugene, Oregon on September 17.

"Winning three gold medals back-to-back in the Olympics will be incredible. It will motivate the coming generations and motivate me as well. I will have left a legacy.

"I have already won four Diamond Leagues and I intend to go all out for my fifth title next year.

Kipyegon spoke even as news streamed in that she had been nominated for the World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year award.

She will vie for the accolade alongside 11 other nominees unveiled by the world governing body on Wednesday. The winner will be announced on December 13.

The Kenyan track sensation made the list of nominees following a splendid season, where she smashed three world records at the Diamond League before running away with the 1500m and 5000m world titles at the World Athletics championships in Budapest, Hungary. 

Bekere and Legese lead NN Running Team challenge in Amsterdam

A strong contingent of NN Running Team athletes hit the road for a crack at the 2023 TCS Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday (October 15). We take a look at our main contenders in the Dutch capital. 

Women

The vastly experienced Ashete Bekere will look to add another significant marathon title to her hugely impressive CV as the 2:17:58 performer bids for success in Amsterdam. The 35-year-old Ethiopian boasts an impressive 12-year marathon career and is a former winner in Valencia, Rotterdam, and Berlin over the 42.2km distance. Setting her lifetime best in Tokyo last year she returned to the Japanese capital earlier this year and clocked a slick 2:19:11 for third to show she will be a genuine podium threat in Amsterdam. 

Further bolstering the NN Running Team challenge is Meseret Gola, who set her marathon PB of 2:20:50 when second at the 2022 Seville Marathon. In her most recent marathon outing, the 25-year-old Ethiopian placed a handy second in 2:22:12 in Osaka. 

Men

Birhanu Legese, the fourth fastest man in history over the marathon distance, will spearhead the NN Running Team contenders in a highly competitive men’s race. The 29-year-old Ethiopian is a supremely gifted performer as evidenced by his stunning PB time of 2:02:48 recorded when second to countryman and NN Running Team team-mate Kenenisa Bekele at the 2019 Berlin Marathon. A two-time former winner of the Tokyo Marathon, Legese will be pursuing success in Amsterdam boosted by a half marathon PB of 58:59 recorded in Barcelona earlier this year.

His fellow Ethiopian Bazezew Asmare has shown an aptitude for the streets of Amsterdam – finishing third here in 2022 recording a PB of 2:04:57 and the 27-year-old will once again be pursuing a podium spot. 

Asrar Hiyrden completes a strong trio of Ethiopian challengers – his marathon best of 2:04:43 when winning the 2022 Seville Marathon marking him out as a significant threat in what will be a high-class race.

Also entered are the Dutch duo Richard Douma and Roy Hoornweg fresh off marathon PB performances earlier this year. Douma, a former European Championship 1500m fourth-place finisher, recorded 2:11:21 in Seville with Hoornweg registering 2:13:19 in Rotterdam.

Two NN Running Team athletes will be on pacing duty; Kenyan Noah Kipkemboi, a 2:07:32 marathoner at his best, and Ugandan Abel Sikowo.

Faith Kipyegon nominated for 2023 athlete of the year award

World 1,500m and mile world record holder Faith Kipyegon has been nominated for the female World athlete of the year award by World athletics.

The award is a prize that is awarded to athletes participating in events within the sport of athletics organised by World Athletics (formerly IAAF), including track and field, cross-country running, road running, and race-walking.

World athletics announced on Wednesday that 11 nominees have been picked for the female athlete of the year after selection from an international panel of athletic experts.

"World Athletics is pleased to confirm a list of 11 nominees for Women’s World Athlete of the Year. These athletes were selected by an international panel of athletics experts, comprising representatives from all six continental areas of World Athletics.” 

The athletics body said the nominations reflect performances from Budapest championships and other championships held in the year.

"In what has been another memorable year for the sport, the nominations reflect some of the standout performances achieved at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest 23, one-day meeting circuits, label road races and other events around the world." 

Kipyegon was selected after a memorable performance at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest where she won both the 1,500m and 5,000m races to become the first female in history of the championships to clinch double accolades.

She will face competition from Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa who is the female World Marathon record holder with a time of 2:11.53 set at the Berlin Marathon in September.

Also joining the pair will be world record holder in the 5,000m Tsegay Gudaf of Ethiopia who set the record during the 2023 final Diamond League.

USA’s Sha’carri Richardson is also nominated alongside Kenyan-born Bahraini female athlete Winfred Yavi.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist in the high jump Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas who holds the world record for women's triple jump, Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson who boosts of 5 Olympic medals and 8 World championships medals are also part of the list.

Winner of the 35km walk in Budapest, Maria Perez from Spain and 2023 world champion in the 400m Femke Bol conclude the list.

Voting for the World Athletes of the year will close on October 28 at midnight after which five women and five men finalists will be announced by World Athletics on November 13 and 14.

World athletics also said their vote would account for 50 per cent of the total results whereas the public vote and athletics family vote would each account for 25 per cent of the results.

The winners will be revealed on World Athletics’ social media platforms on December 11.

Sisay Lemma and Zewditu Gelaw triumph in Ankara

Ethiopian duo are too good for the rest as they claim titles in Turkish capital’s first ever international half-marathon, writes Wendy Sly

Sisay Lemma and Zewditu Gelaw won the inaugural Runkara Half-Marathon, a landmark race for organisers in Turkey.

Until Sunday (Oct 8), Ankara had been the only capital city in the world without a road race event – despite a population of over six million.

Appropriately starting within a stone’s throw of the Ataturk Mausoleum – Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded modern Turkey 100 years ago this month – the course looped around the western side of the city centre in glorious conditions.

The first ever international half-marathon in the Turkish capital had 4000 entries, including an eye-catching elite line-up.

Lemma, the 2021 London Marathon champion, was one of the standout names in the men’s race while home favourite Sultan Haydar looked to challenge Zewditu Gelaw and Roselidah Jepketer in the women’s field.

The men’s event saw Victor Mutai and Julius Kipchumba set the early pace as the leaders went through the undulating first 10km in 29:27. By the 12km mark a small group of six had broken away. They went through in 38:05 and at a solid pace, bearing in mind the hills and 860m altitude.

Bethwell Yegon, who finished second behind Guye Adola at the 2021 Berlin Marathon, battled Lemma for a large proportion of the race. Lemma continued to push hard and, around the 50-minute mark, with roughly 3km to go, broke away. The Ethiopian won by 18 seconds in a time of 61:09 ahead of compatriot Chimdessa Debele (61:27), while Kenya’s Vincent Nyageo 61:44 was third.

In the women’s race, Haydar – a former Ethiopian now running for Turkey – went through 10km in 32:01 (67:30 pace) along with Gelaw and Jepketer. Gelaw was the pre-race favourite and made her mark on the race when it mattered the most.

Running a strong last 6km, the Ethiopian finished in 68:28 to take first place, with Haydar (69:09) in second and Kenyan Vivian Kosgei (70:10), making her half-marathon debut, taking third.

The Runkara event is sure to go from strength to strength when finding its place on the international road racing calendar. Race Director Victoria Blyth was instrumental in putting it together, alongside support from RunCzech.

Kenyans Mathew Kiplagat and Beatrice Toroitich won the 40th edition of the Wizz Air Sofia Marathon

Kenya’s Mathew Kiplagat won the 40th edition of the Wizz Air Sofia Marathon held on Sunday (08) in Sofia, Bulgaria

The 35 year-old took the honors in a new personal best time of 2:12.12 and was followed a distant later in second by Ethiopia’s Alem Niguse in 2:14.31 with Chakib Latrache from Morocco wrapping up the podium three finishes 2:15.43.

Kenya’s Hosea Kipkemboi, France’s Alaa Hrioued and Duncan Koech also from Kenya finished in fourth, fifth and sixth place in respective time of 2:21.36, 2:22.06 and 2:22.10.

Kenya’s Beatrice Toroitich won the women’s marathon title at the 40th edition of the Sofia Marathon held on Sunday (08) in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The 41 year-old took the honors in 2:38.26 and was followed by Bulgaria’s Marinela Ninova in second place in 2:41.02 with her compatriot Hellen Kimutai sealing the podium three finishes in a time of 2:49.07.

Gladys Biwott from Kenya and Ethiopia’s Sintayeho Kibebo finished in fourth and fifth in respective time of 2:51.43 and 2:55.58.

Kiptum smashes world marathon record with 2:00:35, Hassan runs 2:13:44 in Chicago

Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum became the first athlete to break 2:01 in a record-eligible marathon, clocking a tremendous 2:00:35* to take 34 seconds off the world record at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday (8).

On a remarkable day of racing, Dutch star Sifan Hassan moved to No.2 on the women’s all-time list, running 2:13:44 to triumph in the World Athletics Platinum Label road race. The only woman to have ever gone faster is Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa, who set a world record of 2:11:53 to win the BMW Berlin Marathon last month.

Less than six months on from his 2:01:25 London Marathon win, which saw him become the second-fastest marathon runner of all time, Kiptum improved by another 50 seconds to surpass the world record mark of 2:01:09 set by his compatriot Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin last year.

In the third marathon of his career, which began with a 2:01:53 debut in Valencia last December, Kiptum even had enough energy to celebrate his historic performance on the way to the finish line – pointing to the crowds and the tape on his approach.

The 23-year-old broke that tape in 2:00:35, winning the race by almost three and a half minutes. Defending champion Benson Kipruto was second in 2:04:02 and Bashir Abdi was third in 2:04:32.

Kiptum pushed the pace throughout the 26.2-mile race. He broke away from a seven-strong lead group after reaching 5km in 14:26, joined only by his compatriot Daniel Mateiko, who was making his marathon debut. They were on world record pace at 10km, passed in 28:42, but the tempo dropped a little from that point and they reached half way in 1:00:48.

Kiptum had been running in a hat but that came off as they entered the second half of the race. After 30km was passed in 1:26:31, Kiptum kicked and dropped Mateiko. He was glancing over his shoulder but running like he still had the world record – not only the win – in his sights.

A blistering 5km split of 13:51 took him to the 35km checkpoint in 1:40:22 and he was on sub-2:01 pace, 49 seconds ahead of Mateiko.

Continuing to run with urgency, he passed 40km in 1:54:23 – after a 27:52 10km split – and sped up further, storming over the finish line with the incredible figures of 2:00:35 on the clock.

"I knew I was coming for a course record, but a world record – I am so happy,” he said. “A world record was not on my mind today, but I knew one day I would be a world record-holder.”

Despite only having made his marathon debut 10 months ago, Kiptum now has three of the six fastest times in history to his name. Only Kipchoge (with 2:01:09 and 2:01:39) and Kenenisa Bekele (with 2:01:41) have ever gone faster than the slowest of Kiptum’s times.

Mateiko had helped to pace Kiptum to his 2:01:25 win in London, running to the 30km mark. The pair stayed together until that point in Chicago, too, but Mateiko couldn’t maintain the pace and dropped out after reaching 35km in 1:41:11.

Kenya’s Kipruto used his experience of the course to leave the chase group behind after 35km and was a comfortable runner-up in 2:04:02, finishing half a minute ahead of Belgium’s world and Olympic bronze medallist Abdi.

Kenya’s John Korir was fourth in 2:05:09, Ethiopia’s Seifu Tura fifth in 2:05:29 and USA’s Conner Mantz sixth in 2:07:47.

In the women’s race, Hassan returned to marathon action just six weeks on from a World Championships track medal double that saw her claim 1500m bronze and 5000m silver in Budapest.

She was up against a field including the defending champion Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya, who was on the hunt for a record third win in Chicago following her 2:14:18 victory last year.

It soon became apparent that it would be those two athletes challenging for the title. After going through 5km in 15:42 as part of a pack that also featured Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei and Ethiopia’s Megertu Alemu and Ababel Yeshaneh, Chepngetich and Hassan broke away with a next 5km split of 15:23 and reached 10km in 31:05 – on pace to break the recently-set world record.

They ran a 10km split of 30:54 between 5km and 15km, that point passed in 46:36, and they maintained that world record pace to 20km, reached in 1:02:14.

Chepngetich had opened up a six-second gap by half way, clocking 1:05:42 to Hassan’s 1:05:48, but Hassan would have surely felt no concern. On her debut in London in April, after all, she closed a 25-second gap on the leaders despite stopping to stretch twice, and went on to win in 2:18:33.

In a race of superb depth, Alemu, Jepkosgei and Yeshaneh were still on 2:14:52 pace at that point as they hit half way together in 1:07:26.

Hassan soon rejoined Chepngetich at the front and they ran side by side through 25km in 1:18:06. Then it was Hassan’s turn to make a move. Unable to maintain the pace, Chepngetich had dropped 10 seconds behind by 30km, reached by Hassan in 1:34:00, and from there the win never looked in doubt. The Dutch athlete was half a minute ahead at 35km (1:50:17) and she had more than doubled that lead by 40km (2:06:36).

Hassan was on track to obliterate her PB and also the course record of 2:14:04 set by Brigid Kosgei in 2019, which had been the world record until Assefa’s 2:11:53 performance last month.

She held on to cross the finish line in 2:13:44, a European record by almost two minutes. With her latest performance, the versatile Hassan is now the second-fastest woman in history for the track mile, 10,000m and marathon.

"The first group took off at a crazy pace, but I wanted to join that group,” said Hassan. “The last five kilometres, I suffered. Wow ­– I won again in my second marathon in a fantastic time. I couldn't be happier.”

Behind her, Chepngetich held on for second place in 2:15:37 as the top four all finished under 2:18 – Alemu placing third in 2:17:09 and Jepkosgei finishing fourth in 2:17:23. Ethiopia’s Tadu Teshome was fifth in 2:20:04, her compatriot Genzebe Dibaba sixth in 2:21.47 and USA’s Emily Sisson seventh in 2:22:09.

Leading results

Women1 Sifan Hassan (NED) 2:13:44 2. Ruth Chepngetich (KEN) 2:15:37 3. Megertu Alemu (ETH) 2:17:09 4. Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) 2:17:235 Tadu Teshome (ETH) 2:20:046 Genzebe Dibaba (ETH) 2:21:477 Emily Sisson (USA) 2:22:098 Molly Seidel (USA) 2:23:079 Rose Harvey (GBR) 2:23:2110 Sara Vaughn (USA) 2:23:24

Men1 Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) 2:00:352 Benson Kipruto (KEN) 2:04:023 Bashir Abdi (BEL) 2:04:324 John Korir (KEN) 2:05:095 Seifu Tura (ETH) 2:05:296 Conner Mantz (USA) 2:07:477 Clayton Young (USA) 2:08:008 Galen Rupp (USA) 2:08:489 Samuel Chelanga (USA) 2:08:5010 Takashi Ichida (JPN) 2:08:57

Sifan Hassan reveals what she is counting on as she bids to stop Kenya’s Ruth Chepng’etich from Chicago Marathon hat-trick

Ethiopian-born Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan has explained what is giving her motivation as she seeks to stop Kenya’s Ruth Chepng’etich from winning three straight Chicago Marathon titles

Two-time Olympic champion Sifan Hassan is drawing inspiration from her London Marathon win as she looks to stop Kenya’s Ruth Chepng’etich from winning three straight Chicago Marathon titles on Sunday.

Hassan is among a strong field of elite women that Chepng’etich will have to contend with in her bid to retain her title with Joyciline Jepkosgei, the 2021 London Marathon and 2019 New York City Marathon champion, Tadu Teshome, the second-fastest woman in the field, who clocked 2:17:36 to win last year’s Valencia Marathon, and experienced Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia the other top rivals.

Hassan made her marathon debut in London in April this year when, despite stopping to stretch twice, she closed a 25-second gap on the leaders to win and set a national record of 2:18:33.

She took a break from her marathon training to race on the track at the World Championships in Budapest, where she contested three distances and came away with silver in the 5000m and bronze in the 1500m.

Now back on the road, the Ethiopian-born Dutchwoman feels her exploits in London puts her in good stead to claim her second marathon victory.

“As most people know, I like to be challenged,” Hassan told World Athletics. “I have the experience from London so I'm looking forward to see what the marathon can teach me this time.”

Chepng’etich won last year’s race in 2:14:18 – which, at the time, was the second-fastest performance in history and just 14 seconds shy of the then world record.

The 2019 world champion returns to Chicago on the hunt for her third consecutive victory in the Windy City.

She won the Nagoya Marathon earlier this year in 2:18:08, and more recently clocked 1:06:18 at the Buenos Aires Half Marathon.

Victory this weekend would make Chepng’etich the first woman to win the Chicago Marathon three times but she will have to overcome Hassan, Jepkosgei, Teshome and Dibaba are among those who will be hoping to spoil her party.

The Road to the Paris Olympics and here is What You Need to Know.

American runners are about to begin training for the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon

It’s early October, which means it’s the peak marathon season for many runners. But with an Olympic year on the horizon, it also means America’s top marathoners are about to hit the road to Paris.

More specifically, the men’s and women’s 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon races—scheduled for February 3 in Orlando, Florida—are just four months away. And that means the top U.S. runners hoping to represent their country at  next summer’s Olympics are about to begin preparing for the all-or-nothing qualifying race that decides which six runners will represent Team USA next summer on the streets of Paris.

Although several top American runners are racing the Chicago Marathon on October 8, even they have their eyes on a much bigger prize next February.

“There’s nothing in my mind that compares with being an Olympian and being in the Olympic Games,” says 26-year-old Utah-based Nike pro Conner Mantz, who returns to Chicago after finishing seventh last year in 2:08:16 in his debut at the distance. “So putting that first has been the plan for a long time. We’re just putting that first and we’re working backwards through the season with other races.” 

Registration will open for the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in early November for runners who have surpassed the qualifying times in the marathon (2:18:00 for men, 2:37:00 for women) or half marathon (1:03:00 for men, 1:12:00 for women). The qualifying window extends through December 3—the race date of the last-chance California International Marathon, which for decades has been one of the most popular Olympic Trials qualifying races.

In 2020, a record 708 runners—465 women and 243 men—qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta just before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. But USA Track & Field lowered the women’s qualifying standard by eight minutes from the more attainable 2:45:00 plateau, which means there will most likely be a much smaller women’s field this year.

But even so, amid the handful of runners who have a legitimate shot at making the Olympic team, there will also be dozens of dreamers, wannabes, and just-happy-to-be-there elite amateurs who have worked hard, put in the miles, and earned the chance to be on the start line of the deepest and most competitive U.S. distance-running races that only happen once every four years.

The men’s and women’s races will run simultaneously with the men beginning at 12:10 P.M. EST. and the women starting 10 minutes later. Runners have complained that a high noon start means they will be forced to race in hot, humid conditions. Over the past decade, the average temperature on February 3 in Orlando has been 69.6 degrees Fahrenheit at noon, rising to 73.3 at 4 PM. But actual temperatures have varied drastically, from 81 degrees Fahrenheit at 2 P.M. last year to 56 at the same time the year before. USATF officials have responded by saying that the start times are to accommodate live coverage on NBC and to match the expected conditions in Paris.

Here’s an update and overview of what’s next, who the top contenders are, the course, and what to expect in the next four months.

The 26.2-mile U.S. Olympic Trials course runs through downtown Orlando and consists of one 2.2-mile loop and three eight-mile loops. The marathon course will run through several neighborhoods, main streets, and business districts in Orlando, including Central Business District, City District, South Eola, Lake Eola Heights Historic District, Lake Cherokee Historic District, Lake Davis Greenwood, Lake Como, North Quarter, Lawsona/Fern Creek, SoDo District, and the Thornton Park neighborhood. It will then head east to and around The Milk District neighborhood and Main Street. (Notably, the course will come close to Disney World, which is about 15 miles to the southwest.)

Unlike the Olympic Marathon course in Paris, which will challenge runners with significant hills in the middle, the Orlando course is mostly flat. Each loop has a few minor variations in pitch, but only 38 feet separate the high and low points on the course. Ultimately, though, it’s a spectator-friendly route with chances for family, friends, and fans of runners to see the action several times. 

The top women—based on personal best times and recent race results—are Emily Sisson, Emma Bates, Keira D’Amato, Betsy Saina, and Lindsay Flanagan. But the U.S. Olympic Trials races almost always produce surprises with a few great runners having off days and a few good runners having exceptional days, so there is reason to expect the unexpected.

Sisson lowered the American record to 2:18:29 last year when she finished second in the Chicago Marathon. She’s running Chicago again on October 8 along with Bates, who has said she’s hoping to break the American record. In January, Sisson, 31, chopped her own American record in the half marathon in Houston with a 1:06:52 effort, and most recently won the U.S. 20K Championships (1:06:09) on September 4 in New Haven, Connecticut. Bates, also 31, hasn’t raced at all since her sterling fifth-place effort at the Boston Marathon in April, when she slashed her personal best to 2:22:10. 

While Chicago will be another good place to test themselves, both have unfinished business after Bates was seventh at the 2020 Trials and Sisson dropped out near the 21-mile mark.

The same goes for Flanagan, 32, who has been one of America’s best and most consistent marathoners for the past five years. She placed 12th at the trials in 2020. She had a breakthrough win (2:24:43) at the Gold Coast Marathon in 2022 followed by a strong, eighth-place finish (2:26:08) at the Tokyo Marathon earlier this year. In August, she ran perhaps the best race of her career, when she finished ninth (2:27:47) at the world championships in Budapest amid hot, humid conditions.

The 38-year-old D’Amato, meanwhile, just capped off another strong season with a 17th-place showing (2:31:35) at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, a year after finishing eighth in the world championships and setting an American record 2:19:12 at the 2022 Houston Marathon. She was 15th at the Trials in 2020 in 2:34:24, just two years into her competitive return to the sport after having two kids and starting a career in real estate in her early 20s.

“It’s such a huge goal of mine to become an Olympian,” says D’Amato, who lowered Sisson’s U.S. record in the half marathon with a 1:06:39 effort at the Gold Coast Half Marathon on July 1 in Australia. “It’s really hard for me to put words into this because my whole life, wearing a Team USA jersey has been like a huge dream. And when I left the sport (temporarily), I felt like I said goodbye to that dream and I kind of mourned the loss of being able to represent my country. I feel like it’s the greatest honor in our sport to be able to wear our flag and race as hard as possible.”

Saina, a 35-year-old Kenya-born runner who ran collegiately for Iowa State University, became a U.S. citizen in late 2021. She placed fifth in the 10,000-meters at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro while competing for Kenya. She’s spent the past several years splitting time between Kenya and Nashville, Tennessee, where she gave birth to a son, Kalya, in December 2021.

She’s returned with a strong fourth-place 1:11:40 result at the Tokyo Half Marathon last October and a fifth-place 2:21:40 showing at the Tokyo Marathon in February. In May, Saina won the U.S. 25K Championships in Michigan. Two weeks ago she broke the tape at the Blackmores Sydney Marathon in Australia in 2:26:47.

Other top contenders include but are not limited to Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Molly Seidel (who’s personal best is 2:24:42), 2022 U.S. Olympic Trials champion Aliphine Tuliamuk (2:24:37, 11th in Boston this year), Susanna Sullivan (2:24:27 personal best, 10th in London this year), two-time Olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon winner Des Linden (2:22:38), and Sara Hall (2:20:32, fifth at last year’s world championships), plus Kellyn Taylor (2:24:29), Nell Rojas (2:24:51), Sarah Sellers (2:25:43), Lauren Paquette (2:25:56), Dakotah Lindwurm (2:25:01), Annie Frisbie (2:26:18), Sara Vaughn (2:26:23), Tristin Van Ord (2:27:07), and Jacqueline Gaughan (2:27:08).

The list of potential men’s top contenders isn’t as clear-cut, partially because there are so many sub-2:11 runners and several fast runners who are relatively new to the marathon. But all that suggests a wide-open men’s race where more than a dozen runners are legitimately in the mix for the three Olympic team spots. That said, the top runners on paper, based on both time and consistent results over the past few years, are Scott Fauble, Jared Ward, Galen Rupp, Conner Mantz, Leonard Korir, Matt McDonald, and C.J. Albertson.

The 31-year-old Fauble, who was 12th in the Olympic Trials in 2020 and owns a 2:08:52 personal best, has finished seventh in the Boston Marathon three times since 2019 and also finished seventh in the New York City Marathon in 2018. Ward is a 2016 U.S. Olympian and has three top-10 finishes at the New York City Marathon and a 2:09:25 personal best from Boston in 2019. He’s 35, but he just ran a 2:11:44 (27th place) at the Berlin Marathon in late September.

Rupp, who won the past two U.S. Olympic Trials Marathons and earned the bronze medal in the marathon at the 2016 Olympics, is nearing the end of his competitive career. He boasts a 2:06:07 personal best and has run under 2:10 more than any American in history, including when he finished 19th at the world championships (2:09:36) last year. He’s a bit of a wild card because he’s 37 and hasn’t raced since his lackluster 17th-place showing at the NYC Half Marathon (1:04:57) in March, but the world will get a glimpse of his fitness in Chicago this weekend.

Mantz followed up his solid debut in Chicago last fall with a good Boston Marathon in April (11th, 2:10:25) and solid racing on the track and roads all year, including his recent runner-up showings at the Beach to Beacon 10K in August and the U.S. 20K Championships in September.

McDonald, 30, who was 10th in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials, has quietly become one of the best marathoners in the U.S. while serving as a postdoctoral associate in chemical engineering at M.I.T. His last three races have clocked in at 2:10:35 (Boston 2022), 2:09:49 (Chicago 2022), and 2:10:17 (Boston 2023). The only other runner who rivals that kind of consistency is Albertson, 29, who has run 2:10:23 (Boston 2022), 2:10:52 (Grandma’s Marathon 2022) and 2:10:33 (Boston 2022) in his past three marathons and was seventh in the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2020 (2:11:49).

The men’s race will likely have a mix of veteran runners and newcomers who have run in the 2:09 to 2:10 range since 2022. Among those are 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials runner-up Jake Riley (2:10:02 personal best), who is returning from double Achilles surgery; 2016 U.S. 10,000-meter Olympian Leonard Korir (2:07:56), who ran a 2:09:31 in Paris in April; Zach Panning (2:09:28, plus 13th at the world championships in August); U.S. 25K record-holder Parker Stinson (2:10.53); Futsum Zienasellassie who won the California International Marathon last December in his debut (2:11:01) and then doubled-back with a new personal best (2:09:40) at the Rotterdam Marathon in the spring; Abbabiya Simbassa, who ran a solid debut marathon (2:10:34) in Prague this spring; and Eritrean-born Daniel Mesfun (2:10:06) and Ethiopian-born Teshome Mekonen (2:10:16), who both received U.S. citizenship within the past year; and solid veterans Nico Montanez (2:09:55), Elkanah Kibet (2:10:43) and Nathan Martin (2:10:45).

Additional sub-2:12 runners who will  be in the mix are Andrew Colley (2:11:26), Clayton Young (2:11:51), Brendan Gregg (2:11:21), Josh Izewski (2:11:26), Jacob Thompson (2:11:40), and Kevin Salvano (2:11:49).

As noted previously, some top contenders will season their marathon legs one final time at the flat and fast Chicago Marathon on October 8. An even more select few will opt for the New York City Marathon on November 5. After that, nearly every American with eyes set on an Olympic berth will double-down over the holiday season for that one final, critical marathon training cycle. Expect to see a wide range in heat training, from sauna protocols, to warm weather training trips, to simply an adjusted race day strategy.

Of course, with the Olympic Marathon falling under the purview of World Athletics, qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Marathon team is not quite as simple as finishing on the podium in Orlando. Any American looking to have a breakout performance and finish within the top three at the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon will need to have run under 2:11:30 for men and 2:29:30 for women within the qualification window, which spans from November 1, 2022 to April 30, 2024. Given the possibility of oppressively hot and humid temps on February 3 in Orlando, they’re best bet is to secure that time now.

These qualification standards are in accordance with a new rule from World Athletics, which allows national Olympic committees to circumvent the typical Olympic qualification process of running under 2:08:10 for men and 2:26:50 for women, or being ranked among the top 65 in the world on a filtered list of the top three athletes from each country. The catch, though, is that three other runners from said country must have met one of these two standards. If this sounds complicated, that’s because it is.

For the hundreds of elite amateurs on the cusp of hitting that coveted U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying time, it’s do or die mode. While a few made the cut at the Berlin Marathon on September 24, one of those opportunities was lost when the Twin Cities Marathon was canceled on October 1 because of excessive heat. Temperatures are shaping up for an auspicious day in Chicago this weekend, and many more will give it a final shot at the Columbus Marathon on October 15; Indianapolis Monumental Marathon on October 28; the Philadelphia Marathon on November 18; and the last-call California International Marathon, a point-to-point race ending in Sacramento, California on December 3. 

Ultimately, only six American runners will likely continue on along the road to Paris and earn the chance to run in the men’s and women’s Olympic marathons next August 10-11. For a handful of younger runners, the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials will be a motivation to reinvigorate the Olympic dream or keep a faint hope alive, at least until the 2028 U.S. Olympic Trials that will determine the team for the Los Angeles Olympics. But for many runners, the journey to the U.S. Olympic Trials in Orlando will lead to the end of their competitive road running careers as new jobs, young families, a switch to trail running, and other priorities will take hold. 

“I think the Olympic Trials is an important part of American distance running,” says Kurt Roeser, 36, a two-time U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier who works full-time as a physical therapist in Boulder, Colorado. “I’m glad that they kept it the same event for this cycle and hopefully for future cycles because it gives people like me a reason to keep training. I’m older now and I’m not going to actually have a chance to make an Olympic team, but for somebody that’s fresh out out of college and maybe they just barely squeak in under the qualifying time, maybe that’s the catalyst they need to start training more seriously through the next cycle. And maybe four years from now, they are a serious factor for making the team.” 

Daniel Mateiko will be making his debut in marathon at the Chicago marathon

After recording the fastest time over the half marathon distance in the world this year at the fourth edition of the Antrim Coast in Northern Ireland, Daniel Mateiko will be making his debut in marathon at the Chicago marathon, the fourth largest race in the world that is slated to be held on Sunday (8) in Chicago, Illinois, United States.

The 25 year-old who clocked a world leading time of 58:36, breaking the UK and Irish all-comers’ record ahead of the 2019 All-Africa Games 10,000m bronze medallist, Jemal Yimer of Ethiopia, said that the world should expect shocking results in Chicago despite having a deep elite field that includes the second fastest man in the world Kelvin Kiptum.

“This is my first time to participate in a marathon and a world major. This means I have to work extra hard to keep up with the pace,” said Mateiko.

He explained that he made a good run while pacing at the London marathon early this year where Kiptum ran the second fastest time in the world.

“I had good pacing at the London marathon where I dropped at the 30km mark, just 12km remaining. Some race organizers saw what I could do. At the same time, I have a very good management ( NN Running Team) that looks for great races for their athletes,” he said.

The inaugural Eldama Ravine Half marathon champion said the training is so intense to conquer the world.

Mateiko who finished in second place at this year’s Ras Al Khaimah half marathon also missed out to represent Kenya at the 2021 Olympic Games after finishing 6th during the Kenya National trials.

“Expect good things from me. Right now, I am preparing very well when I received the invitation,” he added.

Having the personal best time standing at 58:26 set during his third position at the Valencia Half marathon last year, Mateiko has set the goal of improving on his time too.

Mateiko who runs under the Global Sports Communication stable in Kaptagat, went ahead to finish third at the Valencia Half marathon in 58:26, Copenhagen third after timing 59:25, RAK in sixth place in 58:45 and Ravine half marathon.

He will be facing off with some of the best experienced marathoners that include Kiptum, the defending champion Benson Kipruto and the Tokyo Olympics marathon bronze medalist, Bashir Abdi.

Chebets sets focus on 2024 Olympic Games after stellar season

Commonwealth Games 5000m champion Beatrice Chebet has said she has honed her skills sufficiently to secure a podium finish at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 

Chebet, who blazed to the bronze medal in her specialty at the Budapest World Championships in July, said she is ready to secure the coveted gold at the quadrennial global extravaganza that will be held in July and August.  

"I have prepared well for the Olympics and I'm grateful for the fine form I've accomplished this year," Chebet said in an exclusive interview.

"Winning an Olympic medal is everyone's dream and I am no different," she added. 

Chebet spoke a couple of days after storming the gold medal in the 5km race at the inaugural World Road Running Championships held in Riga on Sunday. 

The victory confirmed her status as a dominant force on the international front.

She cruised through the course in an amazing 14:35 to register the fifth fastest time in the history of the 5km road race ahead of compatriot Lilian Rengeruk, and Ethiopia's Ejgayehu Taye, who settled for the silver and bronze medals respectively.

The victory further embellished her rich trophy cabinet which also boasts a gold bagged at the World Cross Country championship held in Bathurst, Australia in February.

Chebet said the presence of compatriot Faith Kipyegon in the race is a great source of inspiration, adding that she is not quaking in the boots at the mere thought of facing her over the distance. 

Despite crashing to Kipyegon and Sifan Hassan of The Netherlands in the 5000m at the World Championships in Belgrade, Hungary, Chebet said she will do her best to reclaim her bragging rights in the 12-lap race.

 "It will make the race all the more interesting and I believe the country is bound to benefit immensely if we field a strong team in Paris," Chebet said. 

"Her presence in the race will also take the competition a notch higher," she added. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved Kenya's request to field Kipyegon in both the 1500m and the 5000m races at the upcoming Paris Games. 

Kelvin Kiptum believes he can break world record at 2023 Chicago Marathon

It’s Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, and that means one thing to marathon fans: it’s time for the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. This year’s elite field will be one to remember, with the great Sifan Hassan competing in her second career marathon against the 2019 world champion and the third-fastest marathoner in history, Ruth Chepngetich. The men’s side is just as exciting, with the relatively unknown Kelvin Kiptum on the verge of greatness, targeting Eliud Kipchoge’s world record of 2:01:09 on Sunday.

The young star

At 23 and with only two career marathons to his name, Kiptum has quickly established himself as one of the best distance runners in the world. Although, despite his achievements in London, he remains relatively unknown on the major marathon scene. Kiptum is self-coached and did not enter marathoning from a prolific track career like Kipchoge, Mo Farah, or Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele.

Kiptum made his marathon debut last December at the 2022 Valencia Marathon, taking a commanding victory in 2:01:53, the fastest debut in history. He continued his dominance at the 2023 London Marathon, where he shattered Kipchoge’s course record and came within 16 seconds of the world record, with a 2:01:25 finish.

In June, Kiptum was selected for Team Kenya in the 2023 World Athletics Championships marathon. However, he declined the invitation to focus on a fall marathon instead. He settled on Chicago, which is widely regarded as the fastest marathon major in North America. 

In a pre-race interview with Olympics.com, Kiptum said he is well-trained for the Chicago course and believes he can become the first man in history to run a 2:00 flat on Sunday. Kiptum’s choice of Chicago over the other fall majors, Berlin and NYC, indicates his eagerness to chase the world record. Chicago’s primarily flat course, with only 70 meters of elevation gain, makes it an ideal setting.

Kiptum’s competition

If Kiptum intends to hit the halfway mark around 60 minutes, there are not many in the field who can keep up with him. The 2020 Olympic marathon bronze medallist, Bashir Abdi, is listed as the second fastest athlete in Chicago with a personal best of 2:03:36. Abdi finished fifth here in 2019 and will be looking to improve on his time of 2:06:14.

Kiptum will also face off against one of the best tactical marathoners in the world and the reigning champion, Benson Kipruto. Kipruto comes off a second-place finish at the 2023 Boston Marathon, where he was runner-up to his training partner, Evans Chebet. Ethiopia’s Seifu Tura knows the Chicago course well, having won the race in 2021 and finished as runner-up to Kipruto last fall. If the race becomes a tactical affair, it’s hard to look past these two as the favourites but they don’t quite have the sub-2:02 speed to hang with Kiptum early.

American men chase Olympic standard

Another entertaining race within the race to watch will be the battle between top Americans Galen Rupp, Conner Mantz and Leonard Korir as they aim to achieve the 2024 Olympic marathon standard of 2:08:10. The only American to break that mark since 2020 is Rupp, who did so at the 2021 Chicago Marathon where he finished second. Currently, no American men have met the Olympic qualifying mark for Paris, and the U.S. Marathon Trials are just four months away in February 2024.

Revenge in the air as strong Kenyan women head to Chicago Marathon

Kenya lost the world record in the Berlin Marathon and they might just be going for it at the Chicago Marathon.

Defending champion Ruth Chepng’etich headlines a strong women’s field set for duty at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 8.

Chepng’etich will be joined by a strong Kenyan contingent who will be looking to bring back the world record to Kenya.

Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered Brigid Kosgei’s world record at the Berlin Marathon and the Kenyan ladies will have their work cut out to bring back the glory. Assefa clocked 2:11:53 to obliterate Kosgei’s world record time of 2:14:04.

Chepng’etich has a Personal Best time of 2:14:18, the third fastest time in the women’s marathon. She has had quite a busy 2023 season and will be looking to end her season in the streets of Chicago.

The 29-year-old kicked off her season with a win at the National Cross-country championships before reigning supreme at the Nagoya Women’s Marathon.

The two-time Chicago Marathon champion then competed in two Half Marathons, finishing second at the Istanbul Half Marathon and later finishing third at the 21K Buenos Aires Ñandú.

On the track, she has competed in three 10,000m races. She started off with a win at the Kenya Prisons Track and Field Championships before finishing third at the National Championships. She was also in action at the World Championships where she finished eighth.

She will enjoy the company of Joycilline Jepkosgei, an able marathoner in her own right. Jepkosgei has won two major marathons, the New York City Marathon and London Marathon and she will be looking to add the Chicago Marathon to her already decorated cabinet.

Jepkosgei competed at the Boston Marathon earlier this year but unfortunately faded to finish a disappointing 12th.

She is yet to win any race this season and might just shock the world in her debut in the streets of Chicago. Her Personal Best time currently stands at 2:17:43 and she will be angling to improve her time.

Potential threats to the chances of the duo winning the race are Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan and Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba.

Hassan, the double Olympic champion, made her debut at the London Marathon earlier this year and to everyone’s surprise, clinched the top prize.

She competed at the World Championships in the 1500m, 5000m, and 10,000m and finished among the top five in the three races. She is definitely in impeccable form and will be hoping to end her season on a high.

Dibaba, the former 1500m world record holder, will also be looking to replicate her compatriot’s performance and maintain the glory of Ethiopia in long-distance running.

International elite athletes determined to keep the Valencia Marathon on the world podium

The Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso announces its initial list of international athletes with a view to maintaining its ambitious objectives for the event in the ciudad del running on December 3.

Valencia is the third fastest marathon in the world for men and women thanks to the times of 2:01:53 and 2:14:58, respectively, achieved last year, and in 2023 it aspires to remain on the podium of the fastest marathons in the world.

The announced debut of Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei over the distance will be one of the biggest sporting highlights of the day and a challenge not only for him, but also for the top Kenyan and Ethiopian favorites.

There are five runners with sub-2h05 times who will be looking to improve their performances on a course that is ideal for personal bests. These runners include Alexander Mutiso (2:03:29), Sisay Lemma (2:03:36), Leul Gebresilase (2:04:02), Chalu Deso (2:04:53) and Titus Kipruto (2:04:54).

Some of them already have experience of getting the most out of the fast streets of Valencia Ciudad del Running, as is also the case for Kibiwott Kandie (2:13:43, a time far from his real level due to a bad start in New York), who will try to match the impressive records he has achieved in two Valencia Half Marathons when he runs the full 42,195 meters.

In the women’s race, the marathoners Tsegay Gemechu (2:16:56), Almaz Ayana (2:17:20), Worknesh Degefa (2:17:41), Joan Chelimo (2:18:04) and Hiwot Gebrekidan (2:19:10), all of whom have experience over the distance, are also expected to put up a tough fight in Bosena Mulatie’s exciting debut.

Simiu's says he allowed Sawe to take gold in the spirit of sportsmanship

World 10,000m silver medalist Daniel Simiu said the move to let fellow Kenyan Sabastian Sawe take gold in the half marathon at the World Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia on Sunday was in the spirit of sportsmanship.

He said the humane part of him informed his decision because sport is not always about winning.

Sawe pulled away from the field earlier on and was cruising towards apparent victory. Behind him, Sawe was battling Ethiopia’s Jemal Yimer for the runner-up spot.

With less than 200m to go Simiyu let the lead go saluting his passing teammate Sawe in what appeared to be a sign for Sawe to go on and bag gold.

“It is not that I was not strong, I wanted to tell the world that there are good people out there and it’s not always about winning. I wanted Sawe to win because I have been on the world stage so I wanted him to also have a feel,” Simiu said.

He further added that his actions were meant to send a message to the world that there is still hope for humanity.

“I wanted to send a message to the world that there are still humane people out here; that you can come first and give your competitor a chance to also win. It’s not always about winning because if I wanted to, I would have won,” he added.

Kenya, however, went on to sweep the three medals with Sawe leading the pack in a time of (59:10), followed by Simiu (59:14) and Samuel Nyamai who recorded a personal best of 59:19 to take third place. Bernard Kibet came in eighth in a time of 1:00.13.

Simiu was fresh from winning a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary in August and was in search of a gold medal to add to his collection in Riga.

He further added that he was not done yet and that he was going to relax and start training as he is set to participate in the Delhi Half Marathon scheduled for October 14.

“Next week, I will be in Delhi for the half marathon. The season is not yet over, we are just closing the track season and now we are coming to the road events and after that, we wrap it off with cross country,” he said.

Kenyan runner Philemon Rono breaks old Košice marathon record

Kenyan Philemon Rono won the 100th edition of the International Peace Marathon in Košice (MMM) in a course record of 2:06:55.

"I'm happy that I managed to create a record. It's a great achievement, I appreciate it a lot," said Rono.

He beat Lawrence Kimaiya's previous record from 2012 by six seconds.

In a dramatic finish, he pushed the Ethiopian Kebede Wami Tulu to second place (+1 s). The Eritrean runner Berhane Berhe Tesfay, who crossed the finish line 12 seconds after the winner, came third.

A three-time MMM champion, Kenyan Reuben Kiprop Kerio was fourth with a time of 2:07:56 h. Had he won, he would have equaled the Hungarian runner József Galambos's score. Galambos won the Košice marathon four times.

Marek Hladík was the best Slovak male runner on Sunday. He is the winner of the 2020 edition. On Sunday, he was classified at the finish line in 9th place with a time of 2:22:14 h.

In the women's category, the Kenyan Jackline Cheron enjoyed the victory, finishing the run in 2:24:43 h. Two Ethiopian runners shared the stage with her - Adawork Aberta Saduro (+1:36 min) and Ayantu Kumela Tadesse (+1:50 min).

Among Slovak women, Veronika Páleníková was the best. She ended in sixth place with a time of 2:45:52 h.

Cardiff Half Marathon: Vincent Mutai and Mestawut Fikir win 2023 titles

Vincent Mutai and Mestawut Fikir clinched victory in the 2023 Cardiff Half Marathon.

Kenyan Mutai out-sprinted course record holder and compatriot Shadrack Kimining to win the men's race in one hour and 35 seconds on a humid day.

Ethiopian Fikir had the edge in a close finish in the women's race, with just a second splitting the top three.

Josh Hartley and Martyna Snopek won the wheelchair races as the event celebrated its 20th anniversary.

Meanwhile more than 27,000 club and amateur runners also covered the 13.2 miles (21km) course.

Former winners Kimining and Geoffrey Koech returned to the Welsh capital in a strong field in the men's race that was decided in the final straight.

Both were in the lead group that completed the first 10km in 28:29 before 28-year-old Mutai showed the stronger kick.

He said: "I feel good. This was my first time running this course, it was a bit challenging, but it was really enjoyable and now I am a winner so I am so happy and very surprised."

Former women's race winner Beatrice Cheserek also returned and led early on, but the Kenyan was dropped before a three-way sprint for the line.

Fikir beat fellow Ethiopian Aminet Ahmed and last year's runner-up Viola Chepngeno to add the Cardiff title to the Antrim Coast Half Marathon two months earlier in 1:08:13.

Bridgend's Adam Bowden and Beth Kidger of Brighton Phoenix earned Welsh half-marathon titles.

Bowden beat Meirionydd's Rhodri Owen and Pontypridd Roadent Adam Bull while Kidger - ninth in the overall women's race in her first half-marathon - edged out a strong Welsh contingent including Anna Bracegirdle and Olivia Tsim.

"I was on my own at the start because I was trying to be sensible with the pace as this is my first real half marathon," said Kidger.

"The fact it's mainly flat really helped and I definitely want to do more half marathons in the future."

Hartley was tipped as the athlete to beat in the men's wheelchair race despite the presence of former winners Tiaan Bosch and Richie Powell. And so it proved as the Coventry Godiva Harriers athlete led from start to finish - crossing the line 10 minutes ahead of second-placed Bosch.

Snopek - who won the Great North Run's wheelchair race in 2018 - won the women's wheelchair race.

"I ran my own race the whole way through and stuck to my plan," said Hartley.

"It was my first time racing here, the atmosphere was really good and the conditions were a nice surprise."

The race is a member of the SuperHalfs, a global series of the world's most prestigious half-marathons including races in Lisbon, Prague, Copenhagen and Valencia.

Jepchirchir takes third global half marathon title in Riga

Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir underlined her status as one of the all-time greats by claiming a third world half marathon title at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 on Sunday (1), the 30-year-old utilising her fearsome finishing speed to take gold in 1:07:25.

She was followed home by compatriot Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi in 1:07:26, with Catherine Reline Amanang’ole completing a 1-2-3 for Kenya in 1:07:34.

“I wanted to win three times and make history, and thank God I have made it,” said Jepchirchir. “It was my birthday this week and I told my husband I would work extra hard to get the win.”

Jepchirchir led Kenya to a decisive victory in the team title, their first since 2016, when they also swept the medal positions. Their top three had a cumulative time of 3:22:25, with Ethiopia second with 3:27:55 and Great Britain and Northern Ireland claiming bronze with 3:29:15.

“I am so happy for team Kenya,” said Jepchirchir. “I knew we would sweep this as a team because I trust my colleagues so much.”

On a cool, sunny afternoon in the Latvian capital, Jepchirchir once again played a very patient game, the Olympic marathon champion and women-only half marathon world record holder content to let the pace remain steady through much of the race, knowing she possessed a gear no one else could live with when it counted most.

The early pace was relatively pedestrian, with a group of 22 hitting the 5km mark clustered together, led by Britain’s Samantha Harrison in 16:25. But that pack began to whittle soon after, with a group of eight passing 10km in 32:19.

Jepchirchir, Chelimo Kipkemboi and Reline Amanang’ole took turns at the front soon after, with British duo Harrison and Calli Thackery also putting in a shift in the breezy conditions. But in the third quarter, Harrison and Thackery began to lose contention while the Kenyans started to apply pressure up front, Amanang’ole passing 15km in 48:33 and six athletes left in the battle for the podium positions.

That was soon down to five, with Ethiopia’s Ftaw Zeray dropping away. Jepchirchir ran at the back of the pack as they approached 20km, marking her opponents’ every move. But as they ran through the old town and back towards the finish, alongside the River Daugava, Jepchirchir began to take closer order, with just one Ethiopian, Tsigie Gebreselama, sandwiched among the four Kenyans.

The 20km mark, reached in 1:04:20, was Jepchirchir’s cue to make her first big effort, surging to the front and quickly checking the effect on her rivals, with only her compatriot Irine Jepchumba Kimais dropping away. But with Kipkemboi soon taking up the pace, the Kenyans swiftly had what they wanted – with Gebreselama dropping off the leading trio.

Leading into the wind in the final kilometre, Kipkemboi began to veer around the road, hoping for assistance from those behind, but by then it was every woman for themselves, Jepchirchir smartly sitting in her teammate’s slipstream until she drew inside the final 400 metres, at which point she unleashed that renowned change of pace, surging to gold.“When I saw the tape, I started celebrating,” said Jepchirchir, who admitted she couldn’t sleep the night before as she was worried about the race. But with another global title in the bag, she has big plans for the year ahead.

“Next month I’m going to run the New York City Marathon,” said Jepchirchir, who will then train her sights on retaining her Olympic marathon title. “That’s my prayer; I pray to God for good health to get that chance. I will try my best.”

Silver medallist Chelimo Kipkemboi said: “It was great to run with Peres today. I am always proud to run for Kenya. I was fourth at the World Championships on the track so to get a medal today is very special. It’s very nice to see that I’m progressing and next, I will race the Valencia Half Marathon.”

Amanang’ole was content with her bronze, saying: “It was a very tough race but I’m super excited because it is my first time running this event.”

Tigst Assefa on how career threatening injury spurred her to breaking world marathon record

Ethiopian marathoner Tigst Assefa defied a career-threatening injury to smash the world record and has revealed the relentless journey from setback to historic triumph.

Ethiopian marathoner Tigst Assefa left the world in awe with her remarkable feat, smashing the women's world record in Berlin last Sunday by clocking an astonishing two hours, 11 minutes, and 53 seconds.

However, her journey to this historic achievement was not without its hurdles. In a shocking revelation, Assefa disclosed that just four years ago, she was told her athletics career was effectively over following a severe Achilles tendon injury during the 2019 Valencia half-marathon.

At the time, medical experts in both Spain and Italy, where she received subsequent treatment, painted a grim picture. They concluded that her chances of returning to the sport were minimal. 

Yet, defying the prognosis, Assefa, fueled by determination, familial support, and the unwavering belief of her coach, embarked on a relentless journey to prove the naysayers wrong.

"I did not give up. I told myself I will get back and make history," Assefa declared in an exclusive interview with BBC Afaan Oromoo. 

Reflecting on the injury that almost derailed her career, she added, "I will never forget my injury. But at the same time, it helped me to work hard. I could not have seen this day if it were not for the injury."

Assefa's unyielding spirit and competitive drive were pivotal in her triumphant return to the pinnacle of marathon running. 

"I am fiercely competitive. I don’t like to lose," she asserted, revealing that her newfound goal is to complete a marathon in under two hours and 10 minutes. 

"It could be broken [again] with better training. This is because [in Berlin] I was not tired. I had energy," Assefa stated.

Behind this extraordinary athlete stands the guiding force of coach Gemedu Dedefo, who believes that with the right support, women in athletics can achieve even greater feats.

Agai, Kerio seek to defend Kosice Marathon titles on Sunday

Margaret Agai and Reuben Kiprop Kerio will be seeking to defend their titles at the Kosice Peace Marathon on Sunday in Slovakia.

Agai won the title in a new course record of 2:24.04, smashing the previous mark of f 2:24:35 held by Ethiopian Ayuntu Tadesse.

Agai, who has a personal best time of 2:23:28 set while winning the 2013 Daegu Marathon, starts as favourite in the race. 

The 2022 Kigali Peace Marathon champion is familiar with the course and will be up against the Ethiopian trio of Adawork Aberta (2:23:39), Ayantu Kumela (2:24:29) and Maeregu Hayelon(2:24:42)among others.

In the men's race, Kerio who will be chasing his fourth title, will be up against three-time Toronto Marathon champion Philemon Rono (2:05:00), Kebede Tulu (2:05:19), and Aychew Bantie (2:06:23).

Kerio, who won the title in 2:07:16 ahead of Ethiopians Bantie Dessie Aychew (2:07:19) and Mehasha Tadesse Yohans (2:07:19), will have a big task shaking off experienced Rono who has dominated many marathons across the world.

Coming into the race with a personal best of 2:07:00 set at the 2019 Eindhoven Marathon when he finished second, Kerio has won the race three times thus 2017, 2021, and 2022.

Kerio has also won in other marathons including victories at Rock and Roll in 2019 and Brescia in 2016. He finished second at the Eindhoven and 2020 Xiamen Marathon. He was fourth and fifth at the 2018 Kosice and Izmir marathons respectively.

Rono, popularly called the Baby Police due to his height and body size, will be the man to watch after winning the Toronto Marathon titles in 2016, 2017, and 2019.

Elsewhere, Kenyans will be chasing the Trento Half Marathon titles in Italy. Alex Korio with a personal best of 58:51 will be the best Kenyan on the course behind Ethiopian Muktar Idris with a PB of 58:40.

The duo will be up against the Kenyan pair of Dickson Nyakundi (60:39) and Bernard Wambua who has 60:51.

In the women's race, Ethiopian Worknesh Degefa Debele with 66:14 leads Kenyans Joyciline Cherotich, and Christine Mutua with Ethiopian Etenesh Diro making his debut in the race.

A battle of former winners expected at Sunday's Cardiff Half Marathon

The 20th edition Cardiff Half Marathon takes place on Sunday with strong fields assembled for the men's and women's races.

A battle of titans is expected at the 20th edition of the Cardiff Half Marathon scheduled for Sunday, October 1.

Shadrack Kimining leads the men’s field with a Personal Best time of 59:27 and will be returning to Cardiff looking to chase the course record. He has sweet memories of the event since it’s where he made his international debut with victory back in 2016.

His last trip to Cardiff came in 2019 where he lost out to Leonard Langat in the closing metres to finish second in 59:32.

Last year’s winner Geoffrey Koech (59:32) will also be returning, looking to better his winning time of 60:01. Koech has since won the prestigious Boston Half Marathon and more recently finished third at the Prague Half Marathon in April.

Benard Biwott (59:44) who won the Santa Pola Half Marathon and Wesley Kimutai (59:47) who finished second at the prestigious Rome Ostia Half Marathon in March will also be competing.

Challenging the Kenyan charge will be Hicham Amghar (59:53) of Morocco who will be looking to dip under the magical 60-minute barrier for a third time this year having finished fifth at Ras Al Khaimah in February with 59:53 and again in Istanbul finishing second in 59:58.

David Kimaiyo is an exciting debutant owing to his 10km best of 27:26 set at Castellon in February.

Bereket Zeleke (62:27) was fifth at the World U20 Cross Country Championships running for his native Ethiopia and made his debut for the distance in Antrim finishing 10th.

Further International interest sits with Morocco’s Omar El Harrass (61:55), Japan’s Takuya Kitasaki 61:51), and debutant Ben Eidenschink from the USA who was sixth at the US Cross Country Championships in 2022 and has a 10,000m best of 27:51.

Mestawut Fikir (66:44) of Ethiopia heads the start lists for the women’s race following her runaway victory at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon last month.

Her compatriot, Betelihem Afenigus (66:44) sits just two seconds slower on paper and won the popular Venlo Half Marathon earlier this year.

Challenging the Ethiopians will be defending champion Beatrice Cheserek (66:48) who will be familiar with the course and as a fierce competitor will be looking to retain her title on Sunday. So far this year Cheserek has won three half marathons, in Santa Pola, Riyadh and Tallinn.

Viola Chepngeno (66:48) was the runner-up last time and is another athlete who has been extremely busy over the last 12 months, along with Koech, also winning in Boston and lowering her P.B. for 10km to 31:05 in France this April.

Dorcas Kimeli (67:10) became the third fastest in history over 10km with 29:57 at the Birrell Grand Prix in Prague in 2019 and has previously raced in Cardiff back in 2017.

Costa Rican Record Holder for the Half Marathon and for the Marathon, Diana Bogantes-Gonzalez (73:08) will be in action in Cardiff, along with Marcela Joglova (73:46) of the Czech Republic.

Jenny Nesbitt (72:54) will head the Welsh contingent joined by Caryl Edwards (71:18), Anna Bracegirdle (73:21), Olivia Tsim (73:38), and Beth Kidger (76:27).

Further British Athletes of note include Olympian Sonia Samuels (72:19), Cambridge Half Marathon Champion Verity Hopkins (73:35), and Kirsteen Welch (74:42) of Exeter Harriers.

Josh Hartley (49:06) is the outstanding entry in the Men’s Wheelchair race, joined by 2018 Champion Tiaan Bosch (51:14) and multiple Cardiff winner Richie Powell. Martyna Snopek (63:02) is a previous winner of the Great North Run and will be racing in Cardiff on Sunday.

Kiptum eyes world record at next week's Chicago Marathon

London Marathon champion Kelvin Kiptum has his eyes set on breaking Eliud Kipchoge’s world marathon record when he steps up to compete at the 2023 Chicago Marathon on October 8.

Kiptum won the London Marathon on April 23 in a time of 2:01:25, in what was his second-ever marathon race—nearly obliterating the world record of 2:01:09 set by Kipchoge at the Berlin marathon in 2022.

He ran the fastest-ever marathon debut at the 2022 Valencia Marathon, becoming the third man in history to break two hours and two minutes after he wrapped up the race in 2:01:53.

Only three men in history have run under 2:02, and Kiptum is the only marathoner to do it under the age of 35.

The 23-year-old announced his attendance in the Chicago Marathon on his Facebook page with an exciting message informing his fans to prepare for an incredible showdown.

“I’m heading for the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Get ready for the show,” the post from Kiptum read.

The elite athlete reportedly opted out of the Budapest 2023 World Athletics Championships and the Berlin Marathon to focus on Chicago.

A lot of fans had expected to witness the duel between Kiptum and Kipchoge at the Berlin Marathon track to gauge his speed against the two-time Olympic champion.

He will be joined by 2022 Chicago Marathon winner Benson Kipruto who set a personal best time of 2:04:24 when he won the race.

Kipruto also finished third in the 2022 and 2023 Boston Marathon with times of 2:07:27 and 2:06:06. He will be eying to defend his title against a youthful and promising Kiptum.

The two will be joined by fellow Kenyans John Korir who has a marathon best of 2:05:01 and debutants Daniel Mateiko and Wesley Kiptoo.

The Kenyan contingent will face a hard time from Somali-based Belgian Bashir Abdi who won gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

USA’s Galen Rupp, silver medalist in the men’s 10,000m at the London Olympics and bronze medalist in the men’s marathon in the 2016 Rio  Olympics, will represent the hosts in the race.

They will also face stiff competition from Seifu Tura who won the 2021 Chicago Marathon and placed second at the 2022 edition.

Defending champion Ruth Chepngetich will lead the women’s pack seeking to break Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa’s record of 2:11:53 set just recently at the Berlin marathon.

Chepng’etich, who won the Chicago Marathon in October last year, was only 14 seconds away from breaking the previous world record by Brigid Kosgei of 2:14:04.

She will be joined by Joyciline Jepkosgei, who finished second in the 2022 edition of the London Marathon, and Stacy Ndiwa who has a  PB of 2:31:53.

Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba will be a tough opponent for the Kenyan ladies. Dibaba is the current world record holder in indoor mile, 3,000m and 5,000m. She is also a gold medalist in the 1,500m at the 2015 World Championships.

USA’s Emily Sisson, who currently holds the American record in the marathon, will be seeking to upset the African girls. Sisson set the record on October 9 during the Chicago Marathon when she finished second in a time of 2:18:29.

The event has attracted  47,000 participants, the biggest field ever with the 2019 edition having featured 45,932 participants.

Adidas new single-use racing shoe releases to the public–for CAD $650

Last weekend’s Berlin Marathon saw the impossible become nothing when Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa shattered the women’s marathon record by two minutes and 11 seconds, winning the race in 2:11:53. Assefa not only garnered attention for her outstanding performance and record-breaking time, but also for the cutting-edge carbon-plated racing shoes she was wearing: Adidas  Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, which made their debut appearance in the race.

These record-breaking carbon-plated racing shoes from Adidas were released to the U.S. market on Sept. 26, and have already sold out, priced at USD $500 (CAD $650). What sets these shoes apart, besides their hefty price tag (approximately $450 more than the average running shoe), is their unique one-race design. Despite their high cost, these shoes are designed to last through a single marathon.

The shoe’s appeal to a wider audience raises concerns about its environmental impact. Adidas has openly acknowledged that these shoes are indeed intended for a single race, which has prompted criticism regarding environmental waste, and flying in the face of some brands’ efforts to create more sustainable running footwear.

On its website, Adidas describes the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 as “a running shoe like no other,” boasting “unique technology that challenges the boundaries of racing.” Weighing in at a mere 138 grams, the shoe features an innovative Lightstrike Pro foam design with a full-length carbon plate that is reportedly bouncier and lighter than the Lightstrike Pro foam in the shoe’s predecessor, Adios Pro 3. The shoe also incorporates a liquid rubber outsole, a substantial 39-mm heel stack and a front rocker. This rocker propels the runner forward at even greater speeds while requiring less energy expenditure.

In recent years, marathon running has witnessed the rise of “super shoes” as all the major brands compete to develop the fastest carbon-plated racing shoe on the market for their athletes. The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 represents the latest innovation in marathon technology, helping runners shave precious seconds, if not minutes, off their race times.

Cherop wants a chance to compete in marathon in Paris Olympics

Fresh from finishing second at the Buenos Aires Marathon on Sunday in Argentina, former world marathon bronze medalist Sharon Chemutai Cherop wants Athletics Kenya to give her a chance to represent the country at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 

The former Boston Marathon champion said she has had a good season and the Buenos Aires race was her last assignment this year. 

Cherop finished second in 2:24.56 behind compatriot Rhoda Jepkorir Tanui, who won the race in a course record of (2:24.52). Pamela Rotich came third in an all-Kenyan podium sweep.

Cherop said she hopes to fly the country's flag high if offered the Paris 2024 slot.

“I am proud of my country. I have always wanted to represent my country since I was a junior athlete and if offered the opportunity to run at the Olympic Games, I will do my level best to make the country proud,” said Cherop.

Cherop said she had a good outing in Argentina and was happy to have redeemed her image following her performance in the half marathon last month in the South American nation.

“I have closed a season on a good note after running many races this year. I really need to rest until next year and set up good plans for the year. But the best of all would be to represent my country at the Olympics,” she added.

She said she has been in the game for more than 20 years and first represented Kenyan at the 1999 All Africa Games, finishing 4th in the 10,000m.

“I have been running since 1999 and I won my first medal at the 2000 World Youth Championships in 5,000m. That is how long I have been in this game,” she said.

She said she had wanted to run her best race in a bid to improve on her time in Bueno Aires but as much as that was not achieved, the second position was good enough.

The 2012 Boston Marathon champion said she prepared well for the race. 

“I started preparing for this race after winning the Milan marathon. This year alone, I have run two marathons and a number of half marathons,” she added.

Cherop won the Milan Marathon after timing 2:26.13 back in April after recovering from an injury.

In Milan, she edged out Ethiopian Ethlemahu Sintayehu (2:26.30) and compatriot Emily Kipchumba Chebet for third position after timing 2:28.08.

She is also remembered for winning a bronze at the 2011 World Athletics Championships behind the champion Edna Kiplagat and Priscah Jeptoo in an all-Kenya podium sweep.

She went ahead to win the Toronto Waterfront Marathon and finished third at the 2011 Boston Marathon before winning the race the following year.

In men, Cornelius Kibet Kiplagat (2:08.29) led his compatriot Paul Tanui (2:09.57) and Robert Kimutai Ng’eno (2:10.16) in a 1-2-3 podium sweep for team Kenya.

In other races over the weekend, Charles Mbatha Matata won the Leo Lion Half Marathon in France. The Kenyan won the men’s title in 1:01.34 followed by countrymate Vincent Kipkorir Kigen (1:02.21) and Ethiopian Getachew Masresha Kidie (1:02.23).

Ethiopian Afera Godfay Confident of Success At TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Afera Godfay won the 2019 Dongying Marathon in China with a superb personal best 2:22:41 then almost completely vanished from the world scene for a few years.

There was a third-place finish in the Xiamen Marathon, also in China, a year later but that performance largely went under the radar.

On October 15th the 31-year-old Ethiopian will target the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon with high expectations. Indeed, in April this year she ran 1:10:25 at the Rabat International Half Marathon in Morocco which encouraged her to chase a new marathon personal best in Toronto. This will mark her first ever visit to Canada.

“Training is going great,” she reports. “I do my training six days a week - every day except Sunday. I cover a long distance with speed. Three days a week I run with (coach Gemedu Dedefo’s) group.

“My goal is to win (Toronto Waterfront) with a good time. I hope to run 2:24.”

The group is currently celebrating the great success of one of their members, Tigist Assefa, who smashed the world marathon record with her astonishing 2:11:53 in Berlin on Sunday. No doubt the result will provide inspiration to Afera.

The buildup is creating excitement as she is eager to return to her past level. Five times she has run under 1:10 for the half marathon distance over the years and she can now sense she is coming into form. Afera has a good reason for her absence those few years.

“It was because I gave birth to my child,” she explains. “And it was a bit hard to get back to my previous condition. I have one child and her name is Maranata.”

Afera comes from a small town in the war torn northern Ethiopian province of Tigray called Alaje. Although she moved to Addis in 2010 her parents still live in Tigray. She is thankful that they were not affected by the two-year-old war that lasted until November 2022 and which led to widespread famine.

Once a year, when her training program allows, she will visit her parents and friends in Alaje. She comes from a long line of farmers. Growing up under hardship likely fuelled her desire for success in road racing. But she also had mentors.

“My inspiration is Meseret Defar,” she declares. Defar is a two time Olympic 5,000m champion and a national hero in Ethiopia.

As a young athlete Afera had success at shorter distances and represented Ethiopia at the 2010 World Cross Country Championships. She finished a solid 8th in the Under 20 race in Bydgoszcz, Poland helping the Ethiopian team to a silver medal finish behind Kenya.

Two years later she again represented her country at the African Championships over 10,000m. She placed 7th in that meet which was held in Porto Novo, the capital of Benin. Asked why she turned to marathon racing her answer is simple: ““It’s because I have a good endurance and, money-wise, I find it better.”

Although she has not been to Toronto before coach Gemedu Dedefo made the journey a few years ago and will undoubtedly have some excellent insight into how best to race the course. And, travelling with her from Addis will be previously announced Ethiopian stars Derara Hurisa, Adugna Takele, and Yohans Mekasha who will feature strongly in the men’s race while Waganesh Mekasha will battle with Afera for the $20,000 first place prize money.

Once again, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon promises a memorable contest and the Ethiopian flag will surely be waved in celebration at the finish.

About the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series (CRS). Since 2017, the race has served as the Athletics Canada national marathon championship race and has doubled as the Olympic trials. Using innovation and organization as guiding principles, Canada Running Series stages great experiences for runners of all levels, from Canadian Olympians to recreational and charity runners. With a mission of “building community through the sport of running,” CRS is committed to making sport part of sustainable communities and the city-building process.

To learn more about the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, visit TorontoWaterFrontMarathon.com.

Why Agnes Ngetich's world record will not be ratified

Ngetich broke the women-only world 10km record at the Trunsylvania 10km but her record will not be ratified.

Agnes Ngetich made headlines two weeks ago as she oozed class to win the women’s 10km and break the women-only world 10km record at the Trunsylvania 10km, a World Athletics Elite Label road race held as part of the Brasov Running Festival in Romania.

Ngetich clocked 29:24 to cut the tape first ahead of Catherine Reline who finished second in 30:14 as Joy Cheptoyek of Uganda completed the podium in 30:34.

However, the 22-year-old’s record will not be ratified, as the course was found to be short by 25m. The race organisers made the announcement on their Facebook page, indicating that the course did not meet the standards of World Athletics.

When any world record is broken, World Athletics is required to re-measure the course to ensure it meets the required distance.

A part of the lengthy post on Facebook read: “During the homologation process of the World Record set by Agnes Ngetich, that required a remeasurement, it was indicated that the course used in Brasov, on September 10, differed with 25m from the certified circuit.

Although barely relevant in relation to the 36 seconds that Agnes Ngetich took from the previous World Record, this difference makes the result technically non-ratifiable.”

With her world record not being ratified, this means that the previous 10K record of 30:01, was set by the late Agnes Tirop. The women’s 5k record of 14:29, set by Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi in 2021 will also stand.

Sheila Chepkirui hungry for more success after Berlin Marathon exploits

Chepkirui finished second behind record holder Tigist Assefa and she is now eyeing more success.

Berlin Marathon runner-up Sheila Chepkirui is definitely the lady going to watch when it comes to the full marathon.

Chepkirui defied all odds to finish second behind newly-crowned world record holder Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia. She has now set her sights on winning one of the major races since she believes she has all it takes to achieve her dream.

She has now competed in two World Marathon Majors, the London Marathon where she finished fourth, and now the Berlin Marathon where she has finished second.

Speaking to Capital Sport, she said: “I’m happy to finish in the podium bracket in one of the Major Marathons.

I pray that one day I win one of the major races. I don’t know where I will run next…right now I shall be taking a break to just rest.”

She made her debut at the Valencia Marathon last year where she finished third and so far, her progress has been smooth.

She extended her hand of gratitude to the fans who showed up and cheered her on as she went ahead to finish second.

“I thank them for praying for me and supporting me…that was motivation enough for me to execute a good run,” she said.

Ethiopia’s Derara Hurisa targets victory at TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Derara Hurisa is the latest in a long list of Ethiopian greats to commit to the 2023 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon scheduled for October 15th.Once again, the event is a World Athletics Elite Label race. The 26-year-old has had an extraordinary marathon career to date ever since winning his debut at the 2020 Mumbai Marathon. There he ran 2:08:09 which remains his personal bestdespite a few other memorable outings.Two years ago Hurisa won the Guadalajara Marathon at 1,600m altitude in Mexico eight months after achieving notoriety for all the wrong reasons in Vienna.

Hurisa, then still relatively young at 23 years of age, crossed the finish line first at the Vienna Marathon. He clocked a time of 2:09:22 three seconds ahead of Kenya’s Leonard Langat. No sooner had Hurisa crossed the finish then officials approached him and within minutes he was disqualified.

World Athletics has instigated strict rules to limit the thickness of racing shoes. It was found that Hurisa had worn a different pair of shoes to those he submitted in the pre-race inspection. They were one centimeter too thick. It is believed this was the first time a marathoner had been disqualified under these rules.

“My preparation for Vienna marathon was very good,” he says looking back on the incident. “I had to switch my shoes because it was my very first time putting on those shoes. It wasn’t the shoes I wore when I was in training. So I decided to switch and use them without knowing it was different. The color was similar.”

Not only did he run himself to exhaustion over the 42.2 kilometers but the €10,000 first-place prize money went to Langat. He admits he was very angry to learn of his mistake.

“I was shocked by that news when (Eritrean runner) Tadesse Abraham told me that I was disqualified,” he remembers, “because it wasn’t something I was expecting. Yes, I was angry, definitely.”

As an indication of Hurisa’s potential Langat returned to Vienna a year later and finished second in 2:06:59. The Ethiopian believes he is capable of times quicker than this.

Since then he has put the disappointment behind him. Earlier this year he finished second in the Stockholm Marathon. The race features many of the sites of the Swedish capital. But can also be challenging due to its numerous turns and warm June weather. His time there was a modest 2:11:01 on a hot day. Toronto Waterfront Marathon has far fewer turns and with a course record of 2:05:00 (Philemon Rono of Kenya) is far more inviting. He is optimistic of a great run in Toronto after some good early training sessions.

“It’s going great and yes, I’m pleased with my fitness level more than ever,” he reports. “I have been training for six or seven days in a week. Compared to previous marathon buildups it has been much better.”

Asked to reveal his goal for Toronto he is concise and to the point: “I would like to achieve a victory with a good time.”

Hurisa grew up in Ambo in western Ethiopia. Kenenisa Bekele was inspired by him winning the three-time Olympic titles and setting world 5,000m and 10,000m records. Hurisa was recruited by the Bahrain Athletics Federation after a cross-country race in Oromia. He was still in his teens.

For three years he lived in the oil-rich country earning a salary to run.  At the 2015 World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang, China he placed 22nd in the Under-20 race helping Bahrain to a 4th place finish. A year later though he went back to Ethiopia and now travels on an Ethiopian passport.

These days he is focused on the marathon under the watchful eye of coach Gemedu Dedefo and enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.

“I like to spend my time with my family – I’m married and I have one boy and one girl – and I like going to church,” he explains. “I do return to my birth village whenever there is holiday.”

Conditions are likely to be cooler in Toronto compared to what he experienced in Mumbai. Clearly, he will be prepared to run with the leaders. And he is certainly due some good luck.

Assefa smashes world marathon record in Berlin with 2:11:53, Kipchoge achieves record fifth win

Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa successfully defended her BMW Berlin Marathon title in style, smashing the world record with 2:11:53* while distance running legend Eliud Kipchoge notched up a record fifth victory at the World Athletics Platinum Label road race in the German capital on Sunday (24).

Assefa took more than two minutes off the women’s world record of 2:14:04, which had been set by Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei at the 2019 Chicago Marathon. Kipchoge, meanwhile, won by 31 seconds in 2:02:42, the fifth-fastest time of his illustrious career.

The men’s and women’s races unfolded in contrasting style.

A large pack of the leading contenders ran together through the early stages of the women’s race, passing through 5km in 15:58. 13 women were still in contact with the lead as they passed through 10km in 31:45.

By the time 15km was reached in 47:26, Assefa and compatriot Workenesh Edesa had managed to open up a slight gap on Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui and Ethiopia’s 2015 world 5000m silver medallist Senbere Teferi and Zeineba Yimer. The first 12 women were strung out, but still within 15 seconds of one another – and all were running inside world record pace.

Sensing that most of her rivals were already starting to fade, Assefa took greater command of the race by throwing in a 2:59 split for the 16th kilometre. By the time she reached 17km, Assefa had dropped Edesa, the last of her opponents, and had just a few male pacemakers for company.

Assefa seemed to grow in confidence – and pace – once she knew she was alone at the front of the pack, and she went on to reach the half-way point in 1:06:20, putting her on track to smash the world record by more than a minute.

And then she sped up. The next kilometre was covered in 2:48, the fastest of the race up to that point, extending her advantage over Edesa and Chepkirui.  Assefa’s 25km split of 1:18:40 was still well inside world record schedule; Chepkirui and Edesa, now almost a minute behind the leader, had dropped off the pace, but were still on course for huge PBs.

Assefa, still looking incredibly relaxed and composed, covered the next 10km segments in a remarkable 31:02, bringing her to 35km in 1:49:41. Her 30km split was 1:34:12, the second-fastest mark in history for that checkpoint (behind Ruth Chepngetich’s 1:34:01 from the 2022 Chicago Marathon).

But while Chepngetich faded badly in that race last year, Assefa went from strength to strength in the closing stages in Berlin.

She got to 40km in 2:05:13, following another 15:32 5km split, putting her on course for a finishing time in the 2:12 range. Spurred on by the knowledge that the world record was in the bag, Assefa picked up her pace in the closing kilometres and charged through the finish line in 2:11:53.

Chepkirui held on to second place in 2:17:49, while Tanzania’s Magdalena Shauri made a remarkable breakthrough to take third place in 2:18:41, a huge national record.

A record eight women finished inside 2:20.

Berlin victory no.5 for Kipchoge

Kipchoge may not have improved on his own world record, but he added to his legacy on the streets of Berlin by achieving a record fifth win, clocking 2:02:42.

The two-time Olympic champion eventually won by 31 seconds, but for most of the race he had company in the surprising form of Ethiopia's Derseh Kindie.

The duo made an early break from the rest of the field, reaching 5km in 14:12 with a 15-second margin over the rest of the elite men. By 10km, reached in 28:27, they were operating at exactly 2:00:00 marathon pace and more than half a minute ahead of the seven-man chase pack.

Kipchoge and Kindie continued to run together at world record schedule through the half-way point, reached in 1:00:22, but the pace started to drop soon after. By the time they got to 25km (1:11:48), they were no longer on schedule to break Kipchoge's record of 2:01:09 set last year in Berlin.

But records weren't Kipchoge's main concern; he had company in the form of a relatively unheralded runner up to 30km (1:26:25), so his attention was primarily on securing victory.

At about 31km into the race, Kipchoge increased his tempo and, with a cursary glance over his shoulder to see if Kindie was able to follow, knew it was enough to see off his opponent. The Kenyan great was alone in front at last, while Kindie continued for another minute or so before stepping off the course.

Kipchoge still had more than 10km to go, but his lead was comfortable and his form was controlled and relaxed. He went on to win in 2:02:42, while a fast-finishing Vincent Kipkemoi came through to take second place in 2:03:13. Ethiopia's Tadese Takele was third in 2:03:24.

A record nine men finished inside 2:05 and 15 finished inside 2:06, making it the deepest men's marathon in history. There were national records for Germany's Amanal Petros (ninth in 2:04:58) and Switzerland's Tadesse Abraham (11th in 2:05:10).

Berlin Marathon: will the women’s course record fall again?

Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa will be aiming for the course record once more in Berlin on Sunday, in the deepest elite field in the race’s 49-year history, including seven runners with  sub-2:20 personal bests.

In 2022, Assefa astounded fans by improving her best by over 18 minutes, taking more than two and a half minutes off the course record with her time of 2:15:37, and earning the unique status of the only woman to break sub-two minutes for the 800m and sub 2:20 for the marathon.

“I’m delighted to be running again in Berlin,” 26-year-old Assefa said at the elite women’s press conference on Thursday. “Last year’s race proved an unexpected success for me. I think I can run even faster on Sunday, a further improvement would be a success,” she said.

Will Assefa be setting her sights on the world record of 2:14:04? She felt that might be too ambitious: “Much can happen so I cannot say at the moment what would be the halfway split,” she said on Thursday. “I want to improve my time but I am not thinking about the world record.”

Assefa will face a serious challenge from Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui, who set a new course record at the 2022 Berlin Half Marathon in a blistering 65:02. She also took third in a speedy Valencia Marathon in 2:17:29, and ran 2:18:51 in London in April for fourth place. “My aim is to break my personal best. I can imagine going through the first half on Sunday in around 68 minutes,” she said.

Challenges could also come from Assefa’s compatriots Tigist Abayechew, third in Berlin in 2022, Hiwot Gebrekidan, second in Berlin in 2021 and Workenesh Edesa, who was fourth last year. “The women’s course record of 2:15:37 is an absolute world-class time,” said the race director Mark Milde. “But, given the strong field, we hope that this can be broken.”

Many of the elite field will simply be hoping to achieve the Olympic standard of 2:26:50.

Canada’s Malindi Elmore will toe the line

Malindi Elmore of Kelowna, B.C. looks to be in fine form to run on the same course where Natasha Wodak broke Elmore’s Canadian marathon record last year. In May, Elmore threw down a gutsy performance at the 2023 Tartan Ottawa International Marathon, where her goal was to get the Olympic standard; she was on pace through 30K and sitting in fourth position. Over the final 12 kilometres, she moved up two spots to finish second, but missed the standard by less than a minute. It seems unlikely she plans to reclaim her Canadian record (which is three minutes faster than the Olympic standard) this weekend, but as all marathon fans know, anything can–and usually does–happen.

A record number of 47,912 runners from 156 nations have entered the 49th edition of the BMW Berlin Marathon. Germany’s most spectacular road race is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors (AWMM) and is also a Platinum Label Road Race of World Athletics. The men’s press conference will be held on Friday, September 22.

10 Things to Know About the 2023 Berlin Marathon

Here’s how you can watch the race, track runners, and register for next year

More than 45,000 runners are expected to participate in the Berlin Marathon on September 24 in Germany’s capital city. It’s the 49th edition of the race and one of the six World Marathon Majors races along with races in Chicago, New York, Boston, London and Tokyo. The weather forecast is calling for cloudy and cool conditions on race morning in Berlin, so fast times are once again expected.

Here’s a rundown of 10 noteworthy elements about this year’s race.

The Berlin Marathon has produced 12 world records—more than any other marathon—since its inception in 1974, including the past eight men’s records since 2003. Kenya legend Eliud Kipchoge lowered the world record for the fastest official marathon ever run (2:01:09) last year in Berlin, and it’s also where he ran the previous world record (2:01:39) in 2018.

Berlin has produced six of the top 10 fastest men’s times in history, including three of the four sub-2:02 efforts (including the 2:01:41 run by Kenenisa Bekele in 2019). It hasn’t been quite as fast for women, however it has been the site of three women’s world records, most recently when Japan’s Naoko Takahashi ran the world’s first sub-2:20 marathon (2:19:46) in 2001. Last year, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa won the women’s race in 2:15:37, which, at the time, was the second-fastest marathon ever run and now ranks fifth.

Berlin is the flattest course of all the World Marathon Majors, with a total elevation gain of 241 feet and loss of 260 feet. (The biggest “hills” come between miles 16 and 20, but they max out at less than 30 feet of gain.) Berlin annually produces some of the fastest pro results in the world, in part because it’s a flat course, but also because the race organization provides pacemakers (auxilliary runners who set an optimal pace but only run about a portion of the course before dropping out) so the opportunity for fast times are assured. (There are no pacemakers at the Chicago, New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon, so those races play out only by the tactics of the runners in the field.) But the fast elite times, flat course, and typically cool weather conditions have attracted age-group runners targeting new PRs, too.

Running legend Eliud Kipchoge, universally accepted as the G.O.A.T. of marathoning, has won 15 of the 18 marathons he has entered, including the past two Olympics. Berlin is where he’s had most of this success, dating back to his first victory in 2015 and he has since also won there in 2017, 2018, and 2022. Can he add one more victory to his total?

He lowered his own world record to 2:01:09 last year by averaging 14:21.4 per 5K, or 4:37 per mile. However, the 38-year-old Kenyan is coming off an uncharacteristically disappointing race at the 2023 Boston Marathon, where he finished sixth in 2:09:23. Will he approach another world record? “My aim is to always run a good race,” he said recently. “Berlin is like home for me. In view of the Olympic Games next year in Paris, I thought about which race could be the best preparation for the Games for me, and Berlin is the best option.”

Including Kipchoge, the men’s field in Berlin includes 10 runners who have run faster than 2:06 and seven more who have broken 2:07, including last year’s runner-up Mark Korir (2:05:58). Kipchoge should be challenged by fellow Kenyan Amos Kipruto, who owns a 2:03:13 from his runner-up showing at last year’s Tokyo Marathon. The winner of the 2022 London Marathon last fall (2:04:39), Kipruto, 31, placed a distant second in the 2018 Berlin Marathon behind Kipchoge (2:06:23) and owns a bronze medal in the marathon from the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha.

Other top runners in the field include Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor, who ran 2:04:23 to place second at the London Marathon in April, Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese, who was second (2:02:48) in Berlin in 2019 and Kenya’s Wilson Kipsang, 41, a former winner in Berlin, New York, and Tokyo. However, Kipsang, who lowered the world record to 2:03:23 on the Berlin course in 2013, is coming off a four-year ban for missing drug tests in 2018 and 2019.

Last year, Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa, a 2016 Olympian in the 800-meter run, entered the race as an untested marathon (with a PR of 2:34:01) and surprised everyone with her 2:15:37 victory in the third-fastest time ever.The 26-year-old is back this year but hasn’t run any races because she’s been sidelined with a few nagging injuries.

Her biggest competitor will likely be Sheila Chepkirui, who holds a personal best of 2:17:29 from last December’s Valencia Marathon. She’s a former African Cross Country Championships winner and was the bronze medalist in the 10,000-meter run at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Other top women runners include Ethiopians Tigist Abayechew (2:18:03), Workenesh Edesa (2:18.51), and Hiwot Gebrekidan (2:19:10).

Scott Fauble, a three-time seventh-place finisher at the Boston Marathon (including this year in 2:09:44), is racing Berlin with the hopes of securing the Olympic-qualifying standard of 2:08:10. The 31-year-old runner from Portland, Oregon, will still need a top-three finish at the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon on February 4 in Orlando, but securing the time will give him a leg up on qualifying for the Paris Olympics next summer.

Also racing in Berlin are 2016 U.S. Olympian Jared Ward (Provo, Utah) and 2020 U.S. Olympian Jake Riley (Boulder, Colorado). Ward, 35, owns a 2:09:25 personal best, but he hasn’t run faster than 2:12 since his sixth-place finish (2:10:45) in the New York City Marathon in 2019. The 34-year-old Riley, who owns a 2:10:02 PR, is coming back after having double Achilles surgery in July 2022 to correct Haglund’s syndrome (the second time in his career), and hopes to run in the 2:12-2:14 range.  Ethiopian-born Teshome Mekonen, who recently received U.S. citizenship, will also be racing in Berlin. The 28-year-old, who lives in New York City, has a 1:00:02 half-marathon personal best and lowered his marathon personal best to 2:11:05 last January in Houston.

Annie Frisbie is the top American runner in the women’s field in Berlin. The 26-year-old from Hopkins, Minnesota, made her marathon debut at the 2021 New York City Marathon with an impressive seventh-place finish (2:26:18). She’s continued to run well since then, placing 20th (2:28:45) in the 2023 Boston Marathon (2:28:45) and most recently finishing fifth (1:07:27) at the U.S. 20K Championships on September 4 in New Haven, Connecticut. Frisbie was a Wisconsin state champion runner in high school and an All-American runner for Iowa State University.

The Berlin Marathon was started in 1974 by Horst Milde, a German baker and running enthusiast. When it began at the height of the Cold War and East Berlin being sealed off by a wall, the marathon was run only in West Berlin. Since 1990, it has started and ended near the Brandenburg Gate, sending runners on a jagged loop through the city—including the neighborhoods of Charlottenburg, Tiergarten, Moabit, Mitte, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Neukölln, Schöneberg, Friedenau, and Zehlendorf. Runners will pass tourist sites like the Reichstag building, the Siegessäule (Victory Column), Berlin Cathedral, and Potsdamer Platz. Live music is played at more than 60 locations along the course, including at all the famous landmarks.

The inaugural Berlin Marathon had 244 finishers; 234 men and 10 women, and was won by Günter Hallas (2:44:53) and Jutta von Haase (3:22:01), respectively. Last year, the race had 34,788 finishers, including 23,280 men (67 percent) and 11,508 women (33 percent). The last German runners to claim victory were Irina Mikitenko (2:19:19) in 2008 and Ingo Sensburg (2:16:48) in 1980. No American man or woman has ever won the Berlin Marathon.

The Berlin Marathon has an inline skating division for 500 participants that begins at 3:30 P.M. after all runners are cleared from the course. The skater course record of 56:46 was set last year by Belgian Bart Swings, and he’s back this year aiming for his ninth victory. In the women’s race, all eyes are on last year’s winner, Marie Dupuy of France, in 1:11:19. All finishers of the inline skating division are eligible to enter the 2024 Berlin Marathon as runners.

The race, which starts at 9:15 A.M. local time (or 3:15 A.M. ET in the U.S.), will be broadcast worldwide by several TV partners, but not in North America. However, several websites offer live streaming so people can watch the Berlin Marathon from anywhere in the world, especially if you’re a VPN subscriber. Watch Athletics will be broadcasting the race online in real time for free, while FloTrack’s livestream requires a subscription ($29.99 for one month) in order to view their livestream. Runners can be tracked via the Berlin Marathon website’s Results page, or via the BMW Berlin Marathon App app available on Apple or Google Play.

Race day begins with the elite handbike division at 8:50 A.M., followed by the wheelchair and handcycle divisions at 8:57 A.M. Runners are sent off in four waves beginning at 9:15 A.M., starting with the men’s and women’s elite waves. The race has a strict time limit of 6 hours, 15 minutes as well as course closure times at the 33K/20.5-mile mark (3:50 P.M.) and 38K/23.6-mile mark (4:35 P.M.). Runners who have not reached those points by those times can continue on the sidewalks alongside the course or get a ride on the course-sweeping bus.

Entry to the 2024 Berlin Marathon, which is slated for September 29, 2024, will be done via a lottery that will open in October. You can enter the lottery as a solo runner or as a team consisting of two or three people. (If the team is drawn, all persons from the team are included.) Lottery dates for 2024 have not yet been announced, but the draw for the 2023 edition took place in December 2022.

If you’re selected, the registration fee will be about $160 euros. You can also secure a guaranteed spot in the race based on previous marathon times. In 2023, female runners up to 44 years old qualified if they ran faster than 3:00; female runners up to 59 years old qualified if they ran under 3:20; and female runners over 60 years qualified if they ran under 4:10. For men, the qualifying times were 2:45 (up to 44 years old), 2:55 (46-59 years old), 3:25 (60 and older.)

If you don’t get in through the lottery, you may still be able to get into the race via a charity bib or through tour operators.

Chepkirui hunting for new PB in Berlin showdown with Ethiopia's Tigest Assefa

Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui and Ethiopian Tigest Assefa gear up for the Berlin Marathon showdown, aiming to break records and secure Olympics

Kenyan marathoner Sheila Chepkirui is preparing to compete in the women's contest at the 2023 Berlin Marathon against a formidable Ethiopian lineup, led by the defending champion, Tigest Assefa.

Chepkirui, who finished fourth at the London Marathon last April, carries an impressive personal best of 2:17:29 from the Valencia Marathon last year. 

Assefa made headlines last year by posting an incredible time of 2:15:37 at the Berlin Marathon, setting a new course record and establishing herself as one of the fastest marathon runners in history. 

Chepkirui, a Kenya Defence Forces soldier and a former Africa cross country champion, has already proven her mettle on the international stage by clinching the 10,000m bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK. 

Ethiopian runners dominate the list of fastest women's runners at this year's Berlin Marathon, with Tigist Abayechew (2:18:03), Workenesh Edesa (2:18:51), and Hiwot Gebrekidan (2:19:10) all boasting impressive sub-2:20 times. Amane Beriso, the winner of last year's Valencia Marathon, adds further depth to the Ethiopian contingent.

However, all eyes will be on Chepkirui, who hails from Kiptere Secondary School in Kericho and boasts a remarkable half marathon personal best of 64:36. Her determination to excel is evident, as she aims to make up for her absence at the Boston Marathon last April due to visa issues.

Chepkirui, who runs under the Ikaika Sports stable, is the sole Kenyan representative in the Berlin Marathon after Margaret Wangare withdrew due to injury. Her marathon journey began at last year's Valencia Marathon, where she impressed with a third-place finish and a personal best time of 2:17:29. Now, she is focused on breaking her own record.

"My aim is to break my personal best. I can imagine going through the first half on Sunday in around 68 minutes," said the 32-year-old Chepkirui.

Tigst Assefa, the defending champion, is also eager to make her mark once again in Berlin. Reflecting on her remarkable performance last year, where she shattered the course record, Assefa expressed her delight at returning to the event.

"Last year's race proved an unexpected success for me. I think I can run even faster on Sunday, a further improvement would be a success," said Tigst Assefa. 

While she remains focused on improving her time, she is cautious about discussing the world record of 2:14:04.

Both Chepkirui and Assefa have an additional goal in the BMW Berlin Marathon: securing Olympic qualifying times. Given the fierce competition in Ethiopia and Kenya, achieving the necessary times for Olympic qualification will require exceptional performances.

Two more Ethiopian athletes, Tigist Abayechew with a personal best of 2:18:03 and Workenesh Edesa with a best time of 2:18:51, are making their return to Berlin. Last year, they, along with Tigst Assefa, achieved an unofficial world team record of 6:52:31.

Mark Milde, the race director, expressed optimism about the potential for records to be broken, saying, "The women's course record of 2:15:37 is an absolute world-class time. But, given the strong field, we hope that this can be broken."

The elite women's field at the Berlin Marathon boasts both breadth and depth. Japan's Hitomi Niiya, with a personal best of 2:19:24, has the potential to challenge her national record set 18 years ago on the same course. Another athlete to watch is Ethiopian Senbere Teferi, a world record holder for 5km on the road with a time of 14:29.

In addition to the international competition, a fierce contest is expected among German women. The German contingent, featuring athletes like the Schöneborn twins, Deborah and Rabea, Domenika Mayer, Kristina Hendel, and Laura Hottenrott, has a strong presence with personal bests ranging from 2:25 to 2:27.

Eliud Kipchoge is ready for a fast race in Berlin

Once again the best marathon runner of all time will be on the start line of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. The double Olympic champion from Kenya, who brought his own world record down to 2:01:09 a year ago in Berlin, will be almost compelled to go all out for a fast time on Sunday, such is the enormously competitive running scene among his compatriots where only an extremely fast time within the Olympic qualifying mark will secure one of the three places for the Kenyan men’s team in the Olympic Marathon in Paris next year.

Eliud Kipchoge’s ambition in Paris is to become the first runner in history to win three Olympic Marathon titles. The Kenyan is aiming to use the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON almost as a springboard to book his place in Paris. While Eliud Kipchoge could strike up a world record pace at the head of the field, Germany’s marathon star Amanal Petros seeks an unprecedented achievement in the history of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON by becoming the first to set a men’s national record here, a feat so far never accomplished in the previous 48 editions of the event.

A record number of 47,912 runners from 156 nations have entered the 49th edition of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. Germany’s most spectacular road race is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors (AWMM) and is also a Platinum Label Road Race of World Athletics.

“We feel honoured that the best marathon runner in sporting history, Eliud Kipchoge, has decided to run the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON for a sixth time. This confirms the outstanding status of the event and raises hopes for an exceptional result,” said race director Mark Milde, who has organized Kipchoge’s previous five races in Berlin.

“Berlin for me is like home. Looking at the Olympic Games in Paris next year, I considered which races would be the best preparation for me and Berlin was the best option,” explained Eliud Kipchoge. A year ago his pace for much of the early stages of the race suggested he might even break two hours. “But that was 2022, it’s a different year now and a different race,” said the 38-year-old. Winning in Berlin for the fifth time would give him more titles here than any other champion. He is currently level with the legendary Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie on four victories.

It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that Eliud Kipchoge breaks the world record for the third time in Berlin, although he did not announce any definite goals at the press conference. “I’m nervous, but that shows I’m ready,” said Kipchoge. “I’ll try to run a good time.” Of his 20 marathons, Eliud Kipchoge has emerged victorious in all but three, in itself a unique achievement.

The man with the second fastest time going into the race is also Kenyan, Amos Kipruto. He ran his personal best of 2:03:13 in Tokyo last year, finishing runner-up to Eliud Kipchoge. “My aim on Sunday is to run a personal best,” stated Amos Kipruto, whose career highlight so far is winning the London Marathon last year.

A dozen men on the start list show best times of under 2:06, proof of the strength in depth among the elite in this year’s BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. “It would be fair to say that every elite runners comes to Berlin to run their personal best,” admitted Mark Milde.

Amanal Petros has as his goal in his BMW BERLIN-MARATHON debut that of breaking his own German record of 2:06:07 by a clear margin. “I’ve trained in Kenya for almost four months at altitude of 2,400 metres, concentrating entirely on Berlin. That was very challenging,” said the 28-year-old. “Going through halfway in around 62 minutes is feasible but we can adjust the pace at any time.”

Not only the German but the Swiss national record for the marathon could come under pressure. Tadesse Abraham improved his best to 2:06:38 as a 39-year-old last year in Zurich. Now turned 41, he might even threaten the world masters record of none other than Kenenisa Bekele, who ran 2:05:53 in London last year.

Men’s elite runners with personal bests

Eliud Kipchoge KEN 2:01:09  

not record eligible:1:59:40,2

Amos KiprutoKEN2:03:13

Jonathan MaiyoKEN2:04:56

Eliud Kiptanui KEN 2:05:21

Ghirmay Ghebreslassie ERI 2:05:34

Ronald KorirKEN2:05:37

Tadu Abate ETH 2:05:38

Philemon KiplimoKEN2:05:44

Enock Onchari KEN 2:05:47

Mark Korir KEN 2:05:49

Andualem ShiferawETH2:05:52

Haftu TekluETH2:05:53

Amanal PetrosGER2:06:27

Josphat BoitKEN2:06:34

Tadesse Abraham SUI 2:06:38

Okubay Tsegay ERI2:06:46

Abel KipchumbaKEN2:06:49

Yusuke Ogura JPN2:06:51

Denis ChirchirKEN2:07:17

Eyob Faniel ITA 2:07:19

Justus KangogoKEN2:07:40

Titus Kipkosgei KEN2:07:46

Godadaw BelachewISR2:07:54

Dominic Nyairo KEN2:08:13

Derseh Kindie ETH 2:08:23

Guojian Dong CHN2:08:28

Liam Adams AUS 2:08:39

Scott FaubleUSA2:08:52

Hendrik Pfeiffer GER 2:10:18

Samuel Fitwi GER 2:12:14

Konstantin Wedel GER 2:13:02

Kenyan Sharon Cherop to chase after personal best at Buenos Aires Marathon

Former world championships bronze medalist Sharon Cherop will be chasing after a personal best at the Buenos Aires marathon set for this Sunday in Argentina.

Cherop, who has a PB of 2:22:28, said she has been hard at work in preparing for the South American race. She wants to atone for her defeat by former world champion Ruth Chenpngetich in the 21km race during the Standard Chartered Marathon last month.

“I really don’t have a specific time that I will be chasing but I want some good time at the end of the day. I want to run better than I did in the half marathon,” said Cherop.

The 2012 Boston Marathon champion said she is buoyed by her performance at April's Milan Marathon, where she clocked 2:26:13.

In Milan, she edged out Ethiopian Ethlemahu Sintayehu (2:26:30) and compatriot Emily Chebet (2:28:08).

"I am really trying to come back stronger after being out for so long. I want to have a good time. I pray that it will be favorable this time around,” she said.

The 2002 world junior 5,000m bronze medalist has a good history in marathon running since winning bronze at the 2011 World Championships behind winner Edna Kiplagat and Prisach Jeptoo in an all-Kenyan podium sweep.

The Tirap Primary School alumna also won the Toronto Waterfront Marathon and finished third at the 2011 Boston Marathon before winning the race the following year.

“Weather can also be a factor and as athletes, we always look forward to favorable conditions,” said the former New Delhi Half Marathon silver medalist.

Apart from road running, she also competed at the Discovery Kenya cross country in 2002, where she was third. She has also won the Eldoret City Marathon.

Former world 10,000m silver medalist Paul Tanui will lead the men's contingent that has Cornelius Kibet, and Edwin Kibet among others. 

Elvis Cheboi carries Kenyan hopes at TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Although he may not have the fastest personal best time in the field Kenya’s Elvis Cheboi will certainly be a contender when the 2023 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon gets underway on October 15th.

The 27-year-old made his debut at the Vienna Marathon April 23rd and after running with the leaders through the first half in 62:44 he struggled home in 7th place with a time of 2:10:21. The result left him wondering if he would ever put himself through such torture again.

“It was tough but I accepted it,” he says with a smile during a video call from Iten, Kenya. “You see, it was my first attempt so I can say I tried my best.

“After I finished I felt like I would never again run the marathon. My body was feeling pain. My coach Gabriele (Nicola) helped me and encouraged me with a lot of wisdom and said ‘don’t give up you will do it one day’.”

At this point coach Nicola, who is sitting with him in the lobby of Kerio View Hotel listening in, interjects pointing out that five months before Vienna his charge had recorded a personal best half marathon time of 59:15 to finish 3rd at the Barcelona Half Marathon. That’s ten seconds faster than world marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge has ever run. Unfortunately, when Cheboi returned to Iten following that splendid result it was with a slight injury. 

The pair had expected he was capable of running 2:06 or 2:07 in Vienna. Indeed the race was won in 2:05:08 by his countryman Samwel Mailu.

“This time we started preparation for Toronto in June,” Nicola reveals. “Immediately his body started to react the way it reacted when he ran 59:15 for the half marathon in 2022.

“Now he is building the shape. It’s not hard to imagine him running sub 2:06. He will be ready to run well. How well? We will see on the streets of Toronto.”

Cheboi trains with the Demadonna Athletic group in Iten. Among the 35 athletes that train with Nicola about a dozen stay at the Kerio View Hotel through the week but Cheboi isn’t one of them. That’s because he and his wife, Ruth Korir, have two very young children – a daughter named Sharline Jerotich, 5, and a 1-year-old son, Shalom Kiplagat.

Their house is about five kilometres from the training centre and sits on some land they own.

“When I am done with training, like this evening, I play with my children and also teach my girl, who is now in school, how to do her homework,” he says. “I help her with education.

“At night I usually watch television mostly CNN. My favourite is CNN and maybe National Geographic. There are so many animals on that channel.”

Like many professional runners in East Africa he is using his earnings from running to prepare for his family’s future.

“Back at my home I also farm,” he says with a smile. “I have animals and also plant maize, potatoes and wheat. This year I have cows, sheep and goats and also I planted some wheat and maize. You know, here in Kenya we like maize because of Ugali.”

Ugali, of course, is a staple on the tables at homes in Kenya and served often with beef stew.

Among those he trains with are two world-class marathoners in Joshua Belet who ran 2:04:33 in the 2023 Hamburg Marathon and Kiprono Kipkemoi who was second at Toronto Waterfront Marathon last year.

“I don’t know much about Toronto but I asked Kiprono about Toronto but he didn’t tell me much yet,” he says. “But I will meet with him again about it.”

Among Nicola’s female athletes is Magdalyne Masai who set a Toronto Waterfront Marathon course record of 2:22:16 in 2019. The coach has arranged a meeting with her so Cheboi can gain more insight into the course and all its features.

“It’s not exactly like a refreshment station but you learn to drink on the run,” Nicola explains. “Secondly you will know how to grab a bottle and not lose time during the race.”

Unusual for a Kenyan runner when asked whose performances inspired him when he was starting out as a runner Cheboi answers ‘Kenenisa Bekele,’ the Ethiopian superstar who won three Olympic gold medals and held the world 5,000m and 10,000m records until 2020.

“I can say I love Bekele. The way he ran and also from his background of running until now,” he admits although he has never met his idol.

“I encouraged myself. How Bekele runs his performances from way back you see he ran very well.”

Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay sets 5,000m world record at Prefontaine Classic

On Sunday afternoon at the Diamond League Final in Eugene, Ore., world 10,000m champion Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay almost achieved the unthinkable: breaking the women’s 5,000m world record in 14:00.20—nearly becoming the first woman in history to run a 5K under 14 minutes.

Tsegay surpassed the previous 5,000m world record of 14:05.20 by five seconds, which was set by her rival Faith Kipyegon earlier this year at the Paris Diamond League. Tsegay battled with world cross-country champion Beatrice Chebet until the final three laps when the Ethiopian pulled ahead.

The pace for the 5,000m final was set for 14:00 flat, with the pacers taking Tsegay and Chebet through 3,000m in 8:26.03. Tsegay threw down a 2:09 final 800m to shake off Chebet and become the first woman to threaten the 14-minute 5K barrier.

Chebet finished second behind Tsegay in 14:05.92, the third-fastest time in history. Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye rounded out the Diamond League 5,000m final podium in 14:21.52. Kipyegon chose to run the 1,500m on Saturday and did not enter the women’s 5,000m at the Prefontaine Classic.

Tsegay had an up-and-down 2023 season, winning the world 10,000m title in Budapest, then finishing a disappointing 13th place in the world 5,000m final several days later.

This is the second world record of Tsegay’s career. In 2021, she ran an indoor 1,500m world record of 3:53.09 in northern France.

Edward Cheserek, Irine Cheptai set PBs 2023 Copenhagen Half Marathon

Edward Cheserek and Irine Cheptai set personal bests on their way to leading the men and women 2023 Copenhagen Half Marathon results on Sunday. The Top 25 results below shows Edward Cheserek running 59:11 and Irine Cheptai clocking 1:05:53

The 2023 Copenhagen Half Marathon results and report on Sunday, 17 September, as Kenyan runners Edward Cheserek and Irine Cheptai won the men’s and women’s respective titles with a pair of quality runs to set personal bests in the Elite races.

On the men’s side, the top six finishers went faster than 60 minutes today, led by Cheserek, who crossed the finishing line at a new personal best time of 59:11. This was the first time Cheserek was breaking 60 minutes for the half marathon with his previous PB of 1:00:13 set in 2022 in Valencia.

Following the former Oregon Duck and NCAA standout home on Sunday was his countryman Bernard Koech, who clocked 59:13 in second place. Ethiopia’s Gemechu Dida ran 59:31 for third place and completed the podium.

The women’s 2023 Copenhagen Half Marathon results and report was led by three-time world champion Irine Cheptai from Kenya, who set a new personal best today, stopping the clock at 1:05:53.

Kenyan runners swept the podium in the women’s race with Winfridah Moseti finishing in second place with 1:06:40, followed by countryman Jesca Chelangat, who ran 1:07:03 for third.

Meanwhile, Jacob Sommer Simonsen was top Denmark finisher today, clocking in at 1:03:40 to take the national title and finishing 25th overall.

On the women’s side, the national winner was Carolien Millenaar, who ran 1:14:50 for first-place among the Denmark runners and

Saina and El Goumri win Sydney Marathon titles

USA’s Betsy Saina held off a late challenge from Ethiopia’s Rahma Tusa to take the women’s title, while Othmane El Goumri claimed the men’s race win at the Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS, a World Athletics Platinum Label road race, on Sunday (17).

Saina, who finished fifth at the Tokyo Marathon in March, clocked 2:26:47 to win by six seconds ahead of Tusa, while Gladys Chesir claimed third place in 2:28:41.

El Goumri’s winning time was 2:08:20 as he triumphed by 23 seconds ahead of Kenya’s Laban Kipngetich, with Ethiopia’s Getaneh Molla placing third in 2:11:22.

Racing on a hot morning, Saina formed part of a pack that passed 10km in 34:57 and the half way mark in 1:14:23 – with Kenya’s Angela Tanui to the fore at that point.

They reached 30km in 1:46:22, with a number of athletes still in contention.

Then Saina and Tusa started to make a move. As they left their rivals behind, they were together through 35km in 2:02:49, with Tanui back in third in 2:03:35.

Saina was still clearly feeling good and she pushed again to create a gap on Tusa, passing the 40km point in 2:19:30, 16 seconds ahead of the Ethiopian. But Tusa wasn’t content to sit back and watch the title run away, so she made a late charge. While she was able to close the gap to six seconds by the finish, it wasn’t quite enough, and Saina secured the crown, with Tusa taking second place and Chesir coming through for third.

Tanui finished fourth in 2:28:52, while Ethiopia’s Bekelech Borecha was fifth in 2:29:13. Australian record-holder Sinead Diver won the national marathon title in 2:31:27, finishing eighth overall.

In the men’s race, El Goumri made a move ahead of the 30km mark, but he had formidable company in the form of Tanzanian record-holder Gabriel Geay, who set his PB of 2:03:00 in Valencia last year.

After a half way split of 1:03:56, they passed 30km together in 1:30:58 but Geay could not maintain the pace and he dropped to third by 35km – with El Goumri ahead in 1:46:11 and Kipngetich overtaking Geay to pass that point in 1:46:28 to Geay’s 1:46:58.

Geay dropped out from the race after that point, with El Goumri forging ahead to win in 2:08:20 and Kipngetich claiming second place in 2:08:43. Molla, who had reached 35km in 1:47:31, claimed third place in 2:11:22.

He was followed over the finish line by his Ethiopian compatriot Limenih Getachew, who finished fourth in 2:12:34. Kenya’s Moses Kibet, who was defending his title after winning last year in an Australian all-comers' record of 2:07:03, was fifth in 2:13:28, while Oceanian record-holder Brett Robinson won the Australian title in 2:23:05, and like Diver he finished eighth overall.

With more than 17,000 entrants, the event was the largest marathon to ever take place in Australia.

Derara Hurisa is the latest in a long list of Ethiopian greats to commit to the 2023 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Derara Hurisa is the latest in a long list of Ethiopian greats to commit to the 2023 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon scheduled for October 15th. Once again, the event is a World Athletics Elite Label race.

The 26-year-old has had an extraordinary marathon career to date ever since winning in his debut at the 2020 Mumbai Marathon. There he ran 2:08:09 which remains his personal best despite a few other memorable outings.

Two years ago Hurisa won the Guadalajara Marathon at 1,600m altitude in Mexico eight months after achieving notoriety for all the wrong reasons in Vienna. Hurisa, then still relatively young at 23 years of age, crossed the finish line first at the Vienna Marathon with a time of 2:09:22 three seconds ahead of Kenya’s Leonard Langat. No sooner had Hurisa crossed the finish then officials approached him and within minutes he was disqualified.

World Athletics has instigated strict rules to limit the thickness of racing shoes and it was found that Hurisa had worn a different pair of shoes to those he submitted in the pre-race inspection. They were one centimetre too thick. It is believed this was the first time a marathoner had been disqualified under these rules.

“My preparation for Vienna marathon was very good,” he says looking back on the incident. “I had to switch my shoes because it was my very first time putting on those shoes. It wasn't the shoes I wear when I was in training. So I decided to switch and use them without knowing it was different. The colour was similar.”

Not only did he run himself to exhaustion over the 42.2 kilometres but the €10,000 first place prize money went to Langat and not himself. He admits he was very angry to learn of his mistake.

“I was shocked by that news when (Eritrean runner) Tadesse Abraham told me that I was disqualified,” he remembers, “because it wasn't something I was expecting. Yes, I was angry, definitely.”

As an indication of Hurisa’s potential Langat returned to Vienna a year later and finished second in 2:06:59. The Ethiopian believes he is capable of times quicker than this. Since then he has put the disappointment behind him. Earlier this year he finished 2nd in the Stockholm Marathon which features many of the sites of the Swedish capital but can also be challenging due to its numerous turns and warm June weather. His time there was a modest 2:11:01 on a hot day. Toronto Waterfront Marathon has far less turns and with a course record of 2:05:00 (Philemon Rono of Kenya) is far more inviting. He is optimistic of a great run in Toronto after some good early training sessions.

“It’s going great and yes, I'm pleased with my fitness level more than ever,” he reports. “I have been training for six or seven days in a week. Compared to previous marathon buildups it has been much better.”

Asked to reveal his goal for Toronto he is concise and to the point: “I would like to achieve a victory with a good time.” Hurisa grew up in Ambo in western Ethiopia and was inspired by the exploits of Kenenisa Bekele the three-time Olympic champion and former world 5,000m and 10,000m record holder.

After a good result at a championship cross-country race in Oromia he was recruited by the Bahrain athletics federation while in his teens.

For three years he lived in the oil rich country earning a salary to run. At the 2015 World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang, China he placed 22nd in the Under-20 race helping Bahrain to a 4th place finish. A year later though he went back to Ethiopia and now travels on an Ethiopian passport.

These days he is focused on the marathon under the watchful eye of coach Gemedu Dedefo and enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.

"I like to spend my time with my family - I'm married and I have one boy and one girl - and I like going to church,” he explains. “I do return to my birth village whenever there is holiday.” Conditions are likely to be much cooler in Toronto compared to what he experienced in Mumbai in his victorious debut. Clearly, he will be prepared to run with the leaders. And he is certainly due some good luck.

About the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series (CRS). Since 2017, the race has served as the Athletics Canada national marathon championship race and has doubled as the Olympic trials. Using innovation and organization as guiding principles, Canada Running Series stages great experiences for runners of all levels, from Canadian Olympians to recreational and charity runners. With a mission of “building community through the sport of running,” CRS is committed to making sport part of sustainable communities and the city-building process.

To learn more about the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, visit TorontoWaterFrontMarathon.com.

Geay, Korir, Kibet and Tanui headline fastest Sydney Marathon field

Gabriel Geay, Moses Kibet, Angela Tanui and Judith Korir will be among the athletes in action when the Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS, a World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race, takes place on Sunday (17).

The field’s experience in global and major marathon racing will make it the fastest marathon pack ever assembled in Australia, with homegrown and international talent battling it out on the event’s new course.

In the women’s field, Kenya’s 2022 World Championships silver medalist and Paris Marathon champion Korir makes her Australian debut. The 27-year-old, who finished sixth in the London Marathon in April, ran her PB of 2:18:20 when finishing runner-up to GotytomGebreslase on the global stage in Oregon last year.

She faces six other sub-2:22 women, including her compatriot Tanui, who ran 2:17:57 to win the Amsterdam Marathon in 2021. She went on to place fourth in the Tokyo Marathon the following year and then secured sixth place in Oregon.

Haven HailuDesse is among the seven Ethiopian athletes in the field and she will look to complete her first marathon since winning in Osaka in 2:21:13 in January. Her PB of 2:20:19 was also set in Amsterdam in 2021.

Eritrea’s NazretWeldu finished fourth and then eighth in the past two World Championships marathons, while SiraneshYirgaDagne has a best of 2:21:08.

Australian marathon record-holder Sinead Diver, who broke the national marathon record last year in Valencia with a time of 2:21:34, will lead the local elite field, making her Sydney Marathon debut.

The field also features USA’s Betsy Saina, a 2:21:40 marathon runner at her best.

Tanzanian record-holder Geay leads the men’s field with his PB of 2:03:00 set in Valencia last year. The 27-year-old went on to finish second in the Boston Marathon in April, clocking 2:06:04 behind winner Evans Chebet (2:05:54), and he placed seventh in the World Championships marathon in Oregon in 2022.

But Kibet has more experience when it comes to racing in Australia as he won last year’s Sydney Marathon, setting an Australian all-comers' record of 2:07:03 to beat his Kenyan compatriot Cosmas Matolo Muteti by just two seconds.

Oceanian record-holder Brett Robinson, who broke his Australian compatriot Rob de Castella’s long-standing area record in Fukuoka last year by running 2:07:31, will lead the domestic contenders.

The field features a total of nine sub-2:06 men, with Geay and Kibet joined by Ethiopia’s Getaneh Molla (2:03:34), Kenya’s Jonathan Korir (2:04:32), Ethiopia’s Abayneh Degu (2:04:53), Kenya’s Abraham Kipkemboi Kiptoo (2:05:04), Morocco’s Othmane El Goumri (2:05:12), Ethiopia’s Amedework Walelegn (2:05:27) and Kenya’s Laban Korir (2:05:41).

Bernard Koech using Copenhagen Half Marathon to calibrate for Amsterdam Marathon

Koech will be testing his limits by competing against youngsters.

Reigning Haspa Marathon champion Bernard Koech will use the Copenhagen Half Marathon to fine-tune for the Amsterdam Marathon scheduled for Sunday, October 15.

The Copenhagen Half Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, September 17 and Koech will be testing his limits competing against youngsters.

The 35-year-old is the second fastest in the field with a Personal Best time of 59:10. 24-year-old Kennedy Kimutai headlines the strong field with a time of 58:28.

Kimutai opened his season at the New York City Half Marathon where he finished 12th then proceeded to settle fifth at the Adizero Road to Records.

Bravin Kiprop is the third fastest with a PB time of 59:22. Greatest opposition for Team Kenya might come from the Ethiopian charge. Gerba Dibaba will be lining up with a PB time of 59:39 and he will enjoy the company of Gemechu Dida who has a PB time of 59:53.

The women’s field is headlined by Hawi Feysa who possesses a Personal Best time of 1:05:41 and is followed closely by compatriot Bosena Mulate who has a PB time of 1:05:46.

Gladys Chepkirui is the third fastest in the field with a time of 1:05:46. The 29-year-old Kenyan will be hunting for the first win of her season when she lines up against other strong women.

She opened her season with a fourth-place finish at the Zurich Half Marathon before going to a 5km race at the ASICS Österreichischer Frauenlauf where she finished third.

Her last race was at the Scania Half Marathon Zwolle in Netherlands where she finished second. Chepkirui will enjoy the company of compatriots Irine Cheptai and Viola Cheptoo among others.

Agnes Ngetich becomes multi millionaire after smashing women-only 10km World Record

The 22-year-old broke the women-only world 10km record in Romania, surpassing the late Agnes Tirop's record, with Catherine Reline also shining for Kenya.

Kenya was once again thrust into the global limelight on Sunday after Agnes Ngetich shattered the women-only world 10km record by clocking 29:24 at the World Athletics Elite Label road race in Brasov, Romania, on Sunday.

At only 22, Ngetich covered the initial 5km in 14:25, eclipsing the previous record for that distance by four seconds. 

The significance of this feat becomes more profound when considering that the previous record was held by the late Agnes Tirop of Kenya. 

Running closely behind, Kenya was once again represented on the podium by Catherine Reline who clocked a solid 30:14, securing second place. Uganda's Joy Cheptoyek completed the top three with a commendable time of 30:34.

World Athletics, in its statement, lauded Ngetich's achievement by saying, “As well as being the fastest women-only 10km, Ngetich's time is the third-quickest by a woman in history." 

This achievement is only behind the remarkable runs of 29:14 and 29:19 by Ethiopia's Yalemzerf Yehualaw, both accomplished in mixed races.

The remarkable feat was not just a win for Ngetich in terms of accolades but also a significant financial windfall. 

The race organizers had initially placed the prize money at $5,000 (Ksh 731,000). However, smashing a world record comes with its unique set of rewards. and Ngetich is set to receive an additional bonus of $50,000 (Ksh7.3 million) from World Athletics.

This sums up to a whopping total of $55,000 (Ksh8.4 million) that Ngetich will be taking home, a well-deserved reward for her impeccable performance.

Speaking after the race, an ecstatic Ngetich remarked, “It is quite a surprise to me. I didn’t expect to break the world record. All I ever wanted was a personal best (PB) of 30:00 or 30:02 but to set a new world record in the women’s 10km was the last thing I expected.”

As fans across the globe celebrate her achievement, many are confident that this is just the beginning for the World Cross Country bronze medalist. 

With youth on her side and a clear demonstration of her capability, the world waits in anticipation of her next move. Will she redefine another record, or perhaps set a new standard for future generations to aspire towards? Only time will tell. 

For now, Agnes Ngetich revels in her well-deserved moment of glory, inspiring millions and etching her name in gold.

Elite runners prepare for 40th anniversary Frankfurt Marathon

Guye Adola and defending champion Brimin Misoi join field – Visiline Jepkesho will run too.

Guye Adola has joined the starting line-up for the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon on Sunday, October 29. The Ethiopian of proven world-class for the event, winner of the Berlin Marathon in 2021 when he left the great Kenenisa Bekele trailing, has a best of 2:03:46 to his credit.

Among his rivals in Frankfurt will be the defending champion Brimin Misoi of Kenya and the latter’s compatriot Samwel Mailu who finished runner-up last year. The fastest woman on the current start list is also a Kenyan, Visiline Jepkesho, with a personal best of 2:21:37.

“I’m expecting a first-class race at our jubilee edition,” said the race director Jo Schindler. Germany’s oldest city marathon will celebrate its 40th edition on Sunday, October 29.

The Mainova Frankfurt Marathon is on course to maintain its reputation for strong performances among the elite and high numbers for the mass field with around 25,000 runners expected to take part on the last Sunday in October. The event holds an Elite Road Race Label, awarded by World Athletics, the sport’s governing body. Entries are still available at www.frankfurt-marathon.com

Guye Adola is the fastest man in the field of the current entries. His personal best of 2:03:46 was all the more impressive since he ran it on his debut at the distance in Berlin in 2017. Increasing his prestige still further, he finished second to the great Eliud Kipchoge and had led the great Kenyan until almost 40 kilometers. The greatest triumph of his career – so far – has also been in Berlin when he won the event two years ago in 2:05:45, a performance of special merit in warm conditions and leaving another all-time great, Kenenisa Bekele, well behind. A spate of injuries has prevented Adola from achieving his obvious aim of improving his personal best and adding to his success.

Brimin Misoi won the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon last year in impressive style, running a personal best of 2:06:11 which took him just over a minute clear of Samwel Mailu on the race to the finish in the Festhalle. The latter, whose entry for this year in Frankfurt had already been confirmed, has shown excellent current form. On April 23 he won the Vienna Marathon in a personal best and course record of 2:05:08. This places him tenth on times for the marathon rankings for 2023.

One of the leading contenders for the women’s title also has a victory in Vienna to her credit: Magdalyne Masai of Kenya ran 2:24:12 to win the title in April but her personal best of 2:22:16 comes from winning in Toronto in 2019. The fastest woman in the field in the current line-up is Visiline Jepkesho, also from Kenya, though her best of 2:21:37 goes back almost a decade to a fourth place in Paris in 2014.

Both will have to keep a sharp eye on Buzunesh Gudeta. The Ethiopian finished fourth in Barcelona in 2:22:38 in March. Another athlete to note is the European silver medalist in the marathon, Matea Parlov Kostro, whose participation has already been announced. The runner from Croatia set a personal best with victory in Hanover in spring with 2:25:45, continuing her upward trend.

Kenyan Shamilah Kipsiror fires warning shots ahead of Valencia Half Marathon

She believes her win in Nigeria is a morale booster ahead of her fifth Half Marathon this season.

After her victory at the Lotus Bank Abeotuka 10km race in Ogun state, Nigeria, Shamilah Kipsiror has her focus shifted to the Valencia Half Marathon scheduled for October.

The 36-year-old clocked a time of 32:22 to win the race in Nigeria and she believes her win is a morale booster ahead of her fifth Half Marathon this season.

Speaking to ACL Sports, she said the 10km race in Nigeria placed her in a better shape as she gears up to lock horns with some of the other great long-distance runners including compatriot Margaret Chelimo and Ethiopia’s Gotytom Gebreslase.

“I am preparing for the Half Marathon in Spain next October and I hope to emerge the winner.

I came to Nigeria for the 10km Race in order to maintain my current form and have a better time. I strongly believe that impossible is nothing,” she said.

She also expressed her excitement in winning the race adding that she had it easy since there were no strong opponents.

“I feel excited to win the women’s category of the Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10km Race and the road race was nice.

I had no challenger in the race; I took charge of the race in the last 7km and maintained my top speed,” she said.

Kipsiror has had a pretty great season so far this year and she managed to run a Personal Best (PB) of 1:07:53 at the Gent Half Marathon where she was debuting. 

She also competed at the Istanbul Half Marathon where she finished ninth. She also competed at the Nationale-Nederlanden Warsaw Half Marathon and finished fifth before completing the podium at the OMV Petrom Bucharest Half Marathon. 

Kandie faces stiff opposition as he seeks to defend Valencia title

Former Valencia Half Marathon winner Kibiwott Kandie is among 14 Kenyans set to battle it out at the Valencia Half Marathon on October 22 in Spain.

Kandie, who holds the half marathon's best time of 57:32, will face tough competition from Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha who holds a time of 58:32 (second best time in the marathon).

Kandie, the 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon silver medalist, will be hoping to cement his name in Valencia and replicate his amazing performance back in 2020 when he set the record time in the race. 

The two will be joined by runners, who have clocked under 59 minutes in the race,  including Matthew Kimeli, winner of the 15th annual UAE Healthy Kidney 10K in 2019 in Central Park, New York, who holds a time of 58:43. 

Sebastian Sawe, who holds a half marathon best of 58:58 from his win at the 2022 Bahrain Royal Night Half Marathon,  will be gunning to take the title from Kandie.

The 2022 Standard Chartered Marathon 10km bronze medalist, Bravin Kiprop, who has a time of 59:22 in the half marathon, will also be among the challengers alongside Josephat Kiprotich who won the 38th edition of the Maratona da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June.

Other Kenyan athletes in the race include Brian Kwemoi (59:37), Hillary Kipkoech (59:41), Erick Sang (59:50), Weldon Langat (59:55), Laban Kiplimo (1:00.13) and Kelvin Kibiwott (1:00.14).

Ethiopian’s Tadese Worku, 3,000m medalist at the 2021 World Athletics U20, and 5,000m world 3,000m junior record holder,  Hagos Gebrhiwet will give the Kenyans a competitive race.

Great Britain's all-time number three, Callum Robert Hawkins (1:00:00), will be looking to pull an upset for the group.

The women's challenge will be led by the 2019 world 5,000m silver medallist, Margaret Chelimo who holds a time of 1:05:26 in the marathon and she will be joined by Janet Chepngetich.

The 2020 World Half Marathon silver medalist and current European record holder over the distance, Melat Kejeta from Germany together with Ethiopia’s  2023 world cross country silver medalist, Tsigie Gebreselama will give the Kenyan ladies a tough race.

Kenyan athlete Agness Barsosio has been handed a five-year doping ban

Kenyan athlete Agness Jeruto Barsosio has been handed a five-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for violating the World Anti-doping rules.

The 40-year-old star athlete was found guilty of the use of a Prohibited Substance/Method – specifically an ABP case.

Disturbingly, Barsosio's doping violation follows closely on the heels of her sister Stella Barsosio's own doping ban. 

Stella was banned earlier in February this year for a two-year period by the Anti-doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) for the presence of the prohibited substance, trimetazidine.

In a turn that has shocked fans and raised eyebrows in the sports community, Agness Barsosio went on to defy her provisional suspension, which was imposed on August 11, 2023. 

Even with the suspension looming over her, she audaciously participated in the 18th edition of the Brazzaville International Half-Marathon on September 13, 2023, in Brazzaville, Congo. 

The race was eventually won by fellow Kenyan Lilian Jelagat, who clocked an impressive 1:09.55. She was closely followed by Ethiopia’s Emebet Niguse Mamo with a time of 1:14.26. 

Barsosio, despite her participation under a cloud of suspicion, managed to clinch the third spot, finishing the race in 1:18.55.

To make matters even more intricate, Agness Barsosio is married to Thorsten Steffen, who is known for organizing races for athletes through his entity, Afro Athletics Promotion. 

Interestingly, Steffen is not registered as an athlete representative by World Athletics or Athletics Kenya, which might raise further questions on the influence and involvement he might have had in this controversy.

Ngetich breaks women-only world 10km record in Brasov

Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich broke the women-only world 10km record* at the Trunsylvania 10km, clocking 29:24 at the World Athletics Elite Label road race held on Sunday (10) as part of the Brasov Running Festival in Romania.

In an impressive solo running display, the 22-year-old showed her intent from the start and covered the first 5km in 14:25 – four seconds faster than the women-only world record for that distance.

She had a lead of 10 seconds over her compatriot Catherine Reline at that point.

Racing on the loop course, Ngetich went on to pass 6.5km in 18:54 and 8.5km in 24:56 before crossing the finish line in 29:24 to record the fastest ever 10km in a women-only race, improving on the 30:01 set by the late Agnes Tirop in Herzogenaurach in 2021.

As well as being the fastest women-only 10km, Ngetich’s time is the third-quickest by a woman in history, behind only the 29:14 run by Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw in a mixed race in Castellon last year and the 29:19 Yehualaw clocked in Valencia earlier this year.

“The world record is a surprise to me,” said Ngetich, who started the 2022 race in Brasov as the pacemaker but went on to finish second in 30:30. “I didn’t expect to get the world record. I just wanted a PB, low 30 minutes to break the course record, but a world record is really a surprise.”

The race started at a fast pace right from the gun with Ngetich, Reline and Uganda’s Joy Cheptoyek leaving the pacemaker – who had been asked to lead the runners through 5km in 15:00 – quickly behind.

The trio sped through 1500m in 4:12 and Cheptoyek started to lose contact with the Kenyan pair a kilometre later. Ngetich and Reline went through 3km in 8:32 but it was only a few hundred metres down the road in the Coresi district on the outskirts of the Transylvanian city that the latter started to drift back. From then on, Ngetich was out on her own.

Ngetich, who claimed bronze at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst in February and then finished sixth in the 10,000m final at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 last month, set a women-only world 5km record with her split of 14:25, improving on the 14:29 achieved by Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi in Herzogenaurach on the same day that Tirop set her 10km mark.

By 7km, Ngetich had built up an 18-second lead over Reline and the gap just kept on widening.

As Ngetich passed the 8.5km checkpoint in 24:56, Reline was second in 25:29, and the leader continued to fly over the final section of the three-lap course before gaining her second world record of the morning.

“I started the year with the World Cross, which was perfect, so I wanted to close the season with a good result,” explained Ngetich, who achieved that aim in sensational style.

Reline held on to finish second in 30:14, while Cheptoyek placed third in 30:34.

The men's race was won by Weldon Langat, who completed a Kenyan double in 27:05.

A group of seven athletes went through 5km in 13:30, with another four just two seconds further back at the halfway point.

Surges in the sixth kilometre by Kenya’s Amos Kurgat and Dennis Kibet saw the pair pull away, with Langat being towed along comfortably in their wake.

Kibet continued to regularly push the pace over the course of the next three kilometres but with just over one kilometre to go, he started to pay for his service at the front.

As Kurgat and Langat embarked on the final kilometre, the latter used that as a signal to change gears and made a decisive move that took him to victory just over two-and-a-half minutes later.

Kurgat took second place in 27:12, while the 2018 world U20 5000m champion Edward Zakayo Pingua came through strongly over the final kilometre, firstly overtaking the tiring Kibet and then almost catching Kurgat to complete an all-Kenyan podium in third place with 27:14.

Mile wins for Van Riel and Mechaal

The Trunsylvania 10km took place on the second day of the Brasov Running Festival, with Saturday (9) offering elite mile races.

Robin van Riel of the Netherlands and Turkiye’s Emine Hatun Mechaal claimed victories in the European Road Mile, winning in national records of 4:05.5 and 4:41.7, respectively.

Mechaal was the first across the line as dusk started to fall over the Coresi district, after a well calculated run that saw the 2014 European U20 cross country champion pull away from her nearest rivals over the final 100 metres.

Romania’s Cristina Balan finished second in 4:43.0, while Greek 1500m champion Melissa Anastasakis was third in 4:44.0, both women also setting national records.

In the men’s race, runners in the leading pack were reluctant to go with pacemaker Stephen Masindet and they passed 1km in an unofficial 2:40.0, which made the anticipated sub-four-minute time and a world record highly unlikely.

In the end, Van Riel was able to outsprint his younger compatriot Stefan Nillessen in a thrilling duel as the finish line approached.

Van Riel clocked 4:05.5 to Nillessen’s 4:05.8, with Italy’s Giovanni Filippi third in 4:07.2.

Further elite mile action will be on offer in Riga next month as the World Athletics Road Running Championships hosts mile, 5km and half marathon races.

Jepchirchir and Tola win Great North Run half marathon

Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir won the women’s race in 1:06:45, while Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola claimed the men’s title in 59:58 at the Great North Run half marathon on Sunday (10).

Britain’s record-breaking warm weather continued as the elite career of one of its greatest athletes ended at the 42nd edition of the half marathon that takes participants from Newcastle to South Shields.

Mohamed Farah placed a respectable and emotional fourth in 1:03:28. He would have loved to have been on the podium in his final race, but he was no match for the Olympic and world-medal winning trio ahead.

Tola made some amends for his failure to retain his world marathon title 14 days earlier. Alongside Farah, the smooth-running Ethiopian led a group of seven athletes at 5km (14:11), then pressed on as the group climbed to the highest point of the course at five miles.

Then, on the downhill dual carriageway stretch, he showed the form which deserted him in the closing stages of the Budapest marathon. His 4:27 mile to seven broke all but Bashir Abdi, then he cranked it up to 4:20 and was 10 seconds up on the Belgian, who himself was 30 seconds ahead of Muktar Edris.

Tola’s pace slowed as the course climbed, but he still pulled away to dip under one hour. No-one else got under 61 minutes. Abdi was second in 1:01:20, while Edris was third in 1:01:54.

In the women’s race, Jepchirchir went one better than her runner-up finish in 2022.

Following a snappy 5:03 opening mile, her fellow New York Marathon winner Sharon Lokedi was her only company, but just for four miles. In the 24°C heat, Jepchirchir ran quicker than she had in kinder running conditions a year earlier. This is a woman who won the Olympic marathon when it was 31°C with 78% humidity, so heat doesn’t bother her.

Behind Jepchirchir and Lokedi, who finished second in 1:07:43, was Britain’s Charlotte Purdue, who repeated her 2021 third place finish to tune up nicely for her Berlin Marathon bid.

“I decided to run by myself,” Jepchirchir told the BBC. Both she and Lokedi are also in marathon preparations as they get ready to return to the New York City Marathon on 5 November.

As with so many mass races of this kind, there were countless human interest stories and races within races amid the 43,768 starters. One unique record was established by blind British runner Jim Roberts, who completed the distance untethered in 2:08:25.

The last word goes to Farah. “All I know is running,” declared the 10-time global track gold medallist in his post-race interview that was broadcast to the sunbaked spectators on the seafront. “That’s what made me happy for so many years.”