Running News Daily
Top Ten Stories of the Week
10/25/2025
These are the top ten stories based on views over the last week.
Shure Demise Claims Third TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon Title
Ethiopia’s Shure Demise made history Sunday by winning her third TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, pulling away just after halfway and never looking back. Despite warm, windy, and humid conditions, she crossed the line in 2:21:03, the second-fastest time of her career—just 19 seconds shy of the course record set last year by compatriot Waganesh Mekasha.
Demise’s performance marks a full-circle moment. Ten years ago, at just 19, she ran her lifetime best of 2:20:59 in Dubai. Since then, she has earned podium finishes at the Tokyo (2019) and Chicago (2018) marathons, placed 5th at the 2017 World Championships, and captured back-to-back Toronto wins in 2015 and 2016. Sunday’s victory signals a strong comeback after giving birth to her daughter two years ago.
“I am very happy—it is more than what I expected,” said Demise. “I trained well and was confident I would do well and win. From 20 km I was running by myself.”
Earlier this year, Demise also won the Milan Marathon in 2:23:31, reinforcing her return to world-class form. Betty Chepkorir of Kenya finished second in 2:23:45, while Almaz Kebebe of Ethiopia took third in 2:26:40.
The women’s race was briefly disrupted when three Ethiopian runners mistakenly followed the half-marathon course, but Demise was far ahead and unaffected.
Kenyan Men Sweep the Podium
In the men’s race, Kenya scored a clean sweep. Leonard Langat broke away from a lead pack with 4 km remaining to win in 2:08:15. Noah Kipkemboi, third last year, improved to second in 2:08:24, while Sila Kiptoo finished third in 2:08:44.
“At 38 km I was ready to push, and I went,” said Langat. “It was hot, but I felt good and confident.”
Canadian Titles for Hannah and Flanagan
The Canadian Marathon Championships, held concurrently, saw Rachel Hannah, 39, win her first national title in 2:33:47. “It’s been a dream of mine to win these championships,” she said.
Ben Flanagan captured the men’s Canadian crown in his marathon debut, finishing in 2:15:39 ahead of Philippe Parrot-Migas (2:17:15) and Andrew Alexander (2:18:15).
“The last 7 km were brutal, but I finished strong,” said Flanagan, a 2024 Olympian over 5,000 m. “This is a new chapter for me. Now it’s time to catch up with the big dogs.”
(10/19/25) Views: 362Paul Gains
Eliud Kipchoge Launches “Kotcha Run” — Bringing His Training Secrets to Runners Worldwide
Eliud Kipchoge, the marathon icon and global ambassador of distance running, has officially launched a new app — Kotcha Run — designed to share his legendary training methods with runners everywhere.
Developed in partnership with the NN Running Team, the app provides athletes of all levels with access to the very strategies, tools, and insights that have powered Kipchoge’s record-breaking career and two Olympic gold medals.
“People always ask me about my secret. Today, I’m offering a way to share it,” Kipchoge explained.
Through Kotcha Run, users can follow customized training programs, explore practical tips, and gain daily motivation directly inspired by the world’s greatest marathoner. Whether you’re preparing for your first 5K or your next marathon, the app helps runners apply Kipchoge’s disciplined yet philosophical approach — centered on patience, consistency, and belief.
Runners can now pre-register on the App Store to be among the first to experience it.
With this launch, Eliud Kipchoge once again proves his commitment to democratizing elite training, helping every runner — from beginner to professional — discover their own “No Human Is Limited” potential.
(10/22/25) Views: 241
Boris Baron
Rising Talent Shines at KATA Nyandarua 10K Time Trial
The cool high-altitude air of Nyandarua — sitting at approximately 2,400 meters (7,874 feet) above sea level — provided a challenging yet inspiring setting on October 15, 2025, as athletes from Bob Anderson’s KATA Running Camp – Nyandarua (K04) tested their endurance in a 10K time trial. Under the direction of Coach and Operator Peter Njoroge, the runners displayed exceptional commitment, focus, and steady improvement — hallmarks of the KATA philosophy.
Leading the charge was Peter Kamau (Bib 020), who crossed the finish line in 31:45, followed closely by James Githengu (Bib 061) in 32:15. Antony Kingori (Bib 009) secured third with 34:20, while Moses Maina (Bib 091) and Hillary Mwangi (Bib 098) rounded out the top five. Despite the thin air and rolling course, several athletes achieved personal bests, proving the benefits of consistent altitude training.
Coach Njoroge commended his team, saying, “Our athletes are learning that consistency and discipline create results. Every trial brings them closer to championship form.”
KATA Founder Bob Anderson added, “The Nyandarua KATA family continues to impress. It’s not just about fast times — it’s about building the foundation of champions through effort and teamwork.”
10K Results – October 15, 2025
1. Peter Kamau – Bib 020 – 31:45
2. James Githengu – Bib 001 – 32:15
3. Antony Kingori – Bib 009 – 34:20
4. Moses Maina – Bib 091 – 34:50
5. Hillary Mwangi – Bib 098 – 35:10
6. Evans Habungu – Bib 090 – 35:50
7. James Mwangi – Bib 008 – 37:10
8. Joseph Kamansa – Bib 010 – 37:52
9. Peter Ikimani – Bib 005 – 39:25
10. Samuel Maina – Bib 092 – 40:23
Located in Kenya’s central highlands, the KATA Running Camp – Nyandarua (K04) is part of Bob Anderson’s expanding KATA network, which blends elite running development with sustainable potato farming — a model symbolizing endurance, community, and purpose.
KATA Potatoes — The Fuel of Champions
Operated by Peter Njoroge
(10/18/25) Views: 141Boris Baron
From Potatoes to Personal Bests: How Amos Chirchir Is Growing Athletes and a Future in Sachang’wan
In the highland village of Sachang’wan in Molo, Nakuru County, the land rises boldly toward the sky. The area sits on the edge of the dramatic Rift Valley escarpment, overlooking the vast Menengai Crater — Africa’s second-largest volcanic caldera — its silent ridges brooding in the morning mist.
Behind it, the rolling hills of Molo stretch endlessly, stitched with neat rows of potato farms that define the region’s identity. To the south lies Salgaa, a town better known for its flower farms, where long greenhouse tunnels shimmer like silver ribbons across the plains. Beyond this agricultural heartland, winding dirt roads climb toward Sachang’wan — where another kind of farming is taking root: the farming of athletic talent.
Here, where the air is thin and crisp, mornings begin before sunrise. Frost melts from the grass as a small group of determined athletes powers up a steep incline, their breath visible in the cold air. Leading them is 27-year-old Amos Kibet Chirchir, stopwatch in hand, eyes sharp with focus.
To an outsider, he might look like any other coach on a country road. But to his athletes — and to the growing Kenyan Athletics Training Academy (KATA) movement — Amos represents something much bigger: a new generation of homegrown leaders cultivating both champions and sustainability.
The Making of a Leader
Amos, the fifth-born in a family of eight, grew up in the cold, fertile highlands of Molo, raised by farming parents who taught him the value of hard work. Athletics runs deep in his family — his father was a 400m hurdler in the 1970s, competing when Kenyan track was just finding its rhythm.
“I didn’t just choose running,” Amos says with a smile. “Running found me.”
After excelling in local school competitions, Amos nearly saw his running dream fade — until June 2022, when he earned a place at KATA Thika, founded by American running innovator Bob Anderson, the visionary behind Runner’s World magazine.
“That changed everything,” he recalls. “For the first time, I could train without worrying about daily survival. KATA didn’t just build me as an athlete — it prepared me to lead.”
Building a High-Altitude Training Hub
When Anderson announced plans to expand KATA through athlete-led satellite camps, Amos seized the opportunity. He returned home and launched KATA Sachang’wan Camp with just five athletes — three men and two women. Today, the camp has grown to eight committed runners, with more young talents eager to join.
The camp sits at an altitude of 2,400 meters, ideal for endurance training. For faster sessions, they descend to 1,800 meters, creating a natural high-low altitude system similar to what world-class runners use in Iten, Kaptagat, and Eldoret.
Already, results are emerging:
• Weldon Kibet Lang’at clocked 30:36 (10K) and 14:55 (5K) at the Double Road Race before improving to 30:16 in the October 15 time trials.
• Elizabeth Wambui, who joined just two months ago, cut her 5K time from 19:00 to 17:35 at the same event.
Amos himself remains in strong competitive shape, with personal bests of 30:51 (10K) and 14:32 (5K).
“I want to build champions — not just athletes who run fast, but athletes who think beyond medals,” he says.
Farming Hope: The KATA Potato Project
Alongside athletics, the Sachang’wan camp thrives on another discipline — agricultural sustainability. Inspired by Bob Anderson’s belief in empowering athletes for life beyond competition, Amos integrated potato farming into his training model.
He began with two acres of KATA potatoes, a move that initially drew laughter from locals.
“At first, people thought I was crazy,” he recalls. “They said farming was a step backward for an athlete. Now they’re copying me.”
Today, the farm helps feed the athletes, generates income for camp operations, and inspires local farmers — many now shifting from maize to potatoes after seeing his success.
“Athletes must think about life after running,” Amos says. “This program lets us build something real, not just chase medals.”
Training Champions, Growing Futures
With schools now closed, Amos plans to recruit junior athletes from nearby villages — guiding them early and keeping them away from idleness and drugs.
“Talent is going to waste in villages like ours because nobody guides young runners. I want to change that,” he says.
His long-term dream is to build dormitories, expand training facilities, and turn KATA Sachang’wan into a full-fledged center of excellence — powered by athletics and farming.
“Bob Anderson’s Vision Is Working”
Amos believes that KATA is redefining the future of Kenyan athletics.
“This is more than running,” he says. “Bob Anderson’s program teaches us responsibility, teamwork, leadership, and self-reliance. We’re not waiting for sponsors — we’re building ourselves.”
From the cold ridges of Sachang’wan overlooking Menengai Crater, a quiet revolution is growing — one built on sweat, soil, and belief. Here, potatoes fuel champions, and running fuels dreams.
And at the heart of it all stands a young leader — stopwatch in one hand, hoe in the other — cultivating both athletes and a future for Kenya.
(10/20/25) Views: 110Robert Kibet
KATA Kapkatet Camp Runners Deliver Powerful Performances
The Kapkatet Athletics KATA Camp hosted an outstanding time trial on October 15, 2025, with excellent conditions and determined athletes delivering strong performances. Under the leadership of Coach and Operator Hasan Rono, the event showcased the rising talent and teamwork that define the KATA Running Camp and Potato Farm program in Kericho County.
“The time trial was successful and wonderful,” Coach Rono said. “Thanks a lot for your support, sir.”
10 km Men
1. Vincent Rotich – 29:13.40 (DOB 13 Sep 2004)
2. Vesitus Kipkorir Kemboi – 29:17.35 (DOB 7 Jan 2000)
3. Kipkurui Koech – 29:50.11 (DOB 11 Feb 1991)
4. Dominic Cheruiyot – 30:01.22 (DOB 25 May 2005)
5. Haron Kiprotich – 30:17.02 (DOB 6 Jul 2002)
6. Jaresa Rono – 30:36.27 (DOB 10 Dec 2009)
7. Aaron Kiplangat Korir – 30:55.04 (DOB 13 Dec 2002)
8. Kaprono Langat – 31:55.11 (DOB 19 Dec 1985)
The men’s 10 km race was tightly contested, with Vincent Rotich edging Vesitus Kipkorir Kemboi by just four seconds. Both broke the 29-minute-20-second barrier, underscoring their sharp form and disciplined training.
5km Men
1. Victor Kiprotich – 14:12.19 (DOB 25 May 2009)
2. Robert Sigey – 14:30.06 (DOB 12 Dec 1984)
3. Rono Enock – DNF (DOB 16 Jan 2000)
Sixteen-year-old Victor Kiprotich impressed once again with a commanding 14:12, demonstrating both speed and maturity beyond his age.
5 km Women
1. Dorcas Chepkorir – 17:21.15 (DOB 30 Dec 2004)
Dorcas Chepkorir dominated the women’s 5 km, finishing with a wide margin and reaffirming her status as one of the camp’s most consistent performers.
The K22 Kapkatet Camp continues to exemplify the KATA vision: nurturing champions through discipline, teamwork, and purpose. As with every KATA camp across Kenya, this success is powered by a shared belief that athletic excellence and sustainable farming can grow side by side.
(10/20/25) Views: 99Boris Baron
Masai Returns Stronger Than Ever for the Frankfurt Marathon Showdown
Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai is set to return to the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon this Sunday, October 26, determined to make a statement after her dramatic collapse in the brutal heat of last month’s World Championships marathon in Tokyo. Fully recovered and feeling revitalized, Masai says she’s “in the best shape of my life” — and ready to chase another breakthrough performance.
This will mark Masai’s third consecutive appearance in Frankfurt, where she finished runner-up last year with a personal best of 2:18:58, the fastest time ever recorded by a woman entered in the race’s 42-year history. The 31-year-old believes the flat and fast Frankfurt course provides the perfect setting for her comeback.
“After a short break to recover, my first training sessions went so well that I really wanted to run another marathon this autumn,” said Masai. “I’m in great form and didn’t want to waste it. Frankfurt is the perfect race for me — I’m excited to come back.”
The women’s elite field is among the strongest ever assembled in Frankfurt. Six runners on the start list own personal bests under 2:23:00, including two who have dipped below 2:20:00. Alongside Masai, Kenya’s Sharon Chelimo (2:19:33) and Ethiopia’s Buze Diriba (2:20:22) headline a deep international lineup. Ethiopians Etagegne Woldu (2:20:03) and Aminet Ahmed (2:21:24) were also set to compete but have withdrawn due to injury.
The men’s field is equally loaded. Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata, the 2017 Frankfurt champion, leads the charge with a 2:04:49 personal best. He’ll face compatriot Dejene Megersa (2:05:42), while Germany’s Filimon Abraham will look to improve on his 2:08:11 best on home soil.
With seven men under 2:08 and six women under 2:23, the 2025 Mainova Frankfurt Marathon promises one of the most competitive editions in race history — and for Magdalyne Masai, it could be the stage for her strongest marathon yet.
(10/20/25) Views: 94Race News Service
Will Her Marathon Record Still Stand? And should it?
It’s been almost five years since Ruth Chepngetich survived the carnage on Doha’s Corniche to win the 2019 World Marathon title in suffocating heat. But her story has now taken a dramatic turn. In July 2025, Chepngetich was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit following a positive test from March 2025. That case reached its conclusion on October 23, 2025, when she was officially banned for three years. Despite the ruling, World Athletics has not yet nullified her 2:09:56 world record from Chicago, leaving the running world in a state of uneasy debate — can a mark achieved by an athlete later found guilty of doping still stand as the pinnacle of the sport?
The Record That Shocked the World
At Chicago 2024, Chepngetich didn’t just win — she obliterated the women’s marathon barrier. Clocking 2:09:56, she slashed nearly two minutes off the previous world record of 2:11:53, averaging roughly 4:57 per mile. Her first half of 1:04:16 hinted that she was chasing history, and she never faltered. The performance instantly became one of the most astonishing in distance-running history and redefined what many thought possible for women over 26.2 miles.
Talent, Technology, or Something Else?
In assessing whether this record will stand, several factors come into play — her undeniable talent, cutting-edge technology, and advances in fueling and pacing.
• Talent: Chepngetich’s pedigree is unquestioned — a world champion, multiple Chicago winner, and one of the most aggressive front-runners of her generation.
• Technology: Like nearly all modern elites, she raced in next-generation “super shoes” featuring carbon plates and advanced foams that improve running economy by several percent.
• Fueling and Pacing: A meticulously calibrated mix of carbohydrate drinks, male pacemakers, and near-perfect weather created ideal conditions for record-breaking.
Each of these factors may have contributed — but so, it now appears, did something illicit. Her three-year ban has cast a long shadow over what was once hailed as the cleanest, purest form of endurance achievement.
The Broader Question
Can a mark set under suspicion survive as a legitimate benchmark for future generations? The answer lies with World Athletics’ final ruling, but even if the record stands on paper, the perception of it has changed. Chepngetich’s run pushed the limits of human endurance — yet the revelation of a doping violation has blurred the line between brilliance and betrayal.
A Legacy Rewritten
If the ban is upheld, Chepngetich will likely be stripped of her record, joining a short but painful list of athletes whose names once glittered atop the record books before being erased. Regardless of the outcome, her performance will remain a pivotal moment — the day a woman first broke 2:10. It proved that such times are possible and that the next generation, running clean, will one day do it again.
Conclusion
Whether Ruth Chepngetich’s 2:09:56 survives the scrutiny of time or not, the marathon has been changed forever. Her run forced coaches, scientists, and competitors alike to reconsider what’s possible for women over the classic distance.
But now the question isn’t only how she did it — it’s why.
(10/23/25) Views: 79Boris Baron
