In the highly competitive world of marathon running, Lindsay Flanagan is steadily etching her name as a formidable contender for a coveted spot on the Olympic team. Over the past 20 months, the seasoned marathoner has impressively shaved off her personal best by 2 minutes—twice. Notably, she clinched victory at the 2022 Gold Coast Marathon in Australia, setting a course record with a remarkable time of 2:24:43. Lindsay's prowess extended to the World Championships marathon in Budapest, where she claimed the ninth overall position and the title of the first American finisher with a time of 2:27:47.
With the 2024 Aramco Houston Half Marathon looming on the horizon this Sunday, elite athletes are gearing up for a race that holds significance on various fronts. Renowned Kenyan runner Hellen Obiri, for instance, views the event as a valuable opportunity to assess her fitness level and fine-tune her training regimen ahead of the highly anticipated Boston Marathon in April. Meanwhile, American athlete Weini Kelati is poised to make her debut in the 13.1-mile distance, injecting an extra layer of excitement into the competition.
In the men’s race, Tsegay Weldlibanos, competing as an asylum athlete originally from Eritrea, claimed victory with a blistering time of 2:07:35. This time not only earned him the title but also broke Jerry Lawson’s long-standing course record of 2:10:27, which had stood for an impressive 31 years. Weldlibanos’s victory was made even more remarkable by his near-three-minute margin over the previous record. Runner-up CJ Albertson of Fresno, Calif., also finished under the former record at 2:10:06, securing second place. Albertson's ability to maintain such a high level of consistency in 2024, finishing every marathon under 2:11, highlighted his remarkable endurance.
In a display of extraordinary talent at the Dubai Marathon, Tigist Ketema and Addisu Gobena, both from Ethiopia, marked their debut in the World Athletics Label road race with breathtaking victories.
Kibrom Weldemicael, the winner of the 2024 Geneva Marathon, has been disqualified and handed a six-year ban after testing positive for banned substances. The Eritrean athlete, who finished the race in 2:09:57, will be ineligible to compete until 2030, tarnishing what had been an impressive season.
Kelvin Kiptum’s journey in the marathon world throughout 2023 has been nothing short of extraordinary. Hailing from Kenya, Kiptum not only shattered the men’s marathon world record but now aims to achieve an unprecedented milestone: running the first sub-two-hour marathon in Rotterdam in April.
Renowned marathoner Eliud Kipchoge has set his sights on a remarkable achievement: conquering every World Marathon Major. Among the six majors, he has triumphed in four—Tokyo, London, Berlin, and Chicago. Surprisingly, Kipchoge has recently opted out of pursuing victories in the remaining two: Boston and New York, races known for their challenging terrains and absence of pacers.
Recent doping suspensions have been levied against Kenyan athletes Thomas Kibet Kutere and Maurine Chepkemoi by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), casting a shadow on their athletic careers.
Double Olympic champion Sifan Hassan will continue her 42.2km adventure at the 17th edition of the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday 3rd March 2024, aiming to continue a record-breaking start to life over the distance.
NN Running Team-athlete and back-to-back Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge will return to Japan for the 17th edition of the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday 3rd March 2024, a course where he holds the record from his only previous appearance in 2022.
