As the Paris 2024 Olympic Games draw near, transgender athletes are encountering heightened barriers to participation due to revised regulations. A recent decision stipulates that individuals must complete their gender transition before the age of 12 to ensure fair competition.
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.
Celebrations erupted in Bolzano as Nadia Battocletti capped off her outstanding 2023 season with a remarkable victory at the BOClassic. The New Year’s Eve race, traversing Bolzano's iconic cobbled streets, witnessed Battocletti's triumphant run, clocking an impressive 15:30. Her win not only marked a personal triumph but also etched her name in history as the first Italian champion of this race since 1988.
Ethiopia's Berihu Aregawi and Ababel Yeshaneh emerged as triumphant figures at the renowned San Silvestre Vallecana road race, an esteemed World Athletics Elite Label event held this past Sunday.
The North Pennines region of northern England witnessed a tragic turn as the search for the missing London-based runner, Edward Catmur, culminated in the discovery of his body on New Year's Eve. Catmur, a highly accomplished athlete, had embarked on a challenging run from Dufton to Cross Fell, the highest mountain in the Pennines, and Hartside Cross. Concerns mounted when no communication was received from the 40-year-old runner after 10 a.m. on December 31.
In a momentous display of skill and determination at the BOclassic World Athletics Label road race in Bolzano, Italy, Sebastian Sawe from Kenya shattered a 32-year-old men's course record by crossing the 10km finish line in an impressive time of 28:00. This remarkable achievement, achieved on Sunday (31), exceeded the previous record by a mere two seconds.
The global athletics community is in mourning following the tragic death of Benjamin Kiplagat, a renowned Ugandan steeplechaser and recipient of the 2008 World Junior 3,000m silver medal. Kiplagat's life was abruptly cut short when he was found murdered on a road in Kimumu, Eldoret, sending shockwaves throughout the sporting world.
Kenya's Beatrice Chebet spectacularly concluded her year, setting a new women's world 5km record at the Cursa dels Nassos in Barcelona. Her remarkable run of 14:13* on Sunday (31) surpassed the previous women-only world record of 14:29 set by Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi in Herzogenaurach on 12 September 2021. Notably, Chebet's performance also outpaced the women’s world record in a mixed race, previously held at 14:19 by Ethiopia’s Ejegayehu Taye during the 2021 Cursa dels Nassos.
Faith Kipyegon, renowned for holding two world marathon records, has had an exceptional 2023 track and field season, setting the stage for an eagerly anticipated continuation of her winning streak into the 2024 Olympic Games and other global events.
Shericka Jackson's relentless pursuit of the 200-meter world record came close but fell short of the mark. Although she narrowed the gap between her personal best and Florence Griffith-Joyner's 1988 record to a mere 0.07 seconds, the chase for the elusive record continues.
