Seb Coe, the President of World Athletics, recently shared a heartwarming anecdote in an interview about a conversation he had with Norwegian middle-distance runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen during the World Athletics Championships last year. Ingebrigtsen had just suffered a defeat in the 1500m final, and Coe offered his congratulations, but the athlete did not respond with enthusiasm.
A capacity field of 1,500 competitors will take part in the Margaret River Ultra Marathon on Saturday 6 May 2023 in south-west in Western Australia. As one of Australia’s most in-demand races, the 80km point to point course will take competitors on a magnificent trail running journey from Hamelin Bay...
There are various types of rockered soles, but the most prevalent is the forefoot rocker, also known as toe spring. This feature refers to the upward curve of the sole under the forefoot or toes, typically ranging from 10 to 25 degrees. With recent advancements in shoe technology, the use of rockered soles has become more widespread.
Mo Farah, one of the most successful long-distance runners in British history, has announced that he will retire from competitive racing after the Great North Run in September. This news comes after the athlete finished in ninth place in his final London Marathon and has previously stated that this year's event would be his last.
Samwel Mailu was glued to the TV screen in Kenya when in October 2019 his idol Eliud Kipchoge broke the two-hour marathon barrier in Vienna’s Prater Park. The sensational achievement made worldwide headlines. It was exactly on the same stretch of road in the Prater, where Samwel Mailu broke away from his remaining rivals on Sunday during the 40th Vienna City Marathon. “But I did not think about Eliud at this moment as I was not aware that it was exactly on this road where he was running in 2019,“ said Samwel Mailu. With around 10 kilometers left in the race, the 30-year-old went on to break the nine-year-old course record of the Vienna City Marathon with a time of 2:05:08 in warm conditions.
The scheduled date for the 2024 London Marathon, is Sunday, April 21, 2024. Approximately 17,000 spots are available (the exact number is not disclosed), but more than 410,000 applicants are expected to apply for the race next year.
Sifan Hassan, the Dutch athlete who became an Olympic champion in both the 5,000m and 10,000m events, made a remarkable debut in the London Marathon, emerging as a surprise winner despite injury and near-accidents. Hassan gave a masterclass in breaking every rule in the marathon book, stopping twice to stretch an injured hip and almost pulling out. In the men's race, Kelvin Kiptum, a 23-year-old Kenyan, put up a remarkable performance, surging powerfully ahead with eight miles to go and leaving behind some of the fastest men in history.
In recent years, the running world has seen a seismic shift in footwear technology, most acutely impacting the elite level. Long-standing world records are continually getting shattered, athletes are getting faster, and qualifying standards keep getting lowered. Advancements in materials innovation have paved the way for a new landscape of ‘super shoes’, where runners are opting for higher stack, more cushioned, and more propulsive racing shoes.
Kenya’s Samwel Mailu smashed the nine year-old course record of the Vienna City Marathon. When he stormed over the finish line at the Vienna Burgtheater in 2:05:08 Austria’s President Alexander Van der Bellen held the finishing tape. Despite warm conditions during the second half of the race the 30 year-old was 33 seconds quicker than the former course record holder Getu Feleke of Ethiopia who had clocked 2:05:41 back in 2014. Fellow Kenyans Bethwell Yegon and Titus Kimutai followed with 2:06:57 and 2:07:46 in second and third.
Bernard Koech of Kenya won the Haspa Marathon Hamburg with a course record of 2:04:09. The 35-year-old tied his personal best and is now the fourth fastest runner in the world this year. Fellow-Kenyans Joshua Belet and Martin Kosgei took second and third with 2:04:33 and 2:06:18 respectively. Germany’s European Champion Richard Ringer finished in a strong sixth position with a personal best of 2:08:08 which is just inside the Olympic qualifying time.
