World

The Kenyan duo of Eliud Kipchoge and Wilson Kiprop will chase the Haspa Marathon hamburg course record of 2:05:58, set last year Ethiopia’s Shami Dawit, when they compete in the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Sunday.

The IAAF Race Walking Challenge has been to some unusual places in its 10-year history; but, and with respect to all the other venues, none have been as glamorous as Mauritius, which hosted the African Race Walking Championships on Friday (19).

Two Japanese runners, Atsushi Fujita and Yuki Kawauchi, are in the spotlight ahead of the 15th Nagano Olympic Commemorative Marathon, an IAAF Bronze Label Road Race, on Sunday.

It has been a sombre week of sadness and solidarity ahead of start of the 2013 Virgin London Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, this coming Sunday.

US sprinter Allyson Felix and her Jamaican counterpart Veronica Campbell-Brown are expected to be among the stars of this year's IAAF Diamond League and and with three weeks before the opening meeting of 2013, on Friday 10 May in Doha, the pair spoke to journalists on Thursday (18).

The 86th Kansas Relays in Lawrence , USA, began for third time with a special Shot Put competition but this year, because of bad weather concerns, it was held indoors and USA’s Ryan Whiting reached 21.65m on Wednesday (17).

The ninth episode of IAAF Inside Athletics is available to watch online now.

“It’s been about a month since I last wrote a diary so here’s my latest news and thoughts.

Usain Bolt is among 29 London 2012 Olympic Games medallists, including 12 champions and four World record-holders, who have, so far, been confirmed for the IAAF Diamond League in London, the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games, on 26-27 July.

Before opening his season last weekend with a marginally wind-assisted 13.23 clocking in Fayetteville, Olympic 110m Hurdles champion and World record-holder Aries Merritt was visited by a handful of overseas journalists who gained an insight into his daily routine.

The British line-up has been revealed for the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games, part of the IAAF Diamond League, in London on July 26-27 which will see memorable moments like ‘Super Saturday’ from London 2012 relived a year on from the Olympic opening ceremony.

Lelisa Desisa won his first Boston Marathon and Rita Jeptoo her second in 2:26:25, both after surviving tactical races with several lead changes on a sunny Monday morning (15) at the 117th edition of the Boston Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race.

Korea’s Kim Mi Gyong delighted the 100,000 fans that had packed the May Day Stadium on Sunday morning (14) in Pyongyang for the 26th Mangyong Prize Marathon, an IAAF Bronze Label Road Race, as she triumphed in the women’s race, while Ethiopia’s Ketema Nigusse was the top man.

Racing fans, be prepared – World record-holder David Rudisha is eager to lead a world-class 800m field on June 1 at the Prefontaine Classic, part of the IAAF Diamond League, where he will take on all seven of the other Olympic finalists from last year.

Despite gusting winds reaching 50mph in Dublin on Sunday (14), legendary Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele produced an awesome performance to comfortably defend his title at the SPAR Great Ireland Run, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race.

It speaks volumes of the quality of a race when a 2:05:38 clocking can be classed as “disappointing”. Without taking anything away from Tilahun Regassa’s victory in today’s (14) ABN AMRO Marathon Rotterdam, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, the organisers were hopeful that the 2:04:27 course record would be broken.

Defending champion Henry Sugut won for the third time at the Vienna City Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, while Haile Gebrselassie did likewise in the Half-marathon and Filomena Cheyech triumphed in the women’s Marathon today (14).

The fourth Brighton Marathon – an IAAF Bronze Label Road Race – celebrated two course records today (14) as Dominic Kangor and Eunice Kales made it a double triumph for Kenya on a crisp, overcast morning in the south coast resort.

Several medal candidates for the 2013 IAAF World Youth Championships emerged this weekend (12-14) in Weifang, Shandong province, at the Chinese Youth Championships.

World and Olympic 400m champion Kirani James got his season off to a flying start with a 44.72 victory at the inaugural Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational in Nassau on Saturday (13).