IAAF

The stage of preparatory activities, the content of the starting package of the amateur championships and the logo sticker of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships – these were the main topics covered at last week’s press conference held at the Bydgoszcz City Hall.

The Hunter Track Classic was delighted to have the services of London 2012 Olympic Games Long Jump silver medallist Mitchell Watt. Meeting organisers flew him in to Newcastle, put him up and then provided a stretch limousine to deliver him to the pit on Saturday (2).

Locals stars Olga Kucherenko and Sergey Shubenkov as well as a healthy dose of London 2012 Olympic Games medallists should help provide some outstanding events at the 22nd edition of the Russian Winter indoor meeting, an IAAF Indoor Permit Meeting, on Sunday (3).

The Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon usually invites a few great runners every year and 2013 is no exception. Kenya’s Abel Kirui, a two-time IAAF World Championships Marathon gold medallist and London 2012 Olympic Games silver medalist, as well as Ethiopia’s 2012 Olympic Games Marathon champion Tiki Gelana, will be on the start line of the 67th edition of the IAAF Silver Label Road Race on Sunday (3).

The legendary Cinque Mulini – Five Mills - Cross Country race in San Vittore Olona, a IAAF Cross Country Permit Meeting, continues to maintain its place in the history of the discipline with its 81st edition on Sunday (3).

The 62nd annual Beppu-Oita Marathon (also known as Betsudai Marathon) will be staged on Sunday (3) and can boast of a proud history as the third oldest marathon in Japan, after Lake Biwa Marathon and Fukuoka Marathon.

A host of Russia’s top male high jumpers clashed at the 17th Moscow Cup, a High Jump meeting to music, at the Znamensky Brothers Olympic Centre on Thursday (31) with Sergey Mudrov pulling off a surprise victory.

Three world-leading marks were equalled at the Gugl Indoor meeting in Linz on Thursday night (31) – Christina Schwanitz in the Shot, Omo Osaghae in the 60m Hurdles in Zan Rudolf in the 800m.

The New Balance Indoor Grand Prix kicks off the USATF Championship Series on Saturday (2) in Boston, the first and only IAAF Indoor Permit meeting in the United States this year.

London Olympic champions Meseret Defar and Renaud Lavillenie lead the parade of athletes who will compete on Saturday (2) in Karlsruhe, Germany, the first fixture in this season’s IAAF Indoor Permit meeting series.

Abeba Aregawi, winner of the Diamond Race for 1500m in last year’s Samsung Diamond League, will run her first race as a Swedish citizen on February 21 when she competes at the XL Galan, an IAAF Indoor Permit meeting.

Five time IAAF World Half-marathon champion Zersenay Tadese will look to continue his incredible record over 13.1 miles when he lines up for the Hervis Prague Half Marathon – an IAAF Gold Label Race – on April 6.

The feedback given by IAAF Ambassador Paul Tergat on his first ever visit to Poland exceeded the expectations of the organisers of the 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

The ninth Moravia High Jump Tour ended on a high – quite literally – with world-leading marks from Olympic bronze medallist Mutaz Essa Barshim (2.34m) and rising Italian talent Alessia Trost (2.00m) in Trinec on Tuesday night (29).

In preparation for the next IAAF Coordination Commission concerning Moscow 2013, IAAF Vice President Sergey Bubka and IAAF General Secretary Essar Gabriel met with the Vice-Mayor of Moscow Alexander Gorbenko last week in the Russian capital.

“My name is Lorena. At least, that’s what people close to me call me,” says the young emerging star of Colombian and South American race walking, or Sandra Lorena Arenas Campuzano to give her full name.

Kenya’s Albert Rop and Ethiopia’s Eleni Gebrehiwot were the winners of the ING Eurocross - an IAAF Cross Country Permit Meeting - in Diekirch, Luxembourg, on a snow covered course and in almost freezing condition on Sunday (27).

There was a selection of fine performances on both sides of the Atlantic at indoor meetings in Europe and the USA on Saturday (26), notably London 2012 Olympic Games Pole Vault winner Renaud Lavillenie hitting the heights with a 5.92m clearance in Rouen, France.

Public attention and the TV cameras during the traditional Governor’s Cup meeting in Volgograd was fixed on the local long jumper Olga Kucherenko, who responded in fine style and jumped 6.90m on Saturday (26).

Coming from behind to pass local star Kayoko Fukushi with 900m left in the race, Ukraine’s Tetyana Gamera-Shmyrko won the Osaka Women’s Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label race, in a personal best of 2:23:58 on Sunday (27).