Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum became the first athlete to break 2:01 in a record-eligible marathon, clocking a tremendous 2:00:35* to take 34 seconds off the world record at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday (8).
At the first ever World Road Running Championships in Riga on October 1 we witnessed two world records in the road mile. The Ethiopian Diribe Welteji ran the women's world record while the American runner Hobbs Kessler won the title and set a new men's world record in a fierce competition. Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir and her compatriot Sebastian Sawe were crowned half marathon champions, while Beatrice Chebet from Kenya and Hagos Gebrhiwet from Ethiopia remained unbeaten in the 5km distance.
The next edition of the World Athletics Road Running Championships will take place in 2025 in San Diego, USA.
Around 340 athletes – including Olympic and world champions – from some 56 teams will compete in the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 on Sunday (1October).
Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay and Sweden's Mondo Duplantis both broke world records on a sensational afternoon of action at the Wanda Diamond League Final in Eugene on Sunday (17 SEP).
First, Tsegay set the second senior world record of her career and her first outdoors, smashing the world 5000m record with a remarkable 14:00.21* run.
The World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 concluded after nine days of thrilling action in which superstars of the sport added to their legacy and new stars emerged as global champions.
A record total of 2100 athletes from 195 countries (plus the Athlete Refugee Team) have competed in the Hungarian capital, watched by more than 400,000 ticketed spectators from 120 countries, and producing one world record, one world U20 record, seven championship records, 11 area records and 73 national records.
The World Athletics Championships (August 19 to 27, 2023 in Budapest) ended with the coronation of the United States (12 Gold) ahead of Canada (4 Gold), Spain (4 Gold) and Jamaica (3 Gold). Kenya (3 Gold) and Ethiopia (2 Gold) are respectively 5th and 6th in the final ranking. Four other African countries; Uganda (2 Gold), Morocco (1 Gold), Burkina Faso (1 Gold) and Botswana (1 Silver) are on the medal table. Thus, the harvest of Africa is 9 Gold, 8 Silver, 9 Bronze.
Day eight at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 ended in joyful fashion for the United States as Noah Lyles and then Sha’Carri Richardson anchored victories in the respective men’s and women’s 4x100m finals after earlier trademark wins for Faith Kipyegon in the 5000m and Mondo Duplantis in the pole vault.
Africa distinguished itself in the women's marathon by taking the three places on the podium. Amane Beriso Shankule led an Ethiopian double with a time of 2:24:23 at the finish line at ‘place des Héros’ ahead of her compatriot and defending champion Gotytom Gebreslase (2:24:34).
An Ethiopian medal race was for a long time watched, until the weather conditions badly impacted on last year's London Marathon winner Yalemzerf Yehualaw.
