Two-time world cross-country champion Jacob Kiplimo took 23 seconds off his own course record to win over 15km at the NN Zevenheuvelenloop in Nijmegen on Sunday (17).
His winning mark of 40:42 is the fastest time ever recorded in a standalone 15km race, though Kiplimo clocked a 40:27 split en route to his 57:31 half marathon performance, then a world record, in Lisbon in 2021.
Kiplimo, who won here in 41:05 last year, set out with intent. By the time the Ugandan reached 2km (5:26), he already had a clear lead over the rest of the field. That lead continued to grow as the race progressed, and Kiplimo reached 5km in 13:44.
The world and Olympic medallist went even faster for the next 5km, reaching 10km in 27:15 &ndash; 34 seconds up on his pace from last year and two minutes ahead of the chase pack.
Kiplimo maintained his relentless pace through the closing stages, crossing the line in 40:42. The men&rsquo;s race at the eight most recent editions of the Zevenheuvelenloop have now been won by Ugandan men.
Mike Foppen of the Netherlands emerged from the chase pack to take second place in 43:19, two seconds ahead of Britain&rsquo;s Marc Scott.
In the women&rsquo;s race, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Mizan Alem made a strong road-racing debut to take the title in 46:51.
The 2021 world U20 5000m champion held back slightly during the early stages, allowing Diane van Es of the Netherlands to carve out a nine-second lead by 2km. But Alem gradually made up ground and caught the Dutch runner at about 3.5km.
From there on, Alem could not be caught. She passed through 5km in 15:54 and 10km in 31:27 before going on to cross the finish line in 46:51, winning by exactly one minute from Van Es.
Only Letesenbet Gidey (44:20) and Tirunesh Dibaba (46:29) have ever recorded faster winning times at this race.
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Mizan Alem (ETH) 46:51 2 Diane van Es (NED) 47:51 3 Enyish Mengie (ETH) 49:21 4 Fionnuala McCormack (IRL) 49:22 5 Haruka Ogawa (JPN) 49:39
Men 1 Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) 40:42 2 Mike Foppen (NED) 43:19 3 Marc Scott (GBR) 43:21 4 Rui Aoki (JPN) 43:23 5 Matthew Kiplimo (KEN) 43:24

Kiplimo's 40:42 is the fastest time ever recorded in a standalone 15km race

Kiplimo smashes course record at Zevenheuvelenloop in Nijmegen

Prodigious talent shone through at the Cinque Mulini with Kenya&rsquo;s Mathew Kipruto and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Yenenesh Shimket taking top honours at the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting in San Vittore Olona on Sunday (17).
While Kipruto was among the pre-race favourites in the men&rsquo;s 10.2km race, Shimket was a surprise winner of the women&rsquo;s 6.2km title, upstaging home star Nadia Battocletti, the Olympic bronze medallist and double European champion.
Kipruto, the world U20 cross-country bronze medallist, positioned himself towards the front of a large lead pack on the first longer lap, which was covered in 6:13. By the end of the second lap, Kipruto had just Tanzania&rsquo;s John Wele and Kenya&rsquo;s world U20 5000m champion Andrew Kiptoo for company.
Not wanting to leave it all to the finish, Kipruto ramped up the pace on the third lap and opened up a seven-second gap on his compatriot Kiptoo. He was unable to maintain that tempo on the fourth lap, but he still managed to extend his lead slightly over Kiptoo. Wele, meanwhile, dropped back through the field while Eritrean teenager Saymon Amanuel moved into third.
Kiptoo made up some ground on the final lap, but Kipruto&rsquo;s lead was too great and he went on to cross the line in 27:26, winning by three seconds. Further back, Mathew Kipchumba came through for third place in 27:45, completing a Kenyan podium sweep.
Battocletti lead the field at the start of the women&rsquo;s race, covering the longer first lap in 6:56 with fellow Italian Ludovica Cavalli close behind. Shimket, Kenya&rsquo;s Sheila Jebet and Burundi&rsquo;s Elvanie Nimbona were also in the early lead group.
By the end of the second lap, though, Shimket had edged in front of Battlocletti with Jebet tucked in third, the trio having formed a small breakaway pack.
On the final lap, 17-year-old Shimket increased the pace with a 5:43 circuit and Battocletti had no response, eventually dropping down to third. Shimket, the African U20 cross-country silver medallist, won comfortably in 18:35 from Kenyan teenager Jebet (18:48) with Battocletti crossing the line in third (18:49).
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women (6.2km) 1 Yenenesh Shimket (ETH) 18:35 2 Sheila Jebet (KEN) 18:48 3 Nadia Battocletti (ITA) 18:49 4 Elvanie Nimbona (BDI) 19:11 5 Ludovica Cavalli (ITA) 19:13
Men (10.2km) 1 Mathew Kipruto (KEN) 27:26 2 Andrew Kiptoo (KEN) 27:29 3 Mathew Kipchumba (KEN) 27:45 4 Saymon Amanuel (ERI) 27:48 5 John Wele (TAN) 27:50
&nbsp;
<h2>Gressier and Nawowuna win again in Allonnes</h2>
Just 24 hours after losing his European 10km record to compatriot Etienne Daguinos, Jimmy Gressier kick-started his winter campaign with a victory at the Cross international Le Maine Libre-Allonnes-Sarthe &ndash; a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting &ndash; on Sunday (17).
Kenya&rsquo;s Grace Loibach Nawowuna, meanwhile, successfully defended her title in the women&rsquo;s 7.61km race, winning by 23 seconds.
The men&rsquo;s 8.42km race was much closer and was only decided in the closing stages when Gressier kicked away from Ethiopian teenager Kuma Girma. Gressier, who earlier this year set French records for 5000m and 10,000m, won by one second in 23:20.
Girma was followed across the line by two of his fellow Ethiopian teenagers: Milkesa Fikadu (23:25) and Abrha Gebru (23:35).
By contrast, Nawowuna made a break much earlier in the women&rsquo;s race and opened up a significant gap on Uganda&rsquo;s Sarah Chelangat. The Kenyan eventually crossed the line unopposed in 22:55 with Chelangat taking second place in 23:18. France&rsquo;s Manon Trapp was a distant third in 23:46.

Prodigious talent shone through at the Cinque Mulini with Kenya’s Mathew Kipruto and Ethiopia’s Yenenesh Shimket taking top honours

Teenagers Kipruto and Shimket triumph at Cinque Mulini

The title of a new documentary about athletics icon Edwin Moses &ndash; &lsquo;Moses - 13 Steps&rsquo; &ndash; is inspired, fittingly, by Hitchcock&rsquo;s 1935 classic &lsquo;The 39 Steps&rsquo;, in which a man unravels a mystery.
In Michael Wech&rsquo;s film, the enigma extends beyond Moses&rsquo; mastery of the 400m hurdles, where he famously solved the puzzle by running it with his giant strides, using only 13 steps between barriers.
The documentary reveals a champion whose undefeated streak spanned a decade, but whose legacy endures even more powerfully through his advocacy for fairness, equity, athletes' rights, anti-doping and social justice. 
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rUkfxQ4YI-k" width="100%" height="480" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h2>The maths between the hurdles</h2>
In 1976, Moses, a physics major from Atlanta&rsquo;s Morehouse College, became the first athlete to consistently maintain a 13-step stride pattern between the 10 hurdles of the race, which became his technical signature.
Reducing the number of steps was a trend during the 20th century. 1952 Olympic champion Charles Moore pioneered the 13-step plan, but only to the fifth hurdle. Moses fulfilled the ambition of another former world record-holder, Soviet Yuriy Lituyev, who had attempted 13 steps all the way in the semifinals of the 1954 European Championships but only managed it to the penultimate hurdle and injured his hamstring in the process.
That was in the cinder track era, but with bouncier synthetic surfaces becoming standard, the 13-step approach for five or six hurdles became common in the 1970s, until the tall (1.87m) and long-legged (94cm) Moses succeeded in applying the 13-step plan throughout.
The benefit was that Moses didn&rsquo;t need to alternate his lead leg. The drawback was that this plan didn&rsquo;t account for the inevitable reduction in step length as fatigue set in, posing a tricky equation for the physicist: how to fit his natural 2.70m stride &ndash; which shrinks to 2.30m as he tires &ndash; into a consistent 2.40m length between the 10 hurdles of the lap, as required by the 13-step plan?
Although Moses stated that a 12-stride plan &ndash; one that would match his normal step length but require switching legs at each hurdle &ndash; might be needed to break 47 or even 46 seconds, he never implemented it in competition. At a race in Zurich in 1981, however, he had to take 12 steps over two intervals to avoid falling. But why change when your winning margin is more than a second on average?
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/d52fcbf4-3af5-4408-9ea6-e33ae9d10423.jpg" alt="US 400m hurdler Edwin Moses" />
US 400m hurdler Edwin Moses (&copy; Getty Images )
</div>
The self-coached hurdler&rsquo;s last defeat was in 1977 against West-German Harald Schmidt, when Moses tripped before the 10th hurdle. &ldquo;My mistake, I won&rsquo;t do it again,&rdquo; he then declared, and kept his word until 1987, when he stumbled over the same obstacle trying to catch Danny Harris.
This period of invincibility &ndash; 122 consecutive victories over nine years, nine months and nine days &ndash;remains the longest streak in track and field history, and included two Olympic titles, two World Championships, three World Cups, and four world records. His last one, 47.02 set in 1983, stood for nine years until Kevin Young broke it with 46.78, using &ndash; as Moses prophesised &ndash; a 12-step rhythm.
<h2>The man beyond the obstacles</h2>
Upon retiring after the 1988 Olympics, where he earned the bronze medal, Moses closed a career unparalleled with 178 victories in 187 races since his debut in 1975.
But the film &lsquo;Moses - 13 Steps&rsquo; goes beyond the 400m hurdles. The &lsquo;Prophet of the 400m hurdles&rsquo;, as he was nicknamed by French journalist Robert Parient&eacute;, shares how he made an impact off the track as well, "guided by principles of fairness and equity".
Moses campaigned to allow athletes to become professionals in a transitional amateur era, contributed to anti-doping policies including random and out-of-competition testing programmes, and took a stand against apartheid in South Africa.
With his recognisable style wearing large dark glasses and rawhide cord necklace, his influence made him an iconic African American sports figure, and he was duly chosen to deliver the Athlete&rsquo;s Oath at the opening ceremony of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. In 1981 he was the first recipient of USA Track &amp; Field's Jesse Owens Award as the outstanding US track and field performer for 1981. In 2018, he received the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award.
German director Michael Wech, known for his profiles on Snoop Dogg and King Charles, brings together three Academy Award winners in his film: executive producer Morgan Freeman and commentary from Moses&rsquo; fellow Morehouse alumni Spike Lee and Samuel L Jackson.
Promotion for the 105-minute film began this summer in connection with the Paris 2024 Olympics and will be presented in New York on 17 November, as part of the <a href="https://www.docnyc.net/film/moses-13-steps/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DOC NYC, a festival that celebrates documentary filmmaking</a> by connecting artists and audiences through powerful stories and diverse voices.
Pierre-Jean Vazel for World Athletics Heritage

New documentary extends beyond Edwin Moses’ mastery of the 400m hurdles

‘Moses – 13 Steps’ - balancing power on and off the track

It has been 34 years since an Italian athlete won at home at the Cinque Mulini, but hopes are high that the drought will end this weekend when Nadia Battocletti lines up for the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting in San Vittore Olona on Sunday (17).
The 24-year-old has enjoyed the best season of her career so far. At the start of her track campaign, she struck gold over 5000m and 10,000m at the European Championships on home soil in Rome, setting Italian records of 14:35.29 and 30:51.32.
Just two months later, she reduced those records to 14:31.64 and 30:43.35 when finishing fourth and third in those same disciplines at the Olympic Games in Paris. This year she has also set PBs of 3:59.19 for 1500m and 31:19 for 10km.
All of these achievements led to her earning the Sportswoman of the Year honour at the coveted Gazzette Sports Awards this week.
Her last appearance at the Cinque Mulini was back in 2020 when she finished fifth. Prior to that, she placed fourth in 2019 while still an U20 athlete.
Most of her opposition this weekend will come from her compatriots, including world 1500m finalist Ludovica Cavalli and European Championships 10,000m fourth-place finisher Federica del Buono. Germany&rsquo;s 2021 European indoor 3000m finalist Elena Burkhard will also be in contention.
The men&rsquo;s race appears to be wide open and features some of the most exciting up-and-coming talents in the distance-running world.
World U20 5000m champion Andrew Kiptoo is one of the youngest in the field and has limited experience of contesting international cross-country races, but don&rsquo;t be surprised to see him in contention for victory. The Kenyan has a 5000m PB of 13:05.55, the fastest time by an U18 athlete in the world this year. He also recently won a competitive U20 men&rsquo;s race in Kapsokwony, Kenya.
He&rsquo;ll be joined on the startline by compatriot Mathew Kipruto. The world U20 cross-country bronze medallist had just a short track season, but he returned to action in September with a 27:50 PB over 10km.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Mezgebu Sime finished one place ahead of Kipruto in the U20 race at this year&rsquo;s World Cross Country Championships, taking silver. The 19-year-old also has a 13:03.19 PB for 5000m, and he finished fifth in that discipline at this year&rsquo;s senior African Championships.
Burundi&rsquo;s Emilie Hafashimana is another talented teen who&rsquo;ll be on the startline this weekend. He placed seventh over 5000m at this year&rsquo;s World U20 Championships, having also finished 30th in the senior men&rsquo;s race at the World Cross Country Championships. This year he has set national U20 records of 13:15.24 for 5000m and 27:47.88 for 10,000m.
Compatriot Egide Ntakarutimana is slightly more experienced. This year he has achieved top-five finishes at the Cross Country Tour Gold meetings in San Giorgio su Legnano, Atapuerca and Soria. On the track, meanwhile, he has set PBs of 7:37.33 for 3000m and 13:00.74 for 5000m.
Italian hopes are led by marathon duo Nekagenet Crippa and Daniele Meucci, 1500m standout Pietro Arese, and steeplechase specialists Osama Zoghlami and Yassin Bouih.
Crippa finished fifth at the Cinque Mulini last year, then went on to set marathon PB of 2:07:35 in Valencia. Meucci won the European marathon title back in 2014, but is still highly competitive at the classic distance, as shown by his PB of 2:07:49 earlier this year.
European 1500m bronze medallist Arese has this year has set Italian records for the 1500m indoors (3:37.03), outdoors (3:30.74) and 3000m indoors (7:38.42). He&rsquo;ll be joined on the start line by 2022 European steeplechase bronze medallist Osama Zoghlami and Olympian Yassin Bouih.

It has been 34 years since an Italian athlete won at home at the Cinque Mulini, but hopes are high that Nadia Battocletti will end that drought

Battocletti aims for victory on home soil at Cinque Mulini

Grace Loibach Nawowuna and Samuel Kibet, last year&rsquo;s winners at the Cross International Le Maine Libre-Allonnes-Sarthe, will face stiff opposition when they return to the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting on Sunday (17).
Nawowuna &ndash; who finished fourth at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships &ndash; was a convincing winner in Allonnes last year, crossing the line 30 seconds ahead of her opponents. This year&rsquo;s race has been increased from 6.98km to 7.61km, which could play into the Kenyan&rsquo;s hands, given she excels over 10,000m on the track &ndash; as shown by her PB of 29:47.42 &ndash; and recently made a promising half marathon debut of 1:07:16.
She&rsquo;ll be looking for her first victory in a Cross Country Tour race this year, following a third-place finish in Elgoibar back in January and a runner-up spot in Atapuerca last month.
Sarah Chelangat will be aiming to become the first Ugandan woman to win in Allonnes. She holds national records for 3000m (8:32.53), 5000m (14:40.88), 10,000m (30:24.04) and the half marathon (1:07:59), and finished sixth at this year&rsquo;s World Cross, all of which suggests she&rsquo;ll be Nawowuna&rsquo;s toughest opposition.
Norah Jeruto, the 2022 world steeplechase champion, will also be no push-over. The Kazakh runner will be making her first cross-country appearance since 2021 when she won in Seville.
Fellow steeplechaser Marwa Bouzayani, is also in the line-up. The Tunisian record-holder is a two-time world finalist at her specialist discipline, but also possesses the versatility to perform well at cross country.
France&rsquo;s 2013 European cross-country champion Sophie Duarte, French half marathon record-holder Mekdes Woldu, Portuguese half marathon specialist Monica Silva, and Algeria&rsquo;s Nawal Yahi are also in the line-up.
The men&rsquo;s race last year was much closer than the women&rsquo;s with Samuel Kibet winning by just four seconds from Yann Schrub. Both men will be back in Allonnes to renew their rivalry.
Kibet won the 2022 world mountain-running title, then went on to place 30th at the 2023 World Cross, earning bronze in the team competition.
After his runner-up finish in Allonnes last year, Schrub went on to win the European cross-country title. This weekend&rsquo;s race will be his first cross-country outing since his continental victory. Earlier this year, he took silver over 10,000m at the European Championships.
He&rsquo;ll be joined on the startline by compatriot Jimmy Gressier, the winner here in 2021. Gressier has enjoyed a fine season so far, setting French records over 5000m (12:54.97) and 10,000m (26:58.67), as well as a European record at 10km (27:07).
Vinent Kimayo is another one to watch. The Kenyan clocked a 10km PB of 27:21 in Madrid in June, finishing two places ahead of Kibet. Look out, too, for prodigious Ethiopian teenager Kuma Girma, who ran 13:03.37 for 5000m at the age of 17 last year.
Other contenders include European steeplechase champion Alexis Miellet, fourth her last year, European steeplechase silver medallist Djilali Bedrani, European indoor 3000m finalist Bastien Augusto, and French short course cross-country champion Nicolas Daru.

Last year's winners Grace Loibach Nawowuna and Samuel Kibet will face stiff opposition when they return to the Cross International Le Maine Libre-Allonnes-Sarthe

Defending champions Nowowuna and Kibet take on world and European gold medallists in Allonnes

The Cross Internacional de It&aacute;lica in Santiponce on the outskirts of the Spanish city of Seville &ndash; the fifth Gold standard meeting in the current World Athletics Cross Country Tour &ndash; always boasts a quality line-up, and this year&rsquo;s race on Sunday (17) features the most prominent line-up so far this season.
Entries for the women&rsquo;s race, contested over 7.5km, are headed by Kenya&rsquo;s two-time world cross-country champion and double Olympic gold medallist Beatrice Chebet. The 24-year-old has enjoyed a superb season, topped by her 5000m and 10,000m titles at the Paris Olympics, three months after becoming the first woman to dip under the 29-minute barrier for the latter distance thanks to a 28:54.14 clocking in Eugene on 25 May.
Chebet, who is also the reigning world champion and world record holder for the road 5km, will be making her third appearance here following her runner-up spot in 2020 and her third place in 2021. It will be her first race since her 14:09.82 5000m victory at the Diamond League Final in Brussels.
She will start as the overwhelming favourite for the victory, though she&rsquo;ll face quality opposition in the form of compatriot Mercy Chepkemoi and Kazakhstan&rsquo;s Daisy Jepkemei. The latter finished seventh at this year&rsquo;s World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, and more recently she captured a commanding win in Atapuerca last month.
Chepkemoi is fresh from a fine win in Cardiff last Saturday. She placed fourth over 5000m at the World U20 Championships in Lima in August, finishing just behind bronze medallist Charity Cherop of Uganda, who will also be racing in Santiponce this weekend.
The line-up also comprises Diana and Sharon Chepkemoi, who finished third and seventh respectively in the steeplechase in Lima. Both also competed in Soria last Sunday where they finished third (Diana) and fourth (Sharon).
Meanwhile, France&rsquo;s Alice Finot, who set a European record of 8:58.67 when finishing fourth in the steeplechase at the Paris Olympics, will be contesting just her second cross-country race in the past seven years.
Portugal&rsquo;s Mariana Machado recently finished sixth in Atapuerca, sandwiched between Spanish cross-country champion Carolina Robles and Olympic 1500m finalist Agueda Marques who finished fourth and seventh respectively there, closely followed by Maria Forero, the 2022 European U20 cross-country champion. All of them will renew their rivalry this weekend.
European 5000m bronze medallist Marta Garc&iacute;a, meanwhile, will be making her only cross-country outing of the winter before focusing on the indoor season.
The men&rsquo;s race has been reduced to 7.5km which plays into the hands of the middle-distance specialists. But that shouldn&rsquo;t be a problem for Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Berihu Aregawi, as the Ethiopian is also the third-fastest man in history over 3000m.
The 23-year-old opened the year in style by retaining his silver medal at the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade before setting a 10,000m PB of 26:31.13 in Nerja. Following his Olympic silver in Paris, he clocked an Ethiopian record of 7:21.28 for 3000m and won the 5000m at the Diamond League Final in Brussels.
Sunday&rsquo;s race will be Aregawi&rsquo;s first cross-country outing this season, but fellow Etiopians Ayele Tadesse and Wegene Addisu have already made a mark on the tour, finishing second and fourth respectively in Soria last weekend.
Yet Aregawi&rsquo;s fiercest opposition should come from Burundi&rsquo;s Rodrigue Kwizera and Spain&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo. Kwizera is still unbeaten this cross-country season, having won in Amorebieta, Atapuerca and Soria. He has successively finished first, second and third on his appearances in Seville over the past three years.
Meanwhile, his training partner Ndikumwenayo &ndash; winner in Seville in 2022 &ndash; is the European 10,000m bronze medallist and lowered his 10,000m PB to 26:49.49 for ninth place at the Paris Olympics. Ndikumwenayo will travel to Seville from his altitude stint in Sierra Nevada where he&rsquo;s building up for the European Cross Country Championchips in Antalya on 8 December.
Watch out too for Uruguay&rsquo;s Santiago Catrofe. He boasts PBs of 7:37:15 for 3000m and 13:05.95 for 5000m and was a surprise winner in San Sebastian two weeks ago when he kicked away from Uganda&rsquo;s Martin Kiprotich, who&rsquo;ll also be in contention on Sunday.
Kiprotich will be joined by his compatriots Kenneth Kiprop, Dan Kibet and Hosea Kiplangat. The former is the world U20 5000m bronze medallist and triumphed in Cardiff where Kibet had to settle for third.
The Spanish charge will be led by European indoor 3000m silver medallist Adel Mechaal, US-based Aar&oacute;n Las Heras, national 10km record-holder Abdessadam Oukhelfen, and the always consistent Nassim Hassaous.
Past winners in Seville include Fernando Mamede (1984 and 1985), Paul Tergat (1998 and 1999), Paula Radcliffe (2001), Kenenisa Bekele (2003, 2004 and 2007), Faith Kipyegon (2016), Joshua Cheptegei (2018) and Jacob Kiplimo (2019).
Temperatures between 22-24C are predicted for the time of the elite races on Sunday.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

Double Olympic gold medallist Beatrice Chebet and Olympic silver medallist Berihu Aregawi start as favourites

Chebet and Aregawi poised to strike in Seville

Jessica Hull may smile by default, but true happiness has been the catalyst for her breakthrough year to become an Olympic silver medallist and world record-holder.
Few athletes would have more allies on the global circuit than the beaming Australian. A softly spoken figure who doubles as a savage competitor, Hull spent seven years living and breathing athletics in the United States, first at the University of Oregon and then as a professional.
Those experiences made her good, Olympic final good, but her 2024 was great. The difference? A move back home to Australia 18 months ago to be closer to family and coached by her dad Simon &ndash; a former national junior champion turned tile and bathroom renovator.
&ldquo;I had got so in the zone in the US that I couldn&rsquo;t switch off between training sessions. If training didn&rsquo;t go well, I would sit there and overthink things like being half a second slow on a split and what I needed to do to get better,&rdquo; Hull said.
&ldquo;It was really hard to leave training at the track because running was the reason I was there.
&ldquo;Once I came home, I noticed I was able to do the track session and just move on because I was around my people and we talk about things outside of the running world.&rdquo;
The step backwards would eventuate in a leap forward as Hull blazed her way to Olympic 1500m silver in 3:52.56 behind Kenyan world record-holder Faith Kipyegon. Hull also set a 2000m world record of 5:19.70 at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco and moved to fifth on the world 1500m all-time list with 3:50.83 at the Paris Diamond League earlier in the season.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/66917ec2074986953a9d669f.jpg" alt="Jessica Hull sets a world 2000m record in Monaco" />
Jessica Hull sets a world 2000m record in Monaco (&copy; Christel Saneh)
</div>
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s been crazy to hear how it brought people together. Parents have told me they waited to watch with their kids in the morning so it felt like it was live for them, and just hearing how much belief and momentum was growing back at home after the heats and the semis,&rdquo; Hull said.
Operating on a personalised 10-day training cycle under Simon&rsquo;s watchful eye, the pair share a unique bond which has progressed from laps of an unmarked loop in Wollongong as a child to training as an elite, with Hull&rsquo;s competitive spirit prominent well before her physical prowess.
&ldquo;If I was having a good day, it was about a 10-minute loop. He would run with me to show me the way when we first started, then I would get a head start and he would always catch me with about a minute and a half to go, and the race would be on from there,&rdquo; Hull said.
&ldquo;Eventually he was the one getting the head start and I would have to try and catch him, but these days he&rsquo;s just on the bike!
&ldquo;I was so undertrained compared to what I see people that age doing now. It was never not fun for me. We were doing just enough to improve a little bit each year and every time I did it felt really special.&rdquo;
An open book when it comes to her training, the 27-year-old credits the addition of speed development to her programme as one of the key factors in her improvement, along with sacrificing a portion of volume for high intensity work off shorter recoveries.
And while Simon crunches the numbers, Hull&rsquo;s mum Michelle strikes the balance.
&ldquo;When it comes to splits, race plans and tactics, she doesn&rsquo;t understand any of it,&rdquo; said Hull. "She just cheers for me because I&rsquo;m her daughter and she wants me to be happy and achieve my goals.&rdquo;
Racing for Australia&rsquo;s first Olympic medal in the middle-distance ranks since Ralph Doubell&rsquo;s 800m gold in 1968, her compatriots tuned in at 4:15am on a Sunday morning as the gun was fired at the Stade de France.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6735dbffa84d342b56dc55cc.jpg" alt="Jessica Hull with her fellow Olympic 1500m medallists - champion Faith Kipyegon and bronze medallist Georgia Bell" />
Jessica Hull with her fellow Olympic 1500m medallists - champion Faith Kipyegon and bronze medallist Georgia Bell (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
Hull would execute to near perfection, doing enough to challenge for the gold without sacrificing the silver, becoming the first Australian woman in history to win an Olympic medal in the 1500m and inspiring the next generation towards the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
&ldquo;They have seen an Australian woman win a medal on the world stage now and they can do it too, our juniors are as good as anyone. When the World U20 Championships was on in Lima, I would wake up and be like &lsquo;wait, we won how many medals?&rsquo; &ndash; it&rsquo;s so special,&rdquo; Hull said.
&ldquo;Nina Kennedy, Matt Denny and I went to the 2014 World U20s together and none of us won medals. This year we won Olympic gold, silver and bronze between us. These kids are already ahead of where we were, and I hope they truly do believe they can do it too.&rdquo;
Soaking up her silver success in both private and public settings since Paris, Hull is yet to lay down firm plans for 2025 and beyond, but with her trademark smile says her commitment to another Olympic cycle is indicative of her belief.
&ldquo;To think that running a personal best could mean being in the 3:40s for 1500m is really weird. There is still room to improve in training and that usually means there is room to improve in a race,&rdquo; Hull said.
&ldquo;There is no way we are tapped out and I haven&rsquo;t achieved everything I want to achieve yet.&rdquo;
Lachlan Moorhouse for World Athletics

The XXXIII Olympic Games

Jessica Hull may smile by default, but true happiness has been the catalyst for her breakthrough year to become an Olympic silver medallist and world record-holder

Hull's homecoming paves way to Olympic silver

World Athletics is deeply saddened to hear that Dallas Long, the 1964 Olympic shot put champion and multiple world record-breaker, has died at the age of 84.
Long competed in a golden era for US shot putting and was one of the world's best athletes in the 1960s. As well as his Olympic title win and world records, he claimed Olympic bronze at the 1960 Games.
Long was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on 13 June 1940 and attended North Phoenix High School in Arizona, where he was coached by Vern Wolfe. Wolfe continued to guide him as he moved up to the University of Southern California and claimed three successive NCAA titles between 1960 and 1962.
It was in 1960 that Long claimed the first of his two Olympic medals, getting bronze at the Games in Rome behind his compatriots Bill Nieder and Parry O'Brien. Long set six official world records during his career and equalled the world record once &ndash; after equalling O'Brien&rsquo;s 19.25m in 1959 as an 18-year-old, Long&rsquo;s first and second world record-breaking throws came in 1960, when he threw 19.38m and 19.67m in March of that year.
After Nieder became the first man to throw beyond 20 metres with 20.06m in the August of 1960, Long then regained the world record with a 20.08m put in May 1962. He later improved the world record to 20.10m, 20.20m and 20.68m in 1964.
That year would prove highly successful for Long, as he also became the Olympic champion in Tokyo. Throwing an Olympic record of 20.33m, he took the title ahead of his compatriot Randy Matson and Hungary&rsquo;s Vilmos Varju, with two-time champion O'Brien finishing fourth.
Following his retirement from competitive athletics, Long became a doctor and dentist. He was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1996.

Dallas Long, 1940-2024

1964 Olympic shot put champion Long dies

<h3 style="text-align: center;">Stream the entire series of SPRINT Part 2 <a href="https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81685880?utm_campaign=netflix_launch&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=worldathletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81685880?utm_campaign=netflix_launch&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=worldathletics">here</a></h3>
 <a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/sprint" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/sprint">SPRINT</a> &ndash; the thrilling Netflix sports docuseries starring the fastest athletes on the planet &ndash; has stormed back on to screens with the release of SPRINT Part 2.
Four months after the <a href="https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81685880?utm_campaign=netflix_launch&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=worldathletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81685880?utm_campaign=netflix_launch&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=worldathletics">first season</a> launched, the world&rsquo;s fastest athletes are back. This time the four-part series focuses on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the thrills and spills that unfolded in the French capital.
&ldquo;As a sprinter, you are going to be remembered by how you did at the Olympic Games,&rdquo; says four-time Olympic medallist Ato Boldon. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t get it right, you have four years to think about what went wrong.&rdquo;
Olympic 100m champions <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/noah-lyles-14536762" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Noah Lyles</a> and <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/saint-lucia/julien-alfred-14646562" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Julien Alfred</a> are among stars of the series, along with 200m gold medallists <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/gabrielle-thomas-14733520" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gabby Thomas</a> and <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/botswana/letsile-tebogo-14883897" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Letsile Tebogo</a>.
Like Lyles and Thomas, <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/italy/lamont-marcell-jacobs-14453864" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marcell Jacobs</a>, <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/fred-kerley-14504382" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fred Kerley</a> and <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/shericka-jackson-14325599" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shericka Jackson</a> all featured in the first series and they return for Part 2, joined by a new string of athletes including <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/kishane-thompson-14738009" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kishane Thompson</a>, <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/melissa-jefferson-14756997" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Melissa Jefferson</a>, <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/twanisha-terry-14553598" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twanisha Terry</a>, <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/kenneth-bednarek-14715244" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kenny Bednarek</a> and <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/oblique-seville-14737998" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oblique Seville</a>.
&ldquo;On the track, I&rsquo;m a whole different person,&rdquo; says Thomas, who became a treble Olympic champion in Paris. After winning 200m gold, the 27-year-old formed part of USA&rsquo;s victorious women&rsquo;s 4x100m and 4x400m teams. &ldquo;I know in my heart that I can win.&rdquo;
Created by the team behind Drive to Survive, SPRINT Part 2 follows the lives of these top athletes, offering an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to become the best.
It features speed, drama and fighting talk.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m the fastest, and I&rsquo;ve got the medals to prove it,&rdquo; says Lyles, the Olympic 100m champion who was hit with Covid in Paris but still went on to get 200m bronze. &ldquo;Everybody&rsquo;s got a chance&hellip; to get second.&rdquo;
The four episodes in SPRINT Part 2 are:
1. All American 2. Changing of the Guard 3. Going for Gold: Part 1 4. Going for Gold: Part 2
The first season of SPRINT was a resounding international success &ndash; in its first week of being released, SPRINT ranked sixth on the list of the most-watched shows on Netflix worldwide and was in the top 10 in 50 countries.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/sprint" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/sprint">Learn more about SPRINT and its stars on our dedicated webpage.</a>

The thrilling Netflix sports docuseries starring the fastest athletes on the planet has stormed back on to screens

SPRINT Part 2 out now on Netflix

World Athletics is delighted to announce the three finalists for the 2024 Women's Rising Star Award, which will recognise this year's best U20 athlete at the World Athletics Awards 2024.
The nominations reflect some of the standout performances that the sport has witnessed this year, at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, World Athletics Indoor Championships, World Athletics U20 Championships, World Athletics Cross Country Championships, one-day meeting circuits and other events around the world.
The winner of the 2024 Women's Rising Star Award will be announced on World Athletics' platforms on 1 December.
<h3>The finalists are:</h3>
Sembo Almayew, Ethiopia &bull; World U20 3000m steeplechase champion &bull; Olympic fifth place
Angelina Topic, Serbia &bull; World U20 high jump champion &bull; Olympic finalist and World Indoor Championships fifth place
Yan Ziyi, China &bull; World U20 javelin record &bull; World U20 champion
World Athletics

The Women's Rising Star Award will recognise this year's best U20 athlete at the World Athletics Awards 2024

Finalists announced for 2024 Women's Rising Star Award

World Athletics is delighted to announce the three finalists for the 2024 Men's Rising Star Award, which will recognise this year's best U20 athlete at the World Athletics Awards 2024.
The nominations reflect some of the standout performances that the sport has witnessed this year, at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, World Athletics Indoor Championships, World Athletics U20 Championships, World Athletics Cross Country Championships, one-day meeting circuits and other events around the world.
The winner of the 2024 Men's Rising Star Award will be announced on World Athletics' platforms on 1 December.
<h3>The finalists are:</h3>
Mattia Furlani, Italy &bull; World U20 long jump record &bull; World indoor silver and Olympic bronze
Jaydon Hibbert, Jamaica &bull; World U20 triple jump lead &bull; Olympic fourth place
Niels Laros, Netherlands &bull; World U20 1000m record &bull; Olympic 1500m sixth place
World Athletics&nbsp;

The Men's Rising Star Award will recognise this year's best U20 athlete at the World Athletics Awards 2024

Finalists announced for 2024 Men's Rising Star Award

Burundi&rsquo;s Rodrigue Kwizera and Kenya&rsquo;s Mercy Chepkemoi were victorious at the 30th Cross Internacional de Soria &ndash; the fourth Gold level meeting of this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour &ndash; held at altitude (1100m) in Soria, Spain, on a pleasant Sunday (10).&nbsp;
In winning the senior men&rsquo;s race, the 25-year-old Kwizera joined Uganda&rsquo;s Timothy Toroitich as the only athlete to have won this event three times, while 19-year-old Chepkemoi signed a commanding win on her first outing on Spanish ground.
The women&rsquo;s 8km contest witnessed a slow early pace, with the African contingent always at the helm closely followed by a large pack over the opening kilometre. Just before completing the first 2000m lap in 6:58, a quartet led by Burundi's Francine Niyomukunzi and Kenya&rsquo;s Diana Chepkemoi easily broke away from the rest of the contenders, while Spain&rsquo;s Marta Perez became a lonesome fifth, travelling four seconds in arrears.
The second circuit proved to be much faster as the lead group clocked 6:38 for that segment to extend their advantage to 17 seconds over the Spanish 1500m record-holder Perez, who was performing in front of her home crowd. Midway through the penultimate loop, Sharon Chepkemoi began to struggle and lost any chance of a podium place, while the eventual winner moved to the front for the first time.&nbsp;
It was 200m before the bell &ndash; the third loop taking a comfortable 6:50 &ndash; that Mercy Chepkemoi injected a much brisker rhythm and only Niyomukunzi was able to live with her pace.
The two leaders took turns at the front over the closing circuit, clearly extending their lead over Diana and Sharon Chepkemoi. With some 600m remaining, Mercy Chepkemoi tried to get rid of her Burundian rival but Niyomukunzi managed to remain at her shoulder. Finally, it was with 300m to go that the Kenyan took advantage of an up and down section to open a sizeable gap on Niyomukunzi and reach the finish line untroubled in 26:48 following a fast 6:34 last lap.
She finished seven seconds ahead of Niyomukunzi, while the world U20 3000m steeplechase bronze medallist Diana Chepkemoi completed the podium 23 seconds behind the winner, but 17 seconds ahead of fourth-placed Sharon Chepkemoi.&nbsp;
The winner, who placed 12th in the U20 race at the World Cross Country Championships in March, said: &ldquo;It was not an easy race because of the hills but I felt quite strong. Today was my first outing in Europe and it&rsquo;s very important for me to win at a Gold permit like Soria.&rdquo;
<h2>Another day in the office for Kwizera</h2>
The men's 8km contest also kicked off at a moderate cadence, with Burundi&rsquo;s Egide Ntakarutimana making most of the early pace in heading a big pack comprising the rest of the favourites. With the clock reading four minutes, it was Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ayele Tadesse who increased the rhythm to clock 5:56 for the opening lap, quick enough to leave the European contingent way back. Shortly before the third kilometre the 19-year-old Tadesse stepped up the cadence to open a two-second gap on his compatriot Wegene Addisu, while a quiet Kwizera remained patient in third place another two seconds adrift, leading the chasing pack.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/673106edb416ae0eca236ceb.jpg" alt="Rodrigue Kwizera on his way to his third victory in Soria" />
Rodrigue Kwizera on his way to his third victory in Soria (&copy; Organisers)
</div>
The hot favourite Kwizera accelerated just before midway &ndash; the second loop taking 5:47 &ndash; and he soon caught the Ethiopian duo with incredible ease. The fifth kilometre proved to be the slowest and it was then that the Burundian decided to take over the race to reach the bell in first place following a 5:50 circuit, while first Hosea Kiplangat and then Ntakarutimana began to falter.&nbsp;
Over the closing lap, Kwizera&rsquo;s frantic rhythm paid off quickly as he became a lonesome leader some 1500m from home, with Mathew Kipchumba Kipsang running a couple of seconds in arrears but himself some 10 metres clear of Tadesse and Addisu.
While Kwizera flew the last kilometre on the hunt for his third win in Soria, a tiring Kipsang was overtaken by Tadesse with some 600m left. At the tape, the unopposed victor was timed at 23:47 after a 5:39 final lap, nine seconds clear of the runner-up Tadesse, while Kipsang held off the late challenge provided by Addisu after a photo finish, both being given the same time.&nbsp;
Spain&rsquo;s Nassim Hassaous faced a fierce battle with Norway&rsquo;s Ibrahim Buras throughout but finally finished as the top European 38 seconds behind the winner, who declared: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m satisfied as my target was the win and I managed to get it."
Kwizera, who will take part in the Italica Gold meeting next Sunday, added: &ldquo;At first I felt a bit uncomfortable as I&rsquo;m accustomed to training at sea level and Soria is over 1000m altitude. Anyway, I controlled the race but preferred to stay behind to protect myself from the wind and only unleash my attack in the closing lap.&rdquo;
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics&nbsp;
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women (8km) 1 Mercy Chepkemoi (KEN) 26:48 2 Francine Niyomukunzi (BDI) 26:55 3 Diana Chepkemoi (KEN) 27:11 4 Sharon Chepkemoi (KEN) 27:28 5 Marta Perez (ESP) 28:05 6 Lidia Campo (ESP) 28:18 7 Sara Reimondo (ESP) 28:20 8 Cristina Espejo (ESP) 28:24 9 Katherine Tisalema (ECU) 28:30 10 Mari Luz Tesuri (ARG) 28:37
Men (8km) 1 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 23:17 2 Ayele Tadesse (ETH) 23:26 3 Mathew Kipchumba Kipsang (KEN) 23:31 4&nbsp; Wegene Addisu (ETH) 23:31 5&nbsp; Egide Ntakarutimana (BDI) 23:39 6 Hosea Kiplangat (UGA) 23:40 7 Nassim Hassaous (ESP) 23:55 8 Ibrahim Buras (NOR) 23:55 9 Pablo Sanchez (ESP) 24:10 10 Javier Guerra (ESP) 24:22
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-cross-country-tour/calendar-results/7215392/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a>

Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera and Kenya’s Mercy Chepkemoi were victorious at the 30th Cross Internacional de Soria

Nominees announced for 2024 Member Federations Award

Course record-holders Lemma and Beriso return to Valencia

Finalists announced for 2024 World Athletics Photograph of the Year

In new video, Olympians discuss impacts of climate change on sport

Chebet and Ndikumwenayo victorious in Seville