Belgian steeplechaser Tim Van de Velde has been selected as the winner of the International Fair Play Award following his selfless act to help another athlete during competition at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
Following nominations from fans, members of the International Fair Play Committee (CIFP) and World Athletics formed a jury to decide on a shortlist of fair play moments in athletics from 2025, before Van de Velde was declared the winner.
Van de Velde&rsquo;s fair play moment occurred during the 3000m steeplechase heats at the World Championships in Tokyo.
Colombia&rsquo;s Carlos San Martin was injured during a fall earlier in the race and, as they approached the finish line, Van de Velde decided to turn back to help San Martin to cross the finish line &ndash; fully aware that it might lead to his disqualification &ndash; in a true demonstration of sportsmanship and humanity.
&ldquo;The more I look back on the moment, the more I can actually enjoy it,&rdquo; said Van de Velde. &ldquo;I never had to think twice during the race to make the decision to turn back and support him.
&ldquo;It was a day in which we both suffered as Carlos crashed into a barrier and I fell at the water jump, but somehow, we made memories for a lifetime. Through our moment we have been able to share those initial feelings of disappointment and that has been a big help in coping with it all. Intense is the right word for that day, but the intensity has made room for a very positive story in the long run. Never could I have imagined getting so much recognition for something that felt very natural to me.
&ldquo;For me, this award is something bigger than just sports or performance. It focuses on the human side of things and that is something I have always been trying to promote, especially when it comes to mental health. A couple of years ago, I might have focused on records, but this is worth much more than that. I consider it an honour to become a part of the history of this award, and I will continue to cherish the moment Carlos and I shared in Tokyo.&rdquo;
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m thrilled that our sport continues to highlight the very best of fair play. This year&rsquo;s Fair Play Award winner has shown that true success comes not just from performance, but from integrity and respect. He exemplifies the strong belief that how we compete matters just as much as the result, and I congratulate him on this well-deserved honour.&rdquo;
International Fair Play Committee President Sunil Sabharwal said: &ldquo;The International Fair Play Committee is honoured to bestow this prize upon Tim Van de Velde. His unselfish act in the 3000m steeplechase at the Tokyo World Championships transcended competition, offering a powerful, instantaneous reminder that compassion outweighs consequence.
&ldquo;The global resonance of this moment &ndash; from significant media coverage to tremendous positive social engagement &ndash; stands as undeniable proof that the world yearns for such living embodiment of fair play. We thank World Athletics for its long-term partnership, enabling us to celebrate the true spirit of friendship and courage that illuminated the exceptional Tokyo 2025 championships.&rdquo;
The CIFP was established more than 60 years ago to promote the principles of fair play in sport: fair competition, respect, friendship, team spirit, equality and sport without doping. It honours those who respect the written and unwritten rules of sport, which include integrity, solidarity, tolerance, care, excellence and joy, and who set an example for others, on and off the field. The CIFP&rsquo;s first collaboration with World Athletics dates back to the 2003 World Athletics Championships in Paris. Twelve awards have been handed out since then.
World Athletics

Belgian steeplechaser Tim Van de Velde has been selected as the winner of the International Fair Play Award following his selfless act to help another athlete during competition at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25

Belgium’s Van de Velde wins International Fair Play Award

It was a year of world record-wrecking carnage. Every global men&rsquo;s mark from 1000m up to 30,000m was savaged in the track and field frenzy that was 1965.
The rampant Ron Clarke was the chief culprit, claiming 11 of the 23 &lsquo;victims&rsquo;, all the way from two miles to one hour. The towering Australian had the first word, clocking 13:34.8 in the Tasmanian state capital, Hobart, on 16 January. The final say, however, belonged to his great rival Kip Keino.
Today (30 November) marks the 60th anniversary of Keino&rsquo;s 5000m world record run in Auckland. Four years ago, the revered father of Kenyan distance running made a generous donation to World Athletics Heritage Collection and the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/heritage/mowa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museum of World Athletics (MOWA)</a> of the silver trophy he collected for one of the sizzling performances with which he set European tracks alight in the northern hemisphere summer of 1965.
Running the Morley Mile at the White City Stadium in London on 30 August 1965, Keino became the first African to run a sub-four-minute mile, wowing the packed English crowd with a 3:54.2 clocking that made the middle distance novice the third-fastest man of all time: behind Frenchman Michel Jazy&rsquo;s two month old world record of 3:53.6 and New Zealander Peter Snell&rsquo;s former global mark of 3:54.1. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t know I could run anything like as fast as that at a shorter distance,&rdquo; he said.
He returned to London the following year, won the race again and was given the trophy in perpetuity.
Three days before his 1965 victory, Keino had made the first of his two marks on the world record books, smashing East German Siegfried Hermann&rsquo;s 3000m time by six seconds with 7:39.6 in the Swedish coastal town of Helsingborg. 
<h2>Takes down Clarke&rsquo;s 5000m mark</h2>
Keino beat Clarke in two out of three races on the European circuit, but by the time he travelled to New Zealand in November, the Australian had made two further improvements to the 5000m world record, running 13:33.6 in Auckland in February and then 13:25.8 in Compton, California, in June.
Running at the Western Springs Stadium in Auckland 56 years ago, Keino registered mile splits of 4:16.0, 4:17.8 to reach two miles in 8.33.8. Though he tired significantly, with a 4:24.5 third mile, he closed with a final lap of 63.5 to break Clarke&rsquo;s record with a time of 13:24.2. Kiwi William Baillie was second in 14:01.2, with Yugoslav Franc Cervan third 14.02.0. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61a6334cbc3414677f2776a5.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 The clamour for a head-to-head was satisfied when Keino met Clarke over 5000m in Melbourne a month later. There was no world record this time but Keino, sporting the lucky orange baseball cap he bought as a souvenir from the Tokyo Olympics, was a decisive winner, prevailing by 40 metres.
Clarke reclaimed the world record decisively eight months later. The 13:16.6 he recorded in Stockholm in July 1966 stood for six years, until Lasse Viren chipped 0.2 from it as a homecoming celebration in Helsinki in September 1972, on the back of his first Olympic 5000m-10,000m double in Munich. 
<h2>Traffic and illness no bar to Olympic glory</h2>
As for Keino, he proceeded to become a double Olympic champion himself &ndash; four years and two disciplines apart.
The &lsquo;flying Kenyan policeman&rsquo; with the long, loping stride had already established himself as a formidable force and a hugely popular performer on the international circuit before his astonishing heroics at the Mexico Olympics in 1968.
Fifth in the 5000m at the 1964 Games in Tokyo, where he failed to reach the 1500m final, and winner of the mile and three miles at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, Keino chose to take on the daunting challenge of the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m in the punishing thin air of Mexico City.
The fact that he had to run the last mile to get to the stadium in time for the 1968 Olympic 1500m final, after his bus got stuck in traffic, was the least of the psychological (or, indeed, physical) obstacles he had to overcome before executing his most famous victory.
A week earlier, Keino had collapsed two laps from the end of the 10,000m final, suffering from acute stomach pains which proved to be the result of a severe gall bladder infection. He collapsed on the infield but, when the stretcher-bearers arrived, he insisted on picking himself up and finishing, even though he had been disqualified. His compatriot Neftali Temu went on to win, claiming Kenya&rsquo;s first Olympic gold medal.
Four days later, despite being unable to digest solid food, Keino took the silver medal in the 5000m behind Mohamed Gammoudi of Tunisia, with Temu in third.
As the long-time trailblazing standard-bearer for Kenyan track and field, Keino felt it his duty to bring home 1500m gold. He was still suffering stomach pains on the morning of the final three days later. The West German team doctor warned he would be risking his life if he competed and told him to stay in bed and rest.
When the doctor left, however, Keino jumped out of bed, got dressed and caught the bus to the stadium. &ldquo;I must run for my country,&rdquo; he insisted. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61a634c6bc3414677f2776a8.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 Despite his physical frailty, and the race to get to the stadium, Keino proceeded to produce one of the great middle-distance runs of all time.
Blitzing clear of the pack after his Kenyan teammate Ben Jipcho&rsquo;s blistering 56-second opening lap, Keino finished 20 metres clear of Jim Ryun, the US favourite who held the world records for 800m, 1500m and the mile, and who had been unbeaten at 1500m and the mile for three years. Keino knew the only way to neutralise Ryun&rsquo;s deadly finish was to amass an unassailable lead. He won in 3.34.9, an Olympic record, with Ryun a distant runner-up in 3.37.8.
Asked how he summoned such a stunning performance, Keino replied: &ldquo;I was thinking to myself, &lsquo;This is the race of my life. If I die here, I die here&rsquo;.&rdquo;
Such fearlessness came naturally to the son of a Nandi herdsman who escaped death at the claws of a leopard at the age of 12. The young Keino came across the wild cat preying on a goat and had to flee and hide up a tree to escape.
At the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Keino defied death threats to run in the 5000m final. &ldquo;A man only dies once,&rdquo; he told the Kenyan officials who attempted to dissuade him from lining up. He finished third in the race, behind Scots Ian Stewart and Ian McCafferty but won the 1500m.
He was also threatened by a man with a gun while warming up for the 1500m at the Martin Luther King Memorial Freedom Games at Villanova University, Philadelphia, in 1970. &ldquo;What are you doing here, monkey?&rdquo; the assailant asked. &ldquo;I told him I was a human being in my country,&rdquo; Keino recounted. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t win the race &ndash; I was second to Marty Liquori &ndash; but I did my best.&rdquo;
Keino finished second to Finland&rsquo;s Pekka Vasala in the 1500m final at the1972 Olympic Games in Munich but claimed his second Olympic gold as a novice 3000m steeplechaser. &ldquo;I jumped the hurdles like a horse,&rdquo; he said. 
<h2>Kip Keino Children&rsquo;s Home</h2>
Hezekiah Kipchoge Keino was born in Kipsamo in the Nandi Hills in western Kenya. His parents died when he was young, and he was brought up by an aunt.
He ran four miles barefoot to school each morning, four miles back at lunchtime, and repeated the stamina-building exercise in the afternoon. After school and at weekends, he trotted around the surrounding hills for hours, herding the family&rsquo;s goats at high altitude.
At 85, he lives on the 500-acre farm he bought after his retirement from track competition in 1974. At Kazi Mingi Farm, in the hills near Eldoret, he has built perhaps his greatest achievement.
Over the past 40 years, hundreds of orphans and abandoned children have been raised by Keino and his wife, Phyllis, at the Kip Keino Children&rsquo;s Home there. The farm complex also houses the Kip Keino School and the Kip Keino High Performance Training Centre.
Laura and Chamatia are typical of the adopted Keinos. They were found by police officers on the streets of Eldoret, unable to move because of pneumonia. When no one claimed them from the city hospital, Keino&rsquo;s old police colleagues called Kip and Phyllis.
Others have been orphans of Aids victims. &ldquo;They are all my children,&rdquo; Keino said. &ldquo;My own mother died when I was three. I don&rsquo;t want anyone to grow up with that problem.
&ldquo;I came into this world with nothing and I will leave with nothing. While I am here, I should be mindful of those people who need help.
&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t help everyone, but we do what is within our ability. The money that we make from farm produce and from the training centre helps to subsidise the children&rsquo;s home and the school.&rdquo;
The inestimable Kip Keino will turn 86 on 17 January.
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics Heritage
This feature was first published in 2021 and was updated to mark the 60th anniversary of the achievement in 2025.
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1965 was a year of world record-wrecking carnage

Remembering Keino's world 5000m record, 60 years on

Evan Jager, the North American record-holder in the men&rsquo;s steeplechase, has announced his retirement from competitive athletics.
During an international career that spanned 18 years, the 36-year-old twice reached a global championships podium in the men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase, claiming Olympic silver in 2016 and world bronze in 2017. He also set numerous continental records in the discipline, topped by his 8:00.45 clocking in 2015, despite falling in the closing stages of the race.
Jager started out as a 1500m runner and contested that event at the 2008 World U20 Championships where he reached the final. Just one year later, at the age of 20, he represented USA in the 5000m at the World Championships in Berlin.
He moved to the steeplechase in 2012. He won the US Trials that year in what was just his third competition in that discipline. His next two outings were at the Monaco Diamond League meeting, where he broke the North American record with 8:06.81, and then at the London Olympic Games, where he placed sixth.
Jager finished fifth and sixth at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships respectively. Prior to the 2015 World Championships, he had been on course to win at the Diamond League meeting in Paris and finish well inside eight minutes, but he clipped the final barrier. He quickly got back up and sprinted to the line, but was denied the victory and the sub-eight-minute clocking, finishing in 8:00.45 &ndash; a further improvement on his own continental record.
He claimed silver at the 2016 Olympic Games and backed it up with bronze at the World Championships one year later. In 2018 he won his seventh consecutive US title in the 3000m steeplechase, but an ankle injury prevented him from competing at the Continental Cup at the end of that season, marking the beginning of a long period of various foot and calf issues that kept him out of competition for almost 18 months.
Fully recovered in 2022, Jager finished second at the US Championships, sixth at the World Championships and first at the NACAC Championships. He missed the majority of the 2023 season but returned in 2024 and finished fourth at the US Trials, narrowly missing the cut for the US Olympic team.
&ldquo;Track and field has been a part of my life for two thirds of my life and now it&rsquo;s time to say goodbye,&rdquo; he said in an Instagram post earlier this week. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m thankful that I achieved close to everything I thought was possible as a young kid when I started getting really serious about the sport. I&rsquo;m very proud of everything I was able to accomplish. Beyond the medals and PBs, I was able to challenge myself, push myself and learn so many things about myself that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Now it&rsquo;s time for me to contribute to the sport in other ways. As one door closes, another opens.&rdquo;

Evan Jager, the North American record-holder in the men’s steeplechase, has announced his retirement from competitive athletics.

World and Olympic steeplechase medallist Jager retires

Ruth Jepchumba&nbsp;Bundotich&nbsp;has been announced as the recipient of the 2025 World Athletics Woman of the Year Award, honouring her outstanding leadership, commitment to athlete development and exceptional contributions to the growth of women&rsquo;s athletics in Kenya and beyond.&nbsp;
A trailblazer in the coaching community,&nbsp;Bundotich&nbsp;has become one of Kenya&rsquo;s most influential figures in youth and women&rsquo;s athlete development. Through her work with Ikaika Sports Agency and Adidas Running, she has helped create a sustainable and supportive pathway for&nbsp;emerging&nbsp;talents, ensuring young athletes, particularly girls, are empowered both on and off the track.&nbsp;
Her&nbsp;holistic approach&nbsp;has been widely credited with shaping the environments that produced breakout stars such as world record-holder Agnes Ngetich, whose achievements helped spotlight the wider ecosystem&nbsp;Bundotich&nbsp;has built.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I am deeply honoured by this recognition from World Athletics,&rdquo; said&nbsp;Bundotich. &ldquo;This acknowledgement reflects not just one athlete's journey but the collective commitment to nurturing,&nbsp;developing&nbsp;and safeguarding young talents, particularly young girls in athletics.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I want to especially acknowledge Athletics Kenya for inspiring, motivating and recognising my work. My work with Ikaika Sports Agency and Adidas Running has always centred on creating sustainable pathways for young athletes to thrive, both on and off the track.&nbsp;It's&nbsp;gratifying to see these efforts recognised at this level.&nbsp;
&ldquo;While Agnes Ngetich&rsquo;s achievements, among others, have brought visibility to this work, her success&nbsp;represents&nbsp;something much larger: a collaborative approach to athlete development.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It takes an ecosystem of committed people to nurture talents responsibly and sustainably. This recognition truly belongs to a village of more than 15 individuals &ndash; coaches, support staff, family&nbsp;members&nbsp;and mentors who have each played a vital role.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I am grateful for this honour and remain committed to continuing this work, ensuring that young athletes have the support, protection and guidance they need to reach their full potential.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Bundotich&nbsp;becomes the latest in a distinguished line of recipients recognised for driving progress and equity in athletics. The Woman of the Year Award celebrates individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the sport, particularly in advancing opportunities for women and girls.&nbsp;
The&nbsp;Woman of the Year&nbsp;Award is celebrated as part of the World Athletics Awards 2025. Further announcements will be made this weekend, with the World Athletes of the Year and Rising Stars being revealed at the awards ceremony in Monaco on 30 November.&nbsp;
World Athletics&nbsp;

Ruth Jepchumba Bundotich has been announced as the recipient of the 2025 World Athletics Woman of the Year Award

Kenya's Jepchumba Bundotich named Woman of the Year

Irish combined events coach Michael O&rsquo;Connor has been named the recipient of the 2025 Coaching Achievement Award, recognising his outstanding commitment to athlete development.&nbsp;
With a coaching career spanning more than two decades, O&rsquo;Connor&rsquo;s path into the sport began through a degree in construction and a postgraduate certificate in education &ndash; a route that equipped him with skills in planning, structure and long-term&nbsp;goal-setting&nbsp;that now shape the foundation of his coaching philosophy.&nbsp;
A committed lifelong learner, O&rsquo;Connor has surrounded himself with world-class practitioners and sought mentorship from some of the most respected figures in global coaching. This network has helped him stay at the forefront of performance&nbsp;methodology, continually refining his approach to elevate the athletes he works with.&nbsp;
A standout highlight of his career has been the long-term development of his daughter, Kate O&rsquo;Connor, whom he has coached for 15 years. Their journey &ndash; marked by resilience, careful&nbsp;planning&nbsp;and a shared commitment to excellence &ndash; culminated this season in Kate earning silver medals at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo and the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, becoming the first Irish athlete to earn senior global medals in combined events.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I am truly surprised and deeply grateful to receive this honour,&rdquo; said O&rsquo;Connor. &ldquo;My coaching journey has taken many twists and turns, and&nbsp;I&rsquo;ve&nbsp;been fortunate to be supported along the way by many exceptional coaches and practitioners, many of whom&nbsp;I&rsquo;m&nbsp;privileged to still work alongside today. Their&nbsp;expertise, dedication, and unwavering belief continue to shape and elevate the work we do every day.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It has been a privilege and a joy to coach this athlete and to witness her achieve extraordinary things in recent years,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;I am humbled by this recognition and profoundly thankful to my current coaching and support network, whose commitment makes achievements like this possible, and to everyone who has been part of the journey.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Known for his meticulous approach, O&rsquo;Connor is equally focused on technical detail and long-term strategic planning. His athlete-centred philosophy ensures not only performance excellence but a supportive environment for continuous growth &ndash; both for his athletes and himself as a coach.&nbsp;
The Coaching Achievement Award is celebrated as part of the World Athletics Awards 2025. Further announcements will be made this weekend, with the World Athletes of the Year and Rising Stars being revealed at the awards ceremony in Monaco on 30 November.&nbsp;
World Athletics

Irish combined events coach Michael O’Connor has been named the recipient of the Coaching Achievement Award, recognising his outstanding commitment to athlete development

Ireland's O’Connor honoured with Coaching Achievement Award

Former world record-holder Brigid Kosgei and course record-holder Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba are part of the stellar line-up for the Shanghai Marathon &ndash; a World Athletics Platinum Label road race &ndash; on Sunday (30).
Kosgei, who held the world record at 2:14:04 between 2019 and 2023, will be contesting her third marathon of the year. The 31-year-old Kenyan finished second in Hamburg in 2:18:26 in April, then came within half a minute of that mark when finishing runner-up in Sydney in August in 2:18:56.
The 2021 Olympic silver medallist is targeting her first marathon victory since the 2023 Abu Dhabi Marathon. Another sub-2:20 clocking would revise the course record, which currently stands at 2:20:36, set by Yebrgual Melese in 2018.
Pacemakers have been requested to set out at 2:17:50 pace, which would also be enough to break the Chinese all-comers&rsquo; record of 2:18:09, set by Ruti Aga in Dongying in 2023.
Kosgei won&rsquo;t have it all her own way, though, as there are two other women in the field with PBs well below 2:20.
Irine Cheptai, still a relative newcomer to the marathon, will be contesting her fourth race at the distance. The 2017 world cross-country champion clocked a PB of 2:17:51 when finishing third in Chicago last year, and earlier this year she finished fourth in Boston.
Kosgei and Cheptai &ndash; along with compatriot Selly Chepyego &ndash; will be aiming to become just the second Kenyan woman to win in Shanghai.
Ethiopian women have won 10 of the past 14 editions of the Shanghai Marathon, and Tiruye Mesfin will try to maintain that dominance. The 23-year-old set a PB of 2:18:35 almost exactly a year ago when finishing third in Valencia.
China, meanwhile, fields a strong home team led by Zhang Deshun. Earlier this year Zhang became the third-fastest Chinese woman in history, clocking 2:20:53 at the Tokyo Marathon. The 29-year-old, however, will be racing just two weeks after winning at the National Games.
Bekelech Gudeta may not have the fastest PB of the field (2:21:36), but last year she won two marathons in China and she heads to Shanghai off the back of victories in Seoul and Mexico City earlier this year.
The men&rsquo;s field is headed by a formidable Ethiopian quartet, all of whom have broken 2:04:00.
Deresa Geleta, with a lifetime best of 2:02:38, is the fastest on paper, followed closely by Birhanu Legese at 2:02:48. Geleta set his PB when finishing second in Valencia last year, just four months after finishing fourth at the Paris Olympics. He went on to place second at the Tokyo Marathon earlier this year in 2:03:51, but he was unable to finish his next two marathons, in Wuxi and at the World Championships in Tokyo.
Legese &ndash; a two-time Tokyo Marathon winner &ndash; returned to the Japanese capital earlier this year and placed 11th in a high-quality race in 2:06:06. He warmed up for Shanghai with a 1:00:54 clocking at the New Delhi Half Marathon in October.
Geleta and Legese are joined by compatriots Milkesa Mengesha, the 2024 Berlin Marathon winner, and Xiamen Marathon champion Dawit Wolde, both of whom have sub-2:04 PBs.
But there&rsquo;s no guarantee of an Ethiopian victory, as 2023 winner and course record-holder Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba will be back in Shanghai.
The Kenyan clocked a Chinese all-comers&rsquo; record of 2:05:35 two years ago, but he hasn&rsquo;t raced since last year&rsquo;s Shanghai Marathon, having finished 10th on that occasion.
He&rsquo;ll be joined on the start line by compatriots Titus Kipruto (2:04:54), Solomon Kirwa Yego (2:05:42), Kenneth Keter (2:05:53) and Edmond Kipngetich (2:06:47).
Home hopes rest prominently on Feng Peiyou, the second-fastest Chinese marathon runner of all time. He&rsquo;ll be hoping to shave a few more seconds off his PB (2:07:06), which would be enough to break the Chinese record of 2:06:57.
Pacemakers have been assigned to run at 2:58/km pace, which would result in a finishing time just outside 2:05 &ndash; enough to break Kiptoo&rsquo;s Chinese all-comers&rsquo; record.
<h3>Leading entries</h3>
Women Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2:14:04 Irine Chepet Cheptai (KEN) 2:17:51 Tiruye Mesfin (ETH) 2:18:35 Selly Chepyego Kaptich (KEN) 2:20:03 Zhang Deshun (CHN) 2:20:53 Bekelech Gudeta (ETH) 2:21:36 Veronicah Njeri Maina (KEN) 2:24:46 Xia Yuyu (CHN) 2:25:45 Wu Bing (CHN) 2:26:01 Li Meizhen (CHN) 2:27:51 Shen Ni (CHN) 2:28:47 Huang Xuemei (CHN) 2:29:51
Men Deresa Geleta (ETH) 2:02:38 Birhanu Legese (ETH) 2:02:48 Dawit Wolde (ETH) 2:03:48 Haftu Teklu (ETH) 2:04:42 Titus Kipruto (KEN) 2:04:54 Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba (KEN) 2:05:35 Solomon Kirwa Yego (KEN) 2:05:42 Kenneth Keter (KEN) 2:05:53 Edmond Kipngetich (KEN) 2:06:47 Feng Peiyou (CHN) 2:07:06 Challa Gossa (ETH) 2:07:32 Wu Xiangdong (CHN) 2:08:04

Former world record-holder Brigid Kosgei and course record-holder Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba are part of the stellar line-up for the Shanghai Marathon

Course records under threat in Shanghai

Vegard Grott&rsquo;s evocative image of athletes competing in the Dream Mile has been selected as the 2025 World Athletics Photograph of the Year.&nbsp;
The photograph, titled &lsquo;Shadows&rsquo;,&nbsp;captures the dramatic movement of athletes competing at the&nbsp;Bislett&nbsp;Games Diamond League meeting in Oslo. As in past years, the World Athletics Photograph of the Year shines a spotlight on exceptional images captured by professional photographers around the globe.&nbsp;
From the 141 images that were submitted, a panel of judges &ndash; comprising two-time world 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson, four-time world triple jump champion Christian Taylor, photographer and Paris 2024 photo chief Pascal Rondeau, and World Athletics digital creative manager Christel El Saneh &ndash;&nbsp;selected Grott&rsquo;s image for its emotional impact and powerful portrayal of athletic endeavour.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m truly honoured to receive this,&rdquo; said Grott. &ldquo;This year the&nbsp;Bislett&nbsp;Games was held over two days, and&nbsp;I&rsquo;d&nbsp;shot some similar images on day one. On day two, the sun was a bit stronger and there was a packed crowd. I shot two laps of the race before the sun&nbsp;disappeared&nbsp;and this image ended up being one of them.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I've been shooting this event in Oslo for almost 15 years, but this was the first time the sun had been perfect for this kind of shot,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;It's&nbsp;also about intuition.&nbsp;I've&nbsp;seen some similar&nbsp;images, but&nbsp;had never taken one myself.&nbsp;It was one of those moments where everything comes together.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I shoot&nbsp;mainly football, but also a lot of athletics. Personally &ndash; and I&nbsp;can't&nbsp;say this to my football colleagues &ndash; I prefer athletics, so winning this&nbsp;is a big deal&nbsp;and an honour.&nbsp;Thank you to the judges and to World Athletics.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Grott has been working as an agency photographer since 2011 and joined the ranks of&nbsp;Bildbyr&aring;n&nbsp;in 2017. Over the years, he has chronicled major sporting events &ndash; including multiple Olympic Games &ndash; and has served as team photographer for the Norwegian football team. On three separate occasions, his work has been recognised among the world&rsquo;s best by Pictures of the Year International and the National Press Photographers Association.&nbsp;
This year&rsquo;s honour will be recognised at the 2025 World Athletics Awards &ndash; to be held in Monaco on 30 November &ndash; alongside other accolades celebrating excellence in athletics worldwide.&nbsp;
World Athletics

Vegard Grott’s evocative image of athletes competing in the Dream Mile has been selected as the 2025 World Athletics Photograph of the Year

Norwegian Grott wins World Athletics Photograph of the Year

China has been named as winner of the Member Federation Award, as part of the World Athletics Awards 2025.
The Member Federation Award recognises a Member Federation that has distinguished itself in its accomplishments throughout the year and, as a result, positively contributed to the growth and profile of the sport. Six federations were shortlisted for this year&rsquo;s award, each nominated by one of the six Area Associations, before China was selected by the World Athletics Executive Board as the winner.
&ldquo;We would like to express our sincere gratitude to World Athletics for awarding this award to the Chinese Athletics Association,&rdquo; said the winning federation. &ldquo;This honour is a full recognition of our work.
&ldquo;In 2025, the successful hosting of the Nanjing World Athletics Indoor Championships and the Guangzhou World Athletics Relays demonstrated to the world China's professional event-organising capabilities and boundless passion for athletics. Looking ahead, we will fully assist and support the organising committees of Beijing and Yangzhou in preparing for the World Athletics Congress and the World Athletics Championships to be held in Beijing, and the World Athletics Road Running Championships to be held in Yangzhou, in 2027. We will cherish this honour, make persistent efforts, and work with colleagues around the world to promote the development of global athletics.&rdquo;
The Chinese Athletics Association demonstrated progress across five key areas in 2025: institutional innovation, event enhancement, youth development, gender equality and commercial collaboration.
Two World Athletics Series events &ndash; the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25 and the World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 25 &ndash; were capably and efficiently held in China, and Beijing hosted the final Continental Tour Gold meeting of the season. Two Diamond League events took place in Xiamen and Shaoxing/Keqiao, while China also welcomed athletes for three Platinum Label road races and one World Race Walking Tour Gold event.
Hundreds of track &amp; field and road events were organised by the Chinese Athletics Association, attracting more than six million participants in total.
The World Athletics Kids' Athletics Relay Around the World Challenge had its finale in Guangzhou, key measures to enhance athlete safety and rights protection were introduced, the representation of female athletes and officials steadily increased, and two national-level officiating training courses were conducted, resulting in 346 officials obtaining World Athletics Bronze Level certification.
In partnership with China Mobile, the federation enhanced numerous top-tier road races in branding, technology and communication, establishing a new model for association-corporate collaboration.
Further World Athletics Awards announcements will be made this weekend, with the World Athletes of the Year and Rising Stars revealed on Sunday (30 November).
World Athletics

China has been named as winner of the Member Federation Award, as part of the World Athletics Awards 2025

China wins Member Federation Award

The Indian city of Amdavad has been officially awarded the 2030 Commonwealth Games &ndash; the centenary edition &ndash; following a vote at the Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow on Wednesday (26).
The bid &ndash; centred on the Gujarat city also known as Ahmedabad &ndash; follows Glasgow 2026 in the Games calendar. It will be just the second time the Games have been held in India, the world&rsquo;s most populous nation, following the 2010 edition in New Delhi.
For athletics, the confirmation locks in one of the sport&rsquo;s key global multi-sport stages for the next decade. The full list of sports will be finalised next year.
&ldquo;I was in Delhi in 2010 when the Indian women&rsquo;s 4x400m team won the nation&rsquo;s first track gold at a Games since 1958,&rdquo; said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. &ldquo;The roar inside the stadium that night was deafening. I said then that it felt like a moment that could change the course of athletics in Asia and inspire people who had never even seen a track before.
&ldquo;With the 2030 Games marking the centenary of the Commonwealth movement, India&rsquo;s ambitions make this the right host at the right time. The Games can accelerate participation, investment and infrastructure, while giving Indian athletes the chance to shine at home on a multi-sport stage. The country is already expressing interest in hosting major global athletics events, and the long-term aspiration to host a World Athletics Championships &ndash; and one day the Olympic Games &ndash; is a powerful sign of a nation thinking boldly about its sporting future.&rdquo;

The Indian city of Amdavad has been officially awarded the 2030 Commonwealth Games

Amdavad confirmed as host city for 2030 Commonwealth Games

Italy&rsquo;s Nadia Battocletti and Burundi&rsquo;s Rodrigue Kwizera are the marquee athletes at the Cross Internacional de la Constituci&oacute;n &ndash; the sixth Gold level event of this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour &ndash; in Alcobendas on the outskirts of Madrid on Sunday (30).
Battocletti and Kwizera took commanding wins in Alcobendas last year on their way to winning the overall titles on the World Athletics Cross Country Tour.
World and Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Battocletti won convincingly in Atapuerca last weekend on her season&rsquo;s opener. This weekend the European cross-country champion will line up against a quality field which includes the likes of Kenya&rsquo;s Sheila Jebet, Great Britain&rsquo;s Megan Keith and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Yenenesh Shimket.
Jebet, a fifth-place finisher over 5000m at the 2024 World U20 Championships, finished runner-up to Battocletti in Atapuerca while Keith was fourth. Both Battocletti and European 10,000m bronze medallist Keith are building up for the European Cross Country Championships on 14 December and Alcobendas will be their last stops before that encounter in Lagoa.
Eighteen-year-old Shimket, fresh from a 35-second victory last Sunday in San Vittore Olona, has PBs of 8:32.05 for 3000m and 14:48 for 5km. The local challenge is led by Laura Luengo, who finished 11th in the marathon at the World Championships and recently clocked 30:59 on a downhill 10km course.
Kwizera has crossed the finish line in first place in Alcobendas for four years in a row (although his 2021 victory wasn&rsquo;t allowed to stand as he wasn&rsquo;t wearing his club&rsquo;s vest). The Spain-based Burundian kicked off this cross country campaign with a tight victory in Seville but then had to settle for the runner-up spot in Soria and Atapuerca.
This weekend the 25-year-old will be up against the likes of Eritrea&rsquo;s Saymon Tesfagiorgis, Italy&rsquo;s Yohanes Chiappinelli and Spain&rsquo;s Thierry Ndikumwenayo. Eighteen-year-old Tesfagiorgis, who was a convincing winner in San Vittore Olona last weekend, competed in the 5000m at the World Championships. He has PBs of 13:01.85 for 5000m and 27:10 for 10km.
European 10,000m and cross-country bronze medallist Ndikumwenayo has placed fifth, fourth and third in his past three races. He won here in 2019 and will be keen to reclaim the top spot on the podium.
Former steeplechaser Chiappinelli will be racing for the first time since finishing sixth in the marathon at this year&rsquo;s World Championships. Ugandan duo Dismas Yeko and Samuel Cherop, fifth in the 5000m at last year&rsquo;s World U20 Championships, complete the international field.
Notable past winners here include Portugal's 1993 world cross-country champion Albertina Dias (1996), Eritrea's former world half marathon record-holder Zersenay Tadese (2005), Kenya&rsquo;s 2016 Olympic 5000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot (2009), Ethiopia&rsquo;s Olympic marathon champion Tamirat Tola (2015) and Uganda&rsquo;s two-time world cross country champion Jacob Kiplimo (2018).
Weather forecasters predict a partially cloudy and windless day on Sunday with temperatures ranging between 9-11C at the time of the event.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

Italy’s Nadia Battocletti and Burundi’s Rodrigue Kwizera are the marquee athletes at the Cross Internacional de la Constitución

Battocletti and Kwizera the athletes to beat in Alcobendas

A goose named Goosia, representing the region&rsquo;s identity and traditions, will be the mascot of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26.
The name of the mascot was confirmed following a fan contest. The winner &ndash; Tomasz Wolniewicz &ndash; will receive two tickets for one of the sessions during the championships, which takes place at the Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena Toruń from 20-22 March.
The preparations for one of Poland&rsquo;s most important sports events in 2026 are in full swing. Creating and naming a mascot that tells the story of the region&rsquo;s heritage has been one of the key steps.
&ldquo;I am pleased that our mascot finally has a name,&rdquo; said Piotr Całbecki, Marshal of the Kujawy Pomorze Region. &ldquo;It will be an important symbol of these championships. I hope that the winner chooses tickets for their dream session and will cheer on Polish athletes with all their heart.&rdquo;
WIC Kujawy Pomorze 26 CEO Krzysztof Wolsztyński said: &ldquo;Goosia is a name that combines a Polish female name with a reference to the English word goose. It&rsquo;s a creative linguistic concept and will certainly be easy for visitors to pronounce. We will check that during the Orlen Copernicus Cup, which will take place in Toruń on 22 February.&rdquo;
Above all, having a goose mascot expresses the strong regional identity of the Kujawy Pomorze region, as geese have long been associated with both nature and culinary traditions of the area. A great example of this is 'St. Martin&rsquo;s Goose', promoting family celebrations during Poland&rsquo;s Independence Day and the preservation of regional heritage.
The goose has accompanied the people of this region for centuries, as a source of food, pride, and local identity. As early as the 19th century, geese from Kujawy Pomorze &ndash; especially the white Kołuda breed &ndash; gained recognition beyond the region. This breed was developed at the National Research Institute of Animal Production in Kołuda Wielka near Inowrocław and is now regarded as the best in Europe. For this reason, the Kujawy Pomorze region is often called Poland&rsquo;s goose heartland.
The World Athletics Indoor Championships will be another major &ndash; and the most significant &ndash; international athletics event held in the region. Every year, Toruń hosts Poland&rsquo;s top indoor meeting, the Copernicus Cup, and in Bydgoszcz the Irena Szewińska Memorial is held at the stadium. Both meetings have World Athletics Gold status.

World Athletics Indoor Championships

A goose named Goosia, representing the region’s identity and traditions, will be the mascot of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26.

Goosia revealed as mascot for WIC Kujawy Pomorze 26

Several historic firsts were achieved at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, including the first ever World Championships medals for Samoa, St Lucia and Uruguay, and a first ever World Championships gold for Tanzania.
A new three-part series kicks off with a letter from world discus bronze medallist Alex Rose to his nation, Samoa.
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To my dear Samoa,
It has been 13 years since I donned my first Samoan uniform to throw the discus. The Southern Cross on the flag was an unfamiliar constellation, not visible from my small hometown in West Branch, Michigan. I remember being nervous, feeling a bit like an outsider &ndash; a palagi in unfamiliar territory. But from the moment that I met my first team manager Vaovai Tupu, may he rest in peace, and the rest of the athletes from team Samoa, I truly felt at home.
Throughout the years competing and visiting Samoa and many other Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand, I was shown the true meaning of Samoan culture &ndash; our Fa'a Samoa. The love and respect that every person is given, the sense of loyalty and fierce pride for our country, and the importance of community and faith. These experiences have forever changed me as a person, and I will always be grateful for the people of Samoa teaching me so much.
Back then I was young, and full of dreams. I wanted more than anything to represent the Samoan flag with pride, and show the world how great our small island truly is. I had always dreamed of the day when I would walk around the track at a championship, flag wrapped around my shoulders, medal around my neck, crying tears of joy.
On one magical night in Tokyo, on 21 September &ndash; the proudest moment of my career &ndash; I had the honour of doing just that.
Thank you, Samoa, for believing in me.
Thank you, Samoa, for giving me the honour of representing our beautiful country.
Fa'afetai lava, Samoa, for helping me embrace our Fa'a Samoa.
It has been, and continues to be, the greatest privilege of my career. The Southern Cross on my jersey is no longer unfamiliar like so many years ago. It rests close to my heart, where it has always belonged.
Alofa atu,
Alex Rose

A letter from world discus bronze medallist Alex Rose to his nation, Samoa

Duplantis to return to London Diamond League

World Athlete of the Year Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone – in her words

Duplantis and McLaughlin-Levrone named World Athletes of the Year

Shimket and Kwizera triumph in Alcobendas

Kosgei sets Chinese all-comers’ record of 2:16:36 at Shanghai Marathon