Former sprinter Donna Fraser, a champion for gender equality and the empowerment of women in athletics, has been named Woman of the Year as part of the World Athletics Awards 2022.
The two-time world 4x400m medallist and 2000 Olympic 400m fourth-place finisher was a force on the field of play and has shown that same drive and passion in numerous projects off the track.
A World Athletics gender leadership moderator since 2019, Fraser regularly features in the governing body&rsquo;s speaking panels and webinars on the topic, and frequently appears in the media to talk about diversity and inclusion.
She has held roles including equality, diversity and engagement lead at UK Athletics and in 2021 she received an OBE for services to equality, inclusion and diversity in the workplace.
This year she served as head of inclusion and engagement for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, 24 years on from her bronze medal win at the Games in Kuala Lumpur. Fraser has also been a trustee, adviser and board member for many organisations such as the London Marathon Charitable Trust, Women&rsquo;s Sport Trust, British Athletes Commission, International Women&rsquo;s Group and Her Spirit.
&ldquo;Women have different skills to men, and we need that diversity of thought,&rdquo; Fraser said. &ldquo;Our sport is extremely diverse, so that has to be replicated across all levels.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s easy saying that we want more diversity in our sport, but what pathway is put in place to make sure that that is done? World Athletics has absolutely put its best foot forward to make sure that happens.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m honoured to be part of this (gender leadership) programme. I love making a difference to my peers and seeing women wanting to excel themselves.&rdquo;
The Woman of the Year Award gives recognition to those that have made an outstanding contribution to promoting the advancement of gender equality in athletics.
This year it is the second honour announced as part of the World Athletics Awards 2022. On Monday (28), Gennadii Zuiev was named winner of the <a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/awards/news/coaching-achievement-award-2022-gennadii-zuiev" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coaching Achievement Award</a> and further announcements will be made in the coming days, ahead of the World Athletes of the Year and Rising Stars being revealed on Monday 5 December.
World Athletics

Former sprinter Donna Fraser has been named Woman of the Year as part of the World Athletics Awards 2022

Fraser wins Woman of the Year Award

World Athletics is pleased to announce the extension of its partnership with Pinsent Masons as its official supplier of legal services.
The four-year renewal, which will last until the end of 2027, was formally signed today (29) during the World Athletics Council Meeting in Rome, Italy, in an official ceremony attended by World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, along with Pinsent Masons representatives Trevor Watkins and Julian Diaz-Rainey.
Pinsent Masons has been an official supplier to World Athletics and the World Athletics Series (WAS) Events since 2020. During that time, they have provided invaluable legal support to World Athletics, including at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 where they dealt with diverse matters ranging from advising on measures to protect against ambush marketing, queries on trademark issues, advising on the new licensing programme and other commercial matters.
More recently, they have been working on innovative projects including NFTs, and have been providing ongoing training to World Athletics staff and Member Federations on legal issues as well as soft skills development such as negotiating tactics and reading body language.
Coe said: &ldquo;We are very pleased to be extending our partnership with Pinsent Masons for another four years.
&ldquo;As the governing body for the sport of athletics, and with over 200 Member Federations scattered across the world, we need partners with the same global outlook and desire to deliver our sport to its maximum potential. Pinsent Masons is uniquely positioned to assist us with these goals as a global law firm who prioritises innovation and forward-thinking.
&ldquo;From delivering guidance and training on appropriate subjects, to raising the knowledge and skills of our sport&rsquo;s administrators both at our headquarters and around the globe, Pinsent Masons has now become an integral part of the World Athletics family, and we look forward to continuing to work closely together for the benefit of our sport until at least 2027.&rdquo;
Watkins, Head of Sports at Pinsent Masons, said: &ldquo;We are thrilled to be re-appointed to advise World Athletics until the end of 2027. Our work together in partnership is inspirational to our global team. Being able to support World Athletics across every continent and enabling the development of innovative solutions to support the sport is something we are immensely proud of. With shared values, a common desire to strive for high performance and an exciting series of events to look forward to, we are both delighted and appreciate the confidence World Athletics have placed in us by this early extension of our existing partnership.&rdquo;
World Athletics

World Athletics is pleased to announce the extension of its partnership with Pinsent Masons as its official supplier of legal services.

World Athletics extends partnership with Pinsent Masons until 2027

Gennadii Zuiev has been named as the recipient of the Coaching Achievement Award, the first winner to be announced as part of the World Athletics Awards 2022.
Despite the conflict in their home country of Ukraine, Zuiev continued to guide high jumper Andriy Protsenko to world and European medals in 2022, also working with other athletes to overcome the difficulties they faced.
A former national level high jumper himself, Zuiev turned to coaching in 1999 and started working with a 13-year-old Protsenko a few years later. Protsenko was a sprinter at the time, but Zuiev encouraged him to try the high jump and the 34-year-old has gone on to become a multiple world and European medallist, who has a PB of 2.40m.
Protsenko&rsquo;s most recent achievements are the bronze he claimed at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 and the medal of the same colour he won at the European Championships in Munich. 
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/__j5yqx27C0" width="100%" height="475" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
 Zuiev and Protsenko both live in the Kherson region of Ukraine and Protsenko spent around five weeks under the Russian occupation in March and April. Improvising with home-made equipment, he was still able to train and their hard work paid off when Protsenko made the podium in Oregon and Munich.
&ldquo;This award is a big surprise for me, but I&rsquo;m really satisfied and I&rsquo;m glad that the work of Andriy and I was highly regarded by World Athletics,&rdquo; said Zuiev.
&ldquo;We tried to keep fit, as we realised that the only thing we could do was to continue our routine job, aiming to prepare for international competitions as best as possible. Certainly, it was crazy difficult. It is difficult to even think about training and competition when there is a war in your own country. These thoughts haunted us constantly.
&ldquo;The world bronze medal is as good as gold for me and Andriy, especially taking into account what he had to overcome on the road to get it.&rdquo;
As well as guiding world-class athletes, Zuiev has delivered a number of seminars for Ukrainian coaches and in 2018 and 2019 he shared his two decades of experience as part of presentations on the topic of &lsquo;long term development of a world class high jumper&rsquo;.
The Coaching Achievement Award is the first of 10 honours celebrated as part of the World Athletics Awards 2022. Further announcements will be made in the coming days, ahead of the World Athletes of the Year and Rising Stars being revealed on Monday 5 December.
World Athletics

Despite the conflict in their home country of Ukraine, Zuiev continued to guide high jumper Andriy Protsenko to world and European medals in 2022

Zuiev receives Coaching Achievement Award

Kenya&rsquo;s Lucy Mawia and Burundi&rsquo;s Rodrigue Kwizera captured commanding victories at the 40th Cross Internacional de la Constitucion, the seventh Gold meeting in this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour, in Alcobendas, Spain, on Sunday (27).
In doing so, both winners improved on their performances last year, when Mawia had to settle for second place and Kwizera crossed the finish line as a clear victor but was later disqualified for not wearing the official vest of his team.
<h2>Mawia is strongest</h2>
On a pleasant (13&deg;C) sunny afternoon, it was Argentina's Maria Luz Tesuri who first took command of the women&rsquo;s 8.04km race, closely followed by a trio of favourites: Mawia, Burundi's Francine Niyomukunzi and Italy's European U23 cross country champion Nadia Battocletti.
Around 2000m into the race, that quartet had built a 10-second lead over the chasing group, headed by Spain's Laura Luengo. Shortly afterwards, the Argentinean began to lose ground as Mawia moved to the front to inject a brisker pace, with Niyomukunzi running at her shoulder and Battocletti always in third.
Just before reaching the fifth kilometre, the Italian could not live with Mawia's relentless pace across the up and down circuit and the event became a two-horse battle between the Kenyan and Niyomukunzi.
The key move came just before the pair entered the closing 2.3km lap, when Mawia broke away. At the bell she travelled a couple of seconds ahead of Niyomukunzi and five seconds clear of Battocletti, while Luengo, who had overtaken Tesuri, was a lonesome fourth, 33 seconds back.
During that final loop the Italian bounced back and easily passed Niyomukunzi, although she never threatened Mawia's win.
At the tape, the Kenyan clocked 27:06 to Battocletti's 27:17, while a fading Niyomukunzi finished 24 seconds behind the winner but also 24 seconds ahead of Luengo in fourth.
&ldquo;I'm quite satisfied with my third win this season. I feel much more comfortable on cross country than on the track,&rdquo; said 23-year-old Mawia, who also claimed recent victories in Bydgoszcz and Soria.
&ldquo;After my European tour of four races, I now return to my country to contest the Kenyan trials for the World Cross Country Championships.&rdquo;
<h2>Another successful day at the office for Kwizera</h2>
In the men&rsquo;s 10.06km race, Spain&rsquo;s world 3000m steeplechase finalist Daniel Arce set the early pace and the 30-year-old led a 15-athlete pack for the first three kilometres. Chilean Carlos Diaz plus Spain's Yahya Aouina and Fernando Carro ran closest to Arce, while the big favourite Kwizera travelled quietly in the middle of the pack.
Diaz and Carro then replaced Arce on pacing duty but the rhythm didn't heat up until Kwizera moved to the front for the first time, the clock reading 14:00.
Once the 22-year-old Burundian began to push, the lead group whittled down progressively and two kilometres later only Spaniards Carro, Aouina, Andreu Blanes and Sergio Paniagua remained close to the Spain-based Kwizera.
At exactly the same point as Mawia chose to pull away from her rivals, a few metres before the bell, Kwizera also took advantage of a downhill section to kick and leave his competition behind.
It was only during the final 2000m that Kwizera seemed to run near his full potential. Blanes, a 7:52.70 3000m indoor athlete, lost ground from the chasing group, led by Aouina from Paniagua and Carro, the Spanish 3000m steeplechase record-holder at 8:05.69.
Kwizera crossed the finish line unopposed in 29:59, while 27-year-old Paniagua, a 3:38.63 1500m specialist, easily got rid of his compatriots to take the runner-up place seven seconds behind the victor but three seconds ahead of Carro. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6383ab0ffe408f0b937d7020.jpeg" alt="Rodrigue Kwizera celebrates his win at the 40th Cross Internacional de la Constitucion Alcobendas" />
Rodrigue Kwizera celebrates his win at the 40th Cross Internacional de la Constitucion Alcobendas (&copy; Asociaci&oacute;n ADOC)
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&ldquo;I wanted to make amends from what happened last year, so my win today makes me happy,&rdquo; said Kwizera.
&ldquo;Tomorrow I'll be travelling for a 25-day training camp in the altitude of Sierra Nevada. My primary goal this winter is the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst where I want to win a medal.&rdquo;
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics 
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women (8.04km) 1 Lucy Mawia (KEN) 27:06 2 Nadia Battocletti (ITA) 27:17 3 Francine Niyomukunzi (BUR) 27:30 4 Laura Luengo (ESP) 27:54 5 Maria Luz Tesuri (ARG) 28:01 6 Idaira Prieto (ESP) 28:22 7 Muriel Coneo (COL) 28:28 8 Irene Pelayo (ESP) 28:30 9 Lidia Campo (ESP) 28:40 10 Azucena Diaz (ESP) 28:44
Men (10.06km) 1 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 29:58 2 Sergio Paniagua (ESP) 30:05 3 Fernando Carro (ESP) 30:08 4 Yahya Aouina (ESP) 30:09 5 Andreu Blanes (ESP) 30:27 6 Younes Kniya (MAR) 30:28 7 David Bascunana (ESP) 30:28 8 Abderrahman El Khayami (ESP) 30:35 9 Miguel Baidal (ESP) 30:37 10 Alejandro Onis (ESP) 30:40

Lucy Mawia and Rodrigue Kwizera captured commanding victories at the seventh Gold meeting in this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Tour

Mawia and Kwizera confirm supremacy in Alcobendas

Appropriately for someone who investigates earthquakes on Mars as part of a PhD, Nienke Brinkman has had a seismic impact on the marathon event in a short space of time.
Less than a year ago, she did not even feature on World Athletics&rsquo; athlete database, having not contested a road or track race at sufficiently high level. Then, a 2:26:34 marathon in Valencia began an earth-shattering 12 months for the student at the Institute of Geophysics in Zurich, during which time she broke the Dutch record with 2:22:51 and earned bronze at the European Championships.
However, she is keen to dial down media hype which has repeatedly hinted she went from couch potato to European medallist in two years. The 29-year-old says her running success is in part a result of a lifetime of sporting activity, which has included playing second-division field hockey in the Netherlands.
Nonetheless, the magnitude of her rise has been remarkable, given she began focusing on running as recently as 2018.
Born into a sporty family in Indonesia, where her Dutch parents were briefly living, she enjoyed running, but her hockey prowess meant she was pushed more towards that in school in the Netherlands.
&ldquo;I was not able to make the national level [in hockey], but I was not a bad player,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;I never related to running as a sport. I actually didn&rsquo;t know it was really a sport until I stopped playing hockey.&rdquo;
She trained for hockey six times per week and ran perhaps as much as 10km during each game. She cycled half an hour each way to training and did one half-hour long running-specific session per week.
&ldquo;I think it was known I was a good runner, that&rsquo;s probably why I was a midfielder,&rdquo; says Brinkman. &ldquo;I could always help out everywhere and I was not tired often. But I never thought about split times or how fast I was actually running.&rdquo;
She emphasises: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t like the story that I have been running only two years. Of course it&rsquo;s true for specifically running, but, if you play field hockey, you have to run and I have been doing a lot of sports my entire life. I think I built my base through different sports. It&rsquo;s not like I didn&rsquo;t do any sport at all and, all of a sudden, I&rsquo;m on the top.&rdquo;
When she moved from the Netherlands to continue her studies in Switzerland and found that the sport she grew up with was not popular enough there to be an option, she instead ran, cycled and went to the gym to keep fitness. In the summer of 2019 she finished sixth woman in the hilly, part-trail Zermatt Marathon.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/63822c83a863b48823a39688.jpg" alt="Nienke Brinkman on her way to winning the Zegama-Aizkorri mountain marathon" />
Nienke Brinkman on her way to winning the Zegama-Aizkorri mountain marathon (&copy; AFP / Getty Images)
</div>
Echoing a familiar story, though, she upped her running during the pandemic lockdown spring of 2020 in order to relieve stress. She planned to do the Amsterdam Marathon in October of that year, but Covid restrictions meant she would run it virtually. Accompanied by triathlete and 2:23 marathon runner Benjamin Ueltschi, who would a few months later become her coach, she clocked 2:39.
&ldquo;I think this was the point where I thought, &lsquo;this is very good&rsquo;, and I started to learn about pacing and all the things I could learn in running,&rdquo; she says. Before that she had been running 70-100km per week, but Ueltschi added some missing structure into her programme and got her to slow down. &ldquo;I was doing all my training way too hard and no easy running, so my quality training was not good,&rdquo; she recalls.
Ueltschi adds: &ldquo;We started off quite gently, but prioritised the interval sessions. We gradually built on the volume over time and that's where I was most surprised; she is just really, really strong. Soon 140-150k weeks were well managed.
&ldquo;I don't want to make it sound easy here,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;Nienke shows extreme passion for running, she is very disciplined, she hardly missed any sessions at all.&rdquo;
Brinkman agrees: &ldquo;I find it hard to miss training. I would do anything to make it to training but sometimes Ben would say, &lsquo;hey man, if you&rsquo;re so tired, it doesn&rsquo;t make sense&rsquo;. Sometimes he needed to tell me that it&rsquo;s okay to take it easy.&rdquo;
In the summer of 2021, Brinkman competed in trail running with considerable success, placing second in the world-class Sierre-Zinal. However, it was the seismologist&rsquo;s run in Valencia in December that was to truly shake the Richter scale.
&ldquo;We were going for sub-2:30 and the expectation was 2:28 on a really good day,&rdquo; she says, admitting the attention afterwards was &ldquo;very overwhelming&rdquo;. She adds: &ldquo;I really liked all of a sudden that you get a lot of attention for this performance, but I also had to really absorb it.&rdquo;
The performance led to a link-up with NN Running, the team behind athletes such as Eliud Kipchoge, Yalemzerf Yehualaw and Letesenbet Gidey.
As well as helping to deflect a little of the media focus, NN Running helped with support such as a period of training in Kenya, which was perfect preparation for the Rotterdam Marathon.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/63822c3c473e5a74ca3c6f6d.jpg" alt="Nienke Brinkman at the Rotterdam Marathon" />
Nienke Brinkman at the Rotterdam Marathon (&copy; AFP / Getty Images)
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It was there in Iten that Brinkman came to learn about Lornah Kiplagat, the holder of the Dutch record at 2:23:43. It&rsquo;s a reminder of how new to the sport she was &ndash; and still is &ndash; when Brinkman says: &ldquo;Beforehand I didn&rsquo;t know about her. When I was in Kenya I was with her sister&rsquo;s husband staying in his lodge, so I had heard a little bit about her but not so much.&rdquo;
It was only on her return that Brinkman and Ueltschi started to realise the Netherlands could soon have a new national record-holder. Indeed, the nearly four-minute improvement on her PB would clearly make her a contender for the European Championships in Munich in August. She picked that over the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 in part due to the travel and her PhD commitments.
She was many people&rsquo;s favourite for gold in Germany but ultimately placed behind winner Aleksandra Lisowska of Poland and Matea Parlov Kostro of Croatia, needing to summon every effort to hold off Germany&rsquo;s Miriam Dattke for the final medal place. European bronze was, nevertheless, of course, an amazing achievement for someone so new in the sport, but she feels she learned a lot in her first experience of a tactical road race.
Talking about stomach issues which surfaced on the eve of the race, she says: &ldquo;My stomach after 27km couldn&rsquo;t take in any fuel and I was a bit traumatised after the race with what happened with my stomach. But also I lost a lot of energy when I went to the aid station &hellip; because I was not able to push myself through all the ladies to get my bottle so it was a good lesson for me, I think. Also, just before the race when I am really stressed, my stomach also gets sensitive to this and I need to be careful with what I take in.&rdquo;
Even more impressively, Brinkman succeeded in mixing up her Munich preparation with a trail campaign. She competed in and won four stages of the Golden Trail World Series. She also competed in the Madeira Ocean and Trail Five-Day Stage Race, where she raced five times in five days to seal the overall series win.
&ldquo;Probably because it&rsquo;s a bit of a smaller group, it&rsquo;s much more like a group of friends sort of environment,&rdquo; she says of the trail running scene. &ldquo;I really like that the group knows each other so well in trail running.
&ldquo;I think trail running makes you super-strong in a sense. The small muscles for stabilisation &ndash; I think it really helps. Also trail running can be quite tough so it&rsquo;s good mental training sometimes. I think, on the other hand, road running can give me a lot of speed, which helps also on the trails.&rdquo;
However, her eyes are firmly set on the marathon at the next Olympics. &ldquo;I really want to go to Paris 2024, so I need to prioritise road running, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean I cannot do trail running at all,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;I can still do it on the side, but maybe not the full Golden Trail series, for example.&rdquo;
Her preparations for Paris will be eased now she is coming to the end of her PhD and her&nbsp;time spent working with NASA probes on Mars. Having secured sponsorship with Nike, she is hoping to become full-time in her sport.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/63822b2e473e5a74ca3c6f67.jpg" alt="Nienke Brinkman in action at the European Championships" />
Nienke Brinkman in action at the European Championships (&copy; Getty Images)
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So, with increased focus on the marathon and arguably years before she reaches peak &lsquo;training age&rsquo;, what is her ultimate potential?
Ueltschi is offered the chance to opt out of risking piling on too much pressure but responds: &ldquo;We have a lot of plans about how we are going to raise the training stimulus next season. I think performances close to Paula Radcliffe&rsquo;s time (European record of 2:15:25) could be possible in a couple of years.
&ldquo;But who knows? Will she still have the same passion for running in a couple of years? I do think so&hellip; She is a clever girl who can do literally anything she puts her mind to. Maybe she will be an astronaut in 10 years!&rdquo;
Brinkman laughs: &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t heard him say that [about Radcliffe&rsquo;s time]. We talked about 2:19, of course&hellip; I always find it scary to talk about. Of course, I want to go there, but I am just scared that I cannot do it. But I want to give it everything I can to try and go for such things.&rdquo;
As for that passion and commitment, Ueltschi need not worry that Brinkman will leave the elite marathon-running scene as quickly as she found it. &ldquo;After a big event, I really have to sit down with Ben and the only thing he wants is that I go back to training with the mindset that I still want to do this,&rdquo; said Brinkman. &ldquo;And all the time this is the case.
&ldquo;I am only starting to like it more and more. For me at the moment, yes, I have a lot of fun in doing this. I really like it. I have been training my body my entire life and now you can see that it pays off.&rdquo;
So a career as an astronaut may not be on the cards after all but, one way or another, it&rsquo;s clear the sky is the limit for Brinkman.
Paul Halford for World Athletics

Nienke Brinkman has had a seismic impact on the marathon event in a short space of time

Astronomical rise to European medal is just the beginning for Brinkman

Burundi&rsquo;s Rodrigue Kwizera and Kenya's Lucy Mawia will be the star names at the Cross Internacional de la Constituci&oacute;n, the seventh Golden leg of the this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour, to be held in Alcobendas on the outskirts of Madrid on Sunday (27).
<h2>Mebrahtu aims to challenge Kwizera</h2>
Kwizera was an overwhelming winner last year but the 22-year-old Burundian was later disqualified for not wearing the vest of his Spanish club, Playas de Castell&oacute;n, and so he will be eager to make amends on Sunday.
He opened his cross country season in mid-October with a runner-up place in Castell&oacute;n behind his training mate Thierry Ndikumwenayo. The following week he won in Amorebieta, then two weeks later clocked 27:24 to win a downhill 10km road race in Alcobendas. He followed that with a third-place finish in Atapuerca and a runner-up spot in Seville.
Kwizera, who won the Cross Country Tour last season, will have Eritrea's Merhawi Mebrahtu as his stiffest opponent. The 19-year-old is the world U20 5000m silver medallist and already this month has raced three times in Spain; he finished second in Soria, then had to settle for fourth in Atapuerca and fifth in Seville against strong opposition.
With most of Spain&rsquo;s top distance runners preparing for the European Cross Country Championships on 11 December, European U20 steeplechase champion Pol Oriach and Sergio Paniagua, who finished eighth in Atapuerca, appear to be the best local hopes.
<h2>Mawia the woman to beat</h2>
The women's 8.1km contest will bring together Kenya's Lucy Mawia, Burundi's Francine Niyomukunzi and Italy's Nadia Battocletti.
The former has competed extensively on Spanish ground over the past two seasons and has managed podium places in Soria, Alcobendas, and Atapuerca. Mawia, who also won in Bydgoszcz last month, will try to maintain her momentum on Sunday against Niyomukunzi, whom she beat over 10km in Rome earlier this month, 31:50 to 32:55. Niyomukunzi got the upper hand over 5000m one month before, though, setting a PB of 15:19.20 to beat Mawia by three seconds.
This will be Battocleltti&rsquo;s last race before heading to the European Cross, where she will defend her U23 title on home soil. The 22-year-old was sixth in Atapuerca two weeks ago, 25 seconds behind Mawia, but the Olympic 5000m finalist should be a factor on Sunday.
Spain's best hope looks set to be Laura Luengo, who was third in Soria and ninth in Seville earlier this month.
Notable past winners here include Eritrea's former world half marathon record holder Zersenay Tadese (2005), Kenya&rsquo;s Joseph Ebuya (2007 and 2010), Ethiopia&rsquo;s world marathon champion Tamirat Tola (2015), Uganda&rsquo;s world half marathon record-holder Jacob Kiplimo (2018), Portugal's 1993 world cross-country champion Albertina Dias (1996), Ethiopia's Meselech Melkamu (2005 and 2006), Vivian Cheruiyot (2009) and fellow Kenyan Linet Masai (2008 and 2015).
The weather forecast predicts a sunny and windless day with temperatures ranging between 12-14C.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

Preview of the action at the seventh World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting of the season

Kwizera and Mawia the favourites in Alcobendas

Athletes and fans are a step closer to the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 following the launch of the &lsquo;Road to Budapest 23&rsquo; qualification tracking tool and ticket pre-sale registration.
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/stats-zone/road-to/7138987" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&lsquo;Road to Budapest 23&rsquo; is an online tool</a> designed to help athletes, fans and media track the qualification process for the global showpiece, taking place in the Hungarian capital between 19-27 August 2023. Searchable by event, country and qualification status, the tool provides a real-time view of each event over the course of the qualification period, which ends on 30 July 2023 (30 May 2023 for the marathon and 35km race walk).
Athletes can qualify in one of four ways: by achieving an entry standard, by virtue of their placing at area championships or Platinum/Gold Label marathons (considered as having achieved the entry standard), by wild card entry or by world rankings position.
At the end of the qualification period, based on target numbers for each event, World Athletics will determine the number of athletes with an entry standard and eligible wild cards. Any remaining places within an event&rsquo;s target number will then be allocated to athletes based on their world rankings position to complete the field in that specific event.
Should the target number of athletes in any event be reached, or surpassed, through entry standards and wild cards, no other athletes would qualify by virtue of their world rankings position.
The Road to Budapest 23 tool is only intended to give an overview of which athletes are in a qualifying position; it doesn&rsquo;t, and will not, indicate which athletes have been selected by their member federation. Final entries will be published nearer to the time of the championships.
The tool also covers the qualification status for the five relay disciplines, though these are not dependent on entry standards or world rankings.
&bull; Download: <a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/62ff627cef4200119b5555be.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 qualification system</a> 
<h2>Ticket pre-sale available from 9 December</h2>
Marking 250 days to go to the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, the organising committee will put 420,000 tickets on sale on 12 December in a first come, first served online ticketing programme.
But fans who are quick out of the blocks will be able to access tickets from 9 December in an exclusive priority pre-sale. Those who register to become a member of the World Athletics Family will be sent their own personal link on 8 December to purchase tickets three days ahead of the general ticket sale.
With 50% of tickets priced under $33, fans will be able to see the world&rsquo;s fastest women and men line up to compete in the heats of the 100m, and just $54 could secure a seat for the star-studded evening sessions which will feature a number of finals across the different disciplines.
There will be special offers and discounts for families and group bookings, making this a once in a lifetime opportunity for fans to enjoy the event with those closest to them, and premium tickets for those who want to get closest to the field of play.
Packages will also be available for those who want to follow their favourite athletes from the heats to the finals or their favourite events like the throws and jumps.
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/budapest23/world-athletics-championships-tickets-to-go-on-sale-on-12-december" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read more on the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 website</a>

World Athletics Championships, Budapest 2023

Athletes and fans are a step closer to the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 following the launch of the ‘Road to Budapest 23’ qualification tracking tool and ticket pre-sale registration.

'Road to Budapest' qualification tracking tool goes live and ticket sale launches

Setting the course for the &lsquo;next normal&rsquo; in running and mass participation events will be the focus of the second World Athletics Global Running Conference to be held at the Royal Paragon Hall in Bangkok, Thailand, between 1-3 December.
More than <a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/637f2af8563e5f3a6daa58da.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/637f2af8563e5f3a6daa58da.pdf">50 industry leaders and experts</a> will speak at the three-day event, which is expected to welcome 350 attendees including delegates representing around 50 World Athletics Label races.
The conference is being held in the lead-up to one of those races &ndash; the Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok &ndash; and follows the inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championships that took place in Chiang Mai earlier this month.
Trail running will be among the themes of the conference, as results from the most extensive report on trail running participation ever conducted are shared. The report, compiled by&nbsp;RunRepeat.com&nbsp;in collaboration with World Athletics, covers trail running race participation from 1984 to 2022 and includes 15.6 million race results from 116,947 races in 127 countries.
Featuring presentations, panel discussions and interviews, 'The Next Normal. Re-imagining the World of Running and Mass Participation' will also cover topics such as:
&bull; The social impact of running events &bull; Trends in active sport tourism &bull; Creating narratives with racecourse design &bull; Pro-running policies and their effects on public health outcomes &bull; The social and governance dimensions of sustainability &bull; Understanding how to release more value from running events for participants and partners &bull; The 360-degree participant experience &bull; Operational challenges in a post-Covid world
Chris Robb, founder and CEO of Mass Participation World, will deliver the opening keynote speech on Thursday 1 December, while Jakob Larsen, director of competitions and events at World Athletics, will close the conference with some final remarks on Saturday 3 December.
&ldquo;We look forward to welcoming old and new friends from the world of running in one of the fastest-growing markets for the sport,&rdquo; said Alessio Punzi, head of running and mass participation at World Athletics.
&ldquo;Attending the conference will mean great networking opportunities as usual, but I am once again particularly pleased about the programme we have put together.&rdquo;
There will be more than 50 industry leaders, researchers, marketers and technical experts from within and outside running, all willing to share what they know for the advancement of the sport.
Punzi said he was also grateful for the collaboration with the Mass Participation World Conference, as an opportunity to broaden horizons and expand networks.
Those interested in attending the World Athletics Global Running Conference in Bangkok can <a href="https://in.njuko.com/mpw-2022-conference?currentPage=select-competition" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://in.njuko.com/mpw-2022-conference?currentPage=select-competition">register online</a>. Road race organisers interested in participating can contact <a href="mailto:alessio.punzi@worldathletics.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="mailto:alessio.punzi@worldathletics.org">alessio.punzi@worldathletics.org</a> to enquire about complimentary packages.
World Athletics 
- <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-label-road-races/global-running-conference" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-label-road-races/global-running-conference">Full conference programme</a>

More than 50 industry leaders and experts﻿ will speak at the three-day event

Innovation and mass participation in the spotlight at World Athletics Global Running Conference

Ahead of the World Athletics Awards 2022, a digital exhibition has been created featuring the 26 images shortlisted for World Athletics Photograph of the Year.
From the 110 images that were submitted, a panel of judges &ndash; comprising Valerie Adams, Raquel Cavaco Nunes, Ivo Gonzalez, Renaud Lavillenie and Pascal Rondeau &ndash; selected the below 26 shortlisted images and then the three finalists.
The <a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/2022-world-athletics-photograph-finalists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">finalists were announced on 12 November</a> and the winning photograph will be revealed on World Athletics&rsquo; social media platforms on 2 December, as part of the World Athletics Awards 2022. 
<h2>Digital exhibition of shortlisted images </h2>
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e2e6c2744e5fecedc7caa.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Grant Holloway of USA strides away from the chasing pack while competing in the men's 60m hurdles semifinals during day three of the World Athletics Indoor Championships at the Stark Arena in Belgrade, Serbia Photo by Sam Barnes, Sportsfile 
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e30ef2744e5fecedc7ce0.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Netherlands&rsquo; Rutger Koppelaar in action during the men's pole vault final at the European Championships in Munich 2022 Photo by Christian Bruna, EPA-EFE
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e30ce2744e5fecedc7cdd.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Shaunae Miller-Uibo of The Bahamas rounds the final turn in her 400m race at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 Photo by Jeff Cohen
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<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e31c65b75f9116d7f21f4.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Jamaica&rsquo;s Shericka Jackson crosses the finish line as 200m champion at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 Photo by Solene Decosta
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<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e2ec12744e5fecedc7cb3.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Korea's world indoor gold medallist Woo Sanghyeok celebrates after clearing 2.33m in the high jump at the Wanda Diamond League in Doha Photo by Vinod Divakaran, Inside Qatar
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e2dbd2744e5fecedc7c9e.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />World record-holder Barbora Spotakova competes in the javelin throw at the Czech Championships in Hodonin Photo by Eduard Erben, Czech Photo Agency
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<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e30a02744e5fecedc7cd7.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Spectators react as Swedish pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis breaks his own world record by jumping 6.21m at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 Photo by Alberto Estevez, Agencia Efe
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e2f002744e5fecedc7cb9.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />The track and sky colour match during the women&rsquo;s 800m final at the European Championships in Munich Photo by Quentin Felden
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e31325b75f9116d7f21f1.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Netherlands' Rutger Koppelaar competes in the men's pole vault final during the European Championships in Munich Photo by Andrej Isakovic, Agence France-Presse
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e2e4c2744e5fecedc7ca7.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Belgian Nafissatou Thiam pictured in action during the long jump competition, part of the women's heptathlon, at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 Photo by Jasper Jacobs
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e306e2744e5fecedc7cd1.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Switzerland&rsquo;s Ditaji Kambundji after her fall in the 60m hurdles final at the World Indoor Championships Belgrade 22 Photo by Tobias Lackner
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e30b72744e5fecedc7cda.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Runners race over the water jump in the steeplechase during the 62nd Mt. San Antonio College Relays in Walnut, California Photo by Kirby Lee
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e2edc2744e5fecedc7cb6.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Captain Sweden, Mondo Duplantis, after his six metre jump during the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Lausanne Photo by Chiara Montesano, Vinco Sport
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e31175b75f9116d7f21ee.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />A tero, a typical bird of South America, stands on the track as Jamaica and USA race to the finish line during the women&rsquo;s 4x100m relay final at the World U20 Championships Cali 22 Photo by Oscar Munoz Badilla, fotografiadeportiva
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e2ea42744e5fecedc7cb0.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago celebrates after winning gold in the final of the men's 200m at the Commonwealth Games at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, England Photo by Phil Noble, Reuters
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e2f182744e5fecedc7cbc.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Concentration, focus, determination: Germany&rsquo;s Kristin Pudenz en route to silver in the women&rsquo;s discus at the European Championships in Munich Photo by Klaus Peters
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e2f9c2744e5fecedc7cc2.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Mondo Duplantis of Sweden celebrates after setting a world record and winning gold in the men's pole vault final at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 Photo by Christian Petersen, Getty Images
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e2fd12744e5fecedc7cc8.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />&lsquo;Somewhere over the rainbow&rsquo;: Netherlands' Rutger Koppelaar in action during the men's pole vault final at the European Championships in Munich Photo by Kai Pfaffenbach, Reuters
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e2de22744e5fecedc7ca1.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Abigail Irozuru of Team England takes part in a practice jump for the women's long jump final at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at Alexander Stadium Photo by David Ramos, Getty Images
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e2f582744e5fecedc7cbf.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Germany's Lea Meyer falls headfirst into the water while competing in the women's 3000m steeplechase on day two of the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Oregon, USA Photo by Martin Rickett, PA Media
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e2ff82744e5fecedc7ccb.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Andreas Hofmann in action during javelin throw qualification at the European Championships in Munich Photo by Felix Sanchez Arrazola, fotorunners.es
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e2fb12744e5fecedc7cc5.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />USA&rsquo;s Noah Lyles celebrates winning gold in the men's 200m final at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 Photo by Ezra Shaw, Getty Images
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e30892744e5fecedc7cd4.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Sweden&rsquo;s Mondo Duplantis celebrates his world record during the men&rsquo;s pole vault final at the World Athletics Championship Oregon22 Photo by Pawel Skraba, Super Express Media Group
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e2e132744e5fecedc7ca4.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Germany's Lea Meyer falls as she competes in the women's 3000m steeplechase heats during the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 Photo by Ben Stansall, Agence France-Presse
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e2e882744e5fecedc7cad.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Sasha Zhoya breaks the last barrier in the 110m hurdles final at the Munich 2022 European Championships Photo by Matthieu Tourault, Mattphot Photography
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637e30372744e5fecedc7cce.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Australia&rsquo;s Kurtis Marschall competes during the men&rsquo;s pole vault qualification at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 Photo by Morgan Treacy

A digital exhibition has been created featuring the 26 images shortlisted for World Athletics Photograph of the Year

Digital exhibition: 2022 World Athletics Photograph of the Year shortlisted images

Noah Lyles and Jake Wightman, the world champions at 200m and 1500m respectively, will return to the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, organisers of the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting announced today (22).
After temporarily relocating to Staten Island due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix will make its debut at its new home, the TRACK at New Balance, a state-of-the-art indoor facility in Brighton, Massachusetts.
Returning to action after a virtually flawless 2022 season, Lyles is making his fifth appearance at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. Lyles began his 2022 campaign with an impressive win over 60m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, before going on to an undefeated season over 200m, which included victories at both the Wanda Diamond League Final and the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, the latter of which he won in a US record of 19.31.
Wightman scored a thrilling 1500m victory at the World Championships, becoming the first British man to win gold in the metric mile since Steve Cram in 1983. Following his triumph in Oregon, Wightman took bronze over 1500m at the Commonwealth Games and silver in the 800m at the European Championships. Wightman will headline the 3000m in Boston and will wrap up his indoor season at the World Indoor Tour Final in Birmingham on February 25.
The women&rsquo;s sprints will see the return of double Olympic medallist Gabby Thomas. Thomas won the 200m at the 2021 US Olympic Trials in 21.61, then went on to take bronze in the 200m and silver in the 4x100m at the Tokyo Olympics. Thomas will be aiming for her fifth straight win at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.
&bull; <a href="https://www.nbindoorgrandprix.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More information</a>

Double Olympic medallist Gabby Thomas also confirmed

World champions Lyles and Wightman return to Boston

There have been big city races with mass participation, high-profile clashes between the world&rsquo;s elite distance runners, and numerous records broken across a range of distances.
Road running is back in a big way.
While some World Athletics Label road races in 2022 still had to be postponed or adapted in the face of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, road running as a whole is almost back to normal.
Nine Elite Platinum Label marathons have been held already this year, with the 10th and final one due to take place in Valencia on 4 December.
<h2>World Athletics Elite Platinum marathons in 2022</h2>
<h3>Tokyo &ndash; 6 March</h3>
Winners: Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2:16:02 CR, Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:02:40 CR World record-holders Brigid Kosgei and Eliud Kipchoge got their years off to a great start, winning in the Japanese capital with course records. Finishers: 18,272 
<h3>Nagoya &ndash; 13 March</h3>
Winner: Ruth Chepngetich (KEN) 2:17:18 CR After an enthralling tussle with Israel&rsquo;s Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, Ruth Chepngetich prevailed in 2:17:18, breaking the course record in the world&rsquo;s largest women-only marathons. Finishers: 8698 
<h3>Seoul &ndash; 17 April</h3>
Winners: Joan Chelimo Melly (KEN) 2:18:04 CR, Mosinet Geremew (ETH) 2:04:43 CR Eventual winners Joan Chelimo Melly and Mosinet Geremew were pushed all the way to course records in the Korean capital in two close races. Geremew won by six seconds, while Melly finished eight seconds ahead of her nearest rival. 
<h3>Boston &ndash; 18 April</h3>
Winners: Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) 2:21:01, Evans Chebet (KEN) 2:06:51 Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir maintained her winning streak to win in one of the world&rsquo;s most prestigious races, finishing just four seconds ahead of Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ababel Yeshaneh. Evans Chebet enjoyed a more comfortable victory in the men&rsquo;s race. Finishers: 24,607 
<h3>Berlin &ndash; 25 September</h3>
Winners: Tigist Assefa (ETH) 2:15:37 CR, Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:01:09 WR Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge returned to the site of his last world record-breaking performance and improved on the mark by 30 seconds, setting a world record of 2:01:09. Meanwhile, Tigist Assefa smashed the women&rsquo;s course record &ndash; and Ethiopian record &ndash; with her 2:15:37 victory. Finishers: 34,879
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6330238e521cacd820f1ea0e.jpg" alt="Eliud Kipchoge breaks the world record at the Berlin Marathon" />
Eliud Kipchoge breaks the world record at the Berlin Marathon (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
<h3>London &ndash; 2 October</h3>
Winners: Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH) 2:17:26, Amos Kipruto (KEN) 2:04:39 Yalemzerf Yehualaw got the better of defending champion Joyciline Jepkosgei in an enthralling duel, while Amos Kipruto made a similar late-race break to take the men&rsquo;s title. Finishers: 40,578 
<h3>Chicago &ndash; 9 October</h3>
Winners: Ruth Chepngetich (KEN) 2:14:18 WL, Benson Kipruto (KEN) 2:04:24 Ruth Chepngetich came within seconds of the world record to win in 2:14:18, the second-fastest time in history. Benson Kipruto, winner in Boston last year, added another US big city marathon win to his collection. Finishers: 39,420 
<h3>Amsterdam &ndash; 16 October</h3>
Winners: Almaz Ayana (ETH) 2:17:20 CR, Tsegaye Getachew (ETH) 2:04:49 Ethiopia&rsquo;s 2016 Olympic 10,000m champion Almaz Ayana ran the fastest marathon debut in history to win in the Dutch capital, holding off former track rival and compatriot Genzebe Dibaba. Tsegaye Getachew made it an Ethiopian double, winning by just five seconds from Titus Kipruto. Finishers: 12,669 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/634c03fd4d109a037e4bc944.jpg" alt="Almaz Ayana wins the TCS Amsterdam Marathon" />
Almaz Ayana wins the TCS Amsterdam Marathon (&copy; NN Running Team)
</div>
<h3>New York City &ndash; 6 November</h3>
Winners: Sharon Lokedi (KEN) 2:23:23, Evans Chebet (KEN) 2:08:41 Kenya&rsquo;s Sharon Lokedi pulled off one of the biggest road-running surprises of 2022, winning the New York City Marathon on her debut at the distance and beating many established stars of the sport. Evans Chebet added to his Boston win from earlier in the year. Finishers: 47,839 
<h3>Valencia &ndash; 4 December</h3>
Elite field: includes Letesenbet Gidey, Sutume Kebede, Tiki Gelana, Tigist Girma, Etagegne Woldu, Amane Shankule and Tadelech Bekele in the women&rsquo;s race, and Getaneh Molla, Tamirat Tola, Dawit Wolde, Jonathan Korir, Hiskel Tewelde, Chalu Deso and Gabriel Geay in the men&rsquo;s race. Places: 30,000
&nbsp;
<h2>For the masses</h2>
It&rsquo;s not just elite runners who have been able to enjoy top-quality road racing. Events in most corners of the world have been able to stage mass races of some sort in 2022.
That looks set to continue in 2023 too, not just with Label road races but also at World Athletics Series events.
The World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 will have a mass participation road race held during the championships. Meanwhile, the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 will be a festival of road running, combining elite and mass-participation races over a range of distances. <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/register" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Registration for that opened recently</a>.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6335bca5854241edda7cfb78.jpg" alt="Logo launched for WRRC Riga 23" /></div>
And, of course, at the start of the year the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Bathurst 23 will also have several mass races, including relays. <a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-cross-country-championships/bathurst23/mass-races" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Registration is open now</a>. The event will also incorporate the World Masters Athletics Short Course Cross Country Championships with relays and individual races for a whole range of age groups.
So while 2022 was a great year for road running and mass participation events, 2023 looks set to be even bigger and better.

Road running is back in a big way

2022 - the year when international road racing got back to normal

Japan believes it can dominate the men&rsquo;s race walks at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 &ndash; providing it learns lessons from the past.
Toshikazu Yamanishi was a shoo-in for Olympic 20km gold medal on home soil last year. Indeed, his country&rsquo;s rising sons were favourites for a medal sweep, only to see Massimo Stano upset the apple cart. The Italian powered away towards the end, and then paid homage at the finish by bowing to Koki Ikeda and Yamanishi as they crossed in second and third.
But, spurred on by Stano&rsquo;s terrific 35km gold at the World Championships in Oregon, Japan too showed what they can do in that discipline at the All-Japan Race Walking event last month in Takahata.
The times recorded in just about any other country would have been very impressive, but for a country that regularly sees four or five race walkers power under 78 minutes for 20km, it&rsquo;s just the start.
Yamanishi won in 2:26:18, which was good enough for 11th on this year&rsquo;s world list, and 17th all time. He was followed home by Satoshi Maruo in 2:27:33, while Subaru Ishida completed the podium in 2:30:37. To put that into context, an end-of-season race &ndash; albeit one for World Championship and Asian Games selection &ndash; still put all three in the world&rsquo;s top 31 for 2022.
Yamanishi&rsquo;s victory was rubber stamped long before the end. He got to 30km in 2:04:57 and was 45 seconds in front of Maruo. The winner could then afford to ease off the pedal during the final 5km before breaking the tape.
Can Japan dominate both men&rsquo;s race walks at the next World Championships, bearing in mind their strength in depth? Yamanishi thinks they can.
&ldquo;Yes, that is possible, in my opinion,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Of course, it is very hard to get medals at the World Championships, but the current Japanese team have enough potential. For that, we have to enhance our performance more and to match peaks on the day of the race.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637b8e54423f9a07f58572f0.jpg" alt="Toshikazu Yamanishi at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22" />
Toshikazu Yamanishi at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
That last part is telling. The bespectacled 26-year-old looked set to cement a glittering career at the Olympics in Sapporo as the then world champion from Doha, 2019. He also boasted the fastest 2021 time: 1:17:36 from February on home soil.
But it all started to unravel on Odori Park as he slipped back over the final 1.5km. Stano and Ikeda heard the bell with a six-second advantage over Yamanishi, who looked unusually spent over that last kilometre.
Stano had nine seconds over Ikeda by the finish, and 23 over Yamanishi, who was forced to wear a relatively disappointing bronze medal on the podium.
He was able to put that behind him in July with World Championships gold for the second time, and admits he&rsquo;s likely to leave it to other teammates like Masatora Kawano, second in Oregon at 35km, even if there is the tantalising prospect of double gold.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not impossible (to win both), but it must be really hard, especially in the men&rsquo;s event,&rdquo; said Yamanishi. &ldquo;Even so, the two golds were won by narrow margins in Oregon.&rdquo;
Indeed, there was only a seven-second difference at 20km (between him and Ikeda), and only one second at 35km.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637b8e35460c3ea36905dc4d.jpg" alt="Toshikazu Yamanishi and Koki Ikeda at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22" />
Toshikazu Yamanishi and Koki Ikeda at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
&ldquo;Winning both requires physical and mental toughness,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;However, looking at the women&rsquo;s case (in the World and European Championships), the same thing could happen in the men&rsquo;s event.&rdquo;
For all that, Yamanishi made plain a serious tilt at 35km is for the future, even if that one-second win by Stano in Oregon was less than two minutes outside the world record (2:21:31).
&ldquo;Now my main event is 20km,&rdquo; said Yamanishi. &ldquo;So, it needs lots of preparation for me to try the current world record at 35km. When I tackle the 35km in earnest in future, of course I&rsquo;ll aim for it.&rdquo;
Although the double word champion is doubtful he will attempt both distances in Budapest, Kawano is not. Given the chance, the world 35km silver medallist thinks two races nine days apart is more than doable. After all, he was a stride behind Stano as both strove for the line in Oregon.
Mouth open, desperately sucking in air, Kawano collapsed over the line to take second place. He and top race walkers know that the difference on any given race day between a medal and nothing can be the blink of an eye.
&ldquo;In the world, there are athletes who win both the 20km and the 35km,&rdquo; Kawano said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s because the strong 20km walkers are performing really well in the 35km. If I am given the chance, I too would like to challenge both 20km and 35km in the same competition.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637b917c4b143479e53432a6.jpg" alt="Masatora Kawano at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22" />
Masatora Kawano at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
It&rsquo;s worth pointing out the 24-year-old from Hyūga&rsquo;s personal best at the shorter distance is only nine seconds behind Yamanishi: 1:17:15 to Kawano&rsquo;s 1:17:24 set in 2019.
The latter now also holds the Asian record for 35km, set in Oregon, and is unlikely to be challenged for the defunct 50km national record of 3:36:45, also set in 2019.
Factor in the likes of Ikeda, Eiki Takahashi, Daisuke Matsunaga, and Isamu Fujisawa &ndash; all with 20km PBs inside 1:18 and all still active, there&rsquo;s reason to believe Japan&rsquo;s men can win all six medals in Budapest on a good day.
The country&rsquo;s senior women are also edging closer to global success, as Yaminishi points out.
&ldquo;Step by step, Japanese women are also getting close to medals,&rdquo; he said.
Nanako Fujii was sixth in Oregon. The 23-year-old went one place better than she managed in Doha in 2019 where Kumiko Okada took sixth in the same race.
&ldquo;They are still in the middle of the road,&rdquo; Yamanishi added, &ldquo;but have improved their performance. I hope they get higher places in Budapest and break the current national record in 2023.&rdquo;
If not them, how about Ai Ooyama and Ayane Yanai in the future?
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637ba1ca3c7d3a37c8621e92.jpg" alt="Ayane Yanai and Ai Ooyama lead the 10,000m race walk at the World Athletics U20 Championships Cali 22" />
Ayane Yanai and Ai Ooyama lead the 10,000m race walk at the World Athletics U20 Championships Cali 22 (&copy; Oscar Munoz Badilla)
</div>
If proof was ever needed the sun continues to rise over Japan&rsquo;s race walk future, it was the tremendous silver and bronze earned by Ooyama and Yanai in the 10,000m race walk at the World Athletics U20 Championships Cali 22 in August.
At 16, Ooyama became one of the youngest ever world U20 medallists, and teammate Yani is still 18.
In fact, had Ooyama looked over her shoulder in the last 20 metres, she might have been able to do something about the last-second sprint from Mexico&rsquo;s eventual gold medallist Karla Serrano.
Chances are the rest of the race walking world won&rsquo;t need to look over their shoulders: Japan&rsquo;s race walkers will be ahead in all categories and at all ages.
Paul Warburton for World Athletics

Japan believes it can dominate the men’s race walks at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 – providing it learns lessons from the past

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