Grateful. Blessed. Privileged.
Those were the words that Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce used repeatedly as she made slow progress through the media mixed zone after her eighth and last 100m final at the World Athletics Championships.
For once, the woman widely regarded as the greatest female sprinter the world has seen wanted to take it slow &ndash; outside of those 11 seconds when she was in race mode. After 18 years as one of the world&rsquo;s fastest women, the 38-year-old Jamaican was entitled to take her time.
&ldquo;I felt the love, I felt the support,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;To have that reception was truly wonderful.&rdquo;
The woman once known as the &lsquo;Pocket Rocket&rsquo;, but more recently as &lsquo;Mommy Rocket&rsquo; following the birth of her son Zyon in 2017, was determined to finish on a high note.
She accomplished that by reaching the 100m final in Tokyo, having the chance to say farewell to a sellout crowd of 60,000 people in the Japan National Stadium and millions more watching around the world.
That she finished sixth in her last individual race did not matter to the fans although, competitive to the end, the five-time world 100m champion was hoping for a better placing.&nbsp;
However, 18 years of pushing her body to the limit gave her perspective on her career.
&ldquo;Tonight, I am really grateful that I was able to stand on the track one more time in the 100m finals,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It has been such a privilege, an honour, and my greatest blessing to stand here tonight.
&ldquo;I came into this championship with so many odds, but I made the final. And I think that is a huge accomplishment. I remember in 2007 when I started, I was unsure what I wanted to do, but I walked away with so much from the championship. This time around, I came with all those experiences from years of participating in the championships.&rdquo;
Fraser-Pryce does not reach five feet tall (1.52m) but she overcame childhood disadvantage to become a giant of her sport. Her resume includes 10 gold medals, six silver medals and one bronze medal from nine editions of the World Championships and she boasts an unprecedented five 100m titles, from 2009, 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2022.&nbsp;
Her Olympic record is also formidable &ndash; three gold medals and eight medals in total, including consecutive 100m titles in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
Even Usain Bolt was feeling inadequate after watching Fraser-Pryce compete in Tokyo, and wondering if perhaps he had retired too early at 31.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just so impressed with her work rate,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;and how long she&rsquo;s been doing it &ndash; and the level she&rsquo;s been doing it at.&rdquo;
<h3>Reflections on a remarkable career</h3>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GnAyUfBIOmQ?si=mx_mCRvVzNAByFXq" width="100%" height="475" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Video production by Herbert Thomas for World Athletics
 Now Fraser-Pryce is vacating the scene, but she is confident that she has passed the baton to a new generation of Jamaican sprinters, exemplified by 21-year-old Tina Clayton, the two-time world U20 champion who broke through to win 100m silver in Tokyo.
&ldquo;This is her first senior World Championships and she walks away with a silver medal, which is a huge accomplishment,&rdquo; Fraser-Pryce said.
&ldquo;One of my greatest blessings is seeing athletes who are inspired by me across generations. It has been a blessing to interact with those athletes, and I hope that there is something they can take from this journey.&rdquo;
&nbsp;Clayton idolised Fraser-Pryce as a girl and said it was &ldquo;an honour&rdquo; to be part of her last 100m race.&nbsp;
&ldquo;She was someone I looked up to when I grew up,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I always wanted to be like her one day. And this is like a dream come true. I have never imagined this race.&rdquo;
Fraser-Pryce&rsquo;s rivals raced to sing her praises after the 100m final. New world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden declared the Jamaican legend &ldquo;the greatest of all time&rdquo;.
&ldquo;I am inspired by her,&rdquo; she added. &ldquo;Being able to run the 100m final with her felt special. I want to do what she has done &ndash; win multiple world medals. To be able to grace the stage with her on her last championship round, in her going-away party, is always a blessing and an honour.&rdquo;
There was one more blessing to come for one of the most beloved athletes of the time.
Fraser-Pryce combined with Jonielle Smith and the Clayton twins, Tina and Tia &ndash; representing three generations of Jamaican sprinting &ndash; to win one last medal in the 4x100m relay on the final night of the championships.
The Jamaicans finished a close second to the US team, delivering a 17th and last medal for Fraser-Pryce despite persistent rain. Her smile lit up the night sky as she waved to the crowd one last time after the race.
Post-race interviews on the track had been reserved for winners in Tokyo, except for Fraser-Pryce who had the chance to say a last goodbye, and a final opportunity to stand on the podium.
&ldquo;I have had an amazing career and today's medal is the icing on the cake,&rdquo; she said.
&ldquo;Today is a full circle moment for me. I was a reserve at my first World Championships in Japan (Osaka) in 2007. I am grateful for the medals, the stadiums and the crowds where I have competed throughout my career.&rdquo;
The gratitude goes both ways.
Nicole Jeffery for World Athletics
&nbsp;

For once, the woman widely regarded as the greatest female sprinter the world has seen wanted to take it slow

The last dance for Fraser-Pryce

Men&rsquo;s pole vault 6.30m Mondo Duplantis (SWE) Tokyo, 15 September 2025
Women&rsquo;s U20 hammer 77.24m Zhang Jiale (CHN) Quzhou, 2 August 2025
Women&rsquo;s U20 javelin 65.89m Yan Ziyi (CHN) Quzhou, 3 August 2025
Men&rsquo;s U20 decathlon 8514 points Hubert Troscianka (POL) Tampere, 8 August 2025 
The latest world pole vault record set by Mondo Duplantis and three world U20 records have been ratified by World Athletics.
Duplantis improved his own world record to 6.30m at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, while Hubert Troscianka, Yan Ziyi and Zhang Jiale respectively set world U20 records in the U20 decathlon, the javelin and the hammer.
The performance by Duplantis in Tokyo added a centimetre to the world record of 6.29m he set in Budapest on 12 August.
Back at the scene of his first senior global title win at the Olympic Games in 2021, the Swedish athlete cleared 6.30m on his third and final attempt to claim his third consecutive World Championships crown, his eighth major senior international title, and his 14th world pole vault record.
It was a contest of record depth as seven men cleared 5.90m or higher in the same competition for the first time in history. It was also the first time that 5.95m was not enough for a medal.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s better than I could have imagined,&rdquo; Duplantis said to the crowd. &ldquo;To give you guys this world record is amazing. The crowd were so loud. Thank you so much. I&rsquo;m just so happy.&rdquo;
China&rsquo;s Zhang and Yan both achieved their world U20 records at the Chinese Championships in Quzhou in August.
Zhang threw her world U20 hammer record of 77.24m on 2 August, improving on her own previous best of 75.14m and the ratified world U20 record of 73.43m that was set by Finland's Silja Kosonen in Vaasa in 2021.
Zhang's&nbsp;77.24m came in the third round of the competition and the 18-year-old also surpassed the previous record with 76.15m in the final round.
After that world U20 record performance, Zhang travelled to Tokyo where she threw 77.10m to become a world bronze medallist.
Yan's world U20 javelin record was achieved on 3 August, the 17-year-old throwing 65.89m to improve by more than a metre. Her previous ratified record was the 64.41m she threw in Quzhou last September, while she also threw 64.83m in Chengdu in March.
Poland&rsquo;s Troscianka set his world U20 record at the European U20 Championships in Tampere on 8 August.
Scoring 8514, he became the first athlete in history to surpass 8500 points in the U20 decathlon, improving the previous world U20 decathlon record of 8435 set by Germany&rsquo;s Niklas Kaul during the 2017 edition of the European U20 Championships in Grosseto.
His performance included 10.74 in the 100m, 7.26m in the long jump, 15.48m in the shot put, 1.94m in the high jump, a world U20 decathlon best of 46.21 in the 400m, 14.23 in the 110m hurdles, 43.36m in the discus, 4.80m in the pole vault, a championship decathlon best of 68.87m in the javelin and 4:28.59&nbsp;in the 1500m.
World Athletics
&nbsp;

The latest world pole vault record set by Mondo Duplantis and three world U20 records have been ratified by World Athletics

Ratified: world records for Duplantis, Troscianka, Yan and Zhang

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Enter today for your chance to win an unforgettable VIP weekend to the World Athletics Awards 2025 in Monaco

Win an unforgettable VIP weekend at the World Athletics Awards – Monaco

It was Tokyo, 1991. The world&rsquo;s eyes were on the National Stadium, the track hot to the touch and the air heavy with humidity.
Antonio Serrano, then 26, stepped on to the 5000m start line carrying the promise of a new generation of Spanish distance runners. Antonio &lsquo;El Taca&rsquo; Prieto, by contrast, arrived with World Championships experience &ndash; a cross-country regular who made the 10,000m final in Helsinki in 1983. For both men, it was in Tokyo where they learned how unforgiving the World Championships could be, leaving with little more than a result sheet and the humbling knowledge of what the elite sport demands.&nbsp;
And yet, stadiums keep memories; tracks hold echoes. Thirty-four years later, the National Stadium once again staged the World Championships, a renewed red oval, the same extreme humidity. Serrano and Prieto&rsquo;s names were long gone from the entry lists, but they resurfaced in another way. Their daughters &ndash; Marta Serrano and Idaira Prieto &ndash; were the ones stepping out of the tunnel. The baton, in a sense, had been passed.
Antonio Serrano watched from the coaches&rsquo; stand, stopwatch in hand and his heart racing as if he were still in spikes. Prieto senior followed from home in Spain, the glow of the television giving him access to a place that had once held his last World Championships. Two men, two vantage points, both bound by the same emotion: their daughters were running where they once had.
&ldquo;The first thing that came to my mind,&rdquo;&nbsp;Antonio Serrano recalled, &ldquo;was the image of myself running there in &rsquo;91 &ndash; the heat, the stands full, the suffocating humidity. And now, 34 years later, it was my daughter stepping on to that same track. That is unforgettable.&rdquo;
Prieto, watching Idaira from afar, felt something similar. &ldquo;When she ran, the nerves were the same as when I competed,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And for me it was symbolic, because Tokyo 1991 was my last time with the national team. And here, in the same stadium, it was her first global championships. It felt like handing her the last baton.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68f796b3c51c8577af89a1bf.jpg" alt="Marta Serrano (right) at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25" />
<div>
Marta Serrano (right) at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 (&copy; World Athletics <img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" alt="photographer icon" /> Dan Vernon)
</div>
Marta Serrano, 23, was no stranger to that level of competition. She had made history in Budapest in 2023, becoming part of Spain&rsquo;s first father&ndash;daughter pairing at an outdoor World Championships. Two years later, she returned to the global stage with something more than symbolism. In the 3000m steeplechase heats in Tokyo she finished seventh, not enough for the final but she stopped the clock at 9:21.00 &ndash; her third Spanish U23 record of the season, the fastest ever by a Spaniard at a World Championships, and the third-best mark in national history. The result sheet might have her down as &ldquo;non-qualifier&rdquo;, but that doesn&rsquo;t tell the story.
&ldquo;Competing in Tokyo gave me goosebumps,&rdquo; she said afterwards. &ldquo;It gave me inner strength. And it made me want to run even more. Because it was something more special than normal.&rdquo;
For Idaira Prieto, the whole experience was new. At 28 she had only just broken into senior level athletics: a first international vest at the European Cross Country Championships in Antalya in 2024, a taste of the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, and a Spanish 10,000m title in the spring of 2025. Tokyo was her first World Championships outdoors. She lined up in the 5000m heats and ran 15:11.16, her second-best time ever. Placing 15th in her race left her without a spot in the final, but for her, the numbers mattered less than the resonance.
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t even know at first that my father had competed there,&rdquo; she admitted. &ldquo;He told me he&rsquo;d run badly, that he was out in the heats. But when I realised I was going to run in the same stadium, it doubled the value. To represent Spain like he did, in the same place, even if he was watching from home&hellip; for me it was closing the circle.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68f797075f3dfadc9f4ddb26.JPG" alt="Idaira Prieto on the start line at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25" />
<div>
Idaira Prieto on the start line at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 (&copy; Getty Images <img style="width: 16px; vertical-align: middle; display: inline;" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" alt="photographer icon" /> Christel Saneh)
</div>
If medals are the usual currency of athletics stories, this one trades in inheritance. Both women carry not just a surname but a running lineage. Marta&rsquo;s father was the first Spaniard under 2:10 in the marathon; her mother, Natalia Azpiazu, also competed internationally. Idaira&rsquo;s father was one of Spain&rsquo;s great cross-country men of the 1980s, a fierce competitor in mud and spikes. For both daughters, running in Tokyo was less about comparison than continuity &ndash; it was about writing their own lines on a page already marked with family ink.
And yet, what does it mean when your coach is also your father? When the person shouting splits is also the person you call when you&rsquo;re homesick? Both women laughed when asked. &ldquo;For me, he is more my father than my coach,&rdquo; Marta said. &ldquo;The challenge is not to take training back home. Sometimes if a session goes badly it can end in an argument. But the good thing is he knows me better than anyone, as an athlete and as a person. That is priceless.&rdquo;
Idaira described it differently: &ldquo;In my case nothing changes. When we train, he is always my father. We are very close. We put a lot of love into training, and I think that&rsquo;s the key. The challenge is the pressure of having a father who was competing at a high level. But actually, he managed it well with me. It made me stronger.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68f79aa5ea0703f3e044f3a4.jpg" alt="Antonio Serrano at the World Championships in Tokyo in 1991" />
<div>
Antonio Serrano at the World Championships in Tokyo in 1991
</div>
The fathers themselves see the balance differently. Serrano admits that on the track he feels stronger as a coach: &ldquo;As a father you have to be more flexible, more condescending. But as a coach you take the reins.&rdquo;
Prieto, meanwhile, insists on a &ldquo;democratic&rdquo; approach, being open, equal and flexible while separating the roles as best as he can.
But separation is not always possible. Sometimes advice given on the track comes back to the daughters in moments of solitude.
&ldquo;When he is not there,&rdquo; Idaira said, &ldquo;I remember the workouts we did, all the time we invested. He always tells me to have confidence, to fight. And that is what I try to capture on the track.&rdquo;
Marta, too, carries her father&rsquo;s words with her: &ldquo;He always says I should enjoy it. That helps me relax. And to know he is proud of me, that gives me strength.&rdquo;
Both men left Tokyo in 1991 with unfinished business. Both returned in 2025 &ndash; one in the stadium, one watching from home &ndash; to see their daughters take their stories further. There were no medals this time either. But there was something rarer: the closing of a circle, the quiet handover of a baton no camera could catch.
Athletics usually measures time in seconds and places. In Tokyo, it was measured in echoes.
Ainhoa Serrano for World Athletics Produced as part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/media-academy-new-talent-journalism-photography-commentary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Media Academy</a> project
</div>
</div>
</div>

From Tokyo 1991 to Tokyo 2025

Echoes from Tokyo: how two Spanish families closed a circle 34 years in the making

The 2026 Wanda Diamond League season calendar <a href="https://www.diamondleague.com/calendar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has been published</a>.
Following another record-breaking year in 2025, many of the sport&rsquo;s biggest names will be hoping to make history once again as athletics&rsquo; premier one-day series returns for its 17th season.
As in previous years, athletes will compete for points at 14 meetings as they bid to qualify for the series final in Brussels and a shot at the iconic Diamond Trophy.
The 2026 Road to the Final will begin in Asia, with Doha hosting the season opener on 8 May before back-to-back Chinese meetings in Shanghai and Xiamen.
The African leg of the series will take place in Rabat on 31 May, before the first European meeting of the season in Rome the following week.
After stops in Stockholm, Oslo and Paris, the world&rsquo;s biggest stars will head to Eugene on the US west coast for a meeting which has seen five world records in the past three seasons alone.
The series then returns to Europe for meetings in Monaco and London, before the Road to the Final enters the home straight in August.
Lausanne, Silesia and Zurich will be the last stops before athletes assemble in Brussels for the Wanda Diamond League Final on 4-5 September.
With meetings on four different continents, the Diamond League is one of the most truly global series in world sport.
In 2025, it welcomed 400,000 spectators to some of the planet's most iconic arenas and was broadcast on television in 170 different countries.
<h3>2026 Wanda Diamond League calendar:</h3>
8 May - Doha 16 May - Shanghai 23 May - Xiamen 31 May - Rabat 4 June - Rome 7 June - Stockholm 10 June - Oslo 26 June - Paris 4 July - Eugene 10 July - Monaco 18 July - London 21 August - Lausanne 23 August - Silesia 27 August - Zurich 4-5 September - Final in Brussels
&nbsp;

Athletics’ premier one-day series returns for its 17th season

Wanda Diamond League season calendar confirmed for 2026

The voting process for the World Athletes of the Year continues this week and World Athletics is pleased to confirm the nominees for Women&rsquo;s Field Athlete of the Year and Men&rsquo;s Field Athlete of the Year, as part of the World Athletics Awards 2025.
There are five nominees for these two categories, and a vote will take place to identify the two finalists for each.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/world-athlete-of-the-year-how-it-works" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athlete of the Year &ndash; how it works</a>
The nominations reflect some of the standout performances achieved during another memorable year for the sport, which peaked with the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. 
<h3>Nominees for 2025 Women&rsquo;s Field Athlete of the Year (in alphabetical order):</h3>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/valarie-allman-14479216" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Valarie Allman, USA</a> &bull; World and Diamond League discus champion &bull; Undefeated, with nine of the top 11 performances of the year
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/tara-davis-woodhall-14596561" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tara Davis-Woodhall, USA</a> &bull; World long jump champion &bull; Undefeated, with the top three performances of the year
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/anna-hall-14713272" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anna Hall, USA</a> &bull; World heptathlon champion &bull; Moved to joint second on world all-time list and set the top three performances of 2025
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/nicola-olyslagers-14455361" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nicola Olyslagers, Australia</a> &bull; World high jump champion indoors and outdoors &bull; Diamond League champion and world leader with area record
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/canada/camryn-rogers-14607142" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Camryn Rogers, Canada</a> &bull; World hammer champion &bull; World leader, moved to second on world all-time list with area record
<h3> Nominees for 2025 Men&rsquo;s Field Athlete of the Year (in alphabetical order):</h3>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/sweden/armand-duplantis-14679502" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mondo Duplantis, Sweden</a> &bull; World pole vault champion indoors and outdoors &bull; Set four world records and was undefeated, including the Diamond League title
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/italy/mattia-furlani-14905216" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mattia Furlani, Italy</a> &bull; World long jump champion indoors and outdoors &bull; Two of the top three performances of the year
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/canada/ethan-katzberg-14809348" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ethan Katzberg, Canada</a> &bull; World hammer champion &bull; World leader, moved to fifth on world all-time list with area record
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/new-zealand/hamish-kerr-14633982" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hamish Kerr, New Zealand</a> &bull; World high jump champion and world indoor silver medallist &bull; World leader with area record
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/portugal/pedro-pichardo-14412588" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pedro Pichardo, Portugal</a> &bull; World triple jump champion &bull; World leader
 The vote to determine the Field Athlete of the Year finalists is now open on World Athletics social media platforms &ndash; on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldAthletics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/worldathletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/WorldAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a>. Voting closes on 26 October and the winners will be announced at the World Athletics Awards on 30 November.
The <a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/nominees-announced-track-athlete-year-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nominees for the Track Athlete of the Year awards</a> were announced on 13 October and the nominees for the Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year awards will be announced on 27 October.
The overall women's and men's World Athlete of the Year award winners will be selected from among the track, field and out of stadium category winners.
World Athletics

World Athletics is pleased to confirm the nominees for Women’s Field Athlete of the Year and Men’s Field Athlete of the Year

Nominees announced for Field Athlete of the Year 2025

Ethiopia's Likina Amebaw and Burundi's Emile Hafashimana impressed at the Cross Internacional Zornotza &ndash; the first Gold level meeting of this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour &ndash; claiming victory on Sunday (19) on a cloudy and slightly rainy day.
While Amebaw was an overwhelming winner of the women&rsquo;s race, Hafashimana held off a late challenge from Spain&rsquo;s Nassim Hassaous to maintain the Burundian supremacy at the event for the fourth year in a row.
After a delayed start due to an incident in the mass participation race, the women&rsquo;s 8.7km race started at a moderate pace, the opening kilometres timed at 3:34 and 3:39 with Portugal&rsquo;s Mariana Machado making most of the pacing duties followed closely by Spain&rsquo;s Majida Maayouf and Naima Ait Alibou. Pre-race favourite Amebaw was biding her time in the middle of the large lead group.
The pace increased on the second 2km lap as Maayouf and Amebaw led a seven-woman pack. With 3km to go, 27-year-old Amebaw unleashed a devastating change of tempo to open up a significant lead while Machado led the chase pack.
A 3:13 split for the seventh kilometre effectively sealed Amebaw&rsquo;s victory. Further back, Machado had got rid of Ait Alibou, herself also clearly ahead of Angela Viciosa while Maayouf faded over the closing kilometres.
Following splits of 6:49 and 6:42 for the final two laps, Amebaw crossed the line in 30:21, finishing 21 seconds ahead of Machado with Ait Alibou completing the podium.
The Spain-based winner managed her second victory in Amorebieta after winning in 2023; she commented:
&ldquo;After the long delay in the start, I thought the race was going to be cancelled, but fortunately we could finally compete,&rdquo; said Amebaw, who won here in 2023. &ldquo;During the early stages my body was cold and it made me uneasy so I decided to wait and see how the race developed, not taking any unnecessary risks. During the second part I felt much better and managed to set my own rhythm until the end.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very satisfied for my second win here in my season opener and look forward to this cross country season as the World Championships in January will be my next big goal,&rdquo; added Amebaw, who intends to compete in Seville on 9 November.
Unlike the women&rsquo;s contest, the men&rsquo;s 8.7km race got off to a swift start by Burundi's Emile Hafashimana. Competing in Spain for the first time, the 20-year-old took early command of the race and covered the opening kilometre in 2:56 followed by his compatriots Elie Sindayikengdera and Thierry Irakoze plus the Spanish duo of Nassim Hassaous and Yahya Aouina.
After a brisk first lap of 5:38, Hafashimana had an eight-second margin on the chasing pack led by Sindayikengdera. That grew to 15 seconds at half way with the Burundian completing successive laps of 5:45 and 5:50 while Hassaous and Aouina managed to break free from the rest of the pack, moving into podium positions.
On a thrilling final lap, Hassaous &ndash; who finished seventh at last year&rsquo;s European Cross Country Championships &ndash; started to make up ground on Hafashimana, much to the delight of the home crowd. At one point it looked as though the Spaniard would catch the long-time leader, but Hafashimana managed to resist Hassaous&rsquo; late attack to win by two seconds in 25:50. Aouina claimed third place in 26:03.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women (8.7km) 1 Likina Amebaw (ETH) 30:21 2 Mariana Machado (POR) 30:42 3 Naima Ait Alibou (ESP) 30:56 4 Angela Viciosa (ESP) 31:11 5 Majida Maayouf (ESP) 31:30 6 Ana Marinho (POR) 31:41 7 Irene Pelayo (ESP) 31:43 8 Clara Las Heras (ESP) 32:00
Men (8.7km) 1 Emile Hafashimana (BDI) 25:50 2 Nassim Hassaous (ESP) 25:52 3 Yahya Aouina (ESP) 26:03 4 Elie Sindayikengdera (BDI) 26:47 5 Thierry Irakoze (BDI) 26:55 6 Nick Jager (GER) 27:00 7 David de la Fuente (ESP) 27:06 8 Tom Hoogeboom (NED) 27:15

Ethiopia's Likina Amebaw and Burundi's Emile Hafashimana impressed at the Cross Internacional Zornotza

Amebaw and Hafashimana triumph in Amorebieta

In just his second race over the distance, Kenya&rsquo;s Geoffrey Toroitich Kipchumba broke the course record at the TCS Amsterdam Marathon, winning the World Athletics Platinum Label road race on Sunday (19) in 2:03:30.
Aynalem Desta, another relative newcomer to marathon running, won the women&rsquo;s race in a huge PB of 2:17:37, the third-fastest time recorded in the Dutch capital.
Much of the focus in the men&rsquo;s race was on defending champion and two-time winner Tsegay Getachew and double Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei. They both featured prominently within the lead pack for most of the race as the leading group went through 10km in 29:16.
The half-way split of 1:02:14 suggested that the course record (2:03:39) may be too big an ask, but the lead pack worked together to pick up the pace in the second half. They went through 30km in 1:28:22 with seven men still in contention, including Toroitich, Getachew, Cheptegei and Tanzania&rsquo;s Gabriel Geay.
Cheptegei, who was contesting his third marathon, started to drift off the lead pack a few kilometres later, leaving Toroitich, Getachew, Geay and Getaneh Molla in the lead quartet. Getachew was next to fade, then Geay.
With roughly three kilometres to go, Toroitich finally broke free from Molla, the last of his challengers, and went on to open a comfortable leading margin. The Kenyan crossed the line in Amsterdam&rsquo;s Olympic Stadium in 2:03:30, taking nine seconds off the course record set four years ago by Olympic champion Tamirat Tola.
Getachew and Molla claimed the other podium places in 2:04:18 and 2:04:19 respectively. Geay was fourth (2:04:36) and Cheptegei fifth, clocking a PB of 2:04:52.
The women&rsquo;s race was also won with negative splits, and while there was an Ethiopian victory as expected, eventual winner Desta was considered one of the outside contenders.
The former steeplechase specialist was part of the lead pack through 10km (32:41) and half way (1:09:10).
By 30km, reached in 1:38:07, the lead pack was down to four Ethiopian athletes: Desta, Bertukan Welde, Mekides Shimeles and Waganesh Mekasha. A few kilometres later, Mekasha started to fade. By 40km, it was down to just Desta and Welde.
Desta managed to forge a lead in the closing stages and won in 2:17:37, chopping more than four minutes from her PB and coming within 45 seconds of the course record set last year by Yalemzerf Yehualaw.
Welde finished second in a PB of 2:17:56 and Shimeles completed the Ethiopian podium sweep in 2:19:56.
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Aynalem Desta (ETH) 2:17:37 2 Bertukan Welde (ETH) 2:17:56 3 Mekides Shimeles (ETH) 2:19:56 4 Waganesh Mekasha (ETH) 2:20:26 5 Gadise Mulu (ETH) 2:21:04 6 Bosena Mulate (ETH)&nbsp; 2:21:23 7 Rose Chelimo (BRN) 2:22:55 8 Margaux Sieracki (FRA) 2:25:50 9 Zinah Senbeta (ETH) 2:27:32 10 Louise Small (GBR) 2:27:51
Men 1 Geoffrey Toroitich Kipchumba (KEN) 2:03:30 2 Tsegaye Getachew (ETH) 2:04:18 3 Getaneh Molla (ETH) 2:04:19 4 Gabriel Geay (TAN) 2:04:36 5 Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) 2:04:52 6 Bazezaw Asmare (ETH) 2:05:17 7 Bute Gemechu (ETH) 2:06:12 8 Aron Kifle (ERI) 2:07:12 9 Tadesse Getahon (ISR) 2:07:15 10 Phil Sesemann (GBR) 2:07:18

Kenya’s Geoffrey Toroitich Kipchumba broke the course record at the TCS Amsterdam Marathon, clocking 2:03:30.

Toroitich breaks course record at Amsterdam Marathon

The stadium in Tokyo trembled under the weight of silence. Pedro Pichardo stood at the end of the triple jump runway &ndash; 32 years old, five jumps behind him and no gold medal secured.
Italy&rsquo;s Andrea Dallavalle had just taken the lead at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, forcing the 2022 champion into one last test of nerve. For a few seconds Pichardo looked still, almost fragile, until the familiar rhythm began: the sprint, the hop, the bound, the jump. He soared and landed at 17.91m, before the stadium erupted.
Pichardo jumped to his feet, arms raised like a colossus, a smug grin across his face. He roared into the night: &ldquo;Who is the best, baby? Who is the best?&rdquo; But moments later, in the quieter aftermath, he allowed himself to admit the truth: &ldquo;I was scared. But I always leave a bit for the last jump. My wife doesn&rsquo;t like it much &ndash; she tells me to give it all in the first &ndash; but I saved something for the end.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68f397f82c4372478a705bc0.jpg" alt="Pedro Pichardo in action at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025" />
<div>
Pedro Pichardo in action at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
It was not just the claim of a champion, but the release of a man who has spent his life leaping over obstacles far greater than sandpits. Four years earlier, in the same stadium, he had become Olympic champion. Now, under the same lights, he was world champion once more. The distance was shorter than some of his best, but the symbolism was greater: a career still alive and an athlete still hungry, still defiant.
For Pichardo, triumph is rarely just about medals. It is about family and perseverance. Born in Santiago de Cuba, he spent his adolescence making endless train journeys to Havana to chase competitions and opportunities. His father Jorge, once an athlete himself until a knee injury ended his career, never left his side. He became more than a coach &ndash; he was a strategist, a scientist and a dreamer who believed that a new technique could push his son past human limits.
&ldquo;My father studied all the styles of jumpers &ndash; Russian, American, English &ndash; and tried to mix them all,&rdquo; Pedro recalls. &ldquo;He still has booklets with sketches, with stick men, with angles. The way I jump today is because he sat down and studied everything. Everything I achieved in sport was for him. He fought a lot for me.&rdquo;&nbsp;
That devotion has shaped Pichardo&rsquo;s entire philosophy. When he speaks about his career, it is never in isolation. The medals in Tokyo, Eugene and Paris &ndash; they are milestones, but also chapters in a father-and-son collaboration stretching back decades.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68f398cc9a2bef2dfa84abb7.jpg" alt="World Athletics Championships Oregon22 - Day Nine" />
<div>
Pedro Pichardo at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
&ldquo;My father didn&rsquo;t let me stop,&rdquo; Pichardo said after the World Championships. &ldquo;Last year my mind wasn&rsquo;t very good. I wanted to retire. But he asked me to do at least this year, 2025. He has been the one keeping me strong mentally. This medal is for my father, it will stay in his house.&rdquo;
Leaving Cuba in 2017, Pichardo found not just a new passport, but a rebirth. By August 2019, he was eligible to wear the Portuguese kit in international competitions. He carried it with pride and since then, he has given Portugal not only medals but also a figure to look up to. Olympic champion in 2021, world champion in 2022, and now again in 2025 &ndash; he is one of the country&rsquo;s most decorated athletes. He does not hide what he wants his legacy to be. &ldquo;Winning a place in history &ndash; that&rsquo;s what I would like,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I want people to think of Pedro as the person who never gives up.&rdquo;
The gold medals, he insists, are not the finish line. For years, Pichardo carried in his mind the almost mythical figure of Jonathan Edwards&rsquo;s 18.29m, the world record set in 1995 and still untouched three decades later. Pichardo has brushed close &ndash; 18.08m in 2015, 18.04m in 2024 &ndash; but never gone beyond. At the height of his career, he would analyse what it would take: the perfect body, the perfect mind, the perfect conditions. That hunger has not disappeared, but time has given it a different shade. What motivates him now is not only the possibility of a record but the joy of proving, again and again, that he can endure.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/68f39a1c466d2a4dfd27e7da.jpg" alt="Pedro Pichardo celebrates his win at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25" />
<div>
Pedro Pichardo celebrates his win at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
And perhaps that evolution explains his other great dream, one that reaches beyond medals and distances. In quieter moments, Pichardo talks about his future role as a teacher and a mentor for Portuguese athletics.
&ldquo;I would like kids to have the opportunity to achieve what I have, or even more,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I would like to teach them what my father taught me, to see if we achieve something. I don&rsquo;t want that I finish my career and that there&rsquo;s nobody else in triple jump. Instead of five Olympic champions in Portugal, I want there to be 10 or 15, like in Cuba.&rdquo;
His legacy, then, may not be measured only in metres but in the athletes who follow him &ndash; proof that the man who once chased perfection is now preparing to share it.
Pichardo has already spoken of retirement after the Los Angeles Games in 2028. &ldquo;I had promised my mother years ago that I would end up at the Los Angeles Olympic Games,&rdquo; he explains. That would mark almost two decades at the highest level, a remarkable feat for a discipline that punishes the body as much as the triple jump does.
Yet the fire is not out. Paris 2024 brought silver, but he returned in Tokyo to prove he was still capable of gold. And when he leapt into history once more in 2025, he showed why. Because for Pichardo, the last jump is never the end. It is the chance to prove, once again, that he is the man who never gives up.
Ainhoa Serrano for World Athletics Produced as part of the&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/media-academy-new-talent-journalism-photography-commentary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Media Academy</a> project
</div>
</div>
</div>

World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025

The stadium in Tokyo trembled under the weight of silence

Pichardo: the champion who saves the best for last

Starting from Monday 27 October, fans can buy tickets for the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26 - and they'll have to act fast, because the world's greatest athletes will be competing there.
Pole vault superstar Mondo Duplantis is among the standout athletes to have already announced an intention to compete at the championships, which will be held from 20-22 March 2026. Duplantis, the world and Olympic champion, set his first of 14 world records at the Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena in Toruń.
With less than half a year to go, we&rsquo;re well on track &mdash; and we&rsquo;re preparing plenty of surprises for both athletes and fans,&rdquo; said Piotr Całbecki, Marshal of the Kujawy Pomorze Region. "We want the world of athletics to once again see that events in Kujawy Pomorze are truly something special. After all, we&rsquo;ve already hosted quite a few major competitions in recent years."
As the 150-day milestone approaches in the countdown to the championships, it has also been revealed that Polish combined events star Adrianna Sułek-Schubert will be one of the event's official ambassadors.
The 2022 world indoor pentathlon silver medallist says that as an ambassador, she plans to inspire the next generation of athletes while championing healthy living and sustainability.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be visiting schools to promote the championships and to encourage children to lead active, healthy lives,&rdquo; she explains. &ldquo;I also want to raise awareness about protecting the environment and using reusable containers. I&rsquo;m truly excited that these championships will take place in our beautiful Kujawy Pomorze Region. I&rsquo;m counting on the incredible support of our fans &mdash; and I&rsquo;ll be fighting for a medal on my home turf.&rdquo;
Ticket sales for the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 2026 open to the public on Monday 27 October, while volunteer registration closes the week before. More than 700 people have already applied to join the volunteer team &mdash; and not just from Poland.
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s actually more than we need, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean there&rsquo;s no room for more!&rdquo; says Całbecki. &ldquo;Anyone who applies in the next few days still has a chance to take part in an unforgettable experience, helping to organise one of the world&rsquo;s top athletics events.&rdquo;
Fans eager to witness world-class competition up close will be able to purchase tickets in two phases.
&ldquo;The first phase begins on 27 October, and the second will launch early next year,&rdquo; explains Krzysztof Wolsztyński, Vice President of the Polish Athletics Association. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re working hard to make as many tickets available as possible so that fans from the Kujawy Pomorze Region &mdash; and from across Poland and beyond &mdash; can be part of this historic occasion. We&rsquo;re confident we can prepare about 3000 tickets per session.&rdquo;
Fans who register early at www.wickujawypomorze26.com and sign up as World Athletics subscribers will gain exclusive access to the pre-sale.
During Thursday&rsquo;s press conference, organisers also unveiled the official mascot of the championships &mdash; a goose, one of the beloved symbols of the Kujawy Pomorze Region. The goose embodies the spirit of competition, local heritage, and the values of athletics.
&ldquo;Our region is famous for its traditional goose dishes and the annual Goose Festival, which takes place on 10&ndash;11 November in Przysiek near Toruń,&rdquo; says Całbecki. &ldquo;So the choice of mascot came naturally &mdash; but now it needs a name! We&rsquo;re launching a contest to name our goose, and the winner will receive two tickets for a session of their choice at the championships. It&rsquo;s definitely worth joining in!&rdquo;
Details of the naming contest are available on the official championship website and the event&rsquo;s social media channels.

World Athletics Indoor Championships

Ticket sales, ambassador, mascot WIC Kujawy Pomorze 26

Ticket sales, ambassador and mascot launched for WIC Kujawy Pomorze 26 

The Cross Internacional Zornotza, the first Gold-level fixture of this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour, takes place in the Spanish town of Amorebieta on Sunday (19).
Both the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s races will cover 8.7km, with Ethiopia&rsquo;s Likina Amebaw headlining the women&rsquo;s event and the men&rsquo;s contest appearing wide open.
Amebaw, based in Spain, has enjoyed a superb 2025 season, setting personal bests at 1500m (4:00.14), 5000m (14:30.54), 5km (14:33) and 10km (29:40). Last month she also set a half marathon PB of 1:04:44 to win in Copenhagen and followed it two weeks later to win over 10km in Casablanca in 29:55 before resuming training at her altitude base in Peguerinos (Avila).
Amebaw, who finished third in the 3000m at the Diamond League Final, and won in Amorebieta in 2023, returns as the clear favourite.
Portugal&rsquo;s Mariana Machado and Spain&rsquo;s Majida Maayouf are expected to challenge for the podium. Machado, the 2019 European U20 3000m silver medallist, broke 15 minutes for 5000m (14:53.91) in April and makes her Amorebieta debut. Maayouf, the European silver medallist and Spanish marathon record-holder (2:21:27), finished runner-up here last year.
Spanish hopes also include Angela Viciosa, fourth in the U23 race at the 2023 European Cross Country Championships and bronze medallist at this year&rsquo;s national championships.
In the men&rsquo;s race, Burundi looks poised to extend its winning streak to four consecutive victories. Italy-based duo Elie Sindayikengdera and Emilie Hafashimana, both of whom came close to breaking 13 minutes for 5000m this year, are the leading contenders.
Hafashimana, who finished seventh in the 5000m at the 2024 World U20 Championships, recently defeated Sindayikengdera over 10 miles in Amsterdam (46:20 to 47:45). They&rsquo;ll be joined by compatriot Thierry Irakoze (13:32.33).
Spanish cross-country champion Yahya Aouina and Nassim Hassaous, seventh at last year&rsquo;s European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, will aim to challenge the Burundian trio.
Amorebieta hosted the 1993 World Cross Country Championships, where William Sigei and Albertina Dias took victory, and a young Paula Radcliffe made her senior international debut, finishing 18th.
The weather is forecast to be cloudy with a high chance of rain, with temperatures about 24C during the races.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
<hr />
<h2>First Gold of the season</h2>
The cross-country season is in full swing after the 2025-2026 World Athletics Cross Country Tour kicked off with a Silver meeting in Lidingo, Sweden, on 27 September. Attention now turns to the first Gold event of the series.
There are currently 27 competitions on the 2025-2026 Cross Country Tour calendar, comprising 13 Gold meetings, seven silver and seven bronze.
The 13 Gold meetings are spread between six countries. After Sunday&rsquo;s Cross Internacional Zornotza, the Gold-level action heads to Great Britain, Italy, France, Kenya and Belgium, with frequent return stops in Spain.
The Sirikwa Classic in Eldoret on 14 February is the final Gold meeting of the season, while the series draws to a close with the White Cross fixture in Belgrade on 14 March.
<h3>2025-2026 World Cross Country Tour Gold calendar</h3>
19 Oct: Cross Internacional Zornotza &ndash; Amorebieta-Etxano (ESP) 8 Nov: Cardiff Cross Challenge &ndash; Cardiff (GBR) 9 Nov: Cross Internacional de Italica &ndash; Seville (ESP) 16 Nov: Campo a Traves Internacional de Soria &ndash; Soria (ESP) 23 Nov: Cinque Mulini &ndash; San Vittore Olona (ITA) 23 Nov: Cross Internacional de Atapuerca &ndash; Atapuerca (ESP) 23 Nov: Cross International Le Maine Libre-Allonnes-Sarthe &ndash; Allonnes (FRA) 30 Nov: Alcobendas-Comunidad de Madrid &ndash; Alcobendas (ESP) 6 Dec: Chepsaita Cross County Tour Gold &ndash; Eldoret (KEN) 18 Jan: Elgoibar Cross Country Juan Muguerza Memorial &ndash; Elgoibar (ESP) 25 Jan: Campaccio International Cross Country &ndash; San Giorgio su Legnano (ITA) 25 Jan: Cross Cup de Hannut &ndash; Hannut (BEL) 14 Feb: Sirikwa Classic Continental Tour Gold &ndash; Eldoret (KEN)

The Cross Internacional Zornotza, the first Gold-level fixture of this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Tour, takes place in the Spanish town of Amorebieta on Sunday (19).

Amebaw the favourite as Amorebieta hosts first Cross Country Tour Gold event of the season

Tsegaye Getachew will defend his title at the TCS Amsterdam Marathon, which celebrates its 50th anniversary on Sunday (19) but the Ethiopian faces a field that includes two-time Olympic gold medallist Joshua Cheptegei at the World Athletics Platinum Label road race.
Meanwhile, a new champion will be crowned in the women&rsquo;s race as 2022 world bronze medallist Lonah Salpeter faces a strong Ethiopian contingent.
Getachew set his lifetime best of 2:04:49 when winning in Amsterdam in 2022. After placing 16th at the 2023 World Championships, he returned to the Dutch capital last year and won again, this time clocking 2:05:38.
The 28-year-old hasn&rsquo;t raced since then, so his current form is somewhat unknown. He&rsquo;ll need to be near his best if he hopes to achieve a third victory, beating a field that includes the likes of Cheptegei, Gabriel Geay and Getaneh Molla.
Cheptegei, a three-time world champion over 10,000m, has contested just two marathons to date. He ran 2:08:59 on his debut in Valencia at the end of 2023, then took exactly three minutes off that PB when finishing ninth at the Tokyo Marathon earlier this year.
The Ugandan skipped the entire track season this year so that he could dedicate himself fully to road running. His last outing was a 27:53 victory over 10km in Bengaluru in April.
Geay &ndash; the fastest man in the field for Sunday &ndash; set a Tanzanian record of 2:03:00 when finishing second in Valencia in 2022. Four months later, he finished second again, this time in Boston. After failing to finish in Boston one year later, and at the Olympic Games later in 2024, he rebounded at the start of this year with a 2:05:20 triumph in Daegu.
Molla&rsquo;s PB of 2:03:34 dates back to his marathon debut in 2019. He carries good momentum into Amsterdam, having clocked 2:06:04 in Osaka in February followed by a win in Lanzhou in 2:11:45.
Other Ethiopian contenders include Bute Gemechu, who won this year&rsquo;s Dubai Marathon on his debut at the distance in 2:04:51, three-time Lisbon Marathon winner Andualem Shiferaw, two-time world 5000m champion Muktar Edris, and Bazezew Asmare, who finished third in Amsterdam in 2022.
The Kenyan charge, meanwhile, is led by Geoffrey Toroitich and Enock Kinyamal.
Olympic champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia was originally scheduled to compete but had to withdraw due to a stress fracture. His course record of 2:03:39, set in 2021, is expected to come under threat on Sunday.
The women&rsquo;s title has been won by Ethiopian women at the past three editions of the Amsterdam Marathon, and a new name could join that roll of honour on Sunday with a quartet of Ethiopian sub-2:20 performers taking to the start line.
Tiruye Mesfin, Bosena Mulate, Zeineba Yimer and Yebrugual Melese are all sub-2:20 performers at their best.
Tiruye Mesfin clocked a PB of 2:18:35 in Valencia last year, and more recently she placed fourth in Rotterdam. Bosena Mulate has completed just two marathons to date, but in her last outing she placed third in Berlin in 2:19:00.
Zeineba Yimer has finished inside 2:20 in four of her six completed marathons to date. She set her PB of 2:19:07 in Berlin in 2023, while this year her best is 2:21:12. The highly experienced Yebrugual Melese is another sub-2:20 performer at her best. Earlier this year she finished second in Barcelona in 2:20:47, the third-fastest time of her career.
Lonah Salpeter has the fastest PB of the field with her 2:17:45 Israeli record set in 2020. She heads to Amsterdam with a season&rsquo;s best of 2:24:03 and will be looking to bounce back after failing to finish at the World Championships in Tokyo.
On season&rsquo;s bests, Bahrain&rsquo;s Desi Jisa Mokonin is the fastest of the field. The 28-year-old clocked a PB of 2:20:07 earlier this year to finish sixth at the Tokyo Marathon. She finished fourth at the 2018 Amsterdam Marathon and eighth in last year&rsquo;s race, so she&rsquo;ll be keen to make her first podium in the Dutch capital.
<h3>Leading entries</h3>
Women Lonah Salpeter (ISR) 2:17:45 Tiruye Mesfin (ETH) 2:18:35 Bosena Mulate (ETH) 2:19:00 Zeineba Yimer (ETH) 2:19:07 Yebrugual Melese (ETH) 2:19:36 Desi Jisa (BRN) 2:20:07 Waganesh Mekasha (ETH) 2:20:44 Bertukan Welde (ETH) 2:20:55 Gadise Mulu (ETH) 2:20:59 Zinah Senbeta (ETH) 2:21:05 Aynalem Desta (ETH) 2:22:11 Vivian Melly (KEN) 2:22:25 Rose Chelimo (BRN) 2:23:12 Mekides Shimeles (ETH) debut
Men Gabriel Geay (TAN) 2:03:00 Getaneh Molla (ETH) 2:03:34 Andualem Shiferaw (ETH) 2:04:44 Tsegaye Getachew (ETH) 2:04:49 Bute Gemechu (ETH) 2:04:51 Bazezew Asmare (ETH) 2:04:57 Geoffrey Toroitich (KEN) 2:05:46 Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) 2:05:59 Muktar Edris (ETH) 2:05:59 Kenya Sonota (JPN) 2:05:59 Enock Kinyamal (KEN) 2:06:28 Lameck Too (KEN) 2:06:29 Merhawi Kesete (ERI) 2:06:36 Masresha Bere (ETH) 2:06:44 Afewerk Mesfin (ETH) 2:07:08 Boki Diriba (ETH) 2:07:13 Khalid Choukoud (NED) 2:07:37 Godadaw Belachew (ISR) 2:07:45 Mesfin Niguse (ETH) 2:07:58 Phil Sesemann (GBR) 2:08:04 Haftom Welday (GER) 2:08:24 Shadrack Kimining (KEN) 2:08:29 Benson Tunyo (KEN) 2:08:36 Takashi Ichida (JPN) 2:08:57 Aron Kifle (ERI) 2:09:39 Tadesse Getahon (ISR) debut Daniel Tola (ETH) debut

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