<p>It&rsquo;s a race that pushes &ndash; and punishes &ndash; athletes in every way imaginable: an 85-kilometre slog up, down and around the rugged terrain of Alpine mountains, at altitudes that would make the more sedentary among us wheeze on a simple hike. It&rsquo;s not for the faint of heart, the brittle of body, the weak of spirit.</p>
<p>At the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck-Stubai on Friday (9), the longest race of the programme sees more than 300 of the world&rsquo;s best off-road runners head into thin air for one of the toughest races of all: the trail long.</p>
<p>A race like this offers great rewards, but also comes with risks. Everyone standing on the line accepts this, and those working behind the scenes meanwhile, do everything they can to mitigate it.</p>
<p>There are &ldquo;between 450 and 500&rdquo; people working on the event to ensure its safety, according to Alexander Pitti, head of the organising committee, with 80 people stationed along the course, helping runners stay on track and swiftly available to help if things go awry.</p>
<p>To monitor the athletes&rsquo; progress, organisers developed a traffic-light system, utilising software that monitors their progress at various checkpoints and alerts them to anyone in potential danger. &ldquo;We have different stages, yellow and red, depending on when the athlete should come past,&rdquo; says Pitti. &ldquo;Then we can make sure to go out and protect the athlete in the best way. If it&rsquo;s green, then everything is perfect.&rdquo;</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/64832254970c409e9d3ec90f.jpg" alt="Mountain runners in Innsbruck" />
<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Mountain runners in Innsbruck (&copy; WMTRC 2023/Roast Media)</p>
</div>
<p>But in a race of such length, with the winners expected to take 9-10 hours to reach the finish, there are other risks besides getting lost.</p>
<p>One of the biggest is heat stroke. At the inaugural edition of the championships last year in Thailand, there were 12 cases of heat stroke among competitors, according to Paolo Emilio Adami, Medical Manager with the World Athletics Health and Science Department.</p>
<p>That event featured hot, humid conditions, though Adami explains that when it comes to heat stroke, it&rsquo;s not so much the overall temperature that poses the big risk as much as the athletes&rsquo; acclimatisation period.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Otherwise, it would not be possible for populations in the Arabic peninsula, or in southeast Asia, where it's always warm and humid, to do any type of exercise or activity,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;The risk is the sudden change between temperature and humidity. Having the athletes arriving where the competition will take place as early as possible (is key) &ndash; ideally two weeks in advance.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Conditions at this year&rsquo;s event are far more favourable, so the risk of heat stroke is lower, but not eliminated. Adami and his colleagues at World Athletics&rsquo; Health and Science Department will be waiting at the finish for athletes in Friday&rsquo;s Trail Long and Saturday&rsquo;s Mountain Classic events, with about 30 competitors participating in a research study to learn more about thermal response among elite athletes during such strenuous events.</p>
<p>Those involved will swallow a capsule that will measure their core temperature during the race, while also wearing a sensor to measure skin temperature, and they will have a small cardiac device on their chest that monitors the stress on their heart.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6483236b970c409e9d3ec915.jpg" alt="Mountain runners in Innsbruck" />
<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Mountain runners in Innsbruck (&copy; WMTRC 2023/Roast Media)</p>
</div>
<p>&ldquo;These are all parameters that play a major role in development of a heat stroke,&rdquo; says Adami. &ldquo;It's about trying to understand what's going on in such endurance events where there&rsquo;s also changing altitude. We will also be measuring some blood parameters, mostly related to coagulation, which we know is influenced by altitude, and of course dehydration.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Similar studies were conducted at the World Athletics Championships in Doha and at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Oman last year, while Adami and his team will do another at the Beach to Beacon 10K race in the US in August.</p>
<p>&ldquo;What we are seeing is that what really matters is that difference between skin temperature and core temperature,&rdquo; says Adami. &ldquo;That's something that was not described before.&rdquo;</p>
<p>He explains that those who already experienced heat stroke are known to be at a higher risk of developing it again, though much of the research is aimed at identifying risk factors that predispose certain athletes to it. They also hope to develop a return-to-training protocol for its aftermath, while World Athletics is also funding a PhD project to develop a thermal stress index that can be used to gauge risk across a variety of activities in different conditions.</p>
<p>Of course, the athletes themselves also have a key part to play in the avoidance of such issues, and the preparations began long before they arrived in Austria. South Africa&rsquo;s Daniel Claassen has had Friday&rsquo;s Trail Long on the horizon for many months, and he should have little trouble in the 24-degree temperatures expected.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re coming out of the summer now in South Africa so we had really warm months with our training, between 30 and 35 degrees Celsius every day.&rdquo;</p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Csq-PXrqT_r/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14">
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<p>Of course, he&rsquo;s well aware how much can go wrong when tackling an 85km race across terrain like this. The biggest risk he sees?</p>
<p>&ldquo;When you have stomach issues or you can't take food in," he says. &ldquo;I mean, when you're tired, you can always carry on walking or slow jog. The race is long so it's okay to have bad patches where you don't move as well. But once your stomach goes, if you can't get food into your body, then your day's over.&rdquo;</p>
<p>To avoid overheating, he'll grab some ice and put it on his neck at aid stations, while also putting some ice in his bottles."</p>
<p>To prepare for the event, Claassen has run 120-130km per week, his longest training run being about six hours, about 60% of the time he'll be out on the course in the race. When it comes to nailing things on race day, fuelling is a key component. He&rsquo;ll drink about one litre for each hour of the race, and took in 13 litres in total during a similar-length race recently.</p>
<p>He prefers to take his energy in via liquids, and will consume about 100 grams of carbohydrate each hour of the race, with each bottle of his energy drink containing 90 grams of carbs.</p>
<p>&ldquo;So I'll aim to have one bottle every hour and then I'll top it up either with something like a banana or an additional gel. But it's a long race, things can go wrong.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Most runners will take a few toilet breaks during a race of this length, but Claassen is the exception. &ldquo;I actually don't think I've ever stopped on the trail for any toilet breaks ever,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;My body just absorbs everything that I take in so I actually don't have to stop.&rdquo;</p>
<p>He and the other competitors will push their bodies to breaking point throughout the day, while off the course, hundreds of others will do everything they can to make sure they come back healthy - ready to push the boundaries of human performance even higher in the future.</p>
<p><strong>Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics</strong></p>

It’s a race that pushes – and punishes – athletes in every way imaginable

How to conquer one of the toughest endurance feats in athletics

Neugebauer breaks German record with 8836 to move up to eighth on the world all-time list

Neugebauer wins NCAA decathlon title with 8836 collegiate and national record

Norway’s Stian Angermund and France’s Clementine Geoffray ruled supreme on day two of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck-Stubai

Angermund and Geoffray claim 45km trail short titles in Innsbruck

<p>The 2023 <strong>Wanda Diamond League</strong> continues in Paris on Friday (9), with the likes of Faith Kipyegon, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Marcell Jacobs, Noah Lyles and Grant Holloway all in action at the Stade Charlety.</p>
<p>The action will start at 19:00 local time (GMT+2) with the women's shot put and the main programme will kick off at 20:12 local time with the men's 110m hurdles.</p>
<p><a href="https://paris.diamondleague.com/en/programme-results/programme-2020-results/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Results, programme and entry lists</strong></span></a> | <a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/64824b147c17182c76b09556.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Media information sheets and athlete biographies</strong></span></a><br /><br /></p>
<div class="bodytext">
<h2>Where to watch</h2>
<p>The meeting will be streamed in a number of territories on the&nbsp;<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@diamondleague/streams" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wanda Diamond League YouTube page</a></strong></span> from 21:00 local time (GMT+2).</p>
<p>The livestream will&nbsp;<strong>NOT</strong>&nbsp;be available in all territories.</p>
<p>To find out the broadcast rights holder in your country, check the list below. If your country does not appear on the list, please check local listings. The list is&nbsp;<strong>subject to change</strong>, and some broadcasters may only show highlights coverage, while others will show the meeting live.&nbsp;<strong>Please check your local listings to find out more information</strong>.&nbsp;</p>
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; border-color: #333333; border-style: solid;" border="1" width="90%" cellpadding="2">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>Territories</strong></td>
<td><strong>Broadcaster/ rights holder</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Africa (English language):&nbsp;Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Democratic republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Reunion, Sao Tome &amp; Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Seychelles, Socotra, South Africa, St. Helena and Ascension, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Zanzibar, Chad, Djibouti, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mauritius, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan&nbsp;</td>
<td>Supersport (English)&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Africa (French language):&nbsp;Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Togo</td>
<td>NWTV+</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Argentina</td>
<td>TeleRed</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Baltics: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania</td>
<td>TV3 (SIA)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Balkans:&nbsp;Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia</td>
<td>Sportklub</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Belgium</td>
<td>VRT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brazil</td>
<td>Globo / Newco - Band Sport / COB</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bulgaria</td>
<td>A1 - Sport Max</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Canada</td>
<td>CBC</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Caucasus/Central Asia:&nbsp;Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia.</td>
<td>Saran</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba), Cayman Islands, Cuba, Cura&ccedil;ao, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saint Barth&eacute;lemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Maarten, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States Virgin Islands</td>
<td>Flow Sports</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Central America:&nbsp;Mexico, Panama, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic</td>
<td>Sky Mexico</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>China</td>
<td>CCTV</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Chinese Taipei</td>
<td>Elta</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Czech Republic</td>
<td>Ceska Televize</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Denmark</td>
<td>Viaplay</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Finland</td>
<td>MTV</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>France</td>
<td>SPORTALL / L'Equipe</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Germany</td>
<td>Sky Deutschland</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Greece / Cyprus</td>
<td>ERT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Hungary</td>
<td>MTVA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>India</td>
<td>Viacom 18</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Israel</td>
<td>Charlton</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Italy and the Vatican City</td>
<td>Sky / Rai</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Macau</td>
<td>TDM</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Malaysia</td>
<td>Measat</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Mongolia</td>
<td>Premier Sports Network</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Netherlands</td>
<td>Ziggo Sports / NOS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>New Zealand</td>
<td>TVNZ</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Norway</td>
<td>NRK</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Philippines</td>
<td>TAP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Poland</td>
<td>Polsat</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Portugal</td>
<td>Sport TV Portugal</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Slovakia</td>
<td>RTV</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Singapore</td>
<td>Starhub</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Spain</td>
<td>Movistar</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>South Korea</td>
<td>KBS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>South America: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela</td>
<td>Panam Sports</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sweden</td>
<td>C More-TV4 / SVT</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Switzerland</td>
<td>SRG</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Thailand</td>
<td>Cineplex / Mono / JKN</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Turkey</td>
<td>TRT/ Ssport</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>United Kingdom, Guernsey, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man- audio BBC Service overseas</td>
<td>BBC</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ukraine</td>
<td>Setanta</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>USA</td>
<td>NBC Sports</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Australia, Bhutan, Cambodia,&nbsp;Indonesia, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Myanmar, North Korea, Romania, Sri Lanka, Vietnam</p>
</td>
<td>Wanda Diamond League YouTube / Facebook</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2>Social media</h2>
<p>- World Athletics: <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Twitter</strong></span></a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Facebook</strong></span></a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/worldathletics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Instagram</strong></span></a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@worldathletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>TikTok</strong></span></a><br />- Wanda Diamond League: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://twitter.com/diamond_league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a></strong></span> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DiamondLeague/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Facebook</strong></span></a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diamondleagueathletics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Instagram</strong></span></a><br />- Meeting de Paris: <a href="https://paris.diamondleague.com/en/home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Website</strong></span></a> | <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://twitter.com/MEETINGPARIS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a></strong></span> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MeetingParis" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Facebook</strong></span></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
</div>

Here's how you can catch all the action from the Meeting de Paris

How to follow and watch the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Paris

<p>A world or Olympic final is quite a common yardstick to use when measuring the quality of any field. But the women&rsquo;s 5000m line-up at the Meeting de Paris &ndash; the French stop on the <strong>Wanda Diamond League</strong> on Friday (9) &ndash; is arguably better than any global championships start list.</p>
<p>One week on from her record-breaking 1500m feat in Florence, Faith Kipyegon will move up to a distance she has not contested for eight years, and will take on fellow world record-holders Letesenbet Gidey and Ejgayehu Taye.</p>
<p>Kipyegon has only contested two 5000m races to date, both back in 2015, and the last of which was also in Paris. Her PB stands at 14:31.95, but that came in a season when she was in 3:59 form for 1500m, and before she won double world and Olympic golds. The 29-year-old Kenyan now has 3:49.11 1500m speed in her legs, as well as superb natural endurance &ndash; as shown by her 62-second winning margin over 10km at the Sirikwa Cross Country meeting in Eldoret earlier this year.</p>
<p>Put simply: if Kipyegon doesn&rsquo;t smash her personal best, it would be a huge surprise.</p>
<p>The victory, however, may be harder to come by. But in recent months Kipyegon has spoken about a potential move up in distance &ndash; and one that will eventually lead to the marathon &ndash; so Friday&rsquo;s race will be something of a stepping stone towards that goal.</p>
<p>World 10,000m champion Gidey hasn&rsquo;t raced since the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst in February where she was leading up until the final 20 metres before her legs gave way. As the world record-holder over 5000m and 10,000m, the 25-year-old Ethiopian will be keen to put in a strong showing to show that her Bathurst performance was but a blip.</p>
<p>Taye holds the world record for the road 5km at 14:19, but is also an accomplished performer on the track. She set an African 3000m record of 8:19.52 in 2021, and last year she held the world-leading 5000m mark of 14:12.98.</p>
<p>Such is the quality of this field, another world record-holder &ndash; steeplechase specialist Beatrice Chepkoech &ndash; has been enlisted for pacemaking duties. The 2019 world steeplechase champion will aim to lead the field through 3000m in 8:32.5, which is 14:14 pace for the full 5000m distance.</p>
<p>But this is just the tip of an incredibly high-quality iceberg that is the 5000m in Paris.</p>
<p>The line-up also includes world indoor 3000m champion Lemlem Hailu of Ethiopia, Olympic 1500m silver medallist Laura Muir of Great Britain, 2019 world silver medallist Margaret Kipkemboi, world cross-country bronze medallist Agnes Ngetich, North American 10,000m record-holder Alicia Monson, and up-and-coming Kenyan Grace Loibach Nawowuna, who recently clocked 29:47.42 for 10,000m.</p>
<p>That&rsquo;s still not all. Ethiopian duo Diribe Welteji and Freweyni Hailu &ndash; both of whom are 800m and 1500m specialists &ndash; will be making their 5000m debut.</p>
<p>A clash of the titans with other sub-plots and storylines, this race has the potential to be one of the big talking points of the year.</p>
<p>Much has also been said of the women&rsquo;s 400m in Paris.</p>
<p>World and Olympic champion Sydney McLauhglin-Levrone will open her outdoor campaign with a lap of the Stade Charlety &ndash; sans barriers &ndash; and it is a highly anticipated appearance for many reasons.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/07ea9dcf-1904-4a4a-97d8-ddb7de2d80c1.jpg" alt="Sydney McLaughlin at the Diamond League meeting in Oslo" />
<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Sydney McLaughlin at the Diamond League meeting in Oslo (&copy; Deca Text &amp; Bild)</p>
</div>
<p>The World Female Athlete of the Year last competed in a Diamond League race back in 2019. Since then, she has become a sporting superstar, winning Olympic gold and the 2022 world title in the 400m hurdles, both in world record times.</p>
<p>Her PB for that event, 50.68, is faster than the 400m flat season&rsquo;s bests of all but two of the entrants for the race in Paris. And while no one would expect her to replicate the 47.91 clocking she produced in the 4x400m at the 2022 World Championships, it gives an indication as to her foot speed on the flat. Either way, her 50.07 PB seems to be living on borrowed time.</p>
<p>A sub-50-second time will most likely be needed to win, as Marileidy Paulino from the Dominican Republic is in the field. The world and Olympic silver medallist is undefeated in nine races across a range of distances this year, and she recently reduced her 400m PB to 48.98 to win in LA. After that race, she told reporters she has &ldquo;no fear&rdquo; about taking on McLaughlin-Levrone.</p>
<p>Salwa Eid Naser, the 2019 world champion, is also in the field, as are Jamaica&rsquo;s Candice McLeod, Poland&rsquo;s European silver medallist Natalia Kaczmarek, world finalist Lieke Klaver, and recent Hypo Meeting heptathlon winner Anna Hall.</p>
<h2>Girma takes on the barriers, Ingebrigtsen aims to beat one</h2>
<p>Having temporarily shifted his focus to running on the flat &ndash; and to great effect &ndash; Lamecha Girma will return to the steeplechase in Paris.</p>
<p>The Ethiopian broke the long-standing world indoor 3000m record earlier this year, and last month he opened his outdoor campaign with a victory over that same distance in Doha. The world and Olympic silver medallist will now try to put some of his new-found speed to use over the barriers.</p>
<p>Pacemakers will aim to reach 2000m in 5:14.5, which would translate to 7:51.75 for the full distance &ndash; comfortably inside the world record of 7:53.63 set 19 years ago by Saif Saeed Shaheen.</p>
<p>Girma will face Kenyan duo Abraham Kibiwot and Benjamin Kigen, Japanese record-holder Ryuji Miura, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Hailemariyam Amare, France&rsquo;s Djilali Bedrani and Spain&rsquo;s Fernando Carro.</p>
<p>World and Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen will have certain times in mind when he takes to the start line for his first ever two-mile race. Mo Farah&rsquo;s European best of 8:07.85 seems ripe for the picking, while the eight-minute mark &ndash; a barrier that has been broken by just one man, Daniel Komen &ndash; is a tantalising goal. The world best of 7:58.61 could even be a stretch target for the Norwegian.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6473cad4163ac3413959fe59.jpg" alt="Jakob Ingebrigtsen leads the 1500m in Rabat" />
<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Jakob Ingebrigtsen leads the 1500m in Rabat (&copy; AFP / Getty Images)</p>
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<p>The pacemakers will aim to reach 2000m in 4:57.5, which should set up the race for a sub-eight-minute finish.</p>
<p>Others in the line-up include world U20 cross-country champion Ishmael Kipkirui, world and Olympic 5000m medallist Paul Chelimo, and multiple Oceanian record-holder Stewart McSweyn.</p>
<p>Both 800m races boast competitive fields.</p>
<p>In the women&rsquo;s event, European champion and Olympic silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson takes on world indoor champion Ajee Wilson, along with 2019 world champion Halima Nakaayi, Olympic bronze medallist Raevyn Rogers, Jamaica&rsquo;s Natoya Goule and Australia&rsquo;s in-form Catriona Bisset.</p>
<p>Algeria&rsquo;s Slimane Moula, who produced a stunning finish to win the men&rsquo;s 800m in Doha last month, will take on Olympic champion Emmanuel Korir, world leader Emmanuel Wanyonyi, and world silver medallist Djamel Sedjati.</p>
<h2>Third time lucky for Jacobs</h2>
<p>An injury niggle prevented Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs from opening his season in Rabat and then Florence, but the Italian sprinter is hoping to get his 2023 campaign under way in Paris.</p>
<p>But if world 200m champion Noah Lyles can combine a solid start with his finishing speed from his recent outing in Bermuda, he will be tough to beat. African record-holder Ferdinand Omanyala, 2011 world champion Yohan Blake, 2018 world indoor bronze medallist Ronnie Baker and world U20 record-holder Letsile Tebogo are also in the line-up.</p>
<p>Marie Josee Ta Lou has started 2023 in superb form over 100m, but the Ivorian sprinter will test her speed over 200m in Paris. She&rsquo;ll take on 2019 world champion Dina Asher-Smith, Olympic bronze medallist Gabby Thomas, and sub-22-second performers Abby Steiner, Jenna Prandini and Tamara Clark.</p>
<p>Two-time world champion Grant Holloway will take on some of his strongest domestic opponents as well as France&rsquo;s finest in the 110m hurdles. Devon Allen, Daniel Roberts, Jamal Britt and Freddie Crittenden are among the leading US contenders, while home hopes rest with Wilhem Belocian and Just Kwaou-Mathey.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6432b9790960e605141b08b2.jpg" alt="US hurdler Grant Holloway" />
<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">US hurdler Grant Holloway (&copy; Getty Images)</p>
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<p>In the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles, the in-form CJ Allen lines up against Qatar&rsquo;s Abderrahman Samba, double Commonwealth champion Kyron McMaster, world bronze medallist Trevor Bassitt, and France&rsquo;s Wilfried Happio.</p>
<h2>US stars out in force in field events</h2>
<p>Numerous global champions &ndash; many from the US &ndash; will highlight the field events in Paris on Friday.</p>
<p>Brooke Andersen, a new addition to the event&rsquo;s 80-metre club, highlights the mixed hammer event. She&rsquo;ll be joined by world bronze medallist Janee Kassanavoid and all-round throws talent Maggie Ewen.</p>
<p>Straight after the hammer, Ewen will hop across to the shot put circle to contest the event in which she is the world leader. She&rsquo;ll face world champion Chase Ealey, world indoor champion Auriol Dongmo, 2019 world silver medallist Danniel Thomas-Dodd, Commonwealth champion Sarah Mitton and China&rsquo;s Song Jiayuan.</p>
<p>Olympic champion Valarie Allman renews her rivalry with Sandra Perkovic in the discus. Allman has five wins from five competitions this year, her best throw being a world-leading 70.25m. Perkovic, meanwhile, will be opening her season in Paris. Germany&rsquo;s Kristin Pudenz and the highly experienced Melina Robert-Michon of France are also in the field.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/62cc487cfd05497c9c987a3a.jpg" alt="Val Allman" />
<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Val Allman</p>
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<p>For the third time this year, the top six finishers from the World Championships will reunite in the women&rsquo;s pole vault. World and Olympic champion Katie Moon started her season well before failing to register a height in Los Angeles, but she bounced back with a victory in Florence, where Tina Sutej finished second on countback.</p>
<p>Before contesting the 400m, heptathlete Anna Hall will make her first appearance of the night in the high jump. Vashti Cunningham is undefeated this year and she&rsquo;ll aim to keep that record going when she faces Olympic silver medallist Nicola Olyslagers, rising talent Angelina Topic and world bronze medallist Elena Vallortigara.</p>
<p>For the first time since last year&rsquo;s World Championships, two-time world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber will clash with Olympic champion Liu Shiying in the javelin. World bronze medallist Haruka Kitaguchi, European champion Elina Tzengko and world leader Sigrid Borge are all in this wide-open field.</p>
<p>Elsewhere, Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou takes on world bronze medallist Simon Ehammer and Olympic bronze medallist Maykel Masso in the men&rsquo;s long jump. In non-scoring action, decathlon world record-holder Kevin Mayer will contest a &lsquo;triathlon&rsquo;.</p>
<p><strong>Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics</strong></p>

Faith Kipyegon and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone feature in two mouth-watering clashes

Kipyegon leads clash of world record-holders in Paris 5000m

<p>On a day that pushed legs, lungs, hearts and minds to breaking point, Austria&rsquo;s Andrea Mayr and Kenya&rsquo;s Patrick Kipngeno proved the unbreakable, unstoppable duo, taking gold in the vertical uphill events on day one of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck-Stubai on Wednesday (7).&nbsp;</p>
<p>The vertical uphill may be the shortest of the elite races here this week, but it is surely the most sadistic &ndash; with more than 1000m of elevation gain across its 7.1km course, the gradient approaching the finish at Elferhutte hitting a truly gut-wrenching 40%.&nbsp;</p>
<p>As USA&rsquo;s Grayson Murphy, bronze medallist in the women&rsquo;s race, put it: &ldquo;It just lasts forever."</p>
<p>Funny how, in certain situations, 48 minutes and 14 seconds can feel like forever. That was exactly how long it took Mayr to reach the finish, the quickest of the 102 women who had lined up by 37 seconds. It meant the 43-year-old claimed her seventh individual world mountain running title, and her first since 2017.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This, she had not seen coming, despite the event being on home turf.</p>
<p>"Of course I wanted to be one of the first five, but I was dreaming of getting a medal," she said. "I would never try to say aloud that first place would be possible.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Mayr had played a patient game in the race, going through the first 900m trail section down in the valley in 13th place, but by halfway she had moved her way through to the front.</p>
<p>"On the flat, it's not for me as I'm not that fast anymore; this year I'm 44,&rdquo; said Mayr, who represented Austria at the 2005 and 2007 World Athletics Championships in the steeplechase and at the 2012 Olympics in the marathon. &ldquo;But I know that as soon as the steep part starts, my part starts, then I could overtake and overtake."</p>
<p>That she did, and she piled on the pressure when the course reached its middle section. Mayr had a 33-second advantage at the 3.9km checkpoint, but at 5.9km, she had company in the form of Kenya&rsquo;s Philaries Jeruto Kisang. But as they neared the finish, and that crippling final incline, Mayr leaned into the hill and broke the spirit and the legs of her rival, who had to walk a significant part of the final kilometre. That was when Mayr had the biggest helping hand from her supporters.</p>
<p>"The last three minutes, it was so loud, they were cheering so much," she said. "You couldn't hear yourself breathing anymore. That takes away the toughness of the race a little bit."</p>
<p>She was overcome with joy at the finish. Kisang, who finished fifth last year, was also delighted with her silver medal, while Murphy was content with bronze, given she will be much better suited to the mountain classic, which she will compete in on Saturday.</p>
<p>"My goal was to podium, so I'm glad to get a medal count started for the US," she said.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Kenya took the team event ahead of Germany and the United Kingdom.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The men&rsquo;s race, meanwhile, saw another former gold medallist reign supreme, though this time it was a more recent winner: 2022 champion Kipngeno. He shot to the front right from the start, running like a man with little to fear from the inclines ahead. When he got to them, it was clear why.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6480aa2a1f434757f79900fd.jpg" alt="Kenya&rsquo;s Patrick Kipngeno wins the vertical uphill title in Innsbruck" />
<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Kenya&rsquo;s Patrick Kipngeno wins the vertical uphill title in Innsbruck (&copy; Roast Media)</p>
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<p>Kipngeno, who spends much of the year based in Austria, was a class apart and built a considerable advantage, which had grown to 29 seconds at the 3.9km checkpoint, with Uganda&rsquo;s Levi Kiprotich and Kenya&rsquo;s Josphat Kiprotich giving chase.</p>
<p>But Kipngeno was running in splendid isolation and that was how it stayed. He built a 49-second advantage by 5.9km and by the time he approached the final incline, he had time to have a seat, grab a drink and admire the stunning Alpine views, not that Kipngeno did any such thing, continuing to churn his way to the finish, high-fiving supporters. He hit the line in 40:18, a whopping 1:33 clear of Uganda&rsquo;s Levi Kiprotich in second, and 1:46 clear of the bronze medallist, his Kenyan teammate Josphat Kiprotich.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I thank God because I have retained my title,&rdquo; said Kipngeno, who trains in Nakuru County when he&rsquo;s back home in Kenya. &ldquo;The course was very nice, very difficult. I started going hard at 5km. I did the course before so when I was running, I was very confident because I knew all of it. I used to train in Austria. I have a lot of friends in Europe, it&rsquo;s my second home. I trained very well so I knew I was going to win.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Kipngeno led Kenya to team gold and he predicted his nation will be continue to be a rising force in mountain running in the years ahead. If this performance was anything to go on, then future podiums could well be filled with the black, red and green kit.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;Every year we are getting better,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;In Thailand we were three (on the Kenyan team), now we are coming with seven, and every year we are increasing the number of athletes.&rdquo;</p>
<p>But runner-up Levi Kiprotich&nbsp;of Uganda sent a warning shot to his East African rival. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very happy to be winning a medal this year,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But next year I&rsquo;m going to be number one.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics</strong></p>
<h3>Leading results&nbsp;</h3>
<p><strong>Women<br /></strong>1 Andrea Mayr (AUT) 48:14<br />2 Philaries Jeruto Kisang (KEN) 48:51<br />3 Grayson Murphy (USA) 49:22<br />4 Laura Hottenrott (GER) 49:56<br />5 Valentine Jepkoech Rutto (KEN) 49:59<br />6 Christel Dewalle (FRA) 50:04<br />7 Domenika Mayer (GER) 51:21<br />8 Scout Adkin (GBR) 51:39<br />9 Karoline Holsen Kyte (NOR) 51:51<br />10 Joyce Muthoni (KEN) 52:09</p>
<p><strong>Team<br /></strong>1 Kenya (17)<br />2 Germany (33)<br />3 Great Britain and Northern Ireland (51)</p>
<p><strong>Men<br /></strong>1 Patrick Kipngeno (KEN) 40:18<br />2 Levi Kiprotich (UGA) 41:51<br />3 Josphat Kiprotich (KEN) 42:04<br />4 Eliud Cherop (UGA) 42:16<br />5 Joseph Gray (USA) 42:32<br />6 Daniel Osanz (ESP) 42:41<br />7 Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (KEN) 42:54<br />8 Joe Steward (GBR) 43:02<br />9 Filimon Abraham (GER) 43:08<br />10 Roberto Delorenzi (SUI) 43:31</p>
<p><strong>Team<br /></strong>1 Kenya (11)<br />2 Uganda (21)<br />3 Switzerland (45)</p>

Austria’s Andrea Mayr and Kenya’s Patrick Kipngeno take gold in the vertical uphill events on day one of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships

Mayr and Kipngeno win vertical races at World Mountain and Trail Running Championships

<p>Brooke Andersen,&nbsp;Erriyon Knighton, Tom Walsh and Alaysha Johnson each made a statement with meeting record-breaking performances at the Irena Szewinska Memorial, this season&rsquo;s eighth <strong>World Athletics Continental Tour Gold</strong> event, in Bydgoszcz, Poland, on Tuesday (6).</p>
<p>Competing on a warm and sunny evening at the Zdzislaw Krzyszkowiak Stadium, USA's Andersen led a repeat of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 podium in the women's hammer.</p>
<p>The 27-year-old launched herself to third on the world all-time list with 80.17m in Tucson last month and she achieved another impressive performance in Bydgoszcz, throwing 78.79m to improve a meeting record set by home star Anita Wlodarczyk in 2010.</p>
<p>The women&rsquo;s hammer was the first elite event on the programme and Andersen ensured it started on a high note, throwing 78.79m in the opening round to add 49cm to the meeting record that world record-holder and seven-time global gold medallist Wlodarczyk achieved 13 years ago. She backed it up with throws of 78.39m, 77.96m, 77.54m and 76.66m.</p>
<p>It meant that Andersen turned the tables on Canada&rsquo;s world silver medallist Camryn Rogers, who beat her US rival at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix at the end of last month with a Canadian record of 78.62m. This time Rogers threw 77.62m to finish second as USA&rsquo;s world bronze medallist Janee' Kassanavoid placed third with 75.10m.</p>
<p>Wlodarczyk continued her comeback by throwing 69.54m for seventh place.</p>
<p>"I feel really good about today," said Andersen. "I wasn&rsquo;t sure about my body state, coming off of such a big performance a few weeks ago. I&rsquo;ve been a little bit down in training, so I was just trying to feel it out today and go with the flow.</p>
<p>"It was kind of like a mini World Championships, in a way. There was such a stacked field today and it helped a lot with the atmosphere here."</p>
<p>On breaking a meeting record held by&nbsp;Wlodarczyk, Andersen added: "It&rsquo;s pretty special. To come and compete in Poland with her; I&rsquo;ve looked up to her since I started out throwing. It&rsquo;s fun throwing against her and all these other great competitors."</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y3Q4qrlaSTs" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>Rudy Winkler of the US and Wojciech Nowicki of Poland went into the meeting as the leading two athletes on this season&rsquo;s men&rsquo;s hammer top list and that&rsquo;s the way the competition in Bydgoszcz went too, with Winkler &ndash; the world leader with 80.88m &ndash; throwing 79.70m to triumph ahead of Olympic champion Nowicki with 79.52m. Canada&rsquo;s Ethan Katzberg was third with 76.83m.</p>
<p>In the men&rsquo;s shot put, New Zealand&rsquo;s 2017 world champion Walsh surpassed 22 metres for the second time this year, improving his season&rsquo;s best and the meeting record to 22.22m following his victory in Chorzow on Sunday. That mark came in the fourth round, and he also threw 21.94m in the third. USA&rsquo;s Adrian Piperi improved his outdoor PB to 21.61m for second place, while Nigeria&rsquo;s Chuk Enekwechi was third with 21.32m.</p>
<p>USA&rsquo;s Olympic and world silver medallist Chris Nilsen won a battle with home favourite Piotr Lisek in the men&rsquo;s pole vault, clearing 5.92m before attempting a meeting record of 6.02m. Multiple world medallist Lisek had won in Chorzow but Nilsen got his revenge, as Lisek cleared a best of 5.82m to finish second. USA&rsquo;s two-time world champion Sam Kendricks and Philippines&rsquo; world bronze medallist Ernest John Obiena finished joint third on 5.72m.</p>
<p>There was a Ukrainian top two in the men&rsquo;s high jump, world bronze medallist Andrii Protsenko and 2013 world champion Bogdan Bondarenko both clearing a best of 2.21m but with Protsenko winning on countback.</p>
<p>Over on the track, USA&rsquo;s Knighton looked in cruise control in the men&rsquo;s 200m.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/647f8c29a40ab906e7787261.JPG" alt="Erriyon Knighton on his way to a 200m win in Bydgoszcz" />
<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Erriyon Knighton on his way to a 200m win in Bydgoszcz (&copy; Adam Nurkiewicz)</p>
</div>
<p>The world bronze medallist didn&rsquo;t get the fastest start but he had the quickest finish, and after powering ahead in the second half of the race the 19-year-old was able to ease up at the end, still dipping under 20 seconds with a meeting record of 19.95 (0.7m/s).</p>
<p>Dominican Republic&rsquo;s world fifth-place finisher Alexander Ogando gave chase and finished second in 20.18, one place ahead of Poland&rsquo;s Albert Komanski in a PB of 20.49.</p>
<p>"It shows you that if I don't get a good start, I'm always going to make it up," said Knighton. "Today was about winning the race. Win the race and on to the next."</p>
<p>The women&rsquo;s 200m was also won in a meeting record, Britain&rsquo;s Daryll Neita taking her PB from 22.61 to 22.23 (0.8m/s) to win ahead of USA&rsquo;s Anavia Battle (22.47) and Cambrea Sturgis (22.99).</p>
<p>"I have not been known as a 200m specialist, but it is about to change," said Neita. "I felt this could be my best distance; this year me and my coach have worked on getting me ready for it."</p>
<p>Sturgis had earlier won the 100m in 11.24 (-0.8m/s), powering ahead in lane eight and dipping for victory ahead of Krystsina Tsimanouskaya (11.29) and Battle (11.34).</p>
<p>USA&rsquo;s Johnson might have been contesting her fourth race in two days but it didn&rsquo;t show as she blazed away in the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles final to win in 12.41 (1.9m/s) &ndash; the joint third-fastest performance of her career.</p>
<p>The NACAC champion ran two races in Chorzow on Sunday, winning the B race and tying for victory in the A race. In Bydgoszcz she won her heat in 12.94 and returned an hour and a half later to complete a successful trip to Poland, taking the final ahead of Bahamian world indoor 60m hurdles silver medallist Devynne Charlton, who matched her season&rsquo;s best of 12.64. Ireland&rsquo;s Sarah Lavin was third in 12.86.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lJ2Eh6q-cVA" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>"We don't get a lot of meets back-to-back in the US," said Johnson. "We had rounds in both (meetings in Poland) and it's the closest thing to replicate having three rounds at the World Championships. It was best for me to get somewhere, where I can see how my body reacts when the pressure is on the line.</p>
<p>"I knew I was always better with rounds, but it's different feeling like you can do it, versus actually going out there and putting it together."</p>
<p>It was close in the men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles. USA&rsquo;s Daniel Roberts, making his season debut in his specialist discipline, got a strong start but his compatriot Jamal Britt and Cuba&rsquo;s Roger Iribarne fought back in the closing stages. Although Roberts knocked a few barriers earlier on, Britt hit the last one and that seemed to make the difference as Roberts won in 13.24 (1.1m/s) to Britt&rsquo;s 13.31. Iribarne was third in 13.34.</p>
<p>Italy&rsquo;s Pietro Arese was understandably delighted with his 1500m win in 3:33.56 &ndash; a PB that puts him second on the Italian all-time list and took two seconds off the meeting record. Kicking down the back straight, the European Championships fourth-place finisher moved into the lead and couldn&rsquo;t be caught, leading Ireland&rsquo;s Andrew Coscoran to a PB of 3:33.87 for the runner-up spot. Britain&rsquo;s Matthew Stonier was third in 3:34.43.</p>
<p>A world lead was set in the first track event of the meeting as Kenya&rsquo;s Edinah Jebitok surged to victory in the women&rsquo;s mile in 4:22.85. Ahead at the bell, the 21-year-old eased away over the final lap to rebound after her ninth place in the Hengelo 1500m and triumph ahead of Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ksanet Alem (4:24.29) and Spain&rsquo;s Marta Perez (4:25.78).</p>
<p>&ldquo;I did not expect to run so fast today, but I fight in every race,&rdquo; said Jebitok, who placed eighth at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst in February. &ldquo;The conditions today are good, so it was possible to achieve a good performance.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Britain&rsquo;s Ben Pattison clinched a win in the men&rsquo;s 800m, running 1:45.80 to beat a fast-finishing Elias Ngeny of Kenya (1:45.99). Jamaica&rsquo;s Adelle Tracey took the women&rsquo;s race in 2:01.26 as she held off Poland&rsquo;s Adrianna Topolnicka (2:01.63) and Britain&rsquo;s Ellie Baker (2:01.64).</p>
<p><strong>Jess Whittington for World Athletics</strong></p>

Brooke Andersen, Erriyon Knighton, Tom Walsh and Alaysha Johnson each made a statement with meeting record-breaking performances at the Irena Szewinska Memorial

Andersen and Knighton among meeting record-breakers in Bydgoszcz

<p>More than 1100 of the world&rsquo;s top runners from 68 countries will gather in the Austrian Alps for the&nbsp;World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, which will be staged in the spectacular setting of Innsbruck and Stubai&nbsp;over the next five days (6-10).</p>
<p>The inaugural event was held last November in&nbsp;Chiang Mai, Thailand, and while that proved a success, the quality and quantity of competitors who have made their way to Tyrol this week suggests the second edition will be even better.&nbsp;</p>
<p>At the press conference on Monday afternoon, Alessio Punzi, Head of Running and Mass Participation at World Athletics, said: &ldquo;The World Championships are&nbsp;<span lang="EN-US">a dream come true that we started to dream in 2017. In the future, we want to attract more and more athletes and make it more and more difficult for everybody to ignore.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p>The&nbsp;elite races will play out across four challenging routes, with five events for each gender, ranging from the viciousness of the vertical uphill &ndash; which opens the elite programme on Wednesday (7) with a 7.3km event, featuring 1020m of elevation gain &ndash; to the concluding mountain classics on Saturday, featuring looped 15.5km races for senior men and women. Thursday&rsquo;s action will see competitors take on the short trail race over 44.6km, while Friday will bring a stern test with the long trail, an 85km event.<br /><br /></p>
<div style="padding: 0px 20px 5px 20px; border: 2px solid #a5fa64;">
<h2>Watch live</h2>
<p><br />The event website <a href="https://www.innsbruck-stubai2023.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>innsbruck-stubai2023.com</strong></span></a> will host live streams of the championships in six languages: English, French, Spanish, Chinese, German and Italian.</p>
<p>Fans can also follow the action by tuning in via the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldAthletics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>World Athletics Facebook page</strong></span></a>.<br /><br /></p>
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<p><br />The planned route for the long trail had to be altered in recent weeks due to the cool spring temperatures. &ldquo;There is so much snow in places that the avalanche danger is simply too big,&rdquo; said&nbsp;Alexander Pittl, head of the organising committee. &ldquo;There is an alternative route for this case and we have already decided to switch to this.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Nonetheless, runners will be treated to one of the most spectacular courses on offer in the running world. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m amazed with the scenery and landscape, it is an amazing place for a runner,&rdquo; said Janet Ng, President of the International Trail Running Association. &ldquo;It is an organiser&rsquo;s dream to bring trail running in the middle of the old town and I&rsquo;m happy to be part of a historic week."</p>
<p>Sarah Roswell, council member of the World Mountain Running Association, said the region &ldquo;combines the infrastructure of a big city with the wilderness of the mountains,&rdquo; adding that she hopes to see mountain and trail running at the Olympics in the future.&nbsp;</p>
<p>To many in the off-road running world, this week will feel like an Olympics.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The vertical uphill races will see more than 130 men and 108 women take to the course. Some of the leading entrants in the men&rsquo;s race include Cesare Maestri of Italy, who has an International Trail Running Association performance index (ITRA PI) of 892, while Switzerland&rsquo;s Dominik Rolli is another likely to feature. However Patrick Kipngeno &ndash; who became the first Kenyan to win a mountain running world title last year &ndash; should prove tough to beat, and he will be backed up by his compatriot, and last year&rsquo;s silver medallist, Philemon Kiriago. Ireland&rsquo;s Zak Hanna could also contend for a medal, having finished fifth last year.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The women&rsquo;s race will see Scout Adkin of Britain, USA&rsquo;s Allie McLaughlin and Austrian great Andrea Mayr, among others, battle it out for the medals. McLaughlin beat Mayr to gold by 26 seconds at last year&rsquo;s edition in Thailand, while Switzerland&rsquo;s Maude Mathys, fourth last year, is also back and she will be hoping to reach the medal rostrum.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/647f0edc50273a7abf69d1e6.jpg" alt="Allie McLaughlin in action in Chiang Mai" />
<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Allie McLaughlin in action in Chiang Mai (&copy; Organisers)</p>
</div>
<p>The short trail fields will gather runners of exceptional quality, with 14 in the men&rsquo;s field boasting an ITRA PI of over 900. Great Britain&rsquo;s Jonathan Albon, a bronze medallist at the inaugural edition last year, will likely be favourite, topping the rankings with his ITRA PI of 938. Defending world champion Stian Angermund of Norway&nbsp;should also be a strong contender. Italy has four men ranked in the top 15, led by Davide Magnini, while France should also prove formidable with orienteering specialist Frederic Tranchand leading them on rankings. Sweden&rsquo;s Petter Engdahl is also likely to be in the mix.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The women&rsquo;s race will see South Africa&rsquo;s Toni McCann start as favourite, with her ITRA PI of 781, though there is a slew of strong contenders lining up alongside her, led by USA&rsquo;s Brittany Charboneau (771), Spain&rsquo;s Nuria Gil (770) and New Zealand&rsquo;s Caitlin Fielder (768). Mauritius has a decent medal chance in Marie Perrier, while Britain&rsquo;s Eleanor Davis should also be in contention.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The long trail will see a cluster of trail-running titans take each other on. Five men in the field have an ITRA PI of over 900, led by Germany&rsquo;s Hannes Namberger with 923. France&rsquo;s Thibaut Garrivier (912), Italy&rsquo;s Andreas Reiterer (911), Switzerland&rsquo;s Gian Schicktanz (904) and France&rsquo;s Nicolas Martin (901) will ensure it is a hard-fought battle to get on the podium.&nbsp;</p>
<p>On the women&rsquo;s side, reigning world champion Blandine L&rsquo;Hirondel of France tops the start lists with an ITRA PI of 812, while she will be backed up by teammates Manon Bohard Cailler (769) and Marion Delespierre (744). Spain will have a strong hand in Azara Garcia (771) and Gemma Arenas (762), while Germany&rsquo;s Rosanna Buchauer (762) should also be in the medal shake-up. Another strong contender is Nepal&rsquo;s Sunmaya Budha, who has the second highest ITRA PI in the field with 772. France will start favourites for gold in both team events.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6367978b4246a9645e99cfc9.jpg" alt="Blandine L'Hirondel celebrates her women&rsquo;s long trail win at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships" />
<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Blandine L'Hirondel celebrates her women&rsquo;s long trail win at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (&copy; Marco Gulberti/Corsa in Montagna)</p>
</div>
<p>The classic mountain races on Saturday will begin with two U20 races, held over an up-and-down course of 7.5km, with the senior races to follow over 15.5km.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Kenya should again be to the fore in the senior men&rsquo;s race, with Kipngeno boasting an ITRA PI of 925 and his teammate Kiriago (903) also a strong medal candidate. Among the others in the 900 club are Spain&rsquo;s Andreu Blanes (912) and Austria&rsquo;s Manuel Innerhofer (910). Spain's Alejandro Garcia, together with Italy&rsquo;s Maestri and Alberto Vender, should also feature.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The women&rsquo;s race will see Sweden&rsquo;s Tove Alexandersson go in with an ITRA PI of 817, while US pair McLaughlin and Grayson Murphy, France&rsquo;s Christel Dewalle and Uganda&rsquo;s Rebecca Cheptegei should all prove strong contenders, along with Switzerland's Judith Wyder and Romania's Madalina Florea.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/63655454fd6da3f95f4ec202.jpg" alt="Kenya's Patrick Kipngeno on his way to uphill victory at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships" />
<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Kenya's Patrick Kipngeno on his way to uphill victory at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (&copy; Organisers)</p>
</div>
<p>World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said the championships will &ldquo;provide an exciting opportunity to showcase a different racing challenge for distance runners and for them to come together to celebrate their shared passion for our sport.<span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">&rdquo;</span></p>
<p>He added: &ldquo;I offer my best wishes to all athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, and of course our loyal fans for the most successful and enjoyable championships.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics</strong></p>

More than 1100 of the world’s top runners from 68 countries will gather in the Austrian Alps

Top off-road runners head to Innsbruck for World Mountain and Trail Running Championships

<p>Beat plastic pollution. That's the theme for this year's World Environment Day, a global call to beat back our addiction to plastic &ndash; one that produces around 430 million tonnes of plastic each year. Of that, two-thirds are products designed for a short life, such as the 1.5 billion single-use plastic bottles used every day. Or the five trillion plastic bags used annually, a staggering 160,000 every second.</p>
<p>Our reliance on plastic is embedded into every aspect of modern life and while the focus on the waste that plastic produces is on bags and single-use bottles, most plastic pollution is not visible to the naked eye. Tiny fragments are polluting our soil, water and increasingly, our bodies.</p>
<p>But, according to the UNEP's World Environment Day 2023 Beat Plastic Pollution <a href="https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/42437/Plastic_Pollution_WED23EN.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">practical guide</a>, plastic pollution is preventable and taking action across all sectors of society can halt and reverse it. The guide provides advice on what individuals can do, the roles that non-governmental organisations, faith-based organisations and community groups can play, and the leadership and influence that science and educational organisations can use to push governments into creating stronger legislation to tackle the plastics crisis.</p>
<p>For runners, one solution is plogging: picking up plastic waste while out on a run. In the video below, Lucy Crookes &ndash; a graphic artist on the World Athletics communications team and an avid runner &ndash; illustrates how it is done.</p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtGrSsXp96C/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14">
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<p>Two tools that World Athletics has developed to assist organisers to produce events in a more sustainable fashion &ndash; the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletics-better-world/news/iso-20121-certification-sustainable-event-management-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sustainable Events Management System</a>, a best practice guidance in sustainable event delivery for event organisers, and the Athletics for a Better World Standard, an evaluation system that scores events in how they deliver against the World Athletics Sustainability Strategy &ndash; both address the plastics waste crisis and provide suggestions and examples in how organisers can reduce the plastic pollution impact of their events.</p>
<p>Organisers of many events are already making the reduction of plastic standard operating practice. At the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, zero single-use plastic water bottles were sold or distributed by the event, which equates to approximately 325,000 single-use water bottles avoided.</p>
<p>The LOC also organised a &ldquo;Bring Your Own Water Bottle&rdquo; campaign, encouraging spectators, media, broadcasters and volunteers to use the 35 temporary drinking water stations installed for the event. Additionally, 8000 reusable water bottles were distributed.</p>

How plogging can make a difference in the fight against plastic pollution

On World Environment Day, run to #BeatPlasticPollution

<p>The <strong>World Athletics Continental Tour Gold</strong> series continues on Tuesday (6) with the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-continental-tour/news/bydgoszcz-irena-szewinska-memorial-nowicki-wlodarczyk-andersen-knighton" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Irena Szewinska Memorial</strong></span></a>.</p>
<p>There will again be some strong hammer clashes, while Erriyon Knighton will look to make another statement in the 200m, Alaysha Johnson, Devynne Charlton and Adrianna Sulek race the 100m hurdles, and Joe Kovacs and Tom Walsh go head-to-head in the shot put.</p>
<p>Here&rsquo;s how you can follow the action.<br /><br /></p>
<h2>Follow and watch</h2>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://szewinska.domtel-sport.pl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Schedule and live results</a></strong></span> | <a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/647f5d40b866ae47a6849a21.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Media information sheets and athlete biographies</strong></span></a></p>
<p>A two-hour live stream of the meeting, on Tuesday 6 June, will be available in a number of territories via the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/worldathletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics YouTube channel</a></strong></span>. The live stream will start at 19:00 local time (17:00 GMT, 18:00 BST).<span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZMFDTFZh8t4" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p><br />The YouTube stream will be geoblocked in the following territories:<br /><span style="font-size: 80%; line-height: 15px;">Albania, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua &amp; Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bosnia &amp; Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Caribbean Netherlands, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Congo - Brazzaville, Congo - Kinshasa, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cura&ccedil;ao, Czechia, C&ocirc;te d&rsquo;Ivoire, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Finland, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Macao, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Serbia (&amp; Kosovo), Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, St. Barth&eacute;lemy, St. Kitts &amp; Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Vincent &amp; Grenadines, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, S&atilde;o Tom&eacute; &amp; Pr&iacute;ncipe, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad &amp; Tobago, Turks &amp; Caicos Islands, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe</span></p>
<p><br />Coverage of the meeting will be available in the territories listed below. Be sure to check local listings - some broadcasts may be live while others will consist of highlights.</p>
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; border-color: #333333; border-style: solid; height: 971px; width: 80%;" border="1" width="80%" cellpadding="2">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">OverSport (OverSport 3)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Albania, Kosovo</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Super Sport (GSL1 / LIYU / SSM / VR3 / VR3A)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Congo DR, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 89px;">
<td style="height: 89px;" valign="top">Flow Sports</td>
<td style="height: 89px;" valign="top">Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadaloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Barthelemy, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Saint Martin, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">DirecTV (VC 615/1615)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">T Sports</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Bangladesh</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Arena Sport (AS2)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Bosnia Herzegovina</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">ESPN (STAR+)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Brazil, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 44px;">
<td style="height: 44px;" valign="top">SPOTV (SPOTV2)</td>
<td style="height: 44px;" valign="top">Brunei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">CBC (digital channels)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Canada</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Arena Sport (AS1)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Croatia</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 44px;">
<td style="height: 44px;" valign="top">Czech TV (CT Sport and www.ceskatelevize.cz/sport)</td>
<td style="height: 44px;" valign="top">Czech Republic</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Viaplay</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Denmark</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">MTV (CMore Sport 1)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Finland</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 44px;">
<td style="height: 44px;" valign="top">Cosmote (COSMOTE Sport 6 HD)</td>
<td style="height: 44px;" valign="top">Greece</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">AMC (Sport2)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Hungary</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Viaplay</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Iceland</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Viacom 18 (Sports18 - 1 and JioCinema)&nbsp;</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;">India</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Sport 5 (5 LIVE)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Israel</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Sky (Sky Sport Arena)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Italy</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Arena Sport (AP3)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Ziggo Sport (Ziggo Sport &amp; Select)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Netherlands</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Viaplay (V sport +)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Norway</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Polsat</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Poland</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">SPORT.TV (SPORT.TV2)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Portugal</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Match TV (ARENA)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Russia</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">JOJ TV (TV JOJ Sport)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Slovakia</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Arena Sport (AS3)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Slovenia</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">TVE (live on RTVE Play and delayed on Teledeporte)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Spain</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Viaplay (V Sport Extra)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Sweden</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Swiss Sport TV</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Switzerland</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">ELTA (ELTA SPORTS MAX 3)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Taiwan</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Poverkhnost (Sport 1)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Ukraine</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">Viaplay (Viaplay Sports 2)</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">United Kingdom</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top"><a href="https://flosports.link/3MA9MpR" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FloSports</a></td>
<td style="height: 22px;" valign="top">USA</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Social media</h2>
<p>- World Athletics: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://twitter.com/WorldAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a></span> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Facebook</span></a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/worldathletics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Instagram</span></a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@worldathletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">TikTok</span></a><br />- Irena Szewinska Memorial: <a href="https://bydgoszczcup.pl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">website</span></a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/memorialirenyszewinskiej" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Facebook</span></a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/memorial_ireny_szewinskiej" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

Catch all the action from the Irena Szewinska Memorial

How to follow and watch the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Bydgoszcz

<p>World Athletics is deeply saddened to hear that legendary US sprinter Jim Hines died on Saturday (3) at the age of 76.</p>
<p>Along with being the 1968 Olympic 100m champion, Hines is best known for being the first man to break the 10-second barrier for the 100m officially.</p>
<p>Hines was born in Dumas, Arkansas, in September 1946, but raised in Oakland, California. Baseball was one of his early sporting interests, but athletics coach Jim Coleman spotted his running ability. By the time Hines was 17, he already ranked among the top 20 in the world over 100 yards.</p>
<p>Coached by 1956 triple Olympic champion Bobby Morrow, Hines achieved his first US Championships podium finish in 1965, placing second in the 200m. In 1966 he won the national 200m title, and one year later he won his first national 100 yards title. Hines also set his first ratified world records in 1967, clocking 9.1 for 100m yards and 10.0 for 100m.</p>
<p>Hines was the fifth man to claim a share of the world 100m record with that mark. Another five men went on to tie it.</p>
<p>At the 1968 US Championships in Sacramento, Hines became the first man to officially break the 10-second barrier for 100m, doing so with 9.9 (and an electronically timed 10.03, though it wasn&rsquo;t until 1977 that electronic times were required for record ratification).</p>
<p>Having earned his spot on the US team, Hines went to the Olympic Games in Mexico City that year as the marginal favourite. He lived up to expectations and charged to victory in 9.9 (9.95 electronic), making him the first man officially to break 10 seconds with electronic timing.</p>
<p>Hines&rsquo; world record lasted 15 years &ndash; the longest of any men&rsquo;s 100m world record in the fully automatic era &ndash; before it was finally broken by Calvin Smith in 1983 with 9.93.</p>
<p>Hines went on to add another Olympic gold medal &ndash; and world record &ndash; to his collection when he anchored the USA to 4x100m victory in 38.24.</p>
<p>After retiring from athletics at the end of 1968, Hines went on to play in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs. He later worked with inner-city youth in Houston.</p>
<p><strong>World Athletics</strong></p>

Jim Hines, 1946-2023

Hines, first man to break 10 seconds for 100m, dies

<p style="text-align: left;">As great athletes approach their 30th birthday, their minds naturally turn towards their legacy.</p>
<p>That has clearly been the case for Faith Kipyegon, who completed her set of the highest accomplishments in her sport by breaking the world 1500m record (3:49.11) at the Golden Gala meeting in Florence on Friday (2).</p>
<p>She joked that she had rolled around the track like &ldquo;a crazy woman&rdquo; in a euphoric reaction when she saw her historic time pop up on the trackside clock at the Wanda Diamond League meeting. &ldquo;I really wanted that one,&rdquo; she said.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/12QuG1UXm-U" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>With two Olympic gold medals and two senior world titles to her name, in a career that was temporarily interrupted when she gave birth to her daughter Alyn in 2018, Kipyegon was already one of the greats of her sport, but the world record has elevated her into rare air indeed.</p>
<p>She is now one of only five athletes who have dominated at every level in their track and field specialism &ndash; an individual world champion at U18, U20 and senior level &ndash; and set a senior world record.</p>
<p>This club includes only Usain Bolt, Mondo Duplantis, Yelena Isinbaeva, Kevin Mayer and now Kipyegon.</p>
<div style="padding: 0px 20px 5px 20px; border: 2px solid #a5fa64;">
<h2>Grand slam</h2>
<p>Athletes to have achieved an age group grand slam in individual outdoor track and field World Championships and broken a senior world record.</p>
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; border-color: #000000; border-style: solid;" border="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 20%; text-align: center;"><strong>Athlete</strong></td>
<td style="width: 20%; text-align: center;"><strong>U18</strong></td>
<td style="width: 20%; text-align: center;"><strong>U20</strong></td>
<td style="width: 20%; text-align: center;"><strong>Senior</strong></td>
<td style="width: 20%; text-align: center;"><strong>World record</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 20%;">Usain Bolt</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">100m, 200m</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">200m</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">100m, 200m</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">100m, 200m</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 20%;">Mondo Duplantis</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">pole vault</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">pole vault</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">pole vault</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">pole vault</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 20%;">Yelena Isinbaeva</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">pole vault</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">pole vault</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">pole vault</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">pole vault</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 20%;">Faith Kipyegon</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">1500m</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">1500m</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">1500m</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">1500m</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 20%;">Kevin Mayer</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">octathlon</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">decathlon</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">decathlon</td>
<td style="width: 20%;">decathlon</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<p><br />Many already regard Kipyegon as the greatest female 1500m runner in history and she intends to continue to burnish her star by attacking her new best time at the Herculis meeting in Monaco next month, then attempting to win a third world title at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August. If she can then go on to win a third Olympic gold medal in Paris next year, she will truly stand alone in the middle-distance pantheon.</p>
<p>The reaction of her fellow athletes in Florence demonstrated just how much she is already revered in the sport. The other 1500m women surrounded her and enveloped her in a group hug soon after the race, a rare sight in the ultra-competitive world of elite sport.</p>
<p>Kipyegon will compete over 5000m in Paris next Friday to put further strength in her legs for the challenges ahead, then return to Eldoret in Kenya for another training block under master coach Patrick Sang, who has also plotted the career of the world&rsquo;s greatest marathon runner, Eliud Kipchoge.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/63aefbb62660ebd28ce00685.jpg" alt="Faith Kipyegon wins the 1500m at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22" />
<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Faith Kipyegon wins the 1500m at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (&copy; Getty Images)</p>
</div>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m training with marathoners and I normally say that one day I will run a marathon but now I have achieved what I wanted, what was in my heart and my mind today, and I&rsquo;m still heading towards Budapest and I still want to run faster than 3:49,&rdquo; she said.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I wanted to go gradually, slowly, slowly, to see what was possible this year, and the world record just came as a surprise, but I&rsquo;m still looking forward to the World Championships and I really thank my coach for giving me the tactics to run today and see what is possible.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Kipyegon is the odd athlete out in a large training group focused on the marathoners, since joining the group in 2019, but she said she enjoyed both the challenge and the camaraderie she found in the camp.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Since I joined Patrick and Eliud Kipchoge, I have done really, really different training, because with the marathoners there we come along and train together and enjoy sports together. They are doing long runs and fartlek and track sessions.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Kipchoge was among those who were delighted by Kipyegon&rsquo;s achievement in Florence.</p>
<p>"It was only a matter of time,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Faith has shown a great focus and determination to attack the world 1500 record since coming back from maternity.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The longer training has certainly not dulled her speed but it has given her new strength which she will apply again in Monaco, where she came so near to breaking the world record last year, falling just 0.3 short (3:50.37) of Genzebe Dibaba&rsquo;s 2015 standard, also set in the Stade Louis II, which has become a mecca for middle-distance runners in the past decade.</p>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61e30743a450a4c2543ae617.jpg" alt="Faith Kipyegon at the Kaptagat training camp" />
<p style="font-size: 0.9em; color: #b2b2b2; text-align: right; margin: -15px 0 0px;">Faith Kipyegon at the Kaptagat training camp (&copy; Dan Vernon / NN Running)</p>
</div>
<p>&ldquo;(That) was really motivating me,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I went back home knowing that everything was possible. I didn&rsquo;t lose hope, I still worked hard, waking up every morning knowing that everything is possible, breaking the world record, defending my world title in Budapest, and that is what I have started, so I&rsquo;m looking forward.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m hoping for the best as well in Monaco. I&rsquo;m going to run my race and focus myself towards the finish line.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The legacy she is creating is not only for herself, but also for her family, particularly her daughter, now almost five, and that is also driving her forward.</p>
<p>&ldquo;She understands what I do now,&rdquo; Kipyegon said.</p>
<p><strong>Nicole Jeffery for World Athletics</strong></p>

As great athletes approach their 30th birthday, their minds naturally turn towards their legacy.