Illustrating the fierce competitiveness of athletics at the moment, just five athletes will begin their 2019 seasons with unbeaten streaks of ten or more competitions.

With just one week to go before voting for the 2018 World Athletes of the Year concludes, here’s a closer look at this year's men’s and women’s nominees in the middle and long-distance events.

Caster Semenya produced another extraordinary result at the 77th ISTAF in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on Sunday (2), a day when 45,500 spectators turned out to honour retiring discus legend Robert Harting.

Kenya captured six more titles on Sunday (5) to claim bragging rights as the winningest squad in Africa as the 21st edition of the continent's championships concluded in Asaba, Nigeria.

Producing one of the most dominant displays at these championships so far, Caster Semenya sped to a 49.96 victory in the 400m to highlight the third day of action at the African Athletics Championships on Friday in Asaba, Nigeria.

Triple world and double Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya has been confirmed as the next headline star due to compete at the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham IAAF Diamond League fixture on Saturday 18 August.

World and Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya ran a race of brutal simplicity at the Meeting de Paris IAAF Diamond League stop at the Charlety Stadium on Saturday (30) to record her fastest ever time of 1:54.25 – putting her fourth on the all-time world list - after leading from gun to tape.

World 1500m champion Elijah Manangoi returned to top form with an excellent victory in the Dream Mile at the Bislett Games on Thursday night (7), the fifth meeting of the 2018 IAAF Diamond League.

Caster Semenya produced another peerless display of middle-distance running to set a meeting record and world lead of 1:55.92 in the women’s 800m at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on Saturday (26), the highlight of the midde-distance action at the third meeting of the IAAF Diamond League.

Caster Semenya took the first step towards a Commonwealth middle-distance double --and added to South Africa’s already impressive showing-- with a commanding victory in the 1500m on the third day of Games competition in Carrara Stadium.

World and Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya set a new world best for the rarely-run 600m to highlight the 76th edition of the ISTAF, an IAAF World Challenge Meeting, in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on Sunday (27).

Eight recently crowned world champions along with the cream of Germany's track and field stars will highlight the 76th edition of Berlin’s ISTAF, an IAAF World Challenge meeting, on Sunday (27).