Seyefu Tura of Ethiopia and Kenyan Lucy Kabuu took the honours at the 18th edition of the EA7 Emporio Armani Milano Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label road race, on Sunday (8).
In his third marathon of the past five months, Tura, 21, crossed the finish line in 2:09:04. He was second in Seoul in his debut over the distance in 2:09:26 and seventh in Dubai with an impressive 2:04:44 last January.
Kabuu, 34, came from behind to take a close win in the women&rsquo;s race in 2:27:02 holding off her compatriot Vivian Jerono Kiplagat by six seconds in the final two kilometres.
<h3>Men&rsquo;s race &nbsp;</h3>
Three Kenyan pacemakers --Barnabas Kiptum, Stephen Kibet Kosgei and Timothy Rono-- led a group that included last year&rsquo;s winner Edwin Kipngetich Koech, Justus Kipkosgei Kimutai, Tura, Erik Kimutai Kering and Elijah Tirop. The race set off at a fast pace going through ten kilometres in 30:10 and 15 in 45:08.
Kosgei was the first pacemaker to drop out at halfway leaving Rono and Kiptum at the front with Kimutai, Koech, Tura and Kering. The six-man pack ran a 2:49 split from kilometres 24 to 25 and went through 25 kilometres in 1:14:56.
Kiptum started as a pacemaker but stayed at the front with Tura and Kimutai at 30 kilometres, which they passed in 1:30:09. Tura then broke away from Kiptum at 35 kilometres and forged on through the windy conditions to finish unchallenged in 2:09:04. The effort took its toll on Kiptum, who was overtaken by Kimutai at 38 kilometres in the battle for second place. Kimutai finished runner-up in 2:10:00 beating Kiptum by 17 seconds.
&ldquo;I am happy with the win, but I struggled with a cramp problem," Tura said. "The final time was not good, but the conditions were not ideal because of the wind."&nbsp;
<h3>Women&rsquo;s race&nbsp;</h3>
The women&rsquo;s race was an all-Kenyan affair with pacemaker Mary Munanu setting the tempo for Kabuu, Changeywo, last year&rsquo;s winner Sheila Chepkech and Vivian Jerono Kiplagat. They went through 10 kilometres in 34:50 and reached the halfway point in 1:13:20.
Kiplagat, Kabuu, Changeywo and Chepkech remained in the lead going through 30 kilometres in 1:44:25, after Munanu dropped out. Kiplagat, who finished fourth last year, pulled away opening up a gap of 12 seconds over&nbsp;Kabuu at 35 kilometres.
&nbsp;
<div id="5aca2f91948b1c0f14a58a08" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/3920b0ed-31e4-4431-9a37-60a304cb9923.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
Lucy Kabuu Wangui taking the Milan marathon title</div>
&nbsp;
But&nbsp;Kabuu caught up with Kiplagat five kilometres later. Over the final kilometre, the pair ran side-by-side in a close battle for the win. Kabuu, who set the 12th fastest time in history with her impressive 2:19:34 in Dubai in 2012, launched her sprint with 400 metres to go to beat Kiplagat by six seconds in 2:27:02 before celebrating her victory since having a child. In January,&nbsp;Kabuu finished sixth in Hong Kong in 2:31:21.
Chepkech finished in the top-three for the second consecutive year clocking 2:29:25, missing her lifetime best by 12 seconds. Changeywo finished fourth improving her previous personal best of 2:31:50 set in Vienna 2016 by two minutes with 2:29:49.
"I was a bit behind at 40 km but I found the power to come back and win the race,"&nbsp;Kabuu said. "I hoped to run 2:25 but I had some problems with the wind. It was a tough race but I managed to take the win."&nbsp;
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF&nbsp;
<div>Leading results:</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Men&rsquo;s race -</div>
<div>1 Seyefu Tura (Ethiopia) 2:09:04</div>
<div>2 Justus Kimutai Kipkosgei (Kenya) 2:10:00</div>
<div>3 Barnabas Kiptum (Kenya) 2:10:17</div>
<div>4 Fred Musobo (Uganda) 2:13:50</div>
<div>5 Camilo Santiago (Spain) 2:13:55</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Women&rsquo;s race -</div>
<div>1 Lucy Kabuu (Kenya) 2:27:02</div>
<div>2 Vivian Jerono Kiplagat (Kenya) 2:27:08</div>
<div>3 Sheila Chepkech (Kenya) 2:29:25</div>
<div>4 Doris Changeywo (Kenya) 2:29:49</div>
<div>5 Fatna Maraoui (Italy) 2:33:16</div>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Seyefu Tura of Ethiopia and Kenyan Lucy Wangui Kabuu took the honours at the 18th edition of the EA7 Emporio Armani Milano Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Race, on Sunday (8).

Tura and Kabuu triumph at Milan Marathon

The spotlight will fall clearly on Wilson Kipsang at the Mattoni Ceske Budejovice Half Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Saturday (3).&nbsp;
With victories in Berlin, London, New York and Tokyo to his credit, Kipsang is one of the most celebrated marathoners of recent years. A former world record holder over the classic distance with a lifetime best of 2:03:13, the 35-year-old is still illustrating exceptional form, most recently with his 2:03:58 victory at February's Tokyo Marathon, the fourth sub-2:04 run of his extraordinary career. That's a feat no other marathoner has accomplished.&nbsp;
He's hardly a slouch over the half marathon distance, with a 58:59 personal best making him one of just 13 men who have dipped under 59 minutes.
He hasn't approached that 2009 performance since, and, facing several runners on Saturday who have, suggests that his first outing in the Czech Republic since 2014 will be anything but an exhibition.
Among those challengers is 22-year-old Kenyan Justus Kangogo who improved to 59:41 at the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon in March. Henry Kiplagat, the runner-up here last year in 1:00:52, returns
Other runners from the Kenyan ranks include Abraham Akopesha Kasongor who will bring 1:00:25 credentials from 2015 to the start line and Kennedy Kipyego, whose 1:00:49 best was also set two years ago.&nbsp;
Also watch out for Geoffrey Ronoh, who, competing as a pacemaker at the Mattoni Olomouc Half Marathon in 2014, went on to defeat Kipsang and win the race.
A mark in the back of each runner's mind will be the race record of 59:49 set by Daniel Chebii in 2012.
<h3>Kabuu vs Chesire in the women's contest</h3>
In the women's race, Kenyan Lucy Kabuu is considered one of the favourites.
The 33-year-old veteran of several Kenyan national teams has a 1:06:09 lifetime best from 2013, is a member of the still-exclusive sub-2:20 women's marathon club with a 2:19:34 best from 2012, and more recently finished fourth at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 2014. Ceske Budejovice will mark her first start of the year.
On current form, her compatriot Rebecca Chesire also ranks among the women to beat. The 25-year-old has performed well in 2017, clocking 1:09:01 for fourth at Rome-Ostia in March, six weeks before a 2:24:25 personal best at the Vienna Marathon where she finished second.
The field also includes Japanese rising star Ayaka Fujimoto. Still just 19, Fujimoto notched personal best at both the half marathon and marathon in February, clocking 1:11:00 in Yamaguchi and 2:27:08 in Tokyo, finishing third and fourth respectively.
As in the men's race, the women's race record is also a target. In a largely solo effort, Ashete Bekere of Ethiopia set the women's standard last year with a 1:10:40 run.
Bob Ramsak and organisers for the IAAF

The spotlight will fall clearly on Wilson Kipsang at the Mattoni Ceske Budejovice Half Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Saturday (3). 

The spotlight on Kipsang in Ceske Budejovice

Kenya&rsquo;s Lucy Kabuu is the leading name in the women-only elite field for the first Saitama International Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, on Sunday 15 November. Kabuu, now 31, finished in the top 10 in the 10,000m at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. A good run in Tokyo&rsquo;s north western suburb will help promote her chances of representing her country again at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.She has a personal best of 2:19:34, set when finishing second at the 2012 Dubai Marathon on her debut over the classic distance, and was close to that mark on her return to Dubai in January this year, her last marathon, when she ran 2:20:21.Kabuu will get plenty of cheers during the race as she is a relatively well-known face locally, having graduated from a Japanese high school.Ethiopia&rsquo;s Askale Tafa and Atsede Baysa can boast of personal bests of 2:21:31 and 2:22:03 respectively.Tafa set her best time back in 2008 and has not run faster than 2:26:00 since 2012. Her last marathon was also in Dubai this year when she finished a modest 18th in 2:29:37. Baysa ran her best when winning the 2012 Chicago Marathon. She was slightly faster than her compatriot in Dubai this year when finishing one place in front of Tafa in 2:27:24.Also lining up alongside Kabuu will be compatriots Rebecca Kangogo Chesire and Sylvia Kibet.Kibet, the two-time world 5000m silver medallist, made a good marathon debut in Hamburg when she finished second in 2:26:16. Now knowing a little bit more about what is required to race well over 26.2 miles, Kibet could be ready to make another step forward.Kangogo Chesire has twice run faster than 2:26 this year. She finished 13th in Dubai in a personal best of 2:25:22 and went close to that time when she finished second in the Ottawa Marathon in May in 2:25:41.The fastest European in the race will be Olympic bronze medallist Tatyana Arkhipova, who rose to the occasion and set her personal best of 2:23:29 in that race.The Japanese entries are headed, at least on time, by 36-year-old former national record holder Yoko Shibui who ran 2:19:41 back in 2004.On current form, the leading local contender could be Aki Odagiri, who ran a personal best 2:30:24 in the Nagoya Women&rsquo;s Marathon earlier this year. No Japanese woman in the Saitama elite field has run faster than 2:30 since 2012 but Odagiri is only 25 and clearly on an upward curve. The Saitama International Marathon effectively takes the place on the international calendar of the nearby Yokohama International Women&rsquo;s Marathon, which ceased after last year&rsquo;s edition. Although the Saitama elite filed is a women-only affair, there is also an associated mass participation race open to both genders.The course is slightly undulating but has a very flat stretch between 21 and 30 kilometres, and is potentially fast, depending on weather conditions. It is close to sea level, starting and finishing in the Saitama Super Arena.Phil Minshull and organisers for the IAAF

Kenya’s Lucy Kabuu is the leading name in the women-only elite field for the first Saitama International Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, on Sunday 15 November. 

Kabuu to pursue her Olympic ambitions at Saitama Marathon

Leonard Komon is ready to produce something special at the Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon. The 10km and 15km world record-holder will be contesting just his second race at the distance at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Saturday (28).Despite his inexperience at the distance, his personal best of 59:14 makes him the fastest in Prague&rsquo;s elite field. His goal for this weekend is a world-leading time faster than 59 minutes.Four more athletes who have already broken the one-hour mark are on the start list while another seven feature personal bests faster than 61 minutes.The women&rsquo;s field, led by 2006 Commonwealth 10,000m champion Lucy Kabuu, is equally strong with eight athletes who have run faster than 70 minutes.It was in Berlin last year where Komon ran his first half marathon, winning the event in 59:14, the fastest debut in history at that distance. &ldquo;It was a very good experience,&rdquo; he said of the race in the German capital. &ldquo;I realised that it is not difficult to run a fast half marathon when you prepare well for it.&rdquo;The 2008 world cross-country silver medallist has prepared thoroughly for the Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon. &ldquo;I started training for this race back in November,&rdquo; said the 27-year-old. Saturday&rsquo;s race will be his first of 2015 and his main focus of the spring.After a disappointing marathon debut of 2:14:25 in Eindhoven last autumn, Komon has put his marathon career on hold. &ldquo;For now I will concentrate on the half marathon distance,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I want to find out what is possible for me in this event.&rdquo;&ldquo;On Saturday I want to improve my time,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;It is my goal to run something below 59 minutes.&rdquo;While the current world-leading time is 59:20, the course record in Prague stands at 58:47, set by Ethiopia&rsquo;s Atsedu Tsegay in 2012.A victory in Prague would further strengthen Komon&rsquo;s status as one of the finest road runners in the world, but he will face high-class opposition.Among them is fellow Kenyan Geoffrey Ronoh, who caused major upsets last year when he won the Mattoni Olomouc Half Marathon and the Birell Prague Grand Prix 10km.Ronoh sustained a back and hip problem during the Egmond Half Marathon in January, where he dropped out. &ldquo;But I got good treatment and was able to resume training relatively quickly,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Maybe my form is not yet quite as good as in 2014, but I realised during my final training sessions before coming here that my shape is fine.&rdquo;After losing her passport and not being able to get a visa in time, two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat was unable to travel to Prague. In her absence, Kenyan compatriot Lucy Kabuu takes centre stage.With a personal best of 1:06:09, Kabuu is among the fastest half-marathon runners ever. Kabuu showed fine form earlier this year, when she finished third at the Dubai Marathon with 2:20:21.&ldquo;After Dubai I took a week off and then started training again,&rdquo; said Kabuu. &ldquo;Unfortunately I lost my father last month which has affected my training.&rdquo;If Kabuu is not at her best, it will simply make the race more competitive. Fellow Kenyan Lineth Chepkirui, four times a top-12 finisher at the World Cross Country Championships, is among her rivals. The 27-year-old has a PB of 1:07:47.Also in the field is a trio of talented Ethiopians, comprising 2014 Lisbon Half Marathon winner Worknesh Degefa, 2013 Marrakech Half Marathon champion Waganesh Mekasha and the in-form Yebrqual Melese, who won the Houston Marathon earlier this year with a PB of 2:23:23 and recently won the Paris Half Marathon.Croatia's Lisa Nemec (nee Stublic), who has broken the national record in each of the past five years, leads the European challengers. In her most recent half marathon, she reduced her best to 1:09:16.Local hopes will be pinned on young Czech talent Anezka Drahotova, the world junior 10,000m race walk champion. The 19-year-old set a national junior record of 1:14:25 in this race last year, but she is coming off the back of two 20km race walk competitions this month.Jorg Wenig (organisers) for the IAAF<h3>Elite field (with PBs)</h3>Men Leonard Komon (KEN) 59:14 Peter Kirui (KEN) 59:22 Azmeraw Bekele (ETH) 59:39 Geoffrey Ronoh (KEN) 59:45 Daniel Wanjiru (KEN) 59:58 Amanuel Mesel (ERI) 1:00:10 Nicholas Kipkemboi (KEN) 1:00:11 Samson Gebreyohannes (ERI) 1:00:13 Adugna Takele (ETH) 1:00:15 Cuthbert Nyasango (ZIM) 1:00:26 Bernard Bett (KEN) 1:00:46 Atalay Yirsaw (ETH) 1:00:59 Wilfred Murgor (KEN) 1:01:02 Nicholas Bor (KEN) 1:01:03 Teshome Mekonen (ETH) 1:01:21 Josphat Kiptis (KEN) 1:01:30 Joel Kimutai (KEN) 1:01:39 Josphat Menjo (KEN) 1:01:42Women Lucy Kabuu (KEN) 1:06:09 Lineth Chepkurui (KEN) 1:07:47 Worknesh Degefa (ETH) 1:07:49 Waganesh Mekasha (ETH) 1:08:48 Yebrqual Melese (ETH) 1:09:03 Lisa Nemec (CRO) 1:09:16 Diane Nukuri (BDI) 1:09:12 Afera Godfay (ETH) 1:09:52 Alamz Negede (ETH) 1:10:00 Mame Feyisa (ETH) 1:10:08

Leonard Komon is ready to produce something special at the Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon. The 10km and 15km world record-holder will be contesting just his second race at the distance at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Saturday (28).

Komon targets world-leading half-marathon time in Prague

The Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon has made a name for itself in recent years thanks to a series of super-fast performances and the organisers are naturally keen to maintain this success at the next edition of the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Saturday 28 March.A superb field has been assembled, led by a handful of top Kenyans. Defending champion Peter Kirui will face Geoffrey Mutai and Leonard Komon while the leading contenders in the women&rsquo;s race are Edna Kiplagat and Lucy Kabuu. &ldquo;I believe we&rsquo;ve assembled a very strong field,&rdquo; said Jana Moberly, who is responsible for putting together the elite field in Prague. &ldquo;At present we have seven runners with personal bests under one hour on the start list and nine women who have run faster than 70 minutes. But it&rsquo;s very likely that we&rsquo;ll have one or two additions,&rdquo; explained Moberly, who added that she hopes for a men&rsquo;s winning time, &ldquo;very close to 59 minutes.&rdquo; Several runners look capable of achieving such a time, which is not far off the Prague course record of 58:47. One of them is definitely Peter Kirui. The 27-year-old Kenyan dominated the race last year to complete a surprise win in 59:22. Last year, Kirui was actually in the middle of a training course with the Kenyan Police and unable to train properly but he is free of such duties now and it will be fascinating to see if he can improve further. Another who caused a surprise in the Czech Republic last year was Geoffrey Ronoh. The 32-year-old triumphed firstly in the Mattoni Olomouc Half Marathon, where he was originally entered as a pacemaker but left marathon stars Wilson Kipsang and Dennis Kimetto in his wake. A few weeks later, Ronoh also won the Birell Prague Grand Prix over 10km in a course record of 27:28. Geoffrey Mutai was among those beaten in the Czech capital on that occasion and Mutai will again face Ronoh in Prague, whose best for the half marathon is 59:45. Mutai, known worldwide for his victories in the Boston, New York and Berlin marathons, has a best of 58:58 which makes him the fastest man in the field. Leonard Komon is another big name in the field. The Kenyan is the world record holder for 10km and 15km on the roads. A year ago he ran an extraordinary debut for the half marathon in Berlin, winning in 59:11, the fastest ever by a newcomer to the distance. Four consecutive course records are proof of the upward trend in the women&rsquo;s race in recent years. In 2014, Joyce Chepkirui brought that time down to 1:06:19, the fifth fastest time ever run for the distance. Given that high standard, breaking the course record this year will be no easy task but with Lucy Kabuu, the race has a contender who has actually run faster than Chepkirui. Two years ago the Kenyan won the Ras Al Khaimah event in the United Arab Emirates in 1:06:09. Among Kabuu&rsquo;s rivals in the Czech capital will be Edna Kiplagat.The Kenyan, winner of the IAAF World Championships marathon title in 2011 and 2013, has a personal best of 1:07:41. Two more runners with best times under 68 minutes will be on the start line in Prague, Kenya&rsquo;s Lineth Chepkurui (1:07:47) and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Worknesh Degefa (1:07:49).Organisers for the IAAF

The Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon has made a name for itself in recent years thanks to a series of super-fast performances and the organisers are naturally keen to maintain this success at the next edition of the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Saturday 28 March.

Mutai, Komon and Ronoh to challenge defending champion Kirui in Prague

Ethiopia&rsquo;s Lemi Berhanu emerged as the unexpected champion at the 2015 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, crossing the line at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race in a world-leading time and big personal best of 2:05:28 on Friday (23)It was not a debutants&rsquo; triumph as has been the case for the past three years but it was definitely surprise as the 21-year-old Ethiopian &ndash; wearing a bib with his extended family name of Hayle on it &ndash; left behind some of the biggest names in long-distance running.Lelisa Desisa, the 2013 Dubai and Boston Marathon champion, took second in 2:05:52 while Deribe Robi completed the all-Ethiopian podium with a time of 2:06:06. Fourth was Ethiopia&rsquo;s Feyisa Lilesa in 2:06:35 followed by two more Ethiopians, Sisay Lemma in a personal best of 2:07:06 and Bazu Worku in 2:07:09. Indeed, the top 12 men were all Ethiopian runners.Split times of 14:39 for 5km and 29:22 for 10km initially pointed towards a sub-2:04 finishing time. However, the pacemakers could not sustain the pace and when a group of 15 runners reached the 25km mark in 1:13:57, none of them was left in the race. Five more runners lost contact during the next five kilometres, among them Kenenisa Bekele. It was Desisa who surged ahead at the 30km refreshment station to take his bottle. The Ethiopian kept going and five countrymen went with him: Robi, Lemma, Lelisa, Girmay Birhanu and Lemi Berhanu. Five kilometres from the finish a duel between Desisa, who was also second in New York last November, and Lemi Berhanu developed and the latter was able to drop the much more experienced Desisa with about one kilometre to go. <h3>Dream come true in Dubai </h3> &ldquo;I would never have thought that I could win this race,&rdquo; said Berhanu, who had won his debut race in Zurich last year with 2:10:40. "It was my dream to do this in Dubai one day, but not this year! With around one kilometre to go, I sensed that I could succeed."He has now improved by more than five minutes and is unbeaten in two races. &ldquo;If my federation selects me then I would really like to run the marathon in the World Championships in the summer,&rdquo; added Berhanu, who said he had no idea what to do with the first prize cheque of US$200,000. &ldquo;I never thought about the money. I really don&rsquo;t know what I will do with it.&rdquo;By contrast, Dubai proved a tough and disappointing marathon experience for Bekele.Ethiopia&rsquo;s superstar, in his third marathon, dropped out just beyond the 30km mark, appearing to suffer from a leg injury. He had been in the leading group up to the 28km mark.&ldquo;Kenenisa suffered hamstring problems in both legs,&rdquo; explained his coach Renato Canova.&ldquo;But I think the real problem is in his right achilles tendon. At the end of November, he had to reduce training because of this but then it got better and, actually, his final training sessions looked encouraging. A world record was never a realistic target, but a 2:04 time seemed realistic. &ldquo;However, when I saw him running today he did not look relaxed, he looked tight. I think this is the reason why he developed hamstring problems. Something must have happened in the final few days before the race,&rdquo; added the Italian coach. &ldquo;We now have to solve this tendon problem but for his future marathon career I remain very confident. I think he will do really well.&rdquo; <h3>Mergia a motivated mother </h3> Making it a marvellous day for Ethiopian runners, other than Bekele, Aselefech Mergia produced a perfect comeback in the women&rsquo;s race.Having taken an extensive break from competition to have a baby, the 2011 and 2012 Dubai champion returned to run a marathon for the first time since her disappointing 42nd place at the 2012 Olympics and won in 2:20:02, just 31 seconds outside her course record from three years ago.In a thrilling battle right to the line, Kenya&rsquo;s world half marathon champion Gladys Cherono was beaten by just one second in what was the third-fastest marathon debut. Another Kenyan, Lucy Kabuu, was third in 2:20:21 in a race which saw 10 women run faster than 2:24.Ethiopia&rsquo;s Tigist Tufa broke clear shortly after the start and maintained a daunting pace, leading a talented chasing group by a minute at 20km, which was reached in 1:05:23 and suggested a 2:18 finishing time. However, Tufa paid the price in the end and was caught at 34km by a five-woman group consisting of Mergia, fellow Ethiopians Aberu Kebede and Shure Demissie, Kabuu and Cherono.The group was reduced to three with just over three kilometres remaining after Kebede and Demissie were dropped, before Mergia eventually proved the strongest in the final kilometre.&ldquo;I told myself after having my daughter that I could win a marathon again,&rdquo; said Mergia, who was watched by her husband and baby daughter. "We used the prize money from my first two wins in Dubai to begin building a hotel back home, now we&rsquo;ll be able to complete the job."Ethiopian runners took the next four places. Fourth was teenager Demissie in a world junior best of 2:20:59, and the fifth fastest debut on record; with Kebede in 2:21:17, 2014 Dubai champion Mulu Seboka in 2:21:56 and then Alemu Bekele in 2:22:51 the next three women across the line. Jorg Wenig (organisers) for the IAAF

Ethiopia’s Lemi Berhanu emerged as the unexpected champion at the 2015 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, crossing the line at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race in a world-leading time and big personal best of 2:05:28 on Friday (23)

Berhanu surprises while Mergia makes magnificent comeback in Dubai

Course records could well be under threat at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon when one of the best elite fields ever seen &ndash; including three-time Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele &ndash; takes to the streets on Friday (23) for the IAAF Gold Label Road Race.The weather forecasters have been kept busy in recent days as Dubai has been beset by evening thunderstorms at the start of this week, but a different kind of storm awaits the city in the Gulf on Friday morning.Both course records are targets in the race which has become firmly established among the world&rsquo;s leading distance-running events. Ethiopia&rsquo;s superstar Bekele headlines the men&rsquo;s list which features 20 athletes with personal bests faster than 2:10, six of whom have run faster than 2:06.The women&rsquo;s field shows unprecedented depth at sub-2:28 level for a city marathon as no fewer than 23 women in the field have PBs faster than that mark. Aselefech Mergia of Ethiopia is the fastest on the start list with a PB of 2:19:31 and that, for good measure, is the women&rsquo;s course record.In recent editions, the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon made headlines when marathon debutants took victories in sensational style. This has happened on three consecutive occasions in the men&rsquo;s race and the winners clocked world-class sub-2:05 times on each occasion. But given the depth of the field, it would be truly sensational if Dubai&rsquo;s debutants&rsquo; winning streak were to continue on Friday.You could be forgiven for thinking this is an Ethiopian national championship since the field is stacked with an abundance of their talent. And the runner taking centre stage is Bekele, the 5000m and 10,000m world record-holder.&ldquo;I feel confident, I am happy and I know that I am better prepared than before,&rdquo; said the 32-year-old, who won his marathon debut in Paris last April with 2:05:04 and then took fourth place in Chicago in 2:05:51.&ldquo;This is a very important race for me. I want to improve my time. I am confident to make history here, but you can never say you will win &ndash; you can&rsquo;t be sure, because otherwise it would not be a race,&rdquo; added Bekele, whose rivals include world silver medallist and 2013 Dubai winner Lelisa Desisa, who ran 2:04:45 here two years ago.Bekele had trained just seven weeks before he competed in Chicago and missed his goal of improving his PB. &nbsp;But his manager Jos Hermens confirmed that Bekele&rsquo;s training has gone well. &ldquo;He is better prepared than before for his third marathon,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;When he was running on the track he could train for two months and then break a world record. But this approach does not work in the marathon.&ldquo;After Chicago, Kenenisa knew that he had to change something. For ten years he had the same training rhythm. He needed something new and different impulses. This is why I brought him together with Renato Canova. And it is going well. If he runs a low 2:04, improving by around one minute, that would be fine.&rdquo;The course record of Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ayele Abshero, who ran 2:04:23 in 2012, is the main goal. But Haile Gebrselassie&rsquo;s national record of 2:03:59 could also become an objective on Friday. The great Ethiopian, who won this race three times in a row from 2008 to 2010, will be in Dubai to watch the marathon.&ldquo;I have not spoken to Haile about Dubai, but I saw his races when he was competing here,&rdquo; said Bekele. &ldquo;Every race is different.&rdquo;Bekele is ready to follow any pace on Friday. And it could become even faster than expected. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t want to talk too much about the world record, but it is always a possibility,&rdquo; said event director Peter Connerton. &ldquo;The half marathon split time we will target will be in that region.&ldquo;I believe that one day we will break the world record here, but I don&rsquo;t know when it will happen. We have the fastest and flattest course in the world &ndash; and we get the best runners. This time we have Kenenisa.&rdquo;On Dubai&rsquo;s super-flat course there is just one corner, two turns and four bends to navigate for the runners.<h3>Mergia set to go after own mark</h3> The course record is also the goal for the women&rsquo;s race and the current record-holder looks ready to attack it.&ldquo;If all goes well, I can run under 2:20 and break the course record,&rdquo; said Mergia, who gave birth to her daughter Sena in July 2013, a year before she ran the Dubai course record of 2:19:31 which remains her personal best. &ldquo;I am as strong as before maternity leave.&rdquo;It took the 30-year-old quite some time to regain her form after giving birth. &ldquo;It was difficult to get back in shape,&rdquo; said Mergia, who weighed 73kg by the end of her pregnancy. &ldquo;It was tough to get rid of the kilos, but now I am back at 51.&ldquo;The Frankfurt Marathon in October was an option, but my shape was not good enough,&rdquo; she added. &ldquo;I really only wanted to come back once I was fully fit again. Now I&rsquo;ve been able to train well for four months, so I am ready. My goal is to win the race.&rdquo;If she were to achieve her goal of breaking the course record, Mergia would earn prize money of $200,000, the biggest payday in marathon running.&ldquo;I am confident, but of course I know that it will be tough. Everyone who is coming to Dubai is competitive.&rdquo;Mergia will be up against a host of top Ethiopians, including defending champion Mulu Seboka, former Dubai winners Mamitu Daska and Askale Tafa, and last year&rsquo;s runner-up Meselech Melkamu.Kenya&rsquo;s Lucy Kabuu, who finished second to Mergia in 2012 in a time of 2:19:34, is also in the field. She is one of six women in the race with a PB better than 2:22.But the big danger &ndash; especially on a course that has produced so many victories from first-time marathon runners &ndash; could come from world half-marathon champion Gladys Cherono of Kenya. The world 10,000m silver medallist, who has a half marathon PB of 1:06:48, will be making her marathon debut.Including shorter distance races, a total of 25,000 runners have entered the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon.Jorg Wenig for the IAAF<h3>Elite field (with PBs)</h3> Men Lelisa Desisa (ETH) 2:04:45 Berhanu Shiferaw (ETH) 2:04:48 Feyisa Lilesa (ETH) 2:04:52 Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) 2:05:04 Bazu Worku (ETH) 2:05:25 Girmay Birhanu (ETH) 2:05:49 Chele Dechase (ETH) 2:06:33 Limenih Getachew (ETH) 2:06:49 Tebalu Zawude (ETH) 2:07:10 Belay Assefa (ETH) 2:07:10 Deribe Robi (ETH) 2:07:16 Amanuel Mesel (ERI) 2:08:17 Habtamu Assefa (ETH) 2:08:28 Adugna Takele (ETH) 2:08:37 Sisay Lemma (ETH) 2:09:02 Ghirmay Embaye (ERI) 2:09:08 Ezekiel Chebii (KEN) 2:09:15 Asmare Workneh (ETH) 2:09:20 Vitaliy Shafar (UKR) 2:09:37 Afework Mesfin (ETH) 2:09:47 Andualem Belay (ETH) 2:11:59 Mule Wasihun (ETH) debut Abdi Fufa (ETH) debutWomen Aselefech Mergia (ETH) 2:19:31 Lucy Kabuu (KEN) 2:19:34 Meselech Melkamu (ETH) 2:21:01 Aliaksandra Duliba (BLR) 2:21:29 Askale Tafa (ETH) 2:21:31 Mamitu Daska (ETH) 2:21:59 Atsede Baysa (ETH) 2:22:02 Aberu Kebede (ETH) 2:22:21 Tadelech Bekele (ETH) 2:23:02 Mulu Seboka (ETH) 2:23:12 Firehiwot Dado (ETH) 2:23:15 Isabellah Andersson (SWE) 2:23:41 Abebech Afework (ETH) 2:23:59 Sultan Haydar (TUR) 2:25:07 Azalech Masresha (ETH) 2:25:34 Ashete Bekere (ETH) 2:26:00 Aberu Mekuria (ETH) 2:26:07 Mestawet Tufa (ETH) 2:26:20 Betelhem Moges (ETH) 2:26:42 Rebecca Chesire (KEN) 2:27:16 Meseret Kitata (ETH) 2:27:26 Fantu Eticha (ETH) 2:27:31 Beata Nandjala (NAM) 2:27:54 Gladys Cherono (KEN) debut Shure Demissie (ETH) debut

Course records could well be under threat at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon when one of the best elite fields ever seen – including three-time Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele – takes to the streets on Friday (23) for the IAAF Gold Label Road Race.

Bekele and Mergia set sights on course records in Dubai

Ethiopia&rsquo;s two-time Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon winner Aselefech Mergia will bid for her third victory at the 2015 race on 23 January, organisers of the IAAF Gold Label Road Race announced on Sunday (28).Mergia won the 2011 and 2012 Dubai Marathons and is also the course record-holder for the women&rsquo;s race having won the latter in 2:19:31. Having taken time out to have a baby, she has returned to racing over short distances, but this will be her first marathon since the London 2012 Olympic Games, where she finished a disappointing 42nd.She will be joined in a powerful line-up by fellow Ethiopian and defending Dubai champion Mulu Seboka, who set her personal best of 2:23:12 when winning the 2014 Toronto Marathon in October, Kenya&rsquo;s Lucy Kabuu, who finished just three seconds behind Mergia in 2012 and ran what remains her personal best of 2:19:34, Ethiopia&rsquo;s 2014 Frankfurt Marathon winner Aberu Kebede, and marathon debutant Gladys Cherono of Kenya, the world half marathon champion.&ldquo;It is without doubt one of the strongest fields we have ever had,&rdquo; said event director Peter Connerton. &ldquo;We also have the winner of the 2011 New York Marathon, Firehiwot Dado from Ethiopia. The depth of quality in the field is impressive and I&rsquo;m sure Aselefech will be determined join her compatriot, the legendary Haile Gebrselassie, as a three-time winner of the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon," he added.The 2015 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon should see more than 25,000 runners compete across three races: the full marathon, 10km and the 4km Fun Run.Organisers for the IAAF

Ethiopia’s two-time Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon winner Aselefech Mergia will bid for her third victory at the 2015 race on 23 January, organisers of the IAAF Gold Label Road Race announced on Sunday (28).

Mergia returns to Dubai Marathon looking for hat-trick of victories

Athletes from 27 nations will be on the start line for the eighth edition of the Carrera de la Mujer in Bogota on Sunday (28), with the multinational women-only field for the IAAF Gold Label Road Race headed by the 2013 IAAF World Championships 10,000m bronze medallist Belaynesh Oljira.Oljira hasn’t quite shown the same form over the shorter distances this year, although she finished third in the African Championships 10,000m last month, as the 24-year-old Ethiopian has set her sights on doing well at the marathon, running a personal best of 2:24:21 in the Boston Marathon earlier this year.She has a best of 31:07 over 10km on the roads, which will be the elite women’s distance in Bogota this year, returning to the course length contested in the first two years of the event before it moved up to 12km.However, with Bogota being at 2625m altitude, higher than either Addis Ababa and Nairobi, fast times are unlikely to be to the fore of any elite runner’s priorities on Sunday.Oljira also has unfinished business in the Colombian capital. Last year, she was touted as the favourite after her podium finish in Moscow only to be a late withdrawal after being diagnosed with typhoid fever just prior to her departure for Bogota.Kenya’s former world youth and junior 3000m champion Veronicah Nyaruai will also be on the start line in Bogota, returning to the race she won in 2012. However, as Nyaruai is having her first international race of the year, perhaps a bigger threat to Oljira on current form is Nyaruai’s well-known compatriot Lucy Kabuu.This year, Kabuu has finished third at the Tokyo Marathon in February in 2:24.16, the following month finished fourth at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and then had two good wins on the roads over shorter distances but against high quality fields in India and the USA in May.Other elite overseas runners include USA’s Janet Cherobon, Polish 10,000m and half marathon record holder Karolina Jarzynska, Namibia’s Helalia Johannes and Italy’s Rosaria Console.South America will be well represented by Peru’s Judith Toribio, the three-time winner of the Lima Half Marathon who caused a big surprise when she finished fourth in Bogota last year.Local interest will be sustained by Yolanda Fernandez, who won the first three editions of the race, and Colombian 3000m steeplechase record holder Angela Figueroa, who are expected to duel for the honour of being the first Colombian runner to cross the line.An estimated 18,000 women are expected to participate in the three main races on the day, over various distances, which will be staged in Bogota’s Parque Metropolitano Simón Bolívar. The event can also boast of being one of only two women-only events with IAAF Gold Label Road Race status, the other being the Nagoya Women’s Marathon in Japan.Phil Minshull and organisers for the IAAF

Athletes from 27 nations will be on the start line for the eighth edition of the Carrera de la Mujer in Bogota on Sunday (28), with the multinational women-only field for the IAAF Gold Label Road Race headed by the 2013 IAAF World Championships 10,000m bronze medallist Belaynesh Oljira.

Oljira looking to resolve unfinished business at Bogota's Carrera de la Mujer

Kenya’s Lucy Kabuu, fourth at the 2014 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in March, came home ahead of the more than 4000 at the 36th running of the Freihofer’s Run for Women over 5km in Albany, New York state, on Saturday (31).Kabuu won in 15:21, nine seconds outside the course record of the IAAF Silver Label Road Race set by her compatriot Emily Chebet in 2010.A leading pack of about a dozen runners stayed together through to just before the halfway point in the race before Kabuu, who had always been pushing the pace at the front and with the Ethiopian pair of Mamitu Daska and Afera Godfay Berha close by on her heels, moved away from the rest of the potential contenders for the podium.Kabuu, a two-time Olympian over 10,000m, then moved into another gear over the final 800 metres to leave her two opponents trailing in her wake.Daska, the 2011 and 2012 champion, came home one second in arrears with Godfay in third in 15:28.“I went back to Kenya to train for this race, that’s why I was so confident because I had that good training,” Kabuu told local reporters. “I always try to run in the front from the start. I knew that the competition was tough but I always have courage when I’m running with other strong runners,” she added.“I could see her (Daska), I got courage then little by little I started to go in front. I always have in my mind winning, winning.”Kabuu hopes to be selected for her country's Commonwealth Games marathon team, hoping that they will forgive her for her disappointing 24th place finish at last year's IAAF World Championships and look instead at her credentials as one of the fastest women ever, having run 2:19:34 in Dubai two years ago and finishing a creditable third in a high quality race in Tokyo earlier this year. Megan Hogan was the first US woman across the line in Albany, finishing sixth in 15:50.Phil Minshull for the IAAF

Kenya’s Lucy Kabuu, fourth at the 2014 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in March, came home ahead of the more than 4000 at the 36th running of the Freihofer’s Run for Women over 5km on Saturday (31).

Kabuu close to course record at Run for Women in Albany

On paper, little separates Emily Chebet and Mamitu Daska as they head to Albany for this weekend’s Freihofer’s Run For Women, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race over 5km, on 31 May.Both athletes have won in Albany twice before. They have faced each other twice in the past at this race and have one win apiece. Even their career head-to-head record is equal at three wins each.Chebet, the two-time world cross-country champion from Kenya, set the course record of 15:12 in 2010 and then returned last year to regain her title. In between those victories, Ethiopia’s Daska secured back-to-back wins in 2011 and 2012.“I’m expecting this to be quite a contest,” said event director George Regan. “This is a tough course and only a handful of women have won Freihofer’s crowns three or more times (Lynn Jennings, Marla Runyan and Benita Willis). Emily and Mamitu are going to have to run a terrific race to earn a spot on that prestigious list.”But even then, there’s no guarantee that one of these former winners will break the tape again in Albany, such is the quality of the field.Ethiopia’s Bezunesh Deba, who clocked a PB of 2:19:59 when finishing second in this year’s Boston Marathon, is in the form of her life. The 26-year-old races almost exclusively in the US, but this will be her first time racing in the Run For Women in Albany.Kenya’s Lucy Kabuu is another member of the sub-2:20 marathon club. The two-time Olympic 10,000m finalist won the Commonwealth Games title back in 2006 but has since gone from strength to strength. She enters this weekend’s race fresh from a 31:46 victory over 10km in Bangalore.Former Ethiopian steeplechase record-holder Zemzem Ahmed is now forging a career on the roads and will be looking to improve on her eighth-place finish in Albany last year.Since finishing just outside the top three in Albany last year, USA’s Amy Van Alstine has twice improved her 5km PB, bringing it down to 15:30. The US cross-country champion has also improved on her 5000m PB this season, clocking 15:22.98, and in Albany will be looking to become the first US winner in 10 years.Megan Hogan is another strong US contender. She finished 10th in Albany last year, but was fifth in 2011 when she set her PB of 15:54.Other top athletes in the field include Ethiopian duo Afera Godfay and Genet Beyene, Kenya’s Agnes Cheserek, South African 10km champion Nolene Conrad and Morocco’s Rkia El Moukim.Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

On paper, little separates Emily Chebet and Mamitu Daska as they head to Albany for this weekend’s Freihofer’s Run For Women, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race over 5km, on 31 May.

Chebet and Daska square off in decider at Albany

The image of all five of the Kenyan team running in a line at the front of the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships women's race, eyes front, arms pumping in unison, will remain in the memory of all who witnessed it on what was, in all senses, a glorious day for running in Copenhagen on Saturday (29). It was as precise a team operation as any put together by those who had competed on the same city streets three years earlier at the World Cycling Championships.On that occasion, the diligent efforts of a dominent British team including Bradley Wiggins put Mark Cavendish in perfect position to launch his killing final sprint to victory.As the women in red, black and green advanced towards the finish line outside the Danish Parliament buildings, with an estimated 200,000 spectators lining the course, the only question remaining was: which of them would advance to claim the medals, with their last rival, in the form of Ethiopia’s Netsanet Gudeta, drifting further from contention.In the past, on roads and across country, Kenyan teams have established similar dominance to the point where they have effectively been able to allow their favoured, most meritorious runner to advance and claim gold.A classic example occurred at the 1993 World Cross Country Championships in Spain, when, as the Kenyan men’s coach was happy to verify at the time, William Sigei, who was to go on and break the 10,000m world record the following year, was deemed the most deserving winner after all outside opposition had been dealt with.In Copenhagen, as the eventual winner Gladys Cherono confirmed, there was no such plan in operation, despite the presence in the team of Lucy Wangui Kabuu, fastest half marathon runner in the world last year, who was to eventually finish fourth.The plan that was in place related to the team competition, where the Kenyans were set on reclaiming the gold which had gone to Ethiopia in the last running of these championships, two years ago in the Bulgarian city of Kavarna.Cherono, like her fellow Kenyan winner of the men’s race, Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor, looked particularly dominant as a long-time front runner, her face set in concentration. Yet the 30-year-old silver medallist from last year’s IAAF World Championship 10,000m in Moscow revealed afterwards that she was travelling as much in hope as expectation.“I wasn’t expecting to win,” she said. “We ran as a team and we were told to talk to each other all the way. We came from number one to number five, and that was amazing. We did not want to leave anybody behind. “When we got to 18 kilometres I saw that everybody was no longer having enough energy so I decided to push on and go ahead. I felt that I was still strong, so I decided to go.”The next task now for a runner who won the 5000m and 10,000m at the 2012 African Championships is to prepare for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer.She also confirmed that she would be running the 10,000m in Scotland, looking further ahead, she also confirmed her readiness to defend the title she had won so convincingly in two years’ time, when the event will be held in the British city of Cardiff.“If I am selected,” she added, with her now familiar beaming smile.Mike Rowbottom for the IAAF

The image of all five of the Kenyan team running in a line at the front of the The image of all five of the Kenyan team running in a line at the front of the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships women's race, eyes front, arms pumping in unison, will remain in the memory of all who witnessed it on what was, in all senses, a glorious day for running in Copenhagen on Saturday (29). women's race, eyes front, arms pumping in unison, will remain in the memory of all who witnessed it on what was, in all senses, a glorious day for running in Copenhagen on Saturday (29).