Two of the world's leading marathon runners Aselefech Mergia and Mare Dibaba will go head-to-head in the women's race at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on 26 January.
Mergia, who turns 33 just three days before the event, is the greatest female runner in the history of the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon having won three times and setting the course record of 2:19:31 in her three appearances. It will be her first start in the world's richest marathon since her last victory in the UAE in 2015.
But if the Ethiopian is to maintain her 100% winning record, she will need to see off a talented field that includes compatriots Dibaba, marathon gold medallist at the 2015 IAAF World Championships and a bronze medal winner at the Rio Olympics in 2016, and defending champion Worknesh Degefa.
With personal bests of 2:19:31 and 2:19:52 respectively, Mergia and Dibaba are the fastest women in the field and their race for the US$200,000 first prize will be one of the major battles to watch in one of the first big marathon meetings of the year.
"We are excited to have two huge talents leading the women's field," said Event Director Peter Connerton. "Aselefech Mergia has won every time she has raced here, while Mare Dibaba has won World Championship and Olympic medals since finishing third in Dubai in 2012."
With a reputation for providing a flat and fast course combined with benign weather conditions, Dubai is a favourite with the great and the good of long distance running such as three-time champion Mergia whose last appearance in Dubai was an emotional one.
Almost three years after her last race at the distance and just 18 months after giving birth to her daughter Sena, she outpaced Kenya&rsquo;s Gladys Cherono to win the 2015 race by just one second in a time of 2:20:02. She returns to Dubai fresh from a sold third place finish at last year's London Marathon.
Looking to thwart Mergia's hope of a fourth Dubai title, 28 year-old Dibaba is one of the most successful marathon runners in the world. Since stepping up the 42.195km distance in 2010, she has won the 2014 Chicago Marathon, clinched victory in the Xiamen Marathon in China on two occasions and won the World Championship&rsquo;s marathon in Beijing in 2015 and the Olympic marathon bronze a year later in Rio.
Organisers for the IAAF

Two of the world's leading marathon runners Aselefech Mergia and Mare Dibaba will go head-to-head in the women's race at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on 26 January.

Mergia and Dibaba join Dubai women's field

Ethiopia's Mare Dibaba and Jake Robertson of New Zealand took the victories at the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, in the Portuguese capital on Sunday (19).
A conservative start put paid early on to any assault on the 1:08:22 course record in the women's race. Portugal's Jessica Augusto, the national cross country champion, took the early lead in her test run in advance of next month's Hamburg Marathon, and was at the head of the pack until the 16th kilometre.
"The favourites really weren't running like usual, to get good performances, so I went to the lead to try and push the pace a little harder," said Augusto, who eventually finished seventh.
In the 16th kilometre, the pace changed dramatically with Kenya's Olympic 5000m champion Vivian Cheruyiot and Dibaba, the 2015 world marathon champion, at the front, just a few seconds ahead of Mary Wacera and Afera Godfay Behra. The quartet continued running together through the finish where Dibaba's stronger sprint made the difference.
The Ethiopian clocked 1:09:43, but was hoping for something faster ahead of her appearance at next month's London Marathon.
Cheruiyot took the runner-up spot just one second behind, with Wacera third in 1:09:53. Berha was fourth two more seconds back.
<h3>Robertson springs surprise in half marathon debut</h3>
The men's race was fiercely competitive with five runners, along with pacemaker Alex Korio, covering the opening 10 kilometres in 27:45. At that point Kenyan James Wangari tried to make a move, but Robertson stayed with him.
After the 16th kilometre Robertson moved to the front and never relented, reaching the line in 1:00:01 in his debut over the distance to become the first non-African winner at this race since Portugal's Antonio Pinto won in 1998 clocking 59:43.
"I was expecting to run faster than my brother's performance," he said, referring to his twin brother Zane Robertson's 59:47 Oceania area record. "But in the closing kilometres I couldn't keep the pace and then had to only focus on winning the race. That was really good and I'm proud of that."
Wangari was second in 1:00:11 while Kenyan Edwin Koech won the battle for third over 20-year-old Ethiopian Tadu Abate Deme by just one second in 1:00.45.
Antonio Fernandes for the IAAF
Leading Results:
<div>MEN - </div>
<div>1. Jake Thomas Robertson (NZL) 1:00:01</div>
<div>2. James Wangari Mwangi (KEN) 1:00:11</div>
<div>3. Edwin Kibet Koech (KEN) 1:00:45</div>
<div>4. Tadu Abate Deme (ETH) 1:00:46</div>
<div>5. Nguse Amloson (ERI) 1:03:52</div>
<div>6. Samuel Barata (POR) 1:03:52</div>
<div>7. Ibrahim Mukunga Wachira (KEN) 1:04:33</div>
<div>8. Cutbert Nyasango (ZIM) 1:04:36</div>
<div> WOMEN - </div>
<div>1. Mare Dibaba (ETH) 1:09.43</div>
<div>2. Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) 1:09:44</div>
<div>3. Mary Wacera (KEN) 1:09:53</div>
<div>4. Afera Godfay Berha (ETH) 1:09:55</div>
<div>5. Ruti Aga (ETH) 1:10:02</div>
<div>6. Ababel Yeshaneah (ETH) 1:10:13</div>
<div>7. Jessica Augusto (POR) 1:10:38</div>
<div>8. Katarzyna Kowalska (POL) 1:12:01</div>

Ethiopia's Mare Dibaba and Jake Robertson of New Zealand took the victories at the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, in the Portuguese capital on Sunday (19).

Dibaba and Robertson win heated battles in Lisbon

The EDP Lisbon Half Marathon&rsquo;s flat and fast course has attracted numerous global medallists to the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Sunday (19).
The women&rsquo;s contest will be the biggest focus of this year&rsquo;s race as Olympic 5000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot takes on world marathon champion Mare Dibaba.
Cheruyiot, who also took silver over 10,000m before her triumph at the shorter event in Rio last year, has contested just one half marathon to date but her debut was a victorious one as she won the Great North Run in 1:07:54 last year. If the 33-year-old Kenyan can match that kind of time in the Portuguese capital, she would break the course record of 1:08:22, set by Rose Chelimo in 2015.
Dibaba hasn&rsquo;t raced since she took the bronze medal in the marathon at last year&rsquo;s Olympic Games, but she has a strong record at the half marathon distance. The 27-year-old Ethiopian, who is currently preparing for the London Marathon, has run faster than 68 minutes on three occasions and has a best of 1:07:13.
Kenya&rsquo;s Mary Wacera is the fastest in the field. The Kenyan has finished on the podium at the past two editions of the IAAF World Half Marathon championships and has a lifetime best of 1:06:29. A former winner in Boston and Houston, this will be Wacera&rsquo;s first appearance in Portugal.
Ruti Aga won in Lisbon last year in what was just her second race at the distance. The 23-year-old Ethiopian will defend her title on Sunday against a much tougher field than the one she faced 12 months ago.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s world and Olympic finalist Ababel Yeshaneh and 2014 European marathon champion Christelle Daunay of France are also in the field. The Portuguese challenge is led by European half marathon champion Sara Moreira, 2012 European 10,000m champion Ana Dulce Felix and European half marathon bronze medallist Jessica Augusto.
Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong had to withdraw from the race at the last minute after picking up a small injury.
Such is the quality of the men&rsquo;s field, the organisers have asked pacemaker Alex Korio to take the field through the first 10 kilometres in 27:40.
James Mwangi is one of the athletes who will be expected to cope with that pace. The Kenyan made his half-marathon debut last year with a 59:12 victory in Milan. He followed it by winning a high-quality race in Copenhagen, improving his lifetime best to 59:07 after covering the opening 10km in 27:10.
Eritrea&rsquo;s 2014 African 10,000m champion Nguse Amlosom has twice won the Lisbon Rock&rsquo;n&rsquo;Roll Half Marathon, but this will be his first appearance at the &lsquo;other&rsquo; half marathon in the Portuguese capital.
Simon Cheprot set his PB of 59:20 back in 2013 and finished sixth at last year&rsquo;s IAAF World Half Marathon Championships.
Other contenders include Kenya&rsquo;s Edwin Kibet Koech, Daniel Rotich and Zimbabwe&rsquo;s Cuthbert Nyasango, all of whom have lifetime bests within 61 minutes. France&rsquo;s 2009 world steeplechase bronze medallist Bouabdellah Tahri is also in the field, while Portuguese hopes rest with Samuel Barata, Hermano Ferreira and Rui Teixeira.
Ant&oacute;nio Manuel Fernandes for the IAAF

The EDP Lisbon Half Marathon’s flat and fast course has attracted numerous global medallists to the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Sunday (19).

Cheruiyot-Dibaba clash could lead to course record in Lisbon

Organisers of the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon have announced that Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong, world marathon champion Mare Dibaba and Olympic 5000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot will line up against one another at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on 19 March.
Sumgong, who finished second in Lisbon in 2014, will return to the Portuguese capital with the aim of improving her personal best of 1:06:58, set two months before her victory at the 2016 London Marathon.
She will be up against fellow Kenyan Cheruiyot, who won last year&rsquo;s Great South Run in 1:07:54 on her half marathon debut, just one month after taking 5000m gold and 10,000m silver at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Dibaba, who has a half-marathon PB of 1:07:13, will also be in the field.
The fastest in the women&rsquo;s race, though, is Ethiopia&rsquo;s Genet Yalew. The Ethiopian set a PB of 1:06:26 last year and went on to finish fifth at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships.
Others in the field include defending champion Ruti Aga, world half-marathon bronze medallist Mary Wacera, world cross-country bronze medallist Netsanet Gudeta, Olympic 5000m finalist Ababel Yeshaneh, 2012 European 10,000m champion Ana Dulce Felix and European half marathon bronze medallist Jessica Augusto.
The men&rsquo;s field doesn&rsquo;t contain any global champions, but it boasts three men with sub-60-minute PBs.
James Mwangi is perhaps the most exciting prospect. The Kenyan made his half-marathon debut last year with a 59:12 victory in Milan. He followed it by winning a high-quality race in Copenhagen, improving his lifetime best to 59:07.
Eritrea&rsquo;s 2014 African 10,000m champion Nguse Amlosom has twice won the Lisbon Rock&rsquo;n&rsquo;Roll Half Marathon, but this will be his first appearance at the &lsquo;other&rsquo; half marathon in the Portuguese capital.
Simon Cheprot set his PB of 59:20 back in 2013 and finished sixth at last year&rsquo;s IAAF World Half Marathon Championships.
Others in the men&rsquo;s field include Kenya&rsquo;s Emmanuel Kipsang, Eritrea&rsquo;s Yohanes Ghebregergish and Zimbabwe&rsquo;s Cuthbert Nyasango. 2014 African cross-country champion Leonard Barsoton and 2014 world U20 10,000m bronze medallist Nicholas Kosimbei will both be making their half-marathon debut.
Ant&oacute;nio Manuel Fernandes for the IAAF
<h3>Elite field</h3>
Men James Mwangi (KEN) 59:07 Simon Cheprot (KEN) 59:20 Nguse Amlosom (ERI) 59:39 Emmanuel Kipsang (KEN) 1:00:14 Yohanes Ghebregergish (ERI) 1:00:21 Cuthbert Nyasango (ZIM) 1:00:26 Edwin Kibet Koech (KEN) 1:00:47 Daniel Rotich (UGA) 1:00:59 Hermano Ferreira (POR) 1:01:24 Sergey Lebid (UKR) 1:01:51 Rui Pedro Silva (POR) 1:02:38 Tiidrek Nurme (EST) 1:03:13 Rui Teixeira (POR) 1:03:16 Bouabdellah Tahri (FRA) 1:03:38 Ricardo Ribas (POR) 1:03:58 Leonard Barsoton (KEN) debut Nicholas Kosimbei (KEN) debut
Women Genet Yalew (ETH) 1:06:26 Mary Wacera (KEN) 1:06:29 Jemima Sumgong (KEN) 1:06:58 Mare Dibaba (ETH) 1:07:13 Netsanet Gudeta (ETH) 1:07:31 Ababel Yeshaneh (ETH) 1:07:52 Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) 1:07:54 Eunice Chumba (BRN) 1:08:04 Ruti Aga (ETH) 1:08:07 Afera Godfay (ETH) 1:08:32 Ana Dulce F&eacute;lix (POR) 1:08:32 Christelle Daunay (FRA) 1:08:34 Jessica Augusto (POR) 1:09:08 Katarzyna Kowalsk (POL) 1:10:06 Purity Changwony (KEN) 1:10:34 Pauline Korikwiang (KEN) 1:12:03 Vanessa Fernandes (POR) 1:12:28 Winfridah Moraa Moseti (KEN) 1:12:57 Leila Luik (EST) 1:13:58 Maria Casanueva (ESP) 1:14:20 Lily Luik (EST) 1:15:05

Organisers of the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon have announced that Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong, world marathon champion Mare Dibaba and Olympic 5000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot will line up against one another at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on 19 March.

Clash of global champions set for Lisbon Half Marathon

Major championship marathons are unpredictable for three main reasons.
Firstly, most top road runners tend to do just one or two marathons in any twelve-month period, making their form difficult to assess. Major championships are also held in the peak of summer, which conflicts with the spring and autumn road-running seasons. And finally, the conditions at many major championships aren&rsquo;t always conducive to marathon running.
But taking all of that into consideration, there is still a small number of women who look poised to perform well on the streets of Rio.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Mare Dibaba underlined her big-time credentials when winning the marathon at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015. In one of the closest championship marathons in history, Dibaba edged ahead of Kenya&rsquo;s Helah Kiprop and Bahrain&rsquo;s Eunice Kirwa to take gold in the Chinese capital.
The 26-year-old hasn&rsquo;t been quite at her best this year, though. She was third at the Houston Half Marathon in 1:07:55 in January and then placed sixth at the London Marathon. She hasn&rsquo;t raced since then.
All three medallists from Beijing will be reunited in Rio. Kiprop heads the Kenyan trio which also includes London Marathon winner Jemima Sumgong and Paris Marathon champion Visiline Jepkesho.
Six months after taking silver in Beijing, Kiprop smashed her personal best to win the Tokyo Marathon in 2:21:27. Her last race before heading to Rio was a convincing 1:08:36 half-marathon victory in Zwolle two months ago.
Sumgong, who finished fourth at last year&rsquo;s World Championships, has also been impressive this year. Before defeating a quality field at the London Marathon, she had set a half-marathon PB of 1:06:58 in Ras Al Khaimah. More recently, she won over 10km in New York in 31:26.
She may not be a household name, but in recent years Kirwa has quietly established herself as one of the most consistent marathon runners in the world. She has won all of her races this year, including the Marugame Half Marathon where she set a PB of 1:08:06, and the Nagoya Marathon in March.
Dibaba is joined on the Ethiopian team by Tirfe Tsegaye and Tigist Tufa. Tsegaye clocked a world-leading 2:19:41 to win the Dubai Marathon at the start of the year and then finished second at the Boston Marathon. Her eighth-place finish at last year&rsquo;s World Championships will have given her valuable experience of a championship marathon.
Tufa&rsquo;s only race this year was a second-place finish at the London Marathon in 2:23:03. A 2:21:52 runner at her best, the 29-year-old finished sixth at last year&rsquo;s World Championships, having won the London Marathon earlier in the year.
After winning the Osaka Marathon in 2:22:17, Japan&rsquo;s Kayoko Fukushi looked capable of breaking up the dominance of the African-born runners in Rio. But the 2013 world bronze medallist picked up a foot injury at the Gifu Seiryu Half Marathon in May and was forced to withdraw from some of her scheduled races in June and July, so she may not be at her best in Rio.
Since finishing third in the US trial race back in February, Shalane Flanagan has gone on to set PBs over 10km (30:52) and the half marathon (1:07:51). This will be the fourth Olympics for the 35-year-old, who took bronze over 10,000m in 2008 and finished ninth in the marathon in 2012.
Former race walker Olga Mazuronak could be the surprise package. The Belarusian finished strongly at the London Marathon to take third place in a personal best of 2:23:54. She hasn&rsquo;t raced since then, but if she is anywhere near her best form, she could be a danger in the closing stages.
Portugal&rsquo;s Sara Moreira warmed up for Rio by winning the half-marathon title at the recent European Championships. Having contested the steeplechase in 2008 and the marathon in 2012, the 30-year-old will be hoping to make an impact in her third Olympics.
Veterans Christelle Daunay of France and Jelena Prokopcuka also cannot be discounted.
Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

Major championship marathons are unpredictable for three main reasons.

Preview: women's marathon – Rio 2016 Olympic Games

World marathon champion Mare Dibaba is one of six athletes who will represent Ethiopia in the marathon at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The Ethiopian Athletics Federation has confirmed its selections &ndash; along with several reserves &ndash; for both the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s marathon, following the announcement of its provisional selection last month.
The men&rsquo;s team comprises the winners of three of the world&rsquo;s biggest marathons so far this year: Dubai Marathon champion Tesfaye Abera, Boston Marathon champion Lemi Berhanu and Tokyo Marathon champion Feyisa Lelisa, with 2013 world silver medallist Lelisa Desisa as the reserve.
Dibaba, who equalled her lifetime best of 2:19:52 when winning last year&rsquo;s Xiamen Marathon, is joined on the women&rsquo;s team by Dubai Marathon champion Tirfi Tsegaye, who clocked a world-leading 2:19:41 earlier this year, and Tigist Tufa, who won the 2015 London Marathon and finished second in this year&rsquo;s race.
Two-time Berlin Marathon champion Aberu Kebede and three-time Dubai Marathon winner Aselefech Mergia are now the reserves.

World marathon champion Mare Dibaba is one of six athletes who will represent Ethiopia in the marathon at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

World champion Dibaba leads Ethiopia’s Olympic marathon selections

Ethiopian athletes have won both the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s races at the past seven editions of the Chevron Houston Marathon; a trend that looks set to continue at the IAAF Bronze Label Road Race on 17 January.Birhanu Gedefa and Bazu Worku, who between them have won the past three Houston titles, lead the men&rsquo;s field.Gedefa was something of a surprise winner last year, clawing back a 14-second deficit in the last couple of miles to win in a lifetime best of 2:08:03. But the rest of his 2015 campaign wasn&rsquo;t quite as successful. He finished fifth over 10km in Toronto in April and at the Beijing Marathon in September.Fellow Ethiopian Worku, winner of the Houston Marathon in 2014 and 2013, owns the fastest PB of the field. The 25-year-old clocked 2:05:25 when finishing third in Berlin in 2010, while his fastest time in Houston came when he successfully defended his title in 2014, running 2:07:32.He will be aiming to become just the third man in the 44-year history of the race to win three times in Houston.Girmay Birhanu also stands a good chance of maintaining the Ethiopian dominance in Houston. He finished two places behind Worku at last year&rsquo;s Dubai Marathon, but went on to have a more successful season than his compatriot. He won in Daegu with 2:07:26 and then in Ottawa in 2:08:14 before ending his season with a fourth-place finish at the Chicago Marathon.His best of 2:05:49, set at the 2014 Dubai Marathon, makes him one of just two men in the field with a PB faster than the course record of 2:06:51, set by Tariku Jufar in 2012.After finishing fifth in 2014 and fourth in 2015, Kenya&rsquo;s Dominic Ondoro will look to at least make the podium this time, and perhaps even break the seven-year winning streak by Ethiopian athletes in Houston. The 27-year-old has a PB of 2:08:00, set when winning the 2013 Tibeiras Marathon.Poland&rsquo;s Artur Kozlowski leads the European challenge, while Ethiopia&rsquo;s Yitayal Atnafu is one of a handful of debutants who could spring a surprise.<h3>Shone&rsquo;s chance to shine</h3>Although 2015 winner Yebrqual Melese won&rsquo;t defend her title, three of the top-four finishers from last year will return to Houston.Guteni Shone smashed her PB by seven minutes to take second place in 2:23:32 in Houston last year, just nine seconds behind the winner. Three months later, the 24-year-old comfortably won the Seoul Marathon in 2:26:22.If she sets out at a similar pace to last year, Shone could even challenge the course record of 2:23:14, set by Alemitu Abera in 2012.Compatriot Biruktayit Eshetu Degefa will also be returning to Houston. She finished fourth in 2014 and third in 2015, setting personal bests on both occasions. If she continues that trend on Sunday, she will be a serious contender for victory.Sechale Dalasa, who finished fourth in 2015, is also aiming to do better than last year. A 2:26:27 runner at best, she is yet to win a marathon, but her best finishes to date have all been in North American races.Australia&rsquo;s Lisa Weightman will be contesting her first marathon for more than two years. She set her PB of 2:26:05 in her most recent race over the classic distance, the 2013 Melbourne Marathon.<h3>Dibaba to make first post-Beijing appearance</h3>In the Aramco Houston Half Marathon held on the same day, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Mare Dibaba will be contesting her first race since winning the marathon at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015. The Ethiopian has a PB of 1:07:13, which is more than a minute faster than the course record of 1:08:26 set in 2012 by Belaynesh Oljira.World half-marathon silver medallist Mary Wacera and fellow Kenyan Cynthia Limo, the fastest woman in the field with a PB of 1:07:02 are also entered. Buzunesh Deba, the 2014 Boston Marathon runner-up, will be contesting her first half marathon in Houston, having finished second in the marathon in 2013.Lelisa Desisa leads the men&rsquo;s field. The Boston Marathon champion is undefeated in the half marathon since 2012 and has a PB of 59:30 for the distance. But compatriot Mosinet Geremew, who has a personal best of 59:11, will be the fastest man in the field.USA&rsquo;s 2015 winner Diego Estrada will return to Houston to defend his title, having won 12 months ago with a PB of 1:00:51.Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

Ethiopian athletes have won both the men’s and women’s races at the past seven editions of the Chevron Houston Marathon; a trend that looks set to continue at the IAAF Bronze Label Road Race on 17 January.

Another Ethiopian double looks likely in Houston

Tigist Tufa will return to the scene of her greatest triumph when she lines up to defend her Virgin Money London Marathon title on Sunday 24 April, organisers of the IAAF Gold Label Road Race announced on Tuesday (12).Tufa will again face the woman she beat to win the coveted crown in 2015, Kenya&rsquo;s Mary Keitany, and the woman who won the world title last summer, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Mare Dibaba.Tufa upset the odds when she outran four much-fancied Kenyans to win last year, becoming only the second Ethiopian ever to claim the women&rsquo;s title on a day that saw record numbers cross the London Marathon finish line at the end of the 35th anniversary race.The Ethiopian was at the head of them all, producing a devastating burst in the last three miles to take a shock victory in front of two-time winner Mary Keitany.She returns to the British capital determined to show that last year&rsquo;s victory was no fluke.Tufa went on to finish sixth at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 last August, a race won by Dibaba, and then came home third at the New York City Marathon behind Keitany last November.&ldquo;Winning in London was the greatest moment in my career so far,&rdquo; said Tufa, who won the Shanghai and Ottawa marathons in 2014. &ldquo;I am happy to be returning to London in 2016 to defend my title. I know it won&rsquo;t be easy because the London fields are always the best in the world, but I am determined to do my best again.&rdquo;The 28-year-old Tufa denied Keitany a third London Marathon win last year.Keitany improved the African record to 2:18:37, the fourth fastest time in history, when she won the London Marathon for a second time in 2012 but she needed a sprint finish to secure last year&rsquo;s runner-up spot by one second.The Kenyan is again the fastest woman on the start list, one of nine women in the elite field with personal bests better than 2:22:00, while no fewer than five have run the classic distance faster than 2:20:00.Dibaba, a former Chicago Marathon champion who runs in London for the first time, is one of that quintet, with a best of 2:19:52.<h3>More Kenyan challengers</h3>London&rsquo;s sub-2:20 club includes two other highly-ranked Kenyans who have recently been in winning form: Berlin Marathon champion Gladys Cherono, who will make her London Marathon debut, and Chicago Marathon champion and world half marathon record-holder Florence Kiplagat, who was fifth in London last year. Aselefech Mergia, another of Tufa&rsquo;s compatriots, is another member of the deep elite women&rsquo;s field announced on Tuesday. A three-time winner of the lucrative Dubai Marathon, Mergia is the 2010 London champion and was fourth last year.The five-strong Kenyan challenge is completed by Priscah Jeptoo, the Olympic bronze medallist who was a London Marathon winner three years ago, and Jemima Sumgong, a former Rotterdam Marathon champion who was sixth in 2015.The European challenge will be led by Portugal&rsquo;s Jessica Augusto and Volha Mazuronak from Belarus. Augusto ran a personal best to place sixth here in 2014, her third top-10 finish, while Mazuronak was ninth last year in a personal best, just ahead of Morocco&rsquo;s Rkia El Moukim, who is also in the field again.&nbsp;With Rio 2016 Olympic Games places up for grabs, there will be fierce competition among the leading Britons. The first two home with British Athletics&rsquo; qualifying time of 2:31:00 are guaranteed a trip to Rio, which puts Sonia Samuels and Alyson Dixon in the driving seat as they both beat the standard at the Berlin Marathon last September.Susan Partridge could also be in the mix after coming desperately close to the selection time in Chicago last October, while Freya Ross has high hopes of making the Olympic team again after running at the 2012 Olympic Games as a late replacement for Paula Radcliffe.The experienced Louise Damen is also capable of achieving the time, and marathon debutantes Jess Coulson and Charlotte Purdue should not be discounted either.Organisers for the IAAFElite women&rsquo;s field (and personal bests): Mary Keitany (KEN) 2:18:37 Gladys Cherono (KEN) 2:19:25 Aselefech Mergia (ETH) 2:19:31 Florence Kiplagat (KEN) 2:19:44 Mare Dibaba (ETH) 2:19:52 Priscah Jeptoo (KEN) 2:20:14 Feyse Tadese (ETH) 2:20:27 Jemima Sumgong (KEN) 2:20:48 Tigist Tufa (ETH) 2:21:52 Jessica Augusto (POR) 2:24:25 Volha Mazuronak (BLR) 2:25:36 Rkia El Moukim (MAR) 2:26:33 Diana Lobacevske (LTU) 2:28:03 Sonia Samuels (GBR) 2:28:04 Freya Ross (GBR) 2:28:10 Alyson Dixon (GBR) 2:29:30 Louise Damen (GBR) 2:30:00 Susan Partridge (GBR) 2:30:46 Irvette Van Blerk (RSA) 2:31:26 Cassie Fien (AUS) 2:38:53 Jess Coulson (GBR) debut Charlotte Purdue (GBR) debut

Tigist Tufa will return to the scene of her greatest triumph when she lines up to defend her Virgin Money London Marathon title on Sunday 24 April, organisers of the IAAF Gold Label Road Race announced on Tuesday (12).

Tufa to defend her London Marathon title

Statisticians A Lennart Julin and Mirko Jalava look back on the best road-running performances of the year.<h3>Men&rsquo;s marathon</h3>For the eighth time in the past 10 years, the world list is topped by the winning performance from the Berlin Marathon. And for the seventh year in a row, the top performer is from Kenya.The most remarkable thing this year probably was that the world record was not improved by the Berlin winner, as it had been in 2011, 2013 and 2014.But it might simply be that the winner, Eliud Kipchoge, is more of a racer than a record-chaser. He also won the most competitive marathon of the year &ndash; London &ndash; in a time marginally slower than his 2:04:00 Berlin performance after being involved in an intense fight for the win with former world record-holder Wilson Kipsang, who finished five seconds behind.Kipsang and current record-holder Dennis Kimetto, who finished third in London, were selected for the World Championships in late August and Kenya certainly expected success from the top two of all time. But despite a slow start to the race, both dropped out prematurely, blaming the humid conditions.East African runners still dominated the decisive part of the Beijing race with teenager Ghirmay Ghebreselassie finishing strongest, taking the first ever Eritrean gold at the World Championships. The remaining two podium places went to Ethiopia (Yemane Tsegay) and Uganda (Solomon Mutai).In recent years, top races such as New York and Chicago have stopped using pacemakers, which have made their race patterns noticeably more cautious. A good illustration was provided by New York winner Stanley Biwott whose first three 10km splits of 31:32-31:44 were followed by a fourth of 29:09.<h3>Men&rsquo;s half marathon</h3>While Kenya and Ethiopia respectively own about 60% and 30% of the top marathon performances in 2015, the Kenyan bias in the half marathon is even stronger at about 80%.It could soon challenge the steeplechase as their national event.The half marathon is one of the most dynamic events of this century so far. During the first six years of the new millennium there was, on average, one runner per year dipping under the one-hour barrier. Since then it has exploded and in the past two years the number of sub-60 runners has reached the thirties.Despite this revolutionary rise in overall standards, Zersenay Tadese&rsquo;s 58:23 world record has remained intact since 2010. But that may soon change if world half-marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor focuses on the 13.1-mile event.The 23-year-old Kenyan did not contest a half marathon this year. Instead, compatriot Abraham Cheroben ended the year as world leader following his winning performance in Valencia, just as he had done in 2014.Cheroben&rsquo;s one loss at the distance in 2015 came in Berlin where debutant Birhanu Legese won in 59:45. After being beaten in Luanda and Copenhagen, Legese ended the year on a high when winning in New Delhi with a PB of 59:20 in what was the most competitive half marathon of the year.<h3>Men&rsquo;s other events</h3>While the world-leading time for the 10,000m on the track is consistently sub-27, there has been only one road time ever of that calibre &ndash; Leonard Komon&rsquo;s world record of 26:44 set in 2010.Actually in the past four years the top 10km road time has hovered about 27:30, possibly because the road 10km is mainly contested by full-time road specialists who focus on considerably longer distances such as the half or full marathon.This theory is supported by the fact that the 2015 world lists for the 10,000m and the 10km have no names in common at the top level. None of the top 10 on the track have run a quality road 10km and vice versa.Just like Cheroben in the half marathon, Kenya&rsquo;s Stephen Sambu retained his position as world leader for a second year. His 27:30 victory in Manchester put him five seconds ahead of Cheroben on the world list.The world list was also more globally represented at the top. In 2014, Kenya filled the top 20 places. This year, five different nations were represented in the top 10.The main event among the ultra-distances in 2015 was the IAU World 100k Championships. This year there was a run-away win for previous four-time runner-up Jonas Buud of Sweden.<h3>Women&rsquo;s marathon</h3>Just three days into 2015, Mare Dibaba started her season with a world-leading 2:19:52 in Xiamen, equalling her 2012 personal best from Dubai. The 26-year-old Ethiopian, who finished 22nd at the London 2012 Olympics, then finished a close second in Boston in April before capping her season with a win at her first World Championships in Beijing, clocking 2:27:35.Dibaba was almost perfect in her three races of the season. Her world lead lasted almost nine months before Kenya&rsquo;s Gladys Cherono won the Berlin Marathon in a PB of 2:19:25 to end the year as the world leader.World half marathon Cherono had not contested a full marathon before this year, but her victory in Berlin followed a 2:20:03 second-place finish in Dubai earlier in 2015.Fellow Kenyan Helah Kiprop, whose PB is just 2:24:03, was a surprise silver medallist in Beijing in 2:27:36. The 30-year-old challenged Dibaba for the win in the final straight, just falling short of the victory.The third athlete to enter the stadium together with the first two was Bahrain&rsquo;s Eunice Jepkirui. The 31-year-old seemed happy with the bronze, finishing in 2:27:39. She had set a 2:22:08 national record earlier in the year when winning in Nagoya.Ethiopia&rsquo;s Aselefech Mergia was the third-fastest woman in 2015, winning in Dubai in January in 2:20:02, 31 seconds slower than her winning time in the same location in 2012. Countrywoman Shure Demise set an unofficial world junior best with a fourth-place finish in the same race, clocking 2:20:59.<h3>Women&rsquo;s half marathon</h3>The women&rsquo;s half marathon season started with a blast in February.Mary Keitany, the 2009 world champion over this distance, ran a world-leading 1:06:02 to win in Ras Al Khaimah. Just two days later, fellow Kenyan Florence Kiplagat repeated her feat from 12 months prior when winning in Barcelona with a world record. Her time of 1:05:09 took three seconds from her own mark.Kiplagat also set 20km (1:01:54) and 15km (46:14) world records within the race.While Kiplagat&rsquo;s season only included this one fast race, Keitany on the other hand was the best runner in this event looking at the whole season. She followed her early victory with a 1:06:38 win in Olomouc in June and she also won the Great North Run in September, clocking 1:07:32. Her last defeat at the distance dates back to 2007.Other notable runners over the half marathon distance were Ethiopia&rsquo;s Mamitu Daska, who was second in Ras Al Khaimah in a 1:06:27 personal best and later won the All African Games in Brazzaville, and Kenya&rsquo;s Gladys Cherono, who won in Istanbul in a PB of 1:06:38.<h3>Women&rsquo;s other events</h3>Kenya&rsquo;s Gladys Chesire was the fastest runner over 10km with her world-leading 30:41 in October. The 22-year-old opened her season with a 32:12 third-place finish in Bangalore in May and went on to take the silver medal in the 10,000m at the All African Games in Brazzaville in September.A new name emerged at the top of the women&rsquo;s road racing in 2015. 22-year-old Kenyan Peris Jepchirchir ran a world-leading 30:55 in Prague in September, ending the year as the second-best performance of 2015. Her best times prior to this season were 31:34 for 10km and 1:09:12 for the half marathon. She also lowered her best to 1:07:17 in that event in 2015.Gladys Cherono was at the top of this event too, having run an early world lead of 30:56 in Ottawa in May. Ethiopian Genet Ayalew, the 3000m bronze medallist at the 2009 World Youth Championships, dropped almost a minute off her previous best, clocking 30:58 for the win in Tilburg in September.Also a world youth 3000m bronze medallist but 10 years earlier in 1999, Malika Asahssah ran a personal best over 10km. The 33-year-old won in Laredo in March in 31:00, having clocked 31:30 just two weeks prior to that race in Taroudant.A Lennart Julin (men&rsquo;s events) and Mirko Jalava (women&rsquo;s events) for the IAAF

Statisticians A Lennart Julin and Mirko Jalava look back on the best road-running performances of the year.

2015 end-of-year reviews – road running

The Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) named Eliud Kipchoge and Mare Dibaba as the male and female winners of the AIMS Best Marathon Runner Award for 2015.The awards were voted for by AIMS members, made up of more than 390 of the world&rsquo;s leading and most prestigious distance races from more than 108 countries and territories.&nbsp; The winners&rsquo; achievements were given global recognition on Friday (6) at the AIMS Best Marathon Runner (BMR) Award Gala in Athens, Greece.Kipchoge has won three of the biggest marathon events in the past 12 months. In October 2014 he won the Chicago Marathon in 2:04:11. Six months later, the 31-year-old Kenyan won the London Marathon in a world-leading time of 2:04:42 before bettering that when winning the Berlin Marathon in September in 2:04:00, beating his personal best by five seconds.&ldquo;It is very special for me to have won the AIMS Best Marathon Runner Award,&rdquo; said Kipchoge. &ldquo;I am very proud of my achievements this year and this award reflects that.&rdquo;Dibaba has enjoyed a medal-laden year. In October 2014 she finished second at the Chicago Marathon in 2:25:37. She went one better by winning the Xiamen Marathon in January 2015 in a time of 2:19:52 before finishing a close second at the Boston Marathon. More recently, the 26-year-old Ethiopian won the world title in Beijing in 2:27:35.&ldquo;It is incredibly special for me to receive this prestigious award,&rdquo; said Dibaba. &ldquo;It makes it extra special that I have received it in the spiritual home of the marathon in Greece. I am well aware of the 2500-year history of the marathon and I am delighted to feel a small part of it.&rdquo;The other award winners at the gala were:AIMS Green Award &ndash; Chevron Houston Marathon in recognition of their year-round efforts towards &lsquo;Going Green&rsquo;AIMS Social Award &ndash; Maraton Internacional Lala for their work raising money for children from low-income areas who need dental surgeryAIMS Lifetime Achievement Award &ndash; Frank Shorter, the 1972 Olympic champion, in recognition of his significant role in the development of the marathon movement, particularly in the USA.AIMS for the IAAF

The Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) named Eliud Kipchoge and Mare Dibaba as the male and female winners of the AIMS Best Marathon Runner Award for 2015.

Kipchoge and Dibaba win 2015 AIMS Best Marathon Runner Awards

Eliud Kipchoge and Mare Dibaba have earned the most votes in the road running category in the first round of voting for the 2015 IAAF World Athlete of the Year award.Kipchoge won the London Marathon earlier this year in a world-leading 2:04:42. The Kenyan then bettered that world-leading mark when winning the Berlin Marathon in September in 2:04:00.Dibaba started her year with a 2:19:52 victory at the Xiamen Marathon. After finishing second at the Boston Marathon, the Ethiopian went on to win the marathon title at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015.Last month the IAAF Family* was asked to select nine men and nine women from each of the following categories: sprints, hurdles, middle and long distance, road running, race walking, jumps, throws, combined events and multi-terrain.The longlist will comprise the top-voted athletes in each category. The candidates from the other categories in the world athlete of the year voting will be announced over the coming days.An international panel of 10 experts** will then select the finalists &ndash; three men and three women &ndash; the names of whom will be announced on 17 and 18 November.IAAF*IAAF Family: IAAF &amp; IAF Council members; IAAF national member federations; IAAF Committee &amp; Commission members; IAAF meeting directors; IAAF athlete ambassadors; athletes&rsquo; representatives; top athletes; members of the international press; IAAF staff members and the IAAF&rsquo;s official partners**The international panel of athletics experts includes representatives from all six continental areas of the IAAF

Eliud Kipchoge and Mare Dibaba have earned the most votes in the road running category in the first round of voting for the 2015 IAAF World Athlete of the Year award.

World Athlete of the Year 2015 longlist – road running candidates: Kipchoge and Dibaba

No other city in the world this year can boast of having two IAAF Gold Label Road Races on the same day, but on Sunday (18) the Portuguese capital of Lisbon will host the Rock&rsquo;n&rsquo;Roll Marathon of Lisbon EDP and the Rock&rsquo;n&rsquo;Roll Half Marathon Vodafone RTP.The courses of both races will pass by iconic landmarks such as the Belem Tower, Jeronimo&rsquo;s Monastery, the Discoveries Monument, the 25 of April Bridge, Cristo Rei Statue, Vasco da Gama Bridge and the Orient Rail Road Station.For the half marathon, organisers have assembled a field containing more than 10 runners with personal bests faster than 1:00:00. All of them will be aiming to beat the 1:00:19 course record set in 2013 by Wilson Kiprop. Bernard Koech leads the entries. Although his 58:41 PB was set on San Diego&rsquo;s downhill course, it still makes him the third-fastest man in history under any conditions.He has run faster than an hour for the distance on four other occasions, including a victory at the2013 &nbsp;EDP Half Marathon of Lisbon &ndash; a different event to next month&rsquo;s one in the Portuguese capital &ndash; in 59:54. More recently, he won over 10 miles in Tilburg in 45:21.Fellow Kenyan Alex Korio Oloitiptip is also in the field. He finished fourth in this race last year but recently improved his PB to 59:28 when finishing second in Copenhagen last month.Atsedu Tsegay is one of two strong Ethiopian runners. He set a national record of 58:47 in Prague three years ago but hasn&rsquo;t raced since finishing seventh at this year&rsquo;s IAAF World Cross Country Championships. He will be joined by compatriot Guye Adola, the world half-marathon bronze medallist.Bahrain&rsquo;s Shumi Dechasa, who finished fifth in the marathon at this year&rsquo;s World Championships, will contest his first half marathon since winning the Arab title over the distance in April this year.Geoffrey Kusuro, the fastest Ugandan man over the half marathon with his 59:43 clocking in the Rome-Ostia race earlier this year, is also in the field, along with Eritrea&rsquo;s Nguse Amlosom, who came within 16 seconds of his PB when finishing third in Yangzhou earlier this year in 59:55.Others in the field include Brazilian twins Paulo and Luis Paula, Russia&rsquo;s European marathon bronze medallist Aleksey Reunkov, Ukraine&rsquo;s Oleksandr Sitkovskiy, Kenya&rsquo;s Elijah Serem and Eritrea&rsquo;s Merhawi Kesete.The Portuguese contingent is led by Hermano Ferreira and includes Jose Rocha, Pedro Ribeiro, Tiago Costa, Eduardo Mbengani, Miguel Ribeiro and Ricardo Dias.<h3>Dibaba&rsquo;s first race since winning world title</h3>The women&rsquo;s field is just as loaded as the men&rsquo;s, with world marathon champion Mare Dibaba leading the entries.The Ethiopian has won four of her past six marathons, including the World Championships in Beijing, the 2014 Chicago Marathon and the two most recent editions of the Xiamen Marathon. But in Lisbon she will be running mainly as an ambassador and doesn't intend on challenging for victory.But compatriot Wude Ayalew, the 2009 world 10,000m bronze medallist, does have her eye on topping the podium. Her half-marathon PB of 1:07:58 was set on her debut at the distance back in 2009.Fellow Ethiopian Feyse Tadesse, the 2014 Berlin Marathon runner-up and 2012 world half-marathon silver medallist, will be contesting her first race of 2015.Kenyan women have won 10 of the past 15 editions of this race; Rebecca Kangogo Chesire looks to be their best bet of adding to that tally this weekend. The 23-year-old won the Stramilano Half Marathon earlier this year in a PB of 1:08:21.Priscah Cherono, the 2006 world cross-country silver medallist, Beatrice Mutai and Stramilano runner-up Angela Tanui are also in the field.Sara Moreira, the 2013 European indoor 3000m champion, leads the Portuguese entries.<h3>Marathon course records under threat</h3>Early on Sunday morning, the coastal town of Cascais will host the start of the third edition of Rock&rsquo;n&rsquo;Roll Lisbon Marathon.Organisers are hopeful that the course records &ndash; Samuel Ndungu&rsquo;s 2:08:21 and Visiline Jepkesho&rsquo;s 2:26:47, both set last year &ndash; will be challenged. Both marks are also Portuguese all-comers&rsquo; records.Lawrence Kimaiyo, who has a 2:07:01 PB, finished third in this race last year but will be looking to improve on that this time round. Fellow Kenyans Silas Sang, winner of the Belgrade Marathon this year, and Daniel Limo, the 2015 Los Angeles Marathon champion, should also be in contention.While Kimaiyo owns the fastest PB, Limo&rsquo;s 2:10:36 is the quickest season&rsquo;s best of the field.Based on this year&rsquo;s form, Stephen Kosgei Kibet also looks capable of challenging for the victory. He clocked 2:11:08 in Hamburg earlier this year and ran a 1:01:09 half marathon last month.Asbel Kipsang could be a dark horse. He has won both of his marathons to date and recently clocked a half-marathon PB of 1:00:37.Zimbabwean record-holder Cuthbert Nyasango and Belgium&rsquo;s Abdelhadi El Hachimi are also in the field.The women&rsquo;s race features the anticipated marathon debut of Purity Rionoripo.The Kenyan was a talented junior on the track, winning the 2009 world youth 3000m title. After a few fallow years, she moved to the roads in 2014 and found immediate success, winning her first four half marathons.Her latest victory came in Copenhagen last month where she reduced her half-marathon PB to 1:08:29.Compatriot Margaret Agai has finished on the podium in all four of her marathons to date. The fastest of those runs came in Daegu last year when she won in 2:23:28.Morocco&rsquo;s Malika Assahsah, Kenya&rsquo;s Purity Changwony and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Beshadu Bekele will also take to the marathon start line on Sunday.Ant&oacute;nio Manuel Fernandes for the IAAF

No other city in the world this year can boast of having two IAAF Gold Label Road Races on the same day, but on Sunday (18) the Portuguese capital of Lisbon will host the Rock’n’Roll Marathon of Lisbon EDP and the Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon Vodafone RTP.