Belaynesh Oljira will defend her title at the ninth edition of the Carrera de la Mujer in Bogota on Sunday (20), one of only two IAAF Gold Label Road Races in South America.

The Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore has assembled an impressive elite field which includes no less than 13 men who have personal best times under 2:10 and there is quiet optimism in some quarters that such a mark can be achieved for the first time at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Sunday (7).

The coolest weather in almost 20 years this week means that runners in the Standard Chartered Hong Marathon on Sunday (16) could have their most temperate weather since the IAAF Silver Label Road Race was re-launched in 1997.

Former European cross-country champion Hilda Kibet tops the list of female entrants for the ABN-AMRO Marathon Rotterdam, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on 14 April.

After two years of rehearsals and reversals, Kenya’s Julius Maisei got it right at the third time of asking, and won the 17th edition of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon in 2.14.18 on Sunday (24).

The final 100m of last year’s Hong Kong Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, looked like a tag-team wrestling match, with four men sprinting to the line, arms and legs flying every which way.