Madrid&rsquo;s San Silvestre Vallecana once again offers high-class line-ups in both the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s races at the IAAF Silver Label road race on Sunday night (31).
The race is held on a slightly downhill 10km point-to-point course and starts alongside Real Madrid&rsquo;s Santiago Bernabeu stadium before finishing on the pitch of another football team, Rayo Vallecano, in Madrid&rsquo;s southern suburbs.
In the men's section, following the last-minute withdrawal of Spain&rsquo;s newly minted European cross-country silver medallist Adel Mechaal through injury, the role of favourite should go to Eritrea&rsquo;s Nguse Amlosom. The 31-year-old, who lives in Madrid and trains under the guidance of the Spanish coach Jer&oacute;nimo Bravo, is the defending champion but has not raced since the IAAF World Championships in August.
Amlosom was unable to finish that race in London because of a psoas injury and only resumed training in October. Reportedly, he is now fully recovered and ready to run close to the 28:09 time which led him to the win here last year. The Eritrean finished ninth in the 10,000m at the 2016 Olympics, clocking 27:30.79. He is also an accomplished road runner and boasts a half-marathon PB of 59:39.
The Kenyan pair of Amos Kirui and Eric Kiptanui will try to deny Amlosom the top spot. 19-year-old Kirui is the world U20 steeplechase champion and has enjoyed a brilliant 2017 campaign, lowering his career best to 8:08:37 in Rome. Kirui&rsquo;s only road 10km performance took place in late October when he clocked 29:21 in the 2300m altitude of Nyahururu.
Meanwhile, 27-year-old Kiptanui holds a 1500m career best of 3:37.73 set in Nairobi, also at altitude. Sunday&rsquo;s race will be his first competitive outing outside of Africa.
A safe bet for the top spots is always the 2006 European 5000m champion
Jes&uacute;s Espa&ntilde;a is always a safe bet for a podium finish. The 2006 European 5000m champion, now 39, has finished runner-up at this race 16 years ago and at the 2014 edition. More recently, Espa&ntilde;a took a team silver medal at the European Cross Country Championships earlier this month. He will compete at the Seville Marathon on 25 February looking for a berth on the Spanish team for the European Championships in Berlin in what would be the last competitive event of his successful athletics career.
Espa&ntilde;a will be key part of a powerful Spanish contingent which also includes two-time European cross-country silver medallist Ayad Lamdassem, European 10,000m bronze medallist Toni Abad&iacute;a and Javier Guerra, a 2:09:33 marathon runner.
Watch out too for Ireland&rsquo;s Paul Pollock, who finished 14th at the 2016 World Half Marathon Championships, and Britain&rsquo;s 2010 European 10,000m silver medallist Chris Thompson, who won the Great South Run in October in 48:32.
<h3>Burka returns</h3>
The women&rsquo;s race had been billed as a clash between past victors Tirunesh Dibaba and Gelete Burka, but visa problems have meant that multiple world and Olympic champion Dibaba will not be in Madrid.
But Burka showed in 2012 that she doesn&rsquo;t need someone pushing her the whole way; on that occasion she set a race record of 30:53 to win by an 80-second margin.
It has been 11 years since she won the world short course cross-country title and nine years since she won the world indoor 1500m title, but Burka is still a fierce competitor. The 31-year-old Ethiopian this year won the Ethiopian 10,000m trial race for the World Championships, clocking 30:40.87 &ndash; the second-fastest time in the world this year &ndash; and more recently she set a half-marathon PB of 1:08:18 in Valencia.
Her rivals on Sunday will include Portugal&rsquo;s Catarina Ribeiro, who placed 18th at the recent Europeans Cross Country Championships, and British marathon specialists Alyson Dixon, who finished 18th at this year&rsquo;s World Championships, and Sonia Samuels, who placed seventh at last year&rsquo;s Berlin Marathon.
Local hopes to make the podium rest on a trio of doctors: 1500m specialist Marta P&eacute;rez, steeplechaser Irene S&aacute;nchez-Escribano and Marta Esteban. Azucena D&iacute;az, who finished fourth here last year in a PB of 33:08, should also fight for the minor place on the podium.
Forecasters predict a mild night on Sunday with temperatures ranging between 8-10C and a low likelihood of rain by the time the gun goes for the last IAAF Label road race of 2017.
In addition to the elite contest, there will be a mass race with no fewer than 40,000 entrants taking to the streets two-and-a-half hours before the main event.
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF

Madrid’s San Silvestre Vallecana once again offers high-class line-ups in both the men’s and women’s races at the IAAF Silver Label road race on Sunday night (31).

Amlosom and Burka to strike again in Madrid 

Eritrea&rsquo;s Nguse Tesfaldet Amlosom and Kenya&rsquo;s Brigid Chepchirchir Kosgei captured commanding wins at Madrid&rsquo;s San Silvestre Vallecana, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, on Saturday (31) with Spain&rsquo;s Ilias Fifa and Poland&rsquo;s Karolina Nadolska pushing the respective victors until the finish line.
On a colder than expected night with the thermometer hardly reaching 2C, Chris Thompson was the early leader and the Briton had opened a 10-metre gap over his closest pursuers during the uphill stretch within the first kilometre.
Once he had been reeled in by the pack some 1600 metres into the race, Thompson, Jes&uacute;s Espa&ntilde;a and Adel Mechaal did most of the pacing duties while Amlosom ran in the middle of the pack. The 3km point was reached in 8:21 with Morocco&rsquo;s Jaouad Tougane ruling the rhythm.
The leading pack went through the halfway point in 13:58 and no fewer than 12 athletes with winning chances still remained. The first key movement came with little more than three kilometres left when Amlosom injected a brisker pace which was only covered by Spain&rsquo;s European 5000m champion Ilias Fifa.
The clock read 19:30 for the seventh kilometre split and it became clear that, barring disaster, either Amlosom or Fifa would be the eventual winner. The fight for the minor place on the podium also promised to be fierce as up to five athletes still had a chance in the guise of Espa&ntilde;a, D&iacute;az, Fifa, Abad&iacute;a, Thomson and Lamdassem.
The two leaders took turns at the front until the ninth kilometre when the Eritrean broke away from the Spaniard to open a 15-metre gap. It appeared to all be over, but Fifa bounced back and managed to join Amlosom just entering the stadium of football club Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish capital&rsquo;s southern suburbs.
Amlosom found another gear inside the stadium to finally prevail by two seconds over Fifa, 28:09 to 28:11. The 30-year-old became the second ever Eritrean to win the event after Zersenay Tadese&rsquo;s victory back in 2010.
In a thrilling battle for third, European 10,000m bronze medallist Abad&iacute;a managed to shake off his rivals to cross the line 17 seconds behind the winner but six seconds ahead of D&iacute;az.
&ldquo;Over the early stages I didn&rsquo;t feel comfortable but after halfway I began to work properly,&rdquo; said Madrid-based Amlosom. &ldquo;Even when Fifa caught me before the final sprint, I was confident of my win, as I&rsquo;m the African champion.&rdquo;
Amlosom is not targeting the World Cross Country Championships. Instead, he aims to improve on his PB of 59:39 at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on 10 February before spending five or six weeks in his hometown. His main aim for the summer is to compete in the 10,000m at the IAAF World Championships London 2017 before making his marathon debut in the autumn.
&ldquo;When Amlosom broke away from me with ease with one kilometre left, I knew it would be difficult for me to win,&rdquo; said Fifa. &ldquo;I could join him then but I didn&rsquo;t have any more energy in the tank for the final sprint. Anyway, I became European champion in the summer and today I managed a 10km PB so I can&rsquo;t ask for more to the year 2016.&rdquo;
<h3>Nadolska challenges Kosgei</h3>
Held jointly with the men&rsquo;s contest, the women&rsquo;s event offered an interesting duel between Kenya&rsquo;s Brigid Kosgei and Poland&rsquo;s Karolina Nadolska (nee Jarzynska).
Kosgei cruised through half way in 15:39 with the Pole some seven seconds in arrears, both well clear of France&rsquo;s Liv Westphal in third.
Nadolska threatened the Kenyan&rsquo;s lead throughout the second half but could not catch the favourite and had to settle for the runner-up spot barely six seconds adrift, 32:07 to 32:13. Westphal completed the podium in 32:42.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m satisfied today, especially because it was my first ever 10km race,&rdquo; said Kosgei. &ldquo;I felt very cold during the race but could finally succeed. I won&rsquo;t compete now until April when I&rsquo;ll contest the Boston Marathon where I&rsquo;ll be looking to lower my PB of 2:24:45.&rdquo;
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Men 1 Nguse Amlosom (ERI) 28:09 2 Ilias Fifa (ESP) 28:11 3 Toni Abad&iacute;a (ESP) 28:26 4 Carlos D&iacute;az (CHI) 28:32 5 Chris Thomson (GBR) 28:33 6 Ayad Lamdassen (ESP) 28:34 7 Jes&uacute;s Espa&ntilde;a (ESP) 28:36 8 Donn Cabral (USA) 28:53 9 Daniel Mateo (ESP) 29:07 10 Alberto S&aacute;nchez (ESP) 29:16
Women 1 Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 32:07 2 Karolina Nadolska (POL) 32:13 3 Liv Westphal (FRA) 32:42 4 Azucena D&iacute;az (ESP) 33:08 5 Gema Mart&iacute;n (ESP) 33:18 6 Nuria Fern&aacute;ndez (ESP) 33:36 7 Blanca Fern&aacute;ndez (ESP) 33:45 8 Alessandra Aguilar (ESP) 33:38 9 Solange Pereira (ESP) 33:52 10 Mar&iacute;a Jos&eacute; P&eacute;rez (ESP) 33:53
&nbsp;

Eritrea’s Nguse Tesfaldet Amlosom and Kenya’s Brigid Chepchirchir Kosgei captured commanding wins at Madrid’s San Silvestre Vallecana, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, on Saturday (31) with Spain’s Ilias Fifa and Poland’s Karolina Nadolska pushing the respective victors until the finish line.

Amlosom and Kosgei enjoy successful farewell to 2016 in Madrid

Madrid&rsquo;s San Silvestre Vallecana, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, once again offers quality line-ups in both the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s races on Saturday night (31).
The race is held on a slightly downhill 10km point-to-point course and starts alongside Real Madrid&rsquo;s Santiago Bernabeu stadium before finishing on the pitch of another Spanish first division club, Rayo Vallecano, in Madrid&rsquo;s southern suburbs.
In the men's section, following the last-minute withdrawal of two-time winner Kaan Kigen Ozbilen due to a calcaneus injury, the role of favourite should go to Eritrea&rsquo;s Nguse Amlosom, who trains under the guidance of the Spanish coach Jer&oacute;nimo Bravo. The 30-year-old was a creditable ninth in the 10,000m at the Rio 2016 Olympics, clocking 27:30.79. He is also an accomplished road runner and holds a half-marathon PB of 59.39. Amlosom has finished in the top three at no fewer than 19 of his past 25 road races.
But the most experienced athlete in the field by far will be 2006 European 5000m champion Jes&uacute;s Espa&ntilde;a. Now aged 38, he finished runner-up at this race 15 years ago and at the 2014 edition.
Espa&ntilde;a will be key part of a powerful Spanish contingent which also includes European 5000m champion Ilias Fifa, European 5000m silver medallist Adel Mechaal, two-time European cross-country silver medallist Ayad Lamdassem and European 10,000m bronze medallist Toni Abad&iacute;a.
Fifa, Lamdassem and Mechaal finished sixth, seventh and eighth respectively at the European Cross Country Championships while Abad&iacute;a was just a few seconds behind Kigen Ozbilen in 11th. All five local stars will be aiming for a podium place, Mechaal being the only one having not taken a top-three place so far.
Watch out too for Donn Cabral of the US and Britain&rsquo;s Chris Thompson. Cabral has a steeplechase PB of 8:13.37 and finished eighth at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. More recently, the 27-year-old placed eighth at a road race in the US city of Manchester where Thompson, the 2010 European 10,000m silver medallist, finished third.
Morocco&rsquo;s Jaouad Tougane, a 13:16.12 5000m specialist who beat Espa&ntilde;a at a low-key cross-country race earlier this month, could also prominently feature in Madrid.
<h3>Kosgei-Westphal showdown</h3>
The women&rsquo;s cast is headed by Kenya&rsquo;s Brigid Chepcheshire Kosgei. Still relatively unheralded, she boasts a marathon PB of 2:24:45, set when finishing second in Lisbon in October, but her most recent outing was a 2:31:11 victory at the Honolulu Marathon less than three weeks ago, which might hamper her winning chances here.
France&rsquo;s Liv Westphal will be trying to take advantage of any sign of weakness from the Kenyan. The European under-23 5000m champion, currently a student at Boston College, recently finished ninth at the European Cross Country Championships.
Karolina Nadolska (nee Jarzynska) could also be a factor on Saturday. Holder of the 31:43.51 Polish 10,000m record, she was sixth in the Manchester road race in late November while her last outing came in Porto where she was second in 33:15 over 10km.
Local hopes to make the podium rest on 2010 European 1500m champion Nuria Fernandez, now 40, and marathon specialist Alessandra Aguilar.
Forecasters predict a cold night on Saturday with temperatures ranging between 4-6 C by the time the gun goes for the last IAAF Label Road Race of 2016.
In addition to the elite contest, there will be a mass race with no fewer than 40,000 entrants taking to the streets two-and-a-half hours before the main event.
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF

Madrid’s San Silvestre Vallecana, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, once again offers quality line-ups in both the men’s and women’s races on Saturday night (31).

Amlosom set to face Spain's best in Madrid

Sarah Chepchirchir of Kenya broke the course record at the Rock 'n' Roll Lisbon Marathon EDP to highlight a busy day of IAAF Gold Label Road Race action in the Portuguese capital on Sunday (2).
The 30-year-old clocked 2:24:12 to eclipse the previous course standard by nearly a minute while shattering her own lifetime best by nearly six.
In the morning's other three races, also IAAF Gold Label events, Kenyan Alfred Kering won the men's marathon in 2:10:27, while Nguse Amlosom of Eritrea and Genet Yalew of Ethiopia took the half marathon titles, clocking 1:02:39 and 1:10:25 respectively.
<h3>Chepchirchir surprises even herself</h3>
The women&rsquo;s race began with a balanced pace, with a group of five still in contention at the midway point, reached in 1:12:23. Ethiopian Shanko Genemo, who was gunning for her third marathon triumph of 2016, was forced to drop out just beyond the half, leaving four Kenyans to battle for the win: Chepchirchir, Brigid Kosgei, Esther Ndiema and Rose Chepchumba.
Midway through the race&rsquo;s second half, Chepchirchir and Kosgei dropped the other pair with Chepchirchir making her decisive break in the closing kilometres to easily take down the previous course record of 2:25:09.
&ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t expecting that, neither the victory nor the performance,&rdquo; said Chepchirchir, whose previous best was 2:30:08 set in Hamburg in April. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very, very happy with that.&rdquo;
Behind her, Kosgei notched a big personal best as well, clocking 2:24:45 for second place, finishing inside the previous course record. Her performance was also a big improvement on her previous lifetime best of 2:27:45 set when winning April&rsquo;s Milan Marathon. Ndiema was a distant third in 2:31:41.
In relative terms, the men&rsquo;s race wasn&rsquo;t nearly as fast.
After an opening half of 1:04:07, Alfred Kering pulled away in the latter stages to win comfortably in 2:10:27, well ahead of Reuben Kerio, who clocked 2:11:09.
Seboka Nigusse closed well to clock 2:11:42 and dash the hopes for a Kenyan double podium sweep.
<h3>Mixed results for defending champions</h3>
In the half marathon, Nguse Amlosom of Eritrea encountered little difficulty in retaining his title.
The Eritrean, who was ninth in the Olympic 10,000m in August, beat the hot and sunny conditions along with the rest of the field in 1:02:39, one second slower than his winning time one year ago.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy with another win, but the other runners didn&rsquo;t race fast enough to challenge us for a quick finish,&rdquo; Amlosom said. &ldquo;For that I&rsquo;m not satisfied. But I&rsquo;m hoping to do better in another opportunity.&rdquo;
Amlosom was followed by Kenyans Remmy Ndiwa and Wilfred Kimeli Kimitei who clocked 1:02:48 and 1:02:49 respectively. Eritreans Amanuel Mesel and Dawit Weldeslasie were further back, in fourth and fifth.
In the women&rsquo;s race, a misunderstanding at the start left Kenyans Margaret Agai and defending champion Beatrice Mutai stranded, with both finally starting almost half a minute after the leading runners.
Recovering kilometre by kilometre, the pair made a big effort to narrow the deficit, but they couldn&rsquo;t catch Ethiopian Genet Yalew who fought off Agai&rsquo;s final assault to win in 1:10:25.&nbsp;
Agai was three seconds further back, followed by Kenyan Valary Jemeli Aiyabei, who clocked 1:10:44 for third. Mutai meanwhile had to settle for fourth, nearly two minutes in arrears.&nbsp;
Magdalene Masai (1:12:57), the third place finisher at this year's Rome-Ostia Half Marathon, finished in fifth, ahead of Portugal&rsquo;s Ana Dulce Felix, the European 10,000m silver medallist.
Ant&oacute;nio Manuel Fernandes for the IAAF
<h3>Leading results</h3>
MEN
Half marathon 1 Nguse Amlosom (ERI) 1:02:39 2 Remmy Limo Ndiwa (KEN) 1:02:48 3 Wilfred Kimeli Kimitei (KEN) 1:02:49 4 Amanuel Mesel (ERI) 1:02:56 5 Dawit Weldeslasie (ERI) 1:03:21 6 John Kipkoech (KEN) 1.04:51 7 Samuel Barata (POR) 1:05:16 8 Geofrey Kusuro (UGA) 1:05:16
Marathon 1 Alfred Kering (KEN) 2:10:27 2 Reuben Kerio (KEN) 2:11:09 3 Seboka Nigusse (ETH) 2:11:42 4 Silas Sang (KEN) 2:14:47 5 Patrick Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:16:51
 WOMEN
 Half marathon 1 Genet Yalew (ETH) 1:10:25 2 Margaret Agai (KEN) 1:10:28 3 Valary Jemeli Aiyabei (KEN) 1:10:44 4 Beatrice Mutai (KEN) 1:12:33 5 Magdalene Masai (KEN) 1:12:57 6 Ana Dulce F&eacute;lix (POR) 1:16:19 7 Doroteia Peixoto (POR) 1:16:20 8 Lucy Kabuu Wangui (KEN) 1:16:30
Marathon 1 Sarah Chepchirchir (KEN) 2:24:13 2 Brigid Jepcheschir Kosgei (KEN) 2:24:45 3 Esther Ndiema (KEN) 2:31:41 4 Rose Chepchumba (KEN) 2:33:01 5 Rosa Madureira (POR) 2:47:54

Sarah Chepchirchir of Kenya broke the course record at the Rock 'n' Roll Lisbon Marathon EDP to highlight a busy day of IAAF Gold Label Road Race action in the Portuguese capital on Sunday (2).

Chepchirchir breaks marathon course record in Lisbon

Course record assaults are the goals at both the Rock 'n' Roll Lisbon Marathon EDP and Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon Santander Totta RTP &ndash; IAAF Gold Label Road Races&nbsp;&ndash; in the Portuguese capital on Sunday (2).
Some of the key contenders know the marathon course &ndash; which sets off in the iconic city of Cascais and then follows along the coast where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Tagus River&nbsp;&ndash; and will be setting out to topple the 2:08:21 standard set by Samuel Ndungu in 2014.
The key contenders include 2014 world half marathon silver medallist Samuel Tsegay from Eritrea, who was sixth in the 2013 Lisbon Half Marathon, and Kenyan Alfred Kering, who was second at the Rabat Marathon this year. Tsegay has a 2:07:28 personal best from 2011 while Kering's 2:07:11 lifetime best was set in 2010.
Others to watch include Ethiopian Seboka Nigusse (2:09:14); Kenya's Reuben Kerio (2:09:05), the winner this year in Brescia; Kenyan Patrick Cheruiyot (2:09:48), this year's runner-up in Madrid; Cuthbert Nyasango from Zimbabwe (2:09:52), who was seventh at the 2012 Olympics; and Spaniard Ayad Lamdassem, a two-time European cross-country silver medallist.&nbsp;
Asbel Kipsang of Kenya and South African Stephen Mokoka, who boast 2:07:30 and 2:07:40 personal bests respectively, will be on pace-setting duty.
Kenyan Samuel Kiplimo Kosgei, a former world record-holder for 25km who achieved his personal best of 2:06:56 earlier this year in Dubai, was a late scratch due to a visa issue.
The women&rsquo;s field also features a strong line-up.
Ethiopian Guteni Shone is the fastest at 2:23:32, courtesy of her victory at the 2015 Seoul Dong-A Marathon. Meanwhile, her countrywoman Shanko Genemo (2:24:31) will be gunning for her third marathon triumph of the year after victories in Mumbai and Vienna.
The field also includes a solid Kenyan quartet: Brigid Kosgei (2:27:45), the winner in Milan this year; Esther Ndiema (2:28:37), the 2014 Turin champion and this year's Rabat runner-up; Rose Chepchumba (2:29:09), winner in Cannes last year; and Sarah Chepchirchir (2:30:08), seventh this year in Hamburg.
<h3>Amlosom and Mutai return to defend half marathon titles</h3>
In the half marathon, the course record targets are 1:00:19 set by Kenyan Wilson Kirop in 2013, and Mary Keitany's 1:07:53 set in 2011.
In the men's contest, the front line will include defending champion Nguse Amlosom of Eritrea, who was ninth in the Olympic 10,000m last month. He'll be backed up by compatriots Amanuel Mesel, who has a 1:00:10 personal best, and Dawit Weldeslasie, third at last year's Valencia half Marathon.
Also arriving with fast credentials are Uganda&rsquo;s Geoffrey Kusuro and Kenyan Remmy Ndiwa, who clocked 59:43 and 1:00:06 at the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon, respectively, in 2015 and 2016.
Other familiar names include Ukraine's Serhiy Lebid, the nine-time European cross-country champion, and Brazil's Paulo Roberto Paula, who was eighth in the 2012 Olympic marathon.
In the women's race, injury forced Kenya's Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong to the sidelines, shifting the attention to her compatriot Beatrice Mutai, the winner last year winner, who'll be aiming to become only the second woman to claim two consecutive titles. The first was course record-holder Keitany.
She'll be challenged by Kenyans Margaret Agai, who was second in Lisbon last year; Valary Aiyabei, winner of the Barcelona Marathon this year; Lucy Kabuu, who was fourth at the 2014 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships; and Magdalene Masai, the third place finisher at this year's Rome-Ostia half marathon.
Others to watch include Ethiopian Genet Yalew, who was fifth at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships earlier this year, and Portugal's Ana Dulce Felix, the 10,000m silver medallist at June's European Championships.
Ant&oacute;nio Manuel Fernandes for the IAAF

Course record assaults are the goals at both the Rock 'n' Roll Lisbon Marathon EDP and Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon Santander Totta RTP – IAAF Gold Label Road Races – in the Portuguese capital on Sunday (2).

Course record chases on tap in Lisbon

Cynthia Limo moved up to third on the world all-time list for the half marathon when she won the RAK Half Marathon in 1:06:04 in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah on Friday (12).The 26-year-old Kenyan was in the leading pack throughout the race and had intermediate 5km splits of 15:49, 31:32, 47:21 and 1:02:48. With seven runners in contention through 10km and then 15km, the increase in pace over the next five kilometres had the effect of winnowing out the pack at the front.By 20km, there was just Limo and 2014 world half marathon champion Gladys Cherono in contention but the winner broke away from her compatriot and rival over the last 800 metres, with Cherono finishing second just three seconds in arrears in 1:06:07.Both women ran personal bests, Limo taking 37 seconds off her time and Cherono herself took 31 seconds off her best to move up to fourth on the all-time list with the fastest ever non-winning performance.Only their compatriots Florence Kiplagat and Mary Keitany, with the current world record of 1:05:09 and former world record of 1:05:50, are in front of Limo and Cherono after Friday&rsquo;s feats. Ethiopia&rsquo;s Genet Yalew was third in a national record of 1:06:26, losing contact with the two Kenyans around 19 kilometres, while Kenya&rsquo;s Peres Jepchirchir came home fourth in 1:06:39.In a race of stunning depth, Kenya&rsquo;s Gladys Chesire and Jemima Jelagat finished in the next two positions, clocking 1:06:57 and 1:06:58 respectively.Never before have six women gone under 67 minutes in the same race, the previous best being four in the 2013 edition of the same race. Into the bargain, the fastest ever times for the places from second to sixth were established.The men&rsquo;s race was a little less spectacular in terms of time but certainly not as far as excitement was concerned. Ethiopia's Birhanu Legese won in 1:00:40, just holding off Kenya&rsquo;s Stanley Biwott with a decisive change of gears over the final 100 metres, with the latter given the same time.After a large group went through 10km in 29.11, the leading pack was down to eight by 15km, which was reached in 43:28.In a thrilling finale over the final few hundred metres, with seven men still together entering the final kilometre, just one second on the clock covered the first four men home, as Eritrea&rsquo;s Nguse Amlosom finished third in 1:00:41 and Kenya&rsquo;s Abraham Cheroben was fourth in the same time.Phil Minshull for the IAAF

Cynthia Limo moved up to third on the world all-time list for the half marathon when she won the RAK Half Marathon in 1:06:04 in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah on Friday (12).

Limo leads home a record six women under 67 minutes at the RAK Half Marathon

A heavy storm the day before Lisbon hosted the Rock&rsquo;n&rsquo;Roll Marathon of Lisbon EDP and the Rock&rsquo;n&rsquo;Roll Half Marathon Vodafone RTP dampened expectations at the IAAF Gold Label Road Races on Sunday (18) but it wasn&rsquo;t enough to stop Purity Rionoripo from setting a marathon course record.The strong winds and rain down the Portuguese coast 24 hours prior had left a lot of debris and water on the roads. The athletes also had to deal with further wind and rain during the race itself, leading to some drop-outs.One year on from winning the half marathon in Lisbon, Rionoripo stepped up in distance to make her marathon debut.The Kenyan ran alongside compatriot Margaret Agai, winner of the 2013 Daegu marathon in a 2:23:28 PB, during the early stages, passing 10km in 33:53. But Rionoripo made a break before the half way mark, reaching 13.1 miles in 1:11:59 with a 32-second lead.By 30km, reached in 1:40:59, Rionoripo&rsquo;s lead had increased to nearly four minutes and victory looked certain. So too did the course record as she was well on pace to better the 2:26:47 set last year by Visiline Jepkesho.She maintained her lead to the end, crossing the line in 2:25:09 to smash the course record. Agai finished more than four minutes later in a season&rsquo;s best of 2:29:12. Ethiopia&rsquo;s Beshadu Bekele was a distant third in 2:42:16.&ldquo;I really enjoined winning the half marathon here last year, so I decided to race the full marathon here,&rdquo; said Rionoripo, the 2009 world youth 3000m champion. &ldquo;The course is fast, but the wind and the rain didn&rsquo;t help us.&rdquo;The half marathon was a lot closer and was only decided in the closing stages.Beatrice Mutai, Rebecca Kangogo Chesir, Angela Tanui, Priscah Cherono, Wude Ayalew and Feyse Tadese formed the lead group and they remained together beyond the half-way mark.But with just a few kilometres remaining, only three of those &ndash; Mutai, Ayalew and Kangogo &ndash; were left to battle it out for the podium spots.Mutai proved to be the strongest, winning in 1:09:50 to become the 11th Kenyan woman in the past 14 years to win the half marathon in Lisbon.Ayalew, the 2009 world 10,000m bronze medallist, followed her across the line just three seconds later while Chesir was third in 1:10:00.<h3>Kipsang maintains Kenyan dominance</h3>Since the marathon became part of the Rock&rsquo;n&rsquo;Roll Lisbon racing weekend two years ago, the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s races have been won by Kenyans. With compatriot Rionoripo winning the women&rsquo;s race, Asbel Kipsang made it another Kenyan double this year.Pace makers Michael Tiony and Lawrence Cherono led the men&rsquo;s marathon field in the first half, passing half way in 1:04:41 with Samuel Theuri, Kipsang, Daniel Kiprop Limo and Duncan Mayo &ndash; in that order &ndash; all close behind in the lead pack.After 30km, only Theuri and Kipsang were left at the front. They remained together for several kilometres before Kipsang forged ahead, eventually winning by 30 seconds in 2:09:26.Kipsang, competing in his third marathon following victories in his first two, took 29 seconds off the PB he set on his debut at the distance in Florence last year.Theuri, meanwhile, was exactly a minute outside the PB he set earlier this year when finishing second in Marrakech. Limo finished third in 2:12:14 and Mayo was fourth in 2:13:03 as Kenyans filled the top four spots.&ldquo;Victory was a great surprise, especially with a personal best,&rdquo; said Kipsang. &ldquo;This was a good course, but we faced bad conditions, with rain and wind part of the time. This result will help me focus on my other goals, including taking a place on the Olympic marathon team next year.&rdquo;The only non-Kenyan winner in Lisbon came in the men&rsquo;s half marathon, which was also the most competitive race of the day.As was the case in the women&rsquo;s race, a pack of six ran together beyond the half-way mark. Nguse Amlosom, Atsedu Tsegay, Alex Oloitiptip, Elijah Serem, Merhawi Kesete and Geoffrey Kusuro remained together at 15km, but a few kilometres later the lead pack was down to four with Kesete and Kusuro having fallen off the pace.Serem was the next to drift back, followed by Oloitiptip. Amlosom and Tsegay continued to battle right to the end, but it was Eritrea&rsquo;s African 10,000m champion Amlosom who had the best finishing pace, grabbing the victory in 1:02:38, one second ahead of Ethiopian record-holder Tsegay. Oloitiptip ensured at least one Kenyan runner made it on to the podium, taking third in 1:02:44, 23 seconds in front of compatriot Serem.Antonio Fernandes for the IAAF<h3>Leading results</h3>MENHalf marathon 1 Nguse Amlosom (ERI) 1:02:38 2 Atsedu Tsegay (ETH) 1:02:39 3 Alex Oloitiptip Korio (KEN) 1:02:44 4 Elijah Tirop Serem (KEN) 1:03:07 5 Merhawi Kesete (ERI) 1:03:29Marathon 1 Asbel Kipsang (KEN) 2:09:26 2 Samuel Theuri (KEN) 2:09:56 3 Daniel Kiprop Limo (KEN) 2:12:14 4 Duncan Mayo (KEN) 2:13:03 WOMENHalf marathon 1 Beatrice Mutai (KEN) 1:09:50 2 Wude Ayalew (ETH) 1:09:53 3 Rebecca Kangogo Chesir (KEN) 1:10:00 4 Feyse Tadese (ETH) 1:10:29 5 Angela Tanui (KEN) 1:10:37Marathon 1 Purity Rionoripo (KEN) 2:25:09 2 Margaret Agai (KEN) 2:29:12 3 Beshadu Bekele (ETH) 2:42:16 4 Rosa Madureira (POR) 2:53:57

A heavy storm the day before Lisbon hosted the Rock’n’Roll Marathon of Lisbon EDP and the Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon Vodafone RTP dampened expectations at the IAAF Gold Label Road Races on Sunday (18) but it wasn’t enough to stop Purity Rionoripo from setting a marathon course record.

Rionoripo’s marathon course record one of three Kenyan victories in Lisbon

Mo Farah returns to the Prefontaine Classic 10,000m and the Olympic gold medallist will be joined by another incredibly deep field at the IAAF Diamond League meeting on 29-30 May.Held on the eve of the main competition in Eugene, the men&rsquo;s 10,000m is once again a cornerstone of &lsquo;Distance Night&rsquo;.Farah has been the world&rsquo;s most dominant long-distance track runner since he won the 5000m gold and 10,000m silver at the 2011 IAAF World Championships; his last loss at the longest distance on the track. He followed that up by taking the 5000m and 10,000m titles at both the 2012 Olympics and 2013 World Championships.At the 2011 edition of the Pre Classic, Farah set a European record of 26:46.57 to win the highest quality 10,000m race in history. He was one of a record nine runners in that race to run faster than 27 minutes.A record seven runners enter this year&rsquo;s Pre Classic with PBs faster than 27 minutes &ndash; and that does not include the reigning world cross-country champion.World bronze medallist Paul Tanui has twice set a PB in Eugene, with last year&rsquo;s 26:49.41 clocking making him the fastest Kenyan in three years.Josphat Bett won the Kenyan 10,000m title last year, then went on to take silver at the Commonwealth Games and bronze at the African Championships. The 2008 world junior champion set his PB of 26:48.99 when finishing third in Eugene in 2011.Emmanuel Bett, no relation to Josphat, finished fourth in Eugene in 2012 in a race which doubled as the Kenyan Trials. He missed making the Olympic team by two seconds, but won in Brussels later that year with a world-leading 26:51.16, a time which remains his PB.Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya is not only the reigning world cross-country champion, but also the world half-marathon champion. Kamworor was only 18 when he ran his first 10,000m, a still-standing PB of 27:06.35 from the 2011 edition of the Prefontaine Classic.Kenneth Kipkemoi won the African 10,000m title in 2012. Like Emmanuel Bett, he missed out on making the Kenyan Olympic team in 2012, but finished the year with a PB in Brussels, clocking 26:52.65. He then finished seventh at the 2013 World Championships.Geoffrey Kirui was just 18 years old when he clocked his 10,000m PB of 26:55.73 in 2011, making him the second-fastest junior in history. The Kenyan won the African junior title earlier that year, and then went on to take bronze at the 2012 World Junior Championships.Titus Mbishei earned silver medals in the 10,000m at the 2008 World Junior Championships and in the junior race at the 2009 World Cross Country Championships. His PB of 26:59.81 was set in 2011 when he was just 20 years old.One year after taking junior silver at the 2013 World Cross Country Championships, Leonard Barsoton won the senior African cross-country title at the age of 19. Later that year he set a 10,000m PB of 27:20.74 and then finished fifth in the senior race at this year&rsquo;s World Cross Country Championships.Teklemariam Medhin has earned two individual medals at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. The two-time Olympic finalist has a 10,000m PB of 27:16.69.Uganda&rsquo;s Joshua Cheptegei will return to Hayward Field after winning the world junior 10,000m title in the same stadium last year. Still just 18 years old, he has already won the African junior title this year.The top North American in the field is Cam Levins. A training partner of Farah, the Canadian took bronze at the Commonwealth Games last year. His 10,000m PB of 27:27.96 was set on his debut at the distance in 2012.His PB of 27:28.10 might not be the fastest in the field, but Eritrea&rsquo;s world and Olympic finalist Nguse Amlosom won the hotly contested African title over 10,000m last year.William Sitonik, the 2011 world youth 3000m champion, has already won two 10,000m races this year, both in Japan. This will be his first race on US soil.World University Games champion Stephen Mokoka won both the 10,000m and 5000m at this year&rsquo;s South African Championships, setting a national record of 13:11.44 in the latter. Like Sitonik, the 30-year-old will be making his US racing debut.Since setting a PB of 27:32.96 in Eugene last year, 35-year-old El Hassan El Abbassi of Bahrain has won the 2014 Asian Games and 2015 Arab Championships at the distance.Suguru Osako took the silver medal behind Al Abbassi at the 2014 Asian Games. Earlier this year he set Japanese indoor records at 3000m, two miles and 5000m.Others in the field include Uganda&rsquo;s Timothy Toroitich, 2009 world youth 3000m bronze medallist Goitom Kifle of Eritrea, 2010 Kenyan 5000m champion Vincent Yator, Commonwealth 5000m bronze medallist Zane Robertson of New Zealand, 2012 European 5000m silver medallist Arne Gabius, and Moroccan 10,000m debutant Othmane El Goumri.National half-marathon champion Diego Estrada and 13:02.80 5000m runner Hassan Mead are the two US entrants in the field.Organisers for the IAAF2015 IAAF Diamond League calendar Doha, QAT &ndash; 15 May Shanghai, CHN &ndash; 17 May Eugene, USA &ndash; 30 May Rome, ITA &ndash; 4 June Birmingham, GBR &ndash; 7 June Oslo, NOR &ndash; 11 June New York, USA &ndash; 13 June Paris, FRA &ndash; 4 July Lausanne, SUI &ndash; 9 July Monaco, MON &ndash; 17 July London, GBR &ndash; 24-25 July Stockholm, SWE &ndash; 30 July Zurich, SUI &ndash; 3 September Brussels, BEL &ndash; 11 September

Mo Farah returns to the Prefontaine Classic 10,000m and the Olympic gold medallist will be joined by another incredibly deep field at the IAAF Diamond League meeting on 29-30 May.

Farah to face Kamworor in loaded Eugene 10,000m – IAAF Diamond League

The 10th edition of the Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon could see its course record finally break through the one-hour barrier on Sunday (19), as the organisers of the IAAF Gold Label Road Race have assembled a strong men&rsquo;s field.It will be the third straight time for Eritrea&rsquo;s Nguse Amlosom to compete in Yangzhou after he finished third in 1:00:46 in 2013 and trimmed 31 seconds off the course record en route to winning last year&rsquo;s race in 1:00:08.But this time the 28-year-old defending champion, whose personal best is 59:39 when he finished second in Ras Al Khaimah last February, could face a tough challenge as nine other runners in the field have a PB faster than an hour.Atsedu Tsegay is one of the favourites in Yangzhou. The 23-year-old holds the Ethiopian half-marathon record with 58:47 and more recently he finished seventh at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. But his two half-marathon performances last year were more than five minutes slower than his PB.Kenya&rsquo;s Mathew Kisorio is also a serious contender. His PB of 58:46 is one second quicker than Tsegay&rsquo;s and makes him the third-fastest ever for the distance. Last month he clocked 1:01:53 to finish third in Nairobi.And Kisorio will not be competing alone in Yangzhou as his brothers Peter Some and Nicholas Togom will both join him on the starting line.Some set a marathon PB of 2:05:38 when winning in Paris two years ago and earlier this year he finished fifth at the Tokyo Marathon in 2:07:22. His half-marathon PB of 1:00:21 was set one month before his marathon PB.Togom has a PB of 1:01:02, set in 2013, and has half-marathon victories to his name from each of the past three years.The 23-year-old Ethiopian Mosinet Geremew also has a speedy PB to his name. He clocked 59:11 to finish third in New Delhi last November and won a three-man battle for the line in 1:00:05 at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon earlier this year.Simon Cheprot of Kenya is arguably the in-form athlete in the men&rsquo;s field. He finished second at the Roma-Ostia Half Marathon last month in 59:39, just 19 seconds away from his PB. And in Yangzhou, Cheprot will once again meet Uganda&rsquo;s Geofrey Kusuro who registered his fastest-ever time of 59:43 to finish third in Rome.There are four more runners in the sub-hour club, including Moroccan record-holder and 2014 Rome Half Marathon winner Aziz Lahbabi (59:25), Kenyan trio Daniel Kipchumba Chebii (59.49), Alex Oloitiptip (59:58) and Victor Kipchirchir Lagat (59:31), who clocked a below-par 1:02:35 to finish fourth in Warsaw three weeks ago.<h3>Degefa aims to reclaim title</h3>In the absence of defending champion and course record-holder Gladys Cherono, two sub-68-minute runners will clash at the women&rsquo;s race. In-form Ethiopian Worknesh Degefa, runner-up last year, will take on Kenyan veteran Flomena Cheyech.The 24-year-old Degefa set a course record of 1:08:43 to win in Yangzhou in 2013. Last year she finished second in 1:09:07 behind world half-marathon champion Cherono, who improved the record to 1:08:16.Now Degefa is ready to retain the title &ndash; and maybe the course record &ndash; in Yangzhou after her significant victory at the Prague Half Marathon in March, cutting 35 seconds off her PB to win in 1:07:14.Cheyech has a PB of 1:07:39 when she claimed the title at the 2013 Roma-Ostia Half Marathon, where Degefa set her previous PB of 1:07:49 to finish third. Last year the 32-year-old won the Paris Marathon and the Commonwealth marathon title.Ethiopian duo Guteni Shone (1:08:31) and Netsanet Gudeta (1:08:46) are also among the favourites. Shone improved her marathon PB to 2:23:32 when finishing second in Houston in January and went on to win at the Seoul Marathon in 2:26:22. Gudeta was the bronze medallist at the World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang.Local runner He Yinli (1:11:34) is also enjoying a solid form in 2015. In her season debut she clocked 2:27:35 to finish second at the Chongqing Marathon last month.First launched in 2006, the Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon became an IAAF Silver Label Road Race in 2010 before being upgraded to Gold status in 2013.The 2015 edition will be conducted together with the Chinese Championships, with some 18,000 runners expected to compete in the half marathon events and the associated 10km and 5km races to attract some 19,000 in total from the public.Vincent Wu for the IAAF

The 10th edition of the Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon could see its course record finally break through the one-hour barrier on Sunday (19), as the organisers of the IAAF Gold Label Road Race have assembled a strong men’s field.

Amlosom and Degefa hope to break course records again in Yangzhou

Olympic marathon champion Tiki Gelana wants to leave behind a disappointing 18-month period by winning the Dam tot Damloop, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race from Amsterdam to Zaandam on Sunday (21).Her main contender is a man: the winner of last year’s race, Nguse Amlosom of Eritrea. The biggest and most famous Dutch road race over 10 miles is a battle between the sexes.The women start six minutes and four seconds ahead of the men, which represents the difference in the course records. Norway’s Ingrid Kristiansen set the women’s mark of 50:31 back in 1987, while Leonard Komon clocked 44:27 in 2011.Whoever crosses the finish line first – man or woman – will receive the winner’s bonus.Last year, it was a close fight between Amlosom and Joyce Chepkirui, who was the first woman in five years to win here. Gelana is the favourite this year, but she is aware that she has something to prove.“I’m very glad that the organisers are giving me this opportunity,” she said at the press conference on Friday. “I always like to run in the Netherlands, where I won my first marathon in Amsterdam in 2011 and set my PB of 2:18:58 in Rotterdam in 2012.“The victory at the Olympic Games changed my life a lot,” she added. “My family, my team-mates and my coach were very happy for me.”But Gelana was less fortunate afterwards. She wanted to run the New York Marathon in November 2012, but it was cancelled because of the weather conditions. At the London Marathon the following April, she collided with a wheel chair.“I finished the race, but afterwards I found out that I was badly injured and it took me a very long time to fully recover,” said Gelana, who was unable to finish the marathon at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow.“Physically and mentally I had a difficult time, but now I’m in a good shape again.”Two weeks ago, the Ethiopian finished third at the Great North Run in 68:45. Her next big goal will be the Yokohama Women’s Marathon in November.Also in the race are Linet Masai, who won in 2009, and Hilda Kibet, the winner in 2010 who will start for the ninth time in the 30th edition of the event.The men’s field will feature the top three finishers from last year’s race. Amlosom will be joined by Peter Kirui, who paced Patrick Makau to his marathon world record in 2011, and fellow Kenyan John Mwangangi.Kirui and Mwangangi were battling for the victory 12 months ago before Amlosom sprinted past both of them. “It was Kirui who was pushing, pushing, pushing, but at the end I was the best sprinter,” recalled Amlosom.Since then, the 27-year-old Eritrean has continued to improve, finishing fifth at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Copenhagen in 60:00. “At the end of July I went to Bogota for a half marathon at high altitude, where I finished fourth,” he said. “Much to my surprise, only two weeks later I was the African champion in the 10,000m in Marrakech.”Last week he returned to Morocco, finishing third in the 5000m at the IAAF Continental Cup. “I’m in a great shape,” Amlosom said with a big smile. “I’m sure that I can run under 45 minutes here and I will win again.”Kirui is supposed to be his main contender. In April he won the Prague Half Marathon in a personal best of 59:22. Mwangangi was a pacemaker at the Hamburg Marathon in May, but went on to finish the race, crossing the line in 2:08:06.Joshua Cheptegei, the world junior 10,000m champion from Uganda, will also be on the start line.Almost 45,000 runners will start on Sunday in this jubilee edition of the Damloop, together with 10,000 runners in the four-mile race on Saturday evening and 5000 youngsters in shorter distances.Cors van den Brink for the IAAF

Olympic marathon champion Tiki Gelana wants to leave behind a disappointing 18-month period by winning the Dam tot Damloop, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race from Amsterdam to Zaandam on Sunday (21).

Gelana wants to put difficult period behind her by winning the Dam tot Damloop

Isiah Koech, still only 20, added his name to an illustrious list of 5000m champions at the IAAF World and Continental Cup, none more so than Morocco’s own hero Said Aouita, who won this event at the World Cup in 1989.Aouita held off two Europeans to win 25 years ago, but tonight Koech was faced with a dogged New Zealander as Zane Robertson chased him home to add a Continental Cup silver to the Commonwealth Games bronze he won behind Koech in Glasgow earlier this summer. Koech’s fellow African Nguse Amlosom from Eritrea was third, leaving the field’s fastest man, Bahrain’s Albert Rop representing Asia-Pacific, fourth.It came down to a last-lap sprint between these four, but in the end it was a consummate victory for Koech, a former world youth champion, who controlled most of the race before outkicking Robertson to win in 13:26.86.Koech led six of the eight starters through 1000m in 2:44.70 and then 2000m in 5:34.60 before Rop took on the front-running duties as they hit 3000m in 8:17.32, with France’s Bouabdellah Tahri and Robertson close behind.The Kenyan moved to the lead again with three laps to go, as Turkey’s Ali Kaya began to struggle at the back of the pack.Robertson made his move 800 metres out, dragging the two Africans and Rop away from the two Europeans.Koech struck as they heard the bell, but Robertson hung on gamely down the back straight, keeping the gap to five metres.The Kenyan kicked again 200 metres out, and this time it was decisive. Robertson split the Africans to take seven valuable points for his side in 13:29.27 as Amlosom ran 13:31.31, a personal best by default, given it was his first ever 5000m.Matthew Brown for the IAAF

Isiah Koech, still only 20, added his name to an illustrious list of 5000m champions at the IAAF World and Continental Cup, none more so than Morocco’s own hero Said Aouita, who won this event at the World Cup in 1989.

Report: men's 5000m – IAAF Continental Cup, Marrakech 2014

The African Championships in Marrakech kicked off on Sunday (10) with the men’s 10,000m, one of the most hotly contested events on the programme. After little more than 28 minutes of running, Eritrea’s Nguse Amlosom emerged as the victor.In doing so, he made a little bit of history by becoming the first Eritrean athlete ever to win gold – or indeed a medal of any colour – at the African Championships.Held in the same stadium that will host the IAAF Continental Cup later this year, the men’s 10,000m was the first track final of the five-day championships. And it did not disappoint.Heading into the final lap, Amlosom, who finished eighth in the 25-lap event at the 2013 World Championships and 15th at the 2012 Olympics, was one of four athletes still in contention and was perhaps the least favoured.Moroccan champion Mustapha El Aziz had the benefit of the home crowd behind him, while 2008 world junior champion Josphat Bett was fresh from winning a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games. Ethiopian champion Adugna Tekele was something of an unknown quantity, competing in just his second ever track race.By this point of the race, recently crowned world junior champion Joshua Cheptegei had failed to finish, while his Ugandan team-mate and two-time Commonwealth champion Moses Kipsiro was a non-starter.Nevertheless, it made the race no less exciting as the quartet kicked hard for the finish line. Tekele was the first to fade out of medal contention. El Aziz pushed Amlosom all the way, but the Eritrean held on to win in 28:11.07, finishing 0.29 ahead of the Moroccan. Bett finished third in 28:11.61.Third time lucky for Cremona, third time unlucky for SeneThe only two other finals of the first day were the men’s shot and women’s hammer.After taking bronze in 2010 and silver in 2012, South Africa’s Orazio Cremona continued his gradual climb up to the top of the podium to take gold in the shot.The 25-year-old opened with a safe 17.35m but then shot into the lead with his second-round effort of 19.82m. The world indoor finalist improved on that in the fourth round with 19.84m, one of four throws in his series that landed beyond the 19-metre line. Team-mate Jaco Engelbrecht took silver with 18.87m.While Cremona was something of an expected winner, the pre-championships favourite crumbled in the women’s hammer.Senegal’s Amy Sene had twice broken the African record this season and led this year’s African lists by almost four metres. She had won the past two African titles and was bidding to make it a third.But it was not to be as Burkina Faso’s Laetitia Bambara sent her hammer flying out to 65.44m with Sene unable to respond.Sene ultimately had to make do with a best throw of 64.66m, more than five metres shy of her 69.70m African record set in May this year.It was the first time for more than two years that Sene had been defeated by Bambara, but their career head-to-head record is now tied at 13 apiece.Nigerian and Ivorian sprinters lead the way in 100m roundsOn a day that was packed with qualifying rounds, the men’s and women’s 100m captured much of the attention.After a straight-forward round of heats in the morning, Nigeria’s Mark Jelks was fastest in the evening’s semi-finals, winning his race in 10.16 (1.6m/s).But intrinsically, Hua Wilfried Koffa of the Ivory Coast produced the better performances as his 10.17 semi-final victory was into a -1.2m/s headwind. The third semi-final was won in 10.36 by defending champion Simon Magakwe of South Africa.In the women’s event, double world silver medallist Murielle Ahoure was the fastest in the semi-final with her 11.19 (-0.3m/s) heat win. But Commonwealth champion Blessing Okagbare faced a stiffer headwind of -1.2m/s when winning the other semi-final in 11.20. Behind her, Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou clocked 11.25.Elsewhere, Larbi Bourrada looks set to win his third African title in the decathlon. The Algerian has a huge overnight lead, having posted the best marks of the day in the 100m (10.90), long jump (7.45m), high jump (2.04m) and 400m (48.33). His day-one score of 4217 is just 100 points shy of the pace he set when setting the championship record of 8148 in 2010. Ghana's Atsu Nyamadi is currently second with 3871, which is 23 points better than his first-day score when he set the national record earlier this year. Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

The African Championships in Marrakech kicked off on Sunday (10) with the men’s 10,000m, one of the most hotly contested events on the programme. After little more than 28 minutes of running, Eritrea’s Nguse Amlosom emerged as the victor.