South Africa&rsquo;s Stephen Mokoka stepped up to 50km in style on Sunday (6), running 2:40:13* to break the men&rsquo;s world record for the distance at the Nedbank #Runified 50km &ndash; a World Athletics Elite Label road race &ndash; in Gqeberha.
The three-time Olympian has been running marathons for more than a decade but made history in his very first 50km race, following the pacemaker through half way in 1:21:03 and then breaking away after 35km (1:52:53)&nbsp;with a 2:56 kilometre to put himself on world record schedule.
The 2019 world marathon fifth-placer finisher held that pace on the 10km loop course, running a negative split (1:19:10 for the second half) after a solo run to victory. He won by almost four minutes and improved the inaugural world 50km record of 2:42:07 that had been set by Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ketema Negasa at the same event last year.
"I&rsquo;m tired," Mokoka said with a smile in his post-race interview. "It&rsquo;s a long way and I don&rsquo;t know how I&rsquo;m going to feel later, but I enjoyed it."
The performance further demonstrates&nbsp;Mokoka's impressive range. The 37-year-old has claimed numerous national titles in his career so far, from 1500m up to the marathon. His marathon best is&nbsp;2:07:40 from Shanghai in 2015, while he set the South African half marathon record when running&nbsp;59:36 to place seventh at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships in&nbsp;Gdynia.
Tete Dijana was runner-up to Mokoka in&nbsp;Gqeberha, clocking 2:44:08, with their compatriot Edward Mothibi &ndash; the 2019&nbsp;Comrades Marathon winner &ndash;&nbsp;third in 2:45:27.
Given the increasing popularity of 50km road races, the decision to add the distance to the list of events for which world records are recognised was made at the World Athletics Council meeting in Tokyo in July. Negasa&rsquo;s 2:42:07 was then ratified as the inaugural men&rsquo;s world 50km record at the start of this year, while the 3:04:24 run by South Africa&rsquo;s Irvette van Zyl in the same 2021 event was ratified as the world 50km record for a women-only race.
That time had been the target for athletes in Sunday&rsquo;s Nedbank #Runified 50km and the women's field went off with intent, the leaders passing 10km in 35:51 and half way in 1:31:34.&nbsp; 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/62247eff8313d8ee2b5f6971.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />Amelework Fikadu Bosho celebrates her Nedbank #Runified 50km win (&copy; Tobias Ginsberg / organisers)
 Ethiopia&rsquo;s Amelework Fikadu Bosho later dropped her rivals and although she was not able to maintain that world record pace, she hung on for a dominant women&rsquo;s race win in 3:04:58.
Kenya&rsquo;s Shelmith Muriuki was second in 3:08:30, while Van Zyl was third in 3:13:23.
*Subject to the usual ratification procedure 
&nbsp;
<h2>Sawe amd Kimais set Italian all-comers' records in Rome</h2>
Sabastian Kimaru Sawe ran the eighth-fastest half marathon in history at the RomaOstia event on Sunday (6), clocking 58:02 at the World Athletics Label road race. Breaking the Italian all-comers' record, Sawe secured a dominant victory, while Irine Jepchumba Kimais completed a Kenyan double in Rome, also winning the women&rsquo;s race in the fastest ever time on Italian soil - 1:06:03. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6224d6c3bb6e91d0370408b3.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />(&copy;&nbsp;Alfredo Falcone / LaPresse)
 On a day of memorable road racing, Sawe led the top six all under an hour, while Kimais was among five women to go sub-70 minutes.
Sawe&rsquo;s performance saw him improve by exactly a minute on the time he ran to win on his half marathon debut in Seville in January, while Kimais&rsquo; time was also a PB, almost three minutes faster than her previous best recorded in Adana in 2020.
Kimais and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Madina Mehamed went out fast in the women&rsquo;s race and remained together until around 9km when Kimais kicked. She went on to clock 30:58 for the first 10km which is on a slightly uphill section of the course. It was a lead she wouldn&rsquo;t relinquish and she eventually finished more than a minute ahead of Mehamed, who ran 1:07:09. Ethiopia&rsquo;s 2017 world marathon fifth-place finisher Shure Demise was third in 1:08:17, while USA&rsquo;s Allie Kieffer finished fourth in a PB of 1:09:17 and Tanzania&rsquo;s Failuna Matanga was also inside 70 minutes with 1:09:35. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6224e5cef24c54e5c86670e4.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />(&copy;&nbsp;Alfredo Falcone / LaPresse)
 Sawe also ran a strong first half to assert his dominance and went through the 10km mark in 28:01, pushing on to win clearly ahead of Great Ethiopian Run winner Gemechu Dida in a PB of 59:21, plus Kenya&rsquo;s Leonard Langat (59:22), Moses Koech (59:31), Moses Kemei (59:46), Sila Kiptoo (59:56) and Paul Tiongik (1:00:01). Italian marathon record-holder Eyob Faniel was next to finish in 1:00:36.
With thanks to Diego Sampaolo and Alberto Stretti
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-label-road-races/calendar-results/7176683/result?eventId=10229633&amp;gender=M" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a>
&nbsp;
<h2>Cheptegei impresses in 10km test</h2>
Over at Le Semi de Cannes, Uganda's world 5000m and 10,000m record-holder Joshua Cheptegei ran a world-leading French all-comers' record of 26:49 to win the 10km on Sunday (6). 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6224e47e8d43f8925a949852.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />(&copy;&nbsp;The Bellou Company)
 Testing himself on his season opener, the Olympic 5000m champion recorded the sixth-fastest ever 10km, with only world record-holder Rhonex Kipruto (26:24), himself and Leonard Komon having ever gone quicker for the distance on the roads.&nbsp;
Eritrea's Habtom Samuel and Uganda's&nbsp;Boniface&nbsp;Abel Sikowo were second and third, with respective times of 27:51 and 27:58.&nbsp;

Mokoka steps up to 50km in style at the World Athletics Elite Label road race

Mokoka breaks world 50km record with 2:40:13 in Gqeberha

Athletics South Africa has selected a full team for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020, which will take place on 29 March.
The team is led by national record-holder Stephen Mokoka, who clocked 59:51 in Buenos Aires last year before going on the finish fifth in the marathon at the World Championships in Doha. The 35-year-old will be making his seventh appearance at the World Half Marathon Championships, a tally bettered by just two other men in the history of the event. His best placing to date is eighth, a finish he achieved in both 2009 and 2012.
He will be joined by Precious Mashele, who has a best of 1:00:28, marathon specialist Desmond Mokgobu, Joel Mmone and Mbuleli Mathanga.
The five-member women&rsquo;s team is spearheaded by Glenrose Xaba, who will make her World Athletics Half Marathon Championships debut after clocking 1:09:46 last year in her second ever race at the distance.
She will line up alongside ultra-distance runner Gerda Steyn as well as Jenet Mbhele and twin sisters Lebo Phalula and Lebogang Phalula-Luthuli.
Collen Mulaudzi will provide cover for the men's team as a non-travelling reserve, while Makhosi Mhlongo has been confirmed as a non-travelling reserve in the women's squad.
&ldquo;We have now selected our best possible team,&rdquo; said ASA president Aleck Skhosana. &ldquo;It is a team that carries a lot of hopes on their individual shoulders.&rdquo;
ASA for World Athletics
<h3>South African team for Gdynia</h3>
Men: Precious Mashele, Mbuleli Mathanga, Joel Mmone, Pheeha Mokgobu, Stephen Mokoka, Collen Mulaudzi (reserve).
Women: Jenet Mbhele, Lebo Phalula, Lebogang Phalula-Luthuli, Gerda Steyn, Glenrose Xaba, Makhosi Mhlongo (reserve).

Athletics South Africa has selected a full team for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020, which will take place on 29 March.

South Africa names team for World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020

Emmanuel Saina of Kenya set a new South American all-comers record of 2:05:21 at the 34th edition of the Buenos Aires International Marathon, an IAAF Bronze Label road race, on Sunday (23).
In the women&rsquo;s race, Kenya&rsquo;s Vivian Kiplagat Jerono took the victory in 2:29:03, also a course record.&nbsp;
<h3>Saina&rsquo;s impressive debut</h3>
Saina, who didn&rsquo;t start as one of the favorites, dominated the race from the start, passing five kilometres in 14:48, alongside his compatriot Barnabas Kiptum. Both continued to race together up to the 30th kilometre, passing 10 kilometres in 29:54, 15 in 44:53, and 20 in 1:00:27. The halfway point was reached in 1:02:52 and 25km in 1:15:28.
The nice morning in the Argentine capital (18-20C) was a good ally for Saina, who by 30 kilometres (1:29:37) had opened a gap of six seconds over Kiptum. Saina continued on his way to a negative splits, with 1:43:49 at 35 kilometres and 1:58:47 at 40, before finishing the second half in 1:02:29.
The 26-year-old, who was making his debut over the distance, arrived at the line with a modest 1:02:03 personal best in the half marathon from Berkane on 1 April.&nbsp;
Kiptum paid the price of the fast race and finished in 2:09:19, still a personal best, while Peruvian Christian Pacheco, third with 2:11:19, also a personal best, won the South American title. Paraguayan Derlis Ayala followed with a national record of 2:13:41, while Kenyan Godfrey Kosgei was fifth in 2:14:00.
Peruvian Nelson Ito (2:16:29) completed the podium of the South American Championships, while Miguel &Aacute;ngel B&aacute;rzola, seventh, was the best Argentine runner with 2:16:47.
Pre-race favorite Marius Kipserem from Kenya dropped out in the second half.
The women&rsquo;s race went more &lsquo;accordingly&rsquo; to what was expected, with Kiplagat confirming her role of favourite.
After winning the Buenos Aires Half Marathon in a course record of 1:09:10 in August, the 31-year-old was dominant, passing 10-k in 37:00, and continuing with the following splits: 1:13:40 at 20-k, 1:16:21 at Half Marathon, 1:47:15 at 30km and 2:21:14 at 40km. With 1:12:42 over the second half, Kiplagat was able to produce a very clear victory.
Kenyan Leah Jerotich was second with 2:32:58 (1:16:21 at halfway), while Ethiopian Amelework Bosho was third with 2:34:56.
Ecuadorian Rosa Alva Chacha, fifth overall, obtained the South American title with 2:35:29. Peruvians Clara Canchanya (2:39:27; sixth overall) and Gladys Machuacay (2:40:58; seventh overall) completed the South American podium. Argentine Mariela Ortiz was the best local athlete, eighth in 2:42:11.
More than 9000 runners took part of the race.
Eduardo Biscayart for the IAAF
<h3>Mokoka clocks South African all-comers' record in Cape Town</h3>
Stephen Mokoka and Helalia Johannes cruised to victories at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on Sunday (23).
Bursting clear of the last remaining members of the lead group in the second half, Mokoka wrapped up a fine win in 2:08:31, setting a South African all-comers' best and clocking the fastest time in the country since 1986, when the late Zithulele Sinqe (2:08:04) and Willie Mtolo (2:08:15) clocked quicker times on an aided course. Mokoka finished half a minute ahead of Kenyan Albert Korir, who clocked 2:09:02. 
<div id="5bbb779f7f37370d285a09db" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/faf5db3b-f154-486b-a16c-f8d3adb6dfd6.png');">&nbsp;</div>
Stephen Mokoka wins the Cape Town Marathon</div>
&nbsp;
"We ran into a headwind in the first half and started struggling a bit, so after halfway we tried to push the pace and I'm happy with how the race turned out," said Mokoka, whose victory also earned him the South African national title. &ldquo;The course was perfect. If we didn't have a headwind, I think we could have run faster." His effort also improved the previous race record of 2:08:41.
The four-time Shanghai Marathon winner, who won the national marathon title for the first time in his career, was grateful for the crowd support throughout the race. "We got a lot of support, with people shouting my name all along the route, so it was very exciting, especially the last part of the race. Even though it was hard, I enjoyed it."
The battle for third was much closer, with Philemon Kacherian getting the nod in 2:09:13 ahead of Kenyan compatriot Kipsang Kipkemoi who clocked 2:09:21. 
<div id="5bbb77cf7f37370d285a09dc" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/f2ab7607-437d-4791-b6a1-eda26bf9cf94.png');">&nbsp;</div>
Helalia Johannes wins the Cape Town Marathon</div>
&nbsp;
Johannes, the runner-up last year, won this time around in 2:29:28, the fastest women's performance in South Africa in more than 30 years and also a race record, breaking the previous mark of 2:30:20. She finished 32 seconds clear of Failuna Matanga of Tanzania who clocked 2:30:00. Further back, Urge Diro Sokoka of Ethiopia was third in 2:30:31.
Athletics South Africa and Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Men 1 Stephen Mokoka (RSA) 2:08:31 2 Albert Korir (KEN) 2:09:02 3 Philemon Kacherian (KEN) 2:09:13 4 Kipsang Kipkemoi (KEN) 2:09:21 5 Nicholas Rotich (KEN) 2:12:39
Women 1 Helalia Johannes (NAM) 2:29:28 2 Failuna Matanga (TAN) 2:30:00 3 Urge Diro Sokoka (ETH) 2:30:31 4 Ayantu Gemechu Abdi (ETH) 2:31:33 5 Askale Alemayehu Adula (ETH) 2:31:34
<div>&nbsp;</div>

Emmanuel Saina of Kenya set a new South American all-comers' record of 2:05:21 at the 34th edition of the Buenos Aires International Marathon, an IAAF Bronze Label road race, on Sunday (23).

Road round-up: Saina clocks 2:05:21 South American all-comers' record in Buenos Aires, Mokoka takes Cape Town victory

Ethiopia&rsquo;s Roza Dereje and South Africa&rsquo;s Stephen Mokoka retained their titles at the Shanghai International Marathon in cool conditions on Sunday (12), with Dereje bettering her personal best by more than two-and-a-half minutes at the IAAF Gold Label road race.
A leading group of six runners remained together in the first half of the women&rsquo;s race. Running side by side with her husband as her pacer, Dereje built up a comfortable sole lead at the 35-kilometre mark and went on to extend her advantage afterwards.
Her husband stopped after 40 kilometres and the in-form Dereje kept pushing until breaking the tape in style with her arms stretching wide open.
She knelt down and kissed the ground right after crossing the line to celebrate her 2:22:43 victory, the second-fastest winning time in the 18-year history of the race following compatriot Tigist Tufa&rsquo;s course record of 2:21:52 in 2014.
It is Dereje&rsquo;s second appearance in Shanghai, having won last year in a big PB of 2:26:18. She trimmed her PB to 2:25:17 earlier this year when placing third in Vienna, but a 1:07:23 half marathon PB in Copenhagen in September suggested a further improvement on her marathon best was likely.
&ldquo;Good training led to the good race today,&rdquo; said Dereje. &ldquo;I was running at my own pace and it is very nice to set my best time.&rdquo;
Kenya&rsquo;s Lydia Cheromei, who won the 1991 world junior cross-country title and the 2004 world half-marathon silver medal, clocked a world age-40 best of 2:23:31 to take second place. It was her fastest time since 2012, the year in which she set her PB of 2:21:30.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Hirut Tibebu trailed four seconds behind Cheromei to finish third in 2:23:35, beating her PB by 29 seconds. It is the 22-year-old&rsquo;s third PB this year following her 2:25:12 run in Dubai and 2:24:04 finish in Prague.
In the men&rsquo;s race Mokoka made history by becoming the first four-time winner in Shanghai following his victories in 2013, 2014 and 2016.
The 32-year-old South African, who set a PB of 2:07:40 to finish second in Shanghai in 2015, pulled away from Kenya&rsquo;s Ernest Kiprono Ngeno in the last kilometre to win in 2:08:35, which was also the second-fastest winning mark in Shanghai following Paul Lonyangata&rsquo;s course record of 2:07:14 in 2015.
&ldquo;I am very happy with my performance today,&rdquo; said Mokoka, who has competed in Shanghai every year since 2011, setting his best time of the season on each occasion. &ldquo;Thanks to the organisers for inviting me. It is the fourth time for me to win here. I am very thankful.
&ldquo;During the race I always get encouragement from people alongside the course,&rdquo; added Mokoka. &ldquo;They kept saying &lsquo;Jiayou, Jiayou&rsquo; (meaning &lsquo;come on&rsquo; in Chinese). When they said that, I knew they were encouraging me to push on. I really enjoy such encouragement.&rdquo;
A group of eight runners paced the race to 30 kilometres in 1:31:04 and when the leaders hit 35 kilometres in 1:46:31, the pack was trimmed to six. Right before the 40-kilometre water station, Mokoka launched a powerful charge trying to break away with only Ngeno managing to keep his pace.
The duo ran together for another one-and-a-half kilometres, continuing to widen the gap between them and the chasers. Once they could see the Shanghai Stadium, in which the finish line lies, Mokoka sped up again and never looked back before wrapping up the victory.
The 22-year-old Ngeno &ndash; a former winner in Hengshui, Dongying and Milan with a PB of 2:07:49 when finishing second in Gyeongju last October &ndash; finished second in 2:08:38.
Last year&rsquo;s runner-up Asbel Kipsang of Kenya, also a sub-2:08 runner with a PB of 2:07:30, settled for third place in 2:09:02.
Vincent Wu for the IAAF

Ethiopia’s Roza Dereje and South Africa’s Stephen Mokoka retained their titles at the Shanghai International Marathon in cool conditions on Sunday (12), with Dereje bettering her personal best by more than two-and-a-half minutes at the IAAF Gold Label road race.

Dereje and Mokoka take back-to-back titles in Shanghai 

South Africa&rsquo;s Stephen Mokoka emerged victorious from a three-man battle to take his third title in four years at the Shanghai International Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday (30).
Enjoying a solitary lead in the last seven kilometres, the 31-year-old Mokoka clocked 2:10:18 to take a commanding victory. Although his time was 2:38 shy of his personal best of 2:07:40 when he finished second here last year and was the slowest winning mark since 2012, Mokoka was satisfied with his performance.
&ldquo;It is my third time winning here. So I am very happy even if the time is not very fast,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I hope next year I will be able to come here again.&rdquo;
It is the sixth consecutive year that Mokoka has competed in Shanghai. After third and fourth place finishes in 2011 and 2012 respectively, the South African took consecutive victories in 2013 and 2014. However, he was outraced last year by Kenya&rsquo;s Paul Lonyangata, who set the course record of 2:07:14, and had to settle for the runner-up spot.
The victory made Mokoka the second man to collect three wins in the race&rsquo;s 21-year history. Ethiopia&rsquo;s Gashaw Asfaw also achieved the feat with three victories in a row from 2008 to 2010.
Running under cloudy conditions with the temperature ranging from 13C to 18C, a leading group of three men, including Mokoka, Kenya&rsquo;s Asbel Kipsang and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Abdi Fufa, paced the race from the 15km mark in 46:01, and hit 20km in 1:00:39 and 30km in 1:32:15.
Soon after the 30km mark, Fufa was the first to fall back while Kipsang managed to keep up with Mokoka for another five kilometers before the South African pulled away to forge ahead for the win.
&ldquo;We went very slowly at 30km so I just decided to speed up and pace the race. I took the lead in the last 7 kilometres,&rdquo; said Mokoka. &ldquo;The last half of the race was very difficult because it was hot but the first half was very good. The weather was OK but it became warmer and warmer in the last half.&rdquo;
The 23-year-old Kipsang, who registered a PB of 2:07:30 at the 2016 Seoul Marathon in May, finished second in 2:11:16.
Fufa, 22, took third place in 2:13:30 in what was only his second race over the distance. He clocked 2:11:22 in his marathon debut seven months ago when he finished fifth at the Barcelona Marathon.
<h3>Dereje survives late race assault</h3>
In the women&rsquo;s race Roza Dereje of Ethiopia held off a strong challenge from Kenya&rsquo;s Margaret Agai in the last hundred metres to take the title with a career best.
It was the second victory for Dereje in 29 days. She set a course record and lifetime best of 2:31:16 in Odense, Denmark on 2 October. In Shanghai she trimmed nearly five minutes from her PB to win in 2:26:18.
A pack of nine lead the race through the midway point, but was whittled down to three by 35 kilometres, with just Agai and Wude Ayalew of Ethiopia matching Dereje&rsquo;s pace. When the trio reached the 40-kilometre mark, Dereje pulled away.
With a clear advantage, Dereje apparently slowed down without noticing that Agai was narrowing the gap. When she was eventually caught by the Kenyan a few hundred metres from the finish, Dereje looked stunned but did not lose her rhythm. Instead, she sped up again and didn&rsquo;t lower her guard until crossing the line.
&ldquo;In the last kilometre I thought I would win for sure. So when the other runner came by, I told myself I was winning and I would not let it go. So I just went and pushed the race. I was determined to win,&rdquo; said Dereje, who was competing in Shanghai for the first time.
Agai finished two seconds back in 2:26:20, 2:52 shy of her PB set in 2013 when winning the Daegu Marathon.
The 29-year-old Ayalew, the 10,000m bronze medallist at the 2009 World Championships, finished third in a PB of 2:27:08.&nbsp;
Vincent Wu for the IAAF

South Africa’s Stephen Mokoka emerged victorious from a three-man battle to take his third title in four years at the Shanghai International Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday (30).

Mokoka and Dereje victorious at Shanghai Marathon

South Africa&rsquo;s Stephen Mokoka is looking to regain the title at the Shanghai International Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday (30).
It will be the sixth straight year for the 31-year-old Mokoka to run in Shanghai. He finished third in 2011 and fourth in 2012 before claiming back-to-back victories in 2013 and 2014. Although he clocked a personal best time of 2:07:40 last year, Mokoka finished as runner-up behind Kenya&rsquo;s Paul Lonyangata. The Kenyan&rsquo;s winning time of 2:07:14 also beat the course record of 2:08:43 set by Mokoka in 2014.&nbsp;
Mokoka is yet to register a marathon result this year, but did finish second at the Port Elizabeth Half Marathon in July and 18th in the 10,000m at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. His quest, in spite of Lonyangata&rsquo;s absence, will still be met with a tough challenge on Sunday as the entry list also includes others with sub-2:08 credentials.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Markos Geneti could be a big threat. The 32-year-old, who was the world youth 3000m champion in 2001, set his personal best of 2:04:54 when finishing third at the 2012 Dubai Marathon. He also finished second in Dubai two years later in 2:05:13 and sixth at the Tokyo Marathon in 2:07:25 last year. But like Mokoka, he is yet to prove his form over the classic distance in 2016.
The 23-year-old Asbel Kipsang will also be a serious contender. The Kenyan cut nearly two minutes from his PB to 2:07:30 to finish sixth at the 2016 Seoul Marathon. Since his marathon debut in 2014, Kipsang has won three of his four races over the distance.
The men&rsquo;s field also includes Qatar&rsquo;s Essa Ismail Rashed, who has a PB of 2:07:54 from his fourth place finish in Amsterdam in 2014, although his best mark this season was a modest 2:16:40 at Chongqing Marathon.
<h3>Kiyara read to defend</h3>
The women&rsquo;s race will witness a rematch between last year&rsquo;s winner Rael Nguriatukei Kiyara and runner-up Letebrhan Haylay.
The 32-year-old Kiyara, whose PB is 2:25:23 set in 2011 when finishing fourth in Eindhoven, last year became the first female winner from Kenya in the 16-year history of the Shanghai Marathon. She rallied to outrace Ethiopia&rsquo;s Haylay after the 36km mark and never looked back before wrapping up the victory in 2:26:23.
Kiyara has won races in Madrid, Graz, Padua and Luxembourg and also set the course record at the Lanzhou Marathon last year. Her best performance in 2016 was a sixth place finish in 2:28:46 at the Prague Marathon in May.
Haylay, who will celebrate her 26th birthday on Saturday, has been enjoying a successful season so far. She clocked 2:36:51 to win at the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon in January and went on to take the victory at the Rotterdam Marathon in 2:26:15 in April. The race in Shanghai will be her third marathon this season and the sixth to date for the consistent Ethiopian, who made her debut earlier last year and achieved a PB of 2:25:24 in Prague.
Haylay&rsquo;s countrywoman Koren Jelela has also proven her strength with a marathon victory in 2016, clocking a winning time of 2:27:06 in Ottawa. She is the fastest among the entrants with a 2:22:43 clocking from Toronto in 2011. Last year in Frankfurt, Jelela clocked 2:23:52 to take third.
The entrants also include sub-2:25 runners Biruktayit Eshetu of Ethiopia, who can boast of a 2:23:51 career best and a 2:26:07 victory at this year&rsquo;s Houston Marathon. Turkey&rsquo;s Sultan Haydar, the national record holder at 2:24:44 set in 2015, was fifth in Shanghai last year.
Vincent Wu for the IAAF

South Africa’s Stephen Mokoka is looking to regain the title at the Shanghai International Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday (30).

Mokoka looking to regain Shanghai Marathon title, Kiyara back to defend

Two-time champion Stephen Mokoka of South Africa will be looking to take his third consecutive title at the Shanghai International Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, while the women&rsquo;s race will witness a new champion on Sunday (8).The 30-year-old Mokoka cruised to the top podium at the past two editions of the race and set a course record of 2:08:43 last year. Aside from his 2:08:33 debut in Seoul in 2010 and his run at the London Olympics, all of Mokoka&rsquo;s other marathons to date have been contested in Shanghai.His times in Shanghai have got quicker each year, too; after running 2:10:29 in 2011, he clocked 2:09:43 in 2012 and 2:09:30 in 2013.But completing his hat-trick will not be a piece of cake for Mokoka as he will be facing a field of 10 sub-2:08 runners, many of whom will be capable of challenging Mokoka&rsquo;s course record.Ethiopia&rsquo;s Tadese Tola is among the favourites for Sunday&rsquo;s race. The 2013 world bronze medallist has a PB of 2:04:49, set when finishing third at the 2013 Dubai Marathon. The 28-year-old also has considerable experience competing in China, setting a course record of 2:07:16 at the 2013 Beijing Marathon and clocking a season&rsquo;s best of 2:10:30 when finishing fifth at the Xiamen Marathon earlier this year.Tola&rsquo;s compatriot Endeshaw Negesse is also a serious contender with a PB of 2:04:52 set in 2013. Boosted by his high-profile victory at the Tokyo Marathon this season with the second-fastest time of his career at 2:06:00, the 27-year-old hopes to do better than his fourth-place finish from last year&rsquo;s Shanghai Marathon.Eliud Kiptanui of Kenya is the fastest man in the field this year. He clocked a PB of 2:05:21 to finish second at the Berlin Marathon in September, taking 18 seconds off his long-standing PB which had stood since 2010.Kenya&rsquo;s Mariko Kiplagat Kipchumba will also be a man to watch on Sunday. With a PB of 2:06:05 from three years ago, the 41-year-old is the winner of Xiamen Marathon in 2013 and 2014 and won the Beijing Marathon title in 2:11:00 in September. But whether he can physically recover from the race 50 days ago and fine-tune to his best shape remains a question.The field includes six other sub-2:08 runners including 2014 Seoul Marathon champion Yacob Jarso, 2012 Shanghai Marathon winner and former course record-holder Sylvester Teimet, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Abrha Milaw, and the Kenyan trio of Nicholas Manza Kamakya, Elijah Kemboi and Paul Kipchumba Lonyangata.Although the men&rsquo;s course record looks vulnerable, the chance to see a women&rsquo;s course record on Sunday looks slim as only one of the nine elite runners has a PB faster than the 2:21:52 mark set last year by Ethiopia&rsquo;s Tigist Tufa.Georgina Rono has a PB of 2:21:39, but it was set three years ago and she hasn&rsquo;t run faster than 2:26 since then. The 35-year-old Kenyan won the Hamburg Marathon in 2014, but her fastest time this year is 2:32:06.Rono&rsquo;s compatriot Caroline Kilel won the 2011 Boston Marathon and set her PB of 2:22:34 in 2013 when winning the Frankfurt Marathon for the second time. The 34-year-old finished second in Shanghai last year in 2:25:22 last year and her familiarity of the course could be an advantage.In the absence of defending champion Tufa and no other former champions to compete this year, the women&rsquo;s race will witness a new champion this weekend. If either Kilel or Rono win, they will be the first Kenyan women to triumph in Shanghai, ending a four-year streak of Ethiopian victories.But Biruktayit Eshetu could be the biggest hope to continue Ethiopia&rsquo;s dominance of this race. The 33-year-old is the fastest of the field this season after clocking a PB of 2:23:51 to finish third in Houston in January.Turkey&rsquo;s Sultan Haydar has also been in lifetime-best form this year. She started the year with a half-marathon PB of 1:09:49, and then broke her own Turkish marathon record to finish 12th in Dubai in 2:24:44.The field includes two other sub-2:26 runners: 2015 Lanzhou Marathon champion Nguriatukei Rael Kiyara of Kenya and 25-year-old Ethiopian Letebrhan Haylay, who will be contesting just her third marathon to date, having made her debut earlier this year.Vincent Wu for the IAAF

Two-time champion Stephen Mokoka of South Africa will be looking to take his third consecutive title at the Shanghai International Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, while the women’s race will witness a new champion on Sunday (8).

Mokoka looks to defend his title in Shanghai

Training partners Stephen Sambu and Bernard Lagat were all smiles after the Morrisons Great Manchester Run, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday (10).On his European debut, Sambu added another high-profile road-racing accolade to his resume, breaking away from the in-form Stephen Mokoka from South Africa in the last two kilometres to set a world-leading time of 27:30 and win by eight seconds. Meanwhile, Lagat smashed the world over-40 best, running 27:48 on his competitive debut at the distance, and adding to the plethora of indoor 'masters world bests' he set indoors.The pace was brisk from the start with a lead group passing through the first kilometre in 2:41, and the second kilometre in 2:43. A sub-28 minute time didn&rsquo;t necessarily seem on the cards, given the blustery conditions but a leading group of six were under this schedule as they passed through the 5km mark, at the western-most part of the course, in 13:51.On the run back towards the centre, the lead group began to break up with Ethiopian youngster Tesfaalem Mehari, world record-holder Leonard Komon, and Wilson Kipsang &ndash; who was racing just two weeks after finishing second in the London Marathon in 2:04:47 &ndash; dropping off the pace in that order. Mokoka, who finished third behind Kenenisa Bekele and Kipsang last year, stayed with Sambu but the pre-race favourite broke Mokoka courtesy of back-to-back kilometre splits of 2:38 and 2:41. Sambu set a negative second-half split of 13:39 to cross the finish-line in a 2015 world-leading time of 27:30. His winning time was the fastest in Manchester since Micah Kogo set the still-standing course record of 27:24 in 2007, and is the third fastest winning time in race history.Sambu has run faster in the past but Mokoka made a huge step forward.&nbsp; Having recently lowered the South African 5000m record to 13:11.44, Mokoka slashed 34 seconds from his 10km best, and took 22 seconds off a national record which had dated all the way back to 1980.Lagat, who trains alongside Sambu under the tutelage of James Li in Arizona, was thrilled with his performance, his world over-40 best of 27:48 slashed 12 seconds from Gebrselassie&rsquo;s previous mark, which had been set in this race two years ago. &ldquo;You know, I actually even doubted why even I signed up for this!&rdquo; joked Lagat, who had been picking Sambu&rsquo;s brains &ndash; 14 years Lagat&rsquo;s junior &ndash; ahead of the race.&ldquo;This morning he was asking me what the pace was going to be. I told him &lsquo;don&rsquo;t worry just follow the elite group.&rsquo; I told him &lsquo;don&rsquo;t worry, we have been doing tempo runs together. You have done the training.&rsquo; It worked good,&rdquo; said Sambu, who has been a significant figure on the American road racing scene in recent years. Gebrselassie, who is slowly winding down his illustrious career, finished back in 16th in 30:05. He said he picked up a small injury after a recent speed work session, and the five-time winner of this race was never up with the leaders today. <h3>Saina&rsquo;s front-running tactics prevail </h3> In the women&rsquo;s race, Betsy Saina and Caroline Kilel pushed the pace together from the gun. The Kenyan duo towed an initial group of five runners on 31-minute pace through the first two kilometres in 3:06 and 3:05 respectively. After running side-by-side in the opening kilometres, Saina soon took the lead outright, breaking away from Kilel around the halfway point which was covered in 15:41.In the second-half, Kilel began to pay for her ambitious start, eventually reeled in by Great Britain&rsquo;s 2014 European cross country champion Gemma Steel and Kenya&rsquo;s two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat from Kenya in the seventh kilometre. Saina went through 8km in 25:22, but saw her lead cut slightly to eight seconds In pursuit of Saina, Steel broke away from Kiplagat but had just a little too much ground to make up. Saina, who was last year&rsquo;s fastest 10km runner at 30:46, crossed the finish line at Deansgate in 31:49 with Steel six seconds in arrears.Having arrived in Manchester fresh from a 15:00.48 season&rsquo;s opener over 5000m in Stanford, Saina will be diverting her attention back to the track. Her next race will be over 5000m at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, an IAAF Diamond League meeting, but her main goal this summer is to make the Kenyan team over 10,000m at the IAAF World Championships.Looking further ahead, Saina has marked 2017 as the season she will move up to the marathon.&nbsp;&nbsp; Kiplagat comprised the podium in third in 31:57 with Kilel fourth in 32:18.Steven Mills for the IAAF

Training partners Stephen Sambu and Bernard Lagat were all smiles after the Morrisons Great Manchester Run, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday (10).

Sambu sets world-leading 10km mark in Manchester

No one saw it coming, not even Rushwal Samaai himself, but the Commonwealth and African bronze medallist shattered his long jump PB to provide the top performance of the South African Championships in Stellenbosch.His first-round leap of 8.38m (1.4m/s) effectively signalled the end of the competition. Samaai took two more attempts, both fouls, before passing his last three, and he ended up winning by more than half a metre.&ldquo;It&rsquo;s incredible,&rdquo; said the 23-year-old, whose best before the competition was 8.13m, set at altitude last year. &ldquo;I have no words to describe my feelings. I feel blessed because my goal today was 8.20m. But 8.38m? I don&rsquo;t know what to say!&rdquo;Samaai&rsquo;s mark moves him to second on the national all-time list and sixth on the African all-time list. More importantly, it puts him in the frame to challenge for medals at this year&rsquo;s IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015.&ldquo;The most important thing now is that I stay injury free,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;I have always looked up to Godfrey (Mokoena) and Zarck (Visser) and I know I will have to work hard to keep up with them.&rdquo;Stephen Mokoka was the other stand-out performer of the two-day championships, which ran from Friday to Saturday (17-18).The World University Games champion dominated the two longest distance races on the track. First he won the 10,000m in 28:15.56, and then he was back on track 24 hours later for the 5000m.But instead of just sitting and kicking, Mokoka went out hard and was rewarded with a national record of 13:11.44, smashing his PB by more than 14 seconds and running well inside the World Championships qualifying time.Several other athletes also achieved qualifying performances for Beijing.National record-holder Wayde van Niekerk, the African and Commonwealth silver medallist, won the 400m in a season&rsquo;s best of 44.91. Almost a second behind, 19-year-old Jon Seeliger clocked a PB of 45.85 to finish runner-up.African record-holder and 2011 world bronze medallist Sunette Viljoen won her 10th national title in the javelin. Her 64.14m was more than enough to win, putting her nearly 15 metres ahead of her nearest opponent.Following his wind-assisted sub-20-second run in Texas last month, world and Olympic finalist Anaso Jobodwana was a comfortable winner of the 200m. His winning time of 20.35 (-0.1) was the fastest he has achieved on South African soil.The two big favourites in the 400m hurdles finals lived up to expectation. LJ van Zyl, the 2011 world bronze medallist, won the men&rsquo;s final in 49.29, while African champion Wenda Nel took the women&rsquo;s title in 55.27.<h3>Close throws finals</h3>Two of the tightest competitions came in the men&rsquo;s throwing events.After taking gold and silver respectively at last year&rsquo;s African Championships, Orazio Cremona and Jaco Engelbrecht renewed their rivalry in the shot. Just eight centimetres separated them at the end of the first round with Engelbrecht leading 19.93m to Cremona&rsquo;s 19.85m. Both athletes improved in round four with Cremona taking the lead with 20.49m and Engelbrecht now trailing by eight centimetres.Engelbrecht improved in the following round with 20.45m, but Cremona &ndash; who rounded out his series with 20.36m and 20.45m &ndash; had done just enough to win.The men&rsquo;s discus was similar. Russel Tucker took an early lead with 60.58m in round one, little more than a metre farther than Victor Hogan&rsquo;s opener. Tucker improved in round two to 61.38m, but Hogan snatched the lead in the third round with 62.62m.Tucker improved to 62.18m in round four, but Hogan increased his lead, throwing 62.86m in round five to hold on to the win.South Africa&rsquo;s leading middle-distance runners duly delivered in their events, Andre Olivier winning the 800m in 1:46.02 and Johan Cronje taking the 1500m in 3:37.93.Elsewhere, Commonwealth and African champion Godfrey Mokoena won the triple jump with 16.63m. 41-year-old Chris Harmse won his 20th national title in the hammer, throwing 71.98m.Both 100m finals were run into a -2.1m/s headwind. Akani Simbine won the men&rsquo;s title in 10.25 while Carina Horn took the women&rsquo;s crown in 11.40.Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

No one saw it coming, not even Rushwal Samaai himself, but the Commonwealth and African bronze medallist shattered his long jump PB to provide the top performance of the South African Championships in Stellenbosch.

Samaai and Mokoka shine at South African Championships

Stephen Mokoka and Tigist Tufa fulfilled predictions and took down the course records at the 19th Shanghai International Marathon, the pair running 2:08:43 and 2:21:52 respectively at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Sunday (2).Into the bargain, Mokoka emerged as only the second man in the history of this race able to defend his title. The race started 7am local time with drizzle falling but, with the skies clearing before the half way, the 29-year-old South African was able to use his renowned track speed &ndash; he was the 2013 World University Games 10,000m champion &ndash; to power away from Ethiopia&rsquo;s Abreham Cherkos and Kenya&rsquo;s Stephen Chemlany in the final kilometres. In his first marathon of 2014, Mokoka took 18 seconds off the course record, having been held by Kenya&rsquo;s Sylvester Teimet at 2:09:01 since 2012, after he finished a tantalising 29 seconds short of the mark when winning 12 months ago. Mokoka seems to have a special affection for the Chinese city. He got his debut win over the classic distance a year ago and this was his seventh marathon, but four of them have been in Shanghai, where he also placed second in 2011 and fourth in 2012.Close behind, the 2008 world junior 5000m champion Cherkos was second in 2:08:47. If it wasn&rsquo;t his fastest marathon, it was the 25-year-old&rsquo;s best result, his best previous finish being fourth in Amsterdam in 2010. Chemlany, who had the fastest season&rsquo;s best in the field with 2:06:24 from Seoul earlier in the year, which was also his personal best, was third in 2:08:56. The 32-year-old Kenyan has had a relatively busy year and completed his third marathon of the season, having also placed second at the Commonwealth Games marathon in Glasgow in July. Endeshaw Negesse, the runner with the fastest personal best in this race, 2:04:52 from 2013, was fourth in 2:09:47, the only other man to dip below 2:10.In the women&rsquo;s race, 27-year-old Tigist Tufa continued her impressive progress during this season. The Ethiopian crushed the previous course record of 2:23:07, set by her countrywoman Feyse Tadese in 2012, by more than a minute when finishing in a 2:21:52 personal best and actually came home 10th overall. Tufa, who became the fifth successive Ethiopian winner in this race, has lowered her PB by a huge 19 minutes in just 20 months. Her personal best was just 2:40:45 early in 2013, which she ran in Jacksonville, Florida, in February 2013. She then made a huge leap in New York 12 months ago clocking 2:29:24, before cutting almost eight minutes from her best in 2014.Tufa started her marathon season with a 2:28:04 second-place finish in Santa Monica in March and then won the Ottawa Marathon in May in 2:24:31 but all that was a prelude to her feat on Sunday.Kenya&rsquo;s Caroline Kilel also completed her third marathon of 2014, finishing second in a 2:25:22 season&rsquo;s best.Like her compatriot Chemlany, the 33-year-old Kilel took the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in July. The next five places in the race all went to Ethiopian runners, with 28-year-old Misiker Mekonnin taking the last spot on the podium in third place with 2:29:03.The marathon, introduced in 1996, has been previously run in early December but the organisers decided to move the race forward by a month to let the runners enjoy a cleaner climate, as the air traditionally becomes more polluted in December. Mirko Jalava for the IAAF

Stephen Mokoka and Tigist Tufa fulfilled predictions and took down the course records at the 19th Shanghai International Marathon, the pair running 2:08:43 and 2:21:52 respectively at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Sunday (2).

Mokoka and Tufa lower course records in Shanghai

Strong line-ups in both fields for the 19th Shanghai International Marathon means that the course records could be in jeopardy at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Sunday (2).Both existing course records were set back in 2012 with Kenya’s Sylvester Teimet clocking 2:09:01 in the men’s race and Ethiopia’s Feyse Tadese running 2:23:07 in the women’s.Last year’s winner Stephen Mokoka returns to Shanghai to defend his title. The South African ran 2:09:30 for the win last year, but this time round the 29-year-old will be the ninth-fastest runner in the field.Eight men on the Shanghai startline have PBs better than Mokoka’s 2:08:33, which he ran in Seoul in 2010. The fastest man in the field is Ethiopia’s Endeshaw Negesse, who ran 2:04:52 in 2013. The 26-year-old has already finished one marathon this season, clocking 2:08:32 for second place in Dusseldorf.The fastest this season is Kenya’s Stephen Chemlany, who ran a 2:06:24 personal best for second place in Seoul in March. The 32-year-old also placed second at the Commonwealth Games in 2:11:58 in July.Ethiopia’s Abreham Cherkos is not far behind with a 2:07:08 season’s best, achieved in Seoul in March. The 25-year-old former world youth and world junior champion has a personal best of 2:06:13 from 2011.One athlete with a previous victory in China is Mariko Kipchumba from Kenya. The 32-year-old was crowned winner in January 2014 in Xiamen in 2:08:06 and has a 2:06:05 personal best from 2012.Other notable names include Kenya’s Mark Korir, who ran a 2:07:08 personal best in 2013, Ethiopia’s Teferi Kebede, who ran a lifetime best of 2:07:35 two years ago, and Moroccan Adil Annani, who ran 2:07:43 when finishing fourth at the London Marathon in 2012.Tufa takes on KirwaThe top three finishers from last year’s women’s race will not be present, but there are five athletes in the field with PBs faster than 2:25 and a total of 10 with sub-2:30 PBs.The fastest runner this season is Tigist Tufa from Ethiopia. The 33-year-old has completed two marathons this season, setting PBs in both, first with 2:28:04 in Santa Monica, and then with her 2:24:31 victory in Toronto.Bahrain’s 30-year-old Eunice Jepkirui Kirwa has won two marathons this year, including at the Asian Games, and has the fastest personal best of the field with her 2:21:41 run in Amsterdam two years ago.Mamitu Daska, also from Ethiopia, will run her first marathon of the season in Shanghai. The 31-year-old has a personal best of 2:21:59 and has impressed over the shorter distances on the roads this season. In June she won a 10km race in Boston in 31:04 and then a half marathon in 1:08:20 in October.Countrywoman Atsede Baysa has been far off her best form in 2014. Winner of the 2012 Chicago Marathon in a PB of 2:22:03, the 27-year-old clocked 2:35:03 in February and 2:37:55 in June, so will obviously looking for a much better time here.Kenya’s Caroline Kilel finished a disappointing 17th at the Boston Marathon in April in 2:32:04, but turned in a much better performance in Glasgow in July, with a second-place finish at the Commonwealth Games in a 2:27:10 season’s best. The 33-year-old has a personal best of 2:22:34, which she clocked winning the 2013 Frankfurt Marathon.Other notable runners include Ethiopian trio Selomie Getnet (2:25:13), Misiker Mekonnin (2:25:21) and Deribe Godana (2:27:32).Mirko Jalava for the IAAF

Strong line-ups in both fields for the 19th Shanghai International Marathon means that the course records could be in jeopardy at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Sunday (2).

Course records look vulnerable at the Shanghai Marathon

Two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat pulled out an impressive victory at the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run in Glasgow to lead home a Kenyan 1-2 over the half marathon distance at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Sunday (5).The 34-year-old, preparing for next month’s New York Marathon, pulled away from three-time event winner Caroline Kilel just after the halfway point and eventually finished in a course record of 1:07:57, an emphatic 56 seconds ahead of her compatriot.“I started picking up from five kilometres and that’s when I found my rhythm,” said Kiplagat. “Then I pushed it faster towards the closing miles. We tried our best and we were happy to come 1-2 for Kenya. My body responded well and my training is on track.”New York on 3 November will be the next stop for Kiplagat but she has already made a third global title in Beijing next year her main priority for 2015.“That’s what I really want,” she said. “Three titles would be nice.”Olympic champion Tiki Gelana was dropped early in Glasgow and could come only third in 1:10:37 while local Scottish star Susan Partridge, 10th in the World Championships marathon last year, was the first Briton home in fifth place in 1:12:12.“It’s been a long season,” said Partridge, who also picked up a national title despite being unable to repeat her overall win from 2013. “I was hoping there might be a little more left but there just wasn’t.”Mokoka the men's winnerSouth Africa’s Stephen Mokoka emerged the strongest from an evenly-matched leading pack in the men’s race to win the Great Scottish Run in 1:01:25, boosting his own build-up for the forthcoming Shanghai Marathon.The versatile 29-year-old, who set a personal best of 1:00:47 at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Copenhagen earlier this year, sat among a four-strong group that headed the field for much of the race, taking turns to stride ahead.“There were times when I moved into the front when we were doing 4:45-minute miles and I wanted to improve that to about 4:37 because I knew my target was about 61 minutes,” he said. “When I felt the pace was slowing, I wanted to push it.”Eventually, Mokoka found an extra gear and made his move. Kenya’s Stephen Chemlany, the marathon silver medallist in the same Scottish city at the Commonwealth Games earlier this summer, finished second in 1:01:32 with Mark Kiptoo just two seconds further back in third place.“I ran 61 so that’s a good sign, one month out from the Shanghai Marathon,” added Mokoka. “It shows my programme is going well but now I’ll go home and work on a few things.”There was no repeat win for Haile Gebrselassie who was forced to pull out after just five kilometres with the Ethiopian legend toiling due to a bout of asthma.“My lungs were finding it hard,” said the 41-year-old. “They were burning and I was struggling from the beginning.”With Gebrselassie out of contention, the mantle of local favouritism fell to Scottish runner Callum Hawkins. The British international ran 1:03:06 on his half-marathon debut to lead home the domestic challenge in sixth place.“It was probably a minute better than I was expecting,” said the Glasgow native, who has been training in Colorado under the watch of former marathon world record-holder Steve Jones. “I was watching the clock tick down and thinking it would be nice to get under 63 but I’m pretty happy.”About 30,000 participants of all ages started Scotland's biggest running event, taking part in either a 10km or the half marathon through the heart of the city.Mark Woods for the IAAF

Two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat pulled out an impressive victory at the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run in Glasgow to lead home a Kenyan 1-2 over the half marathon distance at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Sunday (5).