Formers winners Agnes Kiprop of Kenya and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Aberu Mekuria will both return to the Chinese city of Hengshui to compete for the women&rsquo;s title at the Hengshui Lake International Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on Sunday (8).
The 36-year-old Mekuria clocked a course record of 2:26:07, her personal best time at that time, to win in 2013. Two years later Kiprop claimed the tile in 2:25:43, which has stood as the course record until now.
However, the 39-year-old Kenyan, whose PB of 2:23:54 was set in Frankfurt back in 2011, hasn&rsquo;t come close to 2:26 since her 2015 Hengshui victory. She clocked 2:29:04 to finish fourth at the Dongying Yellow River Marathon in April, which was her fastest time in more than four years.
Mekuria, on the contrary, has been enjoying a second wind in her decade-long career, achieving a PB of 2:24:30 to break the course record at the 2019 Chongqing International Marathon. It will be her third race in Hengshui as she also clocked 2:32:53 to finish eighth in 2015.
The organisers have assembled the deepest women&rsquo;s field in the eight-year history of the race, as other race favourites also include Marta Megra of Ethiopia, who set her PB of 2:22:35 last year in Toronto, as well as her compatriot Tirfi Tsegaye, the fastest woman toeing the line with a PB of 2:19:41 from her massive victory in Dubai in 2016.
The men&rsquo;s field also contains a former champion. 24-year-old Ernest Ngeno of Kenya took the top honours in Hengshui four years ago with a winning mark of 2:07:57, which was his PB at the time and 12 seconds shy of the course record set by Markos Geneti in 2014.
Last year, he improved his PB to 2:06:41 when finishing third in Paris, which makes him the second-fastest entrant in the field.
Although Ngeno is keen to end a three-year title drought following his victory in Milan in 2016, he could face a serious threat from Aychew Bantie.
The rising Ethiopian, who turned 24 this month, trimmed more than two minutes off his career best to finish third at the Prague Marathon in 2:06:23 four months ago and is still pursuing his first title since debuting over the classic distance in 2017.
Bantie&rsquo;s compatriot Fikadu Kebede, who turns 33 on Friday, also arrives in Hengshui in high spirits. He set a PB of 2:08:27 in Dubai in January and came close to that mark three months later with a second-place finish in Dongying in 2:09:38.
The men&rsquo;s field also includes Kenyan duo Dominic Ruto and Ismael Boshendich Chemtan
Vincent Wu for the IAAF
<h3> Chirchir targets overall win at Dam tot Damloop</h3>
This year&rsquo;s Dam tot Damloop on Sunday (22) could be one of the few races in the long history of the IAAF Silver Label road race in which a woman crosses the finish line first.
As has been tradition at this 10-mile race between Amsterdam and Zaandam, the women&rsquo;s field sets off 6:04 &ndash; the difference between the men's and women's course records &ndash; ahead of the men&rsquo;s field. The first athlete to finish, man or woman, will receive a &euro;5000 bonus.
Following her 1:06:22 PB at the Copenhagen Half Marathon last week, Evaline Chirchir will start as the favourite. The Kenyan has also clocked some impressive times at 10km this year, including 30:43 in Valencia and 31:17 in Brunssum, and will be keen to improve on her fifth-place finish from last year.
Irene Cheptai, the 2017 world cross-country champion, recently clocked a season&rsquo;s best of 31:27 over 10km, while Jip Vastenburg carries the Dutch hopes.
The women&rsquo;s race record of 50:31 has been held by Ingrid Kristiansen since 1987, but last year&rsquo;s winner Lonah Salpeter came close to it with 50:45.
Former 1500m specialist Chala Regasa of Ethiopia set a 10km PB of 27:23 earlier this year and will be making his Dam tot Damloop debut. Compatriot Solomon Berihu, aged 19, is another strong contender and has set PBs of 13:02.08 for 5000m and 27:02.26 for 10,000m this year.
Ethiopian Olympian Ayele Abshero, a 2:04:23 marathon runner, finished third in this race back in 2010 in a PB of 45:33, but doesn&rsquo;t seem to be in that same kind of form this year. Kenya&rsquo;s John Langat also returns to Amsterdam in a bid to do better than his 12th-place finish last year.
The weather forecast for Sunday morning seems ideal with temperatures between 16-18C and the wind on the runners&rsquo; backs.
Eric Roeske for the IAAF

Formers winners Agnes Kiprop of Kenya and Ethiopia’s Aberu Mekuria will both return to the Chinese city of Hengshui to compete for the women’s title at the Hengshui Lake International Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on Sunday (8).

Weekend road preview: past winners return to Hengshui, Chirchir the favourite at Dam tot Damloop

Lonah Salpeter from Israel and Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei ran to victory at the 34th Dam tot Damloop, a ten-mile IAAF Silver Label&nbsp;road race from Amsterdam to Zaandam, on Sunday (23).
Salpeter, who edged Dibabe Kuma at the line, also won the gender pursuit race, the first time a woman has triumphed since 2013. In the pursuit, women start 6:04 prior to the men, the difference between the course records of 44:27 and 50:31 set respectively by Leonard Komon in 2011 and Ingrid Kristiansen in 1987.
<h3>Narrow win for Salpeter</h3>
On this first day of the northern hemisphere autumn, 46,000 participants took part in the mass event on the rainy Sunday morning. Soon a leading group of five women split off: Salpeter, Kuma, Mercyline Chelangat from Uganda, Dutchwoman Susan Krumins and Evaline Chirchir from Kenya.
They covered the first five kilometres in 15:55 but before they reached the 10-kilometre mark --the second five kilometres were covered in 15:49-- the group was reduced to four with Chirchir dropping off the pace. Soon Chelangat, who was defending her title, followed. Meanwhile, Salpeter and Kuma kept on accelerating --the next five-kilometre stretch was covered in 15:44-- forcing Krumins to drop back as well.
Kuma took the lead in the last kilometre but Salpeter, who took the European 10,000m title in August, fought back at the finish to take the narrow one-second victory in 50:45.
"This was not easy, the circumstances were difficult, but I did not want to lose, So I did not give up," said Salpeter, who was making her debut over the distance.
The home favourite Krumins, who took silver behind Salpeter in Berlin, also raced over 10 miles for the first time.
"They started fast," Krumins said. "Every time Salpeter accelerated for about 500 metres, they tried to run me off. The gap that they had at one point remained the same for a long time, but it was so cold that I could not lift my legs anymore. I tried to stay ahead of all the men, and then came Cheptegei about 400 metres from the finish. I have done everything - and did not leave anything at all."
Krumins will compete in the European Cross Championships in the Dutch city of Tilburg in December. "I have not raced in cross country since 2009. We have a super strong team with Sifan Hassan and Maureen Koster, so we have to pick up that gold team medal."
<h3>Cheptegei's successful return</h3>
A relatively slow start in the men's race --the first five-kilometre split was 14:22-- created a lead group of 13 early on, but that dwindled by 10-kilometres, when Cheptegei and Kenyan Alfred Ngeno upped the tempo, covering the second five kilometres in 13:52. The next five were nearly as quick at 13:58, but by then only Cheptegei was left in the chase for the leading women. He eventually finished 35 seconds behind Salpeter, clocking 45:15, 26 seconds clear of Ngeno.
"I was really prepared for a tough challenge," said Cheptegei, who was sidelined by a knee injury since his 5000/10,000m double at the Commonwealth Games in April. "When there was one kilometre to go I was approaching Krumins and saw the two leading ladies. Our first three kilometres were too slow, so we lost that 35 seconds and we would never catch them."
"I am happy, also because I feel that my knee injury is improving a lot. Hopefully you will see something better next year." Cheptegei confirmed that he'll begin his 2019 season at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus in March before turning his attention to the World Championships in Doha.
Eric Roeske for the IAAF
<div>Leading results:</div>
<div>MEN - 1. Joshua Cheptegei, UGA 45:15 2. Alfred Ngeno, KEN 45:41 3. Afewerki Berhane, ERI 46:04 4. Bashir Abdi, BEL 46:08 5. Rhonzas Kilimo, KEN 46.14 6. Zane Robertson, NZL 46:29 7. Ayele Abshero, ETH 46:38 8. Callum Hawkins, GBR 47:01 9. Yakoub Labquira, MAR 47:04 10. Khalid Choukoud, NED 47:06</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>WOMEN - 1. Lonah Salpeter, ISR 50:45 2. Dibabe Kuma, ETH 50:46 3. Susan Krumins, NED 51:30 4. Mercyline Chelangat, UGA 52:08 5. Evaline Chirchir, KEN 52:34 6. Sarah van der Wielen, SWE 53:05 7. Ancuta Bobocel, ROU 53:42 8. Jessica Trengove, AUS 54:14 9. Jip Vastenburg, NED 54:39 10. Jill Holterman, NED 56:30</div>

Lonah Salpeter from Israel and Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei ran to victory at the 34th Dam tot Damloop, a ten-mile IAAF Silver Label road race from Amsterdam to Zaandam, on Sunday (23).

Salpeter and Cheptegei prevail at Dam tot Damloop 10-miler

Birhanu Legese and Mercyline Chelangat were the clear and proud winners of the Dam tot Damloop, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, that covers the 10 mile distance between the Dutch cities of Amsterdam and Zaandam, on Sunday (17).
Edwin Kiptoo was the favourite in the men&rsquo;s field, the 24-year-old Kenyan who won the race&rsquo;s last two editions, in 2015 with a 45:19 personal best. Kiptoo was at the front of the leading group of seven for more than 10 kilometres. All eyes were on him.
&ldquo;I asked the others to take over several times, but they decided to wait and see,&rdquo; he said. Kiptoo eventually finished fourth but wasn&rsquo;t too disappointed. &ldquo;In four weeks I will have my debut in the marathon in Amsterdam, so I did a lot of endurance training as preparation and I haven&rsquo;t the speed that I had in the last two years.&rdquo;
So the podium in the Damloop went to the athletes who waited until the last three kilometres with 23-year-old Birhanu Legese prevailing. Propelled by his solid track speed --the Ethiopian clocked 13:26 at the Athletissima in Lausanne and 13:24 at Zurich&rsquo;s Weltklasse this season-- cruised to victory in 45:38.
&ldquo;I knew that I could rely on my speed and I was confident that I could win this race,&rdquo; said Legese, who will now be looking to see how that speed translates to a half marathon.
Yenew Alamirev was second in 45:45 with Jiks Tadesse third in 45:51, two seconds clear of defending champion Kiptoo. Khalid Choukoud was the first Dutch athlete, finishing 11th in 47:28.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s tradition that the women start 6:04 before the men, the difference between the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s course records. The men&rsquo;s mark of 44:27 was set by Leonard Komon in 2011 while the women&rsquo;s record of 50:31 was set by Ingrid Kristiansen at the race&rsquo;s third edition in 1987.
In previous years the overall winners weren&rsquo;t decided until the waning stages, but this year the women proved easy prey for the men, thanks to sluggish early pacing with the women&rsquo;s leaders reaching 10 kilometers in 33:20 compared to 28:20 for the leading men. The men&rsquo;s lead group made up the gap some five kilometres before the finish, leaving the women the forge on on their own. &nbsp;
Mercyline Chelangat, who finished 13th in the 10,000m at the World Championships in London last month and 12th at the World Cross Championships in March, prevailed to take the victory in 53:08.
&ldquo;It was a bit difficult with the bridges and the big tunnel in the beginning of the race, but at 10-k I knew I could win here,&rsquo; she said. Chelangat said she&rsquo;ll contest some more road races over the next couple of months and believes that her future lies over the marathon later in her career.
Sofia Assefa was second five seconds back with Risa Takenaka third in 53:18. Further back Mimi Belete was fourth in 53:33 with former steeplechaser Ancuta Bobocel fifth in 53:35.
Jip Vastenburg, who was injured during the summer season and missed the World Championships in London, was the fastest Dutch women in the race in 54:02 to finish eighth overall. Susan Krumins, the clear domestic favourite, was forced to withdraw just prior to the start do to a slight injury.
More than 45,000 runners finished his famous Dutch race which was first held in 1985.
Cors van den Brink for the IAAF

Birhanu Legese and Mercyline Chelangat were the clear and proud winners of the Dam tot Damloop, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, that covers the 10 mile distance between the Dutch cities of Amsterdam and Zaandam, on Sunday (17).

Legese and Chelangat win Dam tot Damloop

He won at the Dam Tot Damloop in 2015 and 2016 and on Sunday (17) he could potentially achieve a historic hat-trick at the IAAF Silver Label 10-mile race between Amsterdam and Zaandam. But the circumstances have changed for Edwin Kiptoo.
In previous years, the Damloop had been one of the biggest focuses of Kiptoo&rsquo;s racing schedule. This year Kiptoo&rsquo;s training is geared around 15 December, when he will make his marathon debut &ndash; and, fittingly, he chose Amsterdam as the scene for his first race over 26.2 miles. But if he wins on Sunday, he would be the first man to achieve three victories at the Dam Tot Damloop.
The 24-year-old, whose only competitive outing so far this year was over 10,000m at the Kenyan Police Championships in Nairobi in May, set his 10-mile PB of 45:19 when winning the Damloop in 2015. He came within six seconds of that mark in retaining his title last year.
Having reached the podium in all five previous appearances here, fellow two-time winner John Mwangangi would have been expected to be Kiptoo&rsquo;s main rival, but the 26-year-old Kenyan is coming back from an injury. The 2012 world half marathon bronze medallist hasn&rsquo;t competed since the Kenyan Cross-Country Championships in February.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Birhanu Legese heads to Amsterdam in good form, following races over 5000m in two IAAF Diamond League meetings during the summer. The 23-year-old has previously won half marathons in Berlin, New Delhi and Ras Al Khaimah and has a PB of 59:20 for the distance.
Dutch fans will be following Michel Butter with interest. The 31-year-old has contested this race on nine previous occasions, but usually it has formed part of his preparation for the Amsterdam Marathon and, as such, he would often run from Zaandam to Amsterdam before actually starting the race. This year, however, Butter will be racing the New York Marathon later in the year, so he can prepare properly for the Damloop.
Other athletes in the men&rsquo;s field include Leonard Langat, Fernando Cabada, Mande Bushendich, Ronald Kirui and Onesphore Nzikwinkunda.
As is tradition at this race, the women start six minutes and four seconds &ndash; the difference between the course records, Leonard Komon&rsquo;s 44:27 and Ingrid Kristiansen&rsquo;s 50:31 &ndash; before the men. The overall prize goes to the athlete who crosses the finish line first.
Much is expected from home hope Susan Krumins, who has had a fantastic season. She finished fifth in the 10,000m and eighth in the 5000m at the IAAF World Championships London 2017. She has also set personal bests at 1500m (4:02.25) and the half marathon (1:10:52) and at all distances in between, including marks of 8:34.41, 14:51.25 and 31:20.24 for 3000m, 5000m and 10,000m respectively.
Krumins will be making her Damloop debut, but last year she won the Seven Hills 15km race in Nijmegen in 49:30.
Mercyline Chelangat is expected to be Krumins&rsquo; main rival. The Kenyan finished 13th in the 10,000m at the World Championships and 12th at the World Cross Country Championships earlier this year.
Romania&rsquo;s Ancuta Bobocel is also on the entry list. The former steeplechase specialist has been making a gradual move to road racing and set a half marathon PB of 1:13:19 earlier this year. Japan&rsquo;s Risa Takenaka, who was fifth in this race in 2015, is returning to Amsterdam.
About 46,000 runners will start the 10-mile race on Sunday. Another 15,000 will run over a shorter distance at the &lsquo;Damloop by night&rsquo; on Saturday evening, while 4000 school children will run in the &lsquo;Mini Damloop&rsquo;.
Cors van den Brink for the IAAF

He won at the Dam Tot Damloop in 2015 and 2016 and on Sunday (17) he could potentially achieve a historic hat-trick at the IAAF Silver Label 10-mile race between Amsterdam and Zaandam. But the circumstances have changed for Edwin Kiptoo.

Kiptoo targets hat-trick at Dam Tot Damloop 

Edwin Kiptoo and Alice Aprot of Kenyan were the winners at the 32nd Dam tot Damloop, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race from Amsterdam to Zaandam, Netherlands, on Sunday (18).
In a repeat of his finish last year, Kiptoo was alone at the finish line of the traditional 10-mile race, clocking 45:25, the fastest time in the world this year. But in contrast to his race one year ago, when he grabbed the lead from the gun and ran the length of the race virtually alone, this year he had Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei as a worthy opponent.
Cheptegei, 20, who finished a notable sixth in the 10,000m at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, ran even with Kiptoo and even controlled the pace for a stretch at the 10-kilometre point. But a kilometre later, Kiptoo took command to register a 13-second victory over Cheptegei who clocked 45:38. Abrar Osman from Eritrea was third clocking 46:12.
In the women's contest, Aprot, who was fourth in the Olympic 10,000m last month in 29:53.51, took command early in the longest race of her career. If she struggled with the extra mileage, it didn't show.
The 22-year-old won comfortably in 51:59, more than half a minute clear of Tejitu Daba of Bahrain who clocked 52:34. Further back, Kenyan Luci Karimi, the winner of this year's Prague Marathon, was third in 53:03.
Traditionally the elite women start six minutes and four seconds before the elite men, the difference in the course records between the genders -- Ingrid Kristiansen's 50:31 from 1987 and Leonard Patrick Komon's 44:27 run from 2011. That sometimes sets up a hotly-contested battle between the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s leaders in the waning stages.
Kiptoo won that battle once again as well, making up the difference about two kilometres from the finish before pulling away.
The leading Dutch runners were Elizeba Cherono, who was fifth in the women's race in 53:26, and Abdi Nageeye, 11th in the men's contest in 48:17.
Conditions at race time were cloudy and warm, with temperatures rising to nearly 20 F, with light winds and 85% humidity.
With 45,000 participants starting the race, the Dam tot Damloop is the largest 10-mile race in the world. Another 13,000 runners competed in a five-mile race on Saturday night while 4000 participated in children's events Sunday morning.
Eric Roeske, organisers and Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

Edwin Kiptoo and Alice Aprot of Kenyan were the winners at the 32nd Dam tot Damloop, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race from Amsterdam to Zaandam, Netherlands, on Sunday (18).

Kiptoo and Aprot take Dam tot Damloop titles

Edwin Kiptoo is eager to defend his title at the &ldquo;Dam tot Damloop&rdquo;, an IAAF silver label road race in the Netherlands, on Sunday (18).
The Damloop is a 10 mile point-to-point race, from the heart of Amsterdam to the city center of Zaandam over a course which includes passing through the long tunnel under the IJ River.
Traditionally the elite women start six minutes before the elite men, the rounded-up difference in the course records between the genders. That sometimes sets up a hotly-contested battle between the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s leaders in the waning stages, one Kiptoo is keenly looking forward to.
&ldquo;Last year I didn&rsquo;t expect to win here,&rdquo; Kiptoo said. &ldquo;This year I&rsquo;m better prepared and I really want to defend my title. Not only in the men&rsquo;s race, but I will hunt for the women again like I did in 2015.&rdquo;
Last year Kiptoo took control of the pace from the start and was running all alone after just two kilometres, chasing the women&rsquo;s pack. In the final kilometre he overhauled Joyce Chepkirui to win with a personal best of 45:19.
Kiptoo, 23, twice dipped under the one-hour mark in the half marathon, his 59:26 in New Delhi a personal best. In March he was ninth at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff clocking 1:01:21.
&ldquo;I will stick to the half marathon for the time being,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t have plans for a full marathon yet.&rdquo; He will however return to the Dutch capital in October to serve as a pacesetter in the Amsterdam Marathon.
Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda is expected to be Kiptoo&rsquo;s primary opponent. At the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the 20-year-old finished an admirable sixth in the 10,000m, running a personal best of 27:10.17. He was also eighth in the 5000m final in 13:09.17. He produced his personal best of 13:00.60 when finishing second at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Shanghai, in a season that witnessed his rise as the most promising athlete from Uganda at the moment.
Abdi Nageeye is the Dutch favourite this year, although he may not be fully recovered from the Olympic marathon. He finished 11th in 2:13:01 but has a 2:10:24 personal best set in Amsterdam last year.
&ldquo;My performance (in Rio) was a little bit less than I had hoped for,&rdquo; Nageeye said, &ldquo;but it is also good motivation for the years to come.&rdquo;
<h3>Aprot up to the challenge</h3>
But these men will also face a strong contender from the women&rsquo;s field, the favourite Alice Aprot.
The 22-year-old Kenyan made a strong impression in Rio, where she finished fourth in the 10,000m with a personal best of 29:53.51 after leading the field through the first half of the race in just under 14:47. It was a pace that helped bring Almaz Ayana to her world record.
&ldquo;I just like to lead a race at a fast pace,&rdquo; Aprot said, reflecting on her performance at the Olympics. She made it clear that she&rsquo;s still in strong shape after a solid 14:39.56 performance in the Van Damme Memorial 5000m last weekend at the IAAF Diamond League final in Brussels, finishing seventh.
But Aprot is also a force in cross country where she&rsquo;s also achieved some success. This year she won the African title in Yaound&eacute; and races in St. Giorgio su Legnano, Nairobi and Antrim.
&ldquo;When I run on the track, I put my mind on the track. And I do the same on the roads and in cross country,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;In all disciplines I just like to push and to run in front.&rdquo;
And that&rsquo;s what she&rsquo;ll want to do in the Damloop on Sunday. With a personal best of 31:02 over 10 kilometres on the road it will be interesting to see what Aprot can do over longer distances.&nbsp;
Ethiopian Meselech Melkamu is expected to be her strongest contender. At 30 and with five years of experience in the marathon, she&rsquo;ll be making her debut over the 10 mile distance.
The elite fields will lead 45,000 runners registered for the Damloop&rsquo;s 32nd edition. On Saturday night another 13,000 runners will race over half the distance. Combined, the weekend makes the Dam tot Damloop the largest road race in the Netherlands.
Cors van den Brink for the IAAF

Edwin Kiptoo is eager to defend his title at the “Dam tot Damloop”, an IAAF silver label road race in the Netherlands, on Sunday (18).

Kiptoo looking to defend at Dam tot Damloop

Kenya&rsquo;s Vivian Cheruiyot produced a dominant front-running display to win the Great South Run, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday (25).In near perfect conditions, the world 10,000m champion clocked 51:17 for 10 miles in Portsmouth on the English south coast, beating Britain&rsquo;s European 10,000m champion Jo Pavey by one minute and 27 seconds.On a relatively windless day on a course notorious for the strong headwinds in the final two miles, Cheruiyot, who was making her debut appearance over 10 miles and racing seriously at a distance farther than 12km for the first time in an illustrious career, moved to fifth on the world all-time list behind Linet Masai, Lornah Kiplagat, Sonia O&rsquo;Sullivan and Paula Radcliffe, the latter two having set their best times on the Great South Run course.After two steady opening miles in which the leading group comprising Cheruiyot, Pavey, Britain&rsquo;s European cross country champion Gemma Steel and the Kenyan duo Betsy Saina and Doris Changeiywo stuck closely together, the 32-year-old Olympic silver medallist then made her move.Of the others, only Changeiywo tried to maintain the searing pace, but soon fell back, especially when Cheruiyot clocked 4:53 for the fifth mile.That left a close battle for podium positions, which the 42-year-old Pavey won, taking second place with a sprint finish in 52:44, a world W40 best performance, with Changeiywo seven seconds behind.With a huge lead and the race effectively won, Cheruiyot could afford to maintain a steady pace for the second half of the race and was understandably delighted with her performance, her first outing since running 3000m at the IAAF Diamond League final in Zurich in early September.&ldquo;The race was good for me,&rdquo; she beamed. &ldquo;It was my first 10 miles in my career and the first long distance. I enjoyed it and the time was good for me. I&rsquo;m happy, because it has shown me that I will be good in future. I&rsquo;ll be back next year.&rdquo;Explaining her move at the two-and-a-half mile mark, Cheruiyot said: &ldquo;I was checking how I was feeling, but then I thought, &lsquo;let me move&rsquo;. I wanted to chase the time, because if you&rsquo;re running, you want to run a good time.&rdquo;With the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on the horizon, she has her sights set on at least one more track season before turning her attention to the roads full time.&ldquo;I will run one half marathon in the spring and then in maybe 2017 I will run a marathon.&rdquo;<h3>Kipsiro becoming a road warrior</h3>In a competitive and entertaining men&rsquo;s race, pre-event favourite Moses Kipsiro clocked 46:00, prevailing over Kenya&rsquo;s Emmanuel Kipsang and 2013 winner Emmanuel Bett, with a total of seven men running under 47 minutes.As perhaps was to be expected with such a closely matched field, the first seven miles saw all of the main contenders &ndash; including 2013 world cross country champion Japhet Korir, 2007 world 10,000m bronze medallist Martin Mathathi, Evans Kirui and 2015 San Diego Half Marathon winner Kevin Kosgei &ndash; closely bunched. In the end it was Bett, winner of the Great South Run in considerably worse conditions two years ago, who tried to make a break, but Uganda&rsquo;s Kipsiro and Bett&rsquo;s Kenyan countrymen Kipsang, Kirui, Mathathi and Korir soon joined him again at the front. In the closing stages, Commonwealth 10,000m champion Kipsiro finally pulled clear to take a hard-earned win, with Kipsang and Bett eight and 11 seconds adrift respectively.After a track season hit by injury, the 29-year-old Kipsiro was pleased to continue his fine form on the roads, adding to his victory at the Great Scottish Run half marathon earlier this month.&ldquo;It was a nice race and I enjoyed it,&rdquo; he smiled. &ldquo;The course is flat and the weather is ok, and it was good to run in a group.&ldquo;When we hit seven miles, Emmanuel Bett tried to push. I tried to push too and went with him and when we turned through nine miles, my body felt ok, so I thought, &lsquo;I need to go&rsquo;.&rdquo;Like Cheruiyot in the women&rsquo;s race, it was Kipsiro&rsquo;s first attempt at the 10 miles distance and offered him a glimpse of the future.&ldquo;I have the New Delhi Half Marathon next month, so that&rsquo;s the race I am targeting now," he said. "The roads are where I am heading to. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been having problems with running on the track and wearing spikes; it&rsquo;s giving me difficulty," he added. "When I put on racing shoes, I feel some relief, so I need to move to the road now. Hopefully I will run the marathon at the Olympic Games."Dean Hardman for the IAAF

Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot produced a dominant front-running display to win the Great South Run, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday (25).

Cheruiyot and Kipsiro take the honours at Great South Run

World 10,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot makes her first competitive appearance in seven weeks as she takes on Britain&rsquo;s European 10,000m winner Jo Pavey over 10 miles at the Great South Run, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday (25).The 32-year-old Kenyan enjoyed a successful return to the sport this summer following time out for the birth of her first child, taking her fourth world title in the Chinese capital in 31:41.31, and completed her track season with a 3000m appearance at the IAAF Diamond League final in Zurich in early September.Cheruiyot will therefore be looking to transfer her track form to the roads of the English south coast as she steps up in distance, tackling 10 miles for the first time in a career in which she has rarely contested races further than 10km.Pavey, who enjoyed her own golden summer just over a year ago with victory in Zurich at the European Championships and the winner of this race in 2012, has raced sparingly in 2015. Having opted against any track outings, the 42-year-old will make just her sixth appearance of the year, with her most recent result an impressive 1:09:58 personal best for fourth place at the recent Great Scottish Half Marathon in Glasgow earlier this month. Hoping to challenge both Cheruiyot and Pavey will be reigning European cross country champion Gemma Steel, who described herself following last year&rsquo;s edition of the race as &ldquo;forever the bridesmaid&rdquo;, after narrowly losing to Ethiopia&rsquo;s Belaynesh Oljira in a sprint finish.The 29-year-old Briton edged out Pavey for third place in Glasgow and also took second place at the Great North Run half marathon in September, so will be confident in her own ability last the distance.Elsewhere in the elite field there is a wealth of experience of racing on Britain&rsquo;s roads, with Kenyan duo Betsy Saina and Doris Changeiywo and Spain&rsquo;s Alessandra Aguilar.Changeiywo was second to Edna Kiplagat in the 2015 Great Scottish Half Marathon, but ahead of both Pavey and Steel, while Saina took victory over 10km in Manchester back in May in 31:49. Aguilar took second place last week at the Great Birmingham Run half marathon.<h3>Kipsiro heads the men&rsquo;s field</h3>Uganda&rsquo;s 2014 Commonwealth Games 10,000m champion Moses Kipsiro is another who has enjoyed previous victories on British shores. He heads a competitive men&rsquo;s field that also includes Kenya&rsquo;s 2013 World Cross Country Champion Japhet Korir and his countrymen Martin Mathathi as well as 2013 Great South run winner Emmanuel Bett.Kipsiro struggled in his two appearances on the track this summer, failing to break 13:30 for 5000m at IAAF Diamond League meetings in New York and Lausanne, but showed better form on the roads this month when he won the Great Scottish Half Marathon in 1:02:18.The 2007 world 5000m bronze medallist will, however, face a stern test in Portsmouth, with notoriously windy conditions in the last mile of the race favouring those with previous Great South Run experience. Bett, now 32, has that in abundance following his victory two years ago and with a half marathon personal best of 1:00:08 set in March this year backed up by a 1:01:01 performance in Copenhagen last month, he also has strong current form.Korir, who won over 10km in both Dublin and Wurzburg back in April and took third in Glasgow earlier this month and so is also&nbsp; contender, while the form of 2007 world 10,000m bronze medallist Mathathi is more of an unknown quantity, having not raced since a 1:02:40 half marathon back in May.Also racing in Portsmouth are Chris Thompson, who took victory at the Great Birmingham Run last week, and the lesser-known Kenyan trio Emmanuel Kipsang, John Mnangat and Kevin Kochei. Dean Hardman for the IAAF

World 10,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot makes her first competitive appearance in seven weeks as she takes on Britain’s European 10,000m winner Jo Pavey over 10 miles at the Great South Run, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday (25).

Great South Run gets golden lustre with Cheruiyot on the start line

Edwin Kiptoo caught fellow Kenyan Joyce Chepkirui in the final kilometres of the Dam to Damloop, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race held over 10 miles between Amsterdam and Zaandam, on Sunday (20).As is traditions at this race, the women set off 6:04 &ndash; the difference between the course records &ndash; before the men, and there is an extra bonus for the first athlete to cross the line.Kiptoo made his intentions clear from the outset. While still in Amsterdam, the 27-year-old Kenyan took up the pace and didn&rsquo;t look back. He was on his own after just two kilometres, chasing the women who had started six minutes earlier.Defending champion John Mwangangi was the only athlete who had the guts to follow Kiptoo, but even he couldn&rsquo;t make an impression on his compatriot. Kiptoo reached 5km in 13:48, some 13 seconds ahead of Mwangangi with Wilson Kipsang part of a small group that was a further 13 seconds behind.Kiptoo was even more impressive in the second five-kilometre section and passed 10km in 27:54, some 26 seconds faster than the 10km PB he set earlier this year in Bangalore.Kiptoo overtook Chepkirui in the final kilometre to bag the overall winner&rsquo;s prize of &euro;11,000. The course record of 44:27 was in sight at one point, but Kiptoo was satisfied with his world-leading time of 45:19.&ldquo;The last kilometres were difficult, as I had started very fast,&rdquo; said Kiptoo. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;m very proud of my victory here.&rdquo;Unlike most of the others in the race, Kiptoo doesn&rsquo;t have any plans to move up to the marathon yet, but he will be one of the pace-makers at next month&rsquo;s Amsterdam Marathon.Mwangangi, who also won this race in 2010, was second in 45:58. Yenew Alamirew, a world and Olympic 5000m finalist, was third in 45:58.Kipsang was seventh in 46:42, but the former marathon world record-holder was not at all disappointed. &ldquo;It was a good test for me on my way to the New York Marathon,&rdquo; he said.In the women&rsquo;s race, Chepkirui took the lead shortly after the start. In the first five kilometres, Dibaba Kuma, Tilahun Yenenesh and Jackline Chepngeno were still with her as they passed the 5km mark in 16:10.At the 10km point, reached in 32:05, Chepkirui was still in the lead, but the two Ethiopian athletes were 50 seconds back and Chepngeno couldn&rsquo;t do more than just follow her compatriot.&ldquo;I wanted her to take over, but she couldn&rsquo;t run any faster,&rdquo; said Chepkirui, who crossed the line in a world-leading 51:30, just seven seconds behind Kiptoo. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m preparing for the Amsterdam Marathon and this was a good test for me.&rdquo;Chepkirui won the Honolulu Marathon last year in 2:30:23 and was 10th in Boston this year with a personal best of 2:29:97.Chepngeno, the 2009 world youth 3000m bronze medallist, was second in 51:34. Kuma was a distant third in 52:52.Tom Wiggers (49:04) and Kim Dillen (56:35) were the fastest Dutch athletes in the race.The conditions were excellent with a temperature of 14C at the start and 85% humidity. More than 45,000 runners followed the elite athletes.Cors van den Brink for the IAAF

Edwin Kiptoo caught fellow Kenyan Joyce Chepkirui in the final kilometres of the Dam to Damloop, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race held over 10 miles between Amsterdam and Zaandam, on Sunday (20).

Kiptoo and Chepkirui set world-leading marks at Dam tot Damloop

After a disappointing experience at the IAAF World Championships, Wilson Kipsang is looking for some redemption in the Dam tot Damloop, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race over 10 miles in the Netherlands on Sunday (20). . Kipsang had a great first part of the season, including finishing second at the London Marathon in 2:04:47 but the former world record-holder for the classic distance (2:03:23, Berlin 2013) had to pull out after 35km in the Chinese capital. &ldquo;The weather wasn&rsquo;t good for me,&rdquo; Kipsang said on Friday. &ldquo;You might think that there were just seven kilometres to go, but my body told me that it wasn&rsquo;t good for me to continue. It was too hot."On Sunday, the circumstances and the distance will be different. After a week of rain across the Netherlands, the forecast for Sunday in and around Amsterdam is a perfect 17C, dry and not too windy. &ldquo;My recovery after Beijing has been well,&rdquo; added Kipsang. &ldquo;So I hope I can win the race, and beat the women too.&rdquo;In the Damloop, the elite women start six minutes earlier than the men, the rounded-up difference in the course records between the genders. Kipsang&rsquo;s compatriot John Mwangangi knows what that implies. He has run this race four times already, and won it twice, in 2010 and last year. &ldquo;This year I want to improve my personal best of 45.15,&rdquo; said Mwangangi. &ldquo;All eyes will be on the big names, like Wilson. I&rsquo;m the man who waits until the last part of the race. In the beginning, I need some time to warm up and I just follow the others; then I start to watch and think, &lsquo;who is there and how strong are they?&rsquo; &ldquo;But when we are with two or three men in the front, I think &lsquo;maybe I can win this one and I will run a fast last 5k',&rdquo; he expanded, revealing some of his thought processes during a race.Kipsang commented further: "Of course, the preparation is different to the marathon. You do need more speed, but still it&rsquo;s 16 kilometres, so you need some endurance too. I just hope that I will be fast enough.&rdquo;<h3>Next stop New York </h3>Kipsang is currently preparing for the New York Marathon on 1 November, which he won last year. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s my last big goal for this year. Of course I&rsquo;m dreaming about the (Olympic) marathon in Rio but we don&rsquo;t know yet how the selection for the Kenyan team will be, and when we will be able to qualify. That&rsquo;s something for next year."Another of the main contenders in the men&rsquo;s race is Ayele Abshero from Ethiopia, who was fourth in London last year and has a marathon best of 2:04:23. It will be his first race this year. Abshero&rsquo;s compatriot Yenew Alamirew, one of the fastest men in the world over 5000m, will make his debut at this distance as will Kenya's Edwin Kiptoo. The latter ran 59:35 earlier this year for the half marathon in the City-Pier-City Run in The Hague. Kenya&rsquo;s Joyce Chepkirui won the Damloop in 2013 in 51:33 and will be looking to regain her title. Fellow Kenyans Sylvia and Ivy Kibet are also in the field. Sylvia won the Damloop in 2012, after winning silver medals in the 5000m at the 2009 and 2011 World Championships. Japan is represented by Risa Takenaka, the winner of the Gold Coast Marathon in Australia earlier this year.Among the Dutch runners in the race, Michel Butter will be the man to watch, though he will use the Damloop mainly for his marahton preparations. &ldquo;This will be an important test for the Amsterdam Marathon in October, where I should like to qualify for the Olympic Games,&rdquo; he said. Butter has been training in Kaptagat, Kenya, for the past three weeks.The Damloop organisers are expecting more than 45,000 runners on Sunday for the 10-mile race, together with 4000 children for the kids&rsquo; runs and 12,500 for the race over five miles on Saturday night. This makes the event the biggest road race in the Netherlands, and the second largest in Europe.Cors van den Brink for the IAAF

After a disappointing experience at the IAAF World Championships, Wilson Kipsang is looking for some redemption in the Dam tot Damloop, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race over 10 miles in the Netherlands on Sunday (20). 

Kipsang looking for redemption, Mwangangi to defend at Dam tot Damloop

Kenyans Wilson Kipsang and John Mwangangi, USA&rsquo;s Galen Rupp and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ayele Abshero are the big names for the Dam tot Damloop, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race over 10 miles from Amsterdam to Zandaam on Sunday 20 September.Kipsang, now 33, is the former world record-holder in the marathon with 2:03:23 in the 2013 Berlin race. Last year the Olympic bronze medallist won the New York and London marathons.But he&rsquo;s also fast over shorter distances and he clocked 27:53 for 10km in Manchester in June.Mwangangi won the 2014 Dam tot Damloop in 45:45, and in 2010, (the course record is held by fellow Kenyan Leonard Komon at 44:27 from 2011) and he was also third last year at the Amsterdam Marathon. Completing a trio of quick Kenyans, Edwin Kiptoo has a half marathon personal best of 59:35.Rupp is the seven-time US champion over 10,000m and the US record-holder over 25 laps of the track with 26:48.00. It is a rare road race for the Olympic 10,000m silver medallist who last had a competitive outing on this surface in 2011.Abshero knows the Dutch roads well and won the 2014 Saucony Egmond Half Marathon. The 24-year-old runner has a marathon personal best of 2:04:23. Kenya&rsquo;s Sylvia Kibet was first across the line in the 2012 Dam tot Damloop and this year the two-time world 5000m silver medallist will be coming with her younger sister Ivy, who finished third at the Parelloop 10km in Brunssum, crossing the line in 32.45. The 25-year-old Risa Takenaka is coming in from Japan to bid for the the first Japanese victory, having won the Gold Coast Marathon in Australia in 2:28:25 two months ago.Organisers for the IAAF

Kenyans Wilson Kipsang and John Mwangangi, USA’s Galen Rupp and Ethiopia’s Ayele Abshero are the big names for the Dam tot Damloop, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race over 10 miles from Amsterdam to Zandaam on Sunday 20 September.

Mwangangi faces strong field in Dam tot Damloop title defence

Kenya’s James Rungaru and Ethiopia’s Belaynesh Oljira produced exciting finishes to take victories over 10 miles on the roads at the Bupa Great South Run, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, in Portsmouth, United Kingdom on Sunday (26).In cool, blustery conditions, the 21-year-old Rungaru, who represented Kenya in the junior race at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, settled into a lead pack that included his compatriots Joel Kimutai, winner of the Bupa Great Birmingham Run last weekend, Emmanuel Bett, who was second at that race and who won on the English south coast last year, and Uganda’s Abraham Kiplimo, the 2014 Commonwealth Games marathon bronze medallist.Among the leaders in the early stages was Australia’s Michael Shelley, the champion over 26.2 miles in Glasgow, yet his challenge faded after the halfway point when a 4:28 mile, the quickest split of the day, saw the group reduced to four.By the seventh mile Bett had dropped out following a series of surges from Kiplimo and the Ugandan appeared to be developing a small lead over Rungaru, with Kimutai a further 200 metres back in third. Yet Kiplimo, despite looking composed at the front, hadn’t saved enough for the final two energy-sapping miles into a strong wind and it was Rungaru who galloped across the finish line in 46:31, seven seconds clear of Kiplimo in second place. Kimutai held on for third in 47:21.The winner was understandably pleased with his efforts.“I had prepared well and I knew I could make it,” he beamed. “This was my first time running at the Bupa Great South Run and I felt great. For the last two miles, I knew I still had some energy and I just tried to push."cross country challengeRungaru’s attention now turns to realizing his ambition of once again representing his country: “I’m preparing now for cross country, I want to represent Kenya again.”In the women’s event, home favourite Gemma Steel, who has placed in the top three at every race that she’s contested in 2014, once again worked hard, only to see Oljira storm past her in the final metres. Ethiopia’s 2013 IAAF World Championships 10000m bronze medallist recorded 52:40, a personal best for the distance, to the Brit’s 52:42, while Kenya’s Doris Changeywo, the runner up at the Bupa Great Birmingham Run, was third, in 54:18.Following a slow start, Steel had taken the initiative and a series of five-minute miles saw the 25-year-old pass the 10km mark in 32:50, having succeeded in dropping many of her rivals. The one athlete who wouldn’t yield however, was Oljira, who timed her run perfectly.“I tried to make it as hard a race as I could,” explained a disappointed Steel. “I got rid of them one by one, but unfortunately for me there was one still there and she hung on to me before passing me at the end. I’m used to being the bridesmaid and never the bride.” Steel’s reaction contrasted sharply with that of Oljira, who danced up to the top of the podium to receive her prize. “It was good,” she smiled. “The wind was very strong, but I’m ok. I am very happy with the win.”With the peak of the road race season coming to a close, the 24-year-old is unsure what the immediate future holds, although as a bronze medalist at the last World Cross Country Championships she is well set to challenge again in 2015.“I don’t know when I will race again. I will talk to my manager, but I hope to compete at the World Cross Country Championships, but maybe I’ll do another another road race first,” commented Oljira.Dean Hardman for the IAAF

Kenya’s James Rungaru and Ethiopia’s Belaynesh Oljira produced exciting finishes to take victories over 10 miles on the roads at the Bupa Great South Run, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, in Portsmouth, United Kingdom on Sunday (26).