Beatrice Chepkoech broke the world 5km record at the Monaco Run on Sunday (14), clocking 14:43*.
The performance by the 29-year-old Kenyan bettered the previous record in a mixed gender race of 14:48 set by Caroline Kipkirui in 2018, and is also one second faster than Sifan Hassan's 14:44 record for a women's-only race, until this morning the fastest time ever produced over the distance since the 5km was introduced as a world record event in November 2017.
Chepkoech battled strong winds during the early stages of the race along the Monaco coastline but fought on over the latter stages to claim a second world record, this one joining her 8:44.32 record in the 3000m steeplechase set in 2018, also in Monaco.
"I'm so happy because I didn't expect it," said Chepkoech, the 2019 world champion in the steeplechase. "It was cold and there was a lot of wind, but I tried to follow my pace maker and everything was perfect."
She may not have had the world record in mind initially, but Chepkoech did set her sights on victory from the outset.&nbsp;
Despite the winds, Chepkoech had already forged a six-second lead just 500 metres into the race, before reaching the first kilometre in 2:57, 15 seconds clear of Meraf Bahta, her nearest competitor. Splits of 2:59 for the second kilometre and 3:01 for the third followed before she and pacesetter Luuk Maas decided to up the tempo as they approached the Larvotto Tunnel portion of the course, at the northeastern edge of the Principality's main port, a second time.&nbsp;
Since the winds had died down, she said, "my pacemaker told me &lsquo;we can do it, let&rsquo;s push it&rsquo;."
She did.
After a 2:57 fourth kilometre, Chepkoech ended her morning's work with a 2:47 closing kilometre to take ownership of the world record.
Chepkoech had already illustrated her strong early 2021 form with an 8:34.21 career best over 3000m indoors in Lievin on 9 February. She'll race next at the Copernicus Cup leg of the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting series in Torun, Poland, on 17 February before returning home to resume her training.
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Joshua Cheptegei, who set the men's world record of 12:51 at this race last year, successfully defended his title, clocking 13:13.
The 24-year-old Ugandan ran at or near the front from the gun but it was clear early on that the conditions would not be conducive for a serious assault on his year-old record.
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"The wind was incredibly difficult," said Cheptegei, who covered the opening kilometre in 2:44, 13 seconds behind the pace that propelled him to the world record last year. Kilometre splits of 2:41, 2:37 and 2:38 followed before he closed with a 2:32, the fastest of the race.
Kenyans Bethwell Birgen and Davis Kiplangat clocked 13:17 and 13:19 to round out the top three with Morhad Amdouni of France fourth in 13:19, one second outside of the European record set by compatriot Jimmy Gressier at this race last year.
*pending the usual ratification procedures
Bob Ramsak for World Athletics

Beatrice Chepkoech broke the world 5km record at the Monaco Run on Sunday (14), clocking 14:43*.

14:43! Chepkoech breaks world 5km record in Monaco

When Joshua Cheptegei made history to wipe 1.99 seconds from Kenenisa Bekele’s world 5000m record in Monaco in August, it generated an outpouring of ecstasy in a mild-mannered Dutchman situated some 9000 kilometres away in Uganda.

Coach Ruiter on star pupil Cheptegei: ‘He will be the new standard’

Double European champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen took nine seconds off the Norwegian 5km road record on Wednesday (20), clocking 13:28 in a low-key race in Stavanger.
Running in a small field of just five runners, one of whom was his older brother and 2012 European 1500m champion Henrik, Ingebrigtsen bided his time during the early stages. Compatriots Per Svela and Narve Gilje Nordas, training partners of the Ingebrigtsen brothers, as well as Zerei Kbrom Mezngi took it in turns to lead as the quintet covered the first of two laps &ndash; predominantly comprising cycle paths and pavements &ndash; in 7:00.
The younger of the Ingebrigtsen brothers then hit the front and gradually increased the pace, going from 2:50 kilometres to 2:40. Half way through the second lap, with 3km reached in about 8:25,only Henrik was able to stick with the 19-year-old. But with about one minute of running left, Ingebrigtsen turned the screw again and left his older brother in his wake.
Ingebrigtsen sprinted towards the line and crossed it in 13:28, four seconds ahead of Henrik. The brother both finished inside the previous Norwegian 5km record of 13:37, set by Sondre Nordstad Moen in Monaco last year.
Svela was third in 13:40 with Mezngi (13:44) and Nordas (13:45) close behind. Competing in a separate heat, Vienna S&oslash;yland Dahle was the top woman, clocking 16:14.
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<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAbELhHhSPs/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Felt good to finally race again! 😅🔥🙌🏽 First race of the season... maybe track next, who knows? 🤓 #SocialDistancing #NR #5kmRoadRace #1328</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" href="https://www.instagram.com/jakobing/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Jakob Ingebrigtsen</a> (@jakobing) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2020-05-20T20:21:29+00:00">May 20, 2020 at 1:21pm PDT</time>
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&ldquo;It was fun to finally put a race number on my chest again,&rdquo; said Ingebrigtsen. &ldquo;But I had to wake my body up.&rdquo;
Ingebrigtsen now moves to fifth on the European all-time list behind Jimmy Gressier (13:18), Alistair Cragg (IRL), Gunther Weidlinger (13:25) and Nick Goolab (13:27).
Rhonex Kipruto holds the ratified world record at 13:18, but Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei clocked 12:51 in February, which is pending ratification.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Double European champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen took nine seconds off the Norwegian 5km road record on Wednesday (20), clocking 13:28 in a low-key race in Stavanger.

Ingebrigtsen breaks Norwegian 5km record in Stavanger

Rhonex Kipruto&rsquo;s world records over 5km (13:18) and 10km (26:24), as well as Sasha Zhoya&rsquo;s world indoor U20 60m hurdles record of 7.34 have been ratified.
Kipruto&rsquo;s world record marks came when winning at the 10k Valencia Ibercaja on 12 January. The world 10,000m bronze medallist from Kenya dominated the race, passing through 3km in 7:59 before dropping the last of his challengers.
The 20-year-old reached the half-way point in 13:18, four seconds inside the ratified world record of 13:22 set by Kenya&rsquo;s Robert Keter in Lille on 9 November 2019. Despite running on his own for the second half, Kipruto increased his pace and covered the final five kilometres in 13:06.
His winning mark of 26:24 took 14 seconds off the previous world 10km record of 26:38 set by Joshua Cheptegei in the same Spanish city on 1 December 2019.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m over the moon,&rdquo; said Kipruto, who is coached by Colm O&rsquo;Connell. &ldquo;When I clocked 26:46 in Prague in 2018, I set myself the target of breaking the world 10km record and today my dream came true.&rdquo;
In Monaco on 16 February 2020, one month after Kipruto&rsquo;s run in Valencia, Cheptegei clocked 12:51 over 5km, a mark that is pending ratification.
Sasha Zhoya&rsquo;s run in the 60m hurdles (99cm height) on 22 February 2020 was the highlight of the French U20 Championships in Miramas.
The 17-year-old had threatened the mark in the earlier rounds, clocking 7.53 in the heats and 7.43 in the semifinals, just 0.03 shy of the record set by USA&rsquo;s Trey Cunningham in New York City on 12 March 2017.
But just 70 minutes later, Zhoya was back out on track and went even faster, winning in 7.34. 
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 &ldquo;This is the performance I wanted,&rdquo; said Zhoya. &ldquo;I was hoping to dip below 7.40, so I can&rsquo;t be happier. The Miramas audience pushed me a lot; it is thanks to them that I beat the world record.&rdquo;
Zhoya, a talented all-rounder, also holds the world U18 bests for the 110m hurdles at 12.87 and in the pole vault with 5.56m. Last year he also scored 7271 in the decathlon and clocked a 100m PB of 10.41, both performances ranking him among the top 10 on the 2019 U18 lists.

Rhonex Kipruto’s world records over 5km (13:18) and 10km (26:24), as well as Sasha Zhoya’s world indoor U20 60m hurdles record of 7.34 have been ratified.

Ratified: Kipruto’s 5km and 10km world records and Zhoya’s world U20 60m hurdles record

Dalilah Muhammad's world 400m hurdles record of 52.16 and Yaroslava Mahuchikh's world U20 high jump records of 2.02m and 2.04m, all set at the World Athletics Championships Doha 2019, have now been ratified, along with Joshua Cheptegei's world 10km record of 26:38* and Edward Cheserek's 5km world record-equalling run of 13:29.
Muhammad, the Olympic champion, broke the 400m hurdles world record twice in 2019, but it was her second, on 4 October which propelled her to her first world title, that will prove most memorable.
In one of the most eagerly anticipated match-ups of the 2019 World Championships, Muhammad faced Diamond League champion Sydney McLaughlin in a race that didn't disappoint. Both went out hard, running virtually even after the first 200 metres. Muhammad built a narrow lead midway through the final bend to enter the final straight with a two-metre lead.
McLaughlin fought back but Muhammad held her off in the waning stages to shave a further 0.04 seconds from the mark she set at the US Championships on 28 July. Muhammad's performance earned her a US$100,000 bonus as part of the world record programme supported by QNB. She was later named World Athlete of the Year.
The women's high jump in Doha was nearly as dramatic as Mahuchikh twice broke the world U20 record with leaps of 2.02m and 2.04m on 30 September to take surprise silver behind defending champion Mariya Lasitskene. With her stellar performance, Mahuchikh bettered the previous world U20 mark of 2.01m held by USSR&rsquo;s Olga Turchak and Germany&rsquo;s Heike Balck from 1986 and 1989 respectively. The rising Ukrainian star also became the youngest ever World Athletics Championships field event medallist.
Cheptegei capped one of the most sensational all-around distance running seasons in recent years with his commanding run at the 10K Valencia Trinidad Alfonso on 1 December where he clipped six seconds from the previous record of 26:44 set by Leonard Patrick Komon in 2010.
The 23-year-old Ugandan's performance came less than two months after he cruised to the world 10,000m title in Doha where he clocked 26:48.36, the fastest time in the world in 2019, and eight months after he led a Ugandan 1-2 finish at the World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, clocking 31:40 over the notoriously difficult 10.24km course.
It was a largely solo effort for Cheptegei, who overtook the pacesetters before the halfway point, reaching 5k in 13:23, one second shy of the world record for that distance.
Kenya's Cheserek, who won a staggering 17 NCAA titles while a student at the University of Oregon, clocked 13:29 at the Carlsbad 5000 in Carlsbad, California USA on 7 April 2019 to equal the record set by Julien Wanders on 17 February 2019 in Monaco.
Robert Keter broke the world 5km record with a 13:22 performance on 9 November 2019 in Lille, France, a record which has since been ratified.
The 5km road distance was introduced as an official world record event in November 2017, with the inaugural record to be recognised after 1 January 2018 if the performances were equal to or better than 13:10 for men and 14:45 for women.
If no such performances were achieved in 2018, the best performances of 2018 (13:30 by Bernard Kibet and 14:48 by Caroline Kipkurui) would be recognised on 1 January 2019. Seven weeks into 2019, Wanders and Sifan Hassan bettered those marks in Monaco by clocking 13:29 and 14:44.
Several athletes, however, have gone quicker than Keter&rsquo;s 13:22 before the 5km became an official world record event. The fastest time ever recorded for the distance remains Sammy Kipketer&rsquo;s 13:00 clocking in Carlsbad in 2000.
World Athletics
*Rhonex Kipruto clocked 26:24 in Valencia on 12 January, but that performance has yet to be ratified.
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Dalilah Muhammad's world 400m hurdles record of 52.16 and Yaroslava Mahuchikh's world U20 high jump records of 2.02m and 2.04m, all set at the World Athletics Championships Doha 2019, have now been ratified, along with Joshua Cheptegei's world 10km record of 26:38* and Edward Cheserek's 5km world record-equalling run of 13:29.

Ratified: Muhammad's world 400m hurdles record, Mahuchikh's world U20 high jump records and Cheptegei's world 10km record

Robert Keter&rsquo;s world 5km record of 13:22 has been ratified.
Keter, who was something of an unknown when he lined up for the Urban Trail Lille 5km on 9 November, upstaged a quality field to take seven seconds off the previous world record.
Keter made his way to the front before the second pacemaker dropped out, but three fellow Kenyans &ndash; Stanley Waithaka, Davis Kiplangat and Gilbert Kwemoi &ndash; were all close behind. Those four men began to pull away from the other athletes in the lead pack with less than a mile left to run.
There was a relatively tight turn at 4km as they looped back on to the Boulevard de la Liberte, but Keter got there first and started to increase the pace for the final kilometre. He continued to pull away from his three compatriots and they were unable to match Keter&rsquo;s finishing pace.
Keter turned into the Place de la Republique with a clear lead and crossed the finish line in 13:22, breaking the previous world record set by Switzerland&rsquo;s Julien Wanders in Monaco on 17 February 2019.
The 5km road distance was introduced as an official world record event in November 2017, with the inaugural record to be recognised after 1 January 2018 if the performances were equal to or better than 13:10 for men and 14:45 for women.
If no such performances were achieved in 2018, the best performances of 2018 (13:30 by Bernard Kibet and 14:48 by Caroline Kipkurui) would be recognised on 1 January 2019. Seven weeks into 2019, Wanders and Sifan Hassan bettered those marks in Monaco by clocking 13:29 and 14:44.
Several athletes, however, have gone quicker than Keter&rsquo;s 13:22 before the 5km became an official world record event. The fastest time ever recorded for the distance remains Sammy Kipketer&rsquo;s 13:00 clocking in Carlsbad in 2000.
World Athletics

Robert Keter’s world 5km record of 13:22 has been ratified.

Ratified: Keter’s world 5km record

The following world records have been ratified...
<h3> World records</h3>
Men&rsquo;s 5km: 13:29 Julien Wanders (SUI) Monaco 17 February 2019 Previous: none; new world record event
Women&rsquo;s 5km: 14:44 Sifan Hassan (NED) Monaco 17 February 2019 Previous: none; new world record event
<h3> World U20 indoor record</h3>
Women&rsquo;s high jump: 1.99m Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) Hustopeče 26 January 2019 Equalled: 1.99m Vashti Cunningham (USA) Portland 12 March 2016
 IAAF

The following world records have been ratified...

World records ratified

Dutch champion Sifan Hassan and Swiss contender Julien Wanders set world 5km records* within minutes of each other during the Herculis 5km race along the Monaco coastline on Sunday (17).
Both athletes had set themselves for attempts on the newly-established 5km road standards and they duly delivered on a picture-perfect winter day in Monaco.
The elite women started first from Port Herculis and Hassan&rsquo;s intentions were immediately clear.
The European 5000m champion surged to the front of the field behind the pace-makers, gapping the rest of the field by the time she reached the end of the port. She returned alone to cross the finish line in 14:44, bettering both the pending women&rsquo;s-only race world record of 15:48 and the pending mixed race standard of 14:48. Britain&rsquo;s Laura Weightman finished second in 15:29.
"After 3km I was slow and I thought, 'I&rsquo;m not going to make it'," Hassan said. 
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Sifan Hassan on the way to her 5km world record in Monaco</div>
&nbsp;
&ldquo;I really gave up and was just running, but I pushed at the end, I really sprinted the last 200 metres, and I&rsquo;m so happy. It&rsquo;s my first world record.&rdquo;
&ldquo;When I did the half-marathon last year (she set the European record in Copenhagen last September), that was my 5km best, 15-something. But my training and endurance was good and I thought I could run about 14:45.&rdquo;
The elite men began five minutes later and Wanders, who broke Mo Farah&rsquo;s European half-marathon record last week, continued to show outstanding form, completing his 5km in 13:29, just one second inside the target time of 13:30, and eight seconds clear of second-placed Sondre Moen of Norway (13:37).
When Wanders crossed the finish line, he was unsure if he had done enough to claim his first world record but he was delighted when his official time was confirmed.
&ldquo;I got two European records and now a world record, my first one, so it&rsquo;s amazing,&rsquo;&rsquo; Wanders said.
The 22-year-old Kenya-based runner revealed that he had battled some illness in the days leading into the race and was uncertain if it would detract from his performance.
&ldquo;I was confident. The only thing was I got flu three days ago so it was a challenge for me, I was not sure," he said.
&ldquo;I wanted to go for around 13:20 and we were right on pace at half way but then we were losing time and I was a bit worried because I knew 13:30 was the old record and at the finish, I saw 13:30 and then they told me, no, it was 13:29, so I was very happy.&rdquo;
Both athletes finished their road-racing campaigns today and will now pursue other ambitions for the rest of the year.
"Now I will focus on the track and I hope to do well in Doha (at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in September-October) in the 5000m and 10,000m," Wanders said. 
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Julien Wanders clocks 13:29 in Monaco</div>
&nbsp;
&ldquo;For now I still want to improve on the track and see what I can do on the track and probably after Tokyo I will try my first marathon.&rsquo;&rsquo;
The versatile Hassan, who has put in world-class performances from 1500m to half-marathon, said she would take on the new challenge of contesting the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Aarhus 2019 in Denmark on 30 March.
&ldquo;I did European Cross Country a couple of times and I really like it so this year I&rsquo;m excited to do World Cross Country," she said.
In Doha, she also intends to contest the 5000m-10,000m double.
The 5km road distance was introduced as a <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/news/iaaf-news/competition-rule-amendments-june-2018">world record event in November 2017</a>, with the inaugural record to be recognised after 1 January 2018 if the performances were equal to or better than 13:10 for men and 14:45 for women. If no such performances were achieved in 2018, the best performances of 2018 would be recognised on 1 January 2019.
The pending inaugural records - 13:30 by Bernard Kibet on the men's side and 14:48 by Caroline Kipkurui in the women's for a mixed race - were set en route at the Birell Prague Grand Prix 10km on 8 September last year.
The morning also witnessed the tail end of an impressive two-day world record double. Less than 18 hours after helping pace Samuel Tefera to a world indoor record in the 1500m in Birmingham, Bram Som returned to action in Monaco, pacing Wanders through the first three kilometres of his world record run here.
Nicole Jeffery for the IAAF
* pending the usual ratification procedures

Julien Wanders of Switzerland and Sifan Hassan from The Netherlands raced to world record* performances at the inaugural 5km Herculis in Monaco on Sunday (17). 

Wanders and Hassan set world 5km records in Monaco

Ethiopians Tamirat Tola and Netsanet Gudeta collected their second victories each at the 44th edition of the Boclassic in Bolzano, Italy, on Monday (31).
Running in unseasonably warm conditions that reached 15 C, Tola won the men&rsquo;s 10km race in 28:12 ahead of Jairus Birech while Gudeta took the honours in the women&rsquo;s 5km in 15:46.
<h3>Patience pays for Tola</h3>
With some 15,000 spectators lining the course, Zane Robertson from New Zealand, who finished third here in 2014, went to the front in the first lap taking a six-second lead over Jairus Birech. The chasing group formed by Tola, Muktar Edris, this year&rsquo;s Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist Oscar Chelimo and 2018 European 10,000m bronze medallist Yeman Crippa followed a few metres behind.
Birech was the only runner able to follow Robertson&rsquo;s fierce pace, who continued to lead in the second lap. Birech caught up with Robertson on the second lap, with the leading duo going through the second lap mark together in 6:55, three seconds ahead of Tola and six clear of Edris. Tola then closed the gap over Birech and Robertson on the third lap.
In lap four, Birech and Tola pulled away from Robertson, who was also overtaken by Edris and Chelimo. The leading duo increased their lead over Edris to 18 seconds on the sixth lap.
Tola and Birech then ran a neck-to-neck race until the end of the penultimate lap when the Ethiopian runner broke away, launching his kick at the bell. Tola crossed the finish line in the Walther Square in 28:12 holding off Jairus, a two-time Diamond League champion in the steeplechase, by 12 seconds. Tola fell 10 seconds shy of Philemon Hanneck&rsquo;s course record but ran the fastest time since Paul Kosgei&rsquo;s 28:10 win in 1998.
Ugandan Oscas Chelimo was third in 28:50 ahead of Edris, a three-time winner here, who clocked 29:01 for fourth. Robertson was fifth in 29:17 ahead of Moroccans Hicham Amghar (29:19) and Soufiyan Bouqantar (29:22).
Tola said he&rsquo;s currently training for a &ldquo;big marathon&rsquo; in April, while Birech confirmed that he won&rsquo;t be contesting the steeplechase next year as he&rsquo;s currently training for his half marathon debut in the spring.
<h3>Gudeta impresses</h3>
In the women&rsquo;s race, 2015 winner Gudeta ran at the front from the early stages, closely followed by Kenyan Kisa, the 2014 winner. Gudeta pulled away for good during the third of four laps en route to her 15:46 performance, holding off Kisa by three seconds. 
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Netsanet Gudeta wins another Boclassic title</div>
&nbsp;
Vohla Mazuronak from Belarus, the 2018 European marathon champion, finished third in 16:08 ahead of former world U18 800m silver medallist Clara Mageean (16:20) and Italy&rsquo;s Margherita Magnani, who reached the top five in Bolzano for the fifth time in her career clocking 16:37.
&ldquo;This race was an important test ahead of the 2019 season,&rdquo; said Gudeta, who confirmed that her 2019 ambitions include a 1:05 half marathon next month and competing at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in March. Gudeta won gold at the World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia last March, clocking 1:06:11, a world record for a women-only race.
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Men (10km): 1 Tamirat Tola (ETH) 28:12 2 Jairus Birech (KEN) 28:24 3 Oscar Chelimo (UGA) 28:50 4 Muktar Edris (ETH) 29:01 5 Zane Robertson (NZL) 29:17 6 Hicham Amghar (MAR) 29:19 7 Soufyian Bouqantar (MAR) 29:22 8 Yemaneberhan Crippa (ITA) 29:23
Women (5km): 1 Netsanet Gudeta (ETH) 15:46 2 Janet Kisa (KEN) 15:49 3 Volha Mazuronak (BLR) 16:08 4 Ciara Mageean (IRL) 16:20 5 Margherita Magnani (ITA) 16:37 6 Giovanna Epis (ITA) 16:40 7 Sara Dossena (ITA) 16:43 8 Svetlana Kudzelich (BLR) 16:51
&nbsp;

Ethiopians Tamirat Tola and Netsanet Gudeta collected their second victories each at the 44th edition of the Boclassic in Bolzano, Italy, on Monday (31).

Tola and Gudeta victorious again in Bolzano

World cross-country champion Agnes Tirop and world cross-country bronze medallist Muktar Edris triumphed at the Boclassic Sylvesterlauf in Bolzano on a sunny but cold afternoon on New Year&rsquo;s Eve (31).
Tirop edged world 10,000m silver medallist Gelete Burka by five seconds to take the women&rsquo;s 5km race in 15:44, while Edris held off his compatriot Imane Merga by two seconds to take the second win of his career in Bolzano in 28:52.
In the women&rsquo;s 5km, Tirop, Burka, Etenesh Diro and Stephanie Twell broke away during the second lap. By half way, reached in 8:09, European 5000m bronze medallist Twell had fallen adrift by two seconds.
Tirop and Burka increased their pace, pulling away from Diro on the third lap. Burka tried to resist to Tirop&rsquo;s fierce pace but could not respond to the Kenyan&rsquo;s decisive kick on the final lap. Tirop crossed the finish line five seconds ahead of Burka in 15:44, the second-fastest performance in the history of the Boclassic.
Steeplechase specialist Diro, who finished sixth at the London 2012 Olympic Games and fifth at the IAAF World Championships Moscow 2013, took third place in 16:18, 10 seconds ahead of Twell.
&ldquo;I found totally different conditions compared to the weather in Kenya,&rdquo; said Tirop. &ldquo;It was very cold. I did not expect to beat Burka. I have one more cross-country race in San Giorgio su Legnano on 6 January before returning home to prepare for the World Cross Country Championships in Kampala.&rdquo;
<h3>Repeat of 2014</h3>
Seven runners &ndash; Edris, Merga, Thomas Longosiwa, Abraham Tadesse, Jairus Birech, Aziz Lahbabi and Marouan Razine &ndash; formed the front group that covered the first three laps in 10:51.
Following a relatively slow first half, Edris and Birech took the initiative and hit the front during the sixth lap with Lahbabi and Longosiwa on their heels. Merga, meanwhile, chose a more conservative tactic and stayed at the back of the lead group in fifth place.&nbsp;
The front group was whittled down to four runners with one lap to go, when Edris, Merga, Longosiwa and Birech broke away from Tadesse and Lahbabi.
The race came down to a final sprint between Edris and three-time winner Merga. Edris launched his kick during the final lap near the railway station but Merga could not respond and, in a repeat of the 2014 edition, settled for second place behind his compatriot.
Two-time steeplechase Diamond Race winner Birech finished third in 28:57, three seconds ahead of Longosiwa.
&ldquo;I came to Bolzano to win this race for the second time in my career,&rdquo; said Edris. &ldquo;It was not an easy race as it was very cold. I was waiting for Merga&rsquo;s usual final kick but it did not happen, so I launched my attack. My next big goals are the World Cross Country Championships in Kampala and the 5000m at the World Championships in London, but first I will run in San Giorgio su Legnano for the Campaccio.&rdquo;
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Men&rsquo;s 10km 1 Muktar Edris (ETH) 28:52 2 Imane Merga (ETH) 28:54 3 Jairus Birech (KEN) 28:57 4 Thomas Longosiwa (KEN) 29:00 5 Abraham Tadesse (SUI) 29:07 6 Aziz Lahbabi (MAR) 29:17 7 Yeman Crippa (ITA) 29:56 8 Jonathan Mellor (GBR) 30:00 9 Abdelati Meftah (FRA) 30:02 10 Marouan Razine (ITA) 30:02
Women&rsquo;s 5km 1 Agnes Tirop (KEN) 15:44 2 Gelete Burka (ETH) 15:49 3 Etenesh Diro (ETH) 16:18 4 Stephanie Twell (GBR) 16:28 5 Elinor Kirk (GBR) 16:32 6 Giulia Viola (ITA) 16:56 7 Lauren Howarth (GBR) 17:05 8 Maia Neunschwander (SUI) 17:10 9 Elisa Bortoli (ITA) 17:13 10 Federica Dal Ri (ITA) 17:16

World cross-country champion Agnes Tirop and world cross-country bronze medallist Muktar Edris triumphed at the Boclassic Sylvesterlauf in Bolzano on a sunny but cold afternoon on New Year’s Eve (31).

Tirop and Edris take the honours at Boclassic

Kenya&rsquo;s Emily Chebet got her hat-trick of wins at the annual Freihofer&rsquo;s Run for Women, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, winning the 5km race in 15:38 on Saturday (30).Perfect running weather and a new course greeted a field of 3807 runners. A redesigned course in Albany, upstate New York, was made necessary by a beautification project of the stunning Empire State Plaza and a two-year construction project at the New York State Museum, a change that will remain in place for the race through 2016.The opening kilometre was passed by the leaders in a near-pedestrian 3:21 with the first mile reached in a comfortable 5:20, which meant that it was quickly apparent that Chebet&rsquo;s 2010 course record of 15:12 &ndash; she also won in 2013 &ndash; was unlikely to be challenged on this occasion.Burundi&rsquo;s US-based Diane Nukuri featured most often to the fore of the large leading group of approximately 25 women. Kenya&rsquo;s Cynthia Limo, who had logged a 5km personal best of 15:12 in Boston last month, was also alongside her. But, in reality, there was no leader as some of the world&rsquo;s top female distance runners were just watching each other for much of the first two kilometres.The field still hung together along the shaded roadways of Washington Park. A second kilometer of 3:14 and a third in exactly the same time brought the field to 3km in a time of 9:49, and two miles in 10:29. At this stage, the leading pack had by now been trimmed to about a dozen. <h3>Limo takes the initiative</h3>Finally, a decisive move came when leaving the park, with the course making a right-hand turn back on to Washington Avenue for the three-quarter mile stretch to the finish line. Limo injected a surge that was immediately covered by Chebet and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Buze Diriba.With the expanse of Washington Avenue and its progressive downhill before them, Limo, Chebet and Diriba raced shoulder to shoulder, the USD $10,000 winner&rsquo;s cheque providing an extra incentive, as if it were needed. With less than 400 metres remaining, the two-time world cross-country champion went through the gears before crossing the line three seconds in front of her compatriot Limo, who was second in 15:41.Diriba was third in 15:45 with 2014 US half marathon champion Serena Burla the first domestic runner home, finishing eighth in 16:11.George Regan, event director since its inception in 1979, was ecstatic about the race, its outcome and the positive comments about the new course. &ldquo;To have a three-time champion is magnificent,&rdquo; said Regan. &ldquo;Emily is now officially one of the Freihofer&rsquo;s greats, but it was just a great day overall. We had participants from 20 states and 22 countries."Organisers for the IAAF

Kenya’s Emily Chebet got her hat-trick of wins at the annual Freihofer’s Run for Women, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, winning the 5km race in 15:38 on Saturday (30).

Emily Chebet captures third Albany 5km title

Two-time world cross-country champion Emily Chebet will be going for her third win at the Freihofer&rsquo;s Run for Women 5K in Albany, upstate New York, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, on Saturday (30).Chebet&rsquo;s two previous wins in Albany have coincided with her global titles, coming just a few weeks after she won in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz in both 2010 and 2013, so it remains to be seen what pointers can be got from her finishing sixth at this year&rsquo;s IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang, China, at the end of March.Since Guiyang, last month she won the Honolulu half marathon in hot and steamy conditions in 1:10:15 but looked less impressive when only finishing fifth in the Bangalore 10km in India on 17 May.Nevertheless, in 2010 Chebet set the standard for everyone to aim for on Saturday when she ran a course record of 15:12.If Chebet is to win, she will become the fifth woman with three victories or more, a group led by Lynn Jennings who triumphed on eight occasions at the race.Joining Chebet, and more than 4000 women from more than 25 USA states and 20 nations, will be her compatriots, the 2004 Olympic 5000m silver medallist Isabella Ochichi and Cynthia Limo.Now 35, Ochichi also finished third at Freihofer&rsquo;s in 2013 while Limo has notched up several good wins on the US roads already this year.Other Kenyans in the field include Ann Wanjiru, Monicah Wanjuhi Ngige and Salome Kosgei.&ldquo;Emily and her team mates will have a new course to contend with this year," said event director George Regan, explaining that a two-year beautification project at the Empire State Plaza in Albany has led organisers to shift the course&rsquo;s start and finish. &ldquo;It will be interesting to see how our elite athletes adjust their racing tactics to the new course.&rdquo; &nbsp; Leading the Ethiopian challenge will be Buze Diriba, the 2012 world junior 5000m champion. She will be accompanied on the start line by Meskerem Assefa and Amane Gobena, the latter a runner up at last month&rsquo;s Paris Marathon and winner of the 2014 Los Angeles and Istanbul Marathons. &nbsp; Burundi&rsquo;s US-based Diane Nukuri could be a threat to everyone, although she may find the distance a little short for her liking. She is in good form as shown by her finishing third at the recent Prague Half Marathon and then coming home 13th at the London Marathon in a national record of 2:27.50.Eritrea&rsquo;s Nazret Weldu can also not be overlooked either. Her recent resume includes winning at the 2015 Trier Silvesterlauf 5K and finishing 11th at the 2015 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. This year&rsquo;s strong Freihofer&rsquo;s field also has several talented US runners led by local favourite Megan Hogan, whose sixth-place finish here in 2014 made her the top US finisher.&nbsp; Other confirmed US runners includes 2014 US half marathon champion Serena Burla, Alissa McKaig, Sheree Shea, Lindsay Flanagan, Andie Cozzarelli and Christine Ramsey.This year heralds the 37th edition of a race which started in 1979 as a 10km event and has become a high-profile and prestigious fixture on the US road racing circuit.Phil Minshull and organisers for the IAAF

Two-time world cross-country champion Emily Chebet will be going for her third win at the Freihofer’s Run for Women 5K in Albany, upstate New York, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, on Saturday (30).