Ethiopia&rsquo;s Selemon Barega and Wede Kefale top the entry lists for the Bank of China Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Half Marathon on Sunday (15).
The event has been elevated to World Athletics Platinum Label road race status this year, becoming the first race in Hong Kong and only the fifth half marathon globally to hold top-tier status.
Barega headlines the men&rsquo;s field as he returns to action after finishing fifth in the Berlin Marathon in a PB of 2:04:58 in September.
The 26-year-old, who won the Olympic 10,000m title in 2021, also finished seventh in the Tokyo Marathon in March and set a 10km PB of 27:37 to win the Great Manchester Run in May. His half marathon PB of 57:50 from Valencia in 2023 makes him the fifth-fastest half marathon runner of all time and he returned to run 58:57 in the Spanish city the following year.
Now he heads to Hong Kong to contest the fifth half marathon of his career, forming part of a field that features another global gold medallist in Alphonce Simbu.
The Tanzanian 34-year-old won the world marathon title in Tokyo last year and went on to finish second in Boston in 2:02:47. His most recent performance was 2:04:57 for a fourth-place finish at the Sydney Marathon at the end of August, while he ran a half marathon PB of 59:30 to finish third in Dubai in February.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Addisu Gobena was the champion in Sydney and he also runs in Hong Kong &ndash; his first race since that triumph. The 22-year-old finished seventh in the London Marathon in April and has a half marathon best of 59:17 set in 2025.
His compatriot Getaneh Molla was one place and three seconds ahead of Barega in the Berlin Marathon, finishing fourth in 2:04:55, and they meet again.
Other sub-60:00 athletes in the first include Kenya&rsquo;s Ezra Tanui and Morocco&rsquo;s Othmane El Goumri.
Kefale is fastest in the women&rsquo;s field thanks to the 1:05:21 she ran when finishing third on her half marathon debut in Copenhagen a year ago. The 26-year-old has raced another four half marathons since then, all this year, and she went close to her best with 1:05:54 to finish second in Cardiff last month. The 2024 All-African Games 10,000m silver medallist also set a 10km PB of 29:55 in Valencia in January.
Kefale might be the quickest on paper but she faces an athlete with the benefit of experience &ndash; defending champion Grace Loibach Nawowuna of Kenya.
The 23-year-old won in a course record of 1:07:56 last year, when the race was in January, and went on to improve her PB to 1:06:31 when finishing second in the Meishan Renshou Half Marathon the following month. She has only raced once so far this year, finishing 14th on her return to Meishan in 1:11:37.
Her compatriot Miriam Chebet adds further strength to the field. The 24-year-old beat fourth-place finisher Kefale by more than a minute when winning the Yangzhou Half Marathon in March in 1:06:27 but was three places behind her over 10km in Valencia in January. Chebet then finished seventh in the Commonwealth Games 10,000m and set a half marathon PB of 1:05:39 during her most recent race in Valencia last month.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Aynalem Desta, runner-up in the Amsterdam Marathon in 2:17:06 last month, contests the third half marathon of her career and is joined by her compatriots Fantu Worku, Netsanet Desta and Asmarech Anley, who have all run 1:07:30 or faster. Worku, the 2019 world 5000m sixth-place finisher, was fifth in the Berlin Marathon last year.
The field also features South African marathon record-holder Glenrose Xaba and Fatima Ezzahra Birdaha who set a Moroccan half marathon record of 1:07:33 when finishing ninth at the World Road Running Championships in September.
<h3>Leading entries</h3>
Women Wede Kefale (ETH) 1:05:21 Miriam Chebet (KEN) 1:05:39 Grace Nawowuna (KEN) 1:06:31 Asmarech Anley (ETH) 1:07:01 Glenrose Xaba (RSA) 1:07:03 Netsanet Desta (ETH) 1:07:26 Fantu Worku (ETH) 1:07:30 Baraky Redae (ETH) 1:07:31 Fatima Ezzahra Birdaha (MAR) 1:07:33 Priscah Jepleting Cherono (KEN) 1:08:35 Zewudie Wudu (ETH) 1:09:32 Tigist Dejene (ETH) 1:10:22 Daisy Jepkemei (KAZ) 1:10:51 Aynalem Desta (ETH) 1:12:19 Alemitu Assefa (ETH) debut
Men Selemon Barega (ETH) 57:50 Addisu Gobena (ETH) 59:17 Ezra Tanui (KEN) 59:20 Alphonce Simbu (TAN) 59:30 Getaneh Molla (ETH) 59:52 Othmane El Goumri (MAR) 59:53 Adisu Tesfahun Tafere (ETH) 1:01:15 Mamo Hachalu (ETH) debut Aliyi Kasim (ETH) debut Abel Kiplimo Kimeli (KEN) debut Alex Lenalepisho (KEN) debut
The Bank of China Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Half Marathon will be live streamed on <a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics+</a> and via the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/worldathletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics YouTube channel</a> from 7:00am local time (11:00pm GMT on 14 November).

Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega and Wede Kefale top the entry lists for the Bank of China Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Half Marathon on Sunday (15).

Barega and Kefale head half marathon fields in Hong Kong

Rodrigue Kwizera and Charity Cherop head the fields for the Cross Internacional de Soria, the fourth Gold-level meeting of this season&rsquo;s World Athletics Cross Country Tour, on Sunday (15).&nbsp;
Kwizera is a three-time victor in Soria, having triumphed in 2021, 2023 and 2024, and the 27-year-old is keen to maintain the momentum following his recent wins at the Valencia Half Marathon &ndash; where he set a Spanish record of 58:03 &ndash; and the Cross Internacional de It&aacute;lica in Seville last weekend.
Yet, the Castell&oacute;n-based star will face stiff opposition from the Kenyan duo of last year&rsquo;s winner Mathew Kipchumba Kipsang and Charles Kiboino, runner-up in Seville.
On his fifth appearance at the venue &ndash; the Monte Valonsadero circuit, a beautiful forest on the outskirts of Soria &ndash; the in-form Kwizera will try to take advantage of his knowledge of the circuit to take revenge following his narrow loss last year to Kipsang.
Kipsang was a brilliant winner of the 2025/26 World Athletics Cross Country Tour and will compete on the eve of his 31st birthday. The Commonwealth 5000m champion also improved his 3000m PB to 7:27.58 in May and that track speed might be especially threatening for Kwizera as the race will be contested over a relatively short distance of 8km.
While Kipsang&rsquo;s last outing came at the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen a couple of months ago when he had to settle for eighth in the 5km in 13:11, Kiboino proved to be in stellar form last weekend as he pushed Kwizera to the line in Seville following a thrilling sprint. The 19-year-old, a 27:22.80 10,000m performer this year, will be eager to turn the tables on Sunday.&nbsp;
They will be joined by Kenya&rsquo;s 2022 world U20 3000m silver medallist Felix Kiptarus Korir and steeplechaser Peter Rono, third in Amorebieta last month, plus Uganda&rsquo;s Dismas Yeko, who was eighth in Seville. Ethiopia&rsquo;s Wegene Adisu is also among the entries, along with Spain&rsquo;s Sergio Paniagua, fourth in Amorebieta, who will be aiming for a top eight place.
<h2>Cherop-Chepkirui showdown</h2>
The women&rsquo;s contest, which will also be held over 8km, promises to be a thrilling clash between two athletes from Sunday&rsquo;s podium in Seville &ndash; Uganda&rsquo;s runner-up Cherop and the third-place finisher Cynthia Chepkirui of Kenya.
Cherop is the world U20 5000m champion who produced a magnificent display of front running during her cross-country debut on the senior scene last weekend to be beaten only by the Ultimate 5000m and world 5km champion Likina Amebaw. Chepkirui also showed top shape again behind Cherop as was also the case at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee in January when they finished third and fourth in the U20 race, respectively.
Watch out too for Kenya&rsquo;s Mirriam Cherop, the world mile bronze medallist in Copenhagen in September. The 27-year-old placed third in Amorebieta and will be chasing another podium spot on Sunday, while Uganda&rsquo;s Peace Chebet, another top 10 finisher in the U20 race in Tallahassee, will be in contention following a 31:44 10km PB in Berlin last month. Also among the entries is Ethiopia&rsquo;s Lemlem Nibret, a two-time top 10 athlete in U20 races at the World Cross Country Championships in 2023 and 2024.
The European challenge will be provided by Spain&rsquo;s Idaira Prieto and Portugal&rsquo;s Mariana Machado. The former, who is coached by her father Antonio Prieto, a two-time fifth-place finisher at the World Cross Country Championships (1981 and 1983), was a surprise fourth over 10,000m at the European Championships in August and will be making her cross-country debut this campaign. The same goes for the 26-year-old Machado, the 2019 victor in Soria. She will be joined by her compatriot Salome Afonso, the European indoor 1500m silver medallist.
Several technical sessions will take place on the eve of the event, with 1992 Olympic 1500m champion Ferm&iacute;n Cacho and the Portuguese pair of world 1500m champion Isaac Nader and Afonso in attendance
Illustrious past winners in Soria include 1997 world 10,000m champion Sally Barsosio, 2000 Olympic 5000m champion Million Wolde, 2001 world 10,000m gold medallist Charles Kamathi, 2007 world cross-country champion Zersenay Tadese, 2009 world 10,000m champion Linet Masai, 2010 world cross-country gold medallist Joseph Ebuya and three-time world cross-country champion Jacob Kiplimo.
Weather forecasters predict a rainy and windy day on Sunday, with the temperature ranging between 10-12&deg;C by the time of the event.
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics

Rodrigue Kwizera and Charity Cherop head the fields for the Cross Internacional de Soria, the fourth Gold-level meeting of this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Tour

Kwizera and Cherop continue cross-country campaigns in Soria

World Athletics is pleased to announce the three finalists for the 2026 Women's Rising Star Award, which will recognise this year's best U20 athlete at the World Athletics Awards in Monaco on 29 November.
The nominations reflect some of the standout U20 performances witnessed across the sport this year, at World Athletics Series events, regional championships and one-day meeting circuits around the world.
The winner of the 2026 Women's Rising Star Award will be announced live on stage at the World Athletics Awards.
The finalists are:
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/ethiopia/marta-alemayo-15131346" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marta Alemayo, Ethiopia</a> &bull; retained her world U20 cross-country title &bull; ran 14:15 for 5km, the third-fastest performance in history
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/mia-maxwell-15082962" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mia Maxwell, United States</a> &bull; world U20 100m champion &bull; world U20 200m champion in a PB of 22.37
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/pr-of-china/ziyi-yan-15144603" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yan Ziyi, China</a> &bull; world U20 javelin record of 71.74m, the second-farthest throw in history &bull; Diamond League champion and runner-up at World Athletics Ultimate Championship
Other awards presented on stage will include the women&rsquo;s and men&rsquo;s World Athlete of the Year honours, Coach of the Year, the President&rsquo;s Award and Moment of the Year.
The finalists for the Men's Rising Star Award will be announced on Friday (13).
World Athletics

World Athletics is pleased to announce the three finalists for the 2026 Women's Rising Star Award, which will recognise this year's best U20 athlete at the World Athletics Awards in Monaco on 29 November.

Finalists announced for 2026 Women's Rising Star Award

<ul>
<li>Compelling storytelling across 10 days set to provide rich viewer experience for fans in-stadium and watching at home</li>
<li>Fans encouraged to register for interest ahead of ticket sales opening in the new year</li>
</ul>
The World Athletics Championships Beijing 27 <a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/6af58a6ffe783324fba64da5.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">timetable</a> has been published, confirming that 13 action-packed stadium sessions of competition will be held in the Chinese capital across 10 days from 10-19 September 2027.
Ticket sales will open in early 2027. Fans can register now through the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/beijing27" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">event website</a> to gain access to the presale and be among the first to secure the best seats in the stadium.
The 10-day programme kicks off with the opening ceremony on the evening of Friday 10 September before the National Stadium, known as the Bird&rsquo;s Nest, welcomes the world&rsquo;s best athletes as they compete for global honours across 50 disciplines.
All track and field finals will be contested during evening sessions, while the six road events are spread across four separate weekend mornings &ndash; including the women&rsquo;s marathon on Sunday 12 September and the men&rsquo;s marathon on the final morning, Sunday 19 September. The heptathlon and decathlon will also take place across the weekends.
The women&rsquo;s and men&rsquo;s half marathon race walk titles will be the first up for grabs on the morning of day two, Saturday 11 September.
The world&rsquo;s fastest sprinters will take centre stage when the men&rsquo;s 100m final and women&rsquo;s 100m final are contested on the evenings of day two and day three, respectively, for weekend prime-time viewing.
On day four, the women&rsquo;s javelin will secure the spotlight and the mixed 4x100m will make its World Athletics Championships debut. The introduction of the mixed 4x100m means that several athletes could target a sprint quadruple when they take to the Bird&rsquo;s Nest track.
Day five offers the women&rsquo;s 800m and 100m hurdles finals, while the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles and 1500m finals will be contested on day six.
The men&rsquo;s pole vault, a standout event at recent global championships, is on day seven, while both 200m finals take place on day eight. The men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s 4x400m finals are on day nine and the competition will reach its crescendo as 11 finals are contested on the final day, Sunday 19 September.
Popular doubles such as the 100m &amp; 200m, 800m &amp; 1500m, 1500m &amp; 5000m, 5000m &amp; 10,000m, half marathon &amp; marathon race walk, long jump &amp; triple jump, and combined events &amp; long jump are all possible without athletes having to contest more than one individual discipline in any given session.
Minor adjustments in time may still occur leading up to the championships.
&ldquo;We are delighted to be returning to Beijing for the 21st edition of our flagship World Championships and the publication of the timetable is a major milestone as excitement continues to build with less than one year to go,&rdquo; said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.
&ldquo;There are many complexities when creating a timetable for an event of this scale and we thank all our stakeholders, including the local organising committee and our rights-holding broadcasters, for their contributions to this process. The first joint consultation between our Athletes&rsquo; Commission, Coaches&rsquo; Commission and Chair of the Competition Commission last month further demonstrated this spirit of collaboration.
&ldquo;We have landed on a compelling timetable that will provide great storytelling opportunities and a rich viewer experience to both fans in the stadium and those watching at home. As our greatest athletes prepare to compete on the world stage, I encourage athletics fans to start planning ahead of ticket sales opening in the new year.&rdquo;
The qualification system and entry standards for the World Athletics Championships Beijing 27 were announced&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/beijing27/news/press-releases/qualification-system-world-athletics-championships-beijing-27" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">earlier this year</a>.
World Athletics
&bull; <a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/6af58a6ffe783324fba64da5.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Download timetable</a>

World Athletics Championships, Beijing 2027

Compelling storytelling across 10 days set to provide rich viewer experience for fans in-stadium and watching at home

Timetable published for World Athletics Championships Beijing 27

She shattered the 100m hurdles world record. She's the World Athletics Ultimate Championship winner. And now, she's up for <a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/womens-world-athlete-of-the-year-2026-finalists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Athlete of the Year</a>.
And you have the chance to meet Masai Russell in an exclusive virtual meet &amp; greet.
During the weekend of the World Athletics Awards (28-29 November), just 10 fans from around the world will be selected to join Russell&nbsp;live for a unique conversation. Ask your questions, hear the stories behind her record-breaking performances, and discover what it takes to reach the very top of the sport.
With only 10 places available, this is one of the most exclusive fan experiences of the year.
Enter now via the World Athletics app for your chance to be part of it.
⏰ Entries close Monday 23 November at 5:00pm CET (4:00pm GMT / 11:00am ET).
Only 10 places. One unforgettable experience. Will one of them be yours? 
<a href="https://appy.to/t1dh8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ENTER NOW</a>
 See the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/terms-and-conditions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Prize Competition Terms &amp; Conditions</a> for further information.

During the weekend of the World Athletics Awards, 10 fans from around the world will be selected to join Masai Russell live for a unique conversation.

Win a virtual meet & greet with Masai Russell

Burundi&rsquo;s Egide Ntakarutimana and Francine Niyomukunzi will lead the fields when the Sparkassen Cross Pforzheim makes its debut as a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting on Saturday (14).
Having previously been a Silver-level fixture, the event returns as the first Gold-level meeting in Germany and doubles as a qualification event for home athletes looking to compete at the European Cross Country Championships in Belgrade in December.
Ntakarutimana will be targeting a third Cross Country Tour Gold win of the season after his victories in Liding&ouml; and Amorebieta-Etxano.
Prior to that, he finished second over 5000m at the Wanda Diamond League Final and achieved top 10 finishes at both the World Athletics Ultimate Championship and the World Athletics Road Running Championships.
His PBs set this year include a national record of 12:46.73, which was the second-quickest 5000m of the season, as well as 7:28.13 for 3000m, 13:12 for 5km and 1:00:34 for the half marathon.
Looking to challenge him in the 7.5km race will be his compatriot C&eacute;lestin Ndikumana who finished 11th in the half marathon at the World Road Running Championships. He makes his cross-country season debut after finishing third in the Campaccio, won by Ntakarutimana, in January.
They will be joined by Belgium&rsquo;s world 5000m silver medallist Isaac Kimeli, who competes for the first time since the European Championships in Birmingham in August, and his compatriot Robin Hendrix, 2023 European cross-country bronze medallist.
Markus G&ouml;rger is entered to defend his title as the German champion races for the first time since the European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa in December.
The entry list also includes Ireland&rsquo;s Efrem Gidey and Great Britain&rsquo;s Rory Leonard, who finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the Cross Country Tour Silver meeting in San Sebasti&aacute;n at the start of this month.
Like Ntakarutimana, Niyomukunzi lines up in Pforzheim following victory in Liding&ouml; and she went on to finish second in Amorebieta-Etxano and sixth in Seville.
Prior to her cross-country campaign, she finished 18th in the 5km at the World Road Running Championships and improved her PBs to 8:33.27 for 3000m and 14:41.46 for 5000m this year. Niyomukunzi also holds multiple national records, including 30:42 for 10km set in 2024.
At the start of the year, she finished second at the Campaccio, an event she won in 2024.
Italy&rsquo;s Elvanie Nimbona was third at this year's Campaccio and the pair race again over&nbsp;7.5km. Nimbona also finished third in Albufeira in February and contested the half marathon at the World Road Running Championships before winning Italian 10km and half marathon titles.
Germany&rsquo;s Elena Burkard returns after winning in Pforzheim last year. She then placed eighth at the European Cross Country Championships and was 10th in Seville last weekend, four places behind Niyomukunzi. Last year&rsquo;s runner-up Veerle Bakker of the Netherlands also returns.
Kenya&rsquo;s Caren Chepchirchir, 1500m bronze medallist at the World U20 Championships in Oregon in August, contests the U23 race alongside Germany&rsquo;s European U23 cross-country bronze medallist Pia Schlattmann.
The men&rsquo;s U23 competition includes Burundi&rsquo;s Tharcisse Nizigiyimana and Elie Sindayikengdera, who respectively finished second and third behind Ntakarutimana in Liding&ouml;.

Burundi’s Egide Ntakarutimana and Francine Niyomukunzi will lead the fields when the Sparkassen Cross Pforzheim makes its debut as a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting on Saturday.

Ntakarutimana and Niyomukunzi head fields for Pforzheim

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Masai Russell and Audrey Werro have been confirmed as the three finalists for the 2026 Women&rsquo;s World Athlete of the Year honour ahead of the World Athletics Awards taking place in Monaco.
Following a four-way vote by fans, athletes, members of the media and the World Athletics Family, the three finalists topped the list of 10 nominees that had been selected by an international panel of athletics experts.
The finalists will now be invited to Monaco for the World Athletics Awards on 29 November, when the winner will be announced live on stage. 
<h3>Finalists (in alphabetical order):</h3>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/melissa-jefferson-wooden-14756997" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, USA</a> &bull; Won a sprint double at the Ultimate Championship &bull; Set world leads of 10.62 in the 100m and 21.47 in the 200m, the latter putting her third on the world all-time list
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/masai-russell-14659011" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Masai Russell, USA</a> &bull; Set a world 100m hurdles record of 12.09 and achieved nine of the 10 fastest times of the season &bull; Won Ultimate and Diamond League titles as part of an unbeaten season in the 100m hurdles
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/switzerland/audrey-werro-14856078" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Audrey Werro, Switzerland</a> &bull; Won Ultimate, Diamond League and European 800m titles &bull; Broke the Diamond League record three times, improving to a world lead of 1:53.70 &ndash; putting her third on the world all-time list 
The remaining nominees finished in the following order:
4 Tigst Assefa, Ethiopia 5 Marileidy Paulino, Dominican Republic 6 Agnes Ngetich, Kenya 7 Chase Jackson, USA 8 Yan Ziyi, China 9 Mar&iacute;a P&eacute;rez, Spain 10 Camryn Rogers, Canada 
As well as the awarding of the women&rsquo;s and men&rsquo;s World Athlete of the Year honours, other awards to be presented on stage in Monaco include the women&rsquo;s and men&rsquo;s Rising Star honours, Coach of the Year, the President&rsquo;s Award and, for the first time, the Moment of the Year award.
The <a href="https://worldathletics.org/awards/news/mens-world-athlete-of-the-year-2026-finalists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">finalists for Men&rsquo;s World Athlete of the Year</a> were announced on Tuesday (10).
World Athletics

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Masai Russell and Audrey Werro have been confirmed as the three finalists for the 2026 Women’s World Athlete of the Year honour ahead of the World Athletics Awards taking place in Monaco.

Finalists announced for Women's World Athlete of the Year 2026

Golden performances by Yomif Abebe and Elsabet Amare helped Ethiopia to top of the medal table as athletics competition at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar concluded on Tuesday (10).
More Youth Olympic Games records fell on the third and final day of athletics action and Abebe was among the record-breakers as the 16-year-old finished fast to overpower Eritrea's Ghebreab Mantay in the closing stages of the 800m &ndash; 1:48.99 to 1:49.31. Uganda&rsquo;s Timothy Cheptoek was third in 1:51.59 as the medallists all set PBs.
Amare, who set a world U18 mile best of 4:23.78 in June and finished fourth at the World U20 Championships in Oregon in August, clocked 4:28.02 for a clear 1500m win ahead of Kenya&rsquo;s Abigael Chepkirui (4:29.86) and Eritrea&rsquo;s Kanari Estifanos (4:31.10).
Ethiopia ended the three days of athletics competition at the Complexe Iba Mar Diop with five gold and three silver medals to top the table ahead of China with three gold, four silver and two bronze, and Kenya and Nigeria, each with three golds.
History was made in the men&rsquo;s 200m as Ropafadzo Mzondo was roared to victory, winning a first ever Youth Olympic Games gold for Zimbabwe in 21.04. Deuquan' Farrell secured silver in a photo finish, gaining Guyana a first Youth Olympic Games medal in 21.36 &ndash; the same time run by Philippines&rsquo; bronze medallist Pi Durden Forward Wangkay.
Dominican Republic&rsquo;s Patricia Sine held off the fast-finishing Tyra Fenton of Antigua &amp; Barbuda to win the women&rsquo;s 200m by 0.01 in a Youth Olympic Games record and national U18 record of 23.35, Fenton claiming a first medal in any Olympic competition for her nation.
South Africa&rsquo;s Megan Nieman and Jamaica&rsquo;s Jaeden Campbell also set Youth Olympic Games records, winning the 400m hurdles in 57.75 and 50.60, respectively.
Another first was achieved in the men&rsquo;s javelin, Marko Kaethler throwing a PB of 73.49m to win Paraguay's first ever Olympic gold.&nbsp;
Ukraine&rsquo;s Milaniia Kokhan dominated the hammer, throwing a PB of 71.27m to win ahead of China&rsquo;s Yang Xingyue (65.96m). Kokhan surpassed 70 metres with three of her throws, her best coming in the fifth round as she followed in the footsteps of her brother Mykhaylo Kokhan, the now Olympic bronze medallist who won the Youth Olympic Games title in Buenos Aires in 2018.
China&rsquo;s Sheng Xuefeng jumped a world U18 lead and PB of 16.18m to win the triple jump, while Kuwait&rsquo;s Yasmeen Roy won the high jump with a PB clearance of 1.80m. Zs&oacute;fi Marton of Hungary won the shot put (16.47m) and France&rsquo;s Axel Faye the pole vault (4.95m).
China&rsquo;s Wang Yaru (22:58.33 PB) and Spain&rsquo;s Gabriel Gonzalez (20:41.36) won the 5000m race walk titles.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/youth-olympic-games/youth-olympic-games-7147638/timetable" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a>

Youth Olympic Games

More Youth Olympic Games records fell on the third and final day of athletics action in Dakar 

Abebe and Amare help Ethiopia to top of Youth Olympics medal table

Alison dos Santos, Mondo Duplantis and Sabastian Sawe have been confirmed as the three finalists for the 2026 Men&rsquo;s World Athlete of the Year honour ahead of the World Athletics Awards taking place in Monaco.
Following a four-way vote by fans, athletes, members of the media and the World Athletics Family, the three finalists topped the list of 10 nominees that had been selected by an international panel of athletics experts.
The finalists will now be invited to Monaco for the World Athletics Awards on 29 November, when the winner will be announced live on stage. 
<h3>Finalists (in alphabetical order):</h3>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/brazil/alison-dos-santos-14755064" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alison dos Santos, Brazil</a> &bull; Set a world 400m hurdles record of 45.80 and won the Ultimate title in 45.98, the third-fastest time in history &bull; Went undefeated in 11 hurdles races, including the Diamond League Final
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/sweden/armand-duplantis-14679502" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mondo Duplantis, Sweden</a> &bull; Improved his world pole vault record to 6.31m &bull; Won Ultimate, world indoor and European titles
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/sabastian-kimaru-sawe-14833335" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sabastian Sawe, Kenya</a> &bull; Won the London Marathon in a world record of 1:59:30 &bull; Became the first man to break two hours in a record-eligible marathon 
The remaining nominees finished in the following order:
4 Josh Kerr, Great Britain &amp; NI 5 Ja&rsquo;Kobe Tharp, USA 6 Kenneth Bednarek, USA 7 Collen Kebinatshipi, Botswana 8 Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, Sri Lanka 9 Andy D&iacute;az Hern&aacute;ndez, Italy 10 Kristjan Čeh, Slovenia 
As well as the awarding of the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s World Athlete of the Year honours, other awards to be presented on stage in Monaco include the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s Rising Star honours, Coach of the Year, the President&rsquo;s Award and, for the first time, the Moment of the Year award.
The finalists for Women&rsquo;s World Athlete of the Year will be announced on Wednesday (11).
World Athletics

Alison dos Santos, Mondo Duplantis and Sabastian Sawe have been confirmed as the three finalists for the 2026 Men’s World Athlete of the Year honour ahead of the World Athletics Awards taking place in Monaco.

Finalists announced for Men's World Athlete of the Year 2026

The qualification system for athletics competition at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, to be held between 15-30 July 2028, has been published and is available for download from the&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/about-iaaf/documents/member-federation-resource-centre#collapsela28-qualification-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Library</a>.
The qualification system approved by the World Athletics Council includes details of the qualification windows, total quota places per discipline and entry standards.
The programme will include 23 women&rsquo;s events and 23 men&rsquo;s events as well as two mixed events &ndash; the 4x100m mixed relay, making its Olympic Games debut, and the 4x400m mixed relay.
As has been the case for recent outdoor global championships, the qualification system is based on a dual pathway. Rather than the previous 50/50 model, 40% of athletes are expected to qualify through entry standards and the remaining 60% are expected to qualify through world rankings.
Should more athletes than the quota by event achieve the entry standard, qualification will be limited to those with the best performance in the qualification period, and within the quota number, thus achieving the entry standard does not automatically guarantee a quota place. In this case no athletes will be qualified by world rankings.
For the marathon, the qualification and ranking period runs from 1 November 2026 to 30 April 2028. For the 10,000m, combined events, race walks and relays, the window is from 19 December 2026 to 18 June 2028. For all other events, the period runs from 19 June 2027 to 18 June 2028.
Results from competitions for which the last day falls within the applicable qualification and ranking periods will count entirely towards the qualification. Results from national senior outdoor championships that start within the applicable qualification and ranking periods will count towards the qualification if achieved no later than Thursday 22 June. 
<table style="border: solid 1px silver; width: 100%;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center; background-color: #bd94ff;">Men</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center; background-color: #bd94ff;">Event</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center; background-color: #bd94ff;">Women</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">9.93</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">100m</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">10.96</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">19.95</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">200m</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">22.25</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">44.40</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">400m</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">49.90</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">1:43.00</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">800m</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">1:57.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">3:30.00</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">1500m</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">3:57.50</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">12:50.00</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">5000m</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">14:34.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">26:48.00</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">10,000m</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">30:30.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">13.18</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">110m hurdles / 100m hurdles</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">12.58</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">48.00</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">400m hurdles</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">54.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">8:07.50</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">3000m steeplechase</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">9:06.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">2.32m</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">High jump</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">1.97m</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">5.90m</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">Pole vault</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">4.80m</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">8.30m</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">Long jump</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">6.90m</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">17.35m</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">Triple jump</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">14.50m</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">21.50m</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">Shot put</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">19.30m</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">67.20m</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">Discus throw</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">65.00m</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">78.50m</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">Hammer throw</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">74.00m</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">85.50m</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">Javelin throw</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">63.80m</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">8650</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">Decathlon / Heptathlon</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">6550</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">WRWTC</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">Half marathon race walk</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">WRWTC</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">2:05:00</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">Marathon</td>
<td style="width: 33.3333%; text-align: center;">2:22:20</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
 The methodology for determining the entry standards used the qualification periods of the past four global championships &ndash; the World Athletics Championships in 2022, 2023 and 2025 and the Olympic Games in 2024 &ndash; as references. Top lists using the start and end dates of those four qualification periods were calculated with three athletes per country. Based on the trends, performance levels and expected improvements were all factored in to determine the entry standards, which also take into account the events where trends clearly require higher entry standards for the future than those used for past championships. This includes the marathon, where trends show that in an Olympic year, times are between 30 to 60 seconds faster than the trends would forecast.
For the marathon, any athlete ranked higher than the 56th athlete on the filtered Quota Place &lsquo;Road to LA&rsquo; list (three per national Olympic committee) on 19 March 2028 will be considered qualified. After 19 March 2028, the remaining 15 athletes will be determined by the same dual pathway qualification criteria outlined above, without displacing the athletes qualified by 19 March 2028. The first five finishers at the Platinum Label marathons held during the whole qualification period will also be considered as having achieved the entry standard and will be listed first on the &lsquo;Road to LA&rsquo;, World Athletics&rsquo; official qualification monitoring tool. Any national Olympic committee may choose to reallocate, at the time of the final entries, a quota place to an unqualified athlete provided the athlete in the whole qualification window has achieved at least a 2:11:00 (men) or 2:29:00 (women) performance.
For race walks, the first 12 placed athletes at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Hefei, China, on 9 April 2028 shall automatically qualify for the half marathon race walk events at LA28. If a quota place is declined, it shall be allocated via the world rankings. The remaining 36 places will be allocated via the world rankings.
For the relays, the first 14 placed national Olympic committees at the World Athletics Relays held in The Bahamas on 22-23 April 2028 shall automatically qualify for LA28. Teams will have two opportunities to qualify at the World Relays &ndash; if unsuccessful on day one, another chance will be provided on day two of the competition. The remaining teams will be selected according to the World Athletics performance list for relays during the qualification period.
World Athletics will publish the Road to LA on the World Athletics website in the latter part of 2027.
The current sport-by-sport schedule for the LA28 Olympic Games, which outlines the start and finish times of each session, can be found on the&nbsp;<a href="https://la28.org/en/games-plan/olympics.html#olympic-competition-schedule" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LA28 website</a>. The next opportunity for fans to buy LA28 Olympics tickets will be in 2027 with the launch of first-come, first-served purchasing.
World Athletics

The XXXIV Olympic Games

The qualification system for athletics competition at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, to be held between 15-30 July 2028, has been published.

Qualification system published for LA28 Olympic Games

Four Games records fell on the second day of athletics at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar on Monday (9), with Egypt's Yahya Sawaby and Jamaica's Marquies Page producing two of the standout performances.
Sawaby claimed the men's discus title with an African U18 record of 68.23m, moving to seventh on the world U18 all-time list and setting a world U18 lead with the 1.5kg implement.
The 17-year-old opened with 67.10m before improving to his winning mark in the third round. Jamaica's Kamari Kennedy produced a PB of 66.31m in the final round to secure silver, while Chile's Vittorio Gorziglia took bronze with 56.00m.
Page was similarly impressive in the men's 110m hurdles, clocking 12.95 (-0.4m/s) to take 0.01 off the Games record set by fellow Jamaican Jaheel Hyde at the 2014 edition in Nanjing.
The performance was also a Jamaican U18 best and moved Page to fifth on the world U18 all-time list. He finished comfortably clear of China's Shijie Chen (13.40), with South Africa's Enrique Bosch third in 13.45.
Ethiopia accounted for two of the day's other Games records, both in the distance events.
Junedin Abdo dominated the men's 2000m steeplechase, winning in 5:29.30 to finish almost seven seconds ahead of Kenya's Wesley Kiplagat Kipkech, who clocked a PB of 5:36.28. Uganda's Michael Kibet completed the podium in 5:39.50.
Abdo's performance was also a world U18 best for the event contested with 84cm barriers. His compatriot Meresa Kahsay holds the overall world U18 best of 5:19.99, achieved over the higher, standard barriers in 2013.
Ethiopia's Netsanet Selemon added another Games record in the women's 800m, winning in 2:04.43. Having clocked 2:08.28 to win her semifinal the previous day, Selemon improved on her previous lifetime best of 2:04.72 to claim the Youth Olympic title.
Nigeria's sprint success continued as Praise Ugoh added the women's 400m title to the country's two 100m gold medals from the opening day.
In one of the closest finals of the day, Ugoh clocked 52.76 to hold off Venezuela's Osmary Pacheco, who finished just 0.09 behind in 52.85. UAE's Aisha Muhammed was also in contention, taking bronze in 53.06.
Ugoh's victory was particularly impressive given that Pacheco had beaten her in their semifinal the previous day, clocking 53.01 to Ugoh's 54.38.
Kenya's Faith Rono prevailed in another close contest in the women's 3000m, winning in 9:15.47 to edge Ethiopia's Yordanos Tsigab by just 0.24. Uganda's Keren Chelimo took bronze in 9:32.41.
Elsewhere in the field events, Brazil's Pyetro Henrico Souza won the men's shot put with 19.79m, while Colombia's Ilsa Mayerlin Cordoba won the women's javelin with a PB of 57.62m.

Four Games records fell on the second day of athletics at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar on Monday

Sawaby and Page break Youth Olympic Games records in Dakar

Men&rsquo;s mile 3:42.66 Josh Kerr (GBR) London, 18 July 2026
Men&rsquo;s half marathon 56:51 Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) Buenos Aires, 23 August 2026
Men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles 45.80 Alison dos Santos (BRA) Zurich, 27 August 2026
Women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles 12.09 Masai Russell (USA) Zurich, 27 August 2026
 World records set by Alison dos Santos, Yomif Kejelcha, Josh Kerr and Masai Russell have been ratified by World Athletics.
Kerr&rsquo;s was the first of those records to be set as he ran 3:42.66 to improve the long-standing world mile record at the Novuna London Athletics Meet, a Wanda Diamond League meeting, on 18 July.
Great Britain&rsquo;s Kerr was paced through the 400m mark on world record tempo in 55.3. He then reached 800m in 1:51.1 and 1200m in 2:46.39, roared on by the 60,000-strong crowd. The 2023 world 1500m champion then hit 1500m in 3:27.62 &ndash; faster than his own British record for the distance &ndash; before crossing the finish line in 3:42.66 to beat the world record of 3:43.13 set by Hicham El Guerrouj in Rome on 7 July 1999.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Kejelcha set his world record at the Media Marat&oacute;n Ciudad de Buenos Aires, a World Athletics Label road race, on 23 August.
Clocking 56:51, he took 29 seconds off the world record of 57:20 set by Jacob Kiplimo in Lisbon on 8 March to regain a world record he previously set in Valencia in October 2024 with 57:30.
On his way, Kejelcha reached the 10km mark in 27:19 before a 13:22 split for the next 5km took him to 15km in 40:41. He then hit the 20km marker in 54:04, running a 26:45 split between 10km and 20km.
Two more world records fell just four days later as Dos Santos and Russell both made hurdles history at the Weltklasse Diamond League meeting in Zurich on 27 August.
Dos Santos opened the record-breaking sequence with a stunning 45.80 in the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles, and less than 40 minutes later Russell followed with 12.09 in the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles.
Dos Santos, the 2022 world champion, made up the stagger on multiple global champion Karsten Warholm by halfway, then continued to forge ahead. The Brazilian charged through the line, taking 0.14 off the world record set by Warholm at the Tokyo Olympic Games on 3 August 2021. Warholm finished a distant second in 46.69.
USA&rsquo;s Olympic champion Russell had already gone close to the world 100m hurdles record twice during the season and in Zurich she finally took it down. Producing a flawless run over the barriers, she stopped the clock at 12.09 to take 0.03 off the previous world record of 12.12 set by Tobi Amusan in Oregon on 24 July 2022. Amusan was second in Zurich in 12.23.

World Athletics

World records set by Alison dos Santos, Yomif Kejelcha, Josh Kerr and Masai Russell have been ratified by World Athletics.

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