Mark Kiptoo, who set the world 40+ best at the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon last year, will return to Germany's oldest city marathon for its 38th edition on 27 October.
The Kenyan ran 2:07:50 12 months ago to finish sixth at this IAAF Gold Label road race while becoming the first 40+ runner to break the 2:08 barrier. At the moment, all signs suggest that the 43-year-old is capable of a further improvement this year as he aims to win the race for a second time.
Indeed, Kiptoo is still running at a very high level which m may be due to his late arrival to the event. Kiptoo made his marathon debut at 37 in Frankfurt and finished second in 2:06:15, just one second behind the winner. In 2014 he returned to win in 2:06:49. Three of his five best marathon times have been run in the city. His lifetime best is 2:06:00, achieved in the Dutch city of Eindhoven in 2015.
"I am very excited to be heading back to the Frankfurt Marathon this year," Kiptoo said. "I have enjoyed good experiences in the past, finishing second in 2013, winning in 2014 and last year of course breaking the world masters' best.
"This year my aim will be to challenge to win the race. I believe if I win the race then I probably break the record again. My preparations are going on well and God willing I see another successful day in Frankfurt ahead."
Two Kenyans who impressed at the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon last year and finished ahead of Kiptoo are also making a return: Amos Mitei, who was fourth with 2:07:28 in 2018 and Kenneth Keter, who finished fifth in 2:07:34. Bernard Kipyego also joins the Kenyan contingent and has similar ability, having won the 2015 Amsterdam Marathon in 2:06:19.
Despite the strong Kenyan presence, an Ethiopian could well emerge as leader of the pack. Fikre Bekele, no relation to the long distance multiple Olympic gold medallist Kenenisa, ran 2:06:27 to finish fourth in Seoul this spring, a traditionally high class event. This was after suffering problems in his first two marathons last year, where he endured to finish in 2:20 and 2:17 in India and Spain respectively.&nbsp;
Organisers are expecting up to 14,000 runners to take part.
Jorg Wenig (organisers) for the IAAF

Mark Kiptoo, who set the world 40+ best at the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon last year, will return to Germany's oldest city marathon for its 38th edition on 27 October.

Kiptoo set for Frankfurt return

The 37th Vodafone Istanbul Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, will see defending women&rsquo;s champion Amane Gobena return to the Turkish city with the aim of chasing the course record of 2:27:25 on Sunday (15).This mark was set back in 2010 by Gobena&rsquo;s Ethiopian compatriot Ashu Kasim Rabu but Gobena, now 33, set a personal best of 2:23:30 in April this year when finishing second in the Paris Marathon and would appear to be very capable of improving on the Istanbul course record.She is very familiar with the Istanbul course as she was the third in 2010, second in 2012 and the winner 12 months ago.Gobena&rsquo;s compatriot Fatuma Sado achieved personal best of 2:24:16 in the Toronto Waterfront Marathon this year and will give Gobena a run for her money.Sado has also won the Hamburg, Los Angeles, Warsaw and Xiamen marathons during her career and was the runner-up of the 2011 Istanbul Marathon early in her career over the classic distance.Merima Mohammed is another strong Ethiopian runner and can boast of a best 2:23:06, albeit from five years ago. She has won the Cannes, Ottawa, and Dusseldorf marathons in the past.Kenya&rsquo;s 33-year-old Kenyan Agnes Barsosio is another candidate for the podium. Her best of 2:24:03 came when winning the Daegu Marathon in 2013. The local focus will be on Sultan Haydar who had her career best with 2:24:44 this year in Dubai. Other runners to look out for include Belarus&rsquo; Volha Mazuronak (2:25:36) and Ukraine&rsquo;s Olena Burkovska, who has a best of 2:27:07 and finished third in Istanbul in 2014.Kenya&rsquo;s Mark Kosgei Kiptoo, now 39, is the fastest man in the men&rsquo;s field of 2:06:00 and set his best this year when finishing third in Eindhoven. He was also the runner-up at the Rotterdam Marathon this year and was the first to cross the finish line in Frankfurt 2014.His compatriot Elijah Kiplagat is another sub-2:07 runner with best of 2:06:41 from when he was second in the 2009 Amsterdam Marathon but although that was six years ago, he has never failed to run under 2:10 every year since then.Michael Kiprop Tiony, who had the third place last year in Istanbul, will also be a candidate for honours.Elias Kemboi Chelimo, Silah Limo, and Hilary Kipkosgei Yego also form part of an elite Kenyan contingent in Istanbul, along with Evans Kiplagat. <h3>Kiplagat aiming for Istanbul double</h3>Kiplagat won this year&rsquo;s Vodafone Istanbul Half Marathon and his stated aim is to stick in the minds of the citizens of Istanbul by winning two major events in the same city in the same year. He has had an erratic marathon career but can boast of a best of 2:07:46 when finishing second in Seoul last year and also won the challenging local Iten Marathon in Kenya earlier this year. He was also third in Istanbul in 2012 and was just one step off the podium in last year&rsquo;s Istanbul Marathon, when he was fourth, so it can be said that he is at least familiar with Sunday&rsquo;s course.Apart from the extensive Kenyan group there is a noteworthy Ethiopian trio could have an impact in the men&rsquo;s race. One of them is Kasime Adilla Roba (best of 2:10:20), a two-time winner of Istanbul Marathon in 2008 and 2009. His compatriot Gebo Burka was the runner-up in 2014 Vodafone Istanbul Marathon and he is definitely among the favorites for this year&rsquo;s edition too. With a best of 2:08:12, clocked in the Houston Marathon this year, he has shown very good form already in 2015.Debebe Tolossa is the last athlete of this Ethiopian trio with a best of 2:07:41, achieved in 2012 Houston Marathon.As in the previous years, athletes will run on a unique course between two continents. The race starts from the Asian side of Istanbul and reaches to the European side by crossing the Bosphorus Bridge. The finish line is situated in Sultanahmet district, which is labeled as a World Heritage by UNESCO. More than 28.000 runners from 111 countries have entered. Additionally, nearly 100.000 participants are expected in a fun run.Yusuf Y&uuml;cel (organisers) for the IAAF

The 37th Vodafone Istanbul Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, will see defending women’s champion Amane Gobena return to the Turkish city with the aim of chasing the course record of 2:27:25 on Sunday (15).

Defending champion Gobena returns to Istanbul to chase course record

Abera Kuma from Ethiopia pulled away from his rivals in the last seven kilometres of the 35th edition of de NN Rotterdam Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, to win in 2:06:46 on Sunday (12).But Kuma&rsquo;s maiden marathon win was tinged with disappointment as he was aiming for an improvement on his best of 2:05:56, set when he finished third at the Berlin Marathon last September.&ldquo;The wind was really too strong,&rdquo; said Kuma.Kenya&rsquo;s Mark Kiptoo finished second in 2:07:20 and his compatriot Bernard Koech, who did a lot of work in the second part of the race, was third in 2:08:02. The first half of the race was super-quick. After passing 10km in 29:03 and continuing to rocket around the Dutch port city, at 15km the race director Eric Brommert asked the pacemakers to slow down a little bit. Nevertheless, pacemakers Edwin Kiptoo, Vincent Rono and Nicholas Kipkemboi brought the leading group to the half marathon point in a time of 1:02:04, with 10 athletes behind them and a sub-2:05 time clearly on the cards. Just before the leaders had to cross the Erasmus Bridge again at 25km, two of the pacemakers finished their job but also one of the favourites, Jonathan Maiyo, dropped out. A few minutes later, another well-known runner, James Kwambai, couldn&rsquo;t follow the pace of the leaders any more and a little later also had to drop out.At 30km, when the last pacemaker was out of the race, two Kenyans and three Ethiopians were still in the leading group: Koech, Kuma, Kiptoo, Tebalu Zuwade and Abayleh Ayele. Koech continued to lead the way, with the others seemingly happy just trying to follow his pace. Zuwade was the first &lsquo;victim&rsquo; and then Ayele as Koech pushed on, although the pace had progressively slowed down as the runners faced into the teeth of the wind.After going around the Kralingse Plas, the lake and park where the Rotterdam Marathon has its roots, Kuma accelerated, and Koech and Kiptoo couldn&rsquo;t answer this attack. <div class="quote">&ldquo;I was waiting for the more experienced runners to make a move,&rdquo; said Kuma after the third marathon of his career. "I did come here for a personal best, but when the pace slowed down, I decided to try to win the race.&rdquo;</div>&ldquo;It was a great race for us. The support of the crowd was fabulous,&rdquo; said Kiptoo. &ldquo;But next time, we should help each other more to get a better time. There wasn&rsquo;t enough cooperation.&rdquo;&ldquo;I tried to push several times (after the halfway point), but nobody was helping,&rdquo; added Koech. &ldquo;At the end, the strong wind in the last seven kilometres was too much for me.&rdquo;Abdi Nageeye was the fastest in the race for the Dutch national title. He finished ninth overall in 2:12:32. In the women&rsquo;s race, a leading group of four quickly established themselves at the front: Japan&rsquo;s Asami Kato, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Marta Tigabea, Peru&rsquo;s Gladys Tejeda and Kenya&rsquo;s Bornes Kitur. At the halfway point, Kato and Tigabea were still in the lead with 1:12:03 on the clock while Tejeda and Kitur were starting to slip back.Kato forged ahead at about 27km and left Tigabea behind, finishing almost two minutes clear of her nearest challenger in 2:26:30. Tejeda ran a tactically astute race to come through well for second place in a personal best of 2:28:12 while Krista Duchene from Canada was third in 2:29:38."It was a good race but I&rsquo;m a bit disappointed with this time,&rdquo; said Kato, despite improving her own best by more than two minutes.Miranda Boonstra won the Dutch women&rsquo;s title in 2:32:13.The 15,000 runners in the Rotterdam Marathon started the race at a temperature of 12C, which climbed up to 14C while the elite runners were on the road. But the strong breeze, from a south-westerly direction, often reached four metres-per-second.Cors van den Brink for the IAAF

Abera Kuma from Ethiopia pulled away from his rivals in the last seven kilometres of the 35th edition of de NN Rotterdam Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, to win in 2:06:46 on Sunday (12).

Kuma gets maiden marathon win in windy Rotterdam 

Bernard Koech crossed the finish-line in second place at last year&rsquo;s NN Marathon Rotterdam. On 12 April he will be back at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race in the hope of improving on that performance.In his debut at the distance, Koech clocked 2:04:53 to finish fifth in Dubai in 2013. A year later, he finished second to fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge in Rotterdam in 2:06:08.Koech is now set to return to the Dutch city, seeking his first win on what is widely regarded as a fast course.The 27-year-old recently finished third at the Marugame Half Marathon in 1:00:09, but his PB of 58:41 makes him the third-fastest man in history at that distance.In Rotterdam next month, Koech will be up against Kenyan compatriots Eliud Kiptanui, Mark Kipoo and Gilbet Yegon, as well as Ethiopia&rsquo;s Megersa Bacha.Kiptanui ran his best time in 2010 in Prague, where he won in 2:05:39 in what was his debut at the classic distance. One year later, he finished sixth at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu.At 38, Kiptoo is still going strong. He won the Frankfurt Marathon last year, but set his PB of 2:06:16 when finishing second at the 2013 edition of the race.Yegon won the 2009 Amsterdam Marathon in 2:06:18. He came within a minute of that time when finishing third behind Kiptoo in Frankfurt last year in 2:07:08.Bacha is another consistent performer. The 30-year-old has contested four marathons to date, finishing no lower than fourth in all of them. He set his PB of 2:06:56 in Paris two years ago.Organisers for the IAAF

Bernard Koech crossed the finish-line in second place at last year’s NN Marathon Rotterdam. On 12 April he will be back at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race in the hope of improving on that performance.

Koech looks to go one better in Rotterdam

Three of the four winners at the last IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 2013 will be among the main attractions at the star-studded IAAF Permit/Athletics Kenya National Cross Country Championships at Nairobi&rsquo;s Uhuru Gardens, where runners from 11 other countries will also battle for the honours on Saturday (14).The trio of champions from Bydgoszcz two years ago who will lay their reputation on the line at the eighth of the 11 IAAF Cross Country Permit meetings this winter are: Japhet Korir (senior men), two-time World Cross winner Emily Chebet (senior women) and Faith Kipyegon (junior women), the latter having now moved up the ranks.Athletics Kenya confirmed deep line-ups for the four races, with artificial barriers having been added to the relatively flat Uhuru Gardens course.&ldquo;We will try to make the event as tough as possible by placing obstacles on the course since it is very dry. There will also be an extra 100 metres to the finish on the course to make it more challenging,&rdquo; said Ibrahim Hussein, the former top class runner and meeting technical director.Athletics Kenya has retained the selection criteria of first four across the line and two wild card entries for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang on 28 March.Kenya Police have sent a strong team with 2011 world junior cross-country champion and world half-marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor as its figure head in the senior men&rsquo;s race.Matthew Kisorio is in the Police squad along with 2013 World Cross junior men&rsquo;s silver medallist Leonard Barsoton. Philemon Rono, who was 36th in Poland two years ago, and Augustine Choge are also in their armoury.Kenya Defence Forces, who have minted four world cross country senior men&rsquo;s champions&nbsp;&ndash; John Ngugi, William Sigei, Paul Tergat and Joseph Ebuya&nbsp;&ndash; have the evergreen former Kenya team captain Mark Kiptoo, John Chepkwony, Leonard Oloitiptip and Emmanuel Kipsang in their battalion while Kenya Prisons hoping to get a place on the World Cross team through Cornelius Kagongo or Philip Langat.Last year&rsquo;s national champion, the Japan-based Bedan Karoki, is in Central colours and hoping to continue his impressive start to the season by competing at his first IAAF World Cross Country Championships.<h3>Last three World Cross women's winners</h3> Emily Chebet, the 2010 and 2013 world cross-country champion, seems to have mastered the art of nailing a place on the Kenyan team; preceding her two triumphs she finished fourth at the trials on both occasions.She will need all her guile and experience against a field featuring 2011 world cross country champion Vivian Cheruiyot, now back after a maternity break, as well as the junior women&rsquo;s winners from the past three World Cross Cross Country Championships, two-time champion Faith Kipyegon and her predecessor in 2010, Mercy Cherono. Gladys Cherono leads the Kenyan Defence Forces women&rsquo;s team along with two-time World Cross campaigner Doris Changeiywo and top marathon runner Sharon Cherop.Anne Wanjiru, representing Central, and former junior World Cross medallists Sheila Chepng&rsquo;etich and Jackline Chepng&rsquo;eno, both running for South Rift, also have a chance of making the team bound for Guiyang.In the junior men&rsquo;s 8km race, all eyes will be on Andrew Lolot, the Nairobi Province runner who has set the local circuit on fire this winter.Aron Ndiema (North Rift), Daniel Kipkemboi Maemba (Nyanza North) and Alfred Ngeno (South Rift) are other strong contenders in what is often the most open race at the trials.Rosefline Chepng&rsquo;etich, Lilian Kasait, Norah Jeruto, are the most prominent names vying to sustain Kenya&rsquo;s dominance in the junior women&rsquo;s category in Guiyang.The Nairobi pair of Eunice Cherono and Mercy Chemutai are other strong contenders in this race.Among the 26 overseas entries, the Ethiopian duo of Getaneh Molla Tamire and Silenat Yismaw Hugegnaw, who are entered in the senior men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s races respectively, will be of particular interest owing to Kenya&rsquo;s long-standing rivalry with their neighbours from the north.Mutwiri Mutuota (Capital FM) for the IAAF

Three of the four winners at the 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships will be among the main attractions at the star-studded IAAF Permit/Athletics Kenya National Cross Country Championships at Nairobi’s Uhuru Gardens, where runners from 11 other countries will also battle for the honours on Saturday (14).

World cross-country champions put reputations on the line in Nairobi

Victor Chumo was perhaps the least-heralded of the contingent of Kenyan runners who stood on the start line, but he produced the best race of his life to come out on top at the 43rd edition of the famous Corrida Pedestre International de Houilles, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race on Sunday (28).Clearly feeling good despite the chilly conditions which saw most of the leading runners in long-sleeved t-shirts, and many of them in gloves and beanies, Chumo broke away from the leading pack early in the second half of the 10km race with only Eritrea&rsquo;s 2012 world junior 5000m silver medallist Abrar Osman for company.After staying on the heels of Chumo for most of the final few kilometres, Osman briefly took the lead about 400 metres from the finish but Chumo responded quickly and found another gear with the finish line in sight about 100m from home to finish in an official personal best of 28:04.It was the third successive win over 10km on the French roads in his past three races for Chumo, and three times he has reduced his personal best: running 28:16 in Languex in June and 28:12 in Rennes in October.His performance in Houilles wasn't the quickest 10km he has ever covered, though. When acting as a pacemaker for the 2013 Rome-Ostia Half Marathon, Chumo covered the first 10km in 28:02.Osman tossed in the towel in the final metres but still finished just one second in arrears, crossing the line in 28:05.In the duel for third, 2014 Frankfurt Marathon winner Mark Kiptoo showed that there was still a bit of zip in his legs despite now being 37 and held off Ethiopia&rsquo;s Hailemariam Amare, both men being given the same time of 28:34.The 2013 winner, Kenya&rsquo;s Cornelius Kangogo, was not able to put up much of a fight in the defence of his title and came home fifth in 28:38 while three-time winner Micah Kogo, who was also second in 2012 and 2013, this time had to settle for eighth place in 28:53.Like Chumo, Kenya&rsquo;s women&rsquo;s winner Peris Jepchichir clearly has an affection for French road races.She showed good form when winning the Montbeliard half marathon in a personal best of 1:09:12 back in September and set a personal best of 31:34 in the Parisian suburb on Sunday, just five seconds outside the course record set by her compatriot Margaret Wangari Muriuki in 2011.Jepchirchir was a comfortable winner over Bahrain&rsquo;s world junior steeplechase champion Ruth Jebet, who was second in 32:18 in the longest official race of her career so far.Yemenu Tewabech, making her debut in a European race after some promising performances at altitude in her native Ethiopia, was third in 32:20.Phil Minshull and organisers for the IAAF

Victor Chumo was perhaps the least-heralded of the contingent of Kenyan runners who stood on the start line, but he produced the best race of his life to come out on top at the 43rd edition of the famous Corrida Pedestre International de Houilles, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race on Sunday (28).

Chumo the surprise winner in Houilles

The 43rd edition of the famous Corrida Pedestre International de Houilles, the last major road race in France for 2014 and an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, will see Kenya&rsquo;s Cornelius Kangogo defend the title he won in 2013 on Sunday (28).However, Kangogo is likely to face a strong challenge from his compatriots Thomas Longosiwa and three-time winner Micah Kogo, the latter also being the runner up for the last two years in the Parisian suburb.Kangogo, who celebrates his 21st birthday next Wednesday, was a slightly surprising winner 12 months ago in what remains his 10km personal best of 27:58 but, having had a series of good track outings during the summer and also finishing second at the African cross country championships earlier in the year, he may feel that if the conditions are favourable then a tilt at the course record of 27:47, set by Ethiopia&rsquo;s Imane Merga in 2010, might be feasible.Kogo, still only 28 although he has been on the international circuit for almost a decade, is a familiar face in Houilles and has regularly returned to the race although the last of his three consecutive wins came in 2008.His last race was a rather modest 14th place at the New York Marathon last month but in difficult conditions, with the cold and wind causing many other runners plenty of problems as well in the Big Apple, that may not be the best indicator of his current shape.Longosiwa has had a busy year and dipped well below 13 minutes for 5000m on the track when he ran 12:56.16 at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Stockholm, finishing second to Ethiopia&rsquo;s Muktar Edris who ran a world-leading 12:54.83, but has only one win to his name this year - in the Kenyan Prisons Championships 5000m - and so will be keen to finish the year on a high note.Not to be discounted either is their fellow Kenyan Mark Kiptoo, who won the Frankfurt Marathon in October, and Eritrea&rsquo;s 2012 IAAF World Junior Championships 5000m silver medallist Abrar Osman. <h3>French hopes </h3> Leading the domestic challenge is European 3000m steeplechase champion Yoann Kowal, who will be dreaming of becoming the first Frenchman to win the race since Paul Arpin in 1987, although the odds must be against him.Well-known French internationals Morad Amdouni, Abdelatif Meftah and Hassan Chahdi will also be on the start line on Sunday.Bahrain&rsquo;s Ruth Jebet is an interesting name in the women&rsquo;s elite field. The 18-year-old has never run competitively on the roads before andnot raced over anything longer than 5000m and so there must be a question mark over how well she will cope with 10km. Nevertheless, the teenager is a huge talent, running 9:20.55 for the 3000m steeplechase this summer &ndash; the second fastest junior time ever - and she also took the world junior title over the barriers so there will be a lot of curiosity about what she can do.The accepted best 10km time on record for a junior is 31:29 by Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal in 2009 which, coincidently, is exactly the same time as the Houilles course record set by Kenya&rsquo;s Margaret Wangari Muriuki in 2011.Kenya&rsquo;s Peris Jepchichir showed good form when winning the Montbeliard half marathon in a personal best of 1:09:12 in October and could also be a factor.In addition, another woman to look out for will be Yemenu Tewabech who will be making her debut in a European race after some promising performances at altitude in her native Ethiopia.Morocco&rsquo;s Rkia El Moukim, third in last year&rsquo;s race, also returns to Houilles while the leading European names are multiple French half marathon champion Fatiha Klilech-Fauvel, Great Britain international Sonia Thomas as well as Ukraine&rsquo;s Svitlana Stanko and Olga Kovotska. &nbsp;Phil Minshull and organisers for the IAAF

The 43rd edition of the famous Corrida Pedestre International de Houilles, the last major road race in France for 2014 and an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, will see Kenya’s Cornelius Kangogo defend the title he won in 2013 on Sunday (28).

Kangogo to defend title in Houilles but faces former champion Kogo

At 38 years old, Mark Kiptoo is still something of a newcomer to athletics.He first donned a pair of running spikes just 10 years ago, but soon after his first race, he was posted to Burundi on a peace-keeping mission as part of his duties as a corporal in the Kenyan Air Force. Running had to take a back seat.When he returned to Kenya in 2006, he joined the Armed Forces training team and quickly began to show promise. In 2007, his first full season as an athlete, he finished third at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships, second in the 5000m at the Kenyan Championships, and took gold and silver at the World Military Games.Standing on the podium at those events made Kiptoo realise the potential he had. “I could see that I was improving step by step and I told myself that if I continued in the same vein, then I will reach my goal,” said Kiptoo.One of his career goals was achieved in 2008 when he represented Kenya at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Although he was disappointed to finish 14th, he improved to seventh place at the next edition of the championships 12 months later, just seven seconds from a medal.His best years on the track were still to come and in 2010 he set a 5000m PB and world age-34 best of 12:53.46 when winning at the Diamond League meeting in Stockholm. The following year, he improved to 26:54.64 over 10,000m and then in 2012 he took gold in the 5000m at the African Championships.But ultimately Kiptoo knew that, like many of the great track runners, he would be destined for the roads.With a number of podium finishes under his belt over 10km and the half marathon, Kiptoo made a memorable marathon debut in Frankfurt last year, where he finished second in 2:06:16, just one second behind winner Vincent Kipruto, some 11 years his junior.After missing victory by such a tiny margin, Kiptoo vowed there and then that he would return to Frankfurt in 2014.He stood by his word.Earlier this month, Kiptoo triumphed in the German city in 2:06:49, the fastest ever time by a 38-year-old, taking 23 seconds off the mark set by Carlos Lopes in 1985. The time would have been faster, he says, had his racing schedule been a bit different.“Prior to running in Frankfurt, I competed at the Great Scottish Run and it was a bad move,” Kiptoo told local reporters. “That was just three weeks before the race and it left me worn out. That is why I couldn't run under 2:05.”Regardless, Kiptoo is now encouraged about his future prospects over the distance. This was just his third race over 26.2 miles; apart from his two appearances in Frankfurt, he ran the Paris Marathon earlier this year, but finished a distant ninth in 2:13:59 having picked up a tendon injury after 30km.Now back to full fitness, Kiptoo hopes that his performance in Frankfurt will have impressed the selectors ahead of next year’s IAAF World Championships in Beijing.“It has been a good test for me,” said Kiptoo. “I have just shifted to the marathon and am still sure I can get a medal in Beijing. I’m inspired to return to the international arena and try to lower my time and win more marathons.“Selection for the national team is based on the coaches and merit. I have done my part and now have two podium finishes from my three marathons.”If he fulfils his career-long goal of winning a global medal, Kiptoo – who will turn 39 years old just two months before Beijing – will become the oldest man to win a medal in the marathon in the history of the IAAF World Championships.For the immediate future, Kiptoo will temporarily return to racing on grass and mud and will compete at the Kenyan Armed Forces Cross Country Championships in Nairobi on January 16.“I have no idea what to expect in switching from marathon to cross country,” said Kiptoo. “But a soldier is always prepared. And if I am selected for the World Cross in China, I will be available.”If he doesn’t make it to Guiyang for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Kiptoo hopes to get another bite at the cherry when China hosts the IAAF World Championships later in the year.“When I began running, I got motivated,” said Kiptoo. “I felt that I had to keep on running and I wish that one day I will be able to win a medal for Kenya. Because once you start something, it’s always good to see that you accomplish it.”Even if it means waiting until you are almost 40 years old.Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

At 38 years old, Mark Kiptoo is still something of a newcomer to athletics.

Never too late to win major medals, says evergreen Kiptoo

Aberu Kebede upstaged her male counterparts at the BMW Frankfurt Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, when she won in 2:22:21 on Sunday (26).For much of the second half of the race, Kebede looked set to break the course record of 2:21:01 set by her compatriot Meselech Melkamu two years ago, and she reached the 35km mark in 1:56:38 after having been out on her own from just after the halfway point, but she tired over the final four kilometres and Melkamu’s mark slipped from her grasp.Despite her win in the third fastest time of her 13-marathon career, with six wins now to her name, there will be an element of disappointment for Kebede that she did not run faster.At the pre-race press conference, she openly talked about reducing her personal best of 2:20:30 set two years ago when winning in Berlin.Kenya’s 2011 IAAF World Championships bronze medallist Sharon Cherop was second with 2:23:44. She was together with Kebede and Melkamu, who was later to drop out just after 30km, as the trio reached halfway in 1:10:35 but had no answer when Kebede started to increase the pace shortly afterwards. Ethiopia’s Ashetu Bekere took third place in 2:24:59, coming through strongly after 21 kilometres after going through the halfway point as part of a group of four running 1:25 behind the front three. She sliced almost three minutes off her previous best of 2:27.47 set when winning last year’s Kosice Marathon.Kiptoo kick In a reversal of fortunes from 12 months ago, after being out-sprinted in the final few hundred metres in 2013, Kenya’s Mark Kiptoo this time had a better turn of speed than his younger rivals and won the men’s race in 2:06:49. Mike KIgen was second in 2:06:59 and Gilbert Yegon third in 2:07:08 to make it an all-Kenyan men’s podiumA huge leading pack of 14 runners, excluding the appointed pacemakers, went through the halfway point in 1:02:32, which was exactly the scheduled asked by the race organisers.However, that split doesn’t tell the whole story and there was some very uneven running during the first half of the race, passing 10km in a very quick 29:24 and reaching 15km in 44:13 before slowing down, which clearly had an effect during the second half of the race.Over the next few kilometres, the pace continued to ease slightly and 30km was reached in 1:29:14 with 12 runners, and two pacemakers, still in the first group at the front.Between 30km and 35km, several men started to struggle and drift away from the leading group, including 2013 champion Vincent Kipruto, who was to finish a disappointing 13th in 2:12:09, and the highly-rated Ethiopian junior Tsegaye Mekonnen, who dropped out just after 30km.However, at 35km, which was reached in 1:44:21, there were six men still in contention and clearly there was going to be a thrilling finish whatever figures were on the clock.Ethiopia’s Deribe Roba was the first to fall back from the leading group and Kenya’s Ronald Korir slipped out of contention at 39km.Just after 40km, it was the turn of Ethiopia’s Tebalu Zawude to throw in the towel, at least as far as victory was concerned.Coming into the last kilometre, Kigen and Yegon looked to have opened up a slight gap over the 38-year-old Kiptoo, but this year the latter was not to be denied and he used his turn of speed that took him to a 5000m best time of 12:53:46 in 2010 to go pass his countrymen and then pull away.In total, the first six men home finished within 40 seconds of each other: Zawude was fourth with 2:07:10, Robi fifth in 2:07:16 and Korir sixth in 2:07:29. Germany's 2012 European 5000m silver medallist Arne Gabius kept the home crowd happy on his debut over the classic distance when he came home ninth in 2:09:32, the first sub-2:10 time by a German since 1990 and the third fastest by a European this year.Organisers for the IAAF

Aberu Kebede upstaged her male counterparts at the BMW Frankfurt Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, when she won in 2:22:21 on Sunday (26).


Kebede and Kiptoo triumph at the Frankfurt Marathon

At 41 years young, Haile Gebrselassie still has plenty of ambitions to fulfil, but the Ethiopian has been told he will have to fight to defend his title at the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, in Glasgow on Sunday (5).Twelve months ago, the two-time Olympic champion claimed his latest world best in the British city when stealing away the M40 record at the half marathon with a victorious time of 1:01:09.A repeat performance would be gratefully received. “We shall see,” Gebrselassie smiled. “I’ve only been training again for five weeks so I am going out to enjoy the race and I will see how I go.”However the track legend has been promised a run for his money on his return to Glasgow by two rivals who have shone on their previous outing here.Michael Shelley of Australia and Kenya’s Stephen Chemlany claimed gold and silver when the Commonwealth Games were staged in the city in July and will chase a similar return amid an elite field that also includes Stephen Mokoka of South Africa and Kenyan Mark Kiptoo.And Shelley admits it is surreal to return to the scene of his finest hour.“I was out for a training run and the lines were still on the road,” the Queenslander said. “It brought back a lot of the memories from the Games. That was just an incredible feeling when I came up to the finish. I just didn’t expect to be there with the gold so it’s nice I’ve got a chance to take it in this time and hopefully do well again, even against Haile.”Olympic champion faces world champion in women’s raceOlympic marathon champion Tiki Gelana, fresh from coming third at the recent Great North Run in Newcastle, will likely face off with two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat in the women’s race with the Ethiopian starting her personal countdown towards the 2016 Olympics.“I am now preparing for Rio,” she confirmed. “That is what I am thinking about now, defending my title. But there will be a lot of work to get ready, starting here.”However there will be a strong domestic field looking to make their own impression with Susan Partridge, who was 10th in the marathon at last year’s IAAF World Championships in Moscow, facing evergreen veteran Hayley Haining and 22-year-old British international Beth Potter, who is making her debut at the distance.“I just thought it would be good fun, especially to run in Glasgow,” said Potter. “I've not done any specific preparation so it’s going to be a useful run out. I’m still pretty fit from the summer, things haven’t been going too badly lately but it will be a useful test.”Mark Woods for the IAAF

At 41 years young, Haile Gebrselassie still has plenty of ambitions to fulfil, but the Ethiopian has been told he will have to fight to defend his title at the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, in Glasgow on Sunday (5).

Gebrselassie, Gelana and Kiplagat the favourites for Great Scottish Run

Defending champion Vincent Kipruto will return to the BMW Frankfurt Marathon on 26 October, but he will face a pair of Ethiopians with sub-2:05 bests at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race.Last year, 27-year-old Kipruto braved stormy conditions to win in 2:06:15. This year, the conditions will be the least of his worries as he will be up against the likes of Tsegaye Mekonnen and Getu Feleke.Mekonnen won this year’s Dubai Marathon on his debut at the distance in 2:04:32, the fastest time ever by a junior athlete. Feleke, meanwhile, smashed the Vienna course record this spring in 2:05:41 and has a PB of 2:04:50.The man who surprisingly chased Kipruto right to the line in Frankfurt’s Festhalle last year will also come back. At the age of 37, Mark Kiptoo clocked a PB of 2:06:16 in 2013 and finished just a second behind Kipruto.A fifth sub-2:07 runner, Gilbert Yegon, showed this spring that he is back to his best. Winning the Duesseldorf Marathon in driving rain, he missed the course record by just 18 seconds with 2:08:07, less than two minutes shy of his 2:06:18 PB.Francis Bowen, who will turn 41 next week, intends to attack the world masters record of 2:08:46, set in 2003 by Mexico’s Andres Espinosa in Berlin. Bowen has a PB of 2:08:01 and last year the Kenyan missed the record by just seven seconds when he was third in Chunchon in 2:08:53.There will also be several marathon debutants in Frankfurt; among them are Kenya’s Daniel Wanjiru, who was third in the Prague Half Marathon in April in 59:58, and Ethiopia’s Adugna Takele, who finished ninth at this year’s IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 1:00:14.National interest in the men’s race will focus on 2012 European 5000m silver medallist Arne Gabius. After running a fine half marathon debut of 1:02:09 in New York earlier this year, the 33-year-old is aiming for a time in the region of 2:10.Organisers for the IAAF<h3>Men’s elite field (with PBs)</h3>Tsegaye Mekonnen (ETH) 2:04:32 Getu Feleke (ETH) 2:04:50 Vincent Kipruto (KEN) 2:05:13 Mark Kiptoo (KEN) 2:06:16 Gilbert Yegon (KEN) 2:06:18 Kirui Jacob (KEN) 2:07:46 Francis Bowen (KEN) 2:08:01 Deribe Robi (ETH) 2:08:02 Tebalu Zawude (ET)H 2:08:20 Mike Kigen (KEN) 2:08:24 Daniel Chepyegon (UGA) 2:08:24 Paulo Roberto Paula (BRA) 2:10:23 Dawit Wolde (ETH) 2:10:42 Jordon Chipangama (ZAM) 2:12:21 Edwin Kemboi (AUT) 2:12:58 Adugna Takele (ETH) debut Solomon Deksisa (ETH) debut Allan Kiprono (KEN) debut Daniel Wanjiru (KEN) debut Arne Gabius (GER) debut Philipp Pflieger (GER) debut

Defending champion Vincent Kipruto will return to the BMW Frankfurt Marathon on 26 October, but he will face a pair of Ethiopians with sub-2:05 bests at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race.

Kipruto will defend Frankfurt Marathon title

You don’t win 20 individual global titles by setting the bar low. So it’s no surprise that when Kenenisa Bekele makes his 26.2 miles debut on 6 April at the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, he is looking to make a big impact.The dream, he says, would be to break the world record in his first marathon. “But I know that the Paris course is maybe not ideal for achieving this goal,” he adds. “In any case, I’ll do my best to get a good time. My dream has always been to be the best.”There is little doubt that he is one of the greatest distance runners of all time. Winner of three Olympic titles, five World Championships titles and a staggering 11 individual senior gold medals at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Bekele’s name is already etched in the history books.Having conquered the track, indoors and outdoors, as well as cross country, road running is the one area Bekele is yet to master.This weekend’s race in the French capital could be the turning point.Bekele has suffered from injuries and a lack of motivation in recent years, but training for the marathon has renewed his focus on the sport.“I’ve changed some things,” said the 31-year-old. “I now run further and work less on my speed. I didn’t have the speed I needed to win at the cross-country race in Edinburgh in January. It was the result of a lack of specific training. I am really preparing for the marathon. “I know that everyone will be looking at whether Mo Farah and I get off to a good start, but I don’t feel any particular pressure,” he added. “I’m preparing well and I’m not worried about anything at all.”Bekele’s agent, Jos Hermens, is cautiously optimistic.“He has been training very well for the past four or five months. But of course it’s the marathon, so the big quest mark is what will happen after 35km, especially as it’s his first marathon,” said Hermens.“We’ve seen in the past with Paul Tergat and Haile Gebrselassie and other track runners that it takes five or six marathons before you reach your peak. They broke the world record in their fifth marathons, so it will be interesting to see what Kenenisa does. “There’s a whole new generation of young athletes who have been running very fast in their first marathon, but they’ve never trained for a long time doing speed work for the track. Kenenisa will be another story, but he’s a very special athlete with so many world titles; he’s probably the greatest distance runner ever.“The course record in Paris is 2:05:12. I’d be very happy if he broke that record and he’d come out of the race with a good feeling. But I think in his mind he’d like to run a bit faster.“I told him it’s all about patience in the marathon so that’s going to be interesting because he’s not always the most patient. He’s a very smart and tactically he’s great, so I think he will listen to his body; he’s good at that.”In his last road race before Paris, Bekele beat both Gebrselassie and double world and Olympic champion Mo Farah over the half marathon distance at the Great North Run. Many hoped Bekele would renew his rivalry with Farah at the London Marathon, but Hermens feels Paris would be more beneficial for Bekele.“There was interest from London but Paris also showed a lot of interest and they were ready to build the race around him,” explained Hermens. “I think for a first marathon not to run around the best of all time is probably an advantage. I think he’d have been competitive in London, but now we can look at the race more to make it fit his style.”Kiptoo the underdogWhile much of the pre-race focus has been on Bekele’s debut marathon, Kenyan veteran Mark Kiptoo has kept a relatively low profile. In reality, he could be the favourite to win.Like Bekele, Kiptoo is a former track specialist with PBs faster than 13 minutes and 27 minutes for 5000m and 10,000m respectively. He made his marathon debut in Frankfurt last October and finished second in a highly respectable 2:06:16.With that experience in the bank – along with five more months of marathon training under his belt – Kiptoo could be the man to watch in Paris.Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola is another danger for Bekele. Like Kiptoo, Tola will also be contesting his second ever marathon. His debut performance came in Dubai earlier this year and his time of 2:06:17 is just one second shy of Kiptoo’s mark.There will be more than just one Bekele in the race. Azmeraw Bekele – no relation to Kenenisa – finished one place behind Tola in Dubai earlier this year, setting a PB of 2:07:12. He warmed up for the Paris Marathon by running the half-marathon in the French capital one month ago, clocking 1:00:55.That race was won by Mule Wasihum, who will be making his marathon debut on Sunday. Ethiopians Getachew Terfa and Limenih Getachew and Kenya’s Augustine Rono, all sub-2:08 athletes at their best, could also be in contention.Kiros v Cheyech in women’s raceWhile Aheza Kiros has the fastest PB of the women’s field with her 2:24:30 clocking from the 2013 Dubai Marathon, Kenya’s Flomena Cheyech looks to be a more likely winner.Kiros has never won a marathon, while Cheyech has won three of her past four races over the classic distances. Last year she won in Toronto and Vienna, setting a PB of 2:24:34 in the latter. More recently, she set a season’s best of 1:08:13 at the RAK Half Marathon.Ethiopia’s Meskerem Assefa is another one to watch. The former middle-distance specialist competed in the 1500m at the 2011 IAAF World Championships and 2012 Olympics, but has since switched to the roads and clocked 2:25:17 in her first marathon.Fellow Ethiopian ZemZem Ahmed also represented her country at the World Championships and Olympics. The former steeplechaser has a PB of 2:27:12.Martha Komu won the Paris Marathon back in 2008 with a PB of 2:25:33 and went on to represent Kenya later that year at the Beijing Olympics, finishing fifth. Now running for France, the 30-year-old is the only former winner competing at the 2014 edition.Kenya’s France-based Sarah Chepchirchir will be making her marathon debut in Paris. With a 1:08:07 half-marathon PB, she could spring a surprise.Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

You don’t win 20 individual global titles by setting the bar low. So it’s no surprise that when Kenenisa Bekele makes his 26.2 miles debut on 6 April at the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, he is looking to make a big impact.