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 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).

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).

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.

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).

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).

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).

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

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).

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).

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.

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.