This year&rsquo;s Fukuoka Marathon will have 2016 winner Yemane Tsegay, 2015 world champion Ghirmay Ghebreslassie and Japanese hero Yuki Kawauchi on the start line for the IAAF Gold Label road race on 2 December.
Tsegay won two years ago in 2:08:48, exactly four minutes outside the PB he set when winning the 2012 Rotterdam Marathon. The Ethiopian wasn&rsquo;t at his best last year but has returned to strong form in 2018, winning the Ottawa Marathon in May in 2:08:52.
Ghebreslassie won the 2015 world title ahead of Tsegay, but has failed to finish his two most recent marathons. The Eritrean, who won the 2016 New York City Marathon just six weeks after finishing fourth at the Olympic Games, has a PB of 2:07:46.
Boston Marathon champion Kawauchi has contested eight of the past nine Fukuoka Marathons. The prolific racer has finished third in Fukuoka on three occasions &ndash; in 2011, 2013 and 2016 &ndash; each time finishing within 2:10.
The field also includes Japan&rsquo;s Yuta Shitara, who held the Asian marathon record for an eight-month spell this year, Eritrea&rsquo;s Amanuel Mesel, who has finished fifth in Fukuoka for the past two years, and Britain&rsquo;s Callum Hawkins, who finished fourth at the IAAF World Championships London 2017.
<h3>Elite field</h3>
Yemane Tsegay (ETH) 2:04:48 Vincent Kipruto (KEN) 2:05:13 Yuta Shitara (JPN) 2:06:11 Ghirmay Ghebreslassie (ERI) 2:07:46 Yuki Kawauchi (JPN) 2:08:14 Amanuel Mesel (ERI) 2:08:17 Kentaro Nakamoto (JPN) 2:08:35 Satoru Sasaki (JPN) 2:08:56 Takuya Noguchi (JPN) 2:08:59 Takuya Fukatsu (JPN) 2:09:31 Hayato Sonoda (JPN) 2:09:34 Kohei Ogino (JPN) 2:09:36 Yuma Hattori (JPN) 2:09:46 Jo Fukuda (JPN) 2:09:52 Yoshiki Takenouchi (JPN) 2:10:01 Callum Hawkins (GBR) 2:10:17 Daichi Kamino (JPN) 2:10:18 Tsuyoshi Ugachi (JPN) 2:10:50 Jeffrey Eggleston (USA) 2:10:52 Paul Kuira (KEN) 2:11:58 Hiroshi Ichida (JPN) 2:14:42 Takashi Ichida (JPN) 2:15:09

This year’s Fukuoka Marathon will have 2016 winner Yemane Tsegay, 2015 world champion Ghirmay Ghebreslassie and Japanese hero Yuki Kawauchi on the start line for the IAAF Gold Label road race on 2 December.

Tsegay, Kawauchi and Ghebreslassie lead Fukuoka Marathon field 

If there was any doubt about Gelete Burka&rsquo;s conversion to marathon running it was removed on Sunday (27) as the 32-year-old Ethiopian set a Canadian All Comers&rsquo; marathon record of 2:22:17 to win the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon by almost four minutes.
Her superb victory on an overcast breezy day was earned despite suffering stomach cramps in the final 12 kilometres which at one point provided incentive to her compatriot, Hiwot Gebrekidan to attempt a break. But the highly experienced Burka brushed off the pain to earn her first marathon victory.
Though she finished 6th in Dubai in 2:20:45 earlier this year, winning this IAAF Gold Label road race on a less than flat course is certainly a far greater achievement.
Along with the CAD$ 40,000 first place prize Burka will receive an additional $10,000 for the new course record.
Gebrekidan, second a year ago here, duplicated that place finishing in 2:26:11 with Sara Hall of the US recording a big personal best of 2:26:20 to claim third place. Hall has an uncanny ability to finish on the podium at major marathons as she was second in the 2015 Chicago and third in the 2016 New York marathons.
&nbsp;
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Gelete Burka en route to her Ottawa Marathon victory</div>
&nbsp;
Burka was all smiles as she was wrapped in an Ethiopian flag by members of the Ethiopian Embassy staff here.
&ldquo;The wind was so very difficult,&rdquo; she revealed, still smiling. &ldquo;It was not good conditions to get a good time. If there had not been the wind it would have been a good time.
&ldquo;The pace was so very good early and after 30km Gebkrekidan and myself went hard with 12k to go. The first time I pushed I felt something in my stomach and I massaged my stomach. It was painful but then it got better and I was able to push the last 8km alone.&rdquo;
With world and Olympic medals at distances from 1,500m to 10,000m she proved today that she can certainly be a contender at major marathon events worldwide.
&ldquo;I am happy to be the winner here,&rdquo; Burka declared. &ldquo;There are good athletes in the marathon, Tirunesh Dibaba, the Kenyan athletes, and Mare Dibaba and I am looking to be amongst the top ten. I am looking for myself to the future to run good marathons for Ethiopia and in the Olympics I am thinking gold.&rdquo;
For her part Gebrikidan was pleased with her 2:26:11 time. That&rsquo;s four minutes faster than she ran here in 2017 and her second best time ever.
&ldquo;I am really pleased with this year&rsquo;s performance because I had only a little time to prepare for the race,&rdquo; the 23 year old said, adding, &ldquo;I saw Burka had problems and I tried but I couldn&rsquo;t get away.&rdquo;
<h3>Patience pays for Tsegay</h3>
Despite the early retirement of last year&rsquo;s champion, Eliud Kiptanui, due to a hamstring cramp, the men&rsquo;s race proved as exciting as the women&rsquo;s.
The course record holder at 2:06:54 Yemane Tsegay of Ethiopia returned to Ottawa after four years in which he finished second in Boston, second at the 2015 World Championships then won Fukuoka in December 2016. Since then he had largely been forgotten..&nbsp;
Winning the race in 2:08:52 after fading to fourth place at one point brought the 33-year-old much joy as he demonstrated by blowing kisses to the finish line spectators.
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Another Ottawa Marathon victory for Yemane Tsegay</div>
&nbsp;
The leading men requested a 2:07 pace and when the three pacemakers took the pack through the half way point in 1:03:47 everything appeared to be going smoothly. But the wind caused havoc. One by one the contenders dropped off.
John Korir, the younger brother of 2012 Boston Marathon champion Wesley Korir, seized control of the race at 38 kilometres opening up a gap of some fifty metres at one point. On his racing singlet he wore the bible reference Philippians 4:13, &ldquo;For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength&rdquo;.
The Ethiopian though is an experienced marathoner and despite stomach pains he battled back. Korir, who lives in Cherangany with his brother and who was making his marathon debut, gave a solid effort to claim second place in 2:09:14.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Adugna Takele was third in 2:09:26.
The winner was besieged by Ethiopian fans and excused himself past the finish line long enough to vomit. Shortly afterwards the smile returned and he was a delightful presence in the media area.
&ldquo;I am happy to win again,&rdquo; he admitted. &ldquo;Last year I was injured after the world championships in London. After that for six or seven months I stayed injured. Then once my injury was finished I prepared for the Ottawa marathon because I was here in 2014.
&ldquo;Until after 30k I had a little stomach problem. The two Kenyans made a gap and I thought, &lsquo;I must keep my pace and go for the win because this is the marathon, I have 12 kilometres more maybe they will slow the pace down.&rsquo; I thought if I can keep my pace then maybe I can win.&rdquo;
Tsegay will collect $40,000 for his win, a sum he says will be saved for future business plans.
&ldquo;I want to focus on my running now,&rdquo; he explained. &ldquo;I have ideas for business later.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Paul Gains for the IAAF

If there was any doubt about Gelete Burka’s conversion to marathon running it was removed on Sunday (27) as the 32-year-old Ethiopian set a Canadian All Comers’ marathon record of 2:22:17 to win the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon by almost four minutes.

Burka breaks Canadian all-comers record at Ottawa Marathon

Making his decisive move just before the 40th kilometre, Yemane Tsegay of Ethiopia won the 70th Fukuoka International Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road Race, on Sunday (4).
Running in difficult conditions, the 31-year-old, who won the silver medal at the 2015 World Championships, clocked 2:08:48 to prevent two-time defending champion Patrick Makau from collecting a third straight victory.
Hindered by steady rains, high humidity and relatively strong winds which severely impacted the performances, Tsegay&rsquo;s time was the slowest winning time since the 2004 edition. The conditions likely affected the pacemaking, with none of the pacesetters reaching 30 kilometres as anticipated.
After a cautious opening 20 kilometres, the pace actually quickened when the pacesetters departed just beyond the midway point, with the 20-25 kilometre stretch covered in 15:06, eight seconds faster than the previous five kilometres.
As the pace quickened the pack stretched out and eventually six runners &ndash; Amanuel Mesel, Tsegay, Jared Asmerom, Melaku Abera, Tariku Bekele and Yuki Kawauchi &ndash; had broken away. Makau maintained contact, shadowing the lead pack.
The first big move came when Kawauchi broke away, with just Abera, the 2016 Beppu-Oita Marathon champion, responding, first covering the move and then breaking away on his own. Abera lead for the next several kilometres; behind him, Makau joined Kawauchi in the chase pack while Asmeron was the next to drift back.&nbsp;
At 32 kilometres, Bekele fell back and a kilometre later Makau and Tsegay went in pursuit of Abera. They caught and passed him at 34 kilometres, briefly making it a two-man race until Tsegay dropped Makau with just over two kilometres remaining.
&ldquo;I am happy with the win, but I am not happy with my time,&rdquo; Tsegay said. &ldquo;I was training to run 2:05 to 2:06 range and my training indicated that it is possible. However, because of the rain my legs got a little stiff and thus my time was not good.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I tried to gap Makau around 35K but because of the wind it was not a good move. I made my move again around 38km and then finally at 40Km. After 41km I was convinced that I was going to win.&rdquo;
Makau was second nine seconds behind the winner, Kawauchi, on the rebound from recent injuries, was third in 2:09:11. It was the 29-year-old&rsquo;s 10th sub-2:10 performance, a first among Japanese marathoners.
Fukuoka was the first of the three Japanese qualifying races for the IAAF World Championships London 2017, with the Tokyo Marathon in February and Lake Biwa in March still to come. With the Japanese federation setting a challenging 2:07 automatic qualifying standard, Kawauchi stands a good chance to make the London-bound squad based on his performance here.
Hayato Sonoda, a 2:17 marathoner coming in, clocked a massive personal best of 2:10:40 to finish fourth.
Ken Nakamura for the IAAF 
<h3>Leading results</h3>
1 Yemane Tsegay (ETH) 2:08:48 2 Patrick Makau (KEN) 2:08:57 3 Yuki Kawauchi (JPN) 2:09:11 4 Hayato Sonoda (JPN) 2:10:40 5 Amanuel Mesel (ERI) 2:10:48 6 Henryk Szost (POL) 2:10:53 7 Reid Coolsaet (CAN) 2:10:55 8 Dmytro Baranovskyy (UKR) 2:11:39 9 Yared Asmerom (ERI) 2:11:57 10 Kazuhiro Maeda (JPN) 2:12:19 Splits: 5km - 5:01 10km - 30:09 - 15:08 15km - 45:35 - 15:26 20km - 1:10:59 - 15:24 Half - 1:04:24 25km - 1:16:07 - 15:08 30km - 1:31:03 - 14:56 35km - 1:46:28 - 15:25 40km - 2:02:05 - 15:37 Finish - 2:08:48 - 6:43

Making his decisive move just before the 40th kilometre, Yemane Tsegay of Ethiopia won the 70th Fukuoka International Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on Sunday.

Tsegay beats the rain in Fukuoka

Ten years have passed since Kayoko Fukushi set the Marugame Half Marathon course record of 1:07:26, but there&rsquo;s a fair chance it could fall at this year&rsquo;s edition of the IAAF Silver Label Road Race on Sunday (7).Bahrains&rsquo;s world marathon bronze medallist Eunice Kirwa is the favourite for this year&rsquo;s race. She has rarely finished outside the top three in all of her races over the past four years. She won the 2014 Asian Games marathon title and was victorious at the Nagoya Marathon last year, running 2:22:08. Her marathon best of 2:21:41 was set in 2012 in Amsterdam, while her half marathon PB is 1:08:37.If she succeeds in breaking the Marugame course record, then she will also become the Asian record-holder for the event.But Kirwa is not the fastest in the field. Italy&rsquo;s 2010 European marathon champion Anna Incerti has a half marathon PB of 1:08:18, set at the 2012 Rome-Ostia Half Marathon, although that remains her most recent sub-70-minute clocking.Eloise Wellings will be in Marugame to defend her title as part of her preparation for the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff. The Australian clocked 1:10:41 to win last year on her debut at the distance and has since gone on to improve her PB to 1:09:56.Burundi&rsquo;s Diane Nukuri is another sub-70-minute performer. She ran 1:09:12 to finish second in New York in 2013 and came close to that last year in Prague when finishing third in 1:09:33. Nukuri, who is based in the US and competed at the 2000 Olympics at age 15, will be racing in Asia for the first time.For Japanese runners, this year&rsquo;s event doubles as the qualification race for the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff.Among the contenders to make the team, the best may be Rei Ohara, who was third at the 2011 Marugame Half Marathon. She recorded her personal best of 1:09:17 at the 2015 Sanyo Road Race in Okayama when she finished second.Yuka Ando was two places behind Ohara in Okayama with 1:09:51, but was one place ahead of Wellings. Kotomi Takayama, who was third at the 2014 Marugame Half Marathon, is another leading domestic runner. She has a half marathon best of 1:10:47.<h3>Tsegay takes on 2013 winner Birmingham</h3>Although neither are entered for this year&rsquo;s race, Paul Kuira and Zane Robertson &ndash; the top two finishers last year in 59:47 on their debuts at the distance &ndash; showed how unpredictable and exciting the event can be.World marathon silver medallist Yemane Tsegay leads this year&rsquo;s field.The Ethiopian has only contested four half marathons to date, so his PB of 1:01:37 is perhaps not truly indicative of his abilities. His best achievements have come in the marathon, for which he has a PB of 2:04:48, set when winning the 2012 Rotterdam Marathon. Aside from his three top-eight finishes at the IAAF World Championships, he has also won marathons in Daegu, Ottawa, Eindhoven and Gongju.Tsegay&rsquo;s toughest opponent could be Collis Birmingham. The Australian won in Marugame in 2013, setting a PB of 1:00:56. Although he finished just 15th in Marugame the following year, Birmingham has by far the strongest track credentials of the athletes entered; he has PBs of 13:09.57 for 5000m and 27:29.73 for 10,000m.Eritrea&rsquo;s Goitom Kifle has the fastest half marathon PB of the field. He ran 1:00:20 in Azkoita two years ago, but his best performance since then is 1:02:30.Tsuyoshi Ugachi, Masato Kikuchi and Yuki Sato look to be the best Japanese prospects to make the national team for the World Half Marathon Championships.Kikuchi was seventh and the first Japanese at last year&rsquo;s Marugame Half Marathon in a PB of 1:00:57. He improved that mark two weeks later in Yamaguchi when finishing third, and again the top Japanese, in 1:00:32.Ugachi has previously run well in Marugame; he was second in 2011 in 1:00:58 and third in 2013 in 1:01:16 and was the top Japanese finisher on both occasions. He will be running the Tokyo Marathon in three weeks, so his performance in Marugame will be a good indicator of how he might fare in his quest to make the Olympic team.Sato has not officially run a half marathon, but he has run a marathon and has a best of 2:12:32. His strength, however, is his 10,000m speed. The four-time national champion in the event has a personal best of 27:38.25 from 2009 and has run faster than 28 minutes every year since 2011.The other domestic entries include Keita Shitara, who was eighth in Marugame last year before improving his PB to 1:01:12 in Yamaguchi, Hiromitsu Kakuage, who finished fifth in Marugame in 2011, and collegiate star Akinobu Murasawa, who will be making his half-marathon debut.Ken Nakamura for the IAAF<h3>Elite fields</h3>Men Goitom Kifle (ERI) 1:00:20 Masato Kikuchi (JPN) 1:00:32 Collis Birmingham (AUS) 1:00:56 Tsuyoshi Ugachi (JPN) 1:00:58 Keita Shitara (JPN) 1:01:12 Fabiano Sulle (TAN) 1:01:21 Taku Fujimoto (JPN) 1:01:31 Arata Fujiwara (JPN) 1:01:34 Yemane Tsegay (ETH) 1:01:37 Yuta Igarashi (JPN) 1:01:46 Daisuke Matsufuji (JPN) 1:01:46 Kenji Yamamoto (JPN) 1:01:47 Ryo Yamamoto (JPN) 1:01:54 Hiromitsu Kakuage (JPN) 1:01:56 Yusei Nakao (JPN) 1:02:00 Shuho Dairokuno (JPN) 1:02:19 Suehiro Ishikawa (JPN) 1:02:23 Yuki Sato (JPN) debut Akinobu Murasawa (JPN) debutWomen Eunice Kirwa (BRN) 1:08:31 Anna Incerti (ITA) 1:08:18 Diane Nukuri (BDI) 1:09:12 Rei Ohara (JPN) 1:09:17 Yuka Ando (JPN) 1:09:51 Eloise Wellings (AUS) 1:09:56 Kotomi Takayama (JPN) 1:10:47 Noriko Higuchi (JPN) 1:10:51 Ayumi Uehara (JPN) 1:11:19 Natasha Wodak (CAN) 1:11:20 Yukiko Okuno (JPN) 1:11:28 Megumi Matsuyama (JPN) 1:13:21 Yuko Mizuguchi (JPN) 1:13:29 Honoka Yuzawa (JPN) 1:13:41 Akane Sekino (JPN) 1:14:47 Moeno Nakamura (JPN) 1:16:01

Ten years have passed since Kayoko Fukushi set the Marugame Half Marathon course record of 1:07:26, but there’s a fair chance it could fall at this year’s edition of the IAAF Silver Label Road Race on Sunday (7).

Kirwa could challenge Marugame course record

In the end it was the day of Ghirmay Ghebreslassie. The teenager won Eritrea&rsquo;s first World Championships gold medal, taking the men&rsquo;s marathon title on a day when more favoured runners wilted in the sun.Ghebreslassie is just 19 years old, turning 20 in November later in the year. His country is scarcely any older, having gained independence only in 1993. To date its most famous runner has been Zersenay Tadese, silver medallist behind Kenenisa Bekele in the 10,000m at the 2009 World Championships.In two hours 12 minutes and 27 seconds on the streets of Beijing on the opening morning of these championships, Ghebreslassie surpassed Tadese in terms of World Championships medals. He still has a way to go to match his countryman in career achievements, but as he is just setting off on his journey, he well may sometime in the future.In any case, no one can take away Ghebreslassie&rsquo;s singular achievement of becoming Eritrea&rsquo;s first World Championships gold medallist, and the youngest winner of any road event in the history of the championships.It would not be stretching a point to describe the men&rsquo;s World Championships marathon as the race of the unknown marathon runner. Certainly it was the race of the unheralded marathon runner. Silver medallist Yemane Tsegay of Ethiopia came in with a lifetime best of 2:04:48, but that was in Rotterdam in 2012 and he has not been as fast since.Bronze medallist Solomon Mutai of Uganda came into the race with a personal best of 2:10:42 and a close fourth-place finish at last year&rsquo;s Commonwealth Games &ndash; solid, but not spectacular, credentials.Instead, it was to be the race of Dennis Kimetto. Or Wilson Kipsang. Or Lelisa Desisa. Or, if none of these, defending world and reigning Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich.World record-holder Kimetto was never a factor, anonymous in the large pack until just past half-way, out of contention soon after that. Kipsang, his predecessor as world record-holder, stayed relaxed in the pack through 30km, but was likewise gone once the final racing started.Kiprotich finished sixth, one place ahead of Desisa, the two retaining the same order as in Moscow two years ago, but five places back on their one-two finish then.Caution was the order as the race started on a clear and sunny morning at Yongdingmen Gate. In fact, the race was led for the first five kilometres by a man in the yellow kit of the mass fun run which started simultaneously. Competitor no.3762 took the pack almost through to 5km, which was reached in a desultory 16:06.From then on, the race was led by a succession of athletes who, whatever their credentials, you could not quite see winning. Ser-Od Bat-Ochir, running his sixth World Championships marathon for Mongolia, showed the way at one point, then Italy&rsquo;s 41-year-old Ruggero Pertile built the first substantial lead at about 20km.Half-way went by in 1:06:55.Even when the racing started, there was a surreal quality about it. Lesotho&rsquo;s Tsepo Mathibelle (whose surname recently changed from Ramonene) appeared to have dashed away when he took the lead at 30km, but in reality he was a 2:16 marathon runner running at about that pace as the others continued to dawdle.Mutai also made a move at this point, but was quickly closed down by Ghebreslassie and Tsegay. Even at this point it was clear the favourites were struggling to respond.Just past 35km, Ghebreslassie overtook Ramonene and went into the lead. Tsegay caught him at 38km, but was glancing behind even as he did so.Not even a kilometre later Ghebreslassie re-took the lead and &ndash; a little confusion over directions inside the Bird&rsquo;s nest complex aside &ndash; it was clear he was heading for a historic win both for himself and country.Seventh in the junior race at the 2013 World Cross Country Championships, seventh at the World Half Marathon Championships last year and second at the Hamburg Marathon earlier this year in his personal best of 2:07:47, Ghebreslassie clearly can run.And he could not have picked a better day to show it.Len Johnson for the IAAF

In the end it was the day of Ghirmay Ghebreslassie. The teenager won Eritrea’s first World Championships gold medal, taking the men’s marathon title on a day when more favoured runners wilted in the sun.

Report: men’s marathon – IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015

Caroline Rotich and Lelisa Desisa won the Boston Marathon titles on Monday (20) in the 119th running of the IAAF Gold Label Road Race. Rotich&rsquo;s victory was the biggest race of her career to date, and Desisa returned to put good memories in place of bad ones from the race he won in 2013.<h3>Rotich makes good</h3>Caroline Rotich left her victory much later than Desisa, as yet again Boston&rsquo;s women&rsquo;s race came down to the final strides on Boyleston Street. This time the duel was Rotich and Mare Dibaba, with Buzunesh Deba, last year&rsquo;s second-place finisher, left behind only as the trio made the first of two corners in the race&rsquo;s closing stages, within a kilometre of the finish.Dibaba seemed to have the upper hand, but Rotich found another gear and was able to pull away in the last strides, putting four seconds on Dibaba in what seemed like the last inches. Rotich finished in 2:24:55 after passing halfway in 1:12:45. Dibaba was four seconds back in 2:24:59, and Deba another 10 seconds adrift in 2:25:09.&ldquo;I swung wide,&rdquo; Rotich said of her move on the final corner, &ldquo;and I thought, &lsquo;we&rsquo;re so far away, I can&rsquo;t see the finish line&rsquo;. So I fell back, but then I saw the finish line, and I came back and had to give all the strength I had to reach the finish line.&ldquo;In Santa Fe [where Rotich trained this winter] we had cold weather, not too much snow. I knew there would be a chance of getting cold. I saw there would be a chance of rain, and I was happy it could be rain instead of cold, but it was cold. I got through because I&rsquo;ve been training in wind and cold.&rdquo;Dibaba, the current world leader with her 2:19:52 run in Xiamen, admitted: &ldquo;I was confident that I could win, but at the end I saw I would have to settle for second.&rdquo;Rotich first ran the Boston Marathon in 2011, finishing fourth, but until today her biggest marathon win was Prague in 2013; her PB of 2:23:22 goes back to Chicago in 2012.Raised in Nyahururu, Kenya, the 30-year-old Rotich ran in Japan early in her career, attending Sendai Ikuei Gakuen, the same school that the late 2008 Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru attended.Following
 Rotich, Dibaba, and Deba across the finish line, 2011 runner-up Desiree Linden 
was fourth in 2:25:39. 2012 champion Sharon Cherop was fifth in 2:26:05, 
and 2011 champion
 Caroline Kilel sixth in 2:26:40.After Aberu Kebede in 2:26:52, world 
junior best holder Shure Demise was eighth in 2:27:14 and 2008 Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist Shalane Flanagan was ninth in 2:27:47. Rounding
 out the top 10 was Joyce Chepkirui, the African
 10,000m champion, in 2:29:07; the only top-10 finisher in either the men's or women's race to set a PB.<h3>Desisa replaces his medal</h3>Desisa, the 2013 world silver medallist, hadn&rsquo;t won a marathon since his victory two years ago in Boston. After his runner-up finish in Moscow, Desisa did not finish here in 2014, and then lost a close duel with Wilson Kipsang in New York City last autumn.After yet another second place in Dubai this January, in Boston the only &lsquo;second&rsquo; about Desisa would be &lsquo;second victory&rsquo;. His finish time of 2:09:17 was faster than his 2013 victory &ndash; that year he won in 2:10:22 &ndash; and his fastest time outside of Dubai.With overcast skies, occasional spitting rain and wind in the runners&rsquo; faces in several sections, nobody was anxious to lead the pack or push the pace. Desisa had no issues staying in contact, constantly present amid a lead pack which numbered more than a dozen until late in the race.Ten men crested the high point of &lsquo;Heartbreak Hill&rsquo; in Newton together, and only then in the ensuing descents did the pack start to break up for good. The pack thinned to three, 2012 champion Wesley Korir, Desisa and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Yemane Tsegay.By the next mile, as the course passed through Brookline, Desisa was able to break up even that small pack, with Korir expiring rapidly (he fell back to fifth in the closing two miles). Tsegay hung on longer, closing the gap on Desisa more than once but unable to deliver the coup de grace.After 2013, Desisa returned his winner&rsquo;s medal to the City of Boston when he came back to run the BAA 10K in July, but it wasn&rsquo;t until today that he was able to replace it. He was visibly elated at the finish, and immediately turned to run back down Boyleston Street to thank the many spectators from a city which has treated him better than any other now.&ldquo;I knew I would need speed for the last mile,&rdquo; Desisa explained to the press afterwards in hesitant English. &ldquo;I knew I had the kick. I had confidence that I could win after 10km, because I saw the race would not be fast. When we came down the hills I started to surge so I would not have to kick.&ldquo;For us, this race is big, big, big,&rdquo; added Desisa, speaking for all the Ethiopians in the lead group. &nbsp;Three Ethiopians have won the Boston Marathon in this century, with Desisa the first to win a second time.Tsegay, the 2012 Rotterdam champion in 2:04:48, has won in Eindhoven, Daegu and Ottawa since then, but was making his first appearance in Boston. &ldquo;The race today was very difficult,&rdquo; he reported. &ldquo;Through halfway we were fast, but in the second half the wind picked up.&rdquo;Wilson Chebet, second in 2014, took third in 2:10:22. Bernard Kipyego, fourth in 2:10:47, was the other runner to get by Korir, whose 2:10:49 was good for fifth. Sixth went
 to Frankline Chepkwony, third last year, in 2:10:52; he was followed by Dathan Ritzenhein in 2:11:20.Defending champion Meb Keflezighi was eighth in 2:12:42. Keflezighi stuck with the pack through 35km but then had to drop off. &ldquo;I thought I had a shot at it,&rdquo; he explained.Rounding out the top 10 was Tadese Tola in 2:13:35 and Vitaliy Shafar in 2:13:52.Parker Morse for the IAAF

Caroline Rotich and Lelisa Desisa won the Boston Marathon titles on Monday (20) in the 119th running of the IAAF Gold Label Road Race. Rotich’s victory was the biggest race of her career to date, and Desisa returned to put good memories in place of bad ones from the race he won in 2013.

Rotich wins in close finish while Desisa regains Boston Marathon title

Organisers of the Boston Marathon announced today that no fewer than five former winners of the IAAF Gold Label Road Race will be on the start line on 20 April.Defending champion Meb Keflezighi&rsquo;s participation was revealed earlier this month when the US field was announced. He will be joined by Lelisa Desisa and Wesley Korir in the men&rsquo;s race, while Kenyan duo Sharon Cherop and Caroline Kilel will face each other for the third time at the Boston Marathon.In addition, the fields include multiple winners of medals at global championships as well as a handful of big city marathon winners and a former world record-holder.The chase for the 2015 men&rsquo;s title will be aggressive. 10 men in the field have run faster than 2:06:30 and seven of them have PBs faster than 2:05:30.Former marathon world record-holder and two-time Berlin champion Patrick Makau leads the group. Makau recently won the challenging 2014 Fukuoka Marathon and is also a past winner of marathons in Frankfurt and Rotterdam.Lelisa Desisa, the 2013 Boston Marathon champion and world silver medallist, will challenge for the win as will two-time world champion Abel Kirui.Multiple world half-marathon champion Zersenay Tadese will be making his Boston Marathon debut. The Eritrean still holds the world record for the half marathon and has won global medals on the track and cross-country. World bronze medallist Tadese Tola is also in the field, as is fellow Ethiopian Yemane Tsegay, who has won eight global marathons.This group will face further competition from all three podium finishers in 2014: Keflezighi, Wilson Chebet and Frankline Chepkwony.Former Olympic silver medallist Keflezighi brings experience and a strategic approach to the course. Chebet is a three-time winner in Amsterdam and a Rotterdam champion, while Chepkwony is a past Seoul and Zurich champion.Also racing with valuable course experience are Wesley Korir, Gebregziabher Gebremariam and Bernard Kipyego. Korir won the Boston Marathon in 2012 in extreme heat. Former New York Marathon champion Gebremariam has twice finished third in Boston. Kipyego won in Amsterdam last year and has made the podium in Boston, Chicago and Tokyo.Rounding out the international men&rsquo;s field are the second-fastest Canadian marathoner of all time Dylan Wykes, 2011 World Championships fourth-place finisher Abderrahime Bouramdane, two-time Hannover winner Lusapho April of South Africa, and Ukrainian Olympian Vitaliy Shafar, who finished fourth last year in Boston.Other top US athltes, announced earlier this month, include Dathan Ritzenhein, Jeffrey Eggleston, Nicholas Arciniaga and Fernando Cabada.On the women&rsquo;s side, John Hancock has assembled the fastest field in the history of the event with ten women holding personal best times better than 2:23, six of whom have run faster than 2:22.Leading the way in terms of experience are past Boston Marathon champions Sharon Cherop and Caroline Kilel. Cherop, the 2011 world bronze medallist, won the Boston Marathon in 2012 and placed third in 2011 and 2013. Commonwealth silver medallist Kilel won in Boston in 2011.Chasing the Kenyan duo is a team of Ethiopia&rsquo;s most accomplished runners: Mare Dibaba, Aberu Kebede, Buzunesh Deba, Mamitu Daska and Ejegayehu Dibaba.Mare Dibaba recently retained her Xiamen Marathon title, equalling her PB of 2:19:52, which makes her the fastest in the field. Deba is champion of eight US marathons and was runner-up in Boston last year, clocking a PB of 2:19:59.Kebede has twice won the Berlin Marathon, setting her PB of 2:20:30 there in 2012. Former Dubai and Frankfurt winner Daska won over 10km and the half marathon in Boston last year. Ejegayehu Dibaba is an Olympic silver medallist and two-time world bronze medallist in the 10,000m. In her 2011 marathon debut in Chicago, she finished second.Also in the field are Los Angeles winner and Belarusian record-holder Aleksandra Duliba, Prague and Los Angeles champion Caroline Rotich, two-time Olympian Marisa Barros of Portugal, Linz and Zurich champion Lisa Stublic Nemec, African 10,000m champion Joyce Chepkirui and, making her marathon debut, half marathon specialist Cynthia Limo.USA&rsquo;s Shalane Flanagan, Desiree Davila Linden and Amy Hastings, all announced last week, will also be focused on making the podium.Organisers for the IAAF<h3>Elite field (with PBs)</h3> Men Patrick Makau (KEN) 2:03:38 Lelisa Desisa (ETH) 2:04:45 Yemane Tsegay (ETH) 2:04:48 Tadese Tola (ETH) 2:04:49 Gebregziabher Gebremariam (ETH) 2:04:53 Abel Kirui (KEN) 2:05:04 Wilson Chebet (KEN) 2:05:27 Frankline Chepkwony (KEN) 2:06:11 Wesley Korir (KEN) 2:06:13 Bernard Kipyego (KEN) 2:06:22 Abderrahime Bouramdane (MAR) 2:07:33 Dathan Ritzenhein (USA) 2:07:47 Lusapho April (RSA) 2:08:32 Meb Keflezighi (USA) 2:08:37 Vitaliy Shafar (UKR) 2:09:37 Zersenay Tadese (ERI) 2:10:41 Dylan Wykes (CAN) 2:10:47 Jeffrey Eggleston (USA) 2:10:52 Nicholas Arciniaga (USA) 2:11:30 Fernando Cabada (USA) 2:11:36 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Women Mare Dibaba (ETH) 2:19:52 Buzunesh Deba (ETH) 2:19:59 Aberu Kebede (ETH) 2:20:30 Shalane Flanagan (USA) 2:21:14 Aleksandra Duliba (BLR) 2:21:29 Mamitu Daska (ETH) 2:21:59 Ejegayehu Dibaba (ETH) 2:22:09 Sharon Cherop (KEN) 2:22:28 Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:22:34 Desiree Davila Linden (USA) 2:22:38 Caroline Rotich (KEN) 2:23:22 Marisa Barros (POR) 2:25:04 Lisa Stublic Nemec (CRO) 2:25:44 Amy Hastings (USA) 2:27:03 Joyce Chepkirui (KEN) 2:30:23 Cynthia Limo (KEN) debut

Organisers of the Boston Marathon announced today that no fewer than five former winners of the IAAF Gold Label Road Race will be on the start line on 20 April.

Five past champions sign up for Boston Marathon

Despite much of the course blanketed in an early morning fog, the 2014 Scotiabank Ottawa marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, saw Ethiopia’s Yemane Tsegay and Tigist Tufa produce course records on Sunday (25). After passing the halfway point in 1:02:45, the men’s lead pack gradually succumbed to the effort, leaving Tsegay alone in front for the last 12 kilometres. Despite repeatedly looking over his shoulder to assess his lead, and occasionally rubbing his right hamstring, which was cramping, the 29-year-old crossed the line in 2:06:54.The victory earned him a $20,000 first place prize and a $10,000 course record bonus.In addition, he claimed $10,000 and a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe car for breaking the Canadian all-comers’ mark of 2:07:05 that had been set at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon last October by Tsegay’s countryman, Derissa Chimsa. Mulugeta Wami,&nbsp; the brother of 1999 IAAF World Championships 10,000m gold medallist Gete Wami,&nbsp; finished second in 2:08:18 with Kenya’s Ishimael Chemtan lowering his personal best to finish third in 2:08:35. For Tsegay, a former winner of the Rotterdam Marathon, it was an incredible victory. Seven weeks ago, he won the Daegu Marathon in a course record 2:06:51 and many here doubted his ability to be back in form so soon after that race.“Today I am very happy because I broke the (Ottawa) course record (2:08:05). All through the race I pushed the pacemakers,” revealed Tsegay. “If they slowed down I pushed. After 30km, my hamstring hurt, the course was very difficult up hill and downhill. It is not good to go hard downhill with a sore hamstring.“I was looking around to make sure to keep the gap between me and the others. Sometimes you push and push, but people might come up. So I kept my time. I had the intention of breaking the record. Everybody runs to win but only one person wins: that was the ultimate goal. I am not concerned with how many races I ran but (how many) I have won.”Tufa the toughestA well balanced women’s field ran conservatively the first half reaching 21km in 1:13:28 but in the next five kilometres it was the diminutive Tufa who accelerated to open a gap over her challengers. Agnes Kiprop, of Kenya, was the last survivor as Tufu went on to run the back end of the course in 1:11:03 and achieve the record with a time of 2:24:31. Kiprop, who had raced in Nagoya two months ago, struggled in the final stages of the race and was passed by Ethiopian marathon debutante Meseret Tolwak. Tolwak ran a fine 2:27:26 while Kiprop hung on to third in 2:28:05“I was really prepared to win,” said Tufa, through a broad grin. “I have done all the training I should do. My intention was to win and I did it. It was really nice but the idea was to break the record. I had no difficulties.“The people encouraged me; they were really nice. After this race I will improve my time. My next marathon is in New York and I will work hard in training and I am sure I will make it.”For 11 months, Tufa lived in The Bronx, New York, but was unhappy there and decided to return to Addis Ababa in December to try her hand at professional running. She joined the group of coach Haji Adilo and the result has been quick and substantial.Meanwhile, Kiprop was left thinking of what she could have done better to prepare for this race. With a personal best of 2:23:54 she was disappointed with her Ottawa outing.“Yes, it was tough because it is the first time I have done two marathons in two months,” she explained. On 9 March, she had finished sixth in the Nagoya Marathon with 2:27:51.“I was not expecting to run fast because my preparation was poor. I think the first place girl maybe she prepared only for this race. I don’t have regrets but maybe I will do only two marathon in a year and not three. I am happy with third but next time I will only do two marathons as usual” reflected Kiprop.&nbsp; Paul Gains for the IAAF

Despite much of the course blanketed in an early morning fog, the 2014 Scotiabank Ottawa marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, saw Ethiopia’s Yemane Tsegay and Tigist Tufa produce course records on Sunday (25).

Ethiopians Tsegay and Tufa Set Ottawa Marathon course records

Spectators lining the streets of Ottawa on Saturday night (24) will witness an epic race as two-time New York Marathon champion Geoffrey Mutai faces 2010 world half marathon champion Wilson Kiprop in the Lowertown Brewery Ottawa 10km, the first of the Canadian capital city’s two IAAF Silver Label Road Races.The Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon is scheduled for the following morning (25).Mutai and Kiprop have been pitted against one another several times over the years in Kenya with Kiprop winning all four of their duels, but they have never raced each other abroad, nor have they raced against one another on the roads.The edge may once again go to Kiprop this time as Mutai ran the London Marathon last month, finishing a disappointed sixth in 2:08:18. Nevertheless, Mutai – a past winner of the Boston, Berlin and New York Marathons – relishes the challenge.“After London, up until now, I am not too sure of my fitness as I have not yet trained fully,” said Mutai after stepping off a cross-Atlantic sleep-deprived flight from Nairobi via Amsterdam and Toronto.“My body is ok and I have recovered, I have good energy,” he added. “For me 10km is ok. I have prepared myself mentally. It is different from when you are preparing yourself for a marathon. I have already prepared my mind. Racing Wilson, he is my colleague. It will be good for Wilson and me to run together and see if we can run a very good time.”While Mutai had dinner with his manager, Kiprop had locked himself away in his room upon arrival, the journey having exacted a toll. Still, the pair have three days to find their feet.“I am hungry to race,” Kiprop said, having emerged from jet lag. “It will be a tough race but when you are hungry you must feed your stomach.”The course record of 27:24, set by Ethiopia’s Deriba Merga in 2009, could be in danger if the conditions are right, although the forecast is for humid and warm temperatures by the 6:30pm start time.Merga was originally confirmed to race here but when he failed to turn up for his flight from Addis, the organisers learned he was a late withdrawal.Ottawa is the only city to hold two IAAF Silver Label Road Races and racing fans will also see Mary Keitany’s return to competition after giving birth to her daughter Samantha last year. Her last race was the marathon at the London 2012 Olympics, where she finished fourth.A two-time London Marathon winner, Keitany also has a 10km personal best of 30:45 set en route to breaking the world half marathon record in Ras Al Khaimah. Now 32, the talented Kenyan faces her compatriot Caroline Kilel as well as the younger 24-year-old Ethiopian Yebrqual Melese.Having won the Ethiopian 10,000m title last year, Melese could prove a handful in Keitany’s celebrated return.Ethiopia’s Tsegay and Worku the marathon favouritesOrganisers of the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend are also hopeful that the marathon will produce a Canadian all-comers’ record. The existing record is 2:07:05, set by Derissa Chimsa in Toronto last October.Ethiopia’s Yemane Tsegay is the fastest on paper with a best of 2:04:48 set when winning the 2012 Rotterdam Marathon. But the 29-year-old won the Daegu Marathon on 6 April in 2:06:51 and seven weeks may not be enough to adequately recover and then prepare for a task such as this.His compatriot Bazu Worku has also been busy in 2014, winning the Houston (2:07:32) and Lake Biwa (2:09:10) marathons. Ottawa will be his third marathon in fewer than five months.Kenya’s Wesley Korir, meanwhile, is perhaps the most tactically savvy in the field. Now 31, he was the 2012 Boston Marathon winner and sports a best of 2:06:13 from the 2012 Chicago Marathon.Last year he was elected to the Kenyan parliament, which had eaten up valuable training time. Still, he believes two months of training in North America – he is married to Canadian Tarah McKay-Korir - with little distractions has put him in the form necessary to compete at this level again. And he appears well informed as to his adversaries’ unusual racing frequency.After a couple of weeks training in Louisville, Kentucky, where he had attended university, he won the Kentucky Derby Festival Half Marathon in 1:03:35; not an exceptional time but an indicator he is rounding into marathon form. Over dinner on Wednesday night he admitted this was the first time in years he had been able to put in 100-mile weeks of training. Most significantly he might easily be the freshest of the contenders.Race director Manny Rodrigues will instruct the pacemakers to run 3:00 per kilometre, aiming for a winning time faster than 2:07.Though the women’s field isn’t quite as deep, it has the makings of a fine head-to-head competition. Ehitu Kiros of Ethiopia, who has a 2:23:39 personal best, and Kenya’s Agnes Kiprop, whose PB is just 15 seconds slower, are even favourites for the $20,000 first place prize money.But the supporting cast includes Etalemahu Kidane, whose best performance of 2:25:49 came at the 2012 Hamburg Marathon. A couple of less-than-stellar performances might indicate she is due for a good run.Paul Gains for the IAAF

Spectators lining the streets of Ottawa on Saturday night (24) will witness an epic race as two-time New York Marathon champion Geoffrey Mutai faces 2010 world half marathon champion Wilson Kiprop in the Lowertown Brewery Ottawa 10km, the first of the Canadian capital city’s two IAAF Silver Label Road Races.

Kenyan stars Mutai, Kiprop and Keitany head up Ottawa’s 10km and marathon

The 2013 Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon produced course records in both the men’s and women’s races thanks to the Ethiopian pair of Tariku Jufar and Yeshi Esayias, who ran 2:08:05 and 2:25:31 respectively, but elite athlete coordinator Manny Rodrigues is optimistic that both marks will be reduced further on Sunday 25 May.“It’s the best field we've ever assembled in Ottawa,” commented Rodrigues as he unveiled the elite fields of the IAAF Silver Label Road Race on Wednesday (7).Consequently, this year, Rodrigues’s pacemakers will be aiming to lead the men’s field to a 2:06 or 2:07 finishing time, and a new Canadian all-comers record.The fastest time ever run on Canadian soil is 2:07:05 by Ethiopia’s Derissa Chimsa a year ago in Toronto. As an incentive to eclipse that mark, the Ottawa organisers have put up a bonus of US$10,000 as well as a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe sports utility vehicle to whoever can beat that standard in Ottawa. This is in addition to the US$20,000 US first place prize money.Thanks to his impressive record in the classic distance, Kenya’s Wesley Korir is the man to watch.&nbsp; The tactically smart University of Louisville graduate is most famous for his ‘come from behind’ victory at the 2012 Boston Marathon but he is also a two-time winner of the Los Angeles Marathon, finished second in Chicago in 2011, and owns a personal best of 2:06:13, which he recorded at the 2012 Chicago Marathon.Korir’s intelligence is not limited to road racing. Last year, he was elected to the Kenyan parliament, which has also meant balancing a heavy parliamentary workload. Still, Korir has a reputation for producing on the day and certainly will be the man to watch.“My training has been going well, not the best, but good,” he admits. “I think coming to Canada for the two months before the race will allow me to push it to the next level. My work in parliament has been very busy.”“I have been doing about 70 to 80 miles a week and am now starting to push it up there. I train by myself but I have a bodyguard, a policeman, who runs with me sometimes. He is a 2:06 guy.”Korir, 31, is naturally cautious about predicting the outcome of the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon but believes he will be fully prepared.“Ottawa is going to be an incredible competitive field,” he declared. “I think Ottawa has done a great job in recruiting the best athletes. It will give me an opportunity to compete and try to win the race. My first goal is to win the race.”Korir may be the most decorated and accomplished marathoner in the field, but he is not the fastest as that distinction belongs to Yemane Tsegay Adhane, who won the 2012 Rotterdam Marathon in a brilliant 2:04:48. More recently, Tsegay Adhane won the 2014 Daegu International Marathon on 6 April in 2:06:50. The Ethiopian has also won the 2013 Marathon Eindhoven in driving rain and has twice represented his country in the marathon at the IAAF World Championships, finishing fouth in Berlin 2009 and eighth a year ago in Moscow. The question now will be whether he has sufficient time to recover from his effort in the Korean city to tackle such a seasoned performer as Korir.Given the demanding schedules of leading candidates, it could be another Ethiopian who pulls off an upset in Ottawa. Bazu Worku sports a best time of 2:05:25 from the 2010 Berlin Marathon. More recently, in January, Worku won Houston in 2:07:32 and in March notched up his second victory of the year when winning in the Japanese city of Otsu in 2:09:10. Another potential champion is Mulugeta Wami. He has a best time of 2:07:11 from the 2012 Amsterdam Marathon. Wami is also the brother of Gete Wami, a two-time winner of the Berlin Marathon and former World champion on the track and at cross country.Should any of the top names falter, we might see two-time Canadian Olympian Eric Gillis get onto the podium. Gillis, whose best time of 2:11:29 qualified him for the 2012 London Olympic Games, was scheduled to run in Ottawa a year ago. However, a nagging injury prevented him from having the proper buildup to the race and he withdrew ahead of the big day. The 34-year-old won his third consecutive Canadian Half Marathon title on 27 April to suggest his preparation is on target.Ethiopia’s Ehitu Kiros is the class act in the women’s field with a personal best of 2:23:39 from the 2013 Dubai Marathon. Last autumn, Kiros was also sixth in the Chicago Marathon. Having gone out aggressively, she passed through the half way mark in 1:11:16 before fading over the last ten kilometres to finish in 2:27:42. Her compatriot, Etalemahu Kidane will also be in the hunt for the $20,000 first prize if she can find the form that took her to a personal best of 2:25:49 at the 2012 Hamburg Marathon. A strong Kenyan contingent will be led by 34-year-old Agnes Kiprop, whose best time of 2:23:54 was achieved at the 2011 Frankfurt Marathon.Paul Gains (organisers) for the IAAF

The 2013 Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon produced course records in both the men’s and women’s races thanks to the Ethiopian pair of Tariku Jufar and Yeshi Esayias, who ran 2:08:05 and 2:25:31 respectively, but elite athlete coordinator Manny Rodrigues is optimistic that both marks will be reduced further on Sunday 25 May.

Wesley Korir leads best field ever At Ottawa Marathon 

Yemane Tsegay Adhane fulfilled his role as the favourite for the 2014 Daegu International Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, winning in a course record of 2:06:51 on Sunday (6).Adhane, appropriately wearing number 1 on his chest, took more than a minute off the previous record which had stood at 2:07:57 to Kenya’s David Kemboi Kiyeng since 2012. It was the 28-year-old's seventh victory in 19 outings to date, and extended his streak of winning at least one marathon every year since he made his debut over the classic distance in 2008. It was also Adhane’s fourth race under 2:07, although some way adrift of his personal best of 2:04:48 set when winning the 2012 Rotterdam Marathon.Gebretsadik Abraha made it an Ethiopian one-two in the Korean city as the 2010 world junior 10,000m silver medallist, who made an impressive marathon debut in 2012 with a personal best of 2:06:21 when finishing second at the Amsterdam Marathon, bounced back after some lacklustre performances in 2013 and finished only 15 seconds behind his compatriot.Kenya’s Nixson Kurgat sliced more than a minute off his previous best of 2:08:29, set when winning another Korean race in Chuncheon last October, when he finished third in 2:07:18.In a high quality race with the top five all inside the previous course record, Kurgat was followed home by two fellow Kenyans.Elijah Kemboi was a frustrating nine seconds outside his best time when finishing fourth in 2:07:43 while Jacob Kibet Kendagor made a good improvement in fifth place with 2:07:53, more than three minutes quicker than he had ever run before.Adhane acceleration ends Abraha challengeThe leading group consisting of Adhane, Abraha, Kurgat, Kemboi and Kibet Kendagor were all together until just before 38km on the three lap course which was used for the 2011 IAAF World Championships, when the Ethiopian pair increased the pace. Adhane then surged again with two kilometres to go, just before the Suseong Bridge which crosses the famous Sincheon River and was never headed, before he finished in the city’s Gukchaebosang Memorial Park, where the gun had gone just over two hours before.Mulu Seboka made it a men’s and women’s double in Daegu for Ethiopia, winning in 2:25:23 after finishing second in 2012 and 2013.It is the third consecutive win for the prolific Seboka, running her 31st marathon, after victories in Jakarta last October and in Dubai in January. It is also the fifth win for an Ethiopian woman in the six years the Daegu International Marathon has been in existence.Ethiopia’s Meseret Legese finished a distant second in 2:28:03 with Peru's Judith Toribio a surprise third in 2:29:51, more than four minutes quicker than she had ever run before.The Daegu International Marathon, which saw many of the city’s 2.6 million citizens lining the streets, is rapidly become one of Asia’s road races despite only having been in existence since 2009; a visible example of the successful legacy of the World Championships just under three years ago.Phil Minshull for the IAAF

Yemane Tsegay Adhane fulfilled his role as the favourite for the 2014 Daegu International Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, winning in a course record of 2:06:50 on Sunday (6).

Adhane captures course record in Daegu

Yemane Tsegay Adhane has been looking for a fast performance for almost 18 months to consolidate his reputation as one of the quickest marathon men around and, after a frustrating 2013, he hopes to finally find it at the Daegu International Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, on Sunday (6).Adhane, 28, rose to prominence with fourth place at the 2009 Paris Marathon in 2:06:30 and then repeated that position when he finished just out of the medals at the IAAF World Championships later that summer.He set his personal best of 2:04:48 when winning the 2012 Rotterdam Marathon. The past 12 months though, have seen his ambitions of improving on that time thwarted by injury and the elements. He went to the 2013 Daegu International Marathon as the fastest man in the field, only to have to drop out. He was then called up at the last minute to represent Ethiopia at the 2013 IAAF World Championships and finished a brave eighth despite not being completely ready to race.Fully fit, he started the Marathon Eindhoven in October with a sub-2:06 time as his target and won the race but had to settle for a time of 2:09:11 in a deluge which disrupted all his race plans.He finished off the year at the Taipei Marathon where he finished second in 2:14:17, his modest time on this occasion due to a downpour of freezing rain during the race.“I’ve prepared well and so I want a good time,” said Adhane at Friday’s press conference. The race organisers said that they have asked the pacemakers to go through halfway in 1:03:30 and are hoping for a winning time faster than 2:07, so everything has been set up for Adhane to be granted his wish.He has an admirable record in the marathon, winning six of his 18 outings to date, and one every year since he made his debut in 2008. It is a streak he wouldn’t mind continuing on Sunday, regardless of the time.However, Adhane will face a fairly familiar foe in the form of Kenya’s David Kemboi Kiyeng.Kiyeng looking for Korean comebackKiyeng, now 31 and a winner in Daegu two years ago, also dropped out of last year's race so again returns to the Korean city where he set the current course record 2:07:57 in 2012 with the purpose of becoming the first repeat winner in the men’s race.“It’s a good course and I know it well, so if there are good weather conditions that we can strive to break the course record,” reflected Kiyeng on Friday.Notwithstanding last year’s brief encounter, Kiyeng and Adhane have raced each other twice before.Kiyeng finished one place and four seconds in front of Adhane at the 2009 Paris Marathon, and that time of 2:06:26 remains his PB. But he has been a consistent runner in the past five years, with several victories to his name and he also beat Adhane at the 2011 Seoul Marathon, where the pair finished second and third respectively. &nbsp;The men’s elite start list can boast of no less than 10 men with personal bests faster than 2:09.After Adhane, the next fastest man in the field in his compatriot and 2010 world junior 10,000m silver medallist Gebretsadik Abraha, who made an impressive marathon debut in 2012 with 2:06:21 when finishing second at the Amsterdam Marathon. However, Abraha couldn’t run faster than 2:09 in his three marathons last year and so has not only a point to prove but a question mark over the form he brings to Daegu.Kenya’s Elijah Keitany can boast of a personal best of 2:06:41 in 2009 and although he hasn’t gone faster in the past five years, like his countryman Kiyeng, has also been reasonably consistent and has run faster than 2:10 every year since then.Unlike Ketiany, who has never won a marathon, another Kenyan Elijah Kemboi has two victories to his name after having won Antwerp and Kosice in 2011. Making him a credible contender for his third win is the fact that he set his personal best of 2:07:34 in his most recent marathon, finishing third in Frankfurt last October.Seboka ready to stop being secondEthiopian runners are the heavy favourites to take the women’s race for the fifth time in the six years that the event has been in existence. However, the big question is: which one will take the plaudits?Mulu Seboka finished second in last year’s race when she ran 2:23:43 and was just 15 seconds behind the Kenyan winner Margaret Agai, who set a course record of 2:23:28.Seboka has already shown she is in good form this year and won the Dubai Marathon in January in 2:25:01. A prolific marathon runner ever since making her debut over the distance in 2003 as a 19-year-old, Daegu will be Seboka’s 31st marathon.Second fastest in the field, and with a fondness for Korean races, is Emebet Etea Bedada, who posted a best of 2:25:53 when finishing second in the 2013 Seoul race. However, she was less impressive in her most recent marathon and could only clock 2:33:51 for third in January’s Xiamen race. Etea’s friend, Meseret Legese, finished one place in front of her in Xiamen in a personal best of 2:26:32 and will join her on the start line again in Daegu.Former Russian marathon champion Nailya Yulamanova has a best of 2:26:05 from when she won the 2009 Rotterdam Marathon but that is almost three minutes better than her next fastest time and, five years from that sort of form, it is hard to envision that she will challenge the Ethiopian armada.About 16,000 participants are expected to compete in the race, which starts and finishes in the stadium that hosted the 2011 IAAF World Championships.Phil Minshull for the IAAF

Yemane Tsegay Adhane has been looking for a fast performance for almost 18 months to consolidate his reputation as one of the quickest marathon men around and, after a frustrating 2013, he hopes to finally find it at the Daegu International Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, on Sunday (6).