This weekend’s World Athletics Label road race action centres on the Guangzhou Marathon in China and the women’s race at Saitama.

Both event records will be under threat at the Maratón Valencia Trinidad Alfonso EDP, a World Athletics Gold Label road race in the eastern Spanish city on Sunday (1).

Kenya’s Asbel Kipsang and Tefera Dinknesh Mekash from Ethiopia will start as favourites at the Asics Firenze Marathon, a World Athletics Bronze Label race, on Sunday (24).

Uganda’s Maxwell Rotich and Eva Cherono of Kenya will be the star names at the 38th Cross Internacional de la Constitución, the third leg of the 2019/20 World Athletics Cross Country Permit series, set for Alcobendas on the outskirts of Madrid on Sunday (24).

Defending champion Yebrgual Melese and 2015 winner Paul Lonyangata, the course record-holders of the Shanghai International Marathon, will return to the World Athletics Gold Label road race on Sunday (17).

The Cross Internacional de Soria, the second leg of this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Permit series, will take place on Sunday (17) at the Monte Valonsadero circuit, a beautiful forest on the outskirts of Soria, well known for having been a frequent training venue for 1992 Olympic 1500m champion Fermín Cacho and 1997 and 1999 world marathon champion Abel Antón.

Much of the attention of this weekend’s road racing scene will fall on China, with marathons in Hefei, Xichang, Nanjing and Nanchang on the Road Race Label slate. The action begins on Saturday with the Xichang Qionghai Lake Wetland International Marathon.

The 2019-20 IAAF Cross Country Permit series will kick off in Burgos on Saturday (9) with the Cross de Atapuerca, one of five stops in Spain, where Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi will chase an unprecedented fourth win in the women’s race.

Defending champions Mary Keitany and Lelisa Desisa are back in the Big Apple to chase more glory at the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday (3), an IAAF Gold Label road race.

Ethiopia’s Mekuant Ayenew returns to the Chinese capital aiming to regain the title he took three years ago at the CFLD Beijing Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on Sunday (3).

Kenyans James Kibet, Joel Maina Mwangi, Paul Tiongik and James Mburugu are the top names at the 12th edition of the Corsa dei Santi in Rome, an IAAF Bronze Label 10 km road race, on Friday (1).

Another busy weekend on the IAAF Label race circuit is coming up, with marathons in Frankfurt, Ljubljana, Venice and Changsha, China along with the Valencia Half Marathon, which once again promises to be fast. We preview them all below.