The new track is built for athletes, schools and local community from Kween district. The opening took take place on Tuesday February 23.

For 14 years Global Sports Communication (GSC) has been a leading party in Uganda in the development of athletics in cooperation with local partners. The opening off the track at Chemwania Primary School attracted 43 schools from the district seeing 264 kids compete from the age of 11 to 17 competing.

The races got flagged off by World Champions Joshua Cheptegei and Halimah Nakaayi, who opened the track after completing a lap off 400mtr.

Possibly a missed opportunity for Cheptegei to take a run at the Blue Jeans Mile world record. Photo: Dan Vernon/NN Running Team

Smart Casual 400m

Both world champions highly supported the initiative which GSC picked up with local partners. “It’s fantastic that GSC picked up the initiative to help the people from Kween providing a track. It will help many to fulfil their childhood dreams”, Cheptegei said.

“In my years growing up there where few role models and few facilities. I am so happy to see, that, for the new generation things are changing and more support and facilities are there”, Nakaayi added.

Global Sports Communication in cooperation with the NN Running Team picked up the initiative for the track after talking with various local parties including the district, Chemwania Primary School and local athletics officials to successfully finish the project.

Photo: Dan Vernon/NN Running Team

Group effort behind the project

Jurrie van der Velden, responsible for the Ugandan arm at GSC said; “In my 14 years in Uganda this is a milestone for our contribution to the development of Ugandan athletics. It fills me with pride to see the young athletes enjoy running and compete at the new track”.

Coach Addy Ruiter who was one of the people responsible for laying the foundation and implementation of the track added; “As a coach I can’t be happier with the way this came together. So many parties worked together with one goal, that is to help the youngsters. Such facilities are vital for us coaches to do our work”.

Jos Hermens, CEO of GSC is known for his long term vision and supporter of the development of athletes and athletics. “I am so proud of my team at GSC that we are leaving such footprint in various countries and the greater development of athletics.

“The completion of the Chemwania track is yet another example of our vision, view and our philosophy on our beautiful sport. I really look forward seeing talents from the area blossom in the years to come”.

For more information on the NN Running Team follow their social media accounts and www.nnrunningteam.com for the latest news on athletes and races.

The post New track and new hope appeared first on Fast Running.

The 24th edition of the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships took place on the re-arranged date in Gdynia, Northern Poland on Saturday. Races used a 5.5km loop starting in the City Centre with the finish area utilising a purpose built surface on the City’s Beach on Gdansk Bay on the Southern Coast of the Baltic Sea.

First up was the women’s race, with cool temperatures of around 8oc when the 105 starters hit the roads, perfect for the blistering starting pace.

Ethiopia’s Ababel Yeshaneh was among the favourites for the title following her 64:31 world record at Ras Al Kaimah in February.

Other favourites included previous World Champions Peres Jepchirchir (2016), defending Champion Netsanet Gudetta, former world record holder Joyceline Jepkosgei and the hugely talented Rosemary Wanjiru who is the fastest debutant in history with 65:34 but is yet to claim a global title.

Championships are often known for their cagey racing but with so many of the world’s best in the field, fast times were expected with former World Record Holder Jepchirchir hinting in the pre-race press conference that world records could be possible.

Big group on World Record pace

A group of 12 athletes passed the 5km mark in 15:20 with 2016 Champion Jepchirchir and former world record holder Jepkosgei at the very front. The 10km mark was passed in 30:47 with seven athletes remaining in the leading group.

With around half a lap left to run, Yeshanah and Jepkosgei fell forcing a decisive move from 2016 Champion Jepchirchir, Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw and Germany’s Melat Kejeta.

With a well timed sprint to the finish, it was a victory for Peres Jepchirchir in 65:16 to regain her title from Cardiff in 2016. After being on the front for most of the pack running, it was great to see the hard work put in by the Kenyan athlete throughout the race pay off in the final stages.

Kejeta claimed a Silver medal in 65:18 for with a European record for the German and with Ethiopian Yehualaw claiming Bronze in 65:19. All three podium finishers went under Jepchirchir’s women’s only World Record set in Prague in September.

Ethiopia claimed team victory in the women’s race with Kenya second and Germany finishing a surprise third.

Young British team gaining valuable champs experience.

Samantha Harrison was the leading Briton from start to finish, with the Charnwood AC athlete finishing in a time of 71:53 and in 47th place.

‘’I was really happy with that’’ said Harrison. ‘’The course was much tougher than I anticipated it being and it really took it out of your legs. I started off well but as the race wore on it all just started to take its toll’’.

‘’I’m happy with it for my senior debut, I gave it all that I could and I’m happy to be inside the top 50 on my first appearance in a British vest’’.

Becky Briggs was the second British finisher in 73:08 on her senior debut for Great Britain and Northern Ireland and as the youngest athlete in the race. ‘’I’m only 20 but what an amazing experience to be in the same race as some of these girls, especially when they’re breaking the world record like they have done today’’.

Clara Evans finished just behind in 65th place with 73:11.

Ann Marie-Mcglynn revised her own Northern Ireland record to 71:40, representing Ireland.

Jacob Kiplimo joins a long list of Federico Rosa represented athletes to win on the big stage Photo: World Athletics

Upset in the men’s event

Debutant Joshua Cheptegei began as the overwhelming favourite in the men’s race after setting World records on his last three outings with 26:11.00 for 10,000m in Valencia, 12:35.36 for 5,000m at the Meeting Hercules and 12:51 for 5km in Monaco back in February.

In the absence of defending Champion Geoffrey Kamworor who is recovering from being hit by a motorcyclist whilst training in Kenya, 19 year old Jacob Kiplimo was thought to be among the main challengers.

Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie (P.B. 58:38) and Ethiopia’s Guye Idemo Adola (59:06) were amongst the other main protagonists.

It became apparent early on that chasing world records wasn’t a priority for the leading African athletes which included Ugandan Cheptegei in his longest race to date.

Early warm up for some of the leaders

European Record Holder Julien Wanders (59:13) of Switzerland took out the early frontrunning with Briton Jake Smith also right at the front of the field in the early kilometres.

5km was passed in 14:19 with much of the field still intact. That group thinned to around 20 athletes just under the 20 minute mark and still featuring leading Briton Smith. 10km then came in 28:23 with Smith still in attendance.

It was indeed Kiplimo that made a decisive move at just under the 50 minute mark to surge clear of second placed Kandie with further daylight back to Ethiopia’s Amedework Walelegn and Cheptegei.

Kiplimo relied on his track pace, proved with a 12:48 clocking over 5,000m this summer to pull away from Kandie and to stun the world with a first senior global title in a world u20 best of 58:49. This was also a Championships best and a Ugandan national record by over a minute.

Kibiwott Kandie was next to finish in 58:54 with Walelegn claiming the Bronze medal in 59:08. Despite the upset, it was still a great debut for Cheptegei who was fourth in 59:21.

Kenya regained the team title from Cardiff, overcoming defending Champions Ethiopia and with Uganda claiming their first team medals at the Championships since 2004 with Bronze.

The British mens team pose with recent 5000 & 10000m WR breaker Joshua Cheptegei. Photo: British Athletics

Smith jumps up UK rankings

Jake Smith came home as the second European athlete in 18th place with an eye watering 60:31 setting a new national record for Wales, re-moulding Steve Jones’ record of 61:14. His time also sends Smith to third on the UK all the lists behind Mo Farah and Callum Hawkins.

Smith commented saying; ‘’When I came down that final straight and saw what I was at the 20km mark, I couldn’t believe it. I got a 10km PB along the way and I was with the main group when I did that and it was so good. In that last lap, I caught one of the Turkish guys and just worked with him and I knew once we were at the top of the hill, it was downhill all the way’’.

‘’I put everything into the downhill and tried to hang on as much as I could. I started crying happy tears on the home straight because I just couldn’t believe it’’.

‘’I couldn’t ask for a better team, we all get on so well and we were warming up as a group and I couldn’t ask for anyone else to share this with’’.

Mohamud Aadan was the second British man in 50th with 62:41 just 10 seconds of his P.B. from the Commonwealth Half Marathon Championships in 2018.

Kristian Jones claimed a new best of 63:05 in 60th place with fellow Celt Adam Craig 62nd in a new best of 63:12. Ultra-distance man Tom Evans finished 64th in a P.B. of 63:14. There was also a new P.B. for Loughborough based Irishman Kevin Seaward in 62:58.

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The re-arranged event takes place in Gdynia, Northern Poland. The race originally set to host mass races will now take place exclusively for the International fields of just under 300 athletes. The course will use four laps of 5.5km, finishing on a purpose built surface on the City’s Beach in Gdansk Bay on the Southern Coast of the Baltic Sea.

This will be the first World Athletics Series Event to take place since the Covid-19 lockdowns. ‘’It is clear that the entire community – athletes, national federations, coaches, athlete representatives – have risen to the challenge,” said Jacob Larsen, World Athletics director of Competition and Events (via World Athletics). “It is evident that this is something everybody wants to happen – and indeed are making it happen’’.

Cheptegei coming in with decent form

Joshua Cheptegei will be the resounding favourite for the men’s race. The Ugandan Athlete has set World records for 5,000m (12:35.36) and 10,000m (26:11.00) in recent months and a 5km World Record (12:51) falling to him in Monaco back in February. In fact the 24 year old has lowered world records at every one of his races this year making a new world record on Saturday a definite possibility.

A battle with World Half Marathon Champion Geoffrey Kamworor was originally expected in March but never happened with the event being postponed due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

World Record holder Kamworor (WR: 58:00) is not named in the Kenyan Team so the greatest opposition will likely come from Compatriot Jacob Kiplimo who will also make his Half Marathon debut in Gdynia.

19 year old Kiplimo finished second to Cheptegei at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Aarhus on the day that Kamworor was de-throned as World Champion. Two years earlier he had claimed the global crown in the Junior Men’s race.

Instead the Kenyan Challenge will be led by Kibiwott Kandie who has a 58:38 best making him the fastest in the field and as the fifth fastest of all-time, should not be counted out. Abraham Cheroben of Bahrain is the second fastest with a best of 58:40.

Guye Idemo Adola will head the Ethiopian Team with a P.B. of 59:06 and a Bronze medal at the Championships in Copenhagen from 2014 to his name.

Kaan Kigen Ozbilen (P.B: 59:48) of Turkey is the fastest European entrant with his P.B. recorded at Ras Al Khaimah in 2019.

Jake Smith racing in Paris.

British team reduced by injuries

British hopes have been affected by a series of withdrawals, reducing the men’s team to five athletes.

Jake Smith will be the fastest Briton on Paper with a time of 62:00 recorded when finishing third at the Vitality Big Half in March behind Kenenisa Bekele and Chris Thompson. This was a third outing over the distance for the 22 year old who debuted with 64:03 in 2018, going on to run 62:03 at the Boulogne Billancourt Half marathon last November.

The Cardiff based athlete born in Bermuda then recorded a 28:00 time trial for 10,000m in July to test fitness coming out of the Covid-19 lockdown and followed up with a fourth place at the Muller British Championships over 5,000m in September.

Mohamud Aadan set his lifetime best of 62:30 on his way to seventh at the Commonwealth Half Marathon championships in Cardiff back in 2018.

Orienteers and ultra runners with some leg speed

Scottish based Welshman Kristian Jones has become a regular in British Teams of recent years and takes a 63:09 best in to the Championships, recorded at the Barcelona Half Marathon early in 2020. His most notable win to date was a victory at the British Athletics Stirling Cross Challenge in February.

Tom Evans P.B. of 63:15 came at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in September. This was just the latest eye-catching performance for the Ultra distance Specialist. Evans has medalled at the IAU World Trail running Championships and the infamous Marathon Des Sables. Evans proved that he was an athlete comfortable over any distance with a 13:41 clocking at the Podium 5k and a Bronze medal at the CAU Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships back in February.

Adam Craig (63:24) has come in to the team as a replacement for fellow Scotsman Callum Hawkins. This will mean a debut for Great Britain & Northern Ireland on the roads for the Inverclyde AC Athlete in just his second outing over the distance.

26.03.16 – IAAF/Cardiff University World Half Marathon Championships 2016 – Elite womens runners on Roald Dahl Plas.

The women’s race is exciting

The women’s race will be more likely to see a competitive battle between former champions and some of the fastest athletes in history.

The Kenyan team will boast 2016 Champion Peres Jepchirchir (65:06) and former World record Holder Joyceline Jepkosgei (64.51). Rosemary Wanjiru (65.34) is the next fastest on an extremely strong Kenyan team with a 10km best of 29:50 set in Valencia.

Netsanet Gudetta (65:45) of Ethiopia is the defending Champion setting a women’s only world record of 66:11 in Valencia. That record fell to Jepchirchir with 65:34 in an elite only event in Prague last month.

Her compatriot Ababel Yeshaneh is faster yet with a 64:31 clocking to smash the world record held by Jepkosgei in a race where second placed Brigid Kosgei also dipped under the previous best mark.

Debuts for British women

Samantha Harrison is the fastest British challenger having clocked an impressive 71:01 to finish second at the Vitality Big Half in March after leading the race for some time.

Harrison, who describes running as ‘’her happy place’’ only began racing seriously in September 2018 and in late 2019 described a main goal for 2020 to be gaining selection for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships.

Clara Evans is set to make her debut for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Team, selected off the strength of a 72:21 lifetime best set at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in September.

Becky Briggs will make her senior debut for Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Poland. The 20 year old set her best of 72:54 in Northern Ireland last month, taking her to seventh in the British U23 all-time lists and becoming the third fastest U23 in Europe this year.

Want to run faster? For just £30 per month athletes are provided with a Final Surge plan for each day of the week, coaching advice from Robbie Britton and Tom Craggs, as well as access to the unique Fast Running Performance community.

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The post A young British team to face the world’s best in Poland appeared first on Fast Running.

Ethiopian Gidey ignited the NN Valencia World Record Day with a spellbinding performance to obliterate the women’s 5000m record by more than four seconds with a stunning 14:06.62.

Aided by pacemaking duo Esther Guerrero and Beatrice Chepkoech, and the Wavelight technology, the 22-year-old Ethiopian produced a very well judged run to destroy the world record of her compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba. When pace maker Chepkoech stepped aside, Gidey pushed the pace even harder.

Running in a nigh on perfect temperature of 22c inside the Turia Stadium, Letesenbet hit the 3km point in 8:31.85 – ahead of her target time.

Gidey has a particularly fluid flowing style but more than this she looked incredibly in control in terms of effort. Just after 3km she put in a scintillating lap of 66 second. Looking untroubled and composed the World 10,000m silver medallist romped to her place in history.

“I dreamed for this record for 6 years, I want to thank Valencia for giving me this chance.”

Cheptegei caps a sensational year

It was then the turn of Joshua Cheptegei to toast yet another landmark moment in his glittering 2020 season by smashing Kenenisa Bekele’s world 10,000m record by more than six-and-a-half seconds with a dazzling display.

The 24-year-old Ugandan ran a time of 26:11.00 to erase Bekele’s 15-year-old mark of 26:17.53 from the record books. The one-off meet was organised by the NN Running Team, Global Sports Communication and SD Correcaminos as a direct response to Joshua’s outstanding current form.

“One of the strange things about watching the race was the lack of doubt,” says FR coach Robbie Britton. “From very early on it felt like it was going to happen.

A record that stood for a decade and a half was just obliterated and all that needed to happen was for Chetegei to run at the set pace for 26 minutes and change.”

In August, Joshua sliced 1.99 seconds from Kenenisa’s world 5000m record, clocking a stunning 12:35.36 in Monaco, and on a hot and humid night at the Turia Stadium he added the world 10,000m record to his increasingly impressive CV.

A place in history

Paced through to halfway in 13:07.73 and further aided by Wavelight Technology in the second half of the race, the World 10,000m champion ticked off the laps at a relentless 62-64 second pace to claim another slice of history.

Having achieved the world record mark he now joins some of the all-time greats to have held ownership of the world 10,000m record such as Emil Zatopek, Haile Gebrselassie and Bekele.

“It is a great moment for me to have broken the world record,” said Cheptegei, who also holds the world 5km and 15km road records. “I wanted to show the sports lovers of the world that the track is exciting. I wanted to lift the expectations of the Valencia World Record Day and I am pleased to have fulfilled my dream.”

You can catch the full races here;

Mixed response

With the dedicated race, the Nike shoe technology, the pacing and Wavelight Technology the event had a little of the feel of the Breaking2 Project. Streamed to a worldwide audience on the NN Running Team YouTube and via the BBC the performances were always going too draw a huge amount of comment.

For many the event was a moment in history. BBC commentator Rob Walker described the intimate atmosphere of the city centre track and called Cheptegei’s run a “journey to greatness”. It certainly had a feel of a ‘I was watching’ moment.

World record!
Letesenbet Gidey gets the 5,000m record in 14 mins 6.65! Smashed it and god that was beautiful to watch!

— Kate Carter (@katehelencarter) October 7, 2020

Others however immediately glanced a skeptical eye over the results with the unusual ‘racing’ format, and of course the ever present shoe and spike debate being highlighted.

Who is going to have the balls to say it first……….? https://t.co/c19oWysNNu

— Tim Hutchings (@TimHutchings1) October 7, 2020

More national, continental and world records to come?

Fast Running’s Tom Craggs said “times and world records are so woven into the fabric and history of athletics that it is hard to see them fall if there is a feeling of manufacture around it.

We cling to the purity and simplicity of the sport of running, perhaps even more so during periods of wider socio-political insecurity. We want to believe.

I am still processing my feelings about last night but both performances were clearly astounding feats of physical endurance and regardless of the discomfort I feel around elements of it, I will definitely take a moment to celebrate two absolutely sensational athletes.

I believe, however, that the flood of national, continental and world records we are seeing currently does not represent a big leap forwards in solely biophysical performance”.

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In the first top-flight international one-day meet since the Covid-19 pandemic struck, the Ugandan’s stunning run knocked two seconds from Kenenisa Bekele’s 16-year old world record time of 12:37.55.

The record had been one of the longest standing in athletics, with the closest being Selemon Barega with 12:43 since it was set by Bekele back in 2004. Gebrselassie in 1998 and Komen in 1994 are the only other athletes to have run inside 12:40.

Cheptegei said “I’ve learned that anything is possible, if you have the right mindset and believe. I really thank Kenenisa so much for inspiring me when I started running. He has always been a big inspiration and motivation to me. This record is a special moment for me and I like to thank Kenenisa for his inspiration.”

In his first competitive appearance since February, when he smashed the world 5km road record also in Monaco, Joshua has been diligently preparing for the world record attempt in his native Uganda alongside his coach, Addy Ruiter.

Last year he secured the world cross country title in Denmark and world 10.000m crown in Doha. He also set a world 10km record and landed the 5000m Diamond League Trophy in Zurich.

Find out more at the NN Running Team website.

Want to run faster? For just £30 per month athletes are provided with a Final Surge plan for each day of the week, coaching advice from Robbie Britton and Tom Craggs, as well as access to the unique Fast Running Performance community.

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The post Cheptegei breaks Bekele’s 5000m record appeared first on Fast Running.

Cheptegei finished the Monaco Run 5km in a time of 12 minutes and 51 seconds and by doing so took an impressive 27 seconds of the previous world record set by Rhonex Kipruto (KEN) which stood at 13:18.

Cheptegei said “Wow, this is really great. I had sub 13 minutes in my mind today so when my legs felt good during the race I decided to really go for it. To take this many seconds of the record makes me very happy and is a great first test for me in an important season.”

He wasn’t the only athlete breaking records either as Nick Goolab broke the British 5km road record clocking 13:27 to finish 3rd behind Jimmy Gressier.

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The post Joshua Cheptegei breaks 5km world record appeared first on Fast Running.

The victory though was not simple for Kamworor, as he had to fend off a strong challenge from Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda.

Half way into the race the host nation athlete raced to the front and built up a sizable lead on Kamworor and the rest of the chasing pack over the next 3K. The cheering Kampala crowd and everyone watching around the world believed Cheptegei had the race won.

However going into the final 2K, Cheptegei paid the heavy price for his quickening of the pace earlier in the race, and began to slow at an alarming rate. Kamworor’s experience paid dividends, as he pounced on his competitors weakness, and overtook him to claim his second consecutive title, crossing the line in a time of 28:24.

Congratulations to #Kenya‘s Kamworor for defending title! Another #Gold ? for @athletics_kenya. Photos by; @JoshWama #iaafkampala2017 pic.twitter.com/ugRWVHJIIs

— iaafkampala2017 (@iaafkampala2017) March 26, 2017

Although his earlier challenge was brave and exciting for the home crowd, Cheptegei will have learnt a hard lesson as he struggled to the finish line, eventually finishing in over 90 seconds behind Kamworor in 30th place.

Second place went to Kenya’s Leonard Kiplimo Barsoton and Abadi Hadis of Ethiopia finished third.

Ethiopia won the team race by one point, with Kenya finishing second, and Uganda claiming third, thanks to Cheptegei battling it to the finish line.

The USA team finished in fifth place, thanks to strong performances from Sam Chelanga (11th place), Leonard Korir (20th), Shadrack Kipchirchir (21st) and Stanley Kebenei (26th).

Regarding Great Britian, a senior men’s team was not sent to World Cross Country Championship in Kampala, Uganda.

The post Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor successfully defends his World Cross Country title appeared first on Fast Running.