Athletics Africa Magazine

ADDIS ABABA (ETH): Ethiopia will enter a strong team in the 17th African Athletics Championships in Nairobi. Haile Gebrselassie, the Ethiopian legend said: „I expect to see a strong Ethiopian team in Nairobi and I expect to see Meseret Defar, Tirunesh Dibaba and Kenenisa Bekele. „ said for nation.co.ke. The 17th African Athletics Championships in Nairobi will also be used to select Africa‘s team to the IAAF Continental Cup (formerly World Cup) to be held in Split, Croatia early September. RABAT (MAR, Apr 25): About 22,0000 women took part to the 3rd „Course de la Victoire“ organised by former 400H world champion Nezha Bidouane. Malika Assasah won the 8km race in 27:17 ahead of Zhor El Kamch, who is back to racing after a materniy live (27:20). Bouchra Salhi and Malika Belfakir finished 3rd and 4th in 27:25 and 27:42. Informs Carole Fuchs. MADRID (ESP): Current marathon world record holder Haile Gebreselassie believes he could become the first man to go under 2:02 in the marathon wri...

BRAZZAVILLE (CGO): African Confederation Golden meet in Brazzaville will be staged on May 30. 16 events will be on the programme with prize money in three categories p remium, classic and promotional ranging from 4000 to 2000 USD for individual wins. WURZBURG (GER, Apr 25): Kenyan success at 22nd Wurzburg 10 km road race. Jacob Cheshari in fast 27:56 over Titus Mbishei 28:16 and Charles Maina 28:27. Best Europeabn Sondre Nordstad Moen of Norway as 10th in 29:40. In women category Berlin 4th placer Grace Momanyi clocked 31:34 and had clear win over Jane Gakunyi (33:52). German Julia Viellehner was best European as 10th (36:45). KRAKOW (POL, Apr 25): Ethiopian Abebe Dagane won the 9th Cracovia Maraton in 2:16:13. Belarus Dmitriy Baranovski was second (2:22:16). Also in women category Ethiopia for Etaferahu Tarekegne in 2:37:22 beating Poland´s Agnieszka Gortel (2:39:16) and Russian Yuliya Vinokurova (2:40:23). NANCY (FRA, Apr 25): World CC Champion Joseph Ebuya won the 30th edition of...

CARLSBAD (USA, Apr 11): In windy conditions favorites were the winners, but did not touch world bests. Eliud Kipchoge clocked 13:11 to win the 25th edition of Carlsbad 5000 and missed the global mark set here by Sammy Kipketer in 2000 by 11 seconds. Ethiopians followed as Dejene Gebremeskel was second in 13:18 and Bekana Daba third in 13:24. Meseret Defar was competing without pacemaking help and against wind and clocked 15:04 at the end to win. Aheza Kiros was second in 15:26 ahead of another Ethiopian Meskerem Assefa (15:55). JOHANNESBURG (RSA, Apr 10): During first day of South African junior championships Cheyne Rahme improved his African junior pole vault record to 550. Luvo Manyonya leaped to 805 (+1.1) excellent personal best in long jump. Gideon Trotter achieved 10.41 in the 100 m and Jacques de Swart 46.08 in the 400 m. In the youth category impressive 10.50 (+0.3) by Rudolf Erasmus in the 100 m. REDUIT (MRI, Apr 10-11): Home record holder Stephane Buckland won the 100 m at...

Patrick Makau led a Kenyan one-two-three in the Rotterdam marathon on Sunday. The 25-year-old completed the course in 2hr 4min 47sec, 7sec ahead of Geoffrey Mutai, with Vincent Kipruto in third a further 19sec adrift. The trio, accompanied for much of the race by Ethiopian Feysa Lelisa, was on track to breaking Haile Gebrsselassie's world record of 2:03.59 before fading at the last. Ethiopian Aberu Kebede won the women's race in 2:25.29 ahead of American Magdalena Lewy Boulet, with Chinese favourite Xiaolin Zhu in third. Results Men 1. Patrick Makau (KENYA) 2hr 04min 47sec, 2. Geoffrey Mutai (KENYA) 2:04.54, 3. Vincent Kipruto (KENYA) 2:05.13 Women 1. Aberu Kebede (ETHIOPIA) 2:25.29, 2. Magdalena Lewy Boulet (USA) 2:26.22, 3. Xiaolin Zhu (CHINA) 2:29.42

Martin Mathathi has set his mind on the WR 10k. Interview Martin Mathathi Parelloop, The Netherlands [+ racefootage] Results 1 Martin Mathati Kenia 27:22 2 Micah Kogo Kenia 27:52 3 Berhanu Delale Ethiopië 28:08 4 Mike Kigen Kenia 28:09 5 Job Tanui Kenia 28:25 6 Abraham Rotich Kenia 28:26 7 Pius Kirop Kenia 28:52 8 Abdi Nageeye Nederland 29:14 9 Najim El Qady Marokko 29:21 10 Saji Abdelkabir Marokko 29:21

After putting up one of the most sensational performances in the glorious history of Kenyan athletics, the world cross country champions landed back in the country to a heroic welcome. Thousands thronged the Jomo Kenyatta International airport on Tuesday evening to welcome the champions who swept the tables clean in the world cross country championship staged in Poland over the weekend. Song and dance dominated the proceedings at the JKIA as the champions who picked every piece of gold in contention in Poland returned home. Eight times, they caused the Kenyan national anthem to be sung in a heroic afternoon that firmly returned Kenya to high table of world athletics. NTVs Rita Tinina was at the JKIA.

A dark cloud hovered the 2nd New KCC/AK track and field weekend meeting at Ruringu stadium in Nyeri when an athlete collapsed and later died after a race. Private Peter Isaboke Mogere of Nanyuki Airbase died moments after he finished the 5000m heat where he was battling to qualify for the finals

Stunning run by Sudan's Abubaker Kaki.

Athletics South Africa has announced the change of venues of two fixtures on the summer season calendar. The sixth and final leg of the Yellow Pages Series, scheduled to be held at the Pilditch Stadium in Tshwane on Tuesday, April 6, and the Yellow Pages SA Junior Track and Field Championships scheduled to take place at the University of Johannesburg on the weekend of April 10-11, will both take place at the Germiston Stadium, near Johannesburg, on the dates as stated. The change of venues was necessary after both the Pilditch Stadium and the University of Johannesburg Stadium were recently declared unavailable due to 2010 FIFA World Cup training camp commitments. Do you think this will have any effect on the preparations of the athletes? Have your say below.

A record field of close to 21 000 runners, including the men and women's defending champions, and over 1 000 international runners, will line up in Newlands on Easter Saturday April,3 for the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon. The Cape's biggest road running event has attracted a field of 8 700 runners in the 56km ultra marathon, making this the second biggest field in the history of the event. The record stands at just under 10 000 (9 766) runners, which was in 2004 when Chapman's Peak reopened. Some 35% of the ultra marathon field are novices who are running the event for the first time, an indication that the sport is growing and still attracting people to the longer distances. The 21.1km has attracted a field of 11 571 runners, which makes it the biggest half marathon in the country. Last year over 13 221 runners took part in the 21.1km event but race organisers decided to reduce this number for 2010 in the interests of runner safety, both out on the route and at the finis...

Paul Tanui cruised his way to victory in the 12km men's senior race at the National cross country trials held today at the Uhuru Gardens. In the women's senior race Linet Masai was too strong for her competition.

Hundreds of mourners turned up to lay silver medallist David Kiprono Lelei to rest on Friday. A contingent of elite runners, Athletics Kenya national officials and MPs Elijah Lagat, Peris Simam and Jushua Kutuny attended the burial ceremony in Kapsabet, Wareng District. Among them were four-time Boston Marathon winner Catherine Ndereba, World 3,000m record holder Daniel Komen and former Commonwealth Games 800m champion Japhet Kimutai. Athletics Kenya chairman Isaiah Kiplagat, a member at the IAAF Council, conveyed condolences from the world-athletics governing body, saying Lelei had left a mark in global athletics circles. Kiplagat called on retired athletes to take up agent roles claiming most foreign track and field agents had little understanding about the sport. “I am calling on you retired runners not to sit back and watch as foreigners mess up with athletics. You should take up responsibilities as agents and we will bring all the resources home,” said Mr Kiplagat. Former World 10...

UTEP's Nigerian athlete Blessing Okagbare has been honoured by the league as this week’s Conference USA Female Athlete of the Week Okagbare earned her second automatic bid to the NCAA Indoor Championships next month after clocking a time of 7.22secs in the 60m dash at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational. The Sapele, Nigeria native’s time broke a 10-year old meet record, tied for first in the nation, earning the Frank Sevigne Female Most Valuable Performance of the Meet. The All-American also posted an NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 200m dash, running a 23.52 and earning gold medalist honours. Okagbare earned her first automatic bid to the NCAA Championships in the long jump on Jan. 23 at the Texas Tech Invitational with a leap of 6.59m (21-7.50). This is Okagbare’s second athlete of the week honour this season and third of her career. Okagbare and the Miners return to action as they enter Aggie territory this Saturday 13th for the Texas A&M Challenge at College Sta...

Confederation of African Athletics has given the Africa Athletics Championships Local Organising Committee a nod of approval for its efforts. However, the head of delegation Frank Fredricks said David Okeyo's committee must work overtime in order to complete the preparations before the deadline.

Ernest Kebeni is this years Nyeri Half Marathon mens champion as Gladys Otero won the womens race. But as the winners celebrate the hard fought victory, the founder who is multiple marathon champion Catherine Ndereba, noted in disappointment the low number of participants this year.

The Local Organising Committee of the 2010 Senior Africa Athletics Championship has been re-launched at a gala ceremony that was attended by top corporate figures, government leaders and leading sportsmen in Nairobi, Kenya. Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who was the chief guest, cautioned the organisers that the success in hosting the championship will serve as the yardstick for Kenya to receive endorsements to bid and stage future top sporting events. “The journey to hosting the Africa Senior Athletics Championship has just begun. It will be no simple task and it requires full commitment and financial support for the country to have a successful championship,” said Odinga. Isaiah Kiplagat, the chairman of LOC, said with only seven months remaining, they were ready to burn the midnight oil to see that they attain their target as they prepare to welcome Africa’s best track and field athletes from all the 54 stages in the five-day event at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasara...

The World Mountain running champion, Geoffrey Kusuro will lead Uganda's assault on the lucrative Obudu Mountain running championship in Nigeria where the winner will walk off with $50,000, Norman Katende reports for the New Vision newspaper . Kusuro won the world mountain running title top prize of $30,000 two months ago in Italy and will be joined by James Kibet, Martin Toroitich and Moses Aliwa in Saturday's race. The race is also an Africa Mountain running championship, where the winner will also walk off with $15,000. ........................................................................................................................................... Monde de Mountain Brose Geoffrey Kusuro entraînera l'agression de l'Ouganda sur le championnat lucrative Obudu Courir en montagne au Nigéria, où le gagnant sera repartez avec de $ 50,000 (sh93m). Kusuro remporté le monde mountain Titre courant premier prix de $ 30,000 (sh60m) il ya deux mois en Italie et sera re...

A lot has been said and written about Caster Semenya's gender issues since the South African teenager won the women's 800m title at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin last summer, but one thing missing in all these media reports is the most obvious of all. Caster was never a cheat, but she had now become a pawn in the dirty game of politics and racial determination in the post-apartheid South Africa. The IAAF also said in a statement that "no further comment will be made on the subject until further notice" as their panel of experts are still studying the results of the sex verification tests Semenya underwent in South Africa and Germany and there are ongoing consultations between the parties concerned. Meanwhile, South Africa's Department of Sport and Recreation has confirmed that Caster Semenya will not be stripped of her title despite the fact she is awaiting the verdict on whether or not she can continue to race as a woman.

Monte-Carlo – The world-wide Athletics family will gather for yet another prestigious celebration when the 2009 World Athletics Gala is held at the Salle des Etoiles of the Sporting Club d’Eté this Sunday 22 November. Hosted by International Athletic Foundation (IAF) Honorary President HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and IAF & IAAF President Lamine Diack, the World Athletics Gala will be highlighted by the announcements of the Male and the Female World Athlete of the Year 2009, with the awards presented live on stage. Following a fantastic year for track and field and a superb edition of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin five men and five women are still in contention for the prestigious award. World Athletes of the Year Finalists Men Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopia Usain Bolt, Jamaica Tyson Gay, USA Steven Hooker, Australia Andreas Thorkildsen, Norway Women Yelena Isinbayeva, Russia Sanya Richards, USA Valerie Vili, New Zealand Blanka Vlasic, Croatia Anita Wlodarczyk, P...

World 100 and 200 metres record holder Usain Bolt wrapped up his tour of Kenya with a rare meeting between him and the fastest animal on earth. The Jamaican sprinter was at the Nairobi National Park to boost wildlife conservation by adopting a cheetah, now named Lightning Bolt.