Athletics

Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha regained the world half marathon record after running a time of 56:51 at the Buenos Aires Marathon in Argentina on Sunday, 23 August.Download our MozzartSport App For More NewsKejelcha, who in April became the fastest full marathon debutant behind world record-holder Sabastian Sawe in London, was back to his best as he shaved 29 seconds off the previous half marathon record of 57:20, set by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo in Lisbon in March.The 29-year-old Kejelcha, evidently in a race against time all through the World Athletics Labe road race, hit the final kilometer in 2:32, to lower his lifetime best in the distance by 39 seconds.The Ethiopian previously held the distance world record in 2024, when he won the Valencia Half Marathon in a time of 57:30, a time that was later lowered by Kiplimo twice.##NAJAVA_MECA_9907707##Kiplimo had clocked 56:42 in Barcelona last year, but the time could not be ratified as a world record, because the race conditions were not fully ..

Kenya’s Edmund Serem could only manage a sixth-place finish in the men’s 3000m steeplechase race at the Silesia Diamond League on Sunday, 23 August.Download our MozzartSport App For More NewsSerem, running alongside his elder brother Amos, was off the pace in the last 400m, falling behind the leading pack to cross the line in a time of 8:09.57.The 18-year-old, who was recently crowned Commonwealth Games champion in Glasgow, Scotland, had been up to fifth in the penultimate lap of the race, but could oddly not make gains after the bell, thus registering his worst-place finish of the year. ##NAJAVA_MECA_9907034##Having initially built up as a race that would see the two Serem brothers lead the charge, all that excitement was dampened at the starting line after it became apparent that Amos was just but a pacemaker.Lilian Odira urges shift in coaching mindset after success under female coachThe 23-year-old former U20 gold medalist led the pack through the first 2000m of the race, before st..

World 800m champion Lilian Odira will be among the star attractions at the Zurich leg of the Wanda Diamond League scheduled for Thursday, 27 August.Download Our MozzartSport App For More NewsOdira, 27, will once again be tested in a battle of heavyweights at the Letzigrund Stadium, coming up against Swiss star Audrey Werro, Femke Broeders-Bol, and the recently crowned Commonwealth Games champion Georgia Hunter Bell.##NAJAVA_MECA_9907844##“The stage is set for another unforgettable 800-meter evening at Letzigrund Stadium,” Zurich Diamond League organizers wrote on their platform, confirming the three two-lap stars to what will be the 14th and penultimate leg of the 2026 Diamond League season. “Over two laps of the track, in front of 25,000 fans, it will be decided who will create the next great moment in this time-honored discipline in Zurich.”The announcement comes at a time when the African Championships silver medalist is enjoying a stellar season, which has seen her only lose four t..

Olympic champion Winfred Yavi produced a devastating finishing kick to defeat Commonwealth Games champion Faith Cherotich and set a new meeting record in the women’s 3000m steeplechase at the Diamond League Meeting in Lausanne on Friday, 21 August.Yavi clocked 9:00.04 to claim victory and erase the previous meeting record, while reigning world champion Cherotich crossed the line second in 9:01.90. Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsTunisia’s Marwa Bouzayani completed the podium in 9:05.55.The race lived up to expectations as Cherotich and Yavi traded the lead throughout an enthralling contest before the Bahraini athlete pulled away over the closing stages.##NAJAVA_MECA_907080##Cherotich made an aggressive start, immediately taking charge of the pace. By the 1200m mark, the Kenyan remained at the front of a tightly packed leading group that also featured Yavi and Bouzayani.Yavi responded by moving into the lead after the 1600m mark, with Cherotich staying close behind as the tw..

World 800m champion Lilian Odira will compete in the prestigious Athlos series after being confirmed for both the London and New York meets, capping off an impressive 2026 season that has established her among the world’s leading 800m runners.Download our MozzartSport App For More NewsThe event will be staged across two cities, beginning on Friday, 18 September at StoneX Stadium in London, United Kingdom, before culminating with the championship finale on Friday, 2 October at Icahn Stadium in New York City, USA.##NAJAVA_MECA_9907080##Odira, the reigning world champion, heads into the lucrative women’s-only competition ranked seventh on the 2026 world performance list courtesy of her season-best time of 1:56.19, which she clocked while winning the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on July 4.Founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, Athlos has emerged as one of the most innovative competitions in global athletics.Odira to collide with Werro, Bol at Lausanne Diamond LeagueThe all-female pr..

Kenyan stars Hellen Obiri and Benson Kipruto will return to defend their titles at the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon after being confirmed among the elite athletes for the race’s historic 50th edition.Download Our MozzartSport App For More NewsRace organisers, New York Road Runners (NYRR), announced a world-class professional field for the Sunday, 1 November event, which is expected to welcome close to 60,000 participants. This year’s race marks 50 years since the marathon expanded to its iconic five-borough course in 1976.##NAJAVA_MECA_9901490##Obiri heads back to New York looking to continue her love affair with the course after producing a record-breaking performance in 2025. The two-time champion stormed to victory in 2:19:51, erasing a course record that had stood for more than two decades.The Kenyan has enjoyed another impressive season, highlighted by a runner-up finish at the London Marathon, where she clocked a personal best of 2:15:53.Kipyegon to miss ultimate championships..

Kenya’s middle-distance queen Faith Kipyegon will miss the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships after confirming that a lingering hamstring injury will keep her out of competition longer than expected.The triple Olympic champion announced on Wednesday, August 19, that her priority is now a full recovery, ruling herself out of next month’s showpiece event and the remainder of the Diamond League season.##NAJAVA_MECA_9901531##Kipyegon revealed that she has been managing the injury since the end of May, but her recovery has taken longer than initially hoped.“Since the end of May, I have been dealing with a hamstring injury and, unfortunately, it needs a bit longer to recover than I had hoped. I know that taking care of it now is the most important thing I can do to come back at my best. So for now, I will take the time to heal, recover and get stronger,” Kipyegon said in a statement.The setback comes after a season that began on a promising note before being disrupted by injury..

Brothers Amos and Edmund Serem will spearhead Kenya’s challenge in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase when the Wanda Diamond League heads to Silesia, Poland, on Sunday, 23 August.The siblings have emerged as two of Kenya’s brightest hopes in the event as the country looks to regain its rich legacy in the steeplechase. Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsAmos is seeking a return to his best after an injury-hit spell, while his younger brother Edmund arrives in top form and firmly in the hunt for the Diamond League title.Amos first rose to prominence after winning the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2021 World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, clocking 8:30.72 to finish ahead of Ethiopia’s Bikila Tadese Takele and fellow Kenyan Simon Koech.The success paved the way for a smooth transition to the senior ranks. In 2023, he claimed silver at the African Games in Accra before earning selection to represent Kenya at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where he placed 14th in the final.##NAJAVA_MECA_..

Kenyan sprinter Meshack Babu kept the country’s hopes alive in the men’s 100m at the 2026 Commonwealth Games after qualifying for the semifinals, while compatriot Mark Otieno saw his campaign come to an end during the heats held on Monday, 27 July, in Glasgow.Babu booked his place in Tuesday’s semifinals after finishing second in the opening heat in a time of 10.21 seconds. Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsNigeria’s Favour Ashe won the race in 10.10, with both athletes advancing to the next round.Otieno, meanwhile, failed to progress after finishing fourth in the 10th and final heat. ##NAJAVA_MECA_9865198##The Kenyan clocked 10.38 as Lesotho’s Mojela Koneshe claimed victory in 10.07 to secure qualification.Elsewhere, Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu produced one of the standout performances of the morning by winning the second heat in 10.01, while Wales’ Jeremiah Azu cruised to victory in the third heat in 10.10. Jamaica’s Rohan Watson then won the fourth heat before Ghana’s Ben..

Nairobi has formally entered the race to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, with Athletics Kenya and the Government of Kenya combining efforts in a bid to bring the sport’s biggest global event to Africa for the first time.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsKenya has submitted a fully backed bid that places Nairobi among the cities seeking to stage the 2029 championships, alongside London, Rome and Munich.##NAJAVA_MECA_9883810##A successful bid would give Kenya a landmark opportunity to host the senior World Athletics Championships, and make Nairobi the first African city to stage the prestigious event.The government has pledged its full support to the candidature, including the provision of the infrastructure, security and organisational structures required to host an event of such international scale.Kenyan youngster reveals how double Olympic champion inspired World U20 gold medal runKenya’s case is strengthened by its long history of hosting major athletics compe..