Running News Daily

Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, and Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister, Hon. Olivia Grange, have applauded the Reggae Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K events for their significant contribution to sports tourism in Jamaica within the last 16 years.

ATHLOS has announced a major change to its 2026 plans, confirming that the third edition of ATHLOS NYC will not take place as originally scheduled on October 2 at Icahn Stadium in New York City.

The decision marks a significant change for the rapidly growing women’s track and field series, which had been preparing to return to New York for another high-profile edition. ATHLOS said the move is part of a broader strategy to align its future events more closely with the global athletics calendar.

The organisation explained that it will not stage ATHLOS NYC in October 2026, with the goal of restructuring its schedule from the 2027 season onward. The new approach is intended to give the world’s best female athletes greater opportunities to compete in a healthier and more sustainable schedule while allowing them to perform at their peak.

When ATHLOS was launched, the series deliberately created a new competition window at the end of the traditional athletics season. However, as the event has grown, ATHLOS says it has become increasingly clear that its long-term home should be within the main international athletics calendar.

The cancellation of ATHLOS NYC, however, does not signal a retreat from the organisation’s global ambitions.

ATHLOS London remains firmly on the calendar for September 18, 2026, at StoneX Stadium in London, marking the series’ highly anticipated first event outside the United States. The London meeting is expected to bring together some of the biggest names in women’s athletics for what promises to be a spectacular night of elite competition.

ATHLOS has built its reputation around putting female athletes at the centre of the experience, combining world-class competition with significant prize money and an energetic event atmosphere. Its programme features several of the sport’s most exciting disciplines, including the 100m hurdles, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, mile and long jump.

While the decision to cancel the New York edition will come as a disappointment to fans who were expecting another major night at Icahn Stadium, ATHLOS insists that its commitment to women’s track and field remains stronger than ever.

The organisation is now turning its attention to London and to building a more sustainable international calendar from 2027. The latest decision could therefore prove to be less an ending than a strategic reset as ATHLOS looks to strengthen its position on the global athletics stage.

ATHLOS NYC may be absent from the 2026 calendar, but the series’ international ambitions are only getting bigger.

Georgia Hunter Bell produced another statement performance in Zürich, storming to a superb third-place finish in the women’s 800m at the Diamond League meeting while underlining once again her remarkable versatility across the middle-distance events.

The British star stopped the clock at 1:55.03, a season’s best and the second-fastest 800m of her career, finishing behind Audrey Werro and Femke Broeders-Bol in a race that ranks among the fastest women’s 800m contests seen in more than four decades.

For Hunter Bell, however, the result represented more than simply another podium finish. It was a performance that demonstrated just how dangerous she has become over two laps, despite her continued status as one of the world’s leading 1500m specialists.

Reflecting on the race, Hunter Bell admitted that her competitive instincts over 800m still demand more, but she was equally proud of the performance and excited by the quality of the race.

Her season’s best of 1:55.03 moved her closer to her personal best of 1:54.90 and confirmed that her 800m speed remains a formidable weapon. She also welcomed the opportunity to compete alongside Werro and Broeders-Bol in a race that showcased the extraordinary depth and quality currently emerging in the women’s 800m.

Yet what makes Hunter Bell particularly fascinating is her ability to excel at both 800m and 1500m — two events requiring very different combinations of speed, endurance and tactical intelligence.

Over 800m, she is a Commonwealth champion and a World Championship silver medallist, with a personal best of 1:54.90. In the 1500m, her credentials are equally impressive. She owns a personal best of 3:52.61, has produced a season’s best of 3:55.63 and has captured both European and World Indoor titles.

That combination places Hunter Bell among the most versatile middle-distance athletes of her generation.

Her Zürich performance was therefore another reminder that she cannot be defined by a single event. She possesses the raw speed required to challenge the best over 800m, while her strength, endurance and championship experience make her equally formidable over 1500m.

With Brussels next on her schedule, Hunter Bell will be looking to carry the confidence from Zürich into the next stage of her season.

Her 800m alter ego may still believe there is more to unlock, but her 1500m instincts can certainly take satisfaction from what she produced in Zürich.

Speed over two laps. Strength over four. And a championship résumé that continues to grow.

Georgia Hunter Bell is proving that versatility is not merely an advantage — it can be a defining weapon at the highest level of middle-distance running.

Femke Broeders-Bol has spent much of her career dominating the 400m hurdles, but in 2026 the Dutch star has opened an entirely new chapter — and her transformation into a world-class 800m runner is becoming one of the most fascinating stories in athletics.

What initially looked like an intriguing experiment has rapidly developed into something far more serious.

Broeders-Bol is now running times that place her firmly among the elite of the women’s 800m.

Her breakthrough has been remarkable in both its speed and scale. After making the transition to the two-lap event, she quickly demonstrated that the qualities that made her one of the world’s best 400m hurdlers could be transferred to the longer distance.

Her 2026 progression tells the story.

She clocked 1:55.60 in Paris on June 28, followed by 1:57.13 in Ostrava, before producing 1:55.54 at the European Championships in Birmingham. That performance equalled Ellen van Langen’s long-standing Dutch record of 1:55.54, a mark that had stood since the 1992 Olympic Games.

Just days later, Broeders-Bol went even faster.

At the Lausanne Diamond League on August 21, she ran 1:55.41, lowering the Dutch record outright and finishing second behind Switzerland’s Audrey Werro.

Then came Zürich.

On August 27, Broeders-Bol produced another extraordinary performance, stopping the clock at 1:54.71 to break her own national record by 0.70 seconds in less than a week. She finished second to Werro, who ran a spectacular 1:53.70 — the third-fastest time ever recorded in the women’s 800m.

For Broeders-Bol, however, the biggest headline was her own transformation.

Her 400m hurdles background has provided an exceptional foundation for the 800m. Years of racing over barriers have developed her speed, strength, rhythm, speed endurance and ability to maintain efficient mechanics when fatigue sets in. Those qualities are particularly valuable over two laps, where the ability to combine raw pace with endurance can separate the very best from the rest.

The challenge has been converting that 400m speed into sustained 800m pace.

And she is doing exactly that.

A 1:54.71 performance is no longer the result of an athlete simply testing herself in another event. It is the mark of a genuine 800m contender.

What makes the development even more intriguing is that Broeders-Bol herself has appeared surprised by just how quickly she has adapted to the distance.

In Zürich, she showed once again that her ceiling over 800m may be considerably higher than anyone initially expected.

At just 26, the Dutch star now finds herself at the beginning of a potentially extraordinary second chapter in her career. Her established reputation as a 400m hurdles powerhouse has already been transformed by a new national record over 800m — and she is continuing to improve at a breathtaking rate. World Athletics lists her 1:54.71 as her current personal best and ranks her among the leading women over the distance.

The question now is no longer whether Broeders-Bol can run the 800m.

It is how fast she can ultimately go.

If this remarkable progression continues, the road towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics could become one of the most intriguing storylines in women’s middle-distance running.

Femke Broeders-Bol has already proven that she can conquer the hurdles.

Now, she is showing that two laps of the track may belong to her too.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — August 30, 2026

Sydney is preparing for a spectacular morning of marathon racing as reigning world champions Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya and Alphonce Simbu of Tanzania headline a world-class elite field at the TCS Sydney Marathon on Sunday, August 30.

The race is set to provide another defining moment for Australian distance running, with more than 40,000 participants expected to take on the streets of Sydney and a remarkable collection of elite athletes competing for victory on one of the world's newest Abbott World Marathon Majors.

Jepchirchir and Simbu will bring an added layer of prestige to the occasion as the reigning women's and men's world marathon champions. Their presence ensures that the spotlight will be firmly fixed on Sydney as some of the world's finest distance runners battle for one of the most coveted titles on the international marathon calendar.

There will also be records in the crosshairs. The men's course record stands at 2:06:06, while the women's benchmark is 2:18:22, meaning the quality of the field has created genuine anticipation that both marks could come under threat.

In the men's race, Simbu arrives with considerable confidence and an ambitious target. The Tanzanian produced one of the most dramatic finishes of the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, holding off Germany's Amanal Petros to claim the world title. With a personal best of 2:02:47, Simbu has the speed, championship experience and belief to challenge the very best, and he has made no secret of his desire to attack Sydney's course record.

However, standing in his way is an elite group led by Ethiopia's Sisay Lemma, whose outstanding 2:01:48 personal best makes him the fastest entrant in the field. A former London and Boston Marathon champion, Lemma brings a wealth of experience at the highest level and will be one of the principal threats to Simbu's ambitions.

Kenya will also have a strong presence, with Timothy Kiplagat and Vincent Ngetich adding further firepower to an already formidable men's lineup.

Perhaps the most intriguing storyline, however, belongs to Ethiopian track star Hagos Gebrhiwet, who is set to make his highly anticipated marathon debut. A former Olympic 5,000m medallist and one of the world's fastest track distance runners, Gebrhiwet has already shown extraordinary endurance over shorter distances, including a 57:41 half-marathon personal best. His transition to the marathon will be closely watched, with fans eager to discover whether his world-class track speed can be converted into success over 42.195 kilometres.

The depth of the men's field is remarkable. No fewer than 25 athletes have broken 2:10, while 19 have already recorded times faster than Sydney's existing course record, setting the stage for a race that could develop into a battle of extraordinary pace and tactics.

The women's contest promises just as much drama, with Jepchirchir leading the way. The Kenyan superstar arrives in Sydney as the reigning world champion and Olympic champion, carrying a 2:14:43 personal best, the fastest among the women entered.

Yet victory will not come easily. Jepchirchir faces a powerful Kenyan challenge from Irine Cheptai, who owns a 2:17:51 personal best and has already established herself as a major force on the international marathon circuit.

Tanzania's Magdalena Shauri, the country's national record holder with a personal best of 2:18:03, will provide another serious threat, while the experienced Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya adds further championship pedigree to an already impressive women's field.

Ethiopian stars Shure Demise and Haven Hailu, alongside Uganda's Stella Chesang, will also be looking to make their mark as the race unfolds through Sydney's iconic streets.

The setting could hardly be more spectacular. Starting in North Sydney, the marathon takes runners across the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge before heading towards the unforgettable finish at the Sydney Opera House. With the city providing a breathtaking backdrop, the race has all the ingredients for another historic chapter in its rapid rise on the global marathon scene.

For the elite athletes, however, the beauty of Sydney will quickly become secondary once the gun goes off.

The champions will be chasing victory. The record hunters will be chasing history. And for Gebrhiwet, an entirely new chapter of his career will begin.

Two reigning world champions. Multiple sub-2:05 contenders. A world-class women's field. A highly anticipated marathon debut. And course records that could be under serious threat.

Everything is in place for an unforgettable Sunday in Sydney.

Will Alphonce Simbu turn his ambition into a new course record?

 Can Sisay Lemma's 2:01:48 experience carry him to victory?

Will Hagos Gebrhiwet announce himself as a future marathon superstar?

 And can Peres Jepchirchir add the Sydney Marathon crown to her already extraordinary list of achievements?

Sydney is ready.

The champions have arrived. The records are waiting. The stage is set for a spectacular showdown.

Masai Russell delivered a performance for the ages at the Zurich Diamond League, storming to a stunning 12.09 seconds in the women’s 100m hurdles to break Tobi Amusan’s world record.

Running in completely still conditions with a legal 0.0 m/s wind, the American Olympic champion became the first woman in history to break the 12.10-second barrier.

Russell improved upon Amusan’s previous world record of 12.12, set at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene. The mark is subject to the usual ratification process.

After repeatedly demonstrating her dominance throughout the season, Russell arrived in Zurich as the woman to beat. She attacked the race with extraordinary speed and precision, maintaining her rhythm over the hurdles before pulling away in the closing stages.

When the clock flashed 12.09, the significance of the performance was immediately clear. A barrier that had never been broken was gone.

Even more remarkably, the woman whose record she broke was racing beside her. Amusan, the Nigerian star who had held the world record for four years, finished second in 12.23.

The Netherlands’ Nadine Visser completed the podium in 12.34.

The performance adds another extraordinary chapter to Russell’s career. After establishing herself among the world’s elite and producing a season of remarkable consistency, she has reached the summit of the event as its fastest athlete in history.

Russell’s 12.09 was more than a victory. It rewrote the record books and provided the ultimate confirmation of her dominance.

Zurich had already witnessed a world record from Alison dos Santos in the men’s 400m hurdles. Less than 40 minutes later, Russell ensured the evening would become one of the most memorable in Diamond League history.

Masai Russell is now the world-record holder—and the first woman to run under 12.10 seconds for the 100m hurdles.