Sifan Hassan's new world record amid other fast times at the 2019 Monaco Diamond League

Sifan Hassan and Laura Weightman after going 1-2

Fast times have usually been recorded in the past years at the Monaco Diamond League meeting, especially in the distance events. It was the same case this year with a world record being set in the women’s 1 mile and world-leading times being registered in the men’s 3000m steeplechase and 800m races.

The women’s 1 mile race became the much talked about race after Sifan Hassan turned it around from what had appeared to be a low profile event, given the scarcity of other big names to provide competition. It was only Tsegay Gudaf who was able to stick with Hassan after the pacesetter had stepped out. For a while, it appeared as though Tsegay was trailing Hassan and waiting to strike in the last stages of the race.

But, just after the bell, Hassan accelerated and built a big gap that kept increasing rapidly as she went for the new world record crossing the finish line in 4:12.33. Tsegay would suffer from her mistake of trying to keep up with her as two other athletes overtook her before she reached the finish line. Laura Weightman finished second in a personal best time of 4:17.60 followed by Canada’s Gabriela Debues-Stafford in a new national record of 4:17.87.

Wyclife Kinyamal leads Kenyans to a 1-2-3 finish in the 800m race as Kejelcha win 5000m at the Lausanne Diamond League meeting

Yomif Kejelcha

One of the biggest races of the night was the men’s 5000m, given the start list that had almost all the runners who had shown great form in distances ranging from the 3,000m to the 10,000m this season. There were 15 runners who had run under 13 minutes for the distance. There were also some perceived scores to be settled between Tilahun Bekele and Selemon Barega; Joshua Cheptegei and Barega; Yomif Kejelcha and Barega; Paul Chelimo and Cheptegei, among others.

However, Yomif Kejelcha who had not featured much in the most recent races was the man who won what is arguably the most anticipated race of the year.



The first 1000m was quite fast with the pace setter taking the field through it in 2:32.96. However, the pace was slowed down a little after the pacesetters stepped out after around the 3,000m mark, as though no one was willing to risk trying to break away from such a formidable field.

Interview: Seven questions from Noel Paine regarding my online coaching

I, participating at the 2017 Ottawa marathon in Ottawa, Canada

 It is always a pleasure to me getting to talk about my passions of running, writing and coaching. I got seven questions this week from my favorite running friend, an athlete I currently coach and a fellow dad; Noel Paine.

Noel has experience of over 30 years as a runner and is hoping to still run a personal best time for the marathon at the age of 43 years, which I think is possible.

Below are questions from Noel Paine regarding my online coaching:

A look at the men’s 5000m race for tonight at the Lausanne IAAF Diamond League

Telahun Bekele leading a recent men's 5000m race

Someone just confided in me that if he were in the start list for the men’s 5000m race tonight at the Lausanne Diamond League meeting, then he would have just faked an injury and wait for a less competitive race later in the circuit.

With 15 runners having personal best times of under 13 minutes in tonight’s race, it is set to be one of, if not, the most competitive 5,000m race this year.

Beatrice Chepkoech and Joshua Cheptegei's sweet revenge at the Preclassic Iaaf Diamond League

Beatrice Chepkoech running at the Kenyan trials in Nairobi

Not sure if it was because the setting and lighting were different from that of the other Diamond League races, given that it happened in broad daylight as opposed to others that have happened mostly in the evening, but this year’s Preclassic diamond league was mesmerizing to watch!



A Crazy and exciting women’s 3000m steeplechase race that left the field in a single file within the first kilometer was the first distance event in the sunny and clear afternoon in Stanford. Beatrice Chepkoech chose a strategy that works best for her; she broke away from the group from the start. The chasing pack regrouped itself again in the last stages of the race and there was a different championship caliber race (complete with former and reigning world champions in it) for the second place as Chepkoech ran her own different race at the front.

17 week marathon training program that improved my time by 29 minutes

My ebook

In my preparation to go out and run a 2:26.48 marathon, I recorded each workout from the first date of starting my training, for continuous 17 weeks, till I remained with the last couple of weeks for tapering and travel. In it are the time splits I would post in all my runs; 25km runs, 38km runs, track intervals, 15km tempo runs, etc.

While this program will not make you run 2:26 by reading it, it will help you compare the times you post in your workouts with mine and see how you will adjust them to make sure you run faster than me in your next race. Or, at least it will help to just sample a typical Kenyan training program in your own training.