READ ON for English and French language versions of this press release
- La traduction fran&ccedil;aise suit le texte anglais&nbsp;
Birmingham, UK - As per tradition on the eve of an IAAF World Athletics Series competition, an IAAF Dinner was held on the evening of Saturday 10 October ahead of the IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, Sunday (11).
IAAF Vice-President Lord Sebastian Coe delivered the official welcome on behalf of the IAAF to the 140 guests at the dinner which was held in the magnificent Victorian Banqueting Suite of the city&rsquo;s Council House.
Built between 1874 and 1879 on what was once Ann Street, and designed by Yeoville Thomason, the Council House is now a Grade II listed building, used for all Council and most Committee meetings.
Birmingham is no stranger to world class athletics or for that matter IAAF World Athletics Series events. The host of an exceptionally successful edition of the IAAF World Indoor Championships in 2003, the city&rsquo;s National Indoor Arena which was the venue for those championships annually stages an IAAF Indoor Permit meeting, and housed the 2006 European Indoor Championships.
After the opening speech, to mark the occasion of the IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships and Birmingham&rsquo;s long and successful relationship with athletics, Seb Coe on behalf of the IAAF presented the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Michael Wilkes with an IAAF Plaque.
Completing the formal part of the evening Lord Coe then presented David Littlewood, the world renowned and respected International Technical Official, with an IAAF Plaque in recognition of&nbsp;his lifelong contribution to our sport.
IAAF
Master of Ceremonies was Chris Turner, IAAF Communications Dept
 D&icirc;ner de l'IAAF &ndash; Championnats du Mode de Semi-Marathon, Birmingham Birmingham, Royaume-Uni &ndash; Comme le veut la tradition &agrave; la veille de chaque comp&eacute;tition de la S&eacute;rie Mondiale de l'Athl&eacute;tisme de l'IAAF, un d&icirc;ner de l'IAAF a &eacute;t&eacute; organis&eacute; le samedi 10 octobre &agrave; l'occasion des Championnats du Monde de Semi-Marathon IAAF / EDF Energy, qui se sont tenus &agrave; Birmingham le dimanche 11 octobre. C'est Lord Sebastian Coe, vice-pr&eacute;sident de l'IAAF, qui a prononc&eacute; le discours d'ouverture et souhait&eacute; la bienvenue, au nom de l'IAAF, aux quelque 140 invit&eacute;s du d&icirc;ner, qui s'est tenu&nbsp; dans la majestueuse salle des banquets victorienne de l'h&ocirc;tel de ville de Birmingham. Construit entre 1874 et 1879, dans ce qui s'appelait &agrave; l'&eacute;poque Ann Street, l'h&ocirc;tel de ville de Birmingham, con&ccedil;u par Yeoville Thomason, est d&eacute;sormais un b&acirc;timent class&eacute;. Il accueille tous les conseils municipaux ainsi que la majorit&eacute; des r&eacute;unions des diff&eacute;rents comit&eacute;s de la municipalit&eacute;. Birmingham n'en &eacute;tait bien &eacute;videmment pas l&agrave; &agrave; son coup d'essai en mati&egrave;re de comp&eacute;titions d'athl&eacute;tisme prestigieuses, ni, d'ailleurs, en &eacute;preuves de la S&eacute;rie Mondiale de l'Athl&eacute;tisme de l'IAAF. Elle a ainsi organis&eacute; une &eacute;dition particuli&egrave;rement r&eacute;ussie des Championnats du Monde en salle de l'IAAF en 2003 dans la National Indoor Arena (NIA), l'ar&egrave;ne couverte o&ugrave; est organis&eacute;e chaque ann&eacute;e une comp&eacute;tition en salle &agrave; Permis de l'IAAF. C'est &eacute;galement la NIA qui a abrit&eacute; les Championnats d'Europe en salle 2006. Apr&egrave;s son allocution d'ouverture, et afin de comm&eacute;morer tant ces Championnats du Monde de Semi-Marathon IAAF/EDF Energy que la longue et riche histoire des relations liant Birmingham et le sport de l'athl&eacute;tisme, Lord Coe a remis, au nom de l'IAAF, une Plaque de l'IAAF au Maire de Birmingham, M. Michael Wilkes. Lord Coe a ensuite remis une Plaque de l'IAAF &agrave; David Littlewood, un Officiel technique international de renomm&eacute;e mondiale, en reconnaissance de ses longues ann&eacute;es de contributions au sport. IAAF Le Ma&icirc;tre de c&eacute;r&eacute;monies de la soir&eacute;e &eacute;tait Chris Turner, du D&eacute;partement des communications de l'IAAF. L&eacute;gende illustration: le vice-pr&eacute;sident Lord Seb Coe remet une Plaque de l'IAAF &agrave; David Littlewood (Getty Images)

, UK - As per tradition on the eve of an IAAF World Athletics Series competition, an IAAF Dinner was held on the evening of Saturday 10 October ahead of the IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, Sunday (11).

IAAF Dinner – World Half Marathon, Birmingham

Birmingham, UKThere was prerace drama ahead of tomorrow's IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, when three of the main medal contenders, Mary Keitany, Sammy Kitwara and Dathan Ritzenhein, were stuck for nearly an hour in the lift of the REP Theatre, which is being used as the press centre for the event, so preventing them appearing at the official IAAF Press Conference.
Thankfully all were eventually freed but after their exhausting ordeal they returned immediately to the athletes hotel.
Reigning World champion Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea was more fortunate because arriving a few minutes late missed being caught in the incident and speaking at the conference was very upbeat about winning a fourth successive title.
Tadese the World 10,000m silver medallist behind Kenenisa Bekele in August, said: "I am going&nbsp; to run hard to win.” &nbsp; "I have won for the last three years. After Berlin I started preparing for this race because it is important for me and tomorrow I will try to win again." 
The Eritrean adamant he will not underestimate the opposition and contesting his first half marathon this year, added: "I was really happy with my performance in Berlin but I think for tomorrow I'm going to have to work hard to win."
Tadese who has a Spanish coach and manager, revealed: "I have prepared in Eritrea because it is high altitude and sometimes in Spain." &nbsp; He insisted despite dropping out of the London Marathon in April on his debut over the distance, it has not affected his future career plans.
"Yes, I will still run on the track and in road races. (But) for the future I am going to run the marathon." &nbsp; Tadese explained: "For the London Marathon (in April) I had problems after the World Cross Country (in March). One week before London I was sick.”
"Now tomorrow is important, the half marathon is a way forward."
Tadese who will spearhead his country's challenge for a team medal, added: "Yes it's possible but every country will be ready for this competition. But we'll see if the team is ready.” &nbsp; Earlier IAAF General Secretary Pierre Weiss announced there would be a review of the future of the World Half Marathon Championships by the IAAF Road Running Commission at a meeting which will be held after tomorrow's race.
"We are not pleased with the participation and number of athletes and our federations in this competition," Weiss said with less than 50 countries taking part. 
"We must open our eyes and speak with the experts and listen…. The debate is open and the matter will be discussed at our next IAAF Council meeting in November."
Although the championships offer US$245,000 dollars in prize money, “we do not offer what the top athletes receive for competing in world top marathons."
IAAF Ambassador Wilson Kipketer, the retired holder of the World 800 metres record discussing the massive divide in standards between African athletes and other global areas, provided an enlightened opinion.
The Kenyan now a Danish citizen, said:&nbsp; "What ought we to do in Europe? We have the facilities but what we are missing is the right attitude.”
"The thing is how to use the things we have. So maybe that's the problem - we're (Europe) using them the wrong way.”
"Many argue we have to go train in high mountains - but that's not what we need.” &nbsp; "Most European athletes train hard but they need to compete more in head-to-heads so they can get confident running against someone who is faster than them. They will become more confident by racing and winning."
"I think it is more a psychological problem about training at altitude. They (Europeans) are running the mileage but they want to train at altitude and go to Kenya and train for one week."
Kipketer suggesting this could be wrong insisted: "But they are not training properly or timing and planning their seasons properly."
Ed Warner UK Athletics chairman whose federation hosted a highly successful endurance conference on Friday, expanded on the debate.
Warner stressing current trends can be reversed said: "I'm shaking my head. Ian Stewart's (UKA's endurance coach) philosophy would be that hard work has to be at the core of any athlete wanting to succeed against the African runners and that's something that needs bringing to the party.” &nbsp; "If you look at the women’s side, we have in Great Britain two of the world’s greatest marathon runners (Paula Radcliffe and Mara Yamauchi).”
"If you look at middle distance in Berlin (World championships) we won two medals (Jenny Meadows 800m bronze, Lisa Dobriskey 1500m silver).”
"So we're certainly not defeatist. If you look at the common theme across those four athletes they're all incredibly hard workers. There is no substitute for the hard work.” &nbsp; "What Ian is bringing to the table is hard work. There arre some other things we should be doing such as collective training at altitude not just British training groups but multi national training groups.” "Maybe we've been so insular. I think you'll see the benefits over time.&nbsp; The Americans are paving the way. There isn't a defeatist spirit.”
Dave Martin for the IAAF

- There was pre-race drama ahead of tomorrow's IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, when three of the main medal contenders, Mary Keitany, Sammy Kitwara and Dathan Ritzenhein, were stuck for nearly an hour in the lift of the REP Theatre, which is being used as the press centre for the event, so preventing them appearing at the official IAAF Press Conference.

IAAF Press Conference – World Half Marathon Championships

The women’s race at the IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham on Sunday 11 October 2009 boasts the appearance of the world’s quickest runner of 2009, Kenyan Mary Keitany, who was the silver medallist in 2007.
Keitany, 27, took her place on the podium in a personal best of 1:06:48 on the heels, albeit somewhat distantly, of the World record performance of the Netherlands’ Lornah Kiplagat (1:06:25) in Udine, Italy. Sadly Kiplagat, the reigning three-time World champion is sidelined with a serious knee injury and so cannot bid for a fourth consecutive title this weekend.
Stepping out of Kiplagat’s shadow this Sunday, however unfortunately achieved, Keitany has an ideal opportunity to blossom into the top global talent which she has so long promised to become. Currently the fastest of the year thanks to her 1:07:00 victory in Lille, France on 5 September, Keitany is a full 50 seconds quicker this year than any of her opponents entered for Birmingham.
So can Keitany confidently take an advance on Sunday’s race winner’s pay cheque of US$30,000 and go shopping on Saturday in Birmingham’s famous Bullring shopping centre?
Kietany has run very little this year whereas the nearest to her on the world season’s lists, Japan based compatriot Philes Ongori, has by comparison run prolifically and is the fourth quickest runner of the year thanks to her 1:07:50 which she clocked in the RAK Half Marathon at the end of February. 
Also included in the women’s team is another Japan-based regular Filomena Cheyech whose 1:08:44 win in Yamaguchi on 15 March makes her the 12th quickest this season. Another good racer is Peninah Arusei, who was fifth in Rio de Janeiro last year and is the only survivor of that Kenyan squad to be running in Birmingham. Arusei’s best this year is the 1:08:47 which she ran in Milan on 5 April.
The Kenyan line-up is completed by Caroline Cheptanui Kilel who was 16th in the 2005 World Half Marathon in 2005, and won in a personal best in Glasgow, Scotland in 1:09:03 on 6 September.
With Britain’s former three-time champion Paula Radcliffe sadly pulling out this week with tonsillitis, it could be argued that&nbsp;this race has been left open to the mercy of the prodigiously talented Kenyans.
That said, last year we were surprised when arch-rivals Ethiopia took the team title in Rio, and once again they will be the chief barrier to a Kenyan sweep of all the silverware that is on offer, individual or team.
Abebu Gelan, who finished sixth last year, is the fastest non-Kenyan on the entry list. The 19-year-old Ethiopian’s 1:07:57 which positions her fifth on the season’s list was achieved when finishing fourth in the swift Ras Al Khaimah race on 20 February, a competition which currently dominates the 2009 world standings. If only the Ethiopians had been able to field the winner and runner-up from that race, Dire Tune and Aselefech Mergia, there would be no talk now of Kenyan domination in Birmingham. Without Tune, fourth in 2006, and Mergia, second last year, the Ethiopian challenge is severely weakened. However, as well as Gelan they can look to Aberu Kebebe (1:08:43) from their squad to hold up honour.
Japan, who have taken the bronze medal for the last four years, look able to challenge for the silver this time-out with last year’s 10th placer Yukiko Akaba (1:08:11) and the experienced Yurika Nakamura (1:09:20) leading their charge. Nakamura was a World track finalist at the 5000m and 10,000m in Berlin.
Russia, another regular team medal winner over the years, silver in 2005 was their last podium place, has assembled an habitually strong contingent which notably includes European 10,000m champion Inga Abitova (1:11:24). However, the thrust of their challenge should be provided by last month’s Berlin city marathon runner-up Silviya Skvortsova who holds a 1:09:17 PB, and 39-year-old Irina Timofeyeva, whose PB of 1:09:29 was set when coming 14th in the 2007 edition of these championships.
36-year-old Lidia Simon of Romania, the 2001 World Marathon champion, is the most decorated of all the runners in Birmingham in terms of the World Half Marathon having accumulated eight medals (team and individual). She took team gold in 1996 and 1997, the years in which she was respectively individual silver and bronze medallist. She grabbed a further bronze in 1998 as part of her country’s overall silver medal showing, and then took a third bronze in 2000 to lead home another team gold for her country. Simon has a personal best of 1:08:34 from way back in 2000 but this year has only mustered 1:13:01. 
&gt;&gt;UPDATE 14:00hrs: Lidia Simon has pulled-out as she is suffering from a virus&lt;&lt;
Romania’s bid for success will be assisted by another past multiple team medallist Nuta Olaru, three years older than Simon, who has a PB of 1:09:00 (2002) and has clocked 1:11:43 this year in Seattle. What Simon is to medals, Olaru is to participation as when she runs this weekend she will become the fourth woman to have taken part in a record eight editions of the World Half Marathon Championships.
Long established faces such as Serbia’s Olivera Jevtic (1:09:18 PB; 1:12:20 best in 2009), the European Marathon silver medallist, who was fourth back in the 1998 World Half Marathon and sixth in 2002, and Mexico’s Maria Rodriguez (1:10:30 PB) who again is been much slower this year (1:12:38), could also feature.
The biggest chance for a shock could come from New Zealand’s experienced track runner Kimberley Smith, 8th at the World championships 10,000m in Berlin, who holds an array of Area and national records on the track and whose move onto the roads at this distance could be of international interest.
Without Radcliffe it looks like the host team from Britain will just have to use these championships for experience as their fastest entrant is Michelle Ross-Cope (1:12:35).
Chris Turner for the IAAF

– The women’s race at the IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham on Sunday 11 October 2009 boasts the appearance of the world’s quickest runner of 2009, Kenyan Mary Keitany, who was the silver medallist in 2007.

WOMEN’s RACE PREVIEW - World Half Marathon, Birmingham 2009

Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea is the favourite to win the global road running title for&nbsp;a fourth consecutive year at the IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships which take place in Birmingham on Sunday 11 October 2009.
Tadese took the first of his victories in 2007 over the 20km distance at what was then the briefly (for two years) renamed the World Road Running Championships. A year later he won over the half marathon setting his personal best of 58:59 which today is the seventh quickest run of all time on courses applicable for record purposes. 
Eritrea’s first ever global champion in any sport went to Rio de Janeiro last year and stomped on the hopes of his opponents with a superb solo run to record his third successive victory and collect another pay cheque of US$30,000. That sum is the winning prize at these annual championships, part of an overall US$245,000 purse available for the top six individuals and teams across the men’s and women’s races.
The 27-year-old Tadese might be seeking his fourth consecutive gold in this event when he takes to the streets of Birmingham on Sunday but he is already a four-time World champion having won the 2007 World Cross Country Championships title as well.
By not finishing his debut marathon in London this spring Tadese cast a slight shadow on his 2009 season&nbsp;but after his World Championships silver medal over 10,000m (26:50.12) in Berlin behind Kenenisa Bekele, anyone who imagines that Tadese, who is also this year’s World Cross Country bronze medallist, is not the firm favourite for gold in Birmingham is seriously deluding themselves.
Tadese led home his country to team silver in Rio de Janeiro but of his four compatriots last time only Teame Yemane who finished 35th in 2008 runs this weekend. However, it would be a surprise if the Eritrean team who have finished runners-up for the last four years did not do so again in Birmingham especially as Ethiopia who last won in 2005 has fielded a relatively low key team, and Qatar, the bronze medallists in Rio, have not entered any runners at all!
Kitwara leads all new Kenyan squad
Tadese, and Eritrea as a whole, face the might of the Kenyan delegation which is a totally new line-up from the squad that took gold last year. While they are without the world’s fastest runner of this year, Patrick Makau, who was individual silver medallist in the last two editions, Kenya have still lined-up a formidable team led by Sammy Kitwara, the winner of the Rotterdam Half Marathon in a PB of 58:58, the second fastest time of 2009.
Another three of the Kenyans entered also have personal bests of sub-60mins. Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich is the third fastest man in the world this year (58:59), and he is joined by Bernard Kiprop Kipyego (59:10) and Wilson Kwambai Chebet (59:15).
Kipyego is a real newcomer taking a magnificent 59:34 debut win at the distance at this year’s Berlin Half Marathon and then a fourth place finish behind Kitwara in Rotterdam, the 59:10 he recorded there making him the sixth fastest in the world in 2009. 
Dos Santos approaching best shape?
Aside Tadese, of the top-8 finishers in Rio the only runner to return this year is Brazil’s two-time New York Marathon champion Marilson dos Santos. The 32-year-old who was seventh in the 2007 edition in Udine in a personal best of 59:33, was 16th at the Berlin World Championships over the full distance and in his build-up to a title defence in New York should be approaching his best shape.
Mekonnen, a blast from the past
If Ethiopia is going to mount a serious challenge then it should come from Tilahun Regassa who is only 19-years-old and has a personal best of 59:36 (2008), and from Dereje Tesfaye whose 1:00:02 was set when coming third in The Hague this spring, and he was also recently third in Glasgow too (1:01:44; 6 Sep). 
And there is a blast from the past with the reappearance of Hailu Mekonnen on the international stage. Now 29 years old, Ethiopia’s former winner of two World Cross Country short course medals (1999 and 2002) has a personal best for 1500m of 3:33.14, and in his move up to the longer distances finished just ahead of Tesfaye in Glasgow in 1:01:29.
Tanzania’s squad led by 2003 and 2004 silver medallist Fabiano Joseph Naasi (PB 59:56) will be in the hunt for team medals, having last been on the podium in 2003 when they took the team title. Uganda, another team to have tasted success, bronze in 2004, will be led by stalwart Martin Toroitich who was 13th in that year. Japan's Atsushi Sato, a 2:07 marathoner, who with a&nbsp;1:00:25 PB is the national record holder for the half marathon is another experienced competitor to watch. Sato, who has a quickest this year of 1:01:29, has run&nbsp;in the World Half Marathon Championships twice before, in 2002 and 2007, finishing eighth and ninth, respectively.
Ritzenhein, the dark horse?
Off the radar at the moment in terms of his personal best at the half marathon is USA’s Dathan Ritzenhein, the sixth place finisher at 10,000m at the World Championships in Berlin. The 26-year-old was the surprise of the night on the track over 5000m at this year’s ÅF Golden League meeting in Zürich. There he ran 12:56.27 to finally wipe away the long standing Area record of compatriot Bob Kennedy (12:58.21) set in Zurich on 14 August 1996. Before the race Ritzenhein’s personal best had been 13:16.06, and he is acknowledged to be a much better road racer and so his 1:01:25 personal best from 2006 is surely in for major revision this weekend.
Finally, hosts Britain will be relying on the experienced Andrew Lemoncello (1:05:17) for their best showing though their fastest entrant is Philip Wicks (1:02:51).
Chris Turner for the IAAF

, UK - Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea is the favourite to win the global road running title for&nbsp;a fourth consecutive year&nbsp;at the IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships which take place in Birmingham on Sunday 11 October 2009.

MEN’s RACE PREVIEW - World Half Marathon, Birmingham 2009

Birmingham, UKThe Start List for the IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, UK on Sunday 11 October is now available.
The START LIST&nbsp;is downloadable in pdf format from ‘Related Content’ to the right-hand-side of this message.
Click here to view&nbsp;<A class="" href="http://www.iaaf.org/whm09/results/eventCode=4142/index.html" mce_href="http://www.iaaf.org/whm09/results/eventCode=4142/index.html">RESULTS</A> on race day (11 October).
IAAF

, UK - The Start List for the IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, UK on Sunday 11 October is now available.

START LIST - World Half Marathon, Birmingham 2009

MonteCarloA total prize purse of US$245,000 will be paid by the IAAF at the IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, UK on Sunday 11 October.
(all amounts are in US$) 
Place / Prize
Individual 1st - 30,000 2nd - 15,000 3rd - 10,000 4th - 7000 5th - 5000 6th - 3000
Teams 1st - 15,000 2nd - 12,000 3rd - 9000 4th - 7500 5th - 6000 6th - 3000
NOTE. The payment of all individual and team prize money is dependant upon athletes undergoing and clearing the usual anti-doping procedures.
Course Route and Profile
The men’s and women’s races take to the streets of Birmingham at 9.00hrs and 9.30hrs respectively (GMT + 1hr) on Sunday morning (11 October) and follow a route that starts and finishes on Broad Street near Centenary Square in the heart of the city centre. 
It takes in some of Birmingham’s major landmarks and includes a lap around Cannon Hill Park, one of the city’s premier parks. The competitors will also run past Cadbury World and the Cadbury factory in Bournville.
See map and profile in ‘Related Content’ under the&nbsp;event logo&nbsp;to the right of this text
Team Scoring
In both races a maximum of seven athletes may be entered by each Member Federation, though no more than five will be allowed to start, with three to score. Each race shall be scored separately. The team results shall be decided by the aggregate of times recorded by the scoring athletes of each team. The team with the lowest aggregate of times will be judged the winner. If a team fails to finish with a complete scoring team, the runners finishing shall be counted as individuals in the race result and be eligible for the individual awards. In the event of a tie, it shall be resolved in favour of the team whose last scoring member finishes nearer to first place.
IAAF

- A total prize purse of US$245,000 will be paid by the IAAF at the IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, UK on Sunday 11 October.

$245,000 Prize Money; Course Route and Profile; Team Scoring – World Half Marathon

<SPAN style="FONTFAMILY: 'Arial','sansserif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA" lang=EN-GB>Please note - Biographies for the athletes competing in the IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships, Birmingham, UK on Sunday 11 October will be downloadable in pdf format from this section early on the morning of the competition.

ILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA" lang=EN-GB>ATHLETE BIOGRAPHIES -<SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA" lang=EN-GB> <SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA" lang=EN>IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships, Birmingham, UK

ATHLETE BIOGRAPHIES - IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships, Birmingham, UK

Britain’s Paula Radcliffe has withdrawn from this weekend’s&nbsp;IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, UK on Sunday 11 October, due to tonsillitis.
A former champion on three occasions, Radcliffe was hoping to make up for her disappointment at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin in August - when she was forced to withdraw from the marathon in the week leading up to the event - by leading the team in a home championship.
Radcliffe said: “I’m devastated not to be able to compete in Birmingham this weekend. The World Half Marathon is a great opportunity for our athletes to compete in front of a home crowd and I’m disappointed I can’t be part of that.
“It’s very important to me to be able to pull on a GB vest and do my best in a major championship, but unfortunately, having developed tonsillitis over the weekend, I’m now on a course of antibiotics.” 
Ian Stewart, Aviva GB &amp; NI Team Leader, said: “We’re obviously hugely disappointed that Paula is unable to compete. She’s a former World Half Marathon champion on three occasions and brought a great deal of experience to the team. Had she been fit, there’s no doubt she would have been in contention for a medal, but we have a good team of athletes who still have an opportunity to fight for decent team positions, and I hope we can do that.”
She will be replaced in the team by first reserve Michelle Ross-Cope (City of Stoke).
UK Athletics

- Britain’s Paula Radcliffe has withdrawn from this weekend’s&nbsp;IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, UK on Sunday 11 October, due to tonsillitis.

No World Half Marathon for Radcliffe who is sidelined by tonsillitis 

MonteCarloA total of 47 IAAF Member Federations are set to compete this coming weekend at the IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, UK on Sunday 11 October.
This year’s entry is the best since 2004, though the record number of Member Federations that have taken part in this IAAF World Athletics Series event was 60 in the 2002 edition which was held in Brussels, Belgium.
Britain last held the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 2001, when 52 territories from around the world sent athletes, and also hosted the inaugural edition of these championships on Tyneside in 1992, when 36 federations participated.
Timetable – 11 October 2009 (times are local, GMT +1hr) 09:00 Women’s race 09:30 Men’s race
However, Sunday is not be just about the elite end of our sport as staged 30 minutes after the gun goes for the men’s World Championship race, the EDF Energy Birmingham Half Marathon will take place.
The first edition of this mass race that is organised by Birmingham City Council and sponsored by EDF Energy was staged in October last year attracting nearly 9000 entries. 
The Hyatt Regency Hotel which overlooks the start of all of Sunday’s races is the HQ for the World Half Marathon, and as well as hosting the IAAF Press Conference on Saturday (10) will be the centre of many discussions and debates surrounding our sport.
AIMS, the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races - <A class="" href="http://aimsworldrunning.org/" mce_href="http://aimsworldrunning.org/">click here</A> - who work with the IAAF on matters relating to international road races will hold a three-day Board Meeting at the hotel (Wed 7 to Fri 9 Oct). AIMS is a member based organisation of more than 270 of the leading distance races in the world.
A Course Measurers’ Meeting will be held on the Saturday afternoon, while after the races on Sunday a meeting of the IAAF Road Running Commission will round-off a busy period of sporting action and discussion in Birmingham.
IAAF
&nbsp;

-Carlo – A total of 47 IAAF Member Federations are set to compete this coming weekend at the IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, UK on Sunday 11 October.

47 Member Federations set to compete in Birmingham

California’s fastest half-marathon lived up to its billing Sunday as American Meb Keflezighi set a new U.S. 20k record and bettered his personal best by 25 seconds winning the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in a time of 1:01:00. Keflezighi’s 20k split of 57:52 broke Ryan Hall’s standing 20K record of 57:54 set in 2006.
“The other runners looked like they were struggling with the 4:30 pace early on, so I decided to leave the pack and go on my own,” said Keflezighi, who pulled a way from the pack just after mile 3, competing in a showdown against the clock. “It was a great atmosphere out there today; I just wanted to maintain a solid pace through 10 miles and then see what I had left. I ran a personal best by 25 seconds and I’m 34, so I am very excited with my performance.”
A 19-time U.S. Champion, Keflezighi’s half marathon time ranks him number three all-time on the American list for a record standard course. He sits behind only Mark Curp’s 1:00:55 from 1985 and Ryan Hall’s American record 59:43 from 2007.
“When everyone was coming at me over the final miles it was really fun, I gave them all thumbs up to help cheer them on as well,” added Keflezighi, whose pending 20k record reclaimed the title he held before Hall. “As Roger Craig said ‘I did it today’ and it’s just nice to be healthy. I’m ready for New York and look forward to continuing my marathon training.”
The women’s race was led by Belainesh Gebre of Ethiopia who crossed the line in 1:11:24. Bay Area resident Magdalena Lewy-Boulet, who made her Olympic debut for the U.S. in Beijing, finished a close second with a new personal best of 1:11:46. Her previous half-marathon best of 1:11:47 was set in 2008.
“Last week was a high mileage week and I didn’t feel that great out there,” said Lewy-Boulet, who is training for the ING New York City Marathon. “I skipped the World Half Marathon Championships to run here in my backyard because I wanted to support our local race. I set a personal best which is great, and I’ll be back next year.
Dan Cruz for the IAAF

- California’s fastest half-marathon lived up to its billing Sunday as American Meb Keflezighi set a new U.S. 20k record and bettered his personal best by 25 seconds winning the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in a time of 1:01:00. Keflezighi’s 20k split of 57:52 broke Ryan Hall’s standing 20K record of 57:54 set in 2006.

Keflezighi sets 20km American record en-route to half marathon win in San Jose

Manuèla Montebrun smashed the&nbsp;Francophone Games record in the women’s Hammer Throw with a 70.26m heave on the 4th day of the athletics competition at the sixth edition of the Games which are being held in Beirut, Lebanon (4).
The French thrower, 5th in Beijing Olympic Games last year and three times a finalist at World Championships, concluded her frustrating 2009 season with a gold medal at what was her first Francophone Games participation. 
Her season debut of 72.71 in February had given Montebrun high ambitions for this World championship summer, but knee surgery in May ruined her chances and kept her out of training for&nbsp;a month and a half though creditably she still participated in Berlin World Championships in August, placing 12th. 
“It’s unusual for me to train in September”, said the 29-year-old national record holder (74.66). “Athletes are usually on holidays or just resuming training. After Berlin I had some downtime but had to come back again for these Games to finish the season on a good note.” 
The win was still not easy for her since she faced the opposition of World Junior champion Bianca Perie (ROM), who took the lead at her first attempt with 67.67 – which would remain her best throw of the competition. 
In fact Montebrun didn’t&nbsp;head the final&nbsp;until her third attempt (68.99), and secured her victory with her next throw measured at 70.26, a considerable improvement on the previous Francophone Games record (67.95).
“I’m now looking forward to a break in order to start the 2010 preparation on a good basis and injury free”, announced the winner.
Also back from injury
Another French athlete accomplished a comeback yesterday following health problems. Vincent Favretto, a precocious Pole Vault talent (World Youth silver medal in 2001, World Junior bronze in 2002, European Junior champion in 2003, French indoor Champion in 2005) has now fully recovered from a knee ligament problem which stopped his progression (5.65 in 2006) and kept him out of competition from May 2007 to March 2009. 
“When I resumed training, I didn’t set targets and took all my time to comeback”. Favretto, now 25, only jumped on four occasions in 2009 before these Games with a season’s best of 5.50m (17 May). “I was very surprised when I learned that I was selected for these Games.” 
The Frenchman was one of&nbsp;just four competitors taking part in the Pole Vault in Beirut, the three others being Canadians. After one failure, he jumped 5.00 and played a tactical game with the remaining Canadian Kristian Wilson who cleared 5.10 at his first attempt. Favretto didn’t try this bar and took the risk to raise it to 5.20, which he managed to jump on his third attempt. Wilson being unsuccessful at 5.25, the victory was Favretto’s, who increased his winning margin by clearing 5.40 at the first try. He then asked for 5.55m in order to better his season best, but missed three times. 17m ambitions
In the Triple Jump, Hugo Mamba-Schlick from Cameroon dominated with his three valid jumps, topped by a 16.78 into the wind (-0.3m/s), all better than the 16.24m achieved by silver medallist Alin Anghel (ROM). 
Mamba-Schlick opened with 16.40, followed by 16.78, his season best ever, behind his national record (16.92) set in Addis Ababa (high altitude) last year for his second place at the African Championships. He then fouled the third jumped, passed the 4th, fouled again the 5th and confirmed his leadership at the last one with 16.52. 
This was the first international title for the France-based athlete who carefully prepared for the Games in Yaoundé (Cameroon) followed by a final training camp in Egypt, after his 21st place (16.63) at the World Championships. 
“In Berlin, I didn’t managed to reach my goal to be a finalist, but I gained there a lot of experience in stress management. My next goal is now to break the 17m barrier,” he said.
Moroccan dominance
Moroccan runners continued their dominance over the middle distance events. This time Morocco's men achieved a medal sweep over 5000m. All three runners had already gained medals in Beirut: Anis Selmouni and Hicham Bellani placed 2nd and 3rd, respectively, at 10,000m four days before, and Chakir Boujattaoui was 2nd the day before at 3000m Steeplechase. 
They hid themselves in the pack for four kilometres before taking over the 5000m. Boujattaoui won in 13:42.72, from Selmouni 13:43.73 and Bellani 13:45.53, way ahead Frenchman Stéphane Lefrand 13:53.33.
During the morning, their countryman Zaid Laroussi won the Marathon in 2:24:08 under difficult conditions (Temperature 27°C, Heat 60%). 
Moroccan women had their share of success as well yesterday, with their 400m hurdlers Hayat Lambarki, first in 58.40sec and Lamia Lhabz, second in 58.81.
More to come
Before the last day of competition to be held on Monday (5), Moroccans had&nbsp;gained no less than 11 medals in five men’s middle/long distance events (1500m, 5000m, 10000m, Marathon and 3000m Steeple) and 5 medals in the 3 female events (800m, 10000m, 3000m Steeple). The remaining finals in the men’s 800m, and women’s 1500m and 5000m, should bring them further trophies. 
The last day of the Francophone Games will also feature the 200m finals. Mauritian Stephan Buckland was the fastest in each round (21.05 in heats, 20.78 in semi final) and will face 100m Francophone champion Ben Youssef Meite, who was Buckland’s runner-up in the semis (20.86). 
On the women’s side, Kimberley Hyacinthe (20) improved her personal best from 23.48 to 23.26 in the heats to beat favourite and defending champion Kaltouma Nadjina from Chad (23.55), whose recovery from her 400m win on Saturday will be a determinant factor in today's final.
P-J Vazel for the IAAF
Click here for <a href="http://www.jeux2009.org/Resultats_et_palmares_des_Jeux" class="" mce_href="http://www.jeux2009.org/Resultats_et_palmares_des_Jeux">RESULTS</a>

nbsp;- Manuèla Montebrun smashed the Francophone Games record in the women’s Hammer Throw with a 70.26m heave on the 4th day of the athletics competition at the sixth edition of the Games which are being held in Beirut, Lebanon (4).

Montebrun’s record the pinnacle of results - Francophone Games, Day 4

Atsushi Sato and Yurika Nakamura will lead the Japanese contingent at the IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, UK on Sunday 11 October. The Japanese team was selected based upon performances in three domestic Half Marathons: the Japanese Corporate team Half Marathon championships in Yamaguchi in March, the Sendai international Half Marathon in May, and the Sapporo International Half Marathon in July.&nbsp; The selected team members are: Atsushi Sato, Yukihiro Kitaoka, Yoshinori Oda, Ryosuke Fukuyama and Tomomi Itakura for the men and Yurika Nakamura, Yukiko Akaba, Remi Nakazato, Ryoko Kizaki and Hiroko Shoi for the women. Sato, the first Japanese in both the Corporate team championships and Sapporo races, is the best Japanese on the men’s side. Sato is a 2:07:13 Marathon runner, having recorded his best in the 2007 Fukuoka Marathon, and also holds the national record of 1:00:25 at the Half Marathon. However, Sato hit rock bottom in Beijing last year, when he finished dead last in the marathon. But a hallmark of a great athlete is coming back strongly from a disappointing race and Sato did exactly that in Berlin when he finished sixth in the Marathon in the World Championships.&nbsp; Sato ran in the World Half Marathon Championships twice, in 2002 and 2007, finishing eighth and ninth, respectively. On the women’s side Yurika Nakamura, who was the first Japanese in both Yamaguchi and Sapporo, and Yukiko Akaba, who was first in Sendai, are the leading Japanese in the women’s race. Currently Nakamura is the hottest distance runner in Japan, for in the World Championships in Berlin she set personal bests at 10,000m (31:14.39) where she finished seventh, and twice at 5000m (15:21.01 in her heat and then 15:13.01 in the final three days later), finished 12th in the final.&nbsp; Furthermore, she was 7th in 2006 World Road Running Championships and finished 13th in the Marathon in the Beijing Olympic Games, and experts predicts that her talent lies at these distances. “Since my personal best (at the half marathon) is 1:09:20, I want to run 1:08 in Birmingham,” Nakamura said after her performance in Berlin. Recalling her run in the German capital, Nakamura said, “Keeping the image of my run in Berlin in mind, I am hoping for a similar performance in the longer distances.” Akaba’s rise to a world class runner was triggered by the birth of a daughter in 2006. In 2008 Akaba set personal bests at 5000m (15:06.07), 10,000m (31:15.34) and the Half Marathon (1:08:11) and competed at both the 5000m and 10,000m in the Beijing Olympics; she also finished 10th in the World Half Marathon Championships in Rio de Janeiro last year.&nbsp; Akaba made a splendid Marathon debut in Osaka in 2009 and was expected to medal in the Berlin World championships. However, perhaps because of a slight injury she picked up in early August she finished a dismal 31st.&nbsp; In Birmingham, Akaba is hoping to redeem herself. The best finish by a Japanese woman at the World Half Marathon Championships is second by Megumi Fujiwara, Mari Tanigawa, and most recently by Olympic marathon champion Mizuki Noguchi, which could be hard to match this year. However, a team medal is not out of reach, for along with Akaba and Nakamura, Ryoko Kizaki, who was second at the Half mMarathon in the 2005 World University Games, is also expected to finish well. The Japanese women’s team has won team bronze medal in the last four years, a streak they would like to keep. Ken Nakamura for the IAAF Japanese team for Birmingham 2009 - Men: Atsushi Sato&nbsp;&nbsp; Yukihiro Kitaoka&nbsp; Yoshinori Oda&nbsp; Ryosuke Fukuyama&nbsp; Tomomi Itakura&nbsp;&nbsp; Women:&nbsp; Yurika Nakamura&nbsp; Yukiko Akaba&nbsp; Remi Nakazato&nbsp; Ryoko Kizaki&nbsp; Hiroko Shoi

009 – Atsushi Sato and Yurika Nakamura will lead the Japanese contingent at the IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, UK on Sunday 11 October.

WORLD ATHLETICS HALF MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIPS

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