The Chicago Marathon marks Farah’s third go at the distance and his first 42K on U.S. soil. He joins defending champion and former training partner, Galen Rupp, at the front of this year’s elite pack - CHICAGO – The Bank of America Chicago Marathon announced today that four-time Olympic gold medalist, six-time world champion and five-time European champion Mo Farah will join the 2018 Chicago Marathon elite competition. In 2012, Farah became the first British athlete in history to win an Olympic gold at the 10,000m, and he is just the second athlete in history to pull off back-to-back gold medals in both the 5000m and 10,000m at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.

Eliud Kipchoge’s aim at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON on September 16 this year is clear cut: to break his personal best. Given that he is the Olympic champion and acknowledged to be the number one for the distance in recent years, this suggests the 33-year-old Kenyan is ready to produce something special. His best is currently 2:03:05, set in winning the 2016 Virgin Money London Marathon. This was eight seconds slower than the world record which remains in the possession of his compatriot Dennis Kimetto (2:02:57), when winning the 2014 race in Berlin. Kipchoge’s mental as well as physical prowess has suggested for some time that the world record is within his reach.

Ethiopians world-class runners dominated the Haspa Marathon Hamburg, taking all three places on the podium: Solomon Deksisa won with 2:06:34, the third fastest time ever in Hamburg. Debutant Tadu Abate took second with 2:06:54 while Ayele Abshero was third in 2:07:19. Kenya’s Solomon Yego finished fourth with 2:07:37 while the 2012 Olympic Champion Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda, was fifth in 2:07:57.

Photos: Winners Gilbert Yegon and Volha Mazuronak, credit: METRO Marathon Düsseldorf / Klaus-Dieter Weber - Volha Mazuronak produced the top performance at the METRO Marathon Düsseldorf as the Belorussian athlete ran a women's course record of 2:25:25. Mazuronak, the top European finisher in fifth place in the 2016 Olympic Marathon in Rio, dominated the race. The German runner Fabienne Amrhein was a surprise second placer, improving her best to 2:32:35. Her personal best was inside the team qualifying time for the European Championships in Berlin this summer. The Kenyan Rose Maru finished third in 2:33:55 with last year's women's champion Doroteia Peixoto Alves of Portugal fourth in 2:35:15.