分类： sports

In a landmark decision that rewrites the history of global track and field, Nairobi has been chosen as the host city for the 2029 World Athletics Championships, becoming the first African city ever to welcome the sport’s flagship event. Kenya’s capital defeated competing bids from European contenders London and Rome to claim the hosting rights, with Munich later selected to stage the 2031 edition of the championships.

Kenyan President William Ruto hailed the selection as a long-awaited milestone for a nation whose name has become inextricably linked with distance running excellence. “The World Athletics Championship is coming home,” Ruto said, describing the successful bid as a victory for generations of Kenyan athletes who have built the country’s unrivaled reputation on tracks and roads across the globe.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe, who announced the final decision in Budapest on Tuesday, called Kenya’s winning bid “compelling and emotional.” The East African nation stands as the second most successful country in the history of the World Championships, having collected 72 gold medals to date, trailing only the United States. The vast majority of these titles, alongside 38 Olympic gold medals, have come in middle- and long-distance events, cementing Kenya’s status as a global powerhouse in the sport.

Coe emphasized that athletics is woven into the cultural fabric of Kenya, and that the nation’s athletes have played an central role in shaping the history of the sport. He highlighted the contributions of several Kenyan running legends, including two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge, who actively lobbied for the bid, legendary men’s 800m world record holder David Rudisha, and multi-time world and Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon, who recently helped secure a 1-2 Kenyan finish in the women’s 5000m at the 2025 Tokyo World Championships.

Beyond athletic pedigree, Kenya’s passionate domestic fanbase emerged as a key competitive advantage. World Athletics surveys found that 68% of Kenyans report high interest in athletics, far exceeding the global average of 39%. Athletics ranks as the second most popular sport in the country, only behind football, and Kenya places fourth globally in the number of followers of World Athletics social media channels.

This successful bid comes four years after Kenya fell short in its campaign for the 2025 championships, which were ultimately awarded to Tokyo. The 2025 bid failed primarily due to gaps in venue infrastructure, a shortcoming Kenya has addressed ahead of the 2029 selection process. The country’s main venue, the 48,000-capacity Kasarani Stadium, will complete a full structural overhaul well before the 2029 event kicks off. The stadium is already set to be used next year when Kenya co-hosts the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Tanzania and Uganda, giving organizers a chance to test major event operations ahead of the world championships.

Barnaba Korir, a core member of the bid team, acknowledged the lessons learned from the failed 2025 attempt. “We learned from the 2025 bid because there were areas that we did not score well,” Korir told the BBC World Service. “Because of that, we managed to improve on those areas. I’m happy that the infrastructure that we have already developed will also meet the standards that we have seen all over the world.”

Unlike past concerns over infrastructure, hospitality and accommodation are not expected to be major hurdles, as Nairobi is a frequent host for large international conferences. “Kenya is also known for its very dynamic hospitality, the tourism sector,” said Elijah Mwangi, principal secretary at Kenya’s State Department for Sports. “It has a game park within the city, so we are waiting to welcome everybody.”

President Ruto has formally committed to full government financial and security guarantees to deliver the championships. “We thank World Athletics for the confidence it has placed in Kenya,” Ruto said. “We will honour that confidence by delivering an unforgettable championship worthy of our athletes, our country and our continent.”

The selection aligns with Coe’s long-stated mission to expand athletics globally during his tenure as president, which began in 2015. Under his leadership, the World Championships have already travelled to new markets including Qatar (2019) and the United States (2022), with Tokyo hosting 2025 and Beijing set to host in 2027. Before Tuesday’s announcement, one senior bid official noted that bringing the championships to Africa, a continent that has produced some of the sport’s greatest legends, had become a priority for Coe ahead of the end of his third term next year.

“With this decision we continue to fulfil our mission of growing athletics worldwide,” Coe said. “It was important that the World Athletics Championships should come to Africa when we had the right host, the right bid and the right circumstances.” While Coe praised the quality, ambition and commitment of all four bidding cities, the opportunity to break new ground for the sport on the African continent ultimately tipped the scales in Kenya’s favour. Jack Buckner, chief executive of UK Athletics, said the organization was “deeply disappointed” by London’s unsuccessful bid.

Despite the historic win, Kenya faces a series of logistical and organizational challenges over the next three years as it prepares to welcome the world. The upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will serve as a critical test event for operations at Kasarani Stadium, located roughly 30 minutes from Nairobi’s central business district. While the venue currently lacks a direct rail connection, Korir said World Athletics officials have already signed off on Kenya’s comprehensive transport plan.

Organizers have faced past questions about crowd management at Kasarani: during the 2024 African Nations Championship football tournament, overcrowding at several Kenyan matches forced temporary reductions in venue capacity. Delays to ongoing preparations for 2027 Afcon have also raised concerns among observers, and the full cost of the 2029 World Athletics Championships will be primarily covered by the Kenyan government, with an estimated $78 million in public funding already earmarked, alongside additional revenue from sponsorships.

Mwangi confirmed that the government is prepared to meet all financial commitments on schedule, and Korir added that the funding commitment is legally binding, meaning it will remain in place even after next year’s scheduled Kenyan presidential election, regardless of any change in administration. “Whatever the government assigns now will be observed by the next government. It is an international agreement,” Korir said.

Another key challenge will be developing a ticketing strategy that balances accessibility for local fans with the goal of filling the stadium for every session. During the 2017 Under-18 World Athletics Championships hosted in Nairobi, low attendances forced organizers to make entry free after initial low turnout despite low ticket prices. World Athletics generated $522 million in revenue from the 2025 Tokyo championships, where 619,000 tickets were sold over nine days, while the 2017 London championships sold a record 705,000 tickets. By choosing Nairobi over a proven host like London, World Athletics has prioritized global expansion over guaranteed high ticket sales, and attendances will be closely watched, particularly after the sparse crowds seen at the 2019 Doha championships. Korir, however, remains confident that if ticket sales launch early, Kasarani Stadium will sell out for every day of competition, including morning preliminary sessions.

In addition to organizational challenges, Kenya also faces ongoing pressure to address the issue of doping, after a series of high-profile scandals in recent years. The Athletics Integrity Unit has already issued 11 doping bans to Kenyan athletes in 2026 alone. All eyes will now be on Kenya over the next three years as it works to deliver on its promises, tackle outstanding challenges, and pull off a successful first World Athletics Championships on the African continent.

One of the most high-profile free agents on the European football market is finally set to find a new club, with former Tottenham Hotspur defensive midfielder Yves Bissouma on the cusp of signing for Eredivisie giants Ajax. The 30-year-old Malian international has been without a club since his Tottenham contract expired this past June, when the north London side opted not to extend his deal.

According to exclusive reporting from senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel, Bissouma has already agreed to terms on a contract that will keep him at the Amsterdam-based club through the end of the 2026-27 season, with an optional 12-month extension built into the deal that can be triggered at the club’s discretion. The midfielder is already on the ground in Amsterdam this week, putting the final finishing touches on the administrative and medical checks required to formalize the transfer.

Bissouma first joined Tottenham back in 2021, in a widely covered transfer move from Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion. Across his three-and-a-half year spell with the London club, he earned 111 total appearances across all competitions. However, his final months at Tottenham were marked by public controversy: in August 2025, then-Spurs manager Thomas Frank dropped Bissouma from the matchday squad for the club’s UEFA Super Cup fixture against Paris Saint-Germain, citing repeated issues with the player showing up late to team obligations and training sessions.

In his final season with Tottenham, Bissouma only featured in 11 matches, all of which came in the Premier League. That campaign ended in disappointment for the club, which finished 17th in the top-flight table for the second consecutive season, extending its run of poor league form. The move to Ajax will mark a return to the Netherlands for Bissouma, who earlier in his career plied his trade at Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar before his move to Brighton, giving him existing familiarity with the league’s style of play as he integrates into his new side.

In a landmark decision that reshapes the global landscape of track and field, Kenya has beaten competing bids from London and Rome to win the right to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, marking the first time the prestigious senior tournament will be held on the African continent. The 2031 edition of the championships was awarded to Munich, Germany, after London and Rome withdrew from the running for the 2029 event.

Nairobi, Kenya’s bustling capital, will welcome the world’s top athletes to the upgraded Kasarani Stadium, a venue with a current seating capacity of 48,000 that is undergoing extensive renovations ahead of the tournament. Kenya’s unrivaled legacy in distance running and deep connection to athletics were the cornerstones of its successful bid. The East African nation has accumulated 72 World Championship gold medals and 38 Olympic gold medals, most in middle- and long-distance events, making it the second most successful country in the history of the World Athletics Championships. Standout Kenyan athletes including Eliud Kipchoge, a two-time Olympic marathon champion and 2003 World Championships 5000m gold medalist, personally championed Nairobi’s bid during the selection process.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, the former Olympic middle-distance champion, praised Kenya’s proposal as exceptionally powerful and moving. “Kenya is one of the great athletics nations. The sport is woven into the fabric of the country,” Coe said in his remarks following the announcement. “It was important that the World Championships should come to Africa when we had the right host, the right bid and the right circumstances. Nairobi has demonstrated emphatically that this is their moment.”

The hosting award represents a long-overdue milestone for African athletics, a continent that has produced some of the sport’s biggest global icons for decades but had never before been selected to host the senior World Athletics Championships. Kenya highlighted its proven track record of organizing elite international athletics events to strengthen its bid, including the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, the 2017 World Under-18 Championships and the 2021 World U20 Championships, both held in Nairobi.

This successful bid comes after Kenya’s unsuccessful attempt to host the 2025 World Championships, where infrastructure limitations were cited as a key factor in its loss to Tokyo. This time around, Kenyan organizers emphasized major upgrades to existing sports facilities to prove the country is ready to welcome the world. Currently, Kenya is in the process of renovating its key stadiums in preparation for co-hosting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, alongside neighboring Tanzania and Uganda. Kasarani Stadium, the venue for the 2029 World Athletics Championships, is undergoing a full structural renovation ahead of its role hosting matches in African football’s top continental tournament, works that will leave it fully prepared for the global athletics event in three years’ time.

Against a backdrop where football and basketball reign as the undisputed most popular sports among Angolan audiences, a groundbreaking new motorsport event has made its southern African debut, drawing massive crowds thanks to the star power of two global icons. The first-ever E1 World Championship race on Angolan soil kicked off over the weekend in Luanda, marking the series’ second stop on the African continent after its 2025 debut in Lagos, Nigeria, and the fifth stop of the 2026 global calendar following events in Jeddah, Lake Como, Dubrovnik and Monaco.

This innovative racing series, modeled after the land-based Formula E circuit, combines high-octane motorsport with a core mission of advancing sustainability and promoting green marine technology. Counted among the league’s team owners are a roster of A-list celebrities and sporting legends: alongside NBA megastar LeBron James and Hollywood A-lister Will Smith, the group includes tennis great Rafa Nadal, NFL icon Tom Brady, soccer legend Didier Drogba and cricket star Virat Kohli. Both James and Smith traveled to Luanda for the inaugural event, turning a niche motorsport race into a major cultural moment for the southern African nation.

E1 chief executive Jamie Copas emphasized that the presence of high-profile owners is far more than just a marketing gimmick. “It’s not a short trip to get here, but LeBron committed to coming because he believes in the work we’re building,” Copas shared in an interview with BBC Sport Africa on location in Luanda. “You can’t overstate how valuable their support is. They bring massive global fanbases that would never otherwise pay attention to our sport.”

For James, the trip marked his first visit to Angola, and he called the local reception “super welcoming” after a stop at the country’s National Museum of Slavery. Speaking to local media following the visit, the recently signed Philadelphia 76ers forward noted the deep historical ties between Angola and the African diaspora in the United States: “There’s so much rich history here, history that doesn’t just stay within Angola’s borders—it connects directly to the story of Black people in America too.”

James’ star power was impossible to miss along Luanda’s waterfront: Angola’s men’s national basketball team is the reigning African champion, having claimed a record 12th continental title on home soil in 2025, and local spectators crowded the Clube Naval de Luanda race venue just to catch a glimpse of one of the sport’s most recognizable figures. Local journalist Omar Prata, covering the event for Jornal de Angola, admitted he had paid little attention to E1 until Will Smith’s team, Westbrook Racing, announced a three-year race hosting deal with Luanda back in March, with the team backed by the Angolan tourism board.

“ This event has real potential to put Luanda on the global map at a time when the government is actively working to grow the tourism sector,” Prata explained. “And having LeBron here means everything. Angolans have watched him for years on TV, they emulate his game on local street courts, fans all over the country have his posters on their walls.”

For local resident Edson Cabeta, who watched the race from the event’s public fan zone, the event was a completely new experience. “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” he said. “Today all the competitors are from other countries, but maybe one day we’ll have our own Angolan E1 team competing on home water.”

Angolan tourism officials are clear about their long-term goals for hosting the race: turning international attention into increased visitor arrivals, foreign investment and economic opportunity. Tourism minister Marcio de Jesus Lopes Daniel described growing global awareness of Angola as the “first critical step” of the country’s long-term tourism development strategy. “Our goal isn’t just to make Angola a well-known name,” Daniel told the BBC. “We want to make Angola a more desirable destination for visitors, for investors, and for businesses looking to grow.”

This isn’t the first time Angola has invested in high-profile international events to boost its global profile: last November, the country hosted Lionel Messi’s Argentina national team for a friendly match to mark the 50th anniversary of its independence. While it’s still too early to measure the full economic impact of the Luanda E1 race, Daniel noted that large-scale events create immediate ripple benefits across multiple local sectors. “We want to turn the global attention E1 brings into future trips, overnight stays, private investment and new jobs for Angolans,” he added. “That’s the real return we’re working toward.”

Beyond the fanfare and economic goals, sustainability sits at the core of E1’s identity, just as it does for other electric racing series. For the Luanda race, event organizers included local mangrove restoration projects as part of their marine conservation commitments. The series’ focus on sustainability has drawn scrutiny, however, especially as it hosts races in major oil-producing nations including Saudi Arabia, the United States, Nigeria and now Angola.

Copas pushed back on that criticism, framing E1’s presence in these markets as part of a global transition toward cleaner energy. “The whole world is on a journey to decarbonize,” he said. “We’re welcomed in countries that do have extensive fossil fuel infrastructure, and every one of these markets is conscious of the need to transition and wants to do more on green innovation. If we can help move that process forward, why wouldn’t we?”

Copas added that E1 prioritizes low-carbon logistics, only using air freight to transport teams and equipment as a last resort, and that the series works to demonstrate that electric propulsion is a viable alternative to diesel for marine vessels. Even so, E1’s own annual sustainability report shows that as the series expanded to 10 teams and seven races in 2025, its total annual emissions rose from 1,672 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in its inaugural season to 4,049 tonnes in its second year. Copas acknowledged the growth in emissions, but argued that the long-term impact of E1’s sustainability mission outweighs the series’ current footprint.

“We have to travel to meet new audiences and share our message, which we believe creates greater benefit than the carbon we emit along the way,” he explained. “We work very hard to offset all of our emissions and make every step of our logistics chain as sustainable as possible. It would be nonsensical to say we won’t travel or race at all, because that would mean we can’t do the work we set out to do.” E1 leadership acknowledges that their work to cut emissions is ongoing, and that deeper reductions remain a key priority for the series moving forward.

The series has already faced growing pains on the African continent: a planned return race to Lagos, Nigeria scheduled for October was canceled earlier this month, a reminder that E1 is still working to establish its long-term footprint in emerging markets. That means the full long-term impact of the series in southern Africa will take years to assess, but the immediate impact of its celebrity ownership was impossible to miss across the Luanda paddock.

After checking in with his Westbrook Racing team, Will Smith stopped to take selfies and shake hands with hundreds of cheering fans, telling the crowd it was a privilege to be in Luanda. On the water, however, Smith’s team did not get a fairytale result: a last-minute mechanical fault knocked Westbrook Racing out of contention for the win, and Tom Brady’s Team Brady claimed the title of the first E1 Luanda race.

While it would take a miracle from Kianda, the traditional Angolan mermaid water spirit that protects fishermen, for electric powerboat racing to overtake football and basketball as Angola’s favorite sport, Copas says E1 is focused on building a different kind of legacy in the country. “For us, this partnership is about helping share Angola’s story with the world, and Angola helping us share our story of sustainable innovation,” he said. “We’re coming back next year, and the year after that. This isn’t just a few days of racing and then we leave. We want to walk alongside Angola as it grows, and play a small part in that journey.”

In a historic edition of rugby’s most storied rivalry, world-ranked number one South Africa has solidified its status as the global game’s dominant force, clinching a 3-1 series win over New Zealand that offers critical insight into both sides’ preparations ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

After opening the three-match South African leg with a 33-16 upset loss to the All Blacks at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park, the back-to-back world champions reeled off three consecutive wins, wrapping up the series title with a comfortable 43-28 victory in the fourth Test hosted in Baltimore, United States. The standalone four-match series, which replaced the 2026 Rugby Championship and is scheduled to return in 2029, marked the first high-stakes test for both sides 12 months out from rugby’s showpiece tournament.

For the Springboks, the series put on display the tactical flexibility that has become their greatest competitive advantage. The side had already signaled its ambition to dominate across all areas of the game with the 2024 appointment of former Highlanders head coach Tony Brown as attack coach, who will join the All Blacks’ staff in 2028 and is renowned for building sharp, fluid attacking systems centered on quick ball movement. After being outscored on tries across the first two Tests, however, South Africa leaned back into the forward pack power that carried them to consecutive World Cup titles, shutting down New Zealand’s bid to replicate their 1996 series win on South African soil.

This physical dominance was perfectly encapsulated by the match-deciding try in Baltimore: a massive rolling maul that started just inside New Zealand’s 22-meter line, before hooker Malcolm Marx peeled off to score under the posts. That score followed a first-half penalty try awarded from a dominant scrum, proving once again that the Springboks’ forward advantage is nearly unmatchable when the stakes are highest. 2019 World Cup winner Schalk Brits emphasized this approach in comments to BBC Sport, noting: “South Africa have tried to play expansively a couple of times when we have dominance after hurting teams in the maul or scrum. New Zealand didn’t have that dominance in the forwards, but people said they played beautiful rugby. I don’t care if it is beautiful or not. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I love a maul and a scrum.”

The series also offered key clues about South Africa’s 2027 World Cup selection puzzle. Twenty-four-year-old fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who returned from a late May injury to start all four Tests after Handre Pollard’s late withdrawal, showed steady improvement as the series progressed but failed to hit his usual standard of individual brilliance. The question remains open as to whether the Springboks will turn back to experienced 32-year-old Pollard to close out high-pressure knockout matches, just as they did during their 2023 World Cup title run. Most of Rassie Erasmus’ seasoned core of world champions, including Marx (32), Eben Etzebeth (34), Pieter-Steph du Toit (34), Siya Kolisi (35), Damian de Allende (34) and Cheslin Kolbe (32), remain regular starters, proving that the experienced core can deliver even as the side experiments with more expansive attacking play. For Erasmus, the priority remains clear: a third consecutive World Cup title trumps popular demand for flashy attacking rugby, and the proven winning formula is still the side’s first choice.

For the All Blacks, the series offered encouraging signs under new head coach Dave Rennie, who took over in January after the controversial dismissal of Scott Robertson after just two years in charge. A low-key appointment, Rennie hit the ground running immediately, guiding the side to that opening upset win at Ellis Park that threw the series outcome into doubt, defying pre-series predictions of a comfortable Springboks win fueled by home advantage and recent dominance.

Rennie placed his trust in 25-year-old Hurricanes half-backs Cam Roigard and Ruben Love to revive the iconic All Blacks playing identity: the ability to score from transition anywhere on the pitch and build relentless scoreboard pressure. The side delivered on that promise, scoring four or more tries in each of the three South African Tests, with the third Test tied at the halftime break. Former England wing Ugo Monye highlighted the difference Rennie has already made, telling Rugby Union Weekly: “Scott Robertson was a good culture coach but maybe not a brilliant technical coach. Dave Rennie is a brilliant technical coach. After the Nations Championship, you could see the structures and how they want to play. I think the All Blacks’ backline is the most skilled in World Rugby.”

While Love struggled to replicate his strong first Test form in the subsequent two matches, the Baltimore Test marked the return of star fly-half Richie Mo’unga, who played his first Test since the 2023 World Cup final after a stint playing club rugby in Japan. Though the 32-year-old did not hit the elite form that made him one of the standouts of the 2023 tournament, getting him back to match fitness and sharpness over the next 12 months is a clear priority for the All Blacks program. Former England scrum-half Danny Care summed up the optimism around New Zealand’s resurgence: “Imagine what New Zealand would do with a platform and some dominance. It is great for the game that they are coming back to be the All Blacks of old, and the next 12 months will be fascinating.”

Beyond the two teams directly competing in the series, the result offers context for the 2027 World Cup picture. For South Africa, the opening loss at Ellis Park exposed a rare vulnerability, even though the side quickly reclaimed their world number one ranking after the series win. Currently installed as pre-tournament favorites to win a third consecutive title in Australia, the Springboks are facing a level of pressure they have not experienced in previous World Cup cycles. As Brits noted, the side performs best when written off: “We hate being the favourite, we almost have to have our backs against the wall. We prefer not to have the eyes on us and move under the radar. I think that is the best way for any team.”

Brits also identified the other key contenders heading into next year’s tournament. Back-to-back Six Nations champions France, who earned a narrow 34-32 win over a weakened New Zealand side in July and fell to an emphatic 32-17 defeat to South Africa last November, were named as the most settled side, with a similar tactical flexibility to the Springboks. “I feel like South Africa have an advantage as they can play multiple styles, and it feels like most other nations don’t have that capability,” Brits said. “The only team that can play multiple styles is France, as they can grind it out with the forwards, play the kicking game and the expansive game as well.”

He added that England are still working to find their best form, and warned against counting out Ireland, who have fallen off the radar after peaking in previous World Cup cycles: “Ireland still have amazing rugby players and coaches – the best coaches out there – and a top-four squad. Be careful of Ireland.”

The 45th edition of the iconic Great North Run delivered drama, dominant performances and unexpected twists this year, as a field of 63,000 registered runners took on the 13.1-mile half-marathon course across northeast England. Among the pre-race storylines that captured local attention was the highly anticipated comeback of British long-distance star Eilish McColgan, who had been working her way back to top form after a broken toe derailed her season earlier this year. That comeback was cut short just miles into the race, however, when a fresh foot injury forced the 35-year-old Scot to withdraw early, leaving the women’s elite field wide open.

Seizing the opportunity without hesitation was Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei, the Olympic silver medalist and former London Marathon champion who already held the women’s course record at the Great North Run from her 2019 run. The 32-year-old stamped her authority on the race from the opening mile, breaking away from the chasing pack early and spending much of the distance running alone at the front. She crossed the finish line in a time of 1:06:15, securing a comfortable victory that came two full minutes ahead of her compatriot Sheila Chepkirui, last year’s race winner, who took second place. While Kosgei’s winning time was slower than her 2019 course record of 1:04:28, her performance was no less dominant, cementing her status as one of the most consistent distance runners in the world. For British fans, the top finish by a home athlete came from Amy-Eloise Neale, who crossed the line in fifth place overall.

For McColgan, the early exit adds another chapter to a tough 2025 season. The runner originally suffered her broken toe during April’s London Marathon, where she still pushed through the pain — with blood visible seeping through her running shoe by the finish line — to claim seventh place overall and top British honors. The injury forced her to miss July’s Commonwealth Games, and while she notched a win at London’s Big Half just one week prior to the Great North Run, finishing in 1:10:54, she had openly admitted post-race that she still harbored concerns about her injury recovery and overall fitness.

The men’s elite race delivered a far tighter finish, with American runner Zouhair Talbi pulling off a stunning late surge to claim the title over last year’s champion, Kenya’s Alex Mutiso. The two runners matched each other stride for stride through nearly the entire 13.1-mile course, staying neck-and-neck into the final mile before Talbi, 31, kicked into another gear to pull away. He held off Mutiso’s late chase to cross the line in 59:47, just six seconds off his own personal best time of 59:41. Mutiso finished second with a time of 1:00:01, 14 seconds behind Talbi, while Japan’s Yohei Ikeda rounded out the podium in third place. The men’s course record of 58:56, set by Kenya’s Martin Mathathi back in 2011, remains unbroken after this year’s race. Marc Scott, the 2021 Great North Run champion, was the top British finisher in the men’s elite field, taking eighth place overall.

In the wheelchair competitions, British legend David Weir made history once again, claiming his 10th Great North Run title with a winning time of 43:06 in the men’s race. Melanie Woods claimed the women’s wheelchair title with a finish time of 50:19. Beyond the elite competition, the race drew global attention for its massive participation field, which included UK politician Andy Burnham, who completed the iconic race and spoke publicly about his positive experience taking on the challenge.