Blake: Performance of the Year, by Alfons Juck, note by Larry Eder

           Sally Pearson, 2011 IAAF Gala, photo by PhotoRun.net

PEARSON DELIGHTED

MONTE CARLO (MON): World Athlete of the year Sally Pearson is delighted to have won the award and added she was a little surprised to win the award over three-time world champion Vivian Cheruiyot and 'role model athlete' Valerie Adams. "To be able to win this for my country and for my region Oceania means a lot and hopefully will inspire junior athletes to stay in athletics" Pearson was quoted after receiving her award, interestingly both her and World male athlete of the year Usain Bolt both won the World youth championships in 2003.

                     Yohan Blake, 2011 IAAF Gala, photo by PhotoRun.net

BLAKE PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

MONTE CARLO (MON): World champion Yohan Blake and three-time world champion Vivian Cheruiyot won the Performance of the Year Awards at the World Athletics Gala in Monaco. Blake won the award for his time of 19.26, the second fastest 200m performance in history at the Memorial van Damme in Brussels. Kenyan athlete Vivian Cheruiyot was recognised for her 5000m and 10,000m double victory at the World Championships, while she also the 2011 World cross country champion.

JAMES AND HUSSONG

MONTE CARLO (MON): At the World Athletics Gala world 400m champion Kirani James from Grenada has been recognized with The Rising Star Award. James won his 400m world title just two days before his 19th birthday. Also receiving the Rising Star Award is Germany's Christin Hussong, winner of the World Youth javelin title in Lille with a championship record.

DAEGU THE CITY AWARD

MONTE CARLO (MON): Daegu received the IAAF World Athletics City Award in  recognition of the wonderful atmosphere during the 2011 IAAF World Championships. This is the fourth time the award has been presented following the same distinction given to Helsinki, Gothenburg and Stuttgart.

Usain Bolt, 2011 IAAF Gala, photo by PhotoRun.net

BOLT THINKS ABOUT LONG RELAY

LONDON (GBR): IAAF World athlete of the year Usain Bolt has said to be so inspired by London winning the 2017 IAAF World championships that he is contemplating extending his career by an extra year just so that he can compete again in the city where he hopes to make history next summer. "I've always said that I want to retire after the 2016 Olympics but you never know. If I can do well at the London Olympics, then it would be awesome to retire after the London World Championships" Bolt was quoted by The Telegraph. Bolt added he is already back in training for three weeks and believes his coach Glenn Mills is right that he will be at the peak of his athletic powers next summer. Bolt has mentioned that his training is going so well that he is thinking about winning four medals in London by adding the 4x400m relay to the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay that brought him triple Olympic glory in Beijing three years ago. The London schedule would technically allow him to run the 4x400m final.  

NYC RECORDS

NEW YORK (USA): The ING New York City Marathon broke two significant records last Sunday. Not only did Geoffrey Mutai run a sparkling course record of 2:05:06, which also is a new USA all-comer's record, also the finisher total of 46,795 was the largest of any marathon in history, surpassing the 44,829 recorded at the ING New York City Marathon in 2010. In addition the prize money and time bonus payout of 1,205,000 dollar was the largest ever recorded for any road race, according to the independent Association of Road Racing Statisticians. From RRW.

KARDONG NAMED

HOLLYWOOD (USA): Don Kardong, the 1976 Olympic marathoner turned race director, was named the MarathonFoto/Road Race Management Race Director of the Year. Kardong, who directs the Lilac Bloomsday Run in Spokane, Wash., was honored at a reception at the Road Race Management Race Directors' Meeting. Writes RRW.

EL IDRISSI WINS IN TORINO

TURIN (ITA, Nov 13): Ennaji El Idrissi has produced a major upset by winning the 25th edition of the Turin Marathon Gran Premio La Stampa (IAAF Silver Label Road Race). El Idrissi, who was born in Morocco but has been living in Italy since 1988, clocked an impressive 2:08.13 personal best when chasing the victory. No less than four athletes managed to break the 2:09 barrier with William Chebor also smashing his personal best to 2:08:21,  beating Ethiopian Bacha Megersa (2:08:55) and Kenyan Peter Kurui (2:08:56). Kenyan Antony Wairuri finished a distant fifth in 2:09:48. The women's race was a one women's show won by Ukraine's Yuliya Ruban, clocking 2:27:10 to take the win. Rasa Drazdauskaite from Lithuania finished runner-up in 2:29:47 ahead of former Rome Marathon winner Silvia Skvortsova from Russia (2:30:09).

TOGOM AGAIN

ELDORET (KEN, Nov 12): Nicholas Togom continued his stellar introduction to senior running when he took his second senior men 12km victory at the 2nd KCB/AK National Cross Country Series meeting in Eldoret. Togom, who's brother Matthew Kisorio (2:10:58) made a commendable full Marathon debut in New York last Sunday, ran unchallenged to the win and now leads the jackpot series. Timothy Kiptoo and World Half Marathon and Africa 10,000m gold medallist, Wilson Kiprop closed the podium. Joseph Ebuya, the 2010 World Cross Country champion is returning from injury and finished just outside the top-ten. Unknown Phanencier Jemutai, trained by the Berlin 10,000m bronze winner Moses Masai, announced her arrival on the distance running scene after pulling off a forceful victory leaving runner-up Farida Jelagat over eight seconds behind her. The highlight of the junior competitions was the chastening of World Cross titleholder Faith Chepng'etich and Lille World Youth 3000m gold winner William Malel.