Kwakye, Farah, Clitheroe impress in Glasgow

GREAT BRITAIN recovered from a laboured start to win the five-way international at Kelvin Hall ahead of Germany and Russia.

British athletes won six of the final eight track events and the most impressive showing arguably came from Jeanette Kwakye, who is showing form which compares favourably to 2008 when she won a world indoor silver medal and became the first British woman to reach an Olympic 100m final since 1984.

Kwakye said she was in very heavy training in her post-race interview but the 28-year-old still showed nifty speed over 60m as she sailed to a winning season's opener in 7.26.

To put this time into context, Kwakye opened her 2008 season with a 7.23 victory in Glasgow before posting a UK indoor record of 7.08 at the World Indoor Championships which shows the Olympic finalist is re-approaching her best form.

Mo Farah's training has been based on building up his endurance at high-altitude in Kenya but the world 5000m champion showed good speed as he defeated one of the world's best 1500m runners in Augustine Choge

Despite notching up heavy mileage over the winter and competing in a distance below his comfort zone, Farah still produced a final 400m of 55.3 to improve his indoor PB to 3:39.03 which ranks among the UK's all-time top-ten.

Speedwork probably hasn't been a major prerogative in the build-up to this race but Farah's victory over Choge – who is faster at 800m and 1500m – shows he should remain confident in his finish which he hasn't always trusted in the past.

Also back from a stint of altitude training is Helen Clitheroe, who finished second in the 3000m in her fastest-ever debut.

The European indoor champion was found wanting for speed as Kenyan 1500m champion Helen Obiri pulled away in the final 600m for a stadium record of 8:42.59 although Clitheroe is clearly reaping the benefits of her recent training stint in Iten as she set her second-fastest ever time of 8:45.59.

Danny Talbot and Margaret Adeoye nabbed a pair of victories over 200m while Joe Thomas confirmed his promising early-season form with a commanding win in the 800m.

Even though the opposition was of a higher standard this year, Mark Lewis-Francis also enjoyed a repeat win the 60m in 6.65.

Crucial race for Kenyan Olympic selection

EMMANUEL MUTAI must have thought his course-record of 2:04:40 in London would have been good enough to seal Olympic selection but that victory has been eclipsed by a series of startling performances. Just some twenty four hours later, there was Geoffrey Mutai's world-best of 2:03:02 performance in Boston, where he was followed home by Moses Mosop who backed up his 2:03:06 debut with victory in Chicago in 2:05:37. Then, of course, came Patrick Makau's world record of 2:03:38 in Berlin which was almost beaten by Wilson Kiprotich who won in Frankfurt in 2:03:42 last week.

With Makau and two-time world champion Abel Kirui pre-selected for the Olympic Games, you'd have to imagine the Kenyan selectors will give the nod if one of the Mutais win tomorrow.

		PB	Chances
1	Geoffrey Mutai	2:03:02	Mutai performs well on all terrains but it's at the marathon where he really excels. He hasn't gone slower than 2:05:10 in his last three marathons and he's only finished outside the top-two once in his career. The 30-year-old returned to Boston in June where he posted a 10km PB of 27:19 to move into the top-ten on the world all-time lists and while results at the shorter distances sometimes prove immaterial, it's still worth noting he finished more than a minute ahead of his namesake in a 10km race in July.
2	Emmanuel Mutai	2:04:40	He doesn't have a series of super-fast times but Emmanuel Mutai has laudable consistency in the high-tariff races. He was the runner-up at the World Championships in 2009, the runner-up in London last year in 2:06:23 and New York in 2:09:18 before he broke his duck with victory in London in 2:04:40. A half-marathon PB of 59:52 at the Great North Run bodes well for his second big-city marathon victory of the year and the hills on the South Shields course might prove to be good practice for the closing stages in Central Park.
3	Tsegaye Kebede	2:05:18	The Ethiopian won London last year in 2:05:19 before finishing second in Chicago although he only finished fifth in London this year in 2:07:48 which was his slowest time in a big-city event since his debut in 2007. Kebede's form is difficult to judge given London has been his only race of the year but unlike some of his compatriots, Kebede missed the World Championships so he should be on fresh legs.
4	Gebre Gebremariam	2:04:53	The reigning champion has the pedigree although his fitness has to be questioned given he pulled out of the World Championships with injury.
5	Feyisa Lelisa	2:05:23	Lelisa became the fastest 20-year-old when he posted a 2:05:23 performance in Rotterdam last year (albeit only good enough for fourth!) and while he hasn't matched this performance time-wise, he was one of the very select handful of Ethiopians to perform well in Daegu where he took the bronze medal.
6	Mathew Kisorio	Debut	To say the Kenyans have an embarrassment of riches in marathon-running is an understatement although they look set to have another star in the making as Kisorio makes his debut on the back of a 58:46 half-marathon PB in Philadelphia. Kisorio has the full-range too, including PBs on the track of 12:57.83 and 26:54.25 and he was also fourth at the World Cross-Country Championships. While he certainly boasts credentials at the shorter distances, it's sensible to be a bit cautious with predictions as it often takes a few attempts to get to grips with the distance (Keitany in last year's women's race, for example).
7	Jaouad Gharib	2:05:27	The former two-time world champion is still running well at 39. He won Fukuoka last year in 2:08:24 and finished sixth in London in 2:08:26 but he probably won't be giving the Kenyans too much to worry about.
8	Meb Keflezighi	2:09:15	Keflezighi has achieved a great deal in his marathon career considering his relatively modest PB. He won this race in 2009 but he shouldn't threaten the podium this year.
9	Viktor Rothlin	2:07:23	The Swiss is a smart tactician who always performs well in the major championships but he doesn't seem to be operating at his 2007-08 level.
10	Bobby Curtis	Debut	The American has a 10,000m PB of 27:24.67 and a half-marathon PB of 61:52 which should stand him in good stead.

Keitany favourite for London/NY double

The withdrawal of reigning champion and world champion Edna Kiplagat leaves Mary Keitany as the pre-race favourite. Firstly, the Kenyan is unbeaten at all distances this year and she's exactly three minutes faster than the second-best athlete in the field (Inga Abitova at 2:22:19).

Here's my look at the ten most likely candidates to win the women's race.

		PB	Chances
1	Mary Keitany	2:19:19	While the opposition is of a very high standard, it's still difficult to look past Keitany, who proved she's just as accomplished at the full marathon distance with a 2:19:19 performance in London this spring. The world half-marathon record-holder, who finished third on her debut last year, is a much more experienced marathon-runner now and she knows the course too. Unbeaten this year, Keitany's most recent performance was a 67:54 half-marathon in Lisbon where she defeated some of her leading rivals. Perhaps the only point of contention is the fact that, unlike London which Keitany dominated, this race will be devoid of pacemakers. This race should test her tactical mettle.
2	Caroline Kilel	2:22:36	She might not have the super-fast times which someone like Keitany owns but Kilel is a proven winner which counts for a lot in a tactical-oriented race. The Kenyan won Frankfurt last autumn in 2:23:25 before stepping up in class to win Boston in a PB where she overcame Desiree Davila in the closing stages for a two-second victory. Such experience might stand her in good stead as New York has a tradition of close finishes.
3	Kim Smith	2:25:21	Is Smith yet to fulfil her promise at the marathon or will she always be better at the shorter distances? The New Zealander has run four marathons – DNF'ing in two – including Boston this year, where she was lamed by a calf injury which forced her to retire from the race. Smith, however, is one of the in-form athletes with a recent half-marathon PB of 67:11 and a top-five finish last year shows she might favour a more tactical contest.
4	Buzunesh Deba	2:23:31	Domestic interest might not be particularly high as most of the leading American runners are focusing on next year's Olympic Trials but Buzunesh Deba – an Ethiopian-born Bronx resident – could become the first New York-based athlete to win since the race expanded to all five boroughs in 1976. Deba might not be a household name yet but the 24-year-old won a series of third-tier marathons last year, before stepping up to win Los Angeles in 2:26:34 and San Diego in 2:23:31.
5	Werknesh Kidane	2:26:15	The wife of Gebre Gebremariam could make a name for herself on the roads of New York as Kidane has showed a semblance of the form which made her one of the world's best long-distance runners in the mid-00s. Since making a 2:27:15 debut in Dubai in January, the trajectory has continued to point upwards. This was followed by an improvement to 2:26:15 in Boston and more recently Kidane posted a half-marathon PB of 67:26. The Ethiopian is renowned used to be a superb cross-country exponent and such pedigree could play to her benefit as the closing stages are undulating.
6	Jessica Augusto	2:24:33	Augusto has been a very good athlete at every distance from 1500m up to the half-marathon (and the steeplechase too) but the Portuguese seems to have found her niche at the full marathon distance. Her debut in London proved an instantaneous success as she finished eighth in 2:24:33 and she seemed to have plenty left in the tank. The death of her father affected her track campaign but Augusto has been regaining her best shape in recent weeks with two sub-70 half-marathons.
7	Inga Abitova	2:22:19	The Russian is something of an unknown quantity. She hasn't raced since finishing 15th in London, albeit with a sub-2:27 performance, and she was forced to withdraw from Chicago with illness and it's difficult to know what sort of shape she's in with no warm-up races on her CV. At her best, though, Abitova is arguably the second-best marathoner in the field.
8	Ana Dulce Felix	2:26:30	Like Augusto, Felix made a promising 2:26:30 debut in Vienna and while she finished ahead of Augusto over 10,000m at the World Championships, she's failed to break the 70-minute barrier for the half-marathon this autumn.
9	Isabellah Andersson	2:23:41	Andersson runs a lot of marathons but except for the Stockholm Marathon, the Kenyan-turned Swede is yet to win any of the main events on the calendar. The Swedish record-holder boasts consistency (3rd in Dubai, 7th at the Worlds) although she remains an outsider despite a sub-2:24 PB
10	Firehiwot Dado	2:24:13	The Ethiopian has a proven record in the second-tier of events with a trio of victories in Rome although New York will present a much tougher standard of opposition.

Chicago Marathon formcharts

Bank of America Chicago Marathon, October 9

The late Sammy Wanjiru won the men's race last year in 2:06:24 and a strong Kenyan outfit suggests this title could stay with the Rift Valley nation. Moses Mosop made a sensational debut in Boston and the former track star is the arguable pre-race favourite although Bernard Kipyego and former winner Evans Cheruiyot are both highly favoured. American hopes lie with Ryan Hall, who must be full of confidence after his 2:04:58 performance in Boston.

Meanwhile, the women's race offers a contrasting complexion as the Russians, who can compete with the best of the East Africans, could rule dominant. First and second in the London Marathon last year, Liliya Shobukhova and Inga Abitova are among the leading performers along with last year's third placer Mariya Konovalova.
 

Men's formchart

		PB
1	Moses Mosop	2:03:06	Mosop took advantage of the favourable conditions on the downhill Boston course to set the world's second fastest time ever of 2:03:06 on his debut but this performance by no means guarantees Olympic selection for the Kenyan. Mosop is an accomplished track runner and while he opted out of the World Championships, he set a world-best at 30,000m at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene. Mosop must surely take inspiration from his wife Florence Kiplagat, who claimed victory in the Berlin Marathon last week in a sub-2:20 clocking.
2	Ryan Hall	2:04:58	The American claimed many plaudits when he finished fourth in Boston in 2:04:58 and while this performance hasn't been ratified as a US record, his run in Boston proves he is capable of competing with the leading East Africans. His racing form in the build-up hasn't been particularly convincing but pre-marathon performances can often be discounted as immaterial and Hall wasn't exactly firing on all cylinders in the run-in to Boston.
3	Bernard Kipyego	2:07:01	Kipyego is yet to post a very fast time although he is a shrewd racer. The former world cross-country medallist was second in the Paris Marathon this spring and he almost broke the 60-minute barrier for the half-marathon in Lille last month. Look for him to make the podium this weekend.
4	Marilson dos Santos	2:06:34	The former New York Marathon champion's 2:06:34 performance from London was almost forgotten behind Emmanuel Mutai's course record and he's continued in a rich seam of form which can be illustrated by a recent 27:59 PB for 10km. Dos Santos usually competes in New York but the Brazilian has some knowledge of this course, having finished sixth in 2004.
5	Bekana Daba	2:07:04	Daba won Houston in a PB in January although perhaps he still had the effects of this marathon in his legs in Boston where he could only manage ninth in an inferior time.
6	Evans Cheruiyot	2:06:25	Cheruiyot is a former champion although the Kenyan has been quiet since a 2:06:25 performance in 2008. After missing 2010 though, Cheruiyot returned with a runner-up finish in the Dubai Marathon in 2:08:17.

Unknown factor – Bazu Worku

The Ethiopian is the third fastest in the field with a PB of 2:05:25. As an 18-year-old, he opened his marathon account with a world junior record of 2:06:15 in Paris in 2009 which was followed up with his PB performance from Berlin last year although his upward momentum has been somewhat halted. Worku had to withdraw from the London Marathon with food poisoning and he dropped out of the World Championships too. Given this race was just four weeks ago, is attempting another marathon so soon a bit ambitious? Or was he just keeping his powder dry once he fell out of medal contention in Daegu?

Fastest times in Chicago

1	Sammy Wanjiru	2:05:41	2009
2	Khalid Khannouchi	2:05:42	1999
3	Evans Rutto	2:05:50	2003
4	Khannouchi	2:05:56	2002
5	Abderrahim Goumri	2:06:04	2009
6	Vincent Kipruto	2:06:08	2009
7	Moses Tanui	2:06:16	1999
8	Daniel Njenga	2:06:16	2002
9	Toshinari Takaoka	2:06:16	2002
10	Evans Rutto	2:06:16	2004

Women's formchart

		PB
1	Liliya Shobukhova	2:20:15	The Russian was the world's leading marathon-runner in 2010 although she has been usurped by Mary Keitany, who posted a sub-2:20 performance in London. However, Shobukhova still came away with an improvement of her Russian record as she finished second in what was the deepest ever commercial marathon in terms of quality. Shobukhova will be aiming for her third successive title in the Windy City and while her form is difficult to judge due to a lack of competitive outings, the Russian always races sparingly in the build-up to big-city marathons. Shobukhova is a smart tactician and she will be confident in a scenario of race-day scenarios. She's the fastest athlete in the field on PBs and the 33-year-old, who's run 4:03.78 for 1500m and is a former world indoor 3000m record-holder, showed her nous in a tactical race in 2009.
2	Atsede Bayisa	2:22:04	Bayisa must be the most prolific of elite marathon-runners and the 24-year-old will be contesting her 17th marathon of her career and her fourth of 2011. The Ethiopian ran a bold race last year and she was on course for a sub-2:20 performance until the heat took its toll and she was reeled in by Shobukhova in the final 10km. It's difficult to expect Bayisa to be in this form given she competed at the World Championships only four weeks ago.
3	Mariya Konovalova	2:23:50	Konovalova, whose international career started in the mid-1990s, got to grips with the distance when she finished third on this course last year in a substantial PB although she faded to a slightly disappointing tenth in London in 2:25:18 after going with the sub-2:20 pace in the opening stages. The veteran looks on course for an improvement on her lifetime best as she set a half-marathon PB of 70:30 last month which was 32 seconds faster than her performance on the same course last year.
4	Askale Tafa	2:21:31	Tafa, who is easy to recognise with her unusual running gait, finished shy of the top ten last year although she returned to form with a 2:25:24 performance in London this year.
5	Christelle Daunay	2:24:22	The consistent Frenchwoman hasn't competed in a marathon this year but Daunay has showed good form at the shorter distances to suggest she might be able to challenge her French record which was set in the Paris Marathon last year. The 36-year-old has set PBs at 3000m, 10,000m and 10km and has raced well at the half-marathon too.
6	Wei Yanan	2:23:12	Wei Yanan is another enthusiastic marathoner and this will be her 31st marathon, as well as her fourth in seven months. While she hasn't raced in the high profile events, the Chinese has showed good consistency with runner-up performances in the Seoul Marathon at the World Military Games.

Unknown factor – Kayoko Fukushi

Fukushi set out at an ambitious pace on her marathon debut in Osaka in 2008 although the Japanese, who has often been thought of as a good prospect for the distance, did not gauge the distance well. Fukushi was operating at 2:20-pace in the opening stages before she was caught at the 33km mark by Mara Yamauchi who went on to win the race. Fukushi, meanwhile, hit the wall and crossed, or crawled, over the line in 19^th place in 2:40:54. Chicago will be her first marathon since her tough baptism on her debut and this race should prove if the Japanese is made out for the marathon. Despite a sub-31 10,000m, Fukushi chose to miss the World Championships and this shows her preparations have been gauged solely with this race in mind.

Fastest times in Chicago

1	Paula Radcliffe	2:17:18	2002
2	Catherine Ndereba	2:18:47	2001
3	Ndereba	2:19:26	2002
4	Liliya Shobukhova	2:20:25	2010
5	Berhane Adere	2:20:42	2006
6	Galina Bogomolova	2:20:47	2006
7	Joan Benoit	2:21:21	1985
8	Yoko Shibui	2:21:22	2002
9	Deena Kastor	2:21:25	2005
10	Constantina Dita	2:21:30	2005

Makau and Kirui granted wild-cards for 2012

Athletics Kenya has granted both world champion Abel Kirui and world marathon record-holder Patrick Makau wild-cards for next year's Olympic Games in London.

Given the unprecedented standards of marathon-running, one might have thought the selectors would have waited until next spring to name their triumvirate. However, such early selection allows Kirui and Makau the option of opting out of a spring marathon as participation in another marathon might prove detrimental to their gold-medal chances in the Olympic Games.

This leaves just one place left on the Kenyan team and some very big names are almost certain of missing out on selection, including the fastest-ever marathoner Geoffrey Mutai, who posted a world-best of 2:03:02 on a downhill course in Boston.

Mutai, who was a narrow runner-up to Makau in last year's Berlin Marathon, will now compete in New York but even a victory is unlikely to confirm his selection for the Kenyan team.

Here's a look at other potential casualties;

Moses Mosop (2:03:06)

Mosop made a startling debut in Boston although the 26-year-old cannot rest on his laurels. His next marathon will be Chicago on October 9.

Emmanuel Mutai (2:04:40)

His performance in London perhaps made him the leading contender for the Olympic title at the time but he was immediately usurped by Mutai (no relation) and Mosop's performances from Boston the following day. He also races next in New York where he was second last year.

Wilson Kiprotich (2:04:57)

Does anyone remember his sub-2:05 in Frankfurt last year?

Vincent Kipruto (2:05:13)

He has dipped under the 2:06 barrier three times and he took a silver medal at the World Championships in Berlin. This still pales into comparison against some of his compatriots.

Martin Lel (2:05:15)

Lel made a pleasing return to form in the London Marathon after a catalogue of injuries but even so, his best days seem to be behind him. He also didn't perform that well at the Beijing Olympic Games either.

Wilson Chebet (2:05:27)

The 26-year-old won in Rotterdam this year in 2:05:27.

Eliud Kiptanui (2:05:39)

Kiptanui debuted with 2:05:39 in Prague last year but his performances haven't been of the same calibre in 2011.

Kenya vs. Ethiopia - who will prevail in Daegu?

The leading Kenyans and Ethiopians often given the major championships a miss and while some of the very best might be absent, both countries will be fielding some of the world's most recognised names of long distance running.

Here's my formchart based on performances in the past twelve months

		DOB	PB	Marathons in past twelve months
1	Gebre Gebremariam	10/9/84	2:04:53	1st New York 2:08:14, 3rd Boston 2:04:53
2	Vincent Kipruto	13/9/87	2:05:13	5th Chicago 2:09:08, 2nd Rotterdam 2:05:33
3	Benjamin Kiptoo	79	2:06:31	1st Chunchon 2:07:54, 1st Paris 2:06:31
4	David Barmasai	87	2:07:18	1st Nairobi 2:10:31, 1st Dubai 2:07:18
5	Bazu Worku	15/9/90	2:05:25	3rd Berlin 2:05:25, DNS London
6	Eshetu Wendimu	26/1/82	2:06:46	14th Berlin 2:15:36, 3rd Dubai 2:08:54, 3rd Paris 2:07:32
7	Abderrahim Goumri	21/5/76	2:05:30	4th New York 2:10:51, 1st Seoul 2:09:11
8	Stephen Kiprotich	18/4/89	2:07:20	1st Enschede 2:07:20
9	Chala Dechase	13/6/84	2:06:33	3rd Amsterdam 2:07:23, 3rd Rotterdam 2:08:47
10	Eliud Kiptanui	6/6/89	2:05:39	5th Berlin 2:08:05, 4th Rotterdam 2:09:08

Absentees;

Geoffrey Mutai – the Boston Marathon champion will be targeting an autumn marathon

Moses Mosop – the runner-up from Boston is running in Chicago next month

Emmanuel Mutai – the London Marathon champion will be running an autumn marathon instead

Haile Gebrselassie – this was never in Haile's plans. Instead he's running in Berlin

Martin Lel – the Kenyan, who surprised himself with a return to form in London, will be at the Great North Run

Ryan Hall – his next race will be the Virginia Beach half-marathon

Prediction;

1. Barmasai, 2. Kipruto, 3. Gebremariam

While Edna Kiplagat started as the resounding favourite in the women's race, the men's contest lacks a standout contender. Do you favour the athletes with the fastest PBs or do you look towards the athletes who have won big-city marathons? Gebre Gebremariam certainly fits both criteria although the Ethiopians don't always run well in humid conditions and their performances in the women's race were rather disappointing.

On the other hand, the Kenyans excelled by taking a clean-sweep of the medals and their men's team is arguably even stronger. David Barmasai has won both of his most recent marathons in different conditions and he might prove to be the best of the Kenyans although Vincent Kipruto holds the fastest lifetime best.

Can Harting defend his title?

Published in last week's Athletics Weekly

ROBERT HARTING is unbeaten this year and such form makes the German the clear favourite to retain his crown. Harting has produced three of the seven best marks in the world this year and the 26-year-old was a comfortable winner at the European Team Championships too.

Virgilijus Alekna hasn't made the podium at the past two World Championships but the former two-time champion could pose the greatest threat to Harting. The 39-year-old has triumphed at the two most recent Diamond League events which shows the Lithuanian will still be a protagonist despite his veteran status.

Olympic champion Gerd Kanter from Estonia hasn't produced his best form at the two most recent major championships but the Osaka world champion has competed a bit more sparingly in the build-up and this might be to his advantage.

Piotr Malachowski sustained a knee injury at the World Military Games last month and the Pole's form has dovetailed since. Likewise, Zoltan Kovago hasn't really backed up his world-leading mark of 69.50m.

Championship record: 70.17m Virgilijus Alekna (LTU)

Reigning champion: Robert Harting (GER)

British interest: Abdul Buhari, Brett Morse, Carl Myerscough

AW's prediction: 1. Harting, 2. Alekna, 3. Kanter

Significant victories: Hengelo: Robert Harting (GER) 68.23m. Eugene: Harting 68.40m. Paris: Harting 67.32m. Stockholm: Virgilijus Alekna (LTU) 65.05m. London: Alekna 66.71m

Did you know? Robert Harting's 20-year-old brother Christoph has a PB of 62.12m and he finished fifth at the European Under-23 Championships.