—- A time for celebration and preparationThe many incredible achievements by athletes and figures from the sport were celebrated at the World Athletics Awards 2024 at the start of this month, and attention now turns to the competition still to come this year, as well as an action-packed 2025.

The month kicked off with two World Athletics Platinum Label marathons in Shanghai and Valencia and continues with two World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold events in Eldoret and Venta de Baños. The final Platinum Label event of the year is the Bangsaen21 Half Marathon in Chon Buri, before a series of other Label races bring the year to a close on 31 December.

Beyond that, the sport is already preparing for a year that features four World Athletics Series events: the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing in March, the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou in May, the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September and the World Athletics Road Running Championships in San Diego, also in September.The month ahead in athleticsA summary of competitions and stories that will be covered on the World Athletics website and its social media channels. Publication dates can be subject to change. An extensive calendar of international events can be found on the World Athletics website.

Sunday 1 December
• Shanghai Marathon (Platinum Label) – results
• Maratón Valencia Trinidad Alfonso Zurich (Platinum Label) – results

Saturday 7 December
• The Great Chepsaita Cross Country (Cross Country Tour Gold)

Sunday 15 December
• Cross Internacional Venta de Banos (Cross Country Tour Gold)
• Bangsaen21 Half Marathon (Platinum Label)RECAP OF THE PAST MONTHHeadline newsHassan and Tebogo named World Athletes of the YearOlympic champions Sifan Hassan and Letsile Tebogo have been announced as World Athletes of the Year at the World Athletics Awards 2024. Following a vote by fans, Hassan and Tebogo received top honours on an evening that saw six athletes crowned in three categories – track, field and out of stadium – before the overall two winners were revealed.MoreOther featured news• Host broadcaster Tata Communications and HBS to showcase Ultimate Championship as full list of disciplines announced• Honda signs sponsorship agreement to provide electrified vehicles at WCH Tokyo 25• Qualification system published for World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 25• SPRINT Part 2 out now on Netflix• Hill’s innovative 1972 mesh singlet joins MOWA• World Athletics participates in 2024 European Waste Reduction Week• In new video, Olympians discuss impacts of climate change on sportAction replayMarathon world lead for debutant Sawe in ValenciaKiplimo smashes course record at Zevenheuvelenloop in NijmegenFOR THE RECORDWorld record watch (as at 2 December)Pending ratification set in 2024• U20 women’s indoor 3000m: 8:32.34 Melknat Wudu (ETH) Boston, 4 Feb 24• U20 women’s indoor 1500m: 3:58.43 Birke Haylom (ETH) Boston, 4 Feb 24• men’s distance medley relay: 9:14.58 United States (Kidder, Miller, Harris, Wynne) Eugene, 19 Apr 24• men’s road mile: 3:54.6 Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) Herzogenaurach, 27 Apr 24• women’s 10,000m: 28:54.14 Beatrice Chebet (KEN) Eugene, 25 May 24• U20 women’s 5000m: 14:23.71 Birke Haylom (ETH) Eugene, 25 May 24• U20 men’s 10,000m: 26:37.93 Biniam Mehary (ETH) Nerja, 14 Jun 24• mixed 4x400m: 3:07.41 USA (V Norwood, S Little, B Deadmon, K Brown) 2 Aug 24• men’s pole vault: 6.25m Mondo Duplantis (SWE) Paris, 5 Aug 24• women’s 400m hurdles: 50.37 Sydney McLaughlin (USA) Paris, 8 Aug 24• men’s road mile: 3:51.3 Elliot Giles (GBR) Dusseldorf, 1 Sep 24• women’s marathon: 2:09:56 Ruth Chepngetich (KEN) Chicago, 13 Oct 24• men’s 35km race walk: Masatora Kawano (JPN) Takahata, 27 Oct 24• men’s half marathon: 57:30 Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) Valencia, 27 Oct 24Athletes sanctioned for a doping offenceAn up-to-date list is available on the Athletics Integrity Unit website.
New member federation officers – recent elections / appointmentsMember federationPresidentGeneral secretaryBURFrançois Vokouma (elected)Diallo Amadou (re-elected)ESPRaul Chapado Serrano (re-elected)–ISRAmi Baran (re-elected)Hai Cohen (appointed)PURLuis Dieppa (re-elected)–MGLNarangerel Evshinkhuu (elected)Ayushjav Sodnomdarjaa (elected)QATMohamed Eisa Al-Fadhala (re-elected)Eisa Abdulla Al Harami (re-elected)PORDomingos Da Silva Castro (elected)Luis Alves Monteiro (elected)SVKPeter Korcok (re-elected)–TOGFalilatou Tchanile-Salifou (re-elected)Kouma Akpadi Tarsiba (re-elected)COMAbdallah Madi (elected)Fayssoil Mohamed Ali (elected)LTUEimantas Skrabulis (re-elected)Nijolė Medvedeva (re-elected)LCADora Henry (elected)Wayne Erasmus Benti (elected)NAMLeon Nienaber (elected)Madeleine Kotze (elected)The above information is supplied by the World Athletics governance, member and international relations department and represents member federation election results received since the last World Athletics newsletter.Obituaries1964 Olympic shot put champion Dallas LongTo contribute to the World Athletics website or newsletter, contact editor@worldathletics.orgWORLD ATHLETICS PARTNERSHondaWORLD ATHLETICS MEDIA PARTNERWORLD ATHLETICS SUPPORTERSWORLD ATHLETICS SUPPLIERS    
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