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For the first time in the 28-year history of this event, a Ugandan athlete stood proud atop the podium, but it wasn&rsquo;t the one most expected. In the men&rsquo;s race at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020 on Saturday (17), it was Jacob Kiplimo and not Joshua Cheptegei who reigned supreme, the 19-year-old coming of age with his first global title at senior level.
With a devastating surge over the last of the four laps, no one could live with Kiplimo and he hit the line a delighted champion in a championship record of 58:49, with Kenya&rsquo;s Kibiwott Kandie second in 58:54 and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Amedework Walelegn third in 59:08.
Next in was Cheptegei, who had lost contact with the leaders with a little less than five kilometres to run, the king of the track demoted to fourth place on the roads but rewarded with a swift time of 59:21 on his debut at the distance.
&ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t give more than that,&rdquo; said Cheptegei, who set a world 10,000m record in Valencia just 10 days ago. &ldquo;I have been training more for 5000m and 10,000m so I was not well prepared for it, but I&rsquo;m very happy &ndash; running a sub-60 is really special for me. My body was really going very well but I discovered I still had some fatigue in the legs.&rdquo; 
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 In a race of outstanding quality, the first 10 runners broke 60 minutes, the first time that ever happened at the event and just the second time it has ever happened. And a record 28 men finished inside 61 minutes. This, despite a relatively pedestrian start that saw the leading contenders cruise through the opening lap waiting for one another to make a decisive move.
No Ugandan had ever won an individual medal in 23 previous editions of the event &ndash; their one team medal a men&rsquo;s bronze in 2004 &ndash; but the nation has been a rising force in distance running these past few years so today&rsquo;s result came as no surprise. Kiplimo, after all, had clocked a world-leading 7:26.64 for 3000m in Rome last month and 12:48.63 for 5000m so his credentials were unquestioned, and he had followed Cheptegei home at last year&rsquo;s World Cross Country Championships.
His only half marathon before today was the 1:01:53 he ran in Kampala last year but from the outset today, he looked most at home at the distance.&nbsp;
In contrast to the women&rsquo;s race, the men&rsquo;s race set off at a conservative tempo, the leading contenders happy to coast through the opening 5km in 14:20 as Switzerland&rsquo;s Julien Wanders towed them along out front. 
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The start of the men's race at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020</div>
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 A leading pack of 23 went through 10km in 28:23, and the gears slowly began to shift in the third lap, with Kandie and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Guye Adola applying some pressure. Kandie stepped the pace up even more as he clicked through 15km in 42:17 and clocked the first sub-14-minute 5km split of the race with 13:54.
It whittled the leading pack to 11 with a lap to go, with Cheptegei passing the bell a few seconds behind Kandie in eighth place. Kandie was soon joined by Kiplimo as they ran uphill and as he saw the gaps open behind to Cheptegei, Kiplimo kept the pressure on, building a 15-metre lead over his teammate.
Kandie, too, began to fall off pace behind the smooth-striding Kiplimo, but with less than 3km to run he clawed his way back to Kiplimo&rsquo;s shoulder. The pace now was red-hot, Kiplimo surging to 20km in 55:55, a 13:37 5km split giving him a four-second lead over Kandie as he ran downhill towards the coast for the final time. 
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Kibiwott Kandie in action at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020</div>
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 Kandie refused to lie down, chasing Kiplimo for all he was worth as they neared the finish in a bid to keep the men&rsquo;s crown in Kenya for the fourth successive championships, following Geoffrey Kamworor&rsquo;s three straight wins between 2014 and 2018. But he simply couldn&rsquo;t close down the advantage and he had to make do with silver.
&ldquo;I feel great, it was my first time at the World Half Marathon Championships and I won!&rdquo; said Kiplimo. &ldquo;It is hard to explain, because I am full of emotion. Unbelievable. The weather was really good, as were the conditions and course. I'm so grateful for everyone who has supported me.
"My favourite surface is the road," confirmed Kiplimo, somewhat surprisingly, given he has raced on the roads sparingly so far in his career. "I&rsquo;m still young and I have to focus for next year on the Olympics. You remember in Denmark (at the World Cross)? I was thinking I didn&rsquo;t want to do that again.
"It&rsquo;s very difficult (to win gold). After winning in Rome, I started preparing for the half marathon," added Kiplimo, who also confirmed that he'll be targeting the 5000m and 10,000m at next year's Olympics. "Joshua Cheptegei and Moses Kipsiro have given me a lot (of inspiration)."
Kandie led Kenya to gold in the team event, with Leonard Barsoton&rsquo;s 59:34 and Benard Kimeli&rsquo;s 59:42 giving them a cumulative time of 2:58:10. Ethiopia took team silver with 2:58:25, and Uganda bronze with 2:58:39. All three teams finished inside the previous championship record.
"We said we have to produce a gold medal for the team because that is the aim," said Kandie after registering his first defeat of 2020. "No, I&rsquo;m not happy (with silver). I was preparing for a gold. I pushed it for so long for so many kilometres I used some energy and I didn&rsquo;t have so much for the finish"
Walelegn, meanwhile, was content with his bronze medal.
"I feel happy with my race, but I worked to be a gold medallist," he said. "The race was very challenging."
Further down the field, there were national records for South Africa's Stephen Mokoka, who marked his seventh appearance at these championships with a 59:36 clocking in seventh, his best ever finish, and France's European 10,000m champion Morhad Amdouni, who clocked 59:40 on his debut at the distance.
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

For the first time in the 28-year history of this event, a Ugandan athlete stood proud atop the podium, but it wasn’t the one most expected. In the men’s race at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020 on Saturday (17), it was Jacob Kiplimo and not Joshua Cheptegei who reigned supreme, the 19-year-old coming of age with his first global title at senior level.

World Half Gdynia 2020 Kiplimo win

Kiplimo makes history for Uganda at World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020

In an arena where endurance is king, speed also proved a precious commodity. In the end, Peres Jepchirchir needed both to reign supreme in the women&rsquo;s race at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020 on Saturday (17), powering to gold in 1:05:16, a world record* in a women-only race.
She led home Germany's Melat Yisak Kejeta, who smashed the European women-only record to take silver in 1:05:18, with Ethiopia&rsquo;s Yalemzerf Yehualaw a close third in 1:05:19.
In a race blighted by falls, where three of the leading contenders saw their chances scuppered through unfortunate incidents, the race boiled down to a clash between those able to stay on their feet through the four laps around the streets of Gdynia. 
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 On what was a cold, breezy morning alongside the Baltic Sea, the pace was scorching from the outset. Kenya&rsquo;s Joyciline Jepkosgei was one of the chief aggressors, leading a pack of 13 through the first 5km in 15:20. Midway through the second lap the first casualties began to show from that group and it was whittled to eight, with Turkey&rsquo;s Yasemin Can another keen to push things along.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Netsanet Gudeta&rsquo;s race almost came to an abrupt stop as the leaders took a 90-degree turn on to the seafront, the defending champion taking a fall and losing several seconds to the leaders. It was a gap she would never close, the Ethiopian slipping farther behind during the third lap.
Can led a group of seven through 10km in 30:47, but on the third lap Jepchirchir made her first strong move, the women-only half marathon world record holder injecting a surge and putting many of those behind in visible distress.
At this point a trio of Ethiopians &ndash; Ababel Yeshaneh, Zeineba Yimer and Yehualaw &ndash; were coasting quietly in their slipstream along with Germany&rsquo;s Kejeta, and as they turned away from the beach to head out on their final lap Yehualaw made her first move towards the front. 
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Ababel Yeshaneh in action at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020</div>
&nbsp;
 However, Jepkosgei soon seized the advantage again as they ran uphill, with a pack of seven reaching 15km in 46:24. The entire spectre of the race changed with 54 minutes on the clock. Yeshaneh surged to the front but soon began to drift towards the kerb due to the camber of the road, her legs tangling with Jepkosgei and both athletes hitting the deck.
Both were left some 30 metres in arrears by the time they were up and running, with Yehualaw, Can and Kejeta suddenly left alone out front, Yimer and Can also falling off pace as the leaders powered downhill towards the coast for the final time. &nbsp;
Yehualaw and Jepchirchir ran side by side, with Kejeta hanging tough in their slipstream, and as they turned for home with less than a kilometre to run the three ran side by side towards the finish.
Jepchirchir bided her time and took advantage as Yehualaw hesitated entering the finishing straight, the Kenyan 27-year-old digging in and surging clear to a memorable victory. Kejeta took more than three minutes off her personal best in second and the 28-year-old, who previously represented Ethiopia, was ecstatic with her runner-up spot.
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Peres Jepchirchir in action at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020</div>
&nbsp;
"It's unbelievable," said Jepchirchir. "My goal was to win this race. I did not expect that I would beat the world record, but I realised that it could happen when we passed 20km. It was a little bit windy, but the course was good for me.
"I feel sorry for the athletes who fell, they are strong athletes. When they fell, I almost fell down too, but I jumped.
"My season is not yet complete," added Jepchirchir. "I still have Valencia Marathon in December so I&rsquo;ll prepare for that. I think this win gave me a lot. I'd like to run 2:17 or 2:18 for the marathon.
"This pandemic was difficult and it affected a lot of people. I used this time to train, I didn&rsquo;t stop my training because I was trying to reach my shape.
"I am so happy with this. It&rsquo;s a gift to all the Kenyans, to my family. I am going to rest now for one week to recover then I&rsquo;ll continue training for Valencia."
Back in third, Yehualaw led Ethiopia to gold in the team event to back up the title they won at the last edition two years ago, with Yimer&rsquo;s 1:05:39 in fourth and Yeshaneh&rsquo;s 1:05:41 in fifth giving them the quickest cumulative time with 3:16:39, smashing the championship record. Kenya took team silver with 3:18:10 while Germany took bronze with 3:28:42.
In a race of unprecedented depth, the first six women finished inside 66 minutes and the top nine finished inside 67 minutes.
Although Jepkosgei lost her momentum after taking a tumble, she still managed to finish sixth in 1:05:58, the third-fastest time of her career after her two world records from 2017. In seventh, Can broke the Turkish record with 1:06:20 to finish 28 seconds ahead of Gudeta.
Kenya's Brillian Kipkoech (1:06:56) and Rosemary Wanjiru (1:07:10) rounded out the top 10, while a bit further back there were national records for Switzerland's Fabienne Schlumpf (13th, 1:08:38) and Uganda's Juliet Chekwel (14th, 1:08:44).
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics
*Pending the usual ratification procedure

In an arena where endurance is king, speed also proved a precious commodity. In the end, Peres Jepchirchir needed both to reign supreme in the women’s race at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020 on Saturday (17), powering to gold in 1:05:16, a world record in a women-only race.

World Half Gdynia 2020 Jepchirchir world record

Jepchirchir breaks women-only world record at World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020

The man is fallible after all. Eliud Kipchoge&rsquo;s reign of invincibility came to a crushing end with an eighth-place finish at the Virgin Money London Marathon, a World Athletics Platinum Label race, as Ethiopia&rsquo;s Shura Kitata won a dramatic, last-gasp sprint to take the honours in the men&rsquo;s race.
Kipchoge, the Olympic champion and world record-holder and unbeaten in 10 previous marathons, had been widely expected to claim an unprecedented fifth London title in his first race since making history by breaking the two-hour barrier in Vienna.
His principal challenger, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Kenenisa Bekeke, had been forced to withdraw with a calf injury just two days before the race, while Kipchoge had cut a confident figure in the build-up as he discussed how well his preparations had gone.
Moments before he went to the start-line, fellow Kenyan Brigid Kosgei had raced to a runaway victory to retain her London crown, and few predicted anything but a Kipchoge triumph to complete a Kenyan double.
But this time, the race did not follow the usual script. Looking comfortable among a lead group of nine runners for much of the race, Kipchoge appeared to be biding his time before launching a characteristic surge of pace to break up the field. 
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The leading group in the men's race at the London Marathon</div>
&nbsp;
On this occasion, though, the attack failed to materialise. Instead, the tables were turned on the mighty Kenyan as his rivals launched a breakaway with three miles of the race remaining.
With Kipchoge unable to respond, a lead group of five soon turned into a three-way battle between Kitata, fellow Ethiopian Sisay Lemma and the towering Kenyan, Vincent Kipchumba. Kipchoge, meanwhile, was disappearing into the distance.
In one of the most exciting finishes in London Marathon memory, Kipchumba was the first to strike for home, only to be overtaken on the line by the diminutive Kitata. Just a single second separated the two men as Kitata clocked a winning time of 2:05:41.
&ldquo;I prepared very well for this race,&rdquo; Kitata, 24, said afterwards. "Kenenisa Bekele helped me. I am very happy to win the race.&rdquo;
Lemma was third in 2:04:45 while Kipchoge crossed the line in eighth in 2:06:42 &ndash; his slowest ever time in a city marathon. It was his first defeat since 2013.
&ldquo;I am really disappointed,&rdquo; Kipchoge said afterwards. &ldquo;I don't know what happened.
&ldquo;The last 15km, I felt my right ear was blocked and I had cramp in my hip and leg.
&ldquo;It just happened in the race. I started well. It's really cold but I don't blame the conditions.&rdquo; 
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Eliud Kipchoge in action at the London Marathon</div>
&nbsp;
It was a remarkable outcome to an extraordinary race, which was staged for the first time over 19 laps of a closed-loop course around St James&rsquo;s Park in central London after the original race scheduled for April had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The course was also off limits to spectators to maintain a &lsquo;biosecure&rsquo; bubble for the athletes and support staff. It was just a shame that no one was there to witness in person one of the most dramatic men&rsquo;s races in the event&rsquo;s 40-year history.
By contrast, the women&rsquo;s race followed a more predictable path.
Kosgei, the overwhelming pre-race favourite after obliterating Paula Radcliffe&rsquo;s 16-year-old world record when she won in Chicago last October in a stunning 2:14:04, delivered another imperious performance to retain her London crown.
Her time of 2:18:58 may have been 38 seconds slower than her victory a year ago, but her winning margin of more than three minutes spoke volumes for her dominance. At the age of just 26, she is already taking the marathon into uncharted territory.
&ldquo;I just tried my best,&rdquo; she said afterwards. &ldquo;The weather affected us today. There was some wind and rain all the way, which made our muscles colder. No one could warm up so it was difficult to even finish.&rdquo;
Earlier in the race, Kosgei&rsquo;s main challenge came from fellow Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich, the world champion and London debutant, as the pair set a hot pace to break away just before the 10-mile mark. 
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Brigid Kosgei on her way to winning the London Marathon</div>
&nbsp;
The halfway split of 1:08:15 put the duo on track to lower Mary Keitany&rsquo;s women&rsquo;s only world record of 2:17:01, though the soggy conditions and tight corners on the looped course were never going to be conducive to record-breaking times.
Chepngetich made a brave attempt to surge away from Kosgei after the midway point, though the attack was swiftly countered and the pair settled into a more sedate pace for several miles, ending all thoughts of breaking records.
It was after the 19-mile mark that Kosgei made the decisive attack and this time Chepngetich had no answer, dropping back quickly and looking suddenly fatigued as she evidently paid the price for going with the early pace.
As Kosgei&rsquo;s race turned in a one-woman exhibition over the closing miles, the real contest was taking place further back in the field as veteran Sara Hall of the US overhauled Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ashete Bekere to move into third place before training her sights on the tiring Chepngetich. 
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Sara Hall overtakes Ruth Chepngetich to finish second at the London Marathon</div>
&nbsp;
In an exciting sprint finish that presaged the men&rsquo;s race a couple of hours later, Hall, 37, found the energy to burst past the Kenyan with just 80 metres remaining, crossing the line in second place in a lifetime best of 2:22:01 for her first ever top-three finish in a major city marathon. Chepngetich finished four seconds behind her.
It was also the first time an able-bodied US athlete had made it on to the London Marathon podium since Deena Kastor&rsquo;s victory in 2006 &ndash; an achievement that will help atone for Hall&rsquo;s disappointment in failing to gain selection for the Tokyo Olympics at last year&rsquo;s US Olympic trials.
Simon Hart for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Men 1 Shura Kitata (ETH) 2:05:41 2 Vincent Kipchumba (KEN) 2:05:42 3 Sisay Lemma (ETH) 2:05:45 4 Mosinet Geremew (ETH) 2:06:04 5 Mule Wasihun (ETH) 2:06:08 6 Tamirat Tola (ETH) 2:06:41 7 Benson Kipruto (KEN) 2:06:42 8 Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:06:49 9 Sondre Nordstad Moen (NOR) 2:09:01 10 Marius Kipserem (KEN) 2:09:25
Women 1 Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2:18:58 2 Sara Hall (USA) 2:22:01 3 Ruth Chepngetich (KEN) 2:22:05 4 Ashete Bekere (ETH) 2:22:51 5 Alemu Megertu (ETH) 2:24:23 6 Molly Seidel (USA) 2:25:13 7 Gerda Steyn (RSA) 2:26:51 8 Sinead Diver (AUS) 2:27:07 9 Darya Mykhaylova (UKR) 2:27:29 10 Valary Jemeli (KEN) 2:28:18

The man is fallible after all. Eliud Kipchoge’s reign of invincibility came to a crushing end with an eighth-place finish at the Virgin Money London Marathon, a World Athletics Platinum Label race, as Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata won a dramatic, last-gasp sprint to take the honours in the men’s race.

London Marathon 2020 Kitata Kosgei Kipchoge

Kitata conquers Kipchoge while Kosgei retains title at London Marathon

The World Athletics Indoor Tour will offer enhanced competition opportunities next year with the introduction of three tiers of competition &ndash; Gold, Silver and Bronze &ndash; comprising 26 meetings spread across 12 countries in Europe and North America.
The expanded tour will broaden the geographical spread of meetings around the world and incorporate additional Area level competitions.
Heading into its sixth season, the World Athletics Indoor Tour will feature six Gold level meetings in 2021, kicking off in Karlsruhe on 29 January and culminating in Madrid on 24 February. New York&rsquo;s Millrose Games, one of the oldest and most prestigious indoor meetings in the world, has been added to the circuit for next year.
The scoring disciplines on the World Athletics Indoor Tour rotate each year. For 2021 the Gold level scoring disciplines will be:
Men: 400m, 1500m, 60m hurdles, high jump, long jump Women: 60m, 800m, 3000m/5000m, pole vault, triple jump, shot put
Each athlete&rsquo;s best three results will count towards their overall point score. The athlete with the most points in each scoring discipline at the end of the tour will be declared the winner and will be awarded a USD$10,000 bonus along with a wild card entry for the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22.
The prize money allocation has been restructured to allow World Athletics to give more funds directly to the individual meetings, which will assist them to remain financial viable in these challenging times, and to maintain or increase the prize money on offer to athletes.
Each Gold meeting will offer at least USD$7000 in prize money for each individual event on the programme, including USD$3000 to the winner.
Silver meetings in the expanded tour will award at least USD$30,000 (at least $4000 per discipline and respecting gender equality) and Bronze meetings will offer at least USD$12,000 (at least $2500 per discipline and respecting gender equality).
World Indoor Tour event organisers are advised to build their COVID-19 health and safety protocols and mitigation plans based on the information and <a href="https://idom.worldathletics.org/">tool available on the World Athletics website</a>.
Once adapted to the specific conditions of each indoor venue, this plan should be shared and approved by the local public health authority.
Due to the pandemic, the current plans are provisional, so dates and venues could change as the season approaches.
<h3>Calendar &ndash; World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold</h3>
29 Jan &ndash; Karlsruhe, Germany 6 Feb &ndash; Boston, USA 9 Feb &ndash; Lievin, France 13 Feb &ndash; New York City, USA 17 Feb &ndash; Torun, Poland 24 Feb &ndash; Madrid, Spain
- <a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results?startDate=2021-01-01&amp;endDate=2021-03-11&amp;competitionGroupId=3677">Full calendar of all Gold, Silver and Bronze World Athletics Indoor Tour meetings </a>- <a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-indoor-tour/information/organizer-details">Gold Meeting organiser details and disciplines per meeting</a>
World Athletics

The World Athletics Indoor Tour will offer enhanced competition opportunities next year with the introduction of three tiers of competition – Gold, Silver and Bronze – comprising 26 meetings spread across 12 countries in Europe and North America.

World Athletics Indoor Tour to expand in 2021

At the start of the 2020 outdoor season, in the aftermath of the postponement of the Olympic Games and other major championships, it was deemed almost impossible for international track and field meetings to go ahead during a global pandemic.
The traditional early season Wanda Diamond League meetings &ndash; Doha, Shanghai, Eugene and Stockholm &ndash; were either cancelled or postponed, while uncertainty loomed over the other meetings in the series. But in June, organisers of Oslo&rsquo;s Bislett Games found a way of making the impossible possible and staged the first fixture on the 2020 Wanda Diamond League calendar.
&nbsp;
<h3>Impossible Games, Oslo &ndash; 11 June</h3>
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Two-time world 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm produced the highlight in Oslo&rsquo;s exhibition event and set the tone for the rest of his season.
Competing in front of his home crowd in the Norwegian capital, Warholm opened his 2020 campaign by clocking a world best of 33.78 in the 300m hurdles.
Despite being the sole competitor in his race and competing in an empty stadium, Warholm still beat his chest and roared in typical fashion. His time was well within the previous mark of 34.48, set by Great Britain&rsquo;s Chris Rawlinson in 2002, and under Kevin Young&rsquo;s 400m hurdles world record split (34.1) to boot.
The men&rsquo;s 2000m &ndash; a virtual contest between the Ingebrigtsen brothers racing in Oslo and an all-Kenyan team featuring Timothy Cheruiyot racing in Nairobi &ndash; was another highlight. The altitude in Kenya prevented it from being a truly competitive affair, but Jakob Ingebrigtsen used the opportunity to break the European record, running 4:50.01.
Elsewhere, Mondo Duplantis beat Renaud Lavillenie in the pole vault and Hedda Hynne kicked off her season with a victory over 600m.
&nbsp;
<h3>Inspiration Games, Zurich &ndash; 9 July</h3>
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A month after Oslo&rsquo;s meeting took place, organisers of Zurich&rsquo;s Weltklasse held the &lsquo;Inspiration Games&rsquo; which brought together 30 athletes competing in seven venues across two continents.
Multiple world and Olympic champion Allyson Felix was one of the star performers. The US sprinter, competing in California, won the 150m in 16.81 to beat Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Mujinga Kambundji, who were competing in Florida and Zurich respectively, connected via video link-up. Felix claimed another victory later in the meeting, running the anchor leg on the victorious 3x100m team.
Competing on his track in Lisbon, Pedro Pablo Pichardo prevailed in the triple jump with a 17.40m (+2.3m/s) effort in the second round. World and Olympic champion Christian Taylor struggled in the early going but produced his best in the sixth round, reaching 17.27m (+4.2m/s) in Florida to beat back Omar Craddock who leaped 17.04m in the second round in California.
Not all of the contests were virtual. A men&rsquo;s 100-yards race was held in Florida and was won by Canada&rsquo;s Andre De Grasse in 9.68, finishing 0.04 ahead of France&rsquo;s Jimmy Vicaut.
&nbsp;
<h3>Herculis, Monaco &ndash; 14 August</h3>
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Following the exhibition events in Oslo and Zurich, Monaco staged the first official Wanda Diamond League of 2020 and it did not disappoint.
With a range of 14 track and field disciplines on its programme and near-full fields in each one, the Herculis meeting was a big step forward towards normality. And for Joshua Cheptegei it was an opportunity to display his record-breaking form.
The Ugandan, who had set a world 5km record on the road in Monaco in February, returned to the principality and clocked 12:35.36 to break Kenenisa Bekele&rsquo;s world 5000m record that had stood for 16 years.
The pace was so fierce that Cheptegei had run out of pacemakers by half way. As he hit the bell in 11:35, it was apparent that the record was his for the taking and he came home in 60 seconds as the small socially-distanced crowd allowed to attend the meeting rose and applauded.
&ldquo;It took a lot of mind setting to keep being motivated this year because so many people are staying at home but you have to stay motivated,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I pushed myself; I had the right staff with me, the right coach. I'm also usually based in Europe, but being based in Uganda with my family was actually great.&rdquo;
In a race featuring the world champions over every distance from 1500m to 10,000m, Kenya&rsquo;s Hellen Obiri reigned supreme over her preferred distance.
Obiri, the world champion at cross country and 5000m, had just Letesenbet Gidey and Laura Weightman for company in the final kilometre. Obiri put on the after-burners 250m from the finish line and sprinted away to win in 14:22.12, setting a meeting record and the world lead.
Compatriots Timothy Cheruiyot and Faith Kipyegon were also victorious, winning over 1500m and 1000m respectively. Cheruiyot clocked a world-leading 3:28.45, while Kipyegon&rsquo;s 2:29.15 was the second-fastest performance in history for the distance.
Warholm, contesting his first race of the season over the full 400m hurdles distance, smashed the meeting record with 47.10, winning by more than two seconds. Meanwhile, US duo Donavan Brazier and Noah Lyles won their specialist events, Brazier clocking 1:43.15 in the 800m and Lyles running 19.76.
&nbsp;
<h3>Bauhaus-Galan, Stockholm &ndash; 23 August</h3>
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Karsten Warholm powered to the second-fastest 400m hurdles performance of all time to highlight Stockholm&rsquo;s Bauhaus Galan.
Building a visible lead by the third hurdle and adding to it with each stride, Warholm powered off the final bend and into the home straight very much alone. For some moments, Kevin Young&rsquo;s 46.78 world record, set at the Barcelona Olympic Games 28 years ago, looked to be under serious threat. But it didn&rsquo;t come to pass after the 24-year-old Norwegian clipped the final barrier, costing him valuable ticks of the clock.
He crossed the line in 46.87 to break his own European record by 0.05 and solidify his No.2 position on the world all-time list.
Elsewhere on the track, Laura Muir (3:57.86) and Timothy Cheruiyot (3:30.25) impressed over 1500m. The highlights on the infield, meanwhile, came from Mondo Duplantis and Yaroslava Mahuchikh.
Duplantis broke the meeting record in the pole vault, winning with 6.01m, and went on to have three unsuccessful attempts 6.15m. Mahuchikh won the high jump with 2.00m and came close to clearing 2.03m.
&nbsp;
<h3>Athletissima, Lausanne &ndash; 2 September</h3>
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Organisers of Lausanne&rsquo;s Athletissima meeting staged an exhibition pole vault competition in the city centre and it resulted in one of the greatest contests of all time.
World champion Sam Kendricks and world record-holder Mondo Duplantis pushed one another over six metres. After a string of successful clearances at the higher heights, ultimately it was simply a lack of light that prevented Duplantis, the eventual winner, going higher.
Kendricks scaled 6.02m, the second-best vault of his career, while Duplantis got over 6.07m. The young Swede went on to attempt 6.15m, but the fading daylight made vaulting too difficult.
&ldquo;I felt I was in the zone,&rdquo; said Duplantis. &ldquo;It was a fantastic evening. The conditions, crowd, competition &ndash; it was all fabulous.&rdquo;
Compatriot Angelica Bengtsson made it a Swedish double, winning the women&rsquo;s contest with 4.72m.
&nbsp;
<h3>AG Memorial van Damme, Brussels &ndash; 4 September</h3>
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A pair of world records highlighted the AG Memorial Van Damme in Brussels.
Sifan Hassan and Mo Farah broke the women&rsquo;s and men&rsquo;s marks respectively in the rarely run one-hour event, but both races were only decided on the final lap.
Brigid Kosgei, the world record-holder for the marathon, stuck to Hassan all the way. It was only when the gun sounded to mark the last minute that Hassan took off and opened up distance on the Kenyan, eventually covering 18,930 metres.
Farah, meanwhile, fell off world record pace at the mid-way point but managed to get back on schedule with the help of Belgium&rsquo;s Bashir Abdi, his training partner. Abdi took the lead a few minutes from the end, but Farah regained it in the closing stages to win with a distance of 21,330m.
Duplantis maintained his winning streak in the pole vault, scaling a meeting record of 6.00m, while Faith Kipyegon once again came close to the world record in the 1000m, this time clocking 2:29.92.
&nbsp;
<h3>Golden Gala Pietro Mennea, Rome &ndash; 17 September</h3>
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Having taken several attempts at 6.15m earlier in the season, Swedish pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis finally got over that height at Rome&rsquo;s Golden Gala Pietro Mennea, producing the best outdoor vault in history.
The world silver medallist, who had set world records of 6.17m and 6.18m during the indoor season earlier in the year, confirmed victory in the Italian capital with a second-attempt clearance of 5.85m. He glided over 6.00m, then raised the bar to the ultimate target of 6.15m, getting over it on his second try.
&ldquo;I hit the mat but I haven&rsquo;t really fallen back to earth,&rdquo; said a delighted Duplantis.
In a showdown of the teen sensations, Uganda&rsquo;s Jacob Kiplimo triumphed over Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the 3000m as the first three finishers set national records.
Ingebrigtsen took the lead from Australia&rsquo;s Stewart McSweyn just before the bell, but Kiplimo&rsquo;s finishing kick proved irresistible over the final 50 metres and the 19-year-old crossed the line in a Diamond League record of 7:26.64, the fastest time in the world since 2007.
Ingebrigtsen set a Norwegian record of 7:27.05 in second and McSweyn held on gamely for an Oceania record of 7:28.02.
Jamaica&rsquo;s Elaine Thompson-Herah sped to a world-leading 10.85 to win the women&rsquo;s 100m, finishing almost three metres clear of her rivals.
Karsten Warholm and Femke Bol extended their winning streaks in the 400m hurdles. Warholm won the men&rsquo;s race in 47.08 to break the meeting record (47.48) and the Stadio Olympico record (47.37). Bol, meanwhile, clocked 53.90 to take the women&rsquo;s race.
&nbsp;
<h3>Diamond League Meeting, Doha &ndash; 25 September</h3>
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Usually the curtain raiser of the series, this year&rsquo;s Diamond League Meeting in Doha brought the curtain down on an unusual and memorable season.
Hellen Obiri won a high-quality women&rsquo;s 3000m, beating a field full of global and continental medallists. The Kenyan unleashed her trademark kick on the final lap and went on to win in a world-leading 8:22.54. For the first time in history, six women finished inside 8:26 and seven women finished inside 8:27.
&ldquo;The season has not been the best for everyone but I am happy it is coming to an end,&rdquo; said Obiri.
Having been beaten in his three other races earlier in the series, Stewart McSweyn ended his Diamond League campaign on a high by winning the men&rsquo;s 1500m in an Australian record of 3:30.51, winning by more than two seconds.
Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon once again displayed her dominance, this time winning over 800m with a world-leading PB of 1:57.68. Compatriot Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich won the men&rsquo;s event, clocking a season&rsquo;s best of 1:44.16.
Mondo Duplantis maintained his winning streak in the pole vault, but only just. He won on countback with 5.82m, a height that Sam Kendricks and Renaud Lavillenie also managed to get over.
It is hoped that the Wanda Diamond League will return to normality &ndash; or at least get closer to it &ndash; in 2021. But meeting organisers and athletes have shown this year that the sport is capable of adapting and, even in difficult circumstances, it&rsquo;s possible to create outstanding athletics moments.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

At the start of the 2020 outdoor season, in the aftermath of the postponement of the Olympic Games and other major championships, it was deemed almost impossible for international track and field meetings to go ahead during a global pandemic.

2020 Wanda Diamond League season review

Looking back at the 2020 Wanda Diamond League

Here is a round-up of updates relating to international competitions, from cancellations to postponements and confirmations.

Meeting Name	Venue	Country	Date
Hungarian 35km Race Walking Ch.	Budapest	HUN	25 Oct 2020
7th Michitaka Kinami Memorial Meet	Nagai	JPN	24 Oct 2020
Milla Valladolid Gran Premio Dulcesol	Valladolid	ESP	24 Oct 2020
39th Edition Dudinska 50	Dudince	SVK	24 Oct 2020
Taiyuan International Marathon	Taiyuan	CHN	18 Oct 2020

World Athletics Series

Oregon

Nanjing

Nairobi

Bathurst

Minsk

Yangzhou

Silesia

One-Day Meeting Circuits

Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium, Doha

Denka Big Swan Stadium, Niigata

Europahalle, Karlsruhe

Featured reports

Kiplimo makes history for Uganda at World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020

Jepchirchir breaks women-only world record at World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020

Kitata conquers Kipchoge while Kosgei retains title at London Marathon

World Athletics Indoor Tour to expand in 2021

Looking back at the 2020 Wanda Diamond League

Competition updates