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Monaco, Principality of Monaco | AFP | Eliud Kipchoge, the first man to run a marathon in less than two hours, and 400 metres hurdles world champion Dalilah Muhammad won the World Athlete of the Year awards on Saturday.
Kipchoge, 35, claimed governing body World Athletics’ year-ending prize in Monaco after making history last month when he ran the marathon distance of 42.195 kilometres (26.219 miles) in 1hr 59min 40.2sec.
The Olympic champion, who also holds the official world record of 2h01m39sec, won this year’s London marathon in April before his incredible feat in an unofficial event in Vienna.
He edged out fellow finalists Joshua Cheptegei (UGA), Sam Kendricks (USA), Noah Lyles (USA) and Warholm (NOR).
American Muhammad won her award after a magnificent year that saw her set a world record of 52.20 seconds at the US Trials in Iowa in July — breaking a record that had stood since 2003 — before winning gold at the World Championships in Doha with a new world best time of 52.16sec.
Other award winners
Male Rising Star – Selemon Barega
Barega, 19, was the silver medallist in the 5000m at the World Championships, and finished fifth in the senior race at the World Cross Country Championships Aarhus 2019. The Ethiopian also produced world U20 leads at both the 5000m and 10,000m with 12:53.04 and 26:49.46, respectively.
Female Rising Star – Yaroslava Mahuchikh
Mahuchikh, the 2017 world U18 champion, continued her ascension into the high jump elite at the World Championships where she twice broke the world U20 record, first with a leap of 2.02m and again with a clearance of 2.04m to secure the silver medal. The 18-year-old also won the European U20 title.
Coaching Achievement – Brother Colm O’Connell
During a coaching career that has spanned more than four decades, O’Connell, an Irish missionary who has lived in Iten, Kenya, since 1976, has coached 25 world champions and four Olympic gold medallists, including Wilson Kipketer and David Rudisha, the World Athletes of the Year in 1997 and 2010, respectively. Kipketer presented him with his award.
Fair Play Award – Braima Suncar Dabo
Dabo, a distance runner from Guinea-Bissau, made headlines around the world after he helped fellow runner, Jonathan Busby of Aruba, to the finish line during their opening round heat of the 5000m at the World Championships. Busby was near collapse with about 200 metres left in the race, when Dabo stopped to help his distressed fellow competitor.
Presidents Award – Vikki Orvice
Orvice, a long-time British athletics journalist for The Sun, passed away last February after a long battle with cancer. Orvice served as chairperson of the British Athletics Writers Association (BAWA) between 2003 and 2005, the first woman to be appointed the role. She was also vice-chair of the Football Writers Association, one of the directors of Women In Football and a member of the IAAF Press and Media Operations Advisory Group.
Woman of the Year – Derartu Tulu
The Ethiopian distance running legend who won Olympic 10,000m titles in 1992 and 2000, Tulu has served as acting president of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation since November 2018. She is also a Council member of the African Athletics Confederation and vice president of the East Africa Athletics Region.
Athletics Photograph of the Year – Felix Sanchez Arrazola
The Spanish photographer’s image of a jubilant Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce moments after winning her fourth world 100m title was judged to be the winner from this year’s shortlist of four photographs. Arrazola also won the award in 2019.
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Additional reporting IAAF MEDIA
