The first IAAF Gold Label Road Race of the year is the 12th Xiamen International Marathon in China and the famous race in Fuijan province with its coastal course promises to be a good one again on Thursday (2).

Statisticians A Lennart Julin and Mirko Jalava look back on the best long distance performances on the track this year with Julin covering the men s events and Jalava the women s.

The men s 10km race at the famous Bozen/Bolzano New Year s Eve event produced a thrilling finish with Ethiopia s Imane Merga just holding off Kenya s 2010 World Half Marathon Championships winner Wilson Kiprop to retain his crown on Tuesday (31).

Kenya s Leonard Komon and Linet Masai fulfilled their roles as favourites for the 49th edition of Madrid s San Silvestre Vallecana, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, with impressive wins over the 10km course on Tuesday (31).

Statisticians A Lennart Julin and Mirko Jalava look back on the best middle distance performances this year, with Julin covering the men s events and Jalava the women s.

A perfectly paced race gave Kenyan marathon specialist Stanley Biwott victory in the 58th Sao Silvestre International 10km race in Luanda, Angola, on Tuesday (31).