In South Africa, 2015 will be remembered as ‘The Year of the Sprinter .

Rose Chepchumba, winner of the women s race at last year s Marathon des Alpes-Maritimes Nice-Cannes, will defend her title at the IAAF Bronze Label Road Race on 8 November.

Defending champions Wilson Kipsang and Mary Keitany will be hoping for a sweet sense of d j vu when they return to the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday (1), an IAAF Gold Label Road Race.

When Yelena Isinbayeva makes her return to action in February, more than 900 days will have passed since her last competition.

Ethiopia s Belaynesh Oljira will return to the scene of her 2014 Cross de Atapuerca triumph when she returns to the IAAF Cross Country Permit meeting in Burgos on 15 November.

Olympic pole vault champion Renaud Lavillenie will compete at the Indoor Meeting Karlsruhe on 6 February, the first IAAF Indoor Permit meeting of 2016.