XiamenInternationalMarathonisFirstof19TopRoadRacesin2009

Mar14,2009BensonYeung

WhatistheIAAF?TheInternationalAssociationofAthleticsFederations(IAAF)istheinternationalgoverningbodyfortheathleticsports.AtitsfirstcongressinStockholm,Swedenin1912,itwasformedbyrepresentativesfrom17nationalathleticsfederationsastheInternationalAmateurAthleticsFederation.IthasbeenheadquarteredinMonacosinceOctober1993.In2001,theword"amateur"wasdroppedfromitstitle.TheIAAFhasatotalof213memberfederationsfromthesevencontinents.TheIAAForganizesmanymajorathleticscompetitionsworldwideandischargedwiththestandardizationoftimekeepingmethodsandworldrecords.

WhatareIAAFGoldLabelRoadRaces

FollowingtherecommendationsoftheIAAFRoadRunningCommission,chairedbyPresidentLamineDiack,CouncilapprovedtheintroductionoftheIAAFLabelforRoadRacesin2008.TheLabelsareattributedtoracesthatsatisfyanumberofimportantcriteriaconcerningtheorganizationalstandardoftherace,coursemeasurement,safetyandmedicalstandardsandmediaservices.ThedecidingfactorsfortheattributionofaGoldorSilverLabelarethenumberofeliteathletesengagedandthelevelofinternationalTVcoverageachievedbytheparticipatingraces.

ThefollowingroadraceshavemadeittotheGoldLabellistin2009.

�XiamenInternationalMarathon,3January,heldinXiamen,China

�LakeBiwaMainichiMarathon,1March,heldinOsaka,Japan

�World’sBest10kRace,1March,heldinSanJuan,PuertoRico

�EDPHalfMarathonofLisbon,22March,heldinLisboa,Portugal

�MarathonInternationaldeParis,5April,heldinParis,France

��BAABostonMarathon,20April,heldinBoston,UnitedStates

�ConergyMarathonHamburg,26April,heldinHamburg,Germany

�FloraLondonMarathon,26April,heldinLondon,UnitedKingdom

�BupaGreatManchesterRun,17May,heldinManchester,UnitedKingdom

�BogotaInternationalHalfMarathon,2Aug,heldinBogota,Columbia

�BupaGreatNorthRun,20September,heldinNewcastleUponTyne,UnitedKingdom

�RealBerlinMarathon,20September,heldinBerlin,Germany

�RTPHalfMarathonofPortugal,27September,heldinLisboa,Portugal

�BankofAmericaChicagoMarathon,11October,heldinChicago,UnitedStates

�BeijingInternationalMarathon,18October,heldinBeijing,China

�BupaGreatSouthRun,25October,heldinPortsmouth,UnitedKingdom

�DresdnerKleinwortFrankfurtMarathon,25October,heldinFrankfurt,Germany

�AirtelDelhiHalfMarathon,1November,heldinDelhi,India

�INGNewYorkCityMarathon,1November,heldinNewYork

Ontopoftheseraces,otherracesarelistedundertheirSilverLabelList.Thesetwoliststogethercovermostoftheraceselitelongdistancerunnersarefocusingonin2009.Theseareoftenthedreamracesthatordinaryrunnersaretryingtoenter.Hence,themedialikethemandfollowthemlikewasps.Somewhereintheworld,beitinUnitedStates,UnitedKingdom,Europe,AfricaorAsia,thereisalwaysoneoftheseimportantracesgoingon.Theworldisgettingsmaller,soisthelongdistancerunner’sworld.