Eliud Kipchoge and Dalilah Muhammad named athletes of the year in track and field
Last Updated: 24/11/19 1:43pm
Pioneering marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge and US hurdler Dalilah Muhammad were named World Athletics' athletes of the year in track and field on Saturday.
Kipchoge became the first man to run a sub-two-hour marathon last month, though the feat was not officially recognised as a world record as he ran on his own with a rotating group of pacemakers and in controlled conditions. Kipchoge's only competitive race this year came when he won the London Marathon in April.
"I am happy to be the first human being to run under two hours. I hope that I inspired a lot of generations," Kipchoge told the awards ceremony via video link.
"First is that I am happy to be the first human being to run under two hours, that's to break the barrier.
"And above all, I think it was a big inspiration to the whole world, to present athletes (and) the next athletes, which I think in the near future, all athletes, most of them will run under two hours. And I trust that in one of the big city marathons, running under two hours is possible."
Muhammad won world championship 400-metre hurdles in world record time. She earlier broke the record in July at the US championships.
"It's been an amazing year," Muhammad said. "I'm so thankful to be here.
"I'm so thankful for my coach and all my supporters, my family. It's been a tough year and it just came home excellently.
"I definitely knew this year would be tough and I definitely wanted to give it my all. I never, ever imagined coming home with this and, I'm just so happy."
Muhammad beat fellow nominees Brigid Kosgei, who broke the women's marathon world record, and Sifan Hassan, who won world gold in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres.
The world 5,000-metre silver medalist Selemon Barega of Ethiopia was named male rising star of the year, while Ukrainian high jump silver medalist Yaroslava Mahuchikh was the female rising star.
