BRITAIN'S Mara Yamauchi (pictured) today gave the thumbs up to the proposed course for the 2012 London Marathon

part of this new exciting race, especially because it was on the proposed course for the London 2012 Olympic

marathon.

Office while she pursues her Olympics ambitions, is set to be Britain's best hope of a medal in the marathon

Yamauchi, formerly known as Mara Myers before she married her Japanese husband, won the Osaka Marathon

  THE Olympic flame has been handed over by the Greeks to organisers of the Beijing Games amid small

Panathenian Stadium, where the first modern Olympics were staged in 1896 and which was the venue for the marathon

At today's ceremony, Hellenic Olympic Committee president Minos Kyriakou delivered the flame to chief

time ascend the summit of the world (Mount Everest), thereby testifying to the great strength of the Olympic

"The Olympic flame is the timeless symbol which stirs admiration, pride and faith (in) the Olympic ideals

Greek Olympic organizers have angrily condemned the protests, while two journalist groups and the small

  EDINBURGH was today celebrating after organising what many people were hailing as the best World Cross Country Championships ever.

David Bedford, the former world 10,000 metres record holder and now race director of the Flora London Marathon

in the backyard of his great Kenyan rivals, was a massive disappointment to the reigning world and Olympic

  IN THE second of his new regular columns, DAVID OWEN looks at whether it is realistic to expect Britain's talented amateur boxers, including world champion Frankie Gavin (pictured), to stay around until London 2012 after Beijing

already qualified to test their skills and nerve this summer against the Cubans and the other established Olympic

that all those who make their mark in China will turn their back on the amateur game the moment the Olympic

If he is right, boxing could yet be as significant a contributor to Britain’s 2012 Olympic medals haul

He has twice run the Athens Marathon. 

  DAVID OWEN, one of the world's leading experts when it comes to the financial aspects of the Olympic

  IT SEEMS only a matter of time before mighty Gazprom takes its place as an Olympic sponsor.  

When I reported last month that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had held talks with the Russian

The saga is a good illustration of the complexity of Olympic sponsorship, or marketing programmes.  

The amounts involved are even more astounding when you consider that Olympic events take place in largely

He has twice run the Athens Marathon. 

  HAILE GEBRSELASSIE (pictured) is backing Madrid's 2016 bid to host the Olympics and they will be hoping it is a good omen after he supported London's successful attempt to stage the 2012 Games

  Ethiopia's former two-times Olympic 10,000 metres champion and current marathon world record-holder

He said: “Madrid has the potential to organize the Olympic Games."  

Gebrselassie is set to run on the track rather in the marathon in Beijing and said for health reasons

the marathon races should be relocated away from the Chinese capital.  

Gebrselassie who suffers from asthma, after announcing he wouldn't compete in the marathon, said he might

  IRELAND has been spared a potential Dwain Chambers-type drugs row after the surprise decision of runner Cathal Lombard (pictured) to retire from the sport.

He was instead expected to focus on achieving the Olympic qualifying standard in the marathon.    

When it became apparent that Lombard might qualify for Beijing it caused panic within the Olympic movement

Unlike the British Olympic Association, the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) does not have a rule that

after world record holder Haile Gebrselassie (pictured) was told today that he may have to run the marathon

He said that he will instead wait until London 2012 before he runs in the Olympic marathon.  

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said his withdrawal was fully justified and that no one could

"It is not up to Haile Gebrselassie to decide on participation in the marathon event in Beijing," EAF

The twice Olympic 10,000 metres champion is one of a long list of athletes and officials to have voiced

statement he made on Monday saying that it would be Gebrselassie's own choice whether to run in the marathon

  BRITISH ATHLETES will not be allowed to wear face masks to combat the pollution at this year's Olympics in Beijing, senior officials vowed today.

  Ethiopia's world record holder for the marathon Haile Gebrselassie pulled out of the marathon earlier

But Colin Moynihan, the chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA), said that athletes would be

"The International Olympic Committee (IOC) have made it clear that they will be monitoring conditions

continue research into helping British athletes prepare to compete in Beijing despite the International Olympic

Marathon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie, who suffers from exercise-related asthma, said last

Ljungqvist said athletes, like Britain's women's world marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe, suffering

Colin Moynihan, the chairman of the British Olympic Association, said last week that British athletes

  ANOTHER venue to be used for the London 2012 Olympics is to stage a major half-marathon this autumn

  The Royal Parks Foundation, in partnership with Brakes, is launching the first half marathon to

Earlier this year a half-marathon featuring 10,000 runners was launched around the O2, formerly the Millennium

Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon race ambassadors include Daley Thompson, Zac Goldsmith, James Cracknell

  HAILE GEBRSELASSIE (pictured) will save himself for an Olympic marathon title shot at the 2012 London

  The two-time Olympic 10,000 metres champion and world record holder for the marathon will be 39

insidethegames had reported on January 19 that he was seriously considering missing the marathon in Beijing

Gebrselassie's decision highlights the pollution problem in Beijing after International Olympic Committee

invite athletes who have been convicted of serious doping offences.The race directors of the World Marathon

qualify for the World Indoor Championships, 60 metres, which start tomorrow in Valencia, is not the Olympic

sports has seemed to be the last to shed its amateur roots.The British Olympic Association (BOA) has

steadfastly clung to its Olympian pledge not to soil the British Olympic team with drug cheats.Nearly

But as more Olympic sports see their sponsors getting nervous or leaving, their fan base eroding, many

  A DWAIN CHAMBERS-TYPE drugs row over Olympic selection is brewing in Ireland.

weekend when he won the National Cross Country Championships and now the fear is that he will achieve the Olympic

qualifying time of 2 hours 15 minutes at the Rotterdam Marathon next month and qualify for the Beijing

Unlike the British Olympic Association, the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) does not have a rule that

He said: "For us and a lot of Olympic federations around Europe, we are all looking at this issue more

  ETHIOPIAN legend Haile Gebrselassie (pictured) is ready to miss this year's Olympics in Beijing to extend his career until London in 2012.

Gebrselassie is the marathon world record holder, having moved up to the distance in 2004 following his

However the Ethiopian distance great, a four-time world champion and double Olympic champion in the 10,000m

"Maybe he will run the marathon, or the 10,000 metres or both.  

The issue of pollution is one of the International Olympic Commitee's biggest concerns ahead of this

Gebrselassie set a world record time of 2:04:26 for the marathon in Berlin last September.