Over the weekend, a Russian 4x800m women’s relay team broke the world indoor record in this rarely run event. During the Russian championships in Volgograd, Anna Balakshina, Natalya Pantelyeva, Anna Emashova and Olesya Chumakova clocked 8:18.54 for the distance. They were slightly faster than another Russian team that held the previous record of 8:18.71 since 1994.

National cross country championships were held in Kenya and in the U.S. over the weekend. Richard Matelong won the 12K race in Mombasa, Kenya in 36:36. In the women’s event, Lornah Kiplagat won in Kenya for the first time in five years. Kiplagat had been competing for Kenya for many years before she became a Dutch citizen some years ago. “Winning at home away from home was really nice,” Kiplagat said. She covered the 8K course in 27:02. Hellen Musyoka was second in 27:07.0.

In Boulder, Colorado, Alan Culpepper won the 12K in 37:09, while Deena Kastor, who is preparing for the Boston Marathon in April, took the women’s 8K in 26:47.

Earlier in the week there was a German triumph at the Empire State Building Run-Up in New York City. More than 200 runners from 12 nations competed in this event, and Thomas Dold defended his title. It took him 10:25 to climb 1,576 steps (86 floors). The women’s winner was Suzy Walsham of Singapore in 13:12.