TheAIMS Best Marathon Runner Award is arunning prize which is given annually by theAssociation of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) to the top male and femalemarathon runners of the year.[1][2] Prior to 2013, the award was known asAIMS World Athlete of the Year Award.[3]
Established in 1992, runners receive nominations from the organisers of AIMS member races (over 300 in number) and the man and woman with the most nominations are each given theAIMS Golden Shoe.[4] The athleticfootwear companyASICS is a long-timesponsor of the award.[5][6] There is no designated period in the year for when the awards are given out, but instead runners are given the Golden Shoe in a ceremony preceding their participation in one of the AIMS races.[4]
Those to have received the award includemarathon world record holdersHaile Gebrselassie andPaula Radcliffe, who have each been given the honour on three separate occasions. KenyanTegla Loroupe has the most wins to her name; she won her first award in 1995 and took the honour for three consecutive years from 1997 to 1999. Others to have been nominated as AIMS World Athlete of the Year areLornah Kiplagat,Uta Pippig,Khalid Khannouchi andCatherine Ndereba. The award is typically given to athletes who have performed well inmarathon races,half marathons androad running events in general. One exception to this was whenPaul Tergat was given the 1996 award in honour of his10,000 metres world record on thetrack and his second victory at theIAAF World Cross Country Championships.[4]
Annual awards inathletics andtrack and field | ||
|---|---|---|
| International |  | |
| National | ||
