This month, the IAAF introduced new regulations establishing specific eligibility criteria for women with hyperandrogenism. The consequent possible exclusion of some female athletes from international competitions has led to a heated debate on the topic.

As the fourth annual Palestine Marathon was held this year, it highlighted again Palestinians’ lack of right to movement, as over 100 runners from Gaza were not allowed to participate. Still, its rapid growth and popularity among especially Palestinian women also tell a different story.

In a new book, scientists explore the phenomenon of running. With an outset in eleven different countries, the book looks into the historical and societal issues that have made running so popular, and what possibilities the market holds.

As one of the consequences of the Cold War from the end of World War II and up to 1989, the competition on the battlefield of sport became fiercer and fiercer, and at some point rumours started circulating in the west about female athletes, mainly from the eastern countries, who were not THAT female. Stories were told about specific athletes who never undressed together with other athletes, but came directly from their hotel, and went straight back for a shower, and of athletes who had a number of male features as for example a fast growing beard.

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius, a double-amputee, has successfully appealed against a ban imposed upon him by the International Association of Athletics Federations. The Court of Arbitration for Sport has ruled that there was insufficient scientific evidence available to ban Pistorius’s ‘Cheetah blades’ as technical aids, meaning he is eligible to compete against able-bodied athletes. However, his admission has stoked debate in paralympic sport over the appropriateness of Pistorius’s participation at the Olympics.

In April this year, Robert K. Cheruiyot from Kenya won the annual marathon in Boston and took home 100,000 US dollars in prize money. A week later another Kenyan, Martin Lel, won the marathon in London with a prize of 55,000 US dollars. Prize money from running has become a very important part of Kenya’s economy as many runners take the money home to invest them.

Knowledge bank: In this article, Laura Robinson explains how and why she wrote the play FrontRunners about ten indigenous runners in Canada. These men had been good runners and students in 1967 when Winnipeg hosted the Pan-Am Games and had been selected to run 800 kilometres with the torch from St. Paul, Minnesota to Winnipeg. However, just before entering the stadium the torch was taken from them and given to a non-Aboriginal runner.

Tarahumaras in Mexico and Kalenjins in Kenya are superb runners. Thanks to British colonialisation, the Kenyans have become integrated in world sport which has resulted - amongst other things - in exploitation of young athletes. The Mexicans on the other hand have preserved their own running culture, and Dirk Christensen wonders which group is better off.