Alphafly 4 on sale, Tokyo winner Ruti Aga suspended
The AIU provisionally suspended Ruti Aga, winner of the 2019 Tokyo Marathon, for methylprednisolone and tampering. And Nike finally put the Alphafly 4 on sale, with a new ZoomX LT foam it says is 17% lighter than the old stuff.
Read the whole week in one goNgetich's world record, Almgren ends Africa's streak
The week's biggest
AIU suspends Ruti Aga, 2019 Tokyo Marathon winner, for methylprednisolone
The Athletics Integrity Unit says it has provisionally suspended Ethiopian marathoner Ruti Aga for the presence and use of a prohibited substance, methylprednisolone (a corticosteroid), plus tampering. Monti notes she has 22 career marathon starts with 6 wins and 15 podium finishes. Sage Canaday called her a "2:18 Marathoner (Female)" and tagged the post #cleansport #doperssuck. In a separate post from earlier, about 2026 Sydney Marathon winner Addisu Gobena calling Aga his aunt, @angasurunning says her personal best is 2:18 and that she won the women's race at the 2019 Tokyo Marathon.
The AIU has provisionally suspended Ruti Aga for the Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Methylprednisolone) and Tampering.
She has recorded 22 career marathon starts with 6 wins and 15 podium finishes.
She won the women’s race at the 2019 Tokyo Marathon.
Races and results
Bekele, 44, added late to Berlin Marathon field for September 27
Kenenisa Bekele is a late addition to the Berlin Marathon field, ten days out. Gault notes Bekele is 44 and has not finished a marathon since the 2024 Olympics. Athletics Weekly says he won Berlin twice, in 2:03:03 in 2016 and 2:01:41 in 2019, both the second fastest marathon in history at the time, and that he raced once last year and did not finish New York.
Kenenisa Bekele, who is 44 years old and has not finished a marathon since the 2024 Olympics, is a late addition to the Berlin Marathon field on September 27.
Bekele competed once last year but DNF'd at the New York City Marathon
Shoes and fuel
Alphafly 4 goes on sale with new ZoomX LT foam Nike calls 17% lighter
Believe in the Run says the headline change is the midsole: the Alphafly 4 debuts an updated ZoomX LT that Nike claims is as much as 17% lighter than the original compound with roughly 8% more energy return, tuned softer and bouncier. The Atomknit upper, Fast Shot outsole and visible Air Zoom units carry over in refined form, and the carbon Flyplate keeps its scoop. The launch is limited from September 17 at Nike only, with broader availability October 29.
This isn't your grandpa's ZoomX anymore. The Alphafly 4 marks the debut of an updated, lightened ZoomX LT, which is as much as 17% lighter than the original compound while offering in the neighborhood of 8% more energy return.
Nike is launching the Alphafly 4 in limited capacity on September 17, 2026 with broader availability coming on October 29 .
Worth a glance
ASICS GEL-Slowcush: 48mm heel, 298g, $199.95, easy days only
Doctors of Running measured the new ASICS GEL-Slowcush at a 48mm heel and 40mm forefoot, 298 grams in a men's nine, with FF Luxe Plus in the forefoot and Pure Gel Plus in the heel, and said it is built for daily mileage and recovery but lacks versatility for tempo work. Running Warehouse puts it at $199.95 for October 2026 and calls the stack 48mm heel, 40mm toe with an 8mm drop.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 gets 50-hour battery and a readiness score
The Run Testers ran an hour in the Apple Watch Ultra 4 and report day-to-day battery of over two days at 50 hours, a new health sensing system, and a 1 to 10 readiness score that needs seven nights of sleep data before it appears, all at the same price as the Ultra 3. The cheaper Series 12 keeps the Series 11 price and design but still has single band GPS, and the tester was not convinced its treadmill tracking is spotless.
Hartmuth takes 12 hours off her own Tor des Geants record
Katharina Hartmuth won the 330-kilometer Tor des Geants in 67:10:09, beating her own 2024 course record by almost exactly 12 hours and finishing third overall, the first woman ever on the overall podium. Jia-Ju Zhao won the men's race in 65:55:22, 13 minutes under the previous record, and iRunFar reports Hartmuth said she slept a total of 15 minutes across the race.
2027 Tokyo Marathon lottery results start landing
An r/running poster opened a results thread as the clock rolled over to September 18 in Japan, when 2027 Tokyo Marathon lottery outcomes go out. If you entered, check your email.