With so many good African, particularly Kenyan marathoners around nowadays, it takes a bit of initiative to get into foreign races if you're not one of the sub-2.10 brigade. So when Julius Maisei heard that the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon - an IAAF Bronze Label Event - was paying good prize money without an overly talented field, he chanced a thousand dollars on an air fare and a hotel room last year.

Ex-world record holder on the marathon Chaterine Ndereba (2.18.47 Chicago 2001) starts at the Groet Uit Schoorl Run. She'll be participating on the half marathon.

All eyes turn to the east on 5 February, where the day's programme starts in Japan with the 61st edition of the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon and the Kagawa-Marugame Half Marathon.

Australian Flame Ben St Lawrence (NSW) and Collis Birmingham (Vic) will battle it out across 5000m at the Briggs Athletics Classic this Saturday, February 4.

To Ken Nakamura's preview of Sunday's 66th Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon I would add mention of sub-28 World Championships 10000 m runner Yuki Iwai (Team Asahi Kasei) tuning up for his marathon debut at the Tokyo Marathon after a good New Year Ekiden run, and the crop of top Hakone Ekiden university runners in the field.

The 66th annual Marugame Half Marathon, the venue of Asian half marathon record for women, is scheduled to be held on Sunday 5 February. The race, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, is a mass race with both elite men and women.

2011 was a year to remember for Australian Flame star Henry Frayne.

Holly Bleasdale who recently went to second position on the World Indoors All-Time list will clash with the Yelena Isinbayeva thye queen of pole vaulting in Poland next week.

10000 m ace Yuki Sato (25, Team Nissin Shokuhin) has set breaking the Japanese national record as his goal for the spring season. At a party on Jan. 31 at a Tokyo-area hotel to celebrate Team Nissin Shokuhin's New Year Ekiden national championship win, Sato said, "I spent January fully resting and recovering.

Last year, David Rudisha's campaign to become world champion began in Australia and so the Kenyan superstar is hoping a return visit to Sydney and Melbourne, for the Qantas Australian Athletics Tour, will put him on the path to Olympic glory.