Aaron Stewart was always around golf even when he wasn't heavily invested. Now he's involved in ways he never imagined.

Stewart, the son of late three-time major champion Payne Stewart, has been appointed tournament director of the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Florida. The season opener on the LPGA Tour is Jan. 16-19 and features two events in one – 72 holes of stroke play for LPGA winners the last two seasons and celebrities competing in a Stableford format.

''I'm really excited to be with the tournament side of things, back in the golf industry,'' Stewart said. ''And I'm still with the company I grew up with.''

He is approaching the 20-year anniversary – Oct. 25, 1999 – of his father traveling to Texas when the jet lost cabin pressure and flew uncontrolled across the country until crashing in South Dakota. Stewart was the reigning U.S. Open champion. His son was 10.

''I didn't play as much then. I was more into other sports,'' Stewart said. ''I'd always go out to the golf course, and I was around my dad when he was practicing. I was more into the golf cart, driving that around.''

He started playing seriously a few years later and decided if he was going to be good, he would have to put in the time. He went to SMU, his father's alma mater, with every intention of trying to make it to the next level.

''I ended up going a different route,'' Stewart said. ''I didn't have the desire to play professionally. I was a little burned out, to be honest.''

He returned home to Orlando and worked for the Tavistock Group and then was hired by Diamond Resorts through an intensive training program. This job was more about marketing, taking him to Las Vegas and California. He married and took a year off to travel, returned to Diamond Resorts in March as part of the sports marketing team involved in the Tournament of Champions and was elevated last month to executive director.

It was a different path, much like the LPGA tour event he now runs.

The tournament began as a one-day charity event for Brian Gay, geared toward raising money toward health causes. It became an unofficial event for the PGA Tour Champions, and now it offers a unique blend of LPGA winners and celebrities, along with giving the LPGA tour a winners-only event it had been lacking.

Eun-Hee Ji won the inaugural event, with former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz winning the celebrity side.

Stewart always remained connected to tour golf in some capacity. The Payne Stewart Award has become one of the most significant honors on the PGA Tour, and Stewart goes to Atlanta every year for the televised ceremony during the Tour Championship.

He was in Las Vegas last week and got together with Jim Furyk, who played in the 1999 Ryder Cup with his father and won the Payne Stewart Award.

Now it's about running a season opener for the LPGA tour.

''It makes each week really exciting for us to see if we'll have a new person on the roster,'' Stewart said Monday, one day after Cheyenne Knight won her first LPGA tour event to qualify for the season opener. ''It's a great transition into the season. We're thrilled to be in that position.''

As if his ego needed massaging any further, LA Galaxy striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was afforded the honor of having a statue of himself unveiled in his hometown in Sweden on Tuesday afternoon.

Fans flocked to the Stadion in Malmo to see the man himself do the honors as the bronze effigy, commissioned by the Swedish football association of the country's all-time record goal scorer, was revealed to the public for the first time.

Waiting for @Ibra_official #Zlatanstatue #legend pic.twitter.com/whJDrsdRig

— Alessandro Alciato (@AAlciato) October 8, 2019

Some four years in the making, the sculpture is the work of veteran Swedish artist Peter Linde and stands nearly nine feet tall (2.7 meters) while weighing approximately half a ton.

As a special nod to his humble roots, Ibrahimovic also granted free access to the unveiling ceremony to all schoolkids from the local area.

However, it wasn't long before Zlatan's gesture was nipped in the bud by Malmo school councillor Sara Wettergren, who was forced to dash plans to attend the ceremony and confirm that the Galaxy striker doesn't have the authority to excuse students from their classes.

.@sr_ekot: Zlatan-statyn avtäcks i Malmö https://t.co/St0EPeHsuU pic.twitter.com/VyH2uFwYFp

— SR Nyheter (@SR_Nyheter) October 8, 2019

Regardless, it didn't prevent hundreds of fans gathering outside the stadium as the statue was unveiled before Ibrahimovic addressed the crowd from the adjacent stage.

It's certainly imposing, but quite why the Zlatan statue has barely any clothes on is a little unclear. Still, the man himself seemed to be happy enough...

"When you come to New York, you have the Statue of Liberty. When you come to Sweden, you have the Statue of Zlatan." - @Ibra_official ? pic.twitter.com/NdGWbtj6U2

— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) October 8, 2019

Italy unveil new third kit

Italy added a brand new shirt to their famously stylish catalogue with the launch of a third kit for 2019-20.

In a break from tradition, the jersey is green and pays tribute to the young emerging stars currently helping to usher in a new era for the Azzurri, coming after the previous crop failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

#Italy's new #Renaissance Kit celebrates the #Azzurri's rising talents ??✨

The article ? https://t.co/X6TEUFTUYI@pumafootball drew inspiration from the green shirt worn just once by Italy in the 2-0 win over #Argentina at #Rome's Stadio Olimpico in 1954#NewWaveRises pic.twitter.com/v4F8yafD6E

— Italy (@azzurri) October 7, 2019

Indeed, the latest national squad contains no less than 12 players aged 25 or younger -- the youngest being 20-year-old Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo.

Italy's new "Renaissance" kit is inspired by the only other green outfield shirt they've ever worn in their history - during a friendly against Argentina at the Stadio Olimpico back in 1954.

(Image via @classicsoccerjs) pic.twitter.com/TCrk1bZ6P8

— Who Ate All The Pies (@waatpies) October 8, 2019

The "Renaissance" kit is also directly inspired by the green jersey worn by Italy only once, during a friendly win over Argentina in front of 80,000 fans at the Stadio Olimpico back in 1954.

Whitby through in FA Cup ... with goalkeeper up front

Considerable congratulations are due to Whitby Town, who battled to a win in the FA Cup on Monday night despite the odds firmly being stacked against them.

Due to face Gloucester City in the third qualifying round, Whitby came into the game with just 14 fit players to pick from.

Thus, having found themselves desperately short, the Seasiders were forced to include three goalkeepers in their depleted matchday squad.

FULL-TIME | Wow. What a night.

14 fit players. Three of those goalkeepers. A centre half up front and he scored two. A keeper finishing up front (and his chin wasn't offside miraculously!). Yet we are THROUGH!

GLOUCESTER CITY 1-3 WHITBY TOWN

Now get me a pint!!!!

— Whitby Town FC (@WhitbyTownFC) October 7, 2019

However, the rag-tag team somehow clicked and the auxiliary defender-turned-striker went on to score two goals in a remarkable 3-1 victory despite being joined up front with one of the spare keepers!

And with that, Whitby went sailing through to the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup for the first time in 16 years. They will now face Stourbridge at home for a place in the First Round Proper, from which stage games can be streamed live on ESPN+.

What a night.

England Women's search for a permanent replacement for Mark Robinson could yet result in the appointment of their first female head coach, according to the ECB's director of women's cricket, Clare Connor.

Speaking at the launch of the ECB's new £20 million investment into women's and girls' cricket, Connor confirmed that Ali Maiden, the interim coach, would lead the side on the pre-Christmas tour of Malaysia, but that a new permanent appointment should be in place by the start of 2020.

That would leave the new incumbent just two months to bed in ahead of the squad's next big assignment, the T20 World Cup in Australia in February, but Connor believes the board is on course for the right replacement following Robinson's departure in August, in the wake of a heavy defeat in this summer's Ashes.

"We have started conversations, slightly informal conversations, but we are pleased with the pool of applicants," said Connor. "We've started conversations with applicants both here and overseas and it will not be an all-male shortlist.

"We are conducting next-stage interviews during the middle of next week with the aim to have the successful candidate in post for January. Regardless of the appointment, Ali Maiden will lead the side to Malaysia pre-Christmas."

Connor's comments come as the ECB set about implementing a new five-year strategy that seeks to make cricket into a gender-balanced sport, and follows on from last week's unveiling of the eight teams that will make up the inaugural season of the Hundred.

Of the seven women's coaches so far confirmed for the new competition, five are women - Lisa Keightley (London Spirit), Dani Hazell (Northern Superchargers), Lydia Greenway (Oval Invincibles), Charlotte Edwards (Southern Brave), and Salliann Briggs (Trent Rockets).

"We've set some measures for success within the action plan," Connor added. "They're around the number of women and girls playing the game, the number of sustainable club sections, the experiences of the girls that are deemed talented and whether they're achieving performance benchmarks through the system.

"More broadly the engagement of women and girls in the sport - buying tickets, watching on television and following the game."

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Fox has hired former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski as a football analyst, the network announced Tuesday, and his longtime quarterback had some Gronk-like fun with the news.

"Hard-hitting analysis," Tom Brady said with a smile Tuesday.

Gronkowski will make his debut during Fox's pregame show for Thursday's Patriots home game against the New York Giants

"He'll be good. He's been pretty good at everything he's done," said Brady, who played with Gronkowski from 2010 to 2018. "It's great to see a lot of our guys get a lot of great opportunities like that."

Gronkowski announced his retirement from the NFL in March after a nine-year career in which he won three Super Bowls and was one of the league's most colorful personalities.

Gronkowski had 10 or more touchdown receptions in five seasons, which is the most by a tight end in NFL history. He played in 16 playoff games, with 81 receptions for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns -- all records for a tight end.

"I'm extremely excited to be joining Fox Sports," Gronkowski said in a statement, adding that he looks forward to learning from fellow broadcasters "as I embark on this new chapter in my life."

"He is one of the most popular players to ever play the game and also one of the best tight ends in NFL history," Fox executive producer Brad Zager said in a statement. "His passion for the game and larger-than-life personality make him a perfect fit."

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is the latest big name to offer support for the California Fair Pay to Play law that will allow college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness.

Krzyzewski provided a prepared statement at the ACC's 2019 Operation Basketball preseason event on Tuesday, saying he supported the law and encouraged the NCAA to adopt a uniform rule.

"I don't -- and won't -- pretend to understand all the complexities of such a change," Krzyzewski said in the statement. "However, it is a sign of the times that we in college athletics must continually adapt, albeit in a sensible manner.

"While we have made significant progress in recent years, we have not always responded to the needs and rights of our players swiftly, and frankly, we're playing catch-up after years of stagnant rules. I hope and trust that not only will there be a plan to put the student-athletes' best interests at the forefront, but that we'll also have a firm plan for implementation at the national level."

While Krzyzewski's comments on the specific bill in California are new, his support for improvements in player compensation echoes statements he's made in past years, including throughout last season's high-profile campaign with Zion Williamson.

Several other ACC coaches offered similar commentary Tuesday, including Notre Dame's Mike Brey, the president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and Louisville's Chris Mack, who said he's changed his perspective on the issue in recent years.

"Four or five years ago I might've sung a different tune," Mack said, "but a lot has changed. The money, the TV contracts, every conference has its own network now. I don't know what it looks like. I'm not an economist. And I think the NCAA has gotten a bad rap for not doing anything for student-athletes. But I am on the side that thinks student-athletes should be able to capitalize on their name, image and likeness."

California's law won't take effect until 2023; however, several other states are pursuing legislation on a more advanced timeline. That, Mack said, is more concerning than the overall rules.

"I just hope that whatever happens isn't ramrodded down the NCAA's throat," he said. "I hope politicians don't drive it so hard and fast that there are unintended consequences without a lot of thought going into it."

Brey said that, while the overall proposal is likely a step in the right direction, he believes the overall value of name, image and likeness rights for most athletes will not be significant.

"I think it's much ado about nothing right now," Brey said. "What's really the marketability of some of these guys? How many jerseys are they really going to sell? It's a great panic thing right now. I just think we can work this out and the market's not going to be as deep for everybody as we think."

Kevin Durant said Tuesday that the New York Knicks can't rely on their "brand" to land the best players, many of whom don't even remember the franchise being good.

"I think a lot of fans look at the Knicks as a brand and expect these younger players in their lifetime don't remember the Knicks being good," Durant said Tuesday in an in-studio interview with Hot 97 in New York. "I've seen the Knicks in the Finals, but kids coming up after me didn't see that. So that whole brand of the Knicks is not as cool as let's say the Golden State Warriors, or even the Lakers or the Nets now.

"You know what I'm saying; the cool thing now is not the Knicks."

The speculation during last season was that the Knicks would make a full-court press to sign Durant once he became a free agent, but he instead signed a multiyear contract with the Brooklyn Nets in free agency.

On Tuesday, Durant said he didn't seriously consider the Knicks in free agency.

"I thought about it, yeah, just a thought. But I didn't really do any full analysis on the Knicks," the 2013-14 NBA MVP and two-time NBA Finals MVP said.

The Nets have said they are not planning on the 10-time All-Star playing this season as he recovers from the ruptured Achilles he suffered in the NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors.

The Boston Red Sox began an overhaul of their coaching staff Tuesday, announcing that pitching coach Dana LeVangie has been reassigned to the professional scouting department.

LeVangie, 50, who has been with the Red Sox organization since being drafted as a catcher in 1991, was the pitching coach for two seasons.

For the pitching staff, everything that went right in 2018 went wrong in 2019. Chris Sale and Rick Porcello had the worst statistical seasons of their careers, and David Price his worst season with the Red Sox. Starting pitchers, who made up a significant portion of the team's payroll, went 50-50 with a 4.95 ERA. Injuries played a big role, but overall, the pitching staff had a 4.70 ERA, 19th in the major leagues.

Before his stint as pitching coach, LeVangie was bullpen coach for five years. He played six seasons in the Red Sox system (1991-96) as a catcher, then spent eight seasons as a bullpen catcher before working as a pro scout (2005) and a major league advance scout (2006-12). He was part of four World Series-winning teams.

In other moves, the Red Sox also reassigned manager of advance scouting Steve Langone to pro scouting, announced that former assistant pitching coach Brian Bannister will leave that role but continue as vice president of pitching development, and said that assistant hitting coach Andy Barkett had been dismissed.

As we dig into these early games of the 2019 postseason, let me run this potential playoff rotation by you: Gerrit Cole, Charlie Morton, Tyler Glasnow and Miles Mikolas.

I'd take my chances with that foursome. In fact, for one month back in the 2013-14 offseason, the four were teammates in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. Cole was the former No. 1 overall pick who had reached the majors in 2013. Morton had started 20 games in 2013 and would start 26 in 2014. Glasnow was an up-and-coming minor league prospect. In November of that offseason, the Pirates acquired Mikolas from the Padres in a deal for Alex Dickerson. A month later, they traded Mikolas to the Rangers for Chris McGuiness, who never played in the majors for Pittsburgh.

The ex-Pirates rotation of players currently competing in the division series would be playoff-worthy. In fact, if you need a fifth starter, you can add J.A. Happ to the rotation. Those five combined for 17.6 WAR in 2019, which would rank third among actual 2019 rotations, behind only the Nationals and Astros. The 2019 Pirates rotation? It ranked 29th in the majors with 1.5 WAR.

Pirates fans -- on the heels of a miserable 69-93 season that ended with the departure of manager Clint Hurdle (but not general manager Neal Huntington) -- are probably viewing this postseason through a different lens. The eight teams competing in the division series feature 17 ex-Pirates on the rosters. Cole and Morton are the two most prominent, but there is also Glasnow and Rays teammate Austin Meadows, who hit .291 with 33 home runs in a 3.8-WAR season in his first full year in the majors.

The Rays acquired those two from the Pirates at the 2018 trade deadline for Chris Archer. While Meadows and Glasnow combined for 6.4 WAR, Archer went 3-9 with a 5.19 ERA and 0.7 WAR. Cole, meanwhile, has been worth 12.1 WAR in his two seasons with the Astros. The four players acquired for him have produced a combined 2.9 WAR over two seasons. The best of the lot in 2019 was pitcher Joe Musgrove, worth 1.7 WAR.

Those two epic trade failures have crushed the Pirates' immediate future. Remarkably, however, the Pirates are not the franchise with the most WAR from ex-players populating the eight remaining playoff teams. Using the active rosters for the division series, I tabulated the 2019 WAR of ex-players for all 30 franchises (a player only had to have been a member of the organization at some point in his career, not necessarily in the major leagues). Oakland, who made it to this year's AL wild-card game, actually leads the way:

Athletics: 29.1 WAR
Pirates: 28.9
Diamondbacks: 28.7
Brewers: 28.5
Tigers: 28.1
Indians: 28.1

Among the prominent ex-A's: Josh Donaldson (6.1 WAR), Max Muncy (5.7), Nelson Cruz (4.3), Edwin Encarnacion (2.8), Emilio Pagan (2.4) and Will Harris (2.1). Muncy has been one of the unlikeliest starters of the past two seasons after the Dodgers claimed him on waivers from the A's. Encarnacion and Harris never actually played for Oakland, but they briefly passed through the organization. The Donaldson trade to the Blue Jays after the 2014 season ranks as one of Billy Beane's biggest mistakes, but how about trading Cruz away back in 2004 for Keith Ginter? (Cruz is also an ex-Met, ex-Brewer, ex-Ranger, ex-Oriole and ex-Mariner.)

The Diamondbacks traded Zack Greinke to the Astros this year -- after losing Patrick Corbin to the Nationals as a free agent. They also drafted Max Scherzer back in 2006, but they traded him to the Tigers as a young major leaguer (netting Ian Kennedy and Edwin Jackson in the deal). Paul Goldschmidt, Wade Miley, Harris, Dansby Swanson, A.J. Pollock and Didi Gregorius are some of the other famous ex-Diamondbacks.

Scherzer is also part of the ex-Tigers rotation that would still be good if it had been kept together: Scherzer, Justin Verlander and Anibal Sanchez. Rays shortstop Willy Adames went to Tampa in the David Price trade and had a 4.2-WAR season. Players like Chad Green, Shane Greene, Cameron Maybin and Matt Joyce provided value to 2019 playoff teams. The 2019 Tigers lost 114 games.

Here's the complete list:

Arizona Diamondbacks: 16 players, 28.7 WAR; best ex Max Scherzer
Atlanta Braves: 11 players, 13.4 WAR; best ex Charlie Morton
Baltimore Orioles: 15 players, 21.0 WAR; best ex Nelson Cruz
Boston Red Sox: 11 players, 12.9 WAR; best ex Anibal Sanchez
Chicago Cubs: 12 players, 27.6 WAR; best ex Josh Donaldson
Chicago White Sox: 3 players, 2.7 WAR; best ex Avisail Garcia
Cincinnati Reds: 8 players, 11.0 WAR; best ex Justin Turner
Cleveland Indians: 15 players, 28.1 WAR; best ex Josh Donaldson
Colorado Rockies: 9 players, 14.5 WAR; best ex DJ LeMahieu
Detroit Tigers: 12 players, 28.1 WAR; best ex Justin Verlander
Houston Astros: 11 players, 17.5 WAR; best ex Charlie Morton
Kansas City Royals: 5 players, 7.9 WAR; best ex Zack Greinke
Los Angeles Angels: 17 players, 25.7 WAR; best ex Patrick Corbin
Los Angeles Dodgers: 9 players, 15.9 WAR; best ex Zack Greinke
Miami Marlins: 13 players, 11.5 WAR; best ex Anibal Sanchez
Milwaukee Brewers: 15 players, 28.5 WAR; best ex Michael Brantley
Minnesota Twins: 7 players, 8.4 WAR; best ex Anibal Sanchez
New York Mets: 9 players, 14.1 WAR; best ex Nelson Cruz
New York Yankees: 17 players, 15.7 WAR; best ex Giovanny Gallegos
Oakland Athletics: 15 players, 29.1 WAR; best ex Josh Donaldson
Philadelphia Phillies: 6 players, 13.3 WAR; best ex Charlie Morton
Pittsburgh Pirates: 17 players, 28.9 WAR; best ex Gerrit Cole
San Diego Padres: 9 players, 10.3 WAR; best ex Max Fried
San Francisco Giants: 9 players, 4.4 WAR; best ex Ehire Adrianza
Seattle Mariners: 16 players, 24.4 WAR; best ex Nelson Cruz
St. Louis Cardinals: 10 players, 11.1 WAR; best ex Tommy Pham
Tampa Bay Rays: 11 players, 14.7 WAR; best ex Robinson Chirinos
Texas Rangers: 10 players, 16.5 WAR; best ex Nelson Cruz
Toronto Blue Jays: 15 players, 27.0 WAR; best ex Josh Donaldson
Washington Nationals: 6 players, 4.8 WAR; best ex Asdrubal Cabrera (though Cabrera is now back with the Nats)

We can also use this study to see how the playoff teams themselves were built. Here are the number of homegrown players on each team's playoff roster, with 2019 combined WAR:

Dodgers: 15 (33.6 WAR)

Nine of the 12 pitchers on the staff are homegrown, although that includes international free agents Hyun-Jin Ryu and Kenta Maeda. Their two big free-agent signings for 2019 -- Pollock and Joe Kelly -- actually combined for minus-0.3 WAR.

Twins: 13 (28.3 WAR)

The Twins are an interesting mix. Kyle Gibson and Jose Berrios are the only homegrown first-round picks. Berrios and Eddie Rosario were drafted out of Puerto Rico. The international scouting department signed Jorge Polanco, Max Kepler, Miguel Sano, Luis Arraez and Brusdar Graterol. They hit on some later-round college guys like Mitch Garver (ninth round), Taylor Rogers (11th round) and Tyler Duffey (fifth round). Randy Dobnak was an undrafted free agent.

Cardinals: 12 (27.3 WAR)

The heart of the team is all homegrown: Yadier Molina, Jack Flaherty, Paul DeJong, Kolten Wong, Tommy Edman, Dakota Hudson and Matt Carpenter. Flaherty, Hudson and Wong were first-round picks. Molina was drafted way back in 2000. Adam Wainwright has spent his entire career with the Cardinals, although he was acquired from the Braves as a minor leaguer (in the J.D. Drew trade).

Astros: 9 (27.1 WAR)

Alex Bregman, George Springer and Carlos Correa are homegrown first-round picks. Jose Altuve was signed out of Venezuela in 2007. But the only homegrown pitchers are Josh James and Jose Urquidy. How did Jeff Luhnow manage to trade for Verlander, Cole and Greinke? Ridiculous.

Nationals: 8 (23.1 WAR)

Anthony Rendon, Stephen Strasburg, Juan Soto and Victor Robles are a powerful homegrown foursome. They stole Trea Turner from the Padres in a three-way trade that cost the Nationals only Steven Souza Jr. Scherzer and Corbin were big-money free agents.

Yankees: 7 (16.1 WAR)

Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner, Gary Sanchez, Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino top the homegrown list, but credit Brian Cashman for building depth around the edges with astute pickups like Gio Urshela (waivers), DJ LeMahieu (free agent), Gleyber Torres (trade) and Gregorius (trade).

Rays: 6 (9.4 WAR)

The Rays are pretty much a miracle, a small-market team building a playoff roster more via a long list of astute trades than through the farm system (which hit a lull for a few years but is now one of the best in the game). Blake Snell, Brandon Lowe, Kevin Kiermaier, Yonny Chirinos, Diego Castillo and Brendan McKay are the homegrown products and Morton the one free agent, but everybody else came via trade -- a bunch of castoffs, low-cost acquisitions and, other than Adames, lightly regarded prospects.

Braves: 5 (23.1 WAR)

Only five homegrown players, but what a five: Freddie Freeman, Ronald Acuna Jr., Mike Soroka, Ozzie Albies and Julio Teheran. (Brian McCann and Tyler Flowers were originally drafted by the Braves, left the organization and later returned.) Four members of the pitching staff were former first-round picks acquired via trade by previous front-office regimes as minor leaguers or unproven major leaguers: Mike Foltynewicz, Sean Newcomb, Max Fried and Luke Jackson.

UK Athletics performance director to leave role in wake of scandal which saw coach Alberto Salazar banned for four years

Neil Black is to leave his role as performance director of UK Athletics (UKA) at the end of October, the national governing body has announced.

UKA has been caught up in the controversy surrounding the four-year anti-doping ban of Alberto Salazar, with the governing body and Black having been heavily criticised in recent days for using the American as an advisor and allowing Mo Farah to work with him despite the coach being investigated by anti-doping officials.

Black is not implicated of any wrongdoing but his judgement has been questioned and he had come under pressure to leave his role less than 12 months before the Tokyo Olympics.

As the IAAF World Championships drew to a close last Sunday, one newspaper described Black’s position as untenable and the former physiotherapist, who succeeded Charles van Commenee as UKA performance director after the London Olympics, has not wasted much time in deciding to step down.

In a statement released on Tuesday, UKA said: “Neil Black will leave his role as performance director at the end of October.

“Neil will commence a detailed handover with performance staff until his departure and will fulfil his role supporting Mo Farah at this weekend’s Chicago Marathon.”

The US Anti-Doping Agency announced the four-year bans handed to Nike Oregon Project head coach Salazar and Dr Jeffrey Brown on September 30, following “multiple anti-doping rule violations”.

Farah was among Salazar’s Nike Oregon Project stable based in Portland between 2011 and 2017 and in 2013 the coach was hired by UKA as a consultant to the national governing body’s endurance programme.

Salazar has denied any wrongdoing and is appealing against his ban, while there is no suggestion that Farah has violated any rules.

Beat those ballot blues by checking out our list of other spring marathons to consider

With another record total of 457,861 applicants having registered for a place to take on the Virgin Money London Marathon in 2020, hundreds of thousands of runners will be left reconsidering their spring marathon plans when ballot results drop this week.

If you’re among them and you haven’t secured a spot this time, don’t panic! There’s a world of marathons out there and here we highlight some of the alternatives.

Determined that 2020 will be your year to run London? This doesn’t have to be the end of the road. A number of charities have places available and you can find some of them listed here.

Whatever your next running challenge, be sure to check out the marathon guide to be included with the October 31 edition of AW magazine to help you on your journey.

Sussex Coastal Marathon

When? March 14
Where? Birling Gap, England

If you’re open to swapping London’s streets for a rugged coastline then this Sussex event could be an option as runners take on an undulating route which shoulders the coastal towns of Eastbourne and Seaford.

www.endurancelife.com/sussex

Zurich Marató de Barcelona

When? March 15
Where? Barcelona, Spain

Described by organisers as “one of the most attractive courses in Europe for its flat and fast circuit”, this event offers a great sightseeing opportunity as the course passes impressive landmarks such as the Sagrada Familia and Casa Batlló.

zurichmaratobarcelona.es

OPAP LIMASSOL MARATHON GSO

When? March 22
Where? Limassol, Cyprus

A trip to Limassol offers runners the chance to combine marathon running with a break overseas. The race programme also features a half-marathon, 10km and 5km, with the events taking advantage of Limassol’s flat roads along the coastline, which offer magnificent views across the Mediterranean.

www.limassolmarathon.com

Run Rome The Marathon

When? March 29
Where? Rome, Italy

If you’re looking to use your race weekend as an opportunity to discover a new city then ‘Run Rome The Marathon’ could be a great choice. Recently the Italian athletics federation (FIDAL) approved a regulation allowing international runners to register for races without a medical certificate, making it even easier for you to get involved.

www.runromethemarathon.it

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC MARATHON DE PARIS

When? April 5
Where? Paris, France

If you’re still after a big city marathon, then how about swapping the streets of London for the roads of Paris? The event in the French capital takes runners past spectacular scenes and landmarks including the Arc de Triomphe, Bois de Vincennes, Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower.

www.schneiderelectricparismarathon.com

Manchester Marathon

When? April 5
Where? Manchester, England

Part of the route for the 2020 event will, for the first time, head into the centre of Manchester, showcasing some of the city’s most iconic landmarks including the Manchester Opera House, Spinningfields, Albert Memorial Hall and The Midland Hotel.

www.manchestermarathon.co.uk

BRIGHTON MARATHON

When? April 19
Where? Brighton, England

This seaside event in one of the country’s most vibrant cities continues to grow in popularity, with the course winding through the city streets and finishing up on the Brighton seafront. General entries are set to reopen soon and runners will need to register interest here by October 20.

www.brightonmarathonweekend.co.uk

ABP NEWPORT WALES MARATHON

When? April 19
Where? Newport, Wales

The event, which boasts ‘a fast, scenic route’, starts and finishes on Newport’s riverfront and the course takes in iconic landmarks, coastal wildlife and picturesque medieval villages. Organisers claim that over 70% of all finishers have claimed a PB at the event.

newportwalesmarathon.co.uk

Boston Marathon UK

When? April 19
Where? Lincolnshire, England

The other Boston Marathon offers a flat road route in Lincolnshire, rather than Massachusetts, with the event starting at Boston Market Place and ending at Boston College.

www.bostonmarathon.co.uk

Zürich Marathon

When? April 26
Where? Zürich, Switzerland

Taking place on the same day as the London Marathon, the 26.2-mile route takes runners through the city and along Lake Zurich, with a 10km and team event also on offer.

www.zuerichmarathon.ch

ABP SOUTHAMPTON MARATHON

When? April 26
Where? Southampton, England

Another event which takes place on the same day as London, with the course passing iconic landmarks including Bargate, QE2 Anchor and St Mary’s Stadium as well as the ascent – and more popularly, the descent – over the Itchen bridge.

www.abpsouthamptonhalf.co.uk

BLACKPOOL MARATHON

When? April 26
Where? Blackpool, England

Forming part of a festival of running, the full 26.2-mile event takes place alongside a half-marathon, 10km, 5km and 2km. The flat two-lap marathon course has been designed for PB chasers and takes in Blackpool’s promenade, passing a number of landmarks and tourist spots.

www.runblackpool.co.uk

Shakespeare Marathon

When? April 26
Where? Stratford-upon-Avon, England

This event offers runners the chance to run among some of the most historical buildings in the the country and through miles of beautiful Warwickshire countryside, with the route starting in the centre of the town, opposite Shakespeare’s old school.

www.shakespearemarathon.org.uk

DEEP RIVERROCK BELFAST CITY MARATHON

When? May 3
Where? Belfast, Northern Ireland

The 2019 event took place on a new ‘flatter, faster marathon route’, encompassing North, East, South and West of the city, and it is on that course which the event returns for 2020. Starting in the grounds of the iconic Stormont Estate, the event finishes at Ormeau Park, while there is also an eight-mile walk and fun run on offer.

www.belfastcitymarathon.com

Rightmove MK Marathon

When? May 3
Where? Milton Keynes, England

Much of the route is green and scenic, taking in parks and lakes, picturesque villages and the canal towpath and starting at the Stadium MK.

mkmarathon.com

Three Forts Marathon

When? May 3
Where? West Sussex, England

If you’re looking for a slightly different challenge then this approximately 27.2-mile course includes 3450ft of climb, with stiles and rough tracks underfoot.

www.threefortschallenge.org.uk

Volkswagen Prague Marathon

When? May 3
Where? Prague, Czech Republic

Starting and finishing in historical Old Town Square, the course takes runners through the streets of the city. Founded in 1995 and forming part of the RunCzech series, the event has gone on to gain IAAF Gold Label status.

www.runczech.com

ASICS Windermere Marathon

When? May 17
Where? Lake District, England

Run entirely within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the event finishes in the grounds of Brathay Hall with views over England’s largest lake.

www.brathaychallenges.com

Exeter Live Better Marathon

When? May 17
Where? Exeter, England

The route takes runner past the River Exe historical Quayside and along the footpaths and cycle tracks of the River Exe and Ship Canal.

exetercitycommunitytrust.co.uk/running-events

Edinburgh Marathon

When? May 24
Where? Edinburgh, Scotland

The route takes in some of Edinburgh’s most iconic landmarks and offers picturesque views along the East Lothian coastline, with the event offering guaranteed entry for unsuccessful London Marathon applicants.

www.edinburghmarathon.com