As another year of spectacular athletics results draws to a close we were wondering which was the stand-out performance for 2022. Just one athlete made the shortlist for the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) but who in the world achieved the unofficial runABC Athlete Performance of the Year (APOTY)? Our reporter and running coach Alan Newman takes a look at the contenders and gives his verdict, but do you agree?

Jake Whiteman is an obvious choice and he was the sole athlete to make the SPOTY shortlist, finishing off the podium despite winning Britain's first World Championships 1500m gold since Steve Cram in 1983 – who was commentating during that pulsating race in Eugene, USA. The moment was made all the more poignant as Whiteman's father and coach Geoff was the stadium announcer who had maintained remarkable composure as his son outkicked the hot favourite Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Norway).

That was quite a moment but how does that surprise victory stack up against the GOAT marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge improving his own world record in Berlin by 30 seconds after going through halfway in an astonishing 59:51? 

The seemingly timeless wonder that is Kipchoge continues to defy convention as he is too old and starts too fast to keep improving his legendary record – now down to 2:01:09 – isn't he? Apparently not, as the 37-year-old Kenyan is still targeting that elusive sub-two-hours in a conventional marathon race and he already has his laser-like focus on an unprecedented third Olympic gold in Paris 2024.

In an extraordinary year for marathon running the women's world record (2:14:04, Brigid Kosgei) came under fire three times. In October, Ruth Chepngetich (Kenya) was well inside schedule before tying up in the later stages for 2:14:18. In September, Tigist Assefa (Ethiopia) ran 2:15:37 in Berlin in only her second marathon and Amane Beriso Shankule (Ethiopia) became the third fastest woman ever with 2:14:58 in Valencia in December. 

However, this writer's choice of Athlete Performance of the Year is the stunning world 24-hour record by Aleksandr Sorokin of Lithuania. This 40-year-old veteran narrowly missed the 200-mile barrier – surely equal in status to a two-hour marathon – when he ran continuously at 4:30/km pace for 319.614K in the European 24hr Championships in Verona in September.

Sorokin added more than 10K to his own previous world-best distance – what superb execution of a race plan over an extended period of time when so many things could have gone wrong. So take a bow, Aleksandr Sorokin, you are the winner of this writer's 'APOTY' for 2022!

Image courtesy Steve Ashworth, Centurion Running