Marathon News - Note on the News - Barmasi & Win Dubai Marathon

Jan-21-2011

Note on the News - Barmasi & Win Dubai Marathon
by David Monti
(c) Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

Various news outlets are reporting that David Barmasai of Kenya and Aslelefech Mergia have won today's Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon with the year's fastest times, despite windy conditions.

Barmasai, 22, clocked 2:07:18 a personal best, defeating established Kenyan star Evans Cheruiyot (2:08:17) and Ethiopian Eshetu Wendimu (2:08:54).

Mergia, who turns 26 years-old in two days, clocked 2:22:45, just shy of both her personal best (2:22:38) and Berhane Adere's course record (2:22:42). Kenya's Lydia Cheromei finished a close second in a career best 2:23:01, and Kenyan-born Swede Isabellah Anderson set a pending national record in third place (2:23:41).

Both Barmasai and Mergia won USD 250,000 in prize money, the largest first place prize money check in marathon running.

You can Pat Butcher's story for the IAAF at this link:
http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=59101.html