FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DUBAI MARATHON ON SUNDAY:
First Family favours Dubai Marathon again
If there's such a thing as a First Family in athletics, then it has be the
Tola-Dida clan from Ethiopia; and one of their favourite watering holes is
the Dubai marathon, whose quarter century is celebrated with Sunday
morning's event. Current Olympic men's champion Tamirat Tola won Dubai in
2017 (2.04.11), while spouse Dera Dida won in 2023 (2.21.11), on the same
day that her brother-in-law, Tamirat's younger sibling Abdisa won the men's
title (2.05.42).
Tamirat went on to greater things, with a world championship silver medal
in London later in 2017, then gold in the delayed world championship in
Eugene 2022, a New York Marathon victory in 2023, and the Olympic crown
last year. This time round, he has a far more important task, staying at
home and minding their daughter.
Because bringing their daughter (even with a nanny) to last year's Dubai
race may have distracted Dera from a repeat victory, though she still
finished third in 2.19.29, two minutes faster than the previous year; but
she's left hubby to do the domestic chores this time, and comes determined
to win her second Dubai Marathon while Tamirat watches on TV back home on
the outskirts of capital Addis Ababa.
As befits a First Family, only the best is good enough, and their training
group has got to be one of if not the strongest in the world. Among her
running partners are former marathon world record holder and Olympic silver
medallist Tigst Assefa as well as the current marathon World Champion Amane
Beriso. 'I don't train with the group every day,' she said through an
interpreter. 'On a day to day basis, I train with Tamirat, but I join them
occasionally. Since Tamirat won the Olympics, we've had a lot more media
interest, but we try to concentrate on our running and not get too
distracted'.
Well, her rivals (and compatriots) here in Dubai, Tigist Girma and Zeineber
Yimer already have plenty to distact her, given that their respective best
times, 2.18.52 and 2.19.07 are better than hers (2.19.24), but not so much
as to deter her 'I think I'm in shape to run the course record (2.16.07,
set by another colleague Tigist Ketema last year); I hope that will be
enough to win'.
Another return winner has equally high aspirations, although injuries have
ploughed a broad furrow between Lelisa Desisa's glory days and Sunday's
race. Lelisa was one of many debutant winners in Dubai over the last decade
or so, but his came in winning probably the most exciting race in Dubai
Marathon history. On a rare foggy day in the Emirates, Lelisa emerged from
the mists with a superb sprint finish to clock 2.04.45, and outpace four
close pursuers who all finished within a handful of seconds, the first time
five men had ever gone inside two hours, five minutes for a marathon.
Like Tamirat, Lelisa went on a have a superlative set of sequels, two
victories and two second places in Boston and a win in New York,
culminating with the world title on a torrid night in Doha 2019. A series
of injuries and the pandemic halted his progress, but he maintains he's
back close to his best.
Following today's press conference, he said, 'I've been training with
Milkesa (Mengesha), who won the Berlin Marathon last year, and with Deresa
(Geleta), who finished second in Valencia; I think I'm as good, and they're
running 2.02/2.03. Things have changed a lot since I won here in 2013. At
that time, we were thinking of 2.04 to 2.07 for a marathon, now we have to
think of two hours! I think I can run a personal best on Sunday'.
Since his best remains the 2.04.45 from 2013, if he and his young rivals
can get anywhere near that, they'll be threatening the course record of
2.03.34 that another colleague Getaneh Mollah ran here in 2019.
An intriguing entrant is former world record holder, Dennis Kimetto of
Kenya. One of the shooting stars of recent marathon history, Kimetto had a
short stellar career during which (in addition to other top victories) he
won three of the most important marathons in the world, Chicago, Tokyo and
Berlin, breaking the course record in each event, and setting a world
record in the final one, in Berlin 2014. He was the first to run sub 2:03
(2.02.57) and his record stood for four years. Obviously, at ten days short
of his 41st birthday, Dubai 2025 is going to be a very different challenge
for Kimetto.
A live stream of the Dubai Marathon will be available on Sunday from 6 am
local time at: www.dubaimarathon.org
Elite runners with personal bests
MEN:
Dennis Kimetto KEN 2:02:57
Lelisa Desisa ETH 2:04:45
Dino Sefir ETH 2:04:50
Shifera Tamru ETH 2:05:18
Gebru Redahgne ETH 2:05:58
Ashenafi Moges ETH 2:06:12
Abay Alemu ETH 2:06:50
Mesfin Nigusu ETH 2:07:58
Tadele Demissie ETH 2:08:25
Desalegn Girma ETH 2:08:30
Berehanu Tsegu ETH Debut
Boki Diriba ETH Debut
WOMEN:
Tigist Girma ETH 2:18:52
Zeineba Yimer ETH 2:19:07
Dera Dida ETH 2:19:24
Etagegne Woldu ETH 2:20:03
Gadise Mula ETH 2:20:59
Bedatu Hirpa ETH 2:21:09
Beyenu Degefa ETH 2:23:04
Kuftu Tahir Dadiso ETH 2:23:14
Tigist Geshaw ETH 2:24:39
Kebebush Yisma ETH 2:27:46
Mulugojam Ambi ETH 2:28:59
Betukan Welde ETH Debut
Etenesh Diro ETH Debut
Bekelech Teku ETH Debut
Alem Tsadik ETH Debut
For more information please visit www.dubaimarathon.org.
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