Dubai Marathon: Course record on the cards for stellar field

Kenny Laurie 10:47 23/01/2014
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  • Flying the flag: Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa was last year’s winner of the marathon.

    Organisers are confident of seeing a course record broken on Friday when the Dubai Marathon kicks off with a supremely strong field.

    The race has a lot to live up to after last year saw a rare photo finish with the top five runners all coming in under two hours five minutes and separated by just eight seconds.

    With a new course running up and down the coast, beginning at Umm Suqeim Road by the Madinat Jumeirah and ending near the Police Academy in the shadow of the Burj al Arab, conditions are flat – the flattest marathon in the world – and fast, opening up the prospect of exceeding the 2:04:23 set by Ayele Abshero in 2012.

    “It’s very fast and flat which is what the elites want and the reason they come,” said event director Peter Connerton. “The weather is favourable, the route now is one of the fastest we have had, with the right weather we’ll push 2:04.

    “Last year we were the first to have five under 2:05. Five athletes in one picture is unheard of.

    “It’s not about a world record we want, we want more athletes running faster for longer pushing the limits, and not just one runner, we want to give the opportunity to fast runners while other marathon chase the big names.

    “Our winners have been debutants and they have run fast and continued their progress. We hope to do that this year and every year, we push our limits and fingers crossed we’ll be faster this year.”

    The number one ranked runner this year is Markos Geneti (above) of Ethiopia who boasts a personal best of 2:04:54. While that would rank outside the top five in last year’s event, the Ethiopian isn’t just gunning for the ribbon but for a course record.

    “This year is about being number one,” Geneti told Sport360°. “I am in good shape, my preparations were good, I want to run 2:03, the conditions are really good for it to do a fast run.

    “I have been preparing for three months back home in altitude. Everything is in place to do 2:03. It’s a great marathon, the course is flat and also the times from the last few years have been really low. It’s a really competitive field and that really pushes you on.”

    The top six at the event have all finished under 2:07 in their careers, making for a hyper-competitive field.

    While ranked by at number 19, viewers would be advised to keep an eye on rising star Atsedu Tsegay (below). The Ethiopian is tipped to be the next great runner from his nation and could be the next in a line of debutants from the east African country that have won in Dubai.

    At 23, Tsegay has already dethroned Haile Gebrselassie as the national record holder for the half marathon – with a time of 58:47 – as well as catching the eye of sportswear giants Adidas, and believes he won’t have any trouble adjusting from the 13 mile to the 26 mile format.

    “I’m the national record holder for the half marathon so I want to have the record for the marathon,” Tsegay said. “There is a great tradition of marathon runners from Ethiopia, many who have inspired me like Haile Gabresaliase, I want to be up with them.

    “That is not much harder but I want to see in the race, because I haven’t really raced, but in training it has been quite easy.

    “Ultimately my ambition is to be the best in the world," he added. "I’m just hoping to run as fast as I can, but I am also hoping to be number one.”

    If there are to be any improvements on last year, they will almost certainly come in the women’s category that sees four runners who have logged quicker times than last year’s winning turn of 2:23:23 by Tirfi Tsegaye.

    Meselch Melkamu leads the field from Ethiopia carrying serious pedigree after a win in Amsterdam in 2012 while compatriots Meseret Hailu Debele, Mamitu Daska and Firehiwot Dado Tufa (above) plan to run her close.

    Melkamu, who has a PB of 2:21:01, boldly declared: “In future I want to reach times in the marathon that are as good as the results I have achieved in the 10,000 metres.”

    Connerton added: “Such is the quality of the field, there is every chance that the women’s results might just outshine those of the men.”

    THE DUBAI MARATHON ROUTE

    The Marathon starts on the Umm Suqeim Road at the Madinat Jumeirah end before turning onto Jumeirah Beach Road and past the Union Flag.

    The runners will then head back along Jumeirah Beach Road, running past the Grand Mosque. After passing the Burj Al Arab again the runners will head past Madinat Jumeirah along Al Sufouh Road going past the entrance to Palm Island and turning back at The One & Only Mirage Hotel entrance at Media City.

    After that it is back along Al Sufouh Road towards the Burj Al Arab. At the Madinat Jumeirah junction the runners turn right to race to the finish just before the Dubai Police Academy.

    1) The full marathon route…

    2) The 10km route…

    3) The 3km route…

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