emirates7 -
-This was the fifth-straight Ethiopian double at Dubai Marathon, the biggest event in the Middle East which has been historically dominated by athletes from Ethiopia and Kenya
Ethiopian long-distance runner Nibret Melak won the men’s elite title at the Dubai Marathon on Sunday as thousands of running enthusiasts hit the streets for the 25th anniversary of the iconic race.
Meanwhile, the women’s elite title was also clinched by an Ethiopian, with Anchinalu Dessie producing a masterclass in endurance running to grab the first position.
Incredibly, this was the fifth straight Ethiopian double at the Dubai Marathon, the biggest event in the Middle East — which has historically been dominated by athletes from Ethiopia and Kenya.
While Melak clocked 2:04:00 for the men’s gold, Dessie produced her personal best — 2:18:31 — to win the women’s race.
What made Melak’s victory truly special was that Sunday’s race marked his marathon debut. Remarkably, he also became the 11th debutant to win the Dubai Marathon since its inception in 1998.
Melak was solid from start to finish, pushing compatriot Yasin Haji (2:05:52) into second place as John Hakizimana (2:06:04) of Rwanda took home the bronze medal.
“I was very well prepared, and it was always my goal to win on my debut,“ said Melak, who trains alongside Ethiopia’s Olympic champion Tamirat Tola in Addis Ababa.
“My big goal in the future is to break the world record.”
The 26-year-old, who recorded the third fastest time in the history of the Dubai Marathon, missed the course record by a mere 26 seconds.
But it was a performance that underlined the talent and class of the 2023 African Games champion in 10,000 metres.
Dessie, on the other hand, wore the big, warm smile of a champion at the finish line, and her personal best time was just the icing on the cake.
But she had to work hard for her victory, having trailed leader Muliye Dekebo until the last stretch of the race.
With Dekebo suddenly struggling with a stomach problem, Dessie jumped on the opportunity to overtake and maintain her lead as she went on to complete the biggest win of her life.
“I thought I could still win it in the latter stages of the race, and while it’s nice to run a personal best, I think I can even run faster in the future,“ she said.
For the 23-year-old, it was the third straight marathon victory following her success in Seville and Beijing last year.
Dessie’s compatriots Muliye Dekebo (2:18:43) and Fantu Worku (2:19:08) completed an Ethiopian sweep by taking the second and third places in the women’s section.
Supported by Dubai Sports Council, the race saw elite runners from across the world compete for the honours on a flat and fast course.
Apart from the main event, thousands of runners took part in the popular 10km Road Race and the 4km Fun Run.
-This was the fifth-straight Ethiopian double at Dubai Marathon, the biggest event in the Middle East which has been historically dominated by athletes from Ethiopia and Kenya
Ethiopian long-distance runner Nibret Melak won the men’s elite title at the Dubai Marathon on Sunday as thousands of running enthusiasts hit the streets for the 25th anniversary of the iconic race.
Meanwhile, the women’s elite title was also clinched by an Ethiopian, with Anchinalu Dessie producing a masterclass in endurance running to grab the first position.
Incredibly, this was the fifth straight Ethiopian double at the Dubai Marathon, the biggest event in the Middle East — which has historically been dominated by athletes from Ethiopia and Kenya.
While Melak clocked 2:04:00 for the men’s gold, Dessie produced her personal best — 2:18:31 — to win the women’s race.
What made Melak’s victory truly special was that Sunday’s race marked his marathon debut. Remarkably, he also became the 11th debutant to win the Dubai Marathon since its inception in 1998.
Melak was solid from start to finish, pushing compatriot Yasin Haji (2:05:52) into second place as John Hakizimana (2:06:04) of Rwanda took home the bronze medal.
“I was very well prepared, and it was always my goal to win on my debut,“ said Melak, who trains alongside Ethiopia’s Olympic champion Tamirat Tola in Addis Ababa.
“My big goal in the future is to break the world record.”
The 26-year-old, who recorded the third fastest time in the history of the Dubai Marathon, missed the course record by a mere 26 seconds.
But it was a performance that underlined the talent and class of the 2023 African Games champion in 10,000 metres.
Dessie, on the other hand, wore the big, warm smile of a champion at the finish line, and her personal best time was just the icing on the cake.
But she had to work hard for her victory, having trailed leader Muliye Dekebo until the last stretch of the race.
With Dekebo suddenly struggling with a stomach problem, Dessie jumped on the opportunity to overtake and maintain her lead as she went on to complete the biggest win of her life.
“I thought I could still win it in the latter stages of the race, and while it’s nice to run a personal best, I think I can even run faster in the future,“ she said.
For the 23-year-old, it was the third straight marathon victory following her success in Seville and Beijing last year.
Dessie’s compatriots Muliye Dekebo (2:18:43) and Fantu Worku (2:19:08) completed an Ethiopian sweep by taking the second and third places in the women’s section.
Supported by Dubai Sports Council, the race saw elite runners from across the world compete for the honours on a flat and fast course.
Apart from the main event, thousands of runners took part in the popular 10km Road Race and the 4km Fun Run.
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