FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon:
Melkamu and Hailu in Impressive Women's Field
Two of Ethiopia's leading marathon talents will be competing at the
Standard Chartered DubaiMarathon on 24th January: Meselech Melkamu and
Meseret Hailu head a strong women's elite field. With nine runners owning
personal bests of sub 2:24, this is among the best elite fields ever
assembled in the history of the event, which has consistently made
headlines for outstanding performances. On the superflat Dubai course the
2:20 barrier and possibly the course record of 2:19:31 are likely to be
under attack from such a talented array of women. The Standard Chartered
DubaiMarathon is an IAAF Gold Label Road Race.
On occasion the women's results in the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon
have been overshadowed by express performances from the men. This is
unlikely to be the case for the latest edition on 24th January. "Such is
the quality of the field, there is every chance that the women's results in
this year's Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon might just outshine those of
the men," said Event Director Peter Connerton, who also announced that the
registration deadline of December 31 has been extended right up to the eve
of the race itself.
"Due to the outstanding times achieved in Dubai, interest from elite
runners continues to be high. This is also the case from local and
international amateurs in the marathon, the 10km and the 3km Fun Run so we
have decided to extend the deadline due to that demand and to help those
who were unable to register over the Christmas and New Year period."
A common strand runs through the brief marathon careers so far of Meselech
Melkamu and Meseret Hailu: they have almost identical personal bests,
running these times on their debut at the distance in the autumn of 2012:
Hailu won the Amsterdam Marathon in a course record of 2:21:09 and a week
later Melkamu became the Frankfurt Marathon champion with 2:21:01, a course
record as well. Both times are among the fastest debuts ever by a woman.
While there are similarities in their development since 2012 – both ran
their third and most recent marathon at the World Championships in Moscow
but dropped out in the heat – the career background of the two women is
different. The 28 year-old Melkamu had been one of the best long distance
track runners in the world before turning her attentions to the road. At
10,000 m she is still the second fastest ever and holds the African record
(29:53.80). "In the future I want to reach times in the marathon that are
as good as the results I achieved in the 10,000 metres," Melkamu has said.
Meseret Hailu is five years younger and has been a road race specialist
throughout her international career. Two weeks before her Amsterdam debut
victory she won the gold medal at the World Half Marathon Championships in
Kavarna (Bulgaria). More success at the distance has followed with Hailu
breaking the Ethiopian half marathon record with 66:56 in February 2013.
Her recent form has been promising with fourth place in 69:05 at the New
Delhi Half Marathon on 15th December.
In Dubai both Melkamu and Hailu should have personal best times in their
sights.
Yet one woman in the field has run faster than either of them although the
passage of time may mean that outright victory is not a realistic challenge
for fellow Ethiopian Berhane Adere. Now 40, she has a personal best of
2:20:42 and won the Standard Chartered Dubai title six years ago in
2:22:42. This certainly does not mean that Adere's days of challenging for
honours are over – given good form, the world masters or veterans record,
currently held by Germany's Irina Mikitenko with 2:24:54, could come under
pressure.
Mamitu Daska and Firehiwot Dado are two more world-class runners from
Ethiopia.
Daska was added to the field just a few days ago and the 2010 Dubai
champion is said to be in good form. Her fastest time is 2:21:59, achieved
in winning the Frankfurt title in 2011. Dado triumphed in the New York
Marathon in the same year with 2:23:15 which remains her personal best.
They both ran a marathon in the autumn:
Daska was fourth in Frankfurt, running 2:23:23 in very windy conditions
while Dado finished 14th in New York in 2:38:06.
Ehitu Kiros of Ethiopia (2:23:39), Isabellah Andersson (Sweden/2:23:41),
Mula Seboka (2:23:48) and Amane Gobena (both Ethiopia/2:23:50) complete the
sub 2:24 contingent on the start list. Kiros and Gobena have good memories
of the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon from 2013. They both set personal
bests on that occasion, finishing second and third respectively, while
Andersson broke the current Swedish record in taking third place in 2011.
###
|
