FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Meselech Melkamu and Meseret Hailu Ready to Attack 2:20 Barrier in Dubai
Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon Live On The Internet
Meleselech Melkamu and Meseret Hailu are ready to attack the 2:20 barrier
in Friday's Standard Chartered DubaiMarathon, which is an IAAF Gold Label
Race. The respective marathon best performances of the two Ethiopian stars
are only eight seconds apart. While Melkamu will be the fastest in the
field on Friday with 2:21:01, Hailu's PB stands at 2:21:09. "We want to run
fast, we want to run sub 2:20 and we will work together," said Meselech
Melkamu on the eve of the race.
"To run below 2:20 is our goal, this is why we have come to Dubai," said
Meseret Hailu, with Meselech Melkamu taking on the role of interpreter. 18
women have so far broken the prestigious 2:20 barrier in marathon history.
In Dubai three runners have achieved that feat with the course record
standing at Aselefech Mergia's (Ethiopia) time 2:19:31 in 2012.
"Dubai has a very flat course. And I am happy to have chosen this race. We
have watched the marathon on TV in the past," said Meseret Hailu, who is
the reigning World Half Marathon Champion (2012) and won the Amsterdam
Marathon in October 2012 with a course record of 2:21:09. For 23 year-old
Hailu it will be the first marathon since she dropped out of the World
Championships' marathon in Moscow last August. "I had a foot injury, which
forced me to stop," said Hailu, who grew up in Bekagre which is in western
Ethiopia. "In the future I hope to run 2:18 in the marathon."
While Hailu has been road racing for her entire career, Melkamu had great
success on the track during the first part of her career. The 28 year-old,
who originally comes from Deber Markas and now lives in Addis Abeba, is
still the African 10,000 m record holder with 29:53.80. The pair began
training together in 2012 in Addis Abeba. Also in their group is a the
former Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon Champion: Bezunesh Bekele who won
in 2009 with 2:24:02.
A week after Hailu won the Amsterdam Marathon in 2012, Melkamu broke
another course record in a major race: She won her marathon debut in
Frankfurt with 2:21:01 despite freezing conditions. Melkamu then finished
fifth in London with 2:25:46 but dropped out of the World Championships'
marathon. "I developed a foot problem in London, so I was not at my best
there. Then in Moscow I dropped out because it was so hot." Comparing the
courses Melkamu said: "In London there are some ups and downs. Frankfurt is
faster, but there are quite a few corners. I think Dubai has the best
course. It is flat and the route is straight, which makes a difference,"
said 28 year-old Melkamu, who had been on the start list for the Frankfurt
Marathon in 2013 but then had to withdraw because of a leg injury. "In the
future my goal is to run 2:17 in the marathon," she added, setting her
sights high but with the pedigree to suggest this is no pipe dream.
The Standard Chartered DubaiMarathon will start at 7 am (local time) and
will be shown live on the internet at: www.dubaimarathon.org
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