byLarry EderHere is the preview of the 2012 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, courtesy of our friend, Pat Butcher.
Aselefech Mergia, 2010 RAK, photo by PhotoRun.net
dubai,
wednesday, january 25, 1100gmt
The
Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, which celebrates its 13th edition
on Friday morning, has been a happy hunting ground for Ethiopian runners in the
past, foremost among them former world record holder Haile Gebrselassie, who won
here three times.
But
when Geb dropped out of last Autumn’s Berlin Marathon, devastated by Patrick
Makau’s mid-race surge, which helped the young Kenyan to break the Ethiopian’s
world record, Haile mused that he and his compatriots were being obliterated by
their East African neighbours.
Evidence
of that are some extraordinary statistics: close to 500 Kenyan men under 2hr
20min for the marathon last year, with 162 of them under the Olympic qualifying
time of 2.12. All of the major events in 2011 were won by Kenyans, including the
world titles, and 37 of them ran 41 of the world’s top fifty times. Just to rub
it in, the first non-Kenyan in last year’s rankings, in 21st place,
is not even Ethiopian. He is Marilson dos Santos of
Brazil.
That
trend is likely to continue in Dubai on Friday, the more so since the resurgent
Martin Lel has chosen the Gulf race to try and force his way into consideration
for one of those three coveted Olympic spots. Lel has all the credentials, but
maybe at 33, a little too much seniority to repulse what he calls, “the young
energetic ones”.
Following
five victories shared between London and New York, from 2003 to 2007, Lel was
named world’s top marathoner three times. A bad injury looked to have ruined if
not ended his career, but an 11th hour comeback in London last April, when he
was barely ready, resulted in an extraordinary performance, second in 2.05.45,
just 30 seconds slower than when he won three years
earlier.
That
puts him at the head of the favourites, but such is the lure of Dubai nowadays,
with its $250,000 first prize, that Lel has no fewer than 17 other sub-2.08
marathoners lining up alongside of him.
“I
hope it will be a great day for me on Friday,” he said at today, Wednesday’s
press conference, “it’s great to have such a strong race to help me try for
Olympic selection. I’ve seen how Haile has performed well here, and if the group
is strong, I hope to produce a good race”.
A
decade younger, last year’s surprise winner, colleague David Barmasai also
entertains ideas of an Olympic place, although with men who have done 2.04 and
better at the head of the queue, that might be presumptuous. But, says Barmasai,
“If the race could give me a good result I might have a chance of an Olympic
place, but as defending champion, the pressure is on me this
year”.
The
leading Ethiopian challengers are Tadesse Tola (2.06.33), Chala Dechase, who was
second to Haile two years ago in 2.06.33, Markos Geneti, who won Los Angeles
last year, in 2.06.35, and Deriba Merga (2.06.38), who was 4th in the
Olympic Games in Beijing.
The
evergreen Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa will be 40 years old next week; and
hopes to celebrate that by qualifying for his fifth Olympic Games, with a
performance close to 2.10. “This is very important for me. I’ve done some great
sessions at home, and am looking to make the (Olympic) team. For me, 40 is the
new 21. I’ve watched Dubai on TV, and seen Haile and the Kenyans go for world
records here. If the wind drops I think we’ll get some wonderful
times”.
In
contrast, a Kenyan woman has never won Dubai. Lydia Cheromei of Kenya, who first
astonished by winning the world junior cross, aged 13, in 1991, looked as if she
was going to do the trick last year, but was outpaced in the final kilometres
by Ethiopian Assefelech Mergia. Both return this year, as does Mamitu Daska of
Ethiopia, who won in 2010.
But
though she has never raced the marathon distance, Lucy (Wangui) Kabuu has enough
confidence for the whole women’s field. The Kenyan, who twice ran just shy of
67mins for the ‘half’ last year, clearly has possibilities at the full distance.
She is in no doubt, saying, “I’ve trained well for this, I think I can do 2.18
or 2.19, and maybe even break the Kenyan record (2.18.47, Catherine Ndereba).
The
Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon is one of those events which launched with
just over 100 runners in 2000, on what was then thought the periphery of the
marathon world. Nowadays, with one million dollars in prize money, and the
highest first place award ($250k) for both men and women, with over 2000 runners
competing the full distance, and over 10,000 in the five and 10k events, it’s
suddenly got much closer to the centre of the distance running universe.
(ends)
