by Larry EderThis is where you need to go to find out all thats Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon. This is Larry Eder. I am in the Dubai Marathon media tent. I will update each mile and 5k here, with notes, and do immediate via social media.
Enjoy!
Please enjoy the course video. This is a really fast course!
Update 1…The wheelchair took off at 5:56, with Marcel Hug and Sandra Graf in the mix. Humidity is 74 percent, I think the humidity could play a part in this event. Temperature is 67 degrees, with a slight wind.
Update 2…At 6 am, the field of marathoners, lead by some of the top Ethiopians, Kenyans, was off. It will be dark the first 50-60 minutes, as the athletes charge off to run their dream race.
Update 3: The wifi is difficult here. The streaming is amazing, one of my faves, with Pat Butcher, Paula Radcliffe and Tim Hutchings. Lead women asked to go out in 68.30. Degefa looks fantastic. 2:58 per kilometer for men, looking good. 13:19 into elite event.
Update 4: 14:42 at 5k pace for elite men, a 2:03.30 pace!
Update 5: Worknesh Degefe is all alone, except with the pace maker. The men are all close, about 2:58 pace at 9 kilometer. 26:54 at 9k for men.
Update 6: Worknesh Degefe looks fantastic, she is in a good rythm. She asked for 68:30 pace, a 2:17 pace, in the techincal meeting.
Update 7: Worknesh Dreferfa continues to impress. She continues to impress, hitting 5k in 16.22, and 10k in 32:28!
Update 8: Soloman Deksisa, at back of huge pack. Men at 29:36 at 10k, this is still early in race. Some concern about Deksisa, but pack, at 14.4 k, looks good.
Update 9: 25,000 entrants in Marathon, 10k, and 4k. Mass Marathon begins at 7 am local time. 10k at 8:15 am local time. 4k fun runr starts at 11 am.
Update 10: Amazing women’s race as Worknesh Degefa leads, 16:22, 32:28, 48:32 and we should see HM split soon.
Update 11: Men’s pace at 62:43 for the half marathon. Pace has been 14:22, 29:36, 44:30, 62:45!
Update 12: Worknesh Degefa hits 20k in 64:56.
Update 13: Splits for Degefa: 16;22, 16:06, 16:04, 16:24. Degefa hit 20k in 64:56!
Update 14: Degefa hit half marathon in 1:08.36!
Update 15: Worknesh Degefa slowed down last 2 ks in 3:10, 3:22.
Worknesh Degafe surives stomach distress to win 2nd time in 4 tries, photo: Colombo
Update 16: The wheelchair event is amazing! Chinese athlete, slip streaming on Marcel Hug, who is pushing pace, at 1:18 into race, about 40k, will be a really fast start!
Update 17: The Chinese athlete sits up, forcing Marcel Hug to just push it all out.
Update 18: The sun is up. Fans all over. Marcel Hug wins in 1:22.49, with Chang, the Chinese athlete, who just wheeled a 20 minute PB!
Update 19: Worknesh Degefa looks to be in fine shape. She is on 2:18:30 pace. Not the time she wanted, but the humidty and dew point is just too much!
Update 20: The men are on a 2:05 pace, with Tura leading, 30.2 km in 1:30:15.
Update 21: The men, with Tura leading, at 1:29:40 at 30k, a 2:05:14 pace!
Update 22: The men are now on 2:06 pace, with fourr kilometers over 3 minutes, including a 3:10 at 28k!
Update 23: Update, yes 5k was 14:42, not 14:22!
Update 24: Shigura Osaku was to be doing a 25k test run. He hit 14:18 in 20k-25k, and has apparently disappeared.
Update 25: Yep, prize money is $100,000 US today.
Update 26: Tura continues to impress at 33k. He dropped a 2:52 k to up the pace.
Update 27: Kiptanui is leading, 1:40.06 into the race.
Update 28: Huge group of Ethiopian fans at finish! This sound is amazing!
Update 29: Worknesh Degefa is fling! At 30k in 1:38:31, she is on a 2:18:34 pace!
Update 30: Degefa makes the turn, she can see the closing pack, can they catch her?
Update 31: Men at 34.8 kilometers, 1:44.14 into race, 14 in pack, Tura, Tesfaye, Abeje, all waiting to take off! This will be a close one!
Update 32: Men slowing, 25-30k at 15:22 split, 30-35k at 15:08 k. A 2:06 pace, this will be a big finish race!r
Update 33: 2:00.03 at 40k, fifteen men at 2:06 pace, this is crazy. All look good. Who has the kick? A bit of wind, and also, some humidty. No one wants to push it. Who will win!
Update 34: In a finish reminiscent of a 10,000m finish. Olika Adugna took the charge and won, against some fine kickers, in 2:06.14. The finish was terribly close, as Adugna took the lead and just did a long, long kick. While we did not have a hugely fast race, the finish has been exciting. The men’s race is more like a bike tour race.
Olika Adugna Bikila, debut marathoner, and winner, 2020 Dubai Marathon, photo: Colombo
Update 35: At 39.9k into the event, 2:11.51 for Worknesh Degefa, hitting 40k in 2:12.15. She had a rough patch in the 20-25k course, and has come back from that. With her familiarity with the course, Worknesh Degefa should take the win, with a 52 second lead at 40k.
Update 36: Two debutants in mens event go 1-2! Pretty amazing.
Update 37: Due to the poor wifi here, I have focused on the updates as the event built.
Update 38: Worknesh Degefa won her second Dubai Marathon in 2:19:36. Second place is Shone. Shone ran 2:20.11.
Update 39: Found out that Worknesh Degefa, had a Linda Blair moment (reference to The Exorcist), meaning that she vomited post race. She had some distress during the race, in the 20-27k area, and then, came back to a fast pace.
Worknesh Degefa, 4 times in Dubai, two wins, plus a 4th in 2018, a 2nd in 2019! photo: Colombo
Update 40: 2020 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, top 6 women:
1. Worknesh Degafa, ETH, 2:19.37
2. Guteni Shone Amana, ETH, 2:20.11
3. Bedatu Hirpa Badane, ETH, 2:21.54
4. Tigist Abayechew Jabore, ETH, 2:22.45
5. Dera Dida Yami, ETH, 2:22.52
6. Hawi Feysa Gejia, ETH, 2:23.36
Olika Adugna Bikila sprints to win at 2020 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, rrphoto by Colombo
Update 41: 2020 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, top 10 men:
1. Olika Adugna Bikila, ETH, 2:06.15 debut
2. Eric Kiprono Kiptanui, KEN, 2:06.17 debut
3. Tsedat Abeje Ayana, ETH, 2:06.17
4. Lencho Tesfaye Anbessa, ETH, 2:06.18
5. Yitayal Atnafu Zerihun, ETH, 2:06.21
6. Yinulign Adane Amsalu, ETH, 2:06.22
7. Aychew Bantie Dessie, ETH, 2:06.23
8. Seifu Tura Abdiwak, ETH, 2:06.26
9. Chalu Deso Gelmisa, ETH, 2:06.29
10. Zewudi Hailu Bekele, ETH, 2:06.31
