Pat Butcher (organisers) for the IAAFThe Marathon world came face to face with mortality recently, when Haile Gebrselassie announced his retirement. That was soon rescinded. But after three consecutive (and rapid) victories in the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, the old master leaves the ‘world’s richest Marathon’ this coming Friday (21) open to a posse of young pretenders to his crown.
With first place (men and women) paying a quarter of a million dollars there is no shortage of takers to follow the Ethiopian onto the list of Dubai winners, if not the world record ranks.
Fittingly, there are six sub-2:07 men, with another ten who have broken 2:10; but the youngster who tops that list might just be the man to beat.
An ‘unknown’ East African winning a Marathon in a fast time is hardly news nowadays. But Eliud Kiptanui’s 2:05:39 victory in Prague last May was, as they say, a bit special.
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