On Sunday morning two marathon debutants crushed the Dubai Marathon, with Tigist Ketema blasting to the end in 2:16:07, successful the race within the quickest debut marathon ever. On the lads’s facet, 19-year-old Addisu Gobena won in 2:05:01.
Quickest marathon debut in historical past ‼️
🇪🇹’s Tigist Ketema clocks a shocking 2:16:07 on the Dubai Marathon 🙌
Report 🔗 https://t.co/fLDNTbDo5g pic.twitter.com/wjtwQ1G5YH
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) January 7, 2024
Dubai Marathon is famend for its tremendous flat course, and Ketema bested the course file by over a minute. Ketema, 25, had beforehand been an 800m specialist and had by no means competed at any distance farther than 10K. She was the bronze medalist within the 800 on the 2016 World Juniors, and now strikes to eighth on the world’s all-time record.
Tigist Ketema wins the Dubai Marathon in 2:16:07, the quickest debut ever, which locations her eighth on the world all-time record. https://t.co/tm66vOaaPC
— Quick Ladies (@fast_women) January 7, 2024
For Ketema, the victory was surprising, contemplating her preliminary reservations about transitioning to the marathon: “I used to be fairly apprehensive concerning the distance earlier than my first marathon, however now, I ponder why,” she instructed press post-race with a smile. 18-months in the past Ketema’s time would have additionally scored her an Ethiopian file. Nonetheless, she is now third on her nation’s all-time record behind world record-holder Tigist Assefa and world champion Amane Beriso.
Fellow Ethiopians Ruti Aga and defending champion Dera Dida took second and third locations with 2:18:09 and a couple of:19:29 respectively. Fourth-placed Melat Kejeta of Germany, in her first race after having a baby, ran 2:21:47 and certified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Video games.
Congratulations to our new males’s champion Addisu Gobena (2:05:01) who acquired his trophy from HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the @DubaiSC pic.twitter.com/kFexCCUTJw
— Dubai Marathon (@dubai_marathon) January 7, 2024
Teenager Addisu Gobena additionally claimed victory, clocking a formidable 2:05:01 within the males’s class. The 19-year-old Ethiopian junior outran compatriots Lemi Dumecha and Dejene Megersa, each debutants on the distance, secured second and third locations in 2:05:20 and a couple of:05:42 respectively. Fifth-placed Samuel Fitwi, representing Germany, additionally ran a private greatest and certified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Video games in 2:06:27.
Initially a javelin thrower, Gobena shifted to working on the recommendation of his aunt simply two years in the past. He started coaching together with her, and found his expertise for distance working, telling press after the race: “I believe I made the proper choice.”
