Dubai Marathon: Ketema wins with a new course record to make her debut special
Making her debut memorable, Ethiopian Tigist Ketema won the 2024 Dubai Marathon in a record time of 2 hours 16:07 minutes on Sunday.
She also smashed the Dubai course record, improving the mark by 61 seconds.
In very good weather conditions fellow Ethiopians Ruti Aga and defending champion Dera Dida took second and third places with 2:18:09 and 2:19:29 respectively.
Fourth-placed German Melat Kejeta ran 2:21:47 and qualified for the Olympic Games.
For Ketema (25), the marathon win was a stunning turn after doubts about the switch. A career middle-distance runner, she even clinched the 2016 Ethiopian 800m title.
“I was quite afraid of the distance before I ran my first marathon but now, I wonder why,” she said after receiving the trophy from Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council.
In the men’s event, there was a unique double debutants’ triumph as 19-year-old Addisu Gobena stormed to victory in 2:05:01 to secure the winners’ trophy.
Fellow Ethiopians Lemi Dumecha and Dejene Megersa, another debutant, followed in second and third spots in 2:05:20 and 2:05:42 respectively. Fifth-placed German Samuel Fitwi smashed his personal best and also qualified for the Olympic Games with 2:06:27.