Athletes from Ethiopia dominated the honours list in both men and women categories after they swept almost all the glory at the Dubai Marathon on Friday.
Of the top 20 athletes at the end of the marathon, 18 Ethiopians were listed. Nine each in the men and women category.
Tamirat Tola won the men’s race in two hours, four minutes and eleven seconds, with that he set a new course record and personal best. He was followed by compatriots, Mule Wasihun and Sisay Lemma.
Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia wins the #DubaiMarathon in a course-record 2:04:11 unofficially. $200K for the win.
Kenenisa Bekele DNF. pic.twitter.com/wjkRNBk662
— Chris Chavez (@ChrisChavez) January 20, 2017
Tola expressed disappointment at his failure to break the record which stood at 2 hours and 4 seconds despite winning and bagging the prize money of $200,000. He had won the 10,000 metres at the World Championship in London.
The only non-Ethiopian in the top 10 was Kenya’s Mark Pkorir Lokwanamoi who ended the race in fifth position with a time of 2 hours, eight minutes and 36 seconds.
Ethiopia’s Worknesh Degefa, Shure Demise and Arage Yebrgual finished in the first three spots respectively in the women’s category. . The winner ended the race after two hours, 22 minutes and 35 seconds.
Worknesh Degefa wins the women’s race at the #DubaiMarathon in 2:22:34.
It was her debut.
Takes home $200K. pic.twitter.com/mnNbtRsI02— Chris Chavez (@ChrisChavez) January 20, 2017
Another six Ethiopians follow in that order with the tenth position going to Finland’s Anne-Mari Hyrylainen.
