Former Champion Mekonnen Confirmed for Dubai

Published by IAAF on December 28, 2016

Following his victory in 2014 and third-place finish last year, Ethiopia’s Tsegaye Mekonnen will start as one of the favourites for the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon when the IAAF Gold Label Road Race gets underway on January 20.

Mekonnen was just 18 when he became the youngest winner in the history of the world’s richest marathon, setting an unofficial world U20 best of 2:04:32 on his marathon debut. His surprise win came just 12 months after entering the 2013 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon as a pacemaker and remains the third-fastest marathon debut in history.

He returned in January this year for another tilt at the title and finished third in 2:04:46, just 22 seconds behind the winner, Tesfaye Abera.