Degefa Earns Second Dubai Marathon Victory, Adugna Wins Marathon Debut

By Adam Kopet

Worknesh Degefa and Olika Adugna of Ethiopia were winners Friday at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon.

RESULTS

Degefa ran away from the field from the start with only her pacemaker for company as she set herself on 2:17-pace through the first 15 kilometers. However, her lead began to shrink after reaching the halfway split in 1:08:36.

After surviving a bad patch, Degefa recovered her stride to the point she had built a lead of 90 seconds at 35K. After that, she once again slowed, falling way off her early personal-best pace. She won in 2:19:38.

Behind Degefa, Ethiopia's Guteni Shone finished second, 33 seconds back in 2:20:11. Bedatu Hirpa, also of Ethiopia, finished third in 2:22:55. Ethiopia swept the top nine places.

This was Degefa's fourth time racing in Dubai and her second win. She won her debut marathon in Dubai in 2017. Last year she finished second in 2:17:41, which stands sixth all-time and is the Ethiopian national record.

However, heat, humidity and wind may have played a role in the slower times this year over some previous years.

The weather was likely on display in the men's race where 11 men were still in contention with a kilometer left in the race.

That was not how the race started, however. The pacemakers were instructed to take the race out near 2:04 pace and they did just that for the first 15K or so. However, as the race progressed, the pace slowed. Once the pacemakers dropped out after halfway, the lead pack visibly slowed.

This was not the drag race style marathon that has been common on the men's side in recent years. The race turned strategic as the large lead pack sized each other up for the chance at the $100,000 first-place prize.

Seifu Tura of Ethiopia was the first man to make a move around 33K. He took a turn at the front, pushing the pace, but his effort was short lived and the lead pack quickly came together again.

Others took turns pushing, but the surges never lasted long. That was why there were still 11 men in contention at 41K.

Kenya's Eric Kiptanui made his first bid for the lead in that last kilometer. Making his marathon debut, he had held back much of the race. Given his 58:42 half marathon personal best, making him the seventh-best performer of all-time, he had possible speed at his disposal.

However, Kiptanui may have gone too early. Adugna took over the lead with 700 meters to go and charged hard to the finish. Kiptanui tried to respond, but was found waning over the final 200 meters. Adugna pulled away in the final stretch to win in 2:06:15.

Kiptanui held on to finish second in 2:06:17 and Ethiopia's Tsedat Abeje finished third in 2:06:18. All 11 men who were in contention over that final stretch finished under 2:07.

Like Kiptanui, Adugna was also making his marathon debut. The 20-year old did not have the same half marathon credentials, having only run 1:01:43 in 2018 as a 19-year old. Half speed, however, did not seem to matter Friday.