Bekele to Challenge World Record

By Scott Bush

The marathon world record of 2:02:57 by Kenya's Dennis Kimetto is set to be challenged later this week at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon. Ethiopian great Kenenisa Bekele, whose marathon personal best came at the Berlin Marathon this past October, where he ran 2:03:03, the second-fastest mark in history. 

Already the owner of countless world records, including the 5,000 and 10,000 meters on the track, Bekele looks to gold stamp his place in history by claiming the marathon record.

As part of the build-up, the organizers of the event announced a $250,000 world record bonus. Already offering one of the world's largest prize purses, event organizers are itching to propel their event to the pinnacle of the road running world. 

Known as one of the world's fastest marathons, in part a big reason Bekele is choosing to run Dubai, the event claims 14 of the top 50 fastest marks in history.

Those living in the United States can view the Dubai Marathon beginning at 9:20pm ET this Thursday, provided by EverSport.tv.

Dubai Marathon Press Release

$250,000 Bonus on Offer for New World Record

A bonus of US$250,000 is on offer to any runner who can break the world record at this week’s Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon being held on Friday (January 20).

The bonus is in addition to the first prize of US$200,000 and underlines the status of the popular IAAF Gold Label race as the richest marathon in the world.

Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele – whose personal best is just six seconds outside the world record of 2h:02m:57s held by Kenya’s Dennis Kimetto – will be seen by many as the pre-race favourite. But if the three-time Olympic gold medalist is to land that massive bonus, he will have to run the classic 42.195km distance quicker than any athlete in marathon history.

After a decade of unprecedented success, the eyes of the athletic world will once again be on the first big international marathon of the New Year when the Middle East’s biggest mass participation event hits the flats streets of Dubai.

“The progression we have made is one we aim to maintain, which is why, in addition to the record prize-money, we are also offering the runners an incentive of a bonus should one of them break the current world record,” said Event Director Peter Connerton.

Kimetto’s 2014 world record – set in Berlin – is now coming under serious threat from the running elite following the 2016 performances of Bekele in Berlin (2:03:03) and Eliud Kipchoge (2:03:05) in London.

“We don’t put together a field with a view to breaking the world record,” added Connerton. “But when you have the quality of field that we always try to ensure in Dubai, fast times are a natural by-product. Our aim is always to make the race of benefit to the athletes themselves – runners know that with the type of course and weather we have in Dubai they are well capable of producing a season or personal best.”

Just nine years ago, Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie ran a new course record as the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon moved into the big league with record prize-money and a world record bonus.

Gebrselassie’s 2:04:53 broke the course record by nearly five minutes and was the second fastest marathon time in history, trailing only his own world record of 2:04:26 from Berlin just four months earlier.

Fast forward to today and the average of the top ten Dubai Marathon times is 2:04:40. Ayele Abshero now holds the course record with 2:04:23, while even more remarkable is that Gebrselassie’s 2008 winning time no longer ranks in Dubai’s all-time top ten.

“Tesfaye Abera missed the course record by just one second last year in a race, which at one stage was on world record pace” said Connerton.

“The consistently fast times show the event is firmly alongside the likes of London, Berlin and New York, while in terms of strength in depth we are undoubtedly one of the best and remain the only marathon in history to have five men finish in under 2:05.”