DUBAI, UAE, January 07 — The first major long road clash of the new year featured spectacular winning debuts by a pair of Ethiopians.
Tigist Ketema — until this year a middle distance runner who had never before raced longer than 10K — took the women’s race in 2:16:07. The 25-year-old’s sparkling run carried her to No. 8 on the all-time list and cut 32 seconds from the debut best set by Letesenbet Gidey in Valencia in 2022.
Ketema, with track PRs of 2:02.00, 4:00.91 and 15:17.27, concluded her ’23 oval campaign with a 13th-place showing in the Brussels DL 5000 last September, felt unsatisfied with her results, and went all in on marathon training.
Coached by Gemedu Dedefo in a heavyweight group that includes WR holder Tigst Assefa and reigning world champion Amane Beriso plus ’22 world men’s titlist Tamirat Tola, Ketema perhaps has found a home on the macadam.
As the women’s lead pack rolled in low-60s temperatures and early-morning darkness on the pancake-flat course along Jumeirah Beach Road — in the event’s return to the speedway route after 4 years away — Ketema hung close behind 3 male pacers along with a contingent that included ’23 winner Dera Dida and Ruti Aga.
Aga, runner-up last year by 13 seconds to Dida, raced most intensely in the early going, seemingly determined to reverse that result, but Ketema appeared relaxed in the 4-woman, all-Ethiopian, group that passed halfway in 68:07. The early 5K segments passed in the 16:08–16:10 range before Ketema grew more assertive and heated up the 25–30K split to 15:59. Only Aga held on behind her.
Ketema’s 35K split (1:52:53) saw her alone behind the pacemaker and 14 seconds clear of Aga. From there she flowed home for a negative-split (68:00) second half for the win and a course record by 61 seconds.
Aga (2:18:09) and Dida (2:19:29) followed in 2nd and 3rd with Ethiopian-born German Melat Kejeta 4th in 2:21:47.
The 2016 World Junior Champs 800 bronze medalist, Ketema told a post-race broadcast interviewer she moved up to the marathon because she had worked very hard yet wasn’t seeing the results she hoped for. “I didn’t expect to win my first marathon,” she said through a translator, “and I am very happy.”
As for the time, Ketema said, “The competition was very fast but I…
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