Dubai, UAE, January 12, 2025, 08.00gmt
Bute Gemechu of Ethiopia added his name to the growing list of debutant marathoners who recently won the men’s race in Dubai, taking the title with a world-leading time of 2hr 04min 51 sec. However, the dramatic finish in the women’s race, won by compatriot Bedatu Hirpa a few minutes later, attracted the attention.
After an intriguing five-way tussle up to 25k, Dera Dida and training partner Hirpa forged a lead to prove unassailable for the pursers. And when Dida, first and third here in the last two years, eased away with five kilometers to run, it looked as if she would make good on her promise earlier in the week to repeat her 2023 victory. But as soon as she came to the lengthy, straight finish line, something was clearly wrong. Her head was back, and she was struggling for breath.
With less than a kilometer to run at that stage, Hirpa was still ten seconds behind. She said afterward that she didn’t know that her pal was suffering. Still, when the gap between them evaporated in the rising heat of the Dubai morning, Hirpa sailed past to victory, punching the air exuberantly as she took the finish tape. Her time of 2.18.27 substantially improved her previous best of 2.21.09, which she set in Amsterdam three months ago.
She was so elated that she ripped off her shoes, threw them into the air, and set off on a victory sprint back down the finishing straight with an Ethiopian flag wrapped around her neck. Meanwhile, a distressed Dida was flat out after finishing five seconds behind. When she finally caught her breath, she explained that she got severe stomach cramps in the last kilometer and was incapable of shrugging them off.
After commiserating with her colleague, Hirpa said, ‘I was concentrating so much on my own race I didn’t realize that Dera was having problems; it was only when the gap between us closed so quickly I realized that I could win. But I always believed I was going to win anyway’.
Hirpa kept the entertainment going at her press conference later. When asked what she would do with the $80,000 prize money, she said, I will give it to my coach. Since Gemedu Dedefo, the man in question, was standing by, he roared with laughter and politely refused, upon which she reached out and seized her winner’s plaque and presented it to him ceremoniously. Dida incidentally recovered quickly and was doubtless consoled by a…
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