Hirpa wins women’s race in 2:18:27 and Gemechu clocks 2:04:51 in men’s race as Eilish McColgan returns to action with a 31:14 for 10km
Bute Gemechu of Ethiopia added his name to the growing list of debutant marathoners who have won the men’s race in Dubai in recent years, taking the title with a world leading time of 2:04:51; but it was the dramatic finish in the women’s race won by compatriot Bedatu Hirpa a few minutes later which attracted the attention.
After an intriguing five-way tussle up to 25km, Dera Dida and training partner Hirpa forged a lead which was to prove unassailable for the pursuers. And when Dida, first and third here in the last two years, eased away with 5km to run, it looked as if she was going to make good on her promise earlier in the week to repeat her 2023 victory. But as soon as she came into the lengthy finishing straight it was clear something was wrong. Her head was back and she was struggling for breath.
At that stage with less than a kilometre to run, Hirpa was still 10 seconds behind. She said afterwards that she didn’t know that her pal was suffering but 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 is a substantial improvement on her previous best of 2:21:09 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 round 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 kilometre 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 realise that Dera was having problems. It was only when the gap between us closed so quickly, I realised 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 was going to do with the $80,000 prize money, she said: “I’m going to give it my coach.”
Since the man in question, Gemedu Dedefo 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…
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