ATHLETICS: Ethiopians dominate Dubai Marathon as Melak and Dessie clinch gold

Ethiopians dominated the Dubai Marathon on Sunday, with debutant Nibret Melak winning the men’s race and Anchinalu Dessie taking gold in the women’s race, as runners from the country swept the women’s podium.

Melak finished in two hours and four minutes, nearly two minutes ahead of compatriot Yasin Haji, who took silver, while Rwanda’s John Hakizimana claimed third place.

Dessie delivered an impressive performance, cutting nearly four minutes off her personal best to finish in two hours, 18 minutes and 31 seconds. She overtook compatriot Muliye Dekebo, who had been leading the race but suffered stomach problems with just over two kilometers remaining.

Fellow Ethiopians Muliye Dekebo and Fantu Worku finished second and third, respectively, as Dessie secured her third consecutive marathon victory, following her wins in Seville and Beijing last year.

“It’s nice to run a personal best, but I think I can even run faster in the future,” Dessie said.

Melak, who won the 10,000-meter race at the 2023 African Games, became the sixth Ethiopian debutant to win the Dubai Marathon.

“It was always my goal to win on my debut... my big goal in the future is to break the world record,” Melak said. -Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in BengaluruEditing by Christian Radnedge/Reuters