No. 2, Revisited—5th Visit [Runners]

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Photo by James Rogers

“What do you think of the marathon world record [2:02:57]?”

“I remember when [Geoffrey] Mutai went 2:03:02 [at 2011 Boston], but it didn’t count because it was wind-aided. At the time, that was the fastest marathon. And I remember seeing 2:03:02 and thinking, Wow that’s so close to 2:02, and thinking, That’s stupid fast. To put it in not-runner terms, so people can fully understand it…like, most people can’t sprint that fast. I mean, I doubt the average person could run a 400 as fast as all the elite marathoners’ pace. But let alone, that world record is just like…I mean, that’s gonna stay for a while, I think. There really is no words to describe it. You can say it’s ridiculous, it’s stupid fast, it’s unbelievable—but the fact of the matter is, until you’re there to see someone run that fast for that long in person, I don’t think you can fully understand just how fast that is. Or if you tried to do it even for a little bit yourself. Like go out there and set a treadmill at 4:42 [mile pace], and then just see how long you can do that for. I mean, they’re crazy.”

No. 2, Revisited—4th Visit [Runners]

Photo by James Rogers
Photo by James Rogers

“I was cut from my seventh- and eighth-grade basketball teams. Me and Nick Ready were the only two kids to be cut from both teams, both years. At that point, I decided that maybe basketball isn’t my thing. Then after playing basketball this weekend with the boys, that thought was only solidified by me going 1-for-17 from behind the arc. … I’ve been on plenty of long runs when I thought, I think I might’ve missed my calling. Ya know? If I was just a little bit taller, a little bit bigger and a little bit better at basketball. … Nothin’ but net.”

5 Hoorays: 2015 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon

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The men’s podium (L-R): Lelisa Desisa (2nd), Lemi Berhanu (1st), Deribe Robi (3rd).


The 2015 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon gave United States citizens terrific Thursday night racing, as the 26.2-miler began at 10 p.m. ET (7 a.m. local time on Friday).

More than 25,000 runners participated, and 21 men with a 2:10 marathon PR or faster toed the line. If you’re not too familiar with this United Arab Emirates marathon, the winners take home $200,000, and East Africans are aplenty.

The 2015 edition delivered, and I’ve put together 5 Hoorays from my viewing of the Dubai dandy.

Note: This is Hooray Run’s first-ever 5 Hoorays. Enjoy.


5. The EverSport live stream was tremendous

I wholeheartedly support House of Run’s use of the word “flawless” to describe the online stream. I’ve watched numerous races and meets via live stream, and I give a standing ovation to EverSport for its excellent production of the Dubai Marathon.

No lags, awe-inspiring shots, a crisp picture the entire way through. This live stream had it all. EverSport, please do more big races in the future. Continue reading