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.
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 →
Wilson Kipsang leads the men’s race around mile 25 on Sunday.
Photos by Bethany Rogers
Those racing the 2014TCS New York City Marathonfaced difficult wind gusts, and over 50,000 took on the blustery conditions.
The wind quieted talks of course-record attempts, but Kenya’s Wilson Kipsang (2:10:59) and Mary Keitany (2:25:07) represented their country well with first-place finishes.
Men: Kipsang Has $600,000 Payday
Kipsang won in 2:10:59 in his NYC Marathon debut. He fought off Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa (2:11:06) for the $100,000 victory prize, also claiming theWorld Marathon Majorstitle. The 32-year-old Kipsang takes home an additional $500,000 for the WMM triumph.
Kipsang, who is sponsored by adidas, was celebrated by adidas Running:
Kipsang has a 2:03:23 marathon PR to his name, a then-world record run in Berlin in 2013. He won the London Marathon in 2012 and 2014, and he ran 1:01:02 to win the 2013 NYC Half Marathon. Kipsang is a menace to opponents on the roads.
Here are the top 10 men from Sunday:
1. Wilson Kipsang (KEN) — 2:10:59
2. Lelisa Desisa (ETH) — 2:11:06
3. Gebre Gebremariam (ETH) — 2:12:13
4. Meb Keflezighi (USA) — 2:13:18
5. Stephen Kiprotich (UGA) — 2:13:25
6. Geoffrey Mutai (KEN) — 2:13:44
7. Masato Imai (JPN) — 2:14:36
8. Peter Cheruiyot Kirui (KEN) — 2:14:51
9. Ryan Vail (USA) — 2:15:08
10. Nick Arciniaga (USA) — 2:15:39
The American men put three in the top 10, a nice showing for USA distance running. Meb won NYC in 2009 and the Boston Marathon earlier this year, and he led the American charge with a fourth-place finish on Sunday.
Meb, Vail and Arciniaga were the three Americans in the top 10, and here are the next five USA finishers:
Keitany defeated fellow Kenyan Jemima Sumgong by three seconds, crossing the line in 2:25:07. The marathon’s official Twitter account captured Keitany’s win:
Prior to this victory, the 32-year-old Keitany posted back-to-back wins at the London Marathon (2011, 2012). She holds a marathon PR of 2:18:37—the third-fastest woman ever.
Here are the top 10 women from Sunday:
1. Mary Keitany (KEN) — 2:25:07
2. Jemima Sumgong (KEN) — 2:25:10
3. Sara Moreira (POR) — 2:26:00
4. Jelena Prokopcuka (LAT) — 2:26:15
5. Desiree Linden (USA) — 2:28:11
6. Rkia El Moukim (MAR) — 2:28:12
7. Firehiwot Dado (ETH) — 2:28:36
8. Valeria Straneo (ITA) — 2:29:24
9. Buzunesh Deba (ETH) — 2:31:40
10. Annie Bersagel (USA) — 2:33:02
Linden, who runs for Hansons-Brooks, gutted out a top-five finish to lead the Americans. Brooks Running congratulated Linden and Vail for their Sunday performances:
Hooray Run 