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Big money to be won at Dubai Marathon |
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2/17/2006 7:30:24 AM |
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Two million shillings and a new Toyota Yaris will be up for grabs in today’s Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon.
A record 5,000 athletes from 101 nations across the world are expected to take part in the event.
The race was originally scheduled for January 6 but was postponed following the death of Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
"This is the second year Standard Chartered has sponsored the Dubai Marathon, but it becomes the fifth marathon to be sponsored by the bank," said Standard Chartered Chief Executive UAE Ray Ferguson yesterday.
Despite the huge entry, however, the smart money is on a winner emerging from traditional distance race powerhouses Kenya and Ethiopia.
Last year’s winners Dejene Guta and Diribe Hunde of Ethiopia, who swept the honours in the men’s and women’s categories respectively, will be hoping to repeat the trick.
Kenya’s charge for glory will be led by 28 year-old David Kirui Kiptoo, a native of Kapsabet in Rift Valley province.
He boasts a fairly solid record including victory in the LA Marathon in 2004 and has a superb marathon personal best of 2:08:55 which he set in Paris in 2003.
"The multi-national turnout has greatly boosted our ambitions of ensuring the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon is internationally perceived with the best, including the London and New York events," event director Peter Connerton told a press conference yesterday.
The marathon starts and finishes at the Dubai World Trade Centre and will feature three events — the 42.195km marathon, the 10km road race and the 3 km charity run. Athletes’ entrance fees in the 3km run will be donated to the Standard Chartered Bank corporate charity, Seeing is Believing, which aims to raise enough money to restore sight to 1million blind people over the next three years.
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