UAE: Thousands of athletes from across the globe run in the Dubai Marathon, with Kenyan runner breaking last year's record.

Record ID: 751552

  • Title: UAE: Thousands of athletes from across the globe run in the Dubai Marathon, with Kenyan runner breaking last year's record.
  • Date: 12th January 2007
  • Summary: MAN FILMING ATHLETES WITH CAMERA PHONE
  • Embargoed: 27th January 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA2VWF7PNSY7LEAODDNL90BZO25
  • Story Text: Athletes from more than 104 countries took part in Friday's (January 12) Dubai Marathon, making it one of the most culturally diverse sporting events in the country's history.

    Professional athletes, ordinary men, women and young children gathered at the starting point near Dubai's famous Emirates Towers waiting for instructions to begin their run. Some of the more eager runners decided to sprint off before the countdown was complete, with hundreds of people following their lead.

    The marathon, which included a 10 Kilometers, 3 Kilometers and 42 Kilometers race, is the richest athletic event staged in the United Arab Emirates, in which 150,000 U.S. dollars in prize money and two Toyota cars were up for grabs.

    The unusually cool temperatures during the early morning hours of Friday did not stop hundreds of people from turning up at the event to cheer the 6,000 runners as they made their way through the city, passing some of the country's trademarks, including the glamorous seven star hotel 'Burj Al Arab'.

    ''It's quite a big group, all the nationalities are here, and actually the managing director of the Jumeira Group is here with us running, and supporting the whole team like, this marathon has been going on for a couple of years already and it's been always a great fun''. said Geceel, a fan from the Philippines who came to cheer her friends at the marathon.

    While the turnout was comprised mainly of Dubai's expatriate community, some nationals were also there in a show of support for the keen athletes who have made the event one of the region's biggest sporting occasions.

    Kenyan runner Joseph Kiprotech Ngeny was out to defend his title, but William Todoo Rotich, also from Kenya, was the first at the finishing line, breaking the record in 2:9:52, almost four minutes faster that Ngeny's time last year.

    Asked what he will do with the 30,000 U.S. dollars that he just won, Rotich said: ''I'm going to build my life''.

    Other runners who took longer to reach the finishing line said they were happy to be part of the event which gave thousands the chance to compete.

    ''This is my first time in the Dubai Marathon 10k run so, I had the third place from the Jumeira Beach Club so I'm really happy, I'm really proud because it's my first time''. said Janaka Weerasiriwardana.

    And after hours of hard exercise, what's more important than enjoying some good food and more outdoor fun under the city's magnificent blue skies.
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