December 6th, 2013

“Dream Route” For 2014 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon

Twelve months after rewriting the marathon running record books, the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon will deliver what organisers are describing as a “dream route” when the award-winning event is staged on January 24, 2014.

In January, the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon saw five men cross the finish line in less than 2h:05m – the first time any marathon in history has had so many sub-2.05 men.

Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia (2:04:45) took the men’s title with compatriot Tirfi Tsegaye wrapping up the women’s race in an event that has, for the past two years, started and finished in Downtown Dubai. For 2014, however, race organisers have created a new route which could yet see a world record time set on the streets of the UAE.

The 42.195km classic distance race will start on the Umm Sequiem Road close to the Dubai Police Academy and take the runners down Jumeirah Beach Road to the Union Flag before turning back along the beachfront road and taking the athletes south past the Burj Al Arab and Madinat Jumeirah before the next major turn at the One & Only Royal Mirage.

The marathon fields will then head back up the Jumeirah Beach Road and turn into Umm Sequiem Road and fight it out towards the finish line.

“Dubai always offers a flat route in benign conditions, which leads runners to produce personal bests and record times,” said Event Director Peter Connerton. “This year, our top five men’s times remain in the top ten times of all marathons in 2013, while Lelisa’s time is the fifth fastest of the year.

“Due to the ongoing development of Dubai, every year we have been forced to re-assess the route. Recently, many managers and agents of elite athletes have asked us to provide a route similar to the one we staged out of Dubai Media City in 2010 and 2011. The 2014 route is very similar in stages to that layout and we believe we have given them the dream route they are looking for and the times of the elites will reflect that.”

Awarded Gold Label status from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) for the third consecutive year, the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon remains the world’s richest running race and the biggest mass participation event in the Middle East with in excess of 20,000 runners of all standards expected to compete across the event’s three races in 2014.

“The Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon continues to go from strength to strength and we look forward to seeing more than 20,000 runners on the streets in January,” said Jonathan Morris, Chief Executive Officer Standard Chartered Bank United Arab Emirates.

“The event, in which we encourage people to Run for a Reason, is a great way of bringing together all the different cultures and nationalities in the UAE. It is without doubt one of the key events in the Middle East sporting and social calendar.”

In addition to the marathon, runners are also able to register for the popular 10km men and women’s event – won by Eritrean Samuel Tesfalidet and Ethiopia’s Alem Fikri in 2013 – as well as the 3km Fun Run.  Registrations are currently being accepted online only at the official web site www.dubaimarathon.org.

Held under the auspices of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon is supported by the Dubai Sports Council, Adidas, Dubai Eye 103.8FM, Masafi, Dubai Holding, Dubai Police, the RTA and Dubai Municipality.