RBR Podcast: 2019 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, How the Men's race was won!

The race began last Friday morning in the dark. At 6AM, the elite Men and women took off on the streets of Dubai, U.A.E. The men went out fast, 14:40 for 5k, 29:11 for 10K, 43:37 for 15k and 58:11 for 20k. By the half marathon, ten men were together, with a pace of 1:01:45 being achieved at the HM. Guye Adole, Lenni Berhanu were there, but not for long. The race began to break up at 25k, hit in 1:13:11, as Herpasse Negase, debut marathoner Getanah Molla and Asefa Mengstu. Emmanuel Saina fought gamely to stay in fourth as the trio passed 30k in 1:37.42 and the last pace maker was gone.

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Asefa Mengstu, Getanah Molla, Herpasse Negasa, photo by Giancarlo Columbo

This podcast, short though it is, tells you the story of the battle of Asefa Mengstu, Herpasse Negase and Getanah Molla, a man who has run sub 13 minutes for 5000m last August and a 60 minute half in 2017. His 2:03:34 was a matter of time, and in Dubai, with great pace making, fine weather, a fast course and a financial incentive to race to the finish, Mr. Molla broke the course record.

Special thanks to Mike Deering on expediting the podcast through my travel schedule.

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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