debut marathon world record: 1994 youngster wins dubai marathon with 203

On January 25, 2019, the Dubai Marathon started with the sound of a gunshot. After more than two hours of intense competition, the 1994-born Ethiopian newcomer Getaneh Molla, participating in his first full marathon, won the race with a time of 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 34 seconds.

With this result, he surpassed Adola's record of 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 46 seconds set at the 2017 Berlin Marathon, becoming the fastest debut marathon runner.At the same time, this young athlete also set a new record for the fastest marathon run in Asia, breaking the previous record of 2:03:58 set by Kipchoge at the 2017 Tokyo Marathon.

In the women's category, Kenya's Ruth Chepngetich won with a time of 2 hours, 17 minutes, and 7 seconds, making her the third fastest woman in history, behind only Paula Radcliffe of the UK and Mary Keitany of Kenya. Her previous personal best was 2:18:35, set last year in Istanbul.

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Once the most lucrative marathon, the Dubai Marathon has halved its prize money!

The Dubai Marathon is the largest marathon in the Middle East and is known for having the highest prize money. Last year's total prize money was as high as $816,000, with the champion receiving $200,000 and the runner-up $80,000, all tax-free.

In 2019, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) introduced the Platinum Label races, but the Dubai Marathon could not qualify due to not meeting the requirement of 1,500 finishers. This left the race director very disappointed, and as a result, the prize money for the Dubai Marathon was halved.

(Unit: USD)

The 2019 Dubai Marathon champion will receive a reward of $100,000, the runner-up $40,000, and the third place $20,000, with the total prize money reduced from $816,000 in 2018 to $385,000.

With the significant reduction in prize money for the Dubai Marathon, the Boston Marathon has become the race with the highest prize money in the world. The Boston Marathon, with a history of 120 years, has a total prize pool of $746,000, with the champion receiving $150,000.

Previously, the high prize money of the Dubai Marathon attracted athletes like Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele. In 2008, Gebrselassie ran 2:04:53 here, improving the course record by nearly 5 minutes and winning the race for two consecutive years. Bekele participated in the 2017 race but withdrew after falling and getting injured shortly after the start, despite his pre-race claim to break the world record.

Last year, the competition for the Dubai Marathon title was very intense, with the top six runners sprinting for the finish. The winning time was 2:04:00 (a course record), and the sixth-place time was 2:04:15.Despite the significant reduction in prize money this year, many top athletes still participated, with eight runners having personal bests under 2:07.

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Race recap: Men's top two finish under 2:04, women's top two finish under 2:18

At 6 a.m. local time, before dawn, the race started with the elite runners setting off first, followed by the mass runners an hour later.

The first 5 kilometers were completed in 14 minutes and 40 seconds, with the African elite group unable to pull away, while the two invited Japanese runners couldn't keep up.

The 10-kilometer mark was reached in 29 minutes and 11 seconds, with a finishing pace of 2:03:21, only 11 seconds slower than Kipchoge's world record pace for the first 10 kilometers. Kebede, with a marathon personal best of only 2:09, was leading, followed by pacemakers in second, third, and fourth positions.

At the 15-kilometer mark, with the pacemakers leading, the leading group of about 15 runners continued to aim for breaking the course and Asian records, maintaining a pace of 2:03:19.

The 20-kilometer mark was reached in 58 minutes and 21 seconds, with a pace of 2:03:26.

The halfway point was reached in 1 hour, 1 minute, and 43 seconds, with a pace of 2:03:27.

The 25-kilometer mark was reached in 1 hour, 13 minutes, and 10 seconds, with the leading group still large and almost no one falling behind.

At 27.8 kilometers, Adola's condition declined, and he fell behind. By the 29-kilometer mark, only six runners remained in the leading group.

The 30-kilometer mark was reached in 1 hour, 27 minutes, and 43 seconds, with a finishing pace of 2:03:22. Mengstu was leading, followed closely by Negessa, Molla, and Saina.

At the 33-kilometer mark, Negessa, with a personal best of only 2:09, began to push the pace.

The 35-kilometer mark was reached in 1 hour, 42 minutes, and 17 seconds, with Negessa leading, followed closely by Molla and Mengstu in third.

The pace slowed slightly at the 36 and 37-kilometer marks, with Negessa, Molla, and Mengstu running side by side, competing for the final victory.

The 40-kilometer mark was reached in 1 hour, 57 minutes, and 16 seconds, with Molla and Negessa competing for the final victory.

In the end, the 1994-born Ethiopian runner Molla won with a time of 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 34 seconds, breaking Adola's debut record set at the 2017 Berlin Marathon.The second place went to Ethiopia's Herpassa Negessa, who also finished under 2:04 with a time of 2:03:40, improving his personal best by nearly 6 minutes.

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