World’s top athletes target success as stage set for 24th Dubai Marathon

A line-up featuring a former world marathon champion, a former marathon world record holder and international city marathon winners from around the globe will line up when the 2025 Dubai Marathon gets underway in Dubai on Sunday.

Staged under the auspices of the Dubai Sports Council, the Dubai Marathon will celebrate its 24th anniversary with thousands of runners taking to the area around the iconic Burj Al Arab less than two weeks into the new year.

Among them will be a man with special memories of the city. Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa exploded on to the world marathon scene by winning a compelling Dubai Marathon back in 2013.

It was the start of a running journey that took him to running glory at the Boston Marathon in 2013 and 2015, the New York Marathon in 2018 before being crowned World Marathon Champion in Doha in 2019.

But while Desisa was one of the most successful marathon runners pre-pandemic, the man with the fastest time in the field is Kenyan star Dennis Kimetto – and although his 2:02:57 in Berlin was set a decade ago it was the first sub 2:03 in marathon history and stood for four years.

Kimetto has won three big city marathons during his career – Chicago, Tokyo and Berlin – breaking the course record at each and has fond memories of the UAE, having won the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in 2012, a feat matched by Desisa two years later in 2014.

In the women’s elite field, 2022 Sydney Marathon winner Tigist Girma heads the line-up with a marathon personal best of 2:18:52, while compatriot Zeineba Yimer – winner of the 2023 Barcelona Marathon – and fellow Ethiopian and 2023 Dubai Marathon champion Dera Dida will also have title ambitions for the weekend with personal bests of 2:19:07 and 2:19:24 respectively.

The elite men and women competing in the 24th edition of the Middle East’s oldest and fastest international marathon gathered to meet sponsors and media at a pre-event press conference.

“The Dubai Marathon is one of the oldest sporting events on our calendar and a very important date for the city,” said Ali Omar Al Balooshi, Director of Sports Events Department, Dubai Sports Council.

“We are delighted to see so many established athletes with us once again and look forward to a memorable race on Sunday.”

But while the focus may have been on those who have already produced fast times at the world’s greatest marathon venues, a host of up-and-coming athletes are waiting in the wings ready to write their own headlines in a race renowned for creating new champions.

In the past, the men’s race has seen victories for the likes of Desisa, reigning Olympic Champion Tamirat Tola and course record holder Getaneh Molla (2:03:34), while last year’s women’s race witnessed a new course record from Tigist Ketema (2:16:07), a record time for a woman making her marathon debut.

Making his Dubai debut this year is British Paralympian Richard Whitehead MBE, marathon world record holder for athletes with bilateral knee amputations who ran the 2024 Chicago Marathon in a record-breaking 2:41:36 in October.

A multi-gold medal winning Paralympian in London (2012) and Rio (2016), Whitehead has also achieved four World Championship titles and is looking forward to his first attempt at the Dubai Marathon. “I love the camaraderie of the events, how they embrace all ages, all cultures, and all abilities,” he said. “I think running as an athlete who lives with a disability enables people to see that anything is possible, if you believe in yourself.”

The international elites will now spend the eve of the event completing last-minute training on the streets and roads of the city before tackling the 42.195km route that starts on Umm Suqeim Street in the shadow of the Burj Al Arab.

The 2025 Dubai Marathon is supported by the Dubai Sports Council, adidas, the Channel 4 Radio Network, ITP Media Group, XIAOMI, JETOUR, Bisleri Water, Dubai RTA, Dubai Police and Dubai Municipality and SIRO One Za’abeel, the first fully integrated Fitness + Recovery hotel in Dubai.