Kenyan athlete Dennis Kimetto is set for a Ksh10,400,00 million ($80,000) windfall if he clinches victory in the 2025 Dubai Marathon on Sunday, January 12.
In the event that Kimetto does not achieve first place, second place will guarantee him Ksh5,200,000 ($40,000). A third-place finish for Kimetto will see him walking away with Ksh2,600,000 ($20,000).
The veteran athlete will be Kenya’s sole representative in the flat-course marathon that is known for its normally fast times. The course records are 2:03:34 by Geteneh Molla and 2:16:07 by Tigist Ketema.
The average time for the top 10 men’s performances is 2:04:02, which is only surpassed by the marathons in Berlin, Valencia, London, Tokyo, and Chicago.
Dennis Kimetto after winning the Berlin Marathon in 2014
Photo
Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports
The legendary Kimetto, a former world marathon record holder, is making a comeback to the marathon scene after an injury-ridden 2024 season that saw him compete in only one race.
Kimetto, who has won three major marathons in his career, amongst them Chicago, Tokyo, and Berlin, will tackle the marathon 12 days shy of his 41st birthday and will be up against serious competition from Ethiopian runners.
Kimetto, while speaking before the marathon, emphasised his desire to clinch the lucrative prize money and treat himself to a birthday gift as he turns a year older.
Despite this being Kimetto’s first Dubai Marathon, this is not his first rodeo in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Kimetto has fond memories of the UAE having won the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in 2012.
Kimetto, who ran the first sub 2:03 in marathon history that stood for four years, will arguably face his biggest competition from Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa. Desisa burst onto the scene after winning the Dubai Marathon in 2013.
This was the start of an illustrious running journey for Desisa that took him to running glory at the Boston Marathon in 2013 and 2015 and the New York Marathon in 2018, before being crowned World Marathon Champion in Doha in 2019.
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.
“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, while speaking to Gulf News.
“We are delighted to see so many established athletes with us once again and look forward to a memorable race on Sunday,” he added.
Athletes at the start of a previous edition of the Dubai Marathon
Photo
Athletics Weekly