The 2026 Dubai Marathon is receiving widespread international acclaim
Dubai, February 2, 2017 – The 25th edition of the Dubai Marathon received widespread attention from the international sports media, which highlighted the Ethiopian runners’ continued leadership and high technical standards, in addition to the race’s status as one of the fastest and most prominent marathon races in the world.
The 2026 Dubai Marathon, which was held yesterday with the participation of about 20,000 runners in various races, witnessed the crowning of Ethiopian Nebret Melak as champion of the men’s category, after covering the race distance of 42.195 kilometers in a time of 2 hours and 4 minutes, recording the second best time in the history of the race.
His compatriot Anchinalo Desi won the women’s category title after recording a time of 2 hours, 18 minutes and 31 seconds, which is the fourth best time in the history of the Dubai Women’s Marathon.
The “Athletics Illustrated” and “Filipino Times” magazines highlighted the remarkable performance of Melak, who won the men’s race title in his first participation in the Dubai Marathon, and considered his victory an extension of the dominance of Ethiopian runners on the podiums throughout the history of the race.
Athletics Illustrated reports indicated that Milak became the sixth Ethiopian runner to win the men’s race title in Dubai from his first participation, after a strong performance in the final kilometers, while his compatriot Yassin Haji came in second place, and Rwandan John Hakizima came third, setting a new national record.
In the same context, the David Discourse website and Fana Media Corporation explained that the women’s race witnessed complete Ethiopian dominance, after Anshinalo Dessie won with a time of 2:18:31, achieving her third consecutive victory in the marathon races, and improving her personal record by about four minutes, amid widespread praise for her technical level.
Media coverage confirmed that the times recorded in the men’s and women’s races are among the best in the world in 2026, and described the Dubai Marathon route as one of the fastest in the world thanks to its flat nature, making it a favorite destination for runners seeking to achieve distinguished numbers.
Fana Media Corporation highlighted that the 25th edition of the Dubai Marathon, which coincided with the celebration of the silver jubilee of the race, witnessed the participation of thousands of runners from various countries of the world in the full marathon and accompanying races, confirming the established global status of the event on the agenda of international athletics.
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