Official 1st Ever Abu Dhabi Marathon Discussion Thread

Until i get the official list of starters i'll try later to speculate who might be running it and see how many of them i guess.

They grow there own trees, don't they? wrote:

Cuckoo-Land wrote:

You must have watched a different race from the rest of the universe.... hope springs ethernal..... LMAO

What race are you talking about that the rest of the universe apparently watched but not me? What the hell does springs ethernal mean anyway? Make sense if your going to insult me.

You’re going to insult me, not your.

Make sense if you’re going to criticize others English, dipsh1t.

Mzungu in Iten wrote:

Until i get the official list of starters i'll try later to speculate who might be running it and see how many of them i guess.

How about Nobert KIGEN ? I watched the end of Amsterdam 2017 yesterday and he was pretty impressive. He doesn't seem to have been up to much in 2018 since his DNF in Boston.

Nobert Kigen is very likely to be in it. His shape is unknown though.

Some possible entrants for the 2018 Abu Dhabi Marathon

Abraham Kiptum - confirmed, 58:18/2:05:26 PB

2018 highlights - 58:18 WR/2:06:29 win in Daegu

Prediction : If he recovers well then a big PB 2:04 low

Feyisa Lilesa - confirmed 59:22/2:04:52 PB

2018 highlights - 6th in Tokyo 2:07:30, 3rd in Houston 60:20

Prediction : 2:06 low if the pace is honest

Guye Adola - 59:06/2:03:46 PB

2018 highlights - 2nd in Houston 60:15

Leul Gebresilase - 59:18/2:04:02 PB

2018 highlights - 2nd in Dubai 2:04:02, 10th at the half world champs 61:07

Asefa Negewo - 59:54/2:04:06 PB

2018 highlights - 4th in Dubai 2:04:06, 9th in Copenhagen 60:01

Paul Lonyangata - 59:53/2:06:10 PB

2018 highlights - Win in Paris 2:06:25

Sammy Kitwara - 58:48/2:04:28 PB

2018 highlights - 15th in Lisbon 61:12, paced Berlin Marathon until 16km

Evans Chebet - 60:13/2:05:30 PB

2018 highlights - DNF in Boston

Nobert Kigen - 59:42/2:05:13 PB

2018 highlights - 3rd in Napoli Half 61:43

Seyefu Tura - 60:41/2:04:44 PB

2018 highlights - 7th in Dubai 2:04:44, 2nd in Lisbon half 60:41

Stanley Biwott - 58:56/2:03:51 PB

2018 highlights - 5th in Lisbon half 61:46

Marius Kimutai - 2:05:47 PB

2018 highlights - 4th in Seoul 2:07:45

Marius Kipserem - 2:06:11 PB

2018 highlights - 5th in Rotterdam 2:07:22

Tsegaye Mekonnen - 61:05/2:04:32 PB

2018 highlights - 20th in Tokyo 2:10:26

Tsegaye Kebede - 59:35/2:04:38 PB

2018 highlights - 5th in Barcelona 2:09:25

Alex Korio - 58:51 PB

2018 highlights - 8th in Houston 60:49, paced Chicago until 25k

Josphat Boit - 59:19 PB

2018 highlights - 3rd in Verbania 59:19, 10th in Valencia 59:42, paced Eliud Kipchoge in his WR race until 26km

Barselius Kipyego - 59:14/2:10:18 PB

2018 highlights - 2nd in Usti nad Labem 60:25, 15th at the half world champs

Fikadu Haftu - 59:22 PB

2018 highlights - 23rd in Valencia 61:53

Morris Munene - 59:36 PB

2018 highlights - 5th in Ras al Khaimah 59:36, 3rd in Lisbon 60:17

Augustine Choge - 59:26 PB

2018 highlights - DNF in Chicago

El Hassan El Abbassi - 59:27/2:10:57 PB

2018 highlights - 7th in Valencia half 59:27

Simon Cheprot - 59:20 PB

2018 highlights - 8th in Valencia half 59:28

Edwin Kiptoo - 59:26 PB

2018 highlights - 6th in Copenhagen 59:28, 7th in Ras 59:54, paced Amsterdam until 29k

Some will race Abu Dhabi, while some ethiopians will get ready for Dubai. Some might race Valencia Marathon while other might be unfit or injured. This is my take on it.

Nice work, thanks for sharing.

A couple of comments :

- Mekonnen was supposed to run Toronto, not sure if he was DNS as he doesn't show up in any of the rankings

- Choge was apparently injured when he started Chicago and then dropped out.

- Lonyangata was DNS in Chicago for undisclosed reasons

goingtoagogo wrote:

Nice work, thanks for sharing.

A couple of comments :

- Mekonnen was supposed to run Toronto, not sure if he was DNS as he doesn't show up in any of the rankings

- Choge was apparently injured when he started Chicago and then dropped out.

- Lonyangata was DNS in Chicago for undisclosed reasons

Mekonnen withdrew just before Toronto accusing an injury. Same with Lonyangata. It's plausible Choge had some problems as you would expect him to hang on for many more km before falling back or dnf.

However they might be able to recover in time and show up if that's what they wanted. Fully fit or not, depends only on the extension of their injury and how they got over it.

The organizers have published a PR that breaks the new about Stanley Biwott's participation on top of Kiptum's. No more mention of Lilesa though...What's disappointing is that it seems nothing more will be announced until the press conference on December 6th, a day before the race :

https://adsc.ae/en/media-center/press-releases/adnocadnames/

"(...) In the Elite Male Category is Kenya’s Abraham Kiptum, the new world half marathon record holder, a title he won last Sunday in the Valencia Half Marathon boasting an incredible record time of 58:18. Kiptum also won the 2018 Daegu Marathon (2:06:29) and got his best performance at the 2017 Amsterdam Marathon completed with a time of 2:05:26.

Next up is Kenya’s Stanley Biwott, winner of the world-renowned 2015 New York City marathon, will be on the start line on December 7th 2018. Biwott earned his first major marathon victory in 2015, crossing the line in 2:10:32, 14 seconds ahead of his competition. At the 2016 London Marathon he ran a career best of 2:03:51 with his performance making him one of 10 men to run a sub 2 hours 4 minutes marathon

(...)The full line up of word class runners will be announced at a press conference on December 6th and will be attended by the athletes."

It doesn't look like Lilesa will be appearing in Abu Dhabi after all as Dubai have already announced he'd be lining up there next year : https://www.iaaf.org/news/news/dubai-marathon-2019-feyisa-lilesa with a little "jab" at AD too it seems : "“It has been a difficult time for Feyisa but we are delighted he has chosen to compete in the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, which is the only IAAF Gold Label race in the Middle East,” said event director Peter Connerton.

So Kigen, Kebede and Kitwara are running in Valencia

That doesn't leave too many runners for Abu Dhabi on top of Biwott and Kiptum. Adola would likely have been announced by now if he was recovered, one week to go !

deathinparadise wrote:

So Kigen, Kebede and Kitwara are running in Valencia

That doesn't leave too many runners for Abu Dhabi on top of Biwott and Kiptum. Adola would likely have been announced by now if he was recovered, one week to go !

It might be like Dubai, A LOT of good runners who have not yet run internationally yet, In Dubai you get runners that are basically unknown even by followers of the sport who run 2:04-2:07 for men and under 2:23 for women.

douglas burke wrote:

deathinparadise wrote:

So Kigen, Kebede and Kitwara are running in Valencia

That doesn't leave too many runners for Abu Dhabi on top of Biwott and Kiptum. Adola would likely have been announced by now if he was recovered, one week to go !

It might be like Dubai, A LOT of good runners who have not yet run internationally yet, In Dubai you get runners that are basically unknown even by followers of the sport who run 2:04-2:07 for men and under 2:23 for women.

Think we'll get a nice live stream?

Oh, the irony wrote:

They grow there own trees, don't they? wrote:

What race are you talking about that the rest of the universe apparently watched but not me? What the hell does springs ethernal mean anyway? Make sense if your going to insult me.

You’re going to insult me, not your.

Make sense if you’re going to criticize others English, dipsh1t.

"criticize others' English"

It looks like there'll be live coverage indeed based on this FB post https://www.facebook.com/ADNOCADmarathon/photos/a.195305284509969/269980393709124/?type=3&theater "International commentator Stefano Ceiner will be joining us on December 7th for live coverage of the elite races In the event village from 6am."

douglas burke wrote:

deathinparadise wrote:

So Kigen, Kebede and Kitwara are running in Valencia

That doesn't leave too many runners for Abu Dhabi on top of Biwott and Kiptum. Adola would likely have been announced by now if he was recovered, one week to go !

It might be like Dubai, A LOT of good runners who have not yet run internationally yet, In Dubai you get runners that are basically unknown even by followers of the sport who run 2:04-2:07 for men and under 2:23 for women.

That's an interesting thought, why not ! Leule Gebrselassie did run his first marathon in Dubai this year.

Weather looks pretty terrible for a marathon Friday in Abu Dhabi. 71 with 72% humidty at 6 am rising to mid 70s by ~8am. Full sun, though it doesn't rise until around 0700, and light winds.

Full elite field

Abraham Kiptum

Marius Kipserem

Emmanuel Mutai

Stanley Biwott

Abera Kuma

Thomas Kiplagat

Dejene Debela

Dino Sefir

Birhanu Addisie

Beshah Yesiie

Weldemicael Kibrom

Pacers

Emmanuel Saina!!

Stephen Mokoka

Daniel Ndiritu

Elisha Rotich

Plan is to pass halfway in 62:00. Mokoka and Saina will try reach 30k at 2:04 pace. Kiptum's going for a 2:03 high or so

Mzungu in Iten wrote:

Kiptum's going for a 2:03 high or so

With dew points in the 60s that would be an absolutely incredible run.

Weather will be similar to this year's London. With much better pacing Kipchoge and Kitata would have gone under 2:04.

If Kiptum runs under 2:04 or very close, prepare for the race of the decade. Kipchoge, Farah, Kiptum, Kitata, possibly Cherono,Geremew,Gebresilase going out at 2:01-02 pace in London. Eliud has already been there so nobody affords to let go.

If Kiptum goes under 2:03:30 on friday he is close to wr shape in Berlin with perfect weather.