The 2021 Amsterdam marathon champion Angela Tanui and two-time Tokyo Marathon champion Dickson Chumba will on Saturday lead a star-studded field in the Abu Dhabi Marathon.
Tanui has a personal best time of 2:17:57. This year, she has competed at the Tokyo Marathon where she placed fourth (2:18:42) and the World Championships in Oregon where she settled for sixth place in 2:22:15.
Tanui will be in the company of compatriot Daisy Cherotich who made her marathon debut earlier this year at the Rotterdam Marathon. Cherotich placed eighth in 2:30:42, her personal best time.
The duo will face a strong field including Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba and Kenyan born Bahraini Eunice Chumba. Dibaba is the 2015 World marathon champion and the 2016 Olympic bronze medallist. The tow-time Xiamen Marathon champion has a personal best time of 2:19:52.
On her part, Chumba, the 2017 Beirut Marathon champion has a personal best time of 2:20:02. She placed third at this year’s Seoul Marathon. Others to watch will be Ethiopian duo of Tsige Haileslase, the 2022 Stockholm Marathon champion and 2017 Barcelona Marathon champion Helen Bekele.
In the men’s category, Chumba leads the field with a personal best time of 2:04:32. Earlier this year, he participated in the Daegu Marathon and placed second in 2:07:11.
Chumba will be joined by compatriots 2018 and 2019 Istanbul Marathon champions Felix Kimutai (PB time- 2:09:23 and Daniel Kibet (PB time- 2:05:20) respectively. The 2018 Rotterdam Marathon champion Kenneth Kipkemoi (PB time- 2:05:44), Kipkemoi Kiprono (PB time- 2:06:45) and debutant Titus Mbishei will also be in the race.
Ethiopia’s Adeladlew Mamo looks to be one of Chumba’s greatest opponents. Mamo has a personal best time of 2:05:12 that he ran to place second in this year’s Zurich Marathon.
He also placed ninth (2:05:45) at the Amsterdam Marathon back in October. Other’s to look out for include Ethiopia’s Kelkile Gezahegn and Bahrain’s Zelalem Bacha.
