News
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January 20th, 2017
Surprise Winners in Dubai
Tamirat Tola broke the course record with 2:04:11 while Kenenisa Bekele dropped out at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon. On the women’s side, debutant Worknesh Degefa took the race with 2:22:36.
It was all-Ethiopian podium in both men and women. Tamirat Tola won the men’s race with 2:04:11, improving his personal best by more than two minutes. Mule Wasihun and Sisay Lemma finished in second and third positions with 2:06:46 and 2:08:04 respectively.
The pre-race favourite Kenenisa Bekele, who aimed to break the world record in Dubai, fell right at the start after being tripped from behind, and lost contact to the leading group. Bekele dropped out at around 23rd kilometre.
In the women’s race, 26 year-old debutant Worknesh Degefa finished first in a time of 2:22:36. Shure Demise was second in 2:22:57 and Yebrgual Melese took third with 2:23:13.
Both winners collected 200,000 Dollars each.
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January 18th, 2017
Payday In Dubai
A bonus of USD 250,000 is on offer for the world record, in addition to the prize money of USD 200,000 for the first place, at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon. Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele is the pre-race favourite of the event that will start at 6:30 a.m. on Friday, 20 January.
In its sixth successive year as an IAAF Gold Label race, world’s fastest marathoners meet again in Dubai. It was Ethiopians Tesfaye Abera Dibaba with 2:04:24 in men and Tirfi Tsegaye Beyene with 2:19:41 in women last year who were victorious. With an incentive of USD 450,000 besides what he may have received as appearance fee, it is no surprise if Bekele pushes hard to better his career best of 2:03:03, just six seconds shy of the world record. However, the Ethiopian star must first beat his compatriots to accomplish his goal. Tsegaye Mekonnen, who ran 2:04:32 in his debut in Dubai in 2014, and finished the same course in 2:04:46 last year, will surely be a contender. Dino Sefir, holding a personal best of 2:04:50 is another athlete to watch closely.
On the women’s side, Shure Demise with a personal best time of 2:20:59 is top on the list but she would face a strong challenge from the 2:21:01 runner Meselech Melkamu, winner of both Hamburg and Amsterdam marathons last year.
Further to the winners of both men’s and women’s races receiving USD 200,000 in Dubai Marathon, first ten get paid cash prizes. This year, the athletes finishing in tenth place will pocket USD 10,000 each. The organisers are so eager for the world record that, not only they offer USD 250,000 for the record but also will be using several pacemakers including Negesse Endeshaw who has a personal best time of 2:04:52.
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January 17th, 2017
New Triathlon Season Underway
Turkish Triathlon Federation announced its competition calendar for the year 2017. Enhanced with national duathlon and aquathlon competitions, the calendar includes 13 events to be held in Turkey, including the Paratriathlon World Cup and Triathlon European Cup at the end of the season.
In parallel with the number of the Turkish triathletes consistently increasing over the recent years, the Federation put forward a calendar that would satisfy the competition needs of all age groups as follows;
Marmaris Duathlon, Marmaris, 4-5 March
Didim Triathlon, Didim, 29-30 April
Antalya Aquathlon, Antalya, 13-14 May
İzmir Duathlon, İzmir, 20-21 May
Balıkesir Ayvalık Triathlon, Ayvalık, 3-4 June
Çanakkale Event Special Middle Distance Race, Gelibolu, 17-18 June
İznik Triathlon, İznik, 1-2 July
İzmir Aquathlon, Urla, 8-9 July
İstanbul European Cup and Paratriathlon, Beylikdüzü, 22-23 July
İstanbul Triathlon, Kartal, 12-13 August
Balıkesir Ayvalık Aquathlon, Ayvalık, 26-27 August
Eğirdir Triathlon (Final), Eğirdir, 9-10 September
ITU Paratriathlon World Cup and ETU Triathlon European Cup, Alanya, 30 September-1 October -
January 13th, 2017
World Record Holder To Run In Boston
Dennis Kimetto, the first and so far the only athlete in history to run under 2:03, will participate in the Boston Marathon this year. 32-year old Kenyan will face six rivals with career bests better than 2:05 on the though course in Boston on 17 April.
Kimetto, who broke the world record with 2:02:57 in Berlin in 2014, also holds the world 25km record of 1:11:18 set in 2012 in the same city. Kimetto’s rivals in Boston will include his compatriots Emmanuel Mutai (PB 2:03:13), Patrick Makau (2:03:38) and Sammy Kitwara (2:04:28) along with Ethiopians Lemi Berhanu (2:04:33), Yemane Tsegay (2:04:48) and Dino Sefir (2:04:50).
Boston Marathon, the world’s oldest, will be staged for the 121st time this year. The marathon, first edition run by 15 participants on 19 April 1897, attracts around 30,000 runners every year. The Centennial Boston Marathon in 1996 established a record as the world's largest marathon with 38,708 entrants, 36,748 starters, and 35,868 finishers.
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January 12th, 2017
New Debate On Disc Brakes In Road Cycling
As the International Cycling Union (UCI) re-introduces the disc brakes to professional road racing, the fact that the use of the technology isn't mandatory raises a new concern.
Disc brakes were tested in some events in late 2015, and were permitted by the UCI on a trial basis for the entirety of the 2016. However, due to the injury of the Movistar rider Francisco Ventoso at Paris-Roubaix, the disc trial was suspended the same year.
“Following extensive examination of the equipment and a detailed safety report”, UCI had announced that the disc brake trial, under the condition that all rotors feature fully smoothed and chamfered edges, would resume from the start of 2017. On the other hand, the use of disc brakes are optional, which presents a high possibility of a mixed peloton with some riders on discs and others on rim brakes. As the two systems operate on dramatically different braking abilities - regarding the braking distance in particular - there are concerns that crashes can occur during the races.
According to a statement from the UCI, the trial will be closely monitored and formally reviewed every month.
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