Jan 23, 2017
In the Shadow of Greatness: A Review of the 2017 Dubai Marathon
Having just passed the 38 kilometre mark on what had become a scorching hot day, I couldn’t ignore a cramp in my right hamstring and began questioning the entire premise of running marathons. Despite high humidity at the start of this year’s Dubai marathon, I had had a relatively smooth race up to that point. In fact, I was cruising to a major personal best time, despite treating the run as more of a training endeavor than a chance to race my fastest marathon.
But in the difficult final stretches of a 42.195 kilometre race, no one can escape the reality that running marathons is an extended experiment in pain management. The experience is a brutal one, as there are no shortcuts. You simply have to grit your teeth, quiet your mind and endure, knowing that the pain is temporary. As best as I can tell, that is the appeal of running these distances. We are desperate for authenticity in an increasingly fluid and shifting world. Subjecting the body and mind to a grueling physical test and coming out of the other end is a tangible reminder of our humanity.
Of all the great marathons in the world, what makes Dubai an appealing option for those in search of such a test? The answer is simple: the opportunity to run with the fastest humans in the world. With one of the largest cash prizes of any marathon, Dubai has attracted the strongest East African runners from its inception. While the organizers are eager for a world record on the course (which will happen when marathon day is blessed with cool conditions), the East African presence is a special bonus for amateurs such as myself. With the out-and-back topography of the race course, marathoners literally run next to the fastest people in the world. This year, I was lucky enough to start just a meter from the elite pool.
At two points in the race, I watched as the elite pack glided past me with perfect form and lightning speed. It was an emotional experience watching these men and women fly through the heavy morning air, as if I was watching the ideal human form in motion. But that was not the highlight of the race.
Given the high heat and humidity this year, many elites dropped out at various points on the course. With great humility and a spirit of solidarity, some of these runners shouted words of encouragement to us novices running past. Imagine playing football alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and then hearing them cheer you on. While the elites are present at major marathons such as New York and London, average runners never get close to them nor have the type of exchanges that happen throughout the Dubai course.
While organizers have focused on the growth of the 10-kilometre race, the allure of Dubai for amateur runners has always been its flat marathon course. But flatness doesn’t always translate into an easy race. With sparse crowd support and little to stimulate the eye, Dubai is a supreme mental challenge. The beauty of marathon running, aside from its simplicity, is the show of support runners receive from strangers in the street. That support contributes to runners getting hooked on the sport, but it doesn’t really exist on the Dubai course.
The race felt like one very long training run with few landmarks to get excited about and little in the way of organized support stations. You run for what feels like an eternity past rows of fast-food restaurants and petrol stations only to turn around and run past the same fast food restaurants and petrol stations. For serious runners who are accustomed to the solitude of distance running, this lack of diversion is not necessarily a problem, and could even be considered a benefit. Running is, after all, a supremely cerebral activity.
Organization was also a bit of a sore point throughout the race. Ethiopian runner Kenenisa Bekele, who was the heavy favorite to win this year’s race and possibly set a world record, suffered a serious fall at the start that later forced him to withdraw from the race. Mr Bekele was accidentally tripped at the start after the race announcer failed to give a 3–2–1 go and instead simply fired the starting gun.
As for this novice runner, I was happy to achieve a personal best time at the Dubai marathon this year. With precious few cool winter months of training left on the calendar, I have set my sights on the ambitious goal of running the Two Ocean ultra marathon in Cape Town, South Africa in April. The storied 56 kilometre run ventures from the centre of Cape Town to the Indian Ocean before cruising up Chapman’s Peak overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Such dramatic scenery is a far cry from the endless pavement of Jumeirah Beach Road, but if I am able to keep my doubts at bay, grit my teeth and finish the Two Oceans, my experience at the Dubai marathon will have surely played an integral role in getting me to the finish line.
