Twelve years ago, the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon saw just over 100 runners participate; hard to believe considering this year’s race has attracted over 15,000 runners combined in the marathon, the 10km and the 3km.
Race Director Peter Connerton reflected: “In 2000 we had 120 in the marathon, and probably around 500-600 who ran in the 10k, so we’ve come a long way since then. It’s grown dramatically each and every year but through His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s vision, we had a $1million (Dh3.7m) prize fund introduced from 2008, which attracted a lot more top athletes and also attracted a lot more of the ordinary runners on the back of that.”
It wasn’t just that there was $1million worth of prize money; there was a further $1million on offer to any male or female athlete who could break the current world record, courtesy of one of the sponsors Dubai Holding.
Needless to say, that year saw the race burst on to the global scene as officially the world’s richest long distance running event in history, and was also the year that Ethiopian long-distance legend – a two-time Olympic gold medallist and four-time Berlin Marathon winner – Haile Gebrselassie secured his first of a hat trick of Dubai Marathon wins in a time of 2hr 04min 53sec.
While his time wasn’t enough to earn the cash, it was the second fastest marathon of all time, and a time that is still yet to be beaten at the Dubai Marathon.
Connerton said: “It’s these sorts of initiatives that have helped the development of sport in Dubai and in the region. Also, this year Dubai was voted the third best sports city in the world after London and Melbourne. And, of course, the marathon had a part to play in that along with all the other great sporting events that are held here every year.”
Haile’s involvement made “a massive difference” recalls Connerton. “I remember we went to Boston and signed the deal and made the announcement there of hosting the richest marathon in the world. The first prize of $250,000 (Dh918,200) – tax-free – for both men and women champions was much larger than what anyone else was offering.”
Gebrselassie’s last career victory was his third and last Dubai Marathon win in 2010, the same year he later failed to complete the New York Marathon, and decided to hang up his running shoes for good.
But he made sure to name the Dubai Marathon among his five favourites, a statement that surely gave the now IAAF Gold Label-status race (the first in the region) that extra boost to get the best in the business. The 2012 elite field is superb.
But we can’t forget the equally massive boost the race was given thanks to the title sponsor, the Standard Chartered Bank, who got on board in 2005.
“We went in really as part of a genuine effort to raise awareness about healthy living,” said Jonathan Morris, CEO of the UAE Standard Chartered Dubai Bank, “and it wasn’t just the Dubai Marathon – we’re actually involved in nine marathons across four continents.
“Also Dubai is one of our major markets globally, it’s actually our fifth largest globally. It made sense for us to get involved in that. And absolutely it’s just changed beyond all recognition since we first got involved eight years ago. We’re very proud.”
Connerton added: “The moment they came in, it just put us on a different level. And that is because their heart is in it.”
