Bekele expected to storm back for Dubai marathon

Ethiopian runner Kenenisa Bekeles said here Wednesday that he returned to the Dubai Marathon in order to erase his disappointment from January 2014 when he had to drop out during the run due to an injury.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua at the sidelines of the media briefing ahead of the 2017 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon where 30,000 runners are expected, Bekele said, "Of course I want to win, I want to run a good time."

"In the year 2015 I had not a great start, because I got injured at the Dubai Marathon and dropped out at kilometer 30. So now hopefully as I come back I feel fit and healthy," said the Ethiopian elite runner.

Bekele missed the men's world record (2 hours 2 minutes and 57 seconds) of Dennis Kimetto from Kenya by just six seconds when he won the Berlin Marathon on Sept. 25, 2016. He said did not run in Dubai last year "because I was not 100 percent healthy at that time."

Asked who he considers his biggest rival, the 34 year old, 1.60 meter tall three-time Olympic champion replied diplomatically, "certainly the other runners from my home country Ethiopia and from Kenya."

Dubai Marathon 2014 winner Tsegaye Mekonnen from Ethiopia will also be at the start line near the seven star hotel Burj Al Arab on the coming Friday morning, 6.30 am local time when the marathon starts.

From Kenya, Samuel Ndungu will participate whose personal best stands at 2:07:04.

The run's title sponsor British bank Standard Chartered announced an additional bonus of 250,000 U.S. dollar for any runner who can break the world record. The winners in both the men's and women's races will take away a cheque over 200,000 dollars. Enditem