Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh Marathon inaugural winner, will return to Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon in 2019

Ababel Yeshaneh has said a return to the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon next year will be her top priority after the Ethiopian won the inaugural title in spectacular style on Friday. Yeshaneh, 27, claimed the women’s title with a time of two hours, 20 minutes and 16 seconds, smashing her previous personal best of 2:33:10, set at the Milan Marathon in 2013, by nearly 13 minutes. Yeshaneh won the race in the capital by 38 seconds over runner-up Eunice Chumba, and three minutes and 51 seconds ahead of third-placed Gelete Burka. Yeshaneh’s performance is even more remarkable for the fact that she is more of a half-marathoner.  Her only marathon since Milan five years ago came in Dubai earlier this year, but she did not finish that race. While largely running half marathons, Yeshaneh plans to return to Abu Dhabi in 2019 having been impressed with her experience of the inaugural race. “My coach decides on my races and I’ll leave it for him to decide, but the marathon in Abu Dhabi will be a priority when we discuss the plan for next year,” she says.  “This time my coach pushed me to do the marathon.  Obviously a lot of preparations were made and the end result has been really amazing.” 

posted Sunday December 9th