Tirunesh Dibaba, left, will be among the elite women at this year's Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon. Getty Images
Tirunesh Dibaba, left, will be among the elite women at this year's Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon. Getty Images
Tirunesh Dibaba, left, will be among the elite women at this year's Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon. Getty Images
Tirunesh Dibaba, left, will be among the elite women at this year's Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon. Getty Images

Andrew Kwemoi and Tirunesh Dibaba among elite entries for Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon


Amith Passela
  • English
  • Arabic

Andrew Kwemoi of Uganda and Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba headline the elite men and women’s field at the fifth ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon on December 16.

Kwemoi, 23, will arrive on the back of his victory at the 21st Milano Marathon in a time of two hours, seven minutes and 14 seconds in his first try over the 42.195-kilometre distance. He also became the first Ugandan to win a World Athletics Label event.

Joining Kwemoi in the lineup is Kenyan Kiptum Barnabas, who took first place in both the 2019 Hong Kong Marathon and the Buenos Aires Marathon in 2017.

Barnabas’ compatriot, Leonard Barsoton, will also be competing in this year’s race, having set his own personal best of 2:09:06 in the Zurich Marato Barcelona in March.

Dibaba, the 5,000m and 10,000m Olympic champion and the 2017 Chicago Marathon winner, heads the elite women’s field.

She will be challenged by compatriot Hawi Feysa (2:23:38), and Maurine Chepkemoi from Kenya, the 2022 Enschede Marathon winner.

The event, organised by Abu Dhabi Sports Council, is set to draw an estimated 23,000 runners across various distances, including the marathon relay, 10km, 5km, and 2.5km races.

All races will commence at different locations near the ADNOC headquarters on Corniche Road and finish at the ADNOC Campus, near Bainuna Public Park.

Registration is free for People of Determination and Paralympics participants, underlining the organisers' continued commitment to inclusivity within the UAE.

This event is open to the community, including families and children, with applicants able to register for the following distances: marathon, marathon relay (teams of 2), 10km, 5km and 2.5km.

Suhail Al Arifi, executive director of the Events Sector at Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said they are thrilled to welcome the top international runners.

“The presence of well-known runners in this year’s line-up reaffirms Abu Dhabi's and the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon's success in gaining international recognition in long-distance running,” he said.

“We're delighted to invite people from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds to join us in celebrating physical fitness. Regardless of your fitness level, there's a distance tailored just for you. We encourage everyone to be part of this enriching sports day on the streets of Abu Dhabi, the global capital of sports.”

This year’s Marathon Village will once again be located at ADNOC headquarters and will be accessible from December 12 up until race day on December 16, from 3pm to 10pm.

The village will provide an immersive experience for visitors, with entertainment and a wide array of dining options. The race village is free to enter and open to all.

Participants who register for the race after November 30 can collect their race packs from the Marathon Village between December 12-15.

The Fourth Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon - in pictures

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  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
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  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin

4/5 stars 

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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
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  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
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The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
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Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

%3Cp%3EMATA%0D%3Cbr%3EArtist%3A%20M.I.A%0D%3Cbr%3ELabel%3A%20Island%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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match info

Southampton 0

Arsenal 2 (Nketiah 20', Willock 87')

Red card: Jack Stephens (Southampton)

Man of the match: Rob Holding (Arsenal)

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Studying addiction

This month, Dubai Medical College launched the Middle East’s first master's programme in addiction science.

Together with the Erada Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation, the college offers a two-year master’s course as well as a one-year diploma in the same subject.

The move was announced earlier this year and is part of a new drive to combat drug abuse and increase the region’s capacity for treating drug addiction.

The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80

Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000

Engine: 5.6-litre V8

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm

Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Bio

Age: 25

Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah

Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering

Favourite colour: White

Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai

Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.

First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.

Updated: November 18, 2023, 12:32 PM`