After a personal best time and a first appearance at an Olympics, Eunice Chumba believes she is in the form of her life to lift the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon women’s title.
Chumba was one of the first confirmed runners for Friday’s third edition of the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon. It will be her third attempt after finishing runner-up in the inaugural year in 2018 and fourth in the following year. The 2020 edition was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Coming after a taxing marathon run, battling through the intense summer heat at the Tokyo Olympics where she finished seventh, the Kenyan-born runner is confident she will be able to better her personal best time for the second time in the year in Abu Dhabi.
Chumba, 28, ran a personal best two hours 23 minutes and 10 seconds at the Milano Marathon in May to book her place for Tokyo.
“Tokyo was a very exhausting race because of the summer-time weather, and to finish seventh was a pretty decent effort for me in my first Olympics,” Chumba told The National.
“After that I had a break of over two weeks to recover before preparing for Abu Dhabi. I started off with light work and gradually increased to around 180 kilometres a week.
“I feel I’m in real good shape for Abu Dhabi. Obviously you never know what’s around the corner during a marathon with so many good runners in the field. But the objective is very clear - to be third time lucky in Abu Dhabi.”
Chumba was runner-up behind Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh in 2018 and finished fourth behind Kenyan Vivian Kiplagat in the following year in Abu Dhabi.
With none of those who finished ahead of her in Friday’s starting lineup, Chumba has emerged as the favourite for the race that has a $303,000 prize fund.
“I believe the experience of those two races, plus the preparations I have gone through in the last two years ... the expectations are fairly reasonable,” she said of the pressure ahead of the race.
“Obviously there is always pressure when you compete at this level. When I first competed in Abu Dhabi, my objective was always to qualify for my first Olympics. I achieved that.
“That was my dream, and perhaps it’s the dream of any athlete to run in the Olympics. Now I have the objective to win the Abu Dhabi Marathon in my third attempt. I think I’m ready, come Friday.”
Headlining the men’s elite field is Kenyan Titus Ekiru, the fastest marathon runner for the year.
Among the hopefuls are defending Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon champion Reuben Kipyego and Abel Kirui, one of the longest serving marathon runners who at 39 remains competitive as ever.
Kirui is a two-time Olympic silver medallist and two-time world champion. He will be aiming for a third appearance at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, USA.
"It’s my first time in Abu Dhabi and it’s a big opportunity for me. I want to be at the World Championships next year,” the Kenyan said.
“Abu Dhabi has drawn a strong field. It’s a flat and fast track, and I believe everyone will be attempting personal best times in this year-ending marathon.”
The marathon will be flagged off in front of the Adnoc headquarters on the Corniche Road at 5.45am.
The marathon course will pass through iconic landmarks and monuments on the UAE’s capital city, a befitting celebration for the Golden Jubilee Nation Day of the country.
The runners will pass UAE’s giant flagpole, one of the tallest in the world at 122m, the Emirates Heritage Village, then loop around one of Abu Dhabi’s oldest historical stone buildings - Qasr Al Hosn - and the Corniche.
The course is flat and with moderate temperatures at this time of the year, it offers runners a good chance to improve their personal records.
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
SPECS
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Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
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- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
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Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
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Power: 819hp
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Retail gloom
Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.
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Afcon 2019
SEMI-FINALS
Senegal v Tunisia, 8pm
Algeria v Nigeria, 11pm
Matches are live on BeIN Sports
MATCH INFO
Norwich 0
Watford 2 (Deulofeu 2', Gray 52')
Red card: Christian Kabasele (WatforD)
How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
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Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
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0-300kph in 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 350kph
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