Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia crosses the finish line to win the men’s world marathon championships. Photo by Getty for IAAF
DOHA, Qatar — Ethiopian fans dressed in yellow Ethiopia shirts and orange pants raced down the side of the road near the Corniche, cheering and chanting following the conclusion of the men’s marathon Sunday morning at the 2019 IAAF World Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Some waved their flags. Others ran into each other’s arms and embraced. The Ethiopian volunteers even joined in the celebration.
It was the first time in 18 years that the world title would be returning to Ethiopia.
Lelisa Desisa, who won the silver in 2013, won the gold in a season’s best of 2 hours, 10 minutes, 40 seconds. Fellow Ethiopian Mosinet Geremew, the No. 5 all-time performer, won silver closely behind in 2:10:44, and Kenyan Amos Kipruto, 27, won bronze in 2:10:51.
“Wooo! I am very happy. It’s history,” said Desisa, who became just the second man to bring the world title to Ethiopia. “We are very happy. I am very happy. My agent is very happy … All Ethiopian … is happy today.”
Derlys Ayala of Paraguay, who won the Buenos Aires Marathon just two weeks prior to worlds, went out fast early on, establishing a one-minute gap before finishing the first loop and keeping that much of a lead until about halfway through the third loop.
Before the half-marathon marker, the chase group of five, including Desisa and Geremew, closed on Ayala and passed him. Ayala dropped out of the race soon after.
Although challenged by Kipruto, Great Britian’s Callum Hawkins, South Africa’s Stephen Mokoka and Eritrea’s Zersenay Tadese, Desisa and Geremew continued to run side by side, outkicking their competitors over the last mile.
With 400 meters left, it was clear that an Ethiopian would win the title. It was just a matter of which one.
Desisa, who saw Geremew run in London earlier this year, knew about his speed, and although he admitted that he was worried about coming down the last 400 meters with him, he also said that he knew that he could beat him.
After the race, Geremew said that he felt a foot pain during the last three miles that forced him to slow down his pace.
As Desisa ran up the last 100 meters, fireworks launched on the sides of the road. The Ethiopian flags began to wave and the fans celebrated, rushing to the barrier to take photos of their champion.
“When I am training, my big goal is world championship or Olympic medal,” he said. “Today, I am world medalist of the championship.”
Sunday was the first time that Ethiopians went 1-2 in the event. The closest they had ever come was in 2013 in Moscow, in which Desisa and Tadese Tola took the silver and bronze, respectively.
Desisa became just the second man from Ethiopia to win the world title in the event. Gezahegne Abera won the gold in 2001 in Alberta, Canada.
Desisa said that training in hot temperatures helped him prepare for the conditions of the race but that he still used ice and water throughout the race to keep him cool.
Sunday’s competition had much more tolerable conditions than the women’s marathon that took place last Friday. While the women’s race started at 91 degrees and 73.3% humidity, the men’s marathon started at 87.8 degrees and 44% humidity.
Additionally, the men’s marathon only experienced a 24.65% dropout rate in comparison to the women’s race that had a 41% dropout rate.
Desisa plans to run the New York Marathon in just 28 days.
“One week recovery, I will be fine,” he said. “I’m fine!”
