“Ethiopia’s Tigist Ketema Sets New World Record in Marathon Debut at Dubai Race”

Tigist Ketema, a 25-year-old Ethiopian athlete, made a remarkable debut at the Dubai Marathon on Sunday, breaking the world record for the fastest marathon debut in the women’s race. She completed the race in an impressive time of 2:16:07, securing both victory and the eighth spot in the list of fastest women marathoners in history. This achievement also shattered the Dubai Marathon’s course record by one minute and one second.

Previously, the women’s record belonged to Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey, who set the bar at 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 49 seconds during her debut at the Valencia Marathon on December 4th, 2022.

Before transitioning to marathons, Tigist Ketema had a successful career as the African Under-20 Championships winner in the 800 meters. In the men’s elite race, Addisu Gobena claimed victory with a time of 2:05:01, completing an Ethiopian sweep of both the men’s and women’s titles.