Dubai: South Africa’s Phalula Lebogang and Serbia’s Biljana Cvijanovic topped the 10km and 5km races at the Sixth Dubai Women’s Run held at Skydive Dubai on Friday.
Lebogang finished ahead of the Ugandan duo of Mercyline Chelangat and Stella Chesang in a time of 33 minutes 57 seconds , while Biljana improved on her second place in 2014, to the top of the podium in a time of 17:08..
Ahmad Al Kamali, President, UAE Athletics Federation (UAE AF), was joined by board members Ali Khamis and Saleh Mohammad Hassan and Lamya Khan from the Dubai Sports Council’s Women’s Sports Committee in presenting the trophies and cash awards to the top ten finishers at the end of the race.
Lebogang, who is participating for the first time in this race, was pleased with her first place, but not with the time. “I could have, and should have done a faster time. But midway through the race I found the weather conditions a bit hot to handle,” the resident of Johannesburg told Gulf News.
“But overall I am pleased with this race and I have all intentions of returning to defend my title next year,” she added.
Setting the early pace, though, was the Ugandan duo of Chelangat and Chesang. But the pair made a wrong turn and veered off-course at the end of the first of two laps, thus allowing Lebogang to go clear and win the race easily. The girls from Uganda finished with an identical 34 minutes flat.
“It’s disappointing to end in second and third places, but we are proud of the fact that we were able to get back into the race after losing vital seconds off the course,” Chelangat said.
“We had come to win this race, but perhaps luck was not with us today. We can only promise to return next year,” chipped in Chesang.
Marking her fourth race in Dubai, Cvijanovic made it a memorable top of the podium in the 5km race. “My ambition this year was to finish in first,” Cvijanovic said.
“I had been training for this event for the past few weeks, and I think my past experience of running in Dubai helped me today,” she added.
Buoyed up by the huge response to the race, UAE AF President Al Kamali promised to take the event to the next level. “Last year was the only time we could not host this race due to the elite runners being busy with preparations for the Rio Olympic Games. But after seeing this huge response we are keen on taking the next step by starting with our publicity campaign from next week itself,” Al Kamali said.
Organised by the UAE AF under the patronage of Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President, UAE National Olympic Committee (UAE NOC), more than 4,000 participated in the run with proceeds going toward the Al Jalila Foundation and junior national athletics squads of the UAE.
Key partners and sponsors included Dubai Police, Dubai Ambulance Department, Air France KLM, Meydan Hotel, Mon Viso Water and Neutrogena, among others.
RESULTS
(10km) 1. Phalula Lebogang (South Africa) 33 mins, 57 secs; 2. Mercyline Chelangat (Uganda) 34:00; 3. Stella Chesang (Uganda) 34:00; 4. Olivera Jevtic (Serbia) 34:39; 5. Simona Vrzalova (Czech Republic) 34:51; 6. Natalia Sedykh (Russia) 37:24; 7. Bibiro Ali Taher (Chad) 37:28; 8. Amina Mhih (Morocco) 37:36; 9. Myriam Lamure (France) 37:44; 10. Emma Phillips (Great Britain) 42:29.
(5km) 1. Biljana Cvijanovic (Serbia) 17 mins, 08 secs: 2. Kristina Maki (Czech Republic) 17:20; 3. Lilit Harutyunyan (Armenia) 18:08; 4. Emily Waugh (Great Britain) 18:11; 5. Megan Dingle (Great Britain) 18:22; 6. Latifa Essarokh (France) 18:50; 7. Helen O’Neile (Great Britain) 20:26; 8. Sophie Chan (France) 20:27; 9. Jenna Wilkinson (Great Britain) 21:06; 10. Ana Risticevic (Serbia) 21:57.
