Dibaba and Obiri to clash in Madrid
Madrid’s San Silvestre Vallecana once again offers world-class line-ups in both the men’s and women’s races at the IAAF Silver Label road race on Monday, December 31, 2018.
DIBABA-OBIRI SHOWDOWN
On this occasion the women’s race brings together a mouth-watering field topped by Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba and the Kenyan pair of Hellen Obiri and Brigid Kosgei. Dibaba, a multiple Olympic and world champion, is now 33 and has focused on the marathon over the last two years. She set a national record of 2:17:56 for the distance in London last year to become the third fastest marathoner of all-time.
While her 10,000m career best stands at 29:42:56 when taking bronze at the Rio Olympics, the world 5000m record holder has a 30:30 10km road best, fast enough to threaten the 30:53 course record set by fellow Ethiopian Gelete Burka in 2012. Dibaba won the 2011 edition clocking 31:30.
More recently, Dibaba clocked 2:18:55 in September’s Berlin Marathon and 1:08:37 at the New Delhi Half Marathon where she finished sixth.
Read more: IAAF.org
