Daegu International Marathon

Yemane Tsegay Adhane has been looking for a fast performance for almost 18 months to consolidate his reputation as one of the quickest marathon men around and, after a frustrating 2013, he hopes to finally find it at the Daegu International Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, on Sunday.

Adhane, 28, rose to prominence with fourth place at the 2009 Paris Marathon in 2:06:30 and then repeated that position when he finished just out of the medals at the IAAF World Championships later that summer.

He set his personal best of 2:04:48 when winning the 2012 Rotterdam Marathon. The past 12 months though, have seen his ambitions of improving on that time thwarted by injury and the elements.

Women’s Race

Ethiopian runners are the heavy favourites to take the women’s race for the fifth time in the six years that the event has been in existence.

However, the big question is: which one will take the plaudits?

Mulu Seboka finished second in last year’s race when she ran 2:23:43 and was just 15 seconds behind the Kenyan winner Margaret Agai, who set a course record of 2:23:28.

Second fastest in the field, and with a fondness for Korean races, is Emebet Etea Bedada, who posted a best of 2:25:53 when finishing second in the 2013 Seoul race. However, she was less impressive in her most recent marathon and could only clock 2:33:51 for third in January’s Xiamen race.

Etea’s friend, Meseret Legese, finished one place in front of her in Xiamen in a personal best of 2:26:32 and will join her on the start line again in Daegu.

About 16,000 participants are expected to compete in the race, which starts and finishes in the stadium that hosted the 2011 IAAF World Championships.

Read more at: IAAF.org