Hug to participate in Standard Chartered Marathon
DUBAI: Switzerland’s nine-time world champion Marcel Hug has conirmed he will be out to defend his title when the 20th anniversary of the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon gets underway on Jan.25.
Hug, a double Paralympic gold medalist and one of the world’s greatest athletes, returns to Dubai 12 months after winning the 2018 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon in a course record 1h:25m:14s and will start as the hot favourite to add another title to what is a hugelyimpressive CV.
As well as winning on his debut at the Middle East’s only IAAF Gold Label-certified Marathon, Hug has also enjoyed success at the world’s other top long distance events. Last year he won the Boston Marathon for a fourth time to add to victories at the New York Marathon (2013, 2016 and 2017), the Berlin Marathon (2011 and 2012) and the London Marathon (2014 and 2016).
Held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and staged under the aegis of the DSC, the marathon will see the 20th staging of the event and marks a welcome return for Hug who has also enjoyed a stellar year in 2018 to follow on from his World Championship successes in London in 2017. As well as winning three golds (800m, 1500m and 5000m) at the World Para Athletics European Championships, he was also honoured earlier in the year as the World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability at the Laureus World Sports Award in Monaco.