Dubai: Paul Hodgson, course co-ordinator of the Dubai Marathon has a tough task every year. Due to the rapid growth of Dubai, this year too, the Dubai Marathon starts from a new location, forcing him to design another route yet again.
"We had to change the start line to a different line as construction work is on near the start line of last year's marathon. Every year I am forced to change the course.
"It is nothing but the reflection of the growth of Dubai over the years," Hodgson, who is a representative of the Association of International Marathons and Road Races (AIMS), told Gulf News.
He first designed the Dubai Marathon course 11 years ago.
His schedule involves flying in a few days before the marathon, following which he cycles through the course for days together — studying the various aspects of the route.
Ensuring standards
Once he selects the route, he measures it to perfection, as per the rules of the AIMS.
"After deciding on the new start line we found that it lengthened the course by 1,500 metres.
"So we removed some dog legs and a few out and back sections between 5 kilometre and 7 kilometre points. After the 8 kilometre point, everything tied up to the previous measurement," Hodgson, who believes that the course will be fast, said.
"By removing the turn around points the course has become faster. It also continues to be flat.
"In fact, it is the flattest marathon in the world which I have been asked to measure," he said.
"It has been a very rewarding experience to be associated with this marathon for over 10 years.
"Over the years, the status of the event has gone up and reached its peak with the great Haile Gebrselassie running in this marathon.
"Today, it is in the forefront among the marathons in the world and I feel so happy about it," he said.
Talking about the new course, Hodgson said: "This is very much a unique route… the classic out and back route.
Nature of route
"For the elite athletes it is a dream course but for the average runner, I suspect, it can be a bit boring because of the out and back nature of the route.
"I realised this when I was on the course while coming back towards Dubai Marina along [the] Jumeirah beach route.
"When you see the huge sky scrapers in the distance one might say it is a long way to go.
"However, with only one major turning point on the entire marathon route down at Union House, I feel runners can look forward to set their personal best mark," Hodgson said.
