Dubai: The Dubai Marathon is no longer a contest for only those who have a passion for long-distance running — it has also become an event which attracts top sportsmen from other fields too.
Today will see former England and Manchester City football star Trevor Sinclair taking part in the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon.
Sinclair, who now lives in Dubai and is a television presenter for the English Premier League as well as a coach at the Carlton Palmer Football Academy, will participate in this morning's marathon to prove a point.
"I want to inspire my kids to a healthier lifestyle and be a good role model to them. Going running doesn't cost a lot of money — just a pair of trainers and enthusiasm. It's a wonderful thing to do," said Sinclair, who played in the 2002 World Cup but retired from football in 2008.
There is also a noble cause behind his decision to run. "I'm running to raise money and awareness for a charity called Children of Watamu, which is an orphanage in Kenya that is close to my heart. Hopefully the money I raise will be well-spent and well received by the people who look after these children," he said.
Sinclair said that running the marathon will be a different challenge from what he's used to. "In a match I would normally run around 12-13km so this is a completely different challenge for me. I'm not going to kill myself but I'll be looking to finish inside four hours," he said.
"It's not outrageously quick but it is a decent time that a lot of people would be happy with. I've been training with a couple of running partners — Woody from Blackpool and Farouk from Zambia — plus I've had three to four weeks with the Creek Striders so I think I'm in good shape."
Incidentally, a few promising runners will make their marathon debuts today — Ayele Abshero and Lelisa Desisa from Ethiopia. Abshero broke the hour mark in the Hague half-marathon to finish in 59.42 and clinch fourth place.
In the women's race, Kenya's Lucy Kabuu, who won a gold medal in the Commonwealth 10,000m in Melbourne, will run her first marathon here.
