'The new course designed itself'

Dubai: Today's Dubai Marathon is special for Paul Hodgson. He completes 10 years as the course designer of this event.

Cycling through the course for days before the start of the marathon, he studies the various aspects of the course. He not only selects the course but also measures it to perfection as per the rules of the Association of International Marathons and Road Races.

Hodgson has an experience of two decades as a course measurer.

"It has been a very rewarding experience to realise that I have been associated with a marathon for 10 years. In the early years this marathon did not even feature in the international road race calendar. Today it is in the forefront among the marathons in the world and I feel so happy about it," Hodgson told Gulf News.

Recalling the hard work he had to put in every year, especially at a time when a marathon was unheard of in this region, he said: "It was real hard work every year because the course had to be designed almost every year. The city of Dubai kept changing at such a fast pace that every time I had to make many changes. In the end it used to be a rewarding experience."