Eritrea’s Yared Asmerom will line up in the 2010 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon on January 22 backed by a remarkable success story that saw him claim a top ten place at the Beijing Olympics just four years after joining the ranks of competitive running.

Asmerom comes to the world’s richest marathon six years after taking to the track for the first time as a reluctant competitor in an army 5,000m race. Luckily for the world of track and field, a convincing win in that debut race convinced the self confessed lazy runner that he had the potential to reach the top.

While others spotted his potential, the young Eritrean was unconvinced until that debut win set him on a road that culminated in a magnificent eighth place finish in Beijing just four years later.

“At military camp, my commander wanted me to participate in a military athletic qualifier but I refused,” said Asmerom. “A friend of mine was not happy about it and begged me to do it. I decided to go for it and without any training or racing kit, I was a surprise winner. It was kind of a ‘wake up call’ and made me focus on running. I gave up drinking and smoking and worked hard. I took on a 10km race and won that then joined the Debub Athletic Club in Adi Keih.”

With his teammates at a slightly higher level, Asmerom knew he had to work hard to keep up yet in his first half marathon he still claimed third in a respectable time of 1h:12m. “I thought it wasn’t a bad for a beginner but once I started my second half marathon I was better and lowered my time to 1h:07m before getting it down to 1h:05m in my third.”

Asmerom’s rapid progress and ambition saw him head to Beijing with medal hopes for the marathon. Unfortunately, a podium place was out of his reach but eighth place against the world’s best distance runners just four years after his debut as a novice proved he has the potential to keep up with the best – a fact emphasised by a time of 2h:10m and third place in the 2009 Lake Biwa Marathon behind the legendary Paul Tergat and Spain’s Jose Rios.

“I was only born as an athlete in 2004 but with that little experience I set out for Beijing aiming to stand on the podium with an Olympic medal. Unfortunately, technical errors in the last few kilometres meant that dream did not come true but I was happy with eighth.”

With that unconventional route to the top behind him, Asmerom is one of a clutch of top class runners heading for the 2010 Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon. “You can’t help but admire Yared’s amazing progress since his early days at military camp,” said Event Director Peter Connerton. “To finish eighth in your first Olympics is hugely impressive and we look forward to seeing how he copes with the flat route and expected benign weather here in Dubai.”

Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, and staged under the aegis of the Dubai Sports Council, the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon is supported by Dubai Holding, Dubai Sports Council, The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina, ARN and DMI, TNT, Fitness First, Men’s Fitness, Vittel Water, RTA, Dubai Municipality and the Dubai Emergency Services. Such has been the demand for entries, organisers are allowing late entrants to register online only up until January 12 at www.dubaimarathon.org.

Source: dubaicityguide.com