World Athletics Championships: Lelisa Desisa wins men's marathon

Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa has won the men's midnight marathon in a sprint finish at the World Athletics Championships in Qatar, ending an 18-year-wait for a world title over the long distance for his country.

Desisa, last year's New York marathon winner and world silver medallist in Moscow six years ago, became the first Ethiopian to win the title on Sunday since Gezahegne Abera in 2001.

The 29-year-old crossed the finish line in two hours, 10 minutes and 40 seconds at the Doha Corniche promenade in the Qatari capital, Doha, where the temperature in the midnight race was high again but humidity far lower than at past road races.

Al Jazeera's Andy Richardson reports.

#AlJazeeraEnglish
#Ethiopia
#Qatar

[kipropdavid]

Congratulations to the Ethiopian Champ

From Kenya 🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪

We are neighbors, and I celebrate this victory. It's victory for East Africa

[afiyaafi]

Yes right my country is💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹

[jimmyandtheresurrection]

It's an all african affair. Africa united.

[sameraath]

Wow 🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹 i love you Ethiopian 💚💚💚💛💛💛💛❤❤❤❤❤

[solomon]

What an endurance to over come such the most unsuitable running confitions!! Congrats to Ethiopians and Kenyans!!

[RandomGuy-dwhf]

Great run from Callum! Most underrated runner in the world just now

[mustemuke]

May ethiopia vest honstey piopel i love love love love love love

[EthiomerejaOfficial]

Excellent performance with this kind of harsh weather. Congrats Ethiopians.

[metsihetkebede]

Congratulations to all of *cata* strophic marathon survivals!
:-;

[pele]

Good luck to the World Cup players in 2022. Heat stroke will be the theme in the opening ceremony.

[Abraham_Tsfaye]

They are running at midnight in muggy hot conditions. This has been the worst athletic championships ever.

[KIM-xlzs]

Only our people can do this races, ethiopians&Kenyan runners luve in cold conditions like in western Europe but can be able to concur in this desert heat

[FreemanV]

Affluence and infrastructure shouldn't determine venues. Bidding criteria must be transparent and void of corruption and influence. Sports organisations heads positions have to be rotational amongst continents. Only security should be a barrier to any country to hosts an sport event. Those countries who call themselves rich shouldn't be allowed to exploit the rest to follow them. Rules should apply to all, power and influence should be irrelevant to sports, and ....

[jameshaney]

'If it doesn't kill me, it makes me stronger." Friedrich Nietzsche.

[oromtittibaaleenew]

This is oromoo people not itophiyaa
Fire oromo people

[FarahAbdul]

Lelisa must have lived in the Afar region of Ethiopia that place is hoter then the middle East.😂😂😂😂