The ninth Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon takes place on Friday. Last year, eight men broke the one hour mark while nine women went under seventy minutes and organisers hope a world record can be set this time around.
The men’s favourite is Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, who at just 18, became 5,000m world champion in 2003.
Almost 12 years later, he is a formidable road racer, with three wins out of his four marathon starts and a half marathon best of 59:25. In 2014, just his second season at the marathon, he won both Rotterdam and Chicago marathons. He will go up against other top Kenyans such as Jonathan Maiyo (PB 59:02), making his RAK debut and Peter Kirui (59:22), who won the Prague Half Marathon last year and 2014 Dubai winner Tsegaye Mekonnen of Ethiopia (61:39).
On the women’s side is Mary Keitany, the second fastest half marathon runner in history and favourite to take her third RAK title. It was in 2011 in RAK that she set a new world record of 65:50 before retaining her title in 2012 (66:49). She later finished fourth in the London Olympic Marathon when a few weeks pregnant, but after taking 2013 out, returned to racing last year and has since won the Great North Run in 65:39 and the New York Marathon last November. Facing Keitany, will be defending RAK champion Priscah Jeptoo. Second in 2013 (66:11), the same year she won the London and New York Marathons, she won RAK last year in 67:02 by over a minute and will not relinquish her crown without a fight.
Also look out for late entrant Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey, who won RAK 2010 (67:07) and has a stunning array of fast times on the track (former world record at 5,000m) and right up to the marathon.
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