Running News Daily

Women Take Center Stage at the 2025 RAK Half Marathon

The women’s race is set to steal the spotlight at the 18th edition of the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on Saturday morning (February 1), with Ethiopian stars Girmawit Gebrzihair and Ejgayehu Taye both declaring their intent to chase the world record. Meanwhile, Kenya’s Isaia Lasoi, the fastest man in the field, is equally determined to go for victory and potentially set a new global mark himself.

The battle between the Ethiopian women promises to be fascinating, as both share a personal best of 64:14. Girmawit, who set that time when she won this race three years ago, still holds the course record. She admitted at the pre-race press conference that she surprised even herself with that performance, but after clocking a sub-30-minute 10K in Valencia just two weeks ago, she believes Letesenbet Gidey’s world record of 62:52 is within her reach.

Ejgayehu, on the other hand, ran her 64:14 in her half marathon debut in Valencia three months ago. She is so confident of running fast that she has brought her own pacemaker to help push the pace. Her agent, Yonas Mekonnon, explained: “She decided to go for the world record based on her recent training. She ran just over 64 minutes in Valencia with limited mileage, having trained for no more than six weeks after the track season. Her longest run was only 25km. This time, however, she has regularly been covering more than 28km at a 3:30/km pace at altitude. Her goal in this race is the world record.”

Women have played a defining role in the nearly two-decade history of the RAK Half Marathon. While Kenya’s Sammy Wanjiru set a men’s world record in the inaugural edition in 2007, the women have since taken center stage, with world records being set by Mary Keitany and Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya, and Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia.

Among the men, Lasoi is the clear favorite. With a personal best of 58:10 from Copenhagen last autumn, he is the fastest in the field by a significant margin. He is also hoping to follow in the footsteps of past RAK winners who climbed the podium before taking victory. Having finished third last year, he is eager to claim the top spot. “I’ve been running 175-190 kilometers per week in training. I’ve prepared really well and I’m ready to win,” he said. “Also, there have been some changes to the course that make it faster. I think I can go under 58 minutes, and maybe even challenge the world record.”

Last year’s race saw strong winds and thick mist rolling in from the sea, affecting the final stages. However, the forecast for this year couldn’t be better, with ideal racing conditions of 15-16°C (60°F) expected for the elite start at 6:40 AM.

Now in their second year of overseeing the RAK Half, the long-time Dubai Marathon organizers, Pace Events, have significantly boosted participation across all events, including the 2K, 5K, and 10K races, pushing total registrations close to 10,000. Iyad Rasbey, VP of the RAK Tourism Development Authority, remarked, “When the event began in 2007, we were aiming for 2,500-3,000 participants. To be nearing 10,000 is extraordinary.”

With perfect conditions, a deep field, and multiple world record ambitions, the 2025 RAK Half Marathon is poised for a historic edition.