Running News Daily

The Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon is set to reclaim the global spotlight as two of the most accomplished distance runners of their generation prepare to headline its 19th edition on Saturday, 14 February. Kenya’s three-time world champion Geoffrey Kamworor and Ethiopia’s former women’s world record holder Ababel Yeshaneh lead a powerful elite field, returning to a race that has played a defining role in both of their careers.

For Kamworor, Ras Al Khaimah is where his rise to the very top truly began. In 2013, the then-emerging Kenyan delivered a stunning breakthrough performance, clocking 58:54 to announce himself on the world stage. More than a decade later, he returns as one of the most decorated half marathon runners in history. His achievements include three consecutive World Half Marathon titles, two World Cross Country crowns, and marathon victories at the New York City Marathon in 2017 and 2019. His 58:01 world record set in Copenhagen in 2019 still places him among the fastest men ever over 21.1 kilometers and makes him the quickest athlete on the 2026 Ras Al Khaimah start list.

Matching that pedigree on the women’s side is Ababel Yeshaneh, whose name is forever woven into the fabric of this event. Her extraordinary run of 64:31 in 2020 did more than secure victory—it redefined what was thought possible in the women’s half marathon, lowering the world record by 20 seconds against a field of proven champions. That performance remains one of the most iconic moments in the history of the race.

Yeshaneh’s career has been built on consistency and excellence across both track and road. She emerged internationally as a teenager before finishing ninth in the 10,000 meters at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow and competing in the Olympic 5,000 meters final in Rio in 2016. Away from the track, she has claimed half marathon victories in Istanbul and Buenos Aires and earned podium finishes at major city marathons in Boston, Chicago, and New York. Her more recent appearances in Ras Al Khaimah have added further depth to her story, from a non-finish in 2022 to a strong return in 2024, where she placed second in a fast 65:44.

Since its launch in 2007, the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon has grown into one of the most respected and fastest races on the global road-running calendar. Its flat, sea-level course and consistently favorable conditions have made it a magnet for the world’s best distance runners, a place where careers are launched, records are challenged, and history is often rewritten. The 2026 edition, once again staged entirely on Al Marjan Island, reinforces the event’s identity as a true proving ground for speed and excellence.

With Geoffrey Kamworor and Ababel Yeshaneh returning to the roads where defining moments of their careers were forged, the 2026 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon stands poised for another chapter of elite racing at its highest level. When proven champions and a course built for speed come together, the outcome is never ordinary. On these familiar shores, the world will once again watch as history, ambition, and excellence converge over 21.1 kilometers.