Sport

Return of the highly anticipated RAK Half Marathon announced

17 Sep 2020

Ababel Yeshaneh (above) from Ethiopia broke the world record by covering a distance of 21.0975km with a time of 64:31 at the previous event in February this year.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) on Thursday announced that the 15th edition of the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon is set to take place on Feb.19, 2021.

Officially known as the world’s fastest half marathon, the race has consistently drawn international athletes and amateurs to attend.

Registration for the 2021 marathon, organised by RCS Sports and Events, will open to athletes in October 2020. The event has proven highly popular both internationally and regionally, with over 5,000 participants registered for the previous edition, held earlier this year on Al Marjan Island.

Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authorityshared, “Aligned with the strong upturn in the Emirate’s tourism and hospitality performance, we are delighted to announce that the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon will be returning to the Emirate on the 19thof February in 2021. We look forward to hosting the stellar line-up of elite athletes, as well as local families and enthusiasts to join in what is sure to be a memorable event.”

Ababel Yeshaneh from Ethiopia and Kibiwott Kandie from Kenya were the winners of the 2020 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon.

The event saw Yeshaneh breaking the world record, covering a distance of 21.0975KM with a time of 64:31, an achievement now ratified by World Athletics.

CEO of RCS Sports and Events Enrico Fili’said, “Once again, we are proud to support Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority in delivering the 15th edition of the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on Al Marjan Island. We witnessed fantastic results in the 2020 race, with Ababel Yeshaneh from Ethiopia smashing the women’s World Record by 20 seconds. This result has recently been ratified by World Athletics and we look forward to having another unforgettable elite line-up in 2021 that will ensure the event remains the fastest half marathon in the world.”

Preparations for the event are underway, withstringent safety measures to be implemented across the board, to safeguard participants, guests and residents, aligned with global best practice and national federal directives.

For further details, please visit the official event website - https://www.therakhalfmarathon.com/