Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon: Jepkosgei eyes glory against Ethiopian contenders
Joyciline Jepkosgei is set to make her debut at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon this Saturday, with a strong Ethiopian challenge threatening the course record. With Ejgayehu Taye and Girmawit Gebrzihair in the mix, the stage is set for an intense contest on the fast, scenic Al Marjan Island course.
Former multiple world record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei will headline the women's field at the 18th Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on Saturday, February 1, 2025.
The Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon, an annual event held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, is hosted by the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA). Known for its fast course along the scenic Al Marjan Island, the event also features 10km, 5km, and 2km races.
Jepkosgei's participation continues the race's tradition of attracting top-tier distance runners. Since its inception in 2007, the event has drawn world champions, record holders, and Olympic medalists, including Sammy Wanjiru - who won the inaugural men's race before his Olympic marathon triumph in 2008 - Tamirat Tola, the Paris 2024 Olympic marathon champion, as well as distance greats Mary Keitany and Peres Jepchirchir.
Jepkosgei’s rise in the sport was unconventional. Unlike many of her Kenyan counterparts who began running at a young age, she only took it seriously in her twenties. Yet, she quickly became a dominant force, winning both the New York and London Marathons in 2019.
In 2017, she achieved a remarkable feat at the Prague Half Marathon, breaking four world records in a single race: 10km (30:04), 15km (45:37), 20km (61:25), and the half marathon itself (64:52) - the first sub-65-minute half marathon by a woman. Six weeks later, she returned to Prague and became the first woman to break the 30-minute barrier for 10km (29:43). Later that year, she further lowered her half marathon world record in Valencia, making her the first Kenyan to break six world records in a single year.
More recently, Jepkosgei has reaffirmed her pedigree, finishing third in the 2024 London Marathon and winning the 2024 Barcelona Half Marathon.
As she makes her Ras Al Khaimah debut, Jepkosgei faces stiff competition from Ethiopian runners Ejgayehu Taye and Girmawit Gebrzihair.
With Taye’s personal best of 64:14 matching the course record set by Gebrzihair in 2021, the prospect of a new record looms large. If conditions are favourable, the race could deliver one of the fastest half marathons in history.
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