RAS AL KHAIMAH HALF MARATHON ON SATURDAY:
Look to the Girls on the RAK Half Marathon
The ladies’s race guarantees to be the star of the 18th version of the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on Saturday morning (February 1), with each race favourites, Ethiopians Germawit Gebrzhair and Ejgayehu Taye independently suggesting they’re in pursuit of a world report. To not be ignored, the quickest man within the discipline, Isaia Lasoi of Kenya says he’s each able to win and have a go himself at a brand new world mark.
It must be an intriguing contest between the Ethiopian girls, since they share the identical greatest time of 64min 14sec. On her personal admission on the press convention this morning, Girmawit stunned herself when she set that point in profitable right here three years in the past, and it stays a course report. However following her sub-30min clocking for 10k in Valencia two weeks in the past, she instructed that the world report of one other Ethiopian colleague, Letesenbet Gidey (62:52) is inside attain.
Ejgayehu, in the meantime clocked her time in her first and solely ‘half’ thus far, once more in Valencia three months in the past. And so assured is she of a quick time that she is bringing her personal pacemaker to make sure that she retains her promise. Her agent, Yonas Mekonnon says, ‘She determined to attempt for the world report based mostly on her current coaching. She ran simply over 64minutes in Valencia with out adequate mileage. She was educated actually for no more than six weeks after the monitor season was over and the longest coaching was 25km. Nonetheless, this time she’s repeatedly been masking greater than 28km with 3min 30sec tempo at altitude. Her aim on this race is the world report’.
The ladies have definitely proved their price within the practically 20 years’ historical past of the occasion. Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya bought in first when he ran a world report within the inaugural RAK ‘half’ in 2007, however the girl then took over with the opposite trio of world data being set by Mary Keitany and Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya and Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia.
Along with his 58min 10sec in Copenhagen final autumn, Lasoi is by far the quickest man within the discipline, and is seeking to emulate former winners who had beforehand completed within the prime three. He was third final 12 months, and mentioned this morning, ‘I’ve been operating 175-190 kilometres per week in coaching. I’ve ready very well and I’m able to win. Additionally, there have been some adjustments to the course, making it quicker, so I believe I can do beneath 58 minutes, and perhaps even the world report is feasible’.
The ultimate levels of final 12 months’s race had been affected by winds and a thick mist which rolled in off the ocean, however this 12 months’s climate forecast couldn’t be higher for Saturday, with temperatures for the 6.40 elite begin at 15-16C (60F). In solely their second 12 months of overseeing the RAK ‘half’, the long-time Dubai Marathon organisers, Tempo Occasions have elevated participation within the parallel well-liked occasions, 2/5/10k to shut to 10,000. Iyad Rasbey, VP of the RAK Tourism Growth Authority mentioned, ‘When the occasion started in 2007, we had been seeking to get 2500-3000 individuals, so to get near 10,000 is extraordinary’.
A dwell stream with English commentary can be obtainable on Saturday from 6.20 am native time at: https://rakhalfmarathon.com/
For extra data please go to: https://rakhalfmarathon.com