The triple world half-marathon champion leads the men’s race, while Ababel Yeshaneh will be the likely favourite in the women’s field.
Geoffrey Kamworor, a three-time winner of the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships, is the stand-out name in the men’s field at the 19th edition of the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon (February 14).
The 33-year-old, who secured gold medals over 13.1 miles at the 2014, 2016 and 2018 championships, also held the world record for over a year, running 58:01 back in September 2019.
A double New York City marathon champion, Kamworor has a best of 2:04:23 – set in London three years ago – in the distance and, as well as his two victories in the Big Apple, has reached the podium at a marathon major on five other occasions.
He won last year’s Rotterdam Marathon in 2:04:33 and then placed seventh at the Chicago Marathon with 2:05:31.
Kamworor also boasts a global 10,000m silver medal, which he claimed after finishing behind Mo Farah at the 2015 World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
The Kenyan achieved his breakthrough when he won the Rak Half in 2013, smashing his personal best by over half a minute with 58:54.
Kamworor’s closest challenger at the Rak Half could be Ethopia’s Amedework Walelegn, who has a best of 58:40 and placed third at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships.
Walelegn’s compatriot Jemal Yimer Mekonnen, a double winner of the Antrim Coast Half Marathon and a third place finisher at the 2021 Boston Marathon, also boasts a sub-59 best with 58:32.
Kenya’s Isaia Lasoi was the fastest man in the field for the last edition of the Rak Half and his quickest time is 58:10, set in Copenhagen two years ago.
The women’s field is led by former world marathon record-holder Ababel Yeshaneh, who set that mark of 64:31 at the 2020 edition of the Rak Half.
Yeshaneh won the race by 20 seconds and held the world record (mixed race) until Ruth Chepngetich – the marathon world record-holder who is currently serving a three-year ban after admitting anti-doping rule violations – broke her mark with 64:02 in 2021.
A three-time podium finisher at marathon majors – second in Chicago (2019) and Boston (2022), plus third in New York City (2021), Yeshaneh also boasts a marathon best of 2:20:51.
She didn’t compete during the 2025 season and this will be her first race since last year’s Rak Half, where she clocked 65:44 for second behind compatriot Tsigie Gebreselama.
Yeshaneh’s bigest competitors this year Wede Kefale Belew, who has a best of 65:20 and arrives in the United Arab Emirates off the back of running 29:56 for fourth at last month’s Valencia 10km.
Kenya’s Gladys Chepkurui has also gone under 66 minutes for 13.1 miles, with her best of 65:46 coming in Barcelona three years ago.
The course has seen several world records over the years. In 2007 Sammy Wanjiru ran a men’s world record of 58:53 in the RAK Half. Since then there have also been three women’s world records with Mary Keitany clocking 65:50 in 2011, Peres Jepchirchir running 64:52 in 2017 and Yeshaneh with her 64:31 six years ago.
In 2022, Jacob Kiplimo and Girmawit Gebrzihair ran course records of 57:56 and 64:14 respectively, while Eilish McColgan clocked a British record of 66:26.
Kenya’s Alex Matata (59:20) and Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye of Ethiopia (65:52) triumphed at this year’s edition.
Set in the heart of Al Marjan Island in the United Arab Emirates, the Rak Half also features four different race distances – 2km, 5km, 10km and half-marathon – available for the public.
The 2026 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon is also sponsored by ASICS, Channel 4 Radio Network. ITP Media Group, Bisleri and Vitamin Well.