Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, 22 January 2025: Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, the 18th Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon will see Kenya’s former multiple world record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei head a strong women’s field on February 1.
Jepkosgei’s appearance in the annual Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon, hosted by the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), continues the event’s tradition of being a virtual ‘Who’s Who?’ of world distance running ever since the inaugural men’s race was won in 2007 by the legendary Sammy Wanjiru prior to his runaway Olympic marathon victory.
In contrast to most of her compatriots, Jepkosgei was a late developer, only getting into her stride well into her twenties, but since striking top form with a series of records in 2017, she has been a mainstay at the elite end of the ranking lists.
In an era before “super shoes” and new energy gels, Jepkosgei created as much consternation as Ruth Chepngetich’s recent sub-2.10 marathon when she broke four world records in one race at the Prague Half in 2017. She clocked 30.04 for 10k, 45.37 for 15k and 61.25 for 20k, before finishing in 64:52, the first women’s sub-65 minute in history.
Six weeks later she returned to Prague and broke through another barrier became the first woman to run sub-30min for 10k with 29.43. Later that year she improved her half marathon world record by one second in Valencia, thus becoming the first Kenyan to break six world records in a year.
Jepkosgei finished second in the Half Marathon World Championships in 2018 then won the New York Marathon on her debut at the distance the following year. Eighteen months later, she took five minutes off her time when winning the 2021 London Marathon in 2.17.43, again one of the fastest times in history. She was second in London the following year, but has continued to improve into her early thirties with successive second and first places in the Barcelona Half Marathon in 2023 (64.46) and 2024 (64.29).
Helping its race into the 21st century for the last two decades since Wanjiru, the RAK Half Marathon has attracted world champions and record holders and other Olympic winners such as Tamirat Tola, the Paris 2024 marathon champion, and Peres Chepchirchir, women’s winner at the delayed Tokyo Olympics (2021).
Unlike the majority of those, Jepkosgei is one of the few East African superstars not to have nurtured her talent by running to and from school. She was already married and trying to lose weight after the birth of her first child when husband Nicholas Koech, a former 800 metres runner, suggested she do that by running.
Since its inauguration in 2007, the Ras Al Khaimah race has proved to be one of the fastest half marathons on the international circuit with the race staged around the spectacular sea-side route on the iconic Al Marjan Island.
In addition to elite runners and world record breakers like Jepkosgei, the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon will see thousands of runners coming together in the associated 10km, 5km and 2km runs. Registration for the annual Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon is open at rakhalfmarathon.com.
The 2025 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon is also sponsored by adidas, Channel 4 Radio Network. ITP Media Group and Bisleri.
Caption: Joyciline Jepkosgei will be among the leading elites competing in the 2025 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on February 1