If you’re a runner looking for a fitness goal to work towards, news that the RAK Half Marathon will return next year should be (pavement-pounding) music to your ears!

Celebrating its 15th edition, the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon is officially known as the world’s fastest half marathon, and consistently draws an array of the finest international athletes and amateurs to take part.

Taking place on February 19, 2021, preparations for the event are well underway, with stringent safety measures to be implemented across the board to safeguard participants, guests and residents, aligned with global best practice and national federal directives. 

Winners of the 2020 event were Ababel Yeshaneh from Ethiopia and Kibiwott Kandie of Kenya, with Yeshaneh breaking the world record, covering a distance of 21.0975KM with a time of 64:31, an achievement now ratified by World Athletics.

With over 5,000 participants registered for the previous edition, held earlier this year on Al Marjan Island, registration for the 2021 marathon, organized by RCS Sports and Events, will open to athletes in October.

“We witnessed fantastic results in the 2020 race, with Ababel Yeshaneh from Ethiopia smashing the women’s World Record by 20 seconds,’ said EO of RCS Sports and Events, Enrico Fili. ‘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.”

For further details, visit the RAK Half Marathon official event website here.