Alex Matata of Kenya had the best win of his career in the 18th edition of the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon early on Saturday. But strong winds on an unusually cool morning in one of the smaller of the United Arab Emirates meant that Ethiopia‘s Ejgayehu Taye’s attempt at the women’s world record was going to be blown off course, even if she had not started too fast.
The breeze and lack of a pacemaker to split the field meant that the men’s race was relatively sedate as well as over-populated in the first 10k, with 20 men still in contention at 28 minutes and 34 seconds. But there was no mistaking Matata in the pack, channelling Michael Jackson with a pink glove on his right hand.
“For wiping the sweat, that’s all,” he explained afterwards. But when colleague and race favourite Isaia Lasoi, who’d been sharing the lead with him up to then started feeling a groin strain, Matata began to assume the initiative.
‘I realised at 14k that I was stronger than the others, so I thought I had a good chance of winning,’ he said. He raised the pace such that the computed finish outside 60 minutes was soon transformed, and his relentless front-running dropped both his rivals and the time, and he ended up taking 17 seconds off his personal best with a win in 59 minutes and 20 seconds.
Lasoi hung in well, and looked to have second place sewn up, especially when Gemechu Dida suddenly dropped back with a kilometre to run; but the Ethiopian rallied and caught the Kenyan just before the line to get second and relegate Lasoi to the same third spot as last year.
A stride can be costly in this sport. While Matata took home $20,000, Dida’s last gasp second place earned him $10,000, four thousand more than Lasoi.
Matata is something of an outlier in Kenya, coming from the capital Nairobi instead of the western highlands’ hotbeds of excellence; and also being a relatively late starter in his early twenties. But when he began running well with a 61.03 clocking in the Nairobi half-marathon in 2021, he was persuaded to move up to Eldoret, the heartland of national distance running.
Now at 27, a regime of 150 kilometres a week has seen him transformed into a regular winner, with four victories and three sub-60min clockings in his five half-marathons last year. And now, he’s given himself a New Year’s present. But he’s not tempted to move up to the marathon yet.
“Not for two years. I still want to run faster at the half-marathon, in the 58 minutes and maybe 57 minutes,” said Matata.
“It was great to get a personal best time and I really felt I could win by the 14km mark. My aim is to regularly run 57-58 minutes for the half and I won’t be attempting a full marathon for another two years.”
In the women’s race, Ethiopian star Ejgayehu Taye – who had been chasing the world record – won in 65:52 well ahead of Kenyan pair Judy Kemboi (66:34) and Jesca Chelangat (66:53) in second and third place respectively.
Taye was so confident that she could run well that she even brought her own pacemaker, Wosinew Admasu with her. And a starting temperature of 12C (54F) felt good until she headed into the wind.
Although the expected contest with her colleage Girmawit Gebrzihair did not materialise (the latter dropped out) things went to plan for the first five kilometres, which she covered in 14 minutes and 57 seconds. But the pace and wind took their toll and she fell further behind her schedule and was grateful to win in 65.52, exactly three minutes outside her target time.
“I was expecting to run fast, even maybe get the world record, but the wind was too strong; I felt it was pushing me back. But I’m glad to win.” Her time is a world lead for 2025.
Leading Results
Men:
- Alex Matata KEN 59:20
- Gemechu Dida ETH 59:25
- Isaia Lasoi KEN 59:26
- Chimdessa Debele ETH 59:28
- Gerba Dibaba ETH 59:35
- Nibret Melak ETH 59:45
- Hillary Kipkoech KEN 59:53
- Tesfaye Deriba ETH 59:56
- Haftamu Gebresilase ETH 59:56
- Mao Ako TAN 60:28
Women:
- Ejgayehu Taye ETH 65:52
- Judy Kemboi KEN 66:34
- Jesca Chelangat KEN 66:53
- Ftaw Zeray ETH 67:05
- Gete Alemayehu ETH 67:14
- Adane Anmaw ETH 68:02
- Veronica Loleo KEN 68:06
- Lemlem Hailu ETH 68:07
- Brillian Jepkorir KEN 68:48
- Betelihem Afenigus ETH 69:02