BLOWN AWAY

Alex Matata of Kenya had the best win of his career in the 18th edition of the Ras Al Khaimah half-marathon early today. But strong winds on an unusually cool morning in one of the smaller of the United Arab Emirates meant that 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 28min 34sec. 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 60min, even at the three-quarter mark was soon transformed, and his relentless front-running dropped both his rivals and the time, and he ended up taking 17sec off his personal best with a win in 59min 20sec.

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-marathon’s 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’.

In the women’s race, Ejgayehu was so confident that she could run well after a sub-30min 10k three weeks ago 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 14min 57sec.  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’.

RESULTS

MEN

1 Alex MATATA                   KEN    59.20   $20,000

2 Gemechu DIDA                  ETH    59.25   $10,000

3 Isaia LASOI                                    KEN    59.26    $6,000

4 Chimdesa DEBELE                        ETH    59.28     $5,000

5 Gerba DIBABA                  ETH    59.35     $4,000

6 Nibret MELAK                   ETH    59.45     $3,500

7 Hillary KIPKOECH                        KEN    59.53     $3,000

8 Tesfaye DERIBA                ETH    59.56     $2,500

9 Haftamu GEBRSILASE     ETH    59.56     $2,000

10 Mao AKO                          TAN    60.28     $1,000

WOMEN

1 Ejgayehu TAYE                  ETH    65.52   $20,000

2 Judy KEMBOI                    KEN    66.34   $10,000

3 Jesca CHELANGAT           KEN    66.53     $6,000

4 Ftaw ZERAY                      ETH    67.05     $5,000

5 Gete ALEMAYEHU          ETH    67.14     $4,000

6 Adane ANMAW                 ETH    68.02     $3,500

7 Veronica LOLEO                KEN    68.06     $3,000

8 Lemlem HAILU                  ETH    68.07     $2,500

9 Brillian JEPKORIR             KEN    68.48     $2,000

10 Betelihem AFENIGUS     ETH    69.02     $1,000

Matata and Taye picture credit: Giancarlo Colombo/Ras Al Khaimah half-marathon

Further info:

Alan Ewens

Media Director

Dubai Marathon/RAK Half Marathon

Phone: +9714 3671062 
Mobile: +97150 4514188

Mobile: +447311 068914
Mobile: +6698 9605062  

Email: alan.ewens@pace-events.org 

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http://www.globerunner.blog

Matata wins RAK25.jpeg

Taye wins RAK25.jpeg