Hosted by the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon has consistently risen in prominence over the past 17 years. Awarded World Athletics Gold Label road race status in 2015, the event is now acknowledged as one of the top-tier road races globally, and the number one Half Marathon in the Middle East. Consequently, it has become a firm favourite among community runners and international elites alike.
An event which continues to attract elite runners from around the world, it offers first-class competition as well as athletic prestige. Legendary distance stars like Sammy Wanjiru, Hellen Obiri, Peres Jepchirchir and Benard Koech have all made headlines in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.
The Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon returns for its 18th edition on Saturday 1st February 2025, with four races: the 21.1km half marathon, along with 10km, 5km and 2km runs for athletes of all ages and abilities, staged on Al Marjan Island.
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Ras Al Khaimah Land of Tourism Opportunity
Yet whether you are a spectator or a participant planning a leisure break around the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon, the northernmost of the seven emirates in the UAE offers a generous spread of tourist experiences for you to try. Ranging from beachside relaxation to watersports, cultural appreciation to eco-tourism, along with a healthy choice of exciting active pursuits at higher altitude. Basically, there is something for everyone, set in a stunning scenic diversity that ranges from azure ocean and pristine sandy beaches, dense eco-protective coastal mangroves, cinnamon coloured desert dunes and verdant oases to soaring mountains.
Jebel Jais Mountain Adventure
The spectacular Jebel Jais, which actually punctures the clouds, is the highest mountain in the Emirates, and part of the Al Hajar range, extending east from Ras Al Khaimah to the Musandam Peninsula in northern Oman. Offering significantly cooler temperatures compared with sea level, it is rough terrain blessed with natural beauty, presenting an ideal environment for energising adventure activities. At this altitude, you can learn testing wilderness survival techniques at the Bear Grylls Explorers Camp, join a thrilling 130 kph zipline experience on ‘Jais Flight’ across plunging ravines and canyons, weaving between jagged peaks, or opt for a more placid 1,900 metre ride on the ‘Jais Sledder.’ Despite the thrill factor, it is worth taking time out from physical pursuits to dine at 1484 by Puro, the highest restaurant in the UAE. As an afterthought, you can always drive the hairpins up Jebel Jais; worth it for the spectacular views alone.
Mangrove Eco-Tourism
Down on the seashore, Ras Al Khaimah enjoys a 65-kilometre coastline, much of which is made up of mangroves. A nature watcher’s nirvana that supports a diverse and flourishing ecosystem alive with fish, crustaceans, green and hawksbill turtles, six varieties of crabs and 49 mollusc species, encompassing clams and marine snails; even fleeting glimpses of rays and blacktip reef sharks. Flocks of noisy pink flamingos abound, along with the western reef heron, collared kingfisher, and the greater spotted eagle. The emirate is an annual stopover for avian migrants fleeing the icy Baltic shores for Africa, literally tens of thousands of cormorants can be seen along the coast. Meandering through the inner-city mangroves is an observer’s celebration of living creatures. There are 70 known mangrove species thriving in Ras Al Khaimah and the biodiversity within is truly astounding.
Deep Desert
Bedouin families have pursued a nomadic lifestyle deep inside Ras Al Khaimah’s copper-coloured deserts of shifting dunes since 3000 BC. Criss-crossing Arabia, they congregated in cooler areas with reliable water sources and fertile land where herds of camels and goats could graze. Ras Al Khaimah’s is generally subject to sufficient rainfall during the winter months to create stretches of fertile desert where moisture awakens the dormant seeds of native brassica, hyacinths, and thumbs plants to form a sudden carpet of greenery and flowers. The Ras Al Khaimah desert is home to indigenous wildlife, such as the rare oryx, reclusive desert cat, roaming herds of free-range camels and dainty desert foxes. The Bedouins still perform their fascinating ancient rituals and dances today, entertaining visitors at Bedouin-inspired camps and camel races. You can join groups from equestrian centres and amble through the dunes on horseback or alternatively a ride in a caravan of camels toward spreading acacia shade trees in an undulating desert infinity. Naturally, more modern dune transport options are available, hop aboard a luxury 4X4 Landcruiser, dune buggy or on to a quad bike. You can even try your hand at sandboarding.
Cultural History Sites
Pearls have played an essential role in the lives and culture of Ras Al Khaimah’s people, since prehistoric times, evidenced by the quantity of these gems found in Neolithic sites throughout the UAE. Al Jazeera Al Hamra (“Red Island” translated from Arabic), although abandoned, is the only heritage pearling village still intact across the entire Arabian Gulf region; most were demolished in the wake of successful oil exploration. Visitors will find a collection of antique buildings and communal areas, preserved in a town-planning template that probably stretches back centuries: a fort and watchtowers, mosque, souq and an estate of courtyard houses of assorted sizes and designs from modest dwelling to the residence of a wealthy pearl merchant. In 1890 there were 500 houses, built using traditional methods from locally sourced materials: coral blocks and fossilised beach rock, mangrove wood beams, date palm tree trunks, providing roofing, matting and rope materials, and layers of seashells for drainage.
Also worth a visit is Dhayah Fort, the UAE’s only remaining hilltop fort, dating back to the Bronze Age and like Al Jazeera Al Hamra on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. The views from Dhayah Fort, located on a 70-metre hill between the rugged Hajar mountains and fertile date wadis, at the heart of a lush Oasis, are impressive.
Looking Back: Top-Tier Talent at Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon 2024,
The 17th Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon 2024 played host to an abundance of elite athletic talent to the delight of spectators and participants. Fellow Ethiopians: former World Marathon Champion Tamirat Tola, Chicago Marathon winner Seifu Tura and previous Half Marathon World Record Holder Ababel Yeshaneh were in the starting line-up. Beside them, two star Kenyans, defending men’s champion Benard Kibet Koech and reigning world half marathon and Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir also returned to raise the competitive bar. Germany’s Konstanze ‘Koko’ Klosterhalfen, made her race debut. The 27-year-old, already a record holder at both 5,000m and 10,000m on home territory, won a 5,000m gold in the European Championship in 2022, going on to beat a world-class field in the Valencia Half Marathon with a personal best of 65:41.
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