The Zayed International Half Marathon is an annual

road running Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road. This differs from track and field on a regular track and cross country running over natural terrain. These events are usually classified as long-distance ac ...

competition which takes place in January in

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

. The inaugural edition of the

half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcu ...

race, named after

Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ( ar, زَايِد بِن سُلْطَان آل نَهْيَان, Zāyed bin Sulṭān Āl Nahyān; 6 May 1918 – 2 November 2004) was an Emirati politician, statesman, and philanthropist who served as ...

,Ethiopia's Tilahun Regassa victorious in Abu Dhabi
''

Ethiopian Review ''Ethiopian Review'' is an Ethiopian news and opinion journal published in English and Amharic. History The Ethiopian Review was launched in 1991 by Hailu Indashaw, publisher, and Elias Kifle, editor. In 1995, Elias Kifle became publisher, and ...

'' (2010-01-07). Retrieved on 2010-02-17. was held in 2008. The race takes place on an AIMS-certified course, which means performances are eligible for record-breaking purposes.

History

The first edition featured many top international runners as the organisers offered a large amount of prize money, including a first prize of

US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

300,000 and a total pot of US$2 million.

Samuel Wanjiru Samuel Kamau Wanjiru (10 November 1986 – 15 May 2011) was a Kenyan long-distance runner who won the 2008 Beijing Olympics Marathon in an Olympic record time of 2:06:32; becoming the first Kenyan to win the Olympic gold in the marathon. He beca ...

(the

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

holder in the event) won the men's race while

Lornah Kiplagat Lornah Kiplagat (born 1 May 1974) is a Dutch professional long-distance runner. She was born in Kabiemit, Rift Valley Province, Kenya and came to the Netherlands in 1999. She gained Dutch citizenship in 2003 and has competed for the Netherland ...

(the two-time World Road Running champion) took the prize for the female competition. The 2009 race was scheduled to take place at the

Yas Marina Circuit The Yas Marina Circuit (Arabic: حلبة مرسى ياس) is the venue for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke, and is situated on Yas Island, near Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Yas Marina was ...

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

course, but this was never finalised and the competition was postponed for that year. The race had its second edition in 2010 and again attracted many high calibre international athletes. A five kilometre race was also added to the programme and more than 35,000 people took part in the races. However, runners criticised the organisation of the race: some athletes were not informed of changes to the start time, and some roads were not closed to traffic and the public, resulting in runners having to weave their way through cars and school children between the

Marina Mall Marina Mall (Arabic: مركز المارينا) is an Abu Dhabi shopping mall and entertainment venue which was completed in December 2000 and opened its doors to the public on 28 March 2001. The Mall is located along the breakwater on Corni ...

and the

Emirates Palace The Emirates Palace (Arabic: قصر الإمارات) is a luxury five star hotel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It has been operated by Mandarin Oriental as of 1 January 2020. The hotel project was launched in December 2001 and was initi ...

. The top three finishers in the men's half marathon race all recorded sub-one hour times in spite of warm conditions.

Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ( ar, منصور بن زايد بن سلطان آل نهيان; born 21 November 1970), often referred to as Sheikh Mansour, is an Emirati politician who is the deputy prime minister of the United Arab ...

, the race patron, announced that the competition would change to a full

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

race for the 2011 edition.Abbasher, Yasir (2010-01-08)
Full Zayed marathon next year
''Gulf News''. Retrieved on 2010-02-17. This will make the race the second marathon event in the UAE, after the

Dubai Marathon The Dubai Marathon is an annual road-based marathon hosted by Dubai, United Arab Emirates, since 1998. The marathon is categorized as a Gold Label Road Race by World Athletics. History Initial era The inaugural Dubai Marathon was held ...

Past winners

Key:

References

External links

Official website
{{in lang, ar Half marathons Marathons in the United Arab Emirates Sport in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi Events in Abu Dhabi Recurring sporting events established in 2008 2008 establishments in the United Arab Emirates Winter events in the United Arab Emirates

History

Past winners

See also

References

External links