GOLDEN GIRL KOKO TO MAKE COMEBACK AT RAS AL KHAIMAH HALF MARATHON

Konstanze Klosterholfen, one of Europe’s biggest athletic stars and a superstar in Germany, has announced that she will be racing over the half marathon distance at the RAK Half Marathon to be held on February 24, 2024.

This release is from the organizers of the RAK half Marathon.

GOLDEN GIRL KOKO TO MAKE COMEBACK AT RAS AL KHAIMAH HALF MARATHON

German Athlete Makes Long-Awaited Return To Running Scene

Ras Al Khaimah (UAE) 14 February 2024: One of European athletics’ most exciting
talents will return to the international running scene when Germany’s Konstanze
Klosterhalfen makes her debut at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon on February
24.

Konstanze Klosterholfen runs for PUMA Running, photo by PUMA.

The 27-year-old, who holds national records at 5,000m and 10,000m, enjoyed a
whirlwind 2022, winning European Championship gold at 5,000m and beating a
world-class field to win the Valencia Half Marathon in a personal best time of 65:41.

That time in Valencia makes her the second fastest German woman in history at the
21.1km half marathon distance and, should she be back to her best after recovering
from injury, she could well target the German record (65:18) and the European
best of 65:15 in Ras Al Khaimah.

Widely known as ‘Koko’, Klosterhalfen joins a powerful elite field for the 17th Ras Al
Khaimah Half Marathon, an event hosted by the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism
Development Authority (RAKTDA) on the rapidly developing Al Marjan Island.

She will line up alongside the likes of New York Marathon champion Tamirat Tola,
defending Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon men’s champion Benard Kibet Koech,
women’s World Half Marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir and former women’s Half
Marathon World Record Holder Ababel Yeshaneh for what will be the German
runner’s first race on the international calendar for more than six months.

“I’m certainly looking forward to returning to racing, especially at the Ras Al Khaimah
Half Marathon as a race I’ve heard a lot about,” said Klosterhalfen.

“Overall, I am happy with how my training has been going, and I’m ready to test
myself and see exactly where I am after a good training camp”

As she aims to recapture the form she produced since bursting on the scene as a
5,000m bronze medallist at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, the Ras Al
Khaimah Half Marathon may witness something special from the darling of German
athletics whose career highlight remains that stunning 5,000m European
Championship win in Munich two years ago.

As well as elites chasing personal nests and course records, the Ras Al Khaimah
Half Marathon will also see thousands of runners coming together in the associated
10km, 5km, and 2km runs with registration open at rakhalfmarathon.com

About Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA)

The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) was
established in May 2011 under the government of Ras Al Khaimah. RAKTDA
aims to develop the Emirate’s tourism infrastructure and establish Ras Al
Khaimah as a world-class destination for leisure and business travel,
creating sustainable investment opportunities and enhancing the quality of
life for its residents. In order to achieve its goals, the Authority has a
government mandate to license, regulate, and monitor the Emirate’s tourism
and hospitality industry.

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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