by Larry Eder
The truth be told, running is growing on a global scale. Half marathon distances are one of the premier distances for running across the globe. Running continues to evolve!
THE LITTLE RACE THAT COULD – CELEBRATING 5 YEARS WITH THE BIGGEST FIELD YET
Attracting just 636 participants in its inaugural year the RAK
Half Marathon certainly had quite a mountain to climb to be taken
seriously on both the local and international road racing scene. Yet
this was one new race that chose not to focus immediately on promoting
huge crowds from the get-go or offer huge prize money to lure the best
talent to the start line. It did instead decide what it wanted to be and
then set about following that ambition year after year.
Now, nearly 5 years on the RAK Half Marathon has firmly established
itself as one of the premier competitive half marathons in the world,
for men and women. Notching up an impressive array of world and national
records along the way, this emerging emirate of the UAE currently holds
two of the top 4 all-time fastest times for men and that’s not even its
main feature. According to Race Director Nathan Clayton, the goal has
always been to strike a balance between providing a world class elite
race and the same quality of race extended to every other single
participant; “we want everyone to feel that their place in the race is
important to us, as well as to themselves.”
And just as the Little Engine in the well known children’s fable
managed to overcome the odds, so this tiny race has shown equal
determination and strength and has quickly benefitted from the support
shown by the local and international running community, recording growth
of registrations in excess of 400% in just four years and this includes
a 45% increase in the number of UAE Nationals running the course. With
registration now closed, organizers have announced a record field for
2011 of 2,066 individual half marathoners and 138 Relay Teams pushing
the total number of runners on the start line this February to over
2600. With overall prize money reductions a result of the recent global
situation, the spirit of participation appears to shine through brighter
than the prize pot as evidenced by nearly 10% of the field flying in to
the country to participate this 18th February. Additionally, the 89
nationalities that will collectively line up represent a growing trend
that organizers and local government officials‘ hope will only get
bigger and better with each subsequent edition.
Due to the popularity of this event growing year on year, organizers
are already promising an increase on the total amount of registrations
permitted for the 2012 race. With just two weeks left until the 2011
race, final preparations are now underway, including the impending
announcement of the elite field.
For more information please visit www.rakmarathon.org
