Zayed International Half Marathon
Encyclopedia
The Zayed International Half Marathon is an annual road running
competition which takes place in January in Abu Dhabi
, United Arab Emirates
. The inaugural edition of the half marathon
race, named after Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, was held in 2008. The race takes place on an AIMS
-certified course, which means performances are eligible for record-breaking purposes.
The first edition featured many top international runners as the organisers offered a large amount of prize money, including a first prize of US$300,000 and a total pot of US$2 million. Samuel Wanjiru
(the world record holder in the event) won the men's race while Lornah Kiplagat
(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 Formula One
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
and the Emirates Palace
. 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
, the race patron, announced that the competition would change to a full marathon
race for the 2011 edition. This will make the race the second marathon event in the UAE, after the Dubai Marathon
.
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
competition which takes place in January in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
, United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
. The inaugural edition of the half marathon
Half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
race, named after Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, was held in 2008. The race takes place on an AIMS
Association of International Marathons and Distance Races
The Association of International Marathons and Distance Races, also known as AIMS, is an association of long-distance running races. Originally founded in 1982 at a meeting in London of marathon race directors, its membership was extended in 1986 to include all road races...
-certified course, which means performances are eligible for record-breaking purposes.
The first edition featured many top international runners as the organisers offered a large amount of prize money, including a first prize of US$300,000 and a total pot of US$2 million. Samuel Wanjiru
Samuel Wanjiru
Samuel Kamau Wanjiru was a Kenyan athlete, who specialized in long distance running. He became a professional at a young age and broke the world record in the half marathon when he was 18 years old...
(the world record holder in the event) won the men's race while Lornah Kiplagat
Lornah Kiplagat
Lornah Kiplagat is a Dutch 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 Netherlands since...
(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 Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
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, Abu Dhabi
Marina Mall is an Abu Dhabi shopping mall and entertainment venue. Located on the Breakwater and surrounded by the Persian Gulf, it is also located in a reclaimed land area that is becoming a hub for luxury retail projects....
and the Emirates Palace
Emirates Palace
The Emirates Palace is a luxury hotel located in the United Arab Emirates city of Abu Dhabi.-Construction:The building was designed by renowned architect, John Elliott RIBA, who was Senior Vice President at Wimberly, Allison, Tong and Goo, an international firm specialising in Luxury Hotels.It...
. 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 Al Nahyan
HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is a United Arab Emirati politician and member of ruling family of Abu Dhabi . He is the half brother of the current President of UAE, Emir of Abu Dhabi, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan...
, the race patron, announced that the competition would change to a full marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
race for the 2011 edition. This will make the race the second marathon event in the UAE, after the Dubai Marathon
Dubai Marathon
The Dubai Marathon is an annual marathon running race held in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.The race is held in January each year, the first being run on 14 January 2000...
.
Past winners
Key:| Edition | Year | Men's winner | Time (h Hour The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds... :m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
Women's winner | Time (h Hour The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds... :m Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2008 | 1:00:33 | 1:08:52 | ||
| — | 2009 | Not held | — | Not held | — |
| 2nd | 2010 | 59:19 | 1:07:14 |