The Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in the United Arab Emirates next week, on Friday, February 8, with Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya

Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya has only his second major race since winning the half million dollar prize in the inaugural marathon majors series, when he runs in the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in the United Arab Emirates next week, on Friday, February 8.

Three-time winner of the Boston Marathon, and (most famously) of the Chicago Marathon 2006, Cheruiyot won the annual Sao Silvestre 15k race in Sao Paulo on the final day of 2007. It was his third victory in the Brazilian event. The women’s race was won by his compatriot, Alice Timbilil, who also competes in RAK.

Cheruiyot, 29 competed in the inaugural RAK ‘half’ last year, finishing fifth in 60.38, which was an achievement in itself, since he had only recently recovered from the trauma of the brain contusion he suffered when falling heavily while winning the Chicago Marathon three months earlier.

Cheruiyot was unable to train for half of the intervening period, yet still finished close to ‘even-time’ in a race won by his young colleague, Sammy Wanjiru whose superlative 58:53 would have been a world record – two seconds better than Haile Gebrselassie’s then record – but for the failure to administer an EPO test, an issue the organisers will ensure does not repeat itself this year.

Cheruiyot’s principal opponents in an event which last year provided nine of the world’s all-time top 50 in the ‘half’ will include former world champion, Fabiano Joseph of Tanzania, who helped Haile Gebrselassie to the second fastest marathon in history in neighbouring Dubai two weeks ago.

But another potential winner is last year’s runner up, Patrick Makau, who has clocked four sub-60min ‘halves’, with a best of 58.56 coming at Berlin nine months ago. He was also a close second to Zersenay Tadesse of Eritrea – also World Cross champion – in the IAAF World ‘half’ in Udine in October.

RAK is the richest half-marathon in the world, with prize money increased this year to well over $200,000.

But you win some, you lose some. On the day that Cheruyiot was added to the field, the other half million dollar winner from the ‘majors’, Gete Wami had to withdraw with an injury. That leaves what looks like an open race, between Timbilil, Salina Kosgei and Pamela Chepchumba of Kenya, and Inga Abitova of Russia.

Pat Butcher