- Alex Matata won the 2025 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in a personal best time of 59:20.
- He was awarded $20,000 (approximately Ksh 2,540,000 as per the current exchange rate) for winning the title.
- Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye triumphed in the women’s category.
Kenyan speedster Alex Matata produced the best performance of his career in the 2025 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon that was held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday.
Matata, outshined the likes of pre-race favorite Isaia Lasoi Kipkoech, also of Kenya, to win the prestigious title in Personal Best (PB) time.
He increased his speed in the final stages of the race and went on to cut the tape in a time of 59:20.
Matata’s time was more than 30 seconds faster compared to the time he registered at the 2024 Al Sharqiyah International Half Marathon that was held on December 14.
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The fast-rising runner was closely followed by Ethiopia’s Gemechu Dida and Lasoi, who clocked 59:25 and 59:26 respectively.
Speaking shortly after the memorable victory, Matata revealed that he struggled in the early stages of the race due to unfavorable weather conditions.
“Although it was not easy for me, I am happy because I improved my time. The race was not so good in the first 10km, it was tough for me. There was a lot of wind and then I discovered I can be the winner at 15km now.
I am very happy because this is my PB. I was aiming to push harder. I am sure that I will also improve my time next time,” he explained.
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Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye stuns Kenyan women
Meanwhile, two Kenyans finished inside the top three positions in the women’s category that was won by Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye.
Taye, who crossed the finishing line in 1:05:52, was followed by Judy Kemboi and Jesca Chelangat.
Kemboi, who was making her debut in the event, clocked 1:06:34 with her compatriot finishing in a time of 1:06:53.
Kemboi, whose half marathon lifetime best stands at 1:05:43, vowed to do much better in the 2026 edition.
“The course was nice, but I did not manage to run my PB (Personal Best) because I was alone throughout from 10km up to the finish, but I feel good.
I am happy with the position, and I hope next year I will win. I will remember this race because of the people, they were so amazing,” she stated.
Other Kenyans in the race in Veronica Loleo and Brillian Jepkorir, settled for 1:08:06 and 1:08:48 in that order.
Matata and Taye were each awarded a prize money of $20,000 (approximately Ksh 2,540,000 as per the current exchange rate) for clinching the titles.
On the other hand, the second and third place finishers in both categories pocketed $10,000 and $6,000. The money is subject to the usual tax procedure among other deductions that includes agent fees.
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