RIYADH: Preparations for the Riyadh Marathon 2022 have been completed as the city gets set to receive sports fans from all over Saudi Arabia and around the world to participate in the race on Saturday with a chance to win prizes totalling more than SR2 million ($533,086).
The marathon is being organized by the Saudi Sports for All Federation with direct support from the Ministry of Sport and the Quality of Life Program to achieve the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
The 42-kilometer route starts from King Saud University at 06:15 a.m. and takes participants past a number of tourist attractions around the capital, including Diriyah, Digital City and the university.
The Riyadh Marathon 2022, which is open to anyone, is being accredited by the Asian and International Athletics Federations and has also partnered with the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, the Saudi Athletics Federation, the National Center for Events and other sponsors. It includes a range of races to encourage people of all ages and athletic abilities to participate.
There is a 21.1-kilometer Half Marathon for the over-18s, a 10-kilometer race for ages 17 and above, and a 4-kilometer race for beginners and children.
There are also marathon village events on Friday and Saturday, where visitors can enjoy a range of sports and recreational activities, eat different types of food and take part in fitness classes.
The Saudi Sports for All Federation, the main body responsible for the development of community sports in the Kingdom, organized the marathon after the success of the Riyadh Half Marathon in 2018.
Meanwhile, the Director General of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture’s branch in Makkah, Saeed bin Jarallah Al-Ghamdi, crowned the participants in the 2022 Jeddah Marathon on Friday, in which 470 participants participated along the Corniche.
Mohammed Shawin won first place in the men’s category, Fatima Al-Radi won first place in the women’s category, and Mohammed Al-Zahrani won first place in the children’s category.
There were also other prizes, such as for the biggest and youngest contestants.
The Jeddah governorate, the Jeddah Municipality, the Jeddah Traffic Department and the Ministry of Sports branch in Makkah were thanked for their support.
Al-Ghamdi said that the marathon on Jeddah Corniche coincided with International Walking Day, which aims to promote public health and the concept of walking culture, adding that it coincides with the Saudi Water Forum 2022 in Riyadh, which aims to shed light on the security and sustainability of water, and its challenges.
