RIYADH: More than 40,000 people of all ages and abilities took part in the 2025 edition of the Riyadh Marathon at the weekend, staged by the Saudi Sports for All Federation — a Ministry of Sport arm targeting mass participation.

With separate races for elite and amateur participants, including family runs and a number of distance options, this year’s marathon saw the largest number of participants and attendees than all previous years, setting a new record for mass participation sports in the Kingdom.

In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Prince Khaled bin Al-Waleed bin Talal Al-Saud revealed that the race’s four categories — the full marathon (42 km), half marathon (21 km), 10 km and the highly popular family 4 km race  — were fully subscribed.

“We can’t look only at the number of participants; we need to assess it through the lens of the wider sports ecosystem it feeds, builds upon, enhances. Every person who hits the pavement is contributing to the crown prince’s vision of Saudi Arabia, to Vision 2030 itself,” said Prince Khaled, the Saudi Sports for All Federation president, on the sidelines of one of the Kingdom’s most international events.

“Minister of Sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal has paved the way for success with his support and guidance during our planning and execution stages; the Ministry of Sport was even engaging in real time on the social channels. I loved seeing the ministry call out our heroes and cheer them on,” he added, referencing the many posts on X featuring key moments from the event.

Among the thousands of marathon-related posts tagging Prince Khaled on Instagram and X, the mother of Allyn Al-Oraifi declared that her three-month old baby would see the prince and the SFA team “at the finish line,” as officially the youngest participant in the country’s flagship annual running event.

Other posts lauded the prince’s efforts to get people moving and making the marathon accessible for all.

“This is what Sports for All stands for at our core: No matter how young, old, no matter your ability, we are designing programs that make you part of the fabric of success for physical activities and health in Saudi. It is an international event, with an organic and spontaneous celebratory feeling to it,” said Prince Khaled. “Just look around — this is history being made.

“You can be part of Vision 2030; you can lead the way. Just join us and take one step after the other. Bring your kids, bring your parents, start something at your company like our many community sports groups. Whatever the sport or activity, we are here to help you and see Saudi take mass participation to the next level,” the SFA president said, adding that the work of the federation’s managing director, Shaima Saleh Al-Husseini, had been crucial to managing the many different stakeholders of the marathon.

The marathon routes were planned along important Riyadh landmarks, including Boulevard City and Wadi Hanifah, while the event start line was around Boulevard World and finish line near Kingdom Arena. Various entities created bespoke experiences around the marathon, such as a special Riyadh Marathon drink by Joe & the Juice.

Prince Khaled attributed much of the success to the core and supporting sponsors of the event. “Saudi Awwal Bank was the presenting partner for a second time, with ASICS and Tawuniya as headline sponsors for both the SFA Expo and the Riyadh Marathon. We are proud to work closely with these community-minded entities to grow Saudi’s health and wellness achievement metrics,” Prince Khaled said.

And for next year’s event?

“Marathon planning basically starts the day after the marathon and goes on for the entire year. Partners play such a crucial role in getting people excited for the event; our community sports groups are the best at this,” said Prince Khaled.

“Every post on social media, every time you tag a friend — we see it and we want you to know that we know you are the people lighting it up.

“Keep going. Let’s move on this momentum together.”

RIYADH: Padel continues to capture the attention of global sports icons, with Cristiano Ronaldo among the spectators at the Riyadh Season Premier Padel P1, enjoying the top-level action on the court. The Portuguese football legend followed the matches closely and celebrated the victory of his compatriots Miguel and Nuno Deus, who secured their place in the main draw with an impressive performance in the final qualifying round.

Ronaldo is the latest in a growing list of global sports stars drawn to Premier Padel and its elite-level competition. Last year, Neymar Jr. attended the Riyadh Premier Padel P1, while other football greats including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Esteban Cambiasso, Leandro Paredes, and Paulo Dybala have also shown their passion for the sport by recently attending tournaments. Beyond football, combat sports icons Khabib Nurmagomedov and Ilia Topuria have also attended Premier Padel tournaments. During the Qatar Grand Prix in 2024, sporting legends including Novak Djokovic, Formula One world champion Max Verstappen, drivers Lando Norris, George Russell and Oscar Piastri, footballers Luis Figo and Marco Materazzi, and basketball’s Tony Parker attended a sporting legends tournament during the event, further highlighting Premier Padel’s appeal.

The Riyadh Season Premier Padel P1 is the first tournament of the 2025 season, following an exceptional 2024 campaign that featured 24 tournaments across 16 countries. As part of Premier Padel’s continued global expansion, the event brings world-class padel to Saudi Arabia, with top international players battling for valuable ranking points and the first title of the season.