RIYADH: M.I.L.E. Run Club is a homegrown community where Saudi youth chase personal bests and collective belonging on Jeddah’s corniche.
Founded by 23-year-old Ammaar Malak and 22-year-old Tariq Jamal, M.I.L.E. (Make It Look Easy) is forging a generation that wears perseverance like a medal.
The club was designed to leave no one behind. Its Walking Circle, which has Malak’s mother as a member and is tailored for retirees and rehab patients, exemplifies this ethos.
Malak’s origin story is full of cinematic grit. Weeks before an MMA fight in London he tore a ligament and needed surgery.
“Alone in that sterile hospital room, I truly believed my life was over,” he told Arab News. “Competitive fighting was my identity. Without it, I was lost.”
His recovery began with limping walks, then shuffling jogs through London’s parks. Now, a 184-day run streak pays testimony to his determination.
“Showing up bridges who you are and who you want to be,” Malak said. “Running taught me true freedom: disciplining your mind to conquer anything.”
The club’s ethos is “not about faking perfection. It’s carrying weight with grace. Staying compassionate when life tries to harden you,” he said.
Malak, who was named most promising athlete at the American International School of Jeddah in 2019 and became one of the Middle East’s youngest CrossFit-certified trainers at age 20, felt there was a mental health aspect missing from conventional training.
“We had gyms and tracks but few spaces nurturing mental armor alongside physical strength,” he said.
M.I.L.E. focuses on strengthening mental resilience through community. Its secret weapon emerges when the running stops: communal ice cream tubs passed under streetlights.
Here, marathoners and first-timers share stories: the fear before kilometer one, the cramps at kilometer eight, the euphoria of conquering doubt.
The closeness of the team exemplifies M.I.L.E.’s alchemy. Malak recounted how each of them joined during Ramadan with no running experience but later conquered 21 km – a testament to the club’s support.
The clubs other members are: Mohammed Alhumaidi (21), Adnan Softa (22), Albaraa Al-Bakri (24), Sarah Al-Mansour (25), Faisal Al-Bar (23) and Hamza Al-Kaffas (21).
“This community is far greater than any individual,” Malak said.
As well as the support the Walking Circle provides to those with mobility issues, the club’s Steady Striders supports teenagers, like Malak’s 16-year-old sister Tamara, targeting 10K races.
The Athlete Tier trains ultra-runners for 50K+ distances. Mohammed Al-Humaidi, 21, engineers adaptive routes to ensure universal access.
“Within M.I.L.E., no one is background noise,” Malak said.
The solidarity becomes evident after the front-runners finish. Instead of dispersing, they double back, sprinting alongside stragglers, screaming encouragement with cracked voices.
Team members have waited hours under the scorching sun to uphold Malak’s core covenant: No M.I.L.E. member crosses alone.
This promise helped to create 10 first-time half-marathoners, showing how communal solidarity helps beginners to conquer the 21 km.
For Malak, there is an element of national pride in M.I.L.E.
“Bringing Saudi Vision 2030 to life isn’t abstract, it’s our hands-on duty,” he said.
“We sweat today out of love for our nation’s tomorrow.”
This conviction fuels his routine of 4 a.m. runs and midnight exam studies after coaching sessions.
Malak’s newly minted UESCA ultra running coach certification propels M.I.L.E. into uncharted territory. From September, workshops will shepherd beginners to 50K+ ultramarathons.
“We’re engineering resilience,” he said.
The ambition? Global reckoning.
“Abroad, ‘Saudi’ still whispers ‘lazy’ or ‘entitled’ to some. We’ll crush those cliches underfoot,” he told Arab News.
“Bringing Saudi Vision 2030 to life isn’t abstract. And we’ve only begun.”
