Muscat, Sept 21
The Sultanate’s premier running event, Al Mouj Muscat Marathon, is all set to take place in 2022 after the 2021 edition was called off due to the pandemic.
The 2022 Al Mouj Muscat Marathon will feature seven race distances.
Marathon – 42.2 km, half marathon – 21.1 km and there will races for 10 km, 5 km, 3 km, 2 km and 1 km. The marathon, half marathon and 10 km will be held on February 11, while the 5 km and the Kids’ races are scheduled to held on February 12.
The 2020 edition had close to 11,000 participants, and the 2022 Al Mouj Muscat Marathon is expected to attract a large number of participants.
The details were unveiled at a press conference attended by representatives from Al Mouj Muscat, Oman Sail and Sabco Sports.
The lifestyle destination, Al Mouj Muscat, pledged its support for the sixth time as title sponsor, based on a commitment to further contributing to tourism and sport tourism in the Sultanate.
Nasser al Sheibani, CEO of Al Mouj Muscat, said, “The Al Mouj Muscat Marathon is a great match for our values to promote an active and healthy lifestyle for both residents and visitors of Al Mouj Muscat. In 2022, runners from across Oman and around the world will enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of the destination and be a part of a festival which will cater to a variety of ages, fitness levels and experience.”
Oman’s leading sports agency Sabco Sports has been handed over the marketing of the event from Oman Sail as the renowned sporting event enters a crucial phase during the impact of Covid-19 across the world.
“Oman Sail took over management of the annual Al Mouj Muscat Marathon in 2017 from Muscat Road Runners, and successfully registered in excess of 10,000 runners from over 100 countries last year. It has planted the seeds of growth, nurturing its appeal with recognised international standards and based on a commitment to benefit the local private sector we have given the management to leading sports entity, Sabco Sports,” said Dr Khamis Al Jabri, CEO, Oman Sail.
“Al Mouj Muscat Marathon has built a reputation and a loyal fan base within Oman, and we are confident that the upcoming edition will bring even more members of the community to start running and get fit and will also attract an international audience to visit Oman and experience an authentic experience,” he added.
FOCUS ON YOUTH, SCHOOLS
Muscat Marathon will keep its focus on schoolchildren and the local youth while inviting world-class athletes for the event, according to Sayyid Aymen al Busaidi, Vice-Chairman of Sabco Group.
“The event has been the perfect platform for the local youth as well as schoolchildren to embrace the healthy lifestyle of running. We will not keep any stone unturned to give awareness of the marathon in the schools as well,” Al Busaidi replied to a query.
The organisers are diligently working towards creating an environment where all safety protocols are in place during the event and in close coordination with the government authorities who are taking all measures to ensure Covid-19 is under control in the country by the end of the year. The marathon will be open only to fully vaccinated participants.
All information about Al Mouj Muscat Marathon as well as registration details are available on www.muscatmarathon.om.
Organised by Muscat Road Runners in 2012 with 135 competitors, Muscat Marathon has quickly grown in stature. In 2017, the event became known as the Al Mouj Muscat Marathon with Al Mouj Muscat, Oman Sail and Muscat Road Runners joining forces.
In 2019, the marathon, marathon relay, half marathon and 10K routes were all certified by world-running organisation AIMS, aligning the event with International Association of Athletic Federation (IAAF) standards.
The last edition hosted just over 11,000 runners competing in six race categories across a two-day festival of running in which 103 different nationalities were represented.
Kenya’s Pius Karanja was the men’s champion of the main marathon (42.2 km) in 2020 with a timing of 2 hours, 19 minutes and 4 seconds.
Ethiopia’s Astede Habtamu (02:39:50) claimed the women’s title.
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