RIYADH: The final preparations are underway for the first Riyadh Marathon on Saturday, March 5, at which runners from around the world will contest a total prize pool of SR 2 million ($533,000).
The 42.2-kilometer race, organized by the Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA), will begin at King Saud University at 6:15 a.m. and the route will take the athletes past Riyadh landmarks such as historic Diriyah, Digital City and King Saud University.
Accredited by the International and Asian Athletic Federations, the Riyadh Marathon includes four races catering for runners of all ages and abilities. In addition to the full marathon, participants can register on the official Riyadh Marathon website for a 4km fun run, which is open to all ages, a 10km race, for ages 17 and older, and a 21.1km half marathon for which the minimum age is 18.
Saudi Arabia’s first full-fledged marathon is the SFA’s biggest event to date, and as part of the celebrations the organization is hosting a “marathon village” on March 4 and 5 where the participants can collect their race bibs and visitors can enjoy a range of attractions and activities including food vendors, music, fitness classes and more. The village will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Riyadh Marathon 2022 is organized by the SFA with the support of the Ministry of Sport, the Quality of Life Program, the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee, King Saud University, the Saudi Arabian Athletic Federation, presenting partner SABIC, main sponsor Roshn, official timekeeper Huawei, and other partners. It follows the success of the Riyadh Half Marathon, which took place in 2018.
The SFA is the main organization responsible for developing community sports in the Kingdom. The federation aims to build a healthy and vibrant community by inspiring all members of society to be physically active, in line with the goal of the Quality of Life Program to increase the percentage of people in the Kingdom who regularly exercise to 40 percent by 2030.
