The 2019 edition of Al Mouj Muscat Marathon, a two-day running festival that took place last month, set new participation records, and of the 8,064 registered runners were 500 children from Wilayat Sohar, sponsored by Sohar Port and Freezone as part of their year-round ‘Get Sohar Active’ initiative. Following a training session in preparation for the run held at Sohar Sports Stadium, the school children took part in the Kids’ Race alongside ten relay teams from Port of Sohar staff members.
Mark Geilenkirchen, CEO of Sohar Port and Freezone, said, “The 2019 Al Mouj Muscat Marathon was the perfect opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle, and show how popular such activities are in Oman. The kids are our future leaders and they have gained a sense of responsibility for their health. We look forward to supporting their fitness journey long into the future, along with everyone in the Sohar area who wishes to take the first step towards a healthier lifestyle.”
David Graham, CEO of event organising, Oman Sail, said, “Sport in the Sultanate has grown in stature in recent years thanks to the efforts of the Ministry of Sports, various sporting associations and the private sector. It has been a pleasure to work with Sohar Port and support the specific initiatives to increase the number of runners from Sohar. Becoming engaged in sport at a young age can lead to a lifelong commitment, and we hope that the children who participated this year will continue their training and inspire others to run.”
“I would like to extend a special thanks to the Oman Athletic Association and His Excellency Younis Al Siyabi for their valuable support of the event and their commitment to encouraging Omani youth to take up the sport. Thanks to our partnership, this year’s event saw a record number of Omanis take part. We look forward to continuing our work together and seeing these numbers continue to grow every year.”
Launched with the aim of inspiring children and adults in the local communities to embrace health, wellness and a dynamic lifestyle, the ‘Get Sohar Active’ initiative has worked with various parties to facilitate the infrastructure for locals to train and start running programmes. This has entailed designating 5km and 10km running routes in Sohar available for use throughout the year.
Pre-registration for the Al Mouj Muscat Marathon 2020 is now open at www.muscatmarathon.om with places available in the team relay, half marathon, 10km run, Charity 5km fun run, and Kids’ 3km, 2km and 1km categories. The annual event is part of a National Sports Tourism Strategy that aims to increase inbound tourism through sports and promote Oman as a tourist destination through an annual calendar of events, under the supervision of the Ministry of Tourism and the Implementation Follow-up and Support Unit (ISFU).
