A strong armada of runners from the high plateaus of the Rift Valley in Kenya and just as many of their Ethiopian rivals, as well as the best Moroccan marathon runners, will be on the starting line for the 24th edition of the Marrakech International Marathon. This international event, which will celebrate its 24th anniversary on the 27th of this month, will see the participation of more than 6,000 athletes. According to Mohamed Knidiri, president of the organizing committee, "The Marrakech Marathon, which until last December had become the largest on the continent and among the 25 best in the world thanks to the times and performances of previous editions, opens the season of major marathons and aspires to climb further with the commitment of renowned top runners, including eleven who have already run under 2h 10min and about twenty under 2h 13min," he announced during a press conference presenting this edition, which is under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI. He continued to MAP: "The ambition is to beat the record of the Moroccan Abdelkader El Mouaziz of 2h 08:15 established in 1999 and, above all, to bring the time under the 2h 08min mark and even the 2h 07min mark to reach new levels and enter fully among the greatest marathons in the world." As for the top female runners, the Ethiopians will be out in force with a contingent of five athletes against four Moroccans, one Kenyan, and one Argentine.

The budget for the 2013 edition is more than 2 million DH, a notable increase compared to previous ones, and the prize money has increased by 15%. The athlete who crosses the finish line in under 2h 06min will pocket an additional bonus of 10,000 dollars, and the organizers have decided to grant, as an incentive, bonuses to the top 15 Moroccan men and top 10 Moroccan women.