A new edition of the Marrakech International Marathon will be held on 26 January and will bring together more than 15,000 professional and amateur participants.
In less than a week, the palm and olive trees of the city of Marrakech will stand tall to welcome, as they do every year, the participants of the Marrakech International Marathon and Half-Marathon, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.
No fewer than 15,000 athletes, including more than 110 elite runners from all four corners of the globe, are expected at this new edition scheduled for 26 January.
True to its reputation, the MIM, which holds the African record for the event, will be enhanced this year by the participation of world-renowned elite runners, including the Kenyan Kitwara Sammy Irop with a time of 2:04:28, his compatriot Kilimo Rhonzas Lokitam (2:06:09), and the Moroccan Mohamed Reda El Aaraby (2:06:55), the organisers stated during a press briefing held on Thursday in Casablanca.
Among the women, the event will see the participation of, among others, the Ethiopian athlete Beyene Tirfi Tsegaye (2:19:41), her compatriot Bekele Abebech Afework (2:23:33), as well as the Moroccans Kaoutar Farkoussi (2:25:35), Rkia El Moukim (2:26:51), Kaltoum Bouaasariya (2:27:22), and Hasna Zahi (2:28:23).
"This year, we are expecting exceptional performances and fierce competition, given that the 35th edition will be a qualifier for the World Championships which will take place next September," the organisers enthused, noting that the Ochre City offers a mild climate in January and a course conducive to high performance.
Furthermore, they have set themselves the future goal of increasing the number of participants from 18,000 to 20,000, democratising access to sport and moving it away from elitism, using and implementing innovative information and communication techniques, keeping the course and the event venue in a clean state, and raising awareness about water conservation and the challenges posed by drought.
Placed under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the MIM, organised by the Le Grand Atlas Association (AGA) in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, the Royal Moroccan Athletics Federation, the Wilaya of the Marrakech-Safi region, and the Marrakech Communal Council, has been ranked 11th in the world since 2013 and received the World Athletics label in 2020, making it a qualifier for the World Championships and the Olympic Games.
The programme for this edition also includes a race for children, a 5 km "Welcome Race" open to all, organised on 25 January with the aim of familiarising athletes with the climate and atmosphere of the city of Marrakech, and a "Car-Free Day" under the theme "Environment and road safety at the heart of priorities".
Running the Marrakech Marathon is a beautiful intrusion into one of the warmest cities in the Kingdom. The circuit, which is fast, flat, and conducive to performance, has been carefully designed.
