A growing appeal

Back in 2012 a friendly group of amateur athletes – the Muscat Road Runners – decided it was time Oman’s famously welcoming capital city had a marathon it could call its own. So it was that a modest field of 135 competitors set off on the first ever Muscat Marathon.

Seven years later a certain Paula Radcliffe was on hand to flag off a rather larger field, with the Al Mouj Muscat Marathon now the centrepiece of a vibrant and family-friendly two-day festival of running.

From elite athletes to enthusiastic amateurs, the Muscat Marathon offers something for everyone as more than 8000 runners from 103 countries discovered for themselves earlier this year.

The women’s world marathon record holder will return as ambassador for the Al Mouj Muscat Marathon on 17 January 2020 to send the hundreds of full marathon runners on their way before joining the popular 10km race. Paula will again be on hand next day to run alongside and encourage the thousands taking part in the Kids’ Run and 5km Charity Fun Run events.

The course for all races is flat, fast and largely coastal. It starts within the attractive Al Mouj waterfront community before heading out through palm-lined streets and passing iconic sites like the Sayyida Fatima bint Ali Mosque on one side and crystal-clear sea on the other.

Runners can expect an authentic Arabian experience in the Sultanate of Oman, with the country’s legendary hospitality and ideal weather. Oman was ranked the fourth safest country in the world by the World Economic Forum as recently as 2017, while many visitors agree with Lonely Planet and National Geographic that Muscat is a ‘must-see’ destination. It’s a friendly place.

Another open secret is the country’s magical climate in January that provides perfect running conditions with average temperatures ranging from 17–25°C.

For the professionals the Al Mouj Muscat Marathon offers a perfect warm weather early season start to their programme, with the certified courses allowing them a good chance of setting a new personal best time.

The Al-Mouj Muscat Marathon offers a combination that has proved increasingly attractive to international runners. They have seized the opportunity and flown into Muscat International Airport’s impressive new terminal on direct flights from Europe and beyond. On the ground they will find themselves warmly welcomed into a running community embracing both native Omanis and expats.

Muscat Road Runners’ mission to ‘help and inspire people through running’ remains at the heart of the Muscat Marathon, now boosted by the organisational expertise of Oman Sail and support of Al Mouj Muscat. The Race Village located in the heart of Al Mouj offers a fantastic range of activities for the whole family. Registered runners can take advantage of exclusive discount offers at many of Muscat hot spots including fitness, wellness and beauty facilities, alongside restaurants and coffee shops.

See: http://muscatmarathon.om