A memorial to greatness

Ahmed El-Nady, a long-distance runner, established the event with the first edition of the Great Victory Run 10km in El-Shorouk City, Greater Cairo, held on 22 October 2012. It is planned as an annual event to be held in the same month every year and for years to come. The hope is for the event to showcase, over the coming years, the best in long distance running in Egypt and throughout the Arab world – and even extending to East Africa. The first edition attracted participants from Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Germany, Sudan, Bahrain and Palestine.

The course comprises one lap using the President El-Sadat Road, named for the Egyptian President during the 1970s who secured the return of Sinai to Egypt from Israel after the Yom Kippur War, launched on 6 October 1973.

The running lap is lined with trees and green areas all the way, making it attractive for a preparation race for longer events like the Marathon and Half Marathon. There are four uphill sections and four downhills but these add to the interest and are not too taxing. The organisers are seeking to enter the race into the WA Label Road Race programme later this year and the Great Pharaohs Runners Company are now working towards offering a good running experience according to the rules to be observed.

Great Pharaohs Runners Team invite all mass and pro runners to run for peace and friendship between nations and to celebrate Egyptian Victory Day. They will all take home an amazing medal featuring the official AIMS logo and the Great Pyramids of Giza.

The race website will include a travel section giving advice to overseas runners on how to visit Egypt and live the Egyptian Dream.

We await you all on the start line to run for victory and peace in the land of wonders. But the story doesn’t end there: the Great Freedom Run, Egypt’s Fastest Half Marathon is on 29 December 2023 and the third Great Egyptian River Nile Marathon on 12 April 2024. Welcome to Egypt.