Zayed Marathon held in Egyptian city of Suez

A 39-year-old Moroccan won the men’s category of the 6th edition of the Zayed Charity Marathon on Friday in the Egyptian city of Suez, while a Sudanese woman won the women’s contest. The “marathon” was held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. Money raised during the marathon is to be donated to Cairo University's National Cancer Institute. The prize money for the winners is 2 million Egyptian pounds (Dh458,000). Hesham Belany ran the eight-km race in the unofficial time of 23 minutes, a relatively fast time that the Moroccan said reflected months of hard training. “I have been training for this race for over a year, but I stepped up the last two months,” he said after the race, whose route went through the center of the historical Red Sea city. “I tried to take control of the race from the get-go and not allow any one to overtake me. It was not easy.” Sudan’s Cairo-based Amnah Barsham, a veteran of the London and Rio Olympic games, won the women’s race in the unofficial time of 27 minutes. Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, praised the directives of Sheikh Mohamed and his support for humanitarian initiatives. "Since its establishment, the UAE has been extending a helping hand and providing assistance, benevolence and development to all peoples and charitable institutions, in line with the approach of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his good deeds, which have extended generously to humanitarian arenas in all parts of the globe, to assist the weak, help the needy, and support those affected," said Sheikh Nahyan. "The sixth edition of the marathon is part of the ‘Marathon giving approach,’ and its key message in support of sporting interactions, along with its keenness to invest in sports for charitable purposes, will help consolidate related principles, through a marathon bearing the name of Sheikh Zayed, the founder and builder of its union, and the first supporter of global aid initiatives," he added. Sheikh Nahyan said that the marathon reflects the interest of the UAE’s leadership and people in the country and its humanitarian cohesion, as well as in launching initiatives in other Arab countries and the rest of the world. He noted that this is in line with the message from Sheikh Mohamed which aims to make sport a key platform for spreading the culture of goodness, communication and tolerance between all peoples, as well as achieving the goals of peace and rapprochement. He also stressed that the UAE’s legacy is represented by its overall balance and the peace that it spreads to the entire world during every event, whether locally or globally. The marathon was attended by several ministers and officials from the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Suez Governorate, along with Emirati executive leaders.

Zayed Marathon held in Egyptian city of Suez

A 39-year-old Moroccan won the men’s category of the race, while a Sudanese woman won the women’s contest