JEDDAH: The Saudi Arabian Athletic Federation has revealed the details of the first edition of the Red Sea Marathon set to take place in Jeddah on Jan. 18, 2025. The announcement was made at a press conference in Jeddah, during which the federation said it expected 10,000 local and international runners to take part in the race.
The briefing was attended by Habib bin Ali Al-Rabaan, president of SAAF; Badr Al-Shibani, managing director at organizing agency Sports Hub; and Dr. Roberto Magaraggia, chairman of the marathon’s technical committee and vice president of the organizing committee. According to Al-Shibani, four categories will be available for participants: the full marathon (42.
2 km) for professional and amateur runners, a half marathon (21.1 km) for avid runners, a 10-km race for those aged 17 and above, and a 4-km race for beginners and children. Once registration is finalized, SAAF will invite some of the world’s top marathon runners — women and men — to participate in the “elite field.
” He said: “I am sure the people of Jeddah will be glad to see such big names.” The federation also revealed that, in partnership with Sports Hub, it intends to host the full marathon on an annual basis. A significant prize purse will be allocated for the winning professional runners, which should attract a large number of elite international and regional athletes, including many of Saudi Arabia’s own.
Al-Rabaan added: “We are excited to play a part in bringing suc.