ATHLETICS – THE stage is set for the return of the Bahrain Marathon Relay this weekend following a four-year hiatus.
The event, one of the kingdom’s biggest and most popular charity running races, takes place this Friday with a maximum field of 120 teams signed up.
The race is set to cover a full marathon distance of 42.2 kilometres, starting and finishing at Bilaj Al Jazayer with the route covering the surrounding Zallaq area.
Competing squads are made up of a minimum of two runners each, and they must complete all 14 legs, each of which is approximately three kilometres.
The race is scheduled to get underway at 9am on Friday morning, with British Ambassador to Bahrain Alastair Long signalling the start.
The Bahrain Marathon Relay is being staged for the first time since 2019, and the excitement has been building up over the past several weeks.
“We are ready for this major event and we are looking forward to everybody enjoying the run,” Bahrain Road Runners (BRR) vice-chairman and the race’s steering committee head Khalifa Najem told the GDN last night on the sidelines of a captains’ meeting at the British Club Bahrain in Adliya.
The BRR are organising this year’s race in co-operation with the British Club Bahrain and the Bahrain Athletics Association.
“There is a ‘Race Village’ set-up at the start and finish location where we will have food trucks, merchandise, first aid, and all kinds of exhibitors, with live music from a DJ and band to entertain people, making for a fun atmosphere for all,” Najem added.
Participants’ T-shirts and bib numbers were distributed to the team captains during yesterday’s gathering, while a detailed explanation of the route, along with the rules and regulations, was presented by BRR general secretary Sadiq Al Alawi and other officials.
“The race will start from Al Jazayer Beach and the route will take the runners against the traffic to Jumeirah Gulf of Bahrain Resort and Spa before coming back on the cycling track towards the beach,” Najem explained. “The runners then go back on the same route, so they will have to complete two loops in the race for all 14 stages.
“All the teams are very excited. This is the first time the BRR are organising this race and we are capitalising on our reputation and experience in holding running races. People are so enthusiastic for this event!”
There are 11 categories for this year’s Bahrain Marathon Relay. They include gyms and sports clubs, social clubs, airlines and travel agencies, hospitals and medical services, banks and insurance, hotel and catering, industrial companies, trading companies and media and IT, transportation and logistics, universities and schools, and construction and real estate.
“The organisation of the marathon relay this year has been exemplary,” said The British Club Bahrain representative Richard Monkhouse, who has been involved in the event since the 1990s.
“It’s always hard to get everything going again after four years – the engine had gone pretty cold, so we’ll start with a warm engine next year.
“But we’ve been very impressed with how the BRR have been able to put everything together in a compressed time frame. Everything is going well, and the teams are keen to take part. We are looking forward to a great event.”
The Bahrain Marathon Relay was founded by the British Club Bahrain in 1981 and has become an important highlight on the annual sporting calendar in the kingdom. The race is promoted as a fun run aimed at participants of all standards, from elite athletes to keen joggers and even once-a-year runners.
Following the 2019 event, the succeeding year’s Bahrain Marathon Relay was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Net proceeds from past events’ sponsorships and entry fees have been distributed to charitable causes within Bahrain. Previous beneficiaries included the Mother and Child Welfare Centre, Mobility International, Al Manar Home for the Elderly, RIA Centre, and the Bahrain Red Crescent Society, to name a few.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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