ZAYED CHARITY MARATHON: EGYPT

About Zayed Charity Marathon Egypt

Founded over 20 years ago, the Zayed Charity Marathon is an iconic, worldwide humanitarian running race held in honour of Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father of the UAE. The first Egypt edition of the race took place in 2014, and it was held annually until the COVID-19 pandemic forced it to take a hiatus in 2020.

Wheelchair participants preparing to race at Zayed Charity Marathon 2018 in Luxor, Egypt

Hosted under the patronage of the UAE Embassy in Egypt, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Egypt, numerous humanitarian organisations and hospitals have benefited from the proceeds of this amazing event.

This includes the Children’s Cancer Hospital in Cairo in 2014, Hepatitis patients in 2015 and 2016, Shefaa Al Orman Cancer Hospital and El Kheir Hospitals from Misr El Kheir Foundation in 2018, and lastly the National Cancer Institute (Cairo University) in 2019, when a cash prize of EGP two million was offered to race participants.

Zayed Charity Marathon Egypt 2022

Runners preparing to run for Zayed Charity Marathon 2018 in Luxor, Egypt

The outstanding running event will finally be back in Egypt on Friday, December 23rd to reflect the deeply-rooted Egyptian-Emirati relations that come together in making crowds eager to run for charity, with digital sponsors The Glocal and Pimula Communications, and NogoumFM as a radio sponsor.

Charitable contributions will be donated to Ahl Masr Burns Hospital from Ahl Masr Foundation for Development in coordination with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and with the participation of Cairo Runners.

The event will take place for the first time in the ancient city of Alexandria, one of Alexander the Great’s legacies, with a 4k race for people of determination (Wheelchair only), children under 10, and elders over 60, in addition to a 10k race for men and women. The inclusive races start and end at the Alexandria Stadium, and ensure that everyone can join and enjoy the amazing views along the race routes commemorating Egypt’s rich history, such as the huge new Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Naval Unknown Soldier, and Alexandria National Museum.

Amazing running prizes of EGP 5 million are up for grabs for 5 thousand winners, which is the highest prize money for a race held in Egypt. The beautiful views of Alexandria will keep you motivated along the way, presenting the perfect opportunity to start running in the Bride of the Mediterranean and give back to charity.

Route Map & Sights to See During the Race

Featuring a 4k race for people of determination, children under 10, and elders over 60 and a 10k race for men and women, the inclusive races will start and end at the Alexandria Stadium.

The race routes honour Egypt’s rich history by taking in amazing cultural attractions such as the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Naval Unknown Soldier, and Alexandria National Museum.

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Inaugurated in 2002, this vast library aims to provide people of all backgrounds with access to education and opportunities for self-development. Home to millions of books, it wants to create a cultural and intellectual bridge that connects Egypt to the rest of the world. Considered to be one of the biggest Francophone libraries across the globe, it features specialised sections for the arts, the visually-impaired, children, archives, rare books, and special collections. Alongside its four museums, academic research centres, conference centre and exhibitions, it also contains a number of local, international, and regional institutions.

Alexandria’s Naval Unknown Soldier

Initially built by the Italian community in tribute to Ismail Pasha in 1933, this cultural landmark became a monument for the Naval Unknown Soldier in the 1960s. Immortalising the heroism of the soldiers of the Egyptian Naval Forces and recognising their victories in the Mediterranean, the marble base, ancient Roman-like design and finely carved pillars make this semicircular-shaped monument exceptionally unique and striking.

Alexandria National Museum

Formerly a castle and an embassy before it became a museum in 2003, the Alexandria National Museum is one of Egypt’s most important contemporary museums. Containing hundreds of antique pieces dating back to the Pharaoh, Romanian, Islamic and contemporary eras, it boasts a distinctive Greek-style architectural design.

Register for the Zayed Charity Marathon Egypt

Registrations to the “world’s kindest race” opened on September 16th and were still open on the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports website until December 18th here. The race will take place for the first time in Alexandria on December 23, 2022, with registration priced EGP 100 for the 4km and 10km races.

Charities We Are Supporting

Ahl Masr Burns Hospital

It is the first and largest non-profit hospital and research center in Egypt and the Middle East treating trauma and burn victims for free, with a capacity of 201 beds. Along with a capacity of 175 beds, this hospital features an intensive care unit containing 12 beds for adults and 8 for children, and the only incubator for treating children burns in Egypt. This hospital outperforms all of the country’s hospitals in this field with the quality of equipment and medical team it provides, along with an emergency department that is able to receive 30 cases, 2 helipads for emergencies, operating rooms, specialized clinics, and laser treatments.

Ahl Masr Foundation for Development

Founded by the Egyptian activist Mrs. Heba Hilal El Sewedy in 2013, with a vision to achieve a world without burns by 2030 and its goal is to protect 25 million Egyptian families from the dangers of burn accidents. It hopes to help patients recover from their injuries and regain their lives, and also spread awareness about how accidents involving fires and burns can be prevented.