Riyadh Marathon

The Riyadh Marathon is an international race organized by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is the first full-fledged professional marathon in the Kingdom, accredited by the Asian Athletics Association. It includes races suitable for all society members with different abilities and fitness levels of both genders. The event is organized by the Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA), with direct support from the Ministry of Sport.

The international marathon serves as a catalyst for motivating all members of society to engage in sports and physical activities, promoting a healthy lifestyle, and fostering a vibrant and healthy society. By inspiring individuals across all segments of society and encouraging them to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives, the aim is to elevate the percentage of the population engaging in physical activity to 40 percent by 2030. This initiative aligns with the objectives of the Quality of Life Program, a program of Saudi Vision 2030

The first edition of the Riyadh Marathon was held in February 2018, with the participation of eleven thousand runners, including male and female professionals. It was open to all ages and various physical abilities.
The first forty-two-km marathon race set off from the starting line at King Saud University, offering participants the opportunity to explore several tourist attractions around the city of Riyadh, including Diriyah, the main roads, the digital city, and King Saud University.

The marathon enabled runners aged eighteen years and older to participate in the half marathon, which extended over a distance of 21.1 km. The ten km race was open to the age group of seventeen years and above, while a four km race was designated for beginners and children.

The Saudi Sports for All Federation successfully organized the first edition of the Riyadh Marathon 2022, with the route designed to allow participants to explore several prominent tourist landmarks in the city of Riyadh. The event included several races suitable for all members of the community with varying abilities and fitness levels from both genders, attracting around ten thousand participants. The participants were distributed with 60 percent males and 40 percent females from over one hundred participating countries around the world. This international sporting event marks the first full-fledged professional marathon held in the Kingdom, in addition to being accredited by the Asian and International Athletics Federations.

The second edition of the Riyadh Marathon 2023 kicked off with the participation of more than fifteen thousand male and female participants. The participation rate of Saudis in this race reached about 57 percent, with the remaining percentage of participants coming from various countries around the world. The marathon is one of the sporting events organized by the Saudi Sports for All Federation with direct support from the Ministry of Sport, aimed at increasing participation in physical activities in the Kingdom.