Fez To Host Its First-Ever Long-Distance Running Festival

Fez – Fez, Morocco’s spiritual capital, is preparing to host the first edition of the Fez Running Festival between March 26-27.

Amid the ongoing COVID pandemic, the Fez Running Festival seeks to bring back normal life to the city, providing all segments of society with the opportunity to break free from the pandemic-related stress.

Expected to kick off at Fez’s Latin America Parc, less than 2 km from the city center, the anticipated event is being organized under the auspices of the Fez-Meknes Directorate and the Fez-Boulemane Athletics League, and the newly-established Fez Athlete Association.

In an interview with Morocco World News, the Moroccan marathon champion Abderrahim Bouramdane said that the upcoming two-day event will be organized under two different categories: A kids’ race to kick off on March 26 and an adults race to be held on March 27.

“Our objective is to give a shining representation of the city of Fez. Being a well-established city, it deserves the best. We also strive to attract Moroccans to visit Fez and participate in this sports event,” Bouramdane explained.

Urging people to join in numbers and participate in this promising event, he said that registration is already open on social media platforms and via email.

Meanwhile, those willing to register in person can reach out to the organizing committee at Fez’s Latin America Parc, formerly known as Champs De Course, from March 24-26.

As a member of the organizing committee, Bouramdane says his role is to put into practice his long-standing experience as both an award-winning long-distance runner and a renowned sports events organizer.

Bouramdane’s exceptional career

“As an organizer, I was the founder and director of the Fez International Marathon, the Sacred Music Race, and other races in partnership with certain prominent institutes and universities in Fez,” he told Morocco World News.

Bouramdane spoke of the Fez International Marathon to illustrate the success of some of the sporting events he has helped organize. Hosting more than 6,000 runners from different countries across the world, he noted, the marathon was a huge success.

But Bouramdane’s name is even more widely celebrated as an athlete; he won several renowned international marathons throughout his exceptionally remarkable career.

In his professional debuts, the Fez-born long-distance runner caught most observers and scouts off guard, winning the 2004 Tunis Marathon, with a Marathon record of 2:15:34. Only a month later, he won the 2005 Marrakech International Marathon, running 2:15:16.

The Moroccan athlete further cemented his presence on the international stage when he ranked third in the 2005 Francophone Games in Niamey, Niger, where he clinched his first-ever medal in a major tournament.

In the following years, Bouramadane gained more prominence on the international scene by marking a strong presence in several renowned tournaments.

He made a remarkable impression on watchers of the Ottawa Marathon in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

In the 2006 edition, the Fez-born runner won the gold medal with a stunning performance, running 2:12:18 to carve his name in the marathon’s records.

While he did do a remake of his 2006 success the following year, his performance — running the set distance in 2:10:39 to finish second, only six seconds behind the marathon winner — was still good enough to maintain his reputation as one of the best.

Bouramadane’s most significant participation in an international competition was in 2008 when he participated in the Beijing Olympic Games. Though his Olympic performance was rather modest, finishing 26th in the world’s most prestigious competition still came with an unmistakable sense of pride and fulfillment.

In 2017, Bouramdane participated in his last race in Malaga, Spain. Since hanging up his boots, the Moroccan has capitalized on his rich and remarkable athlete to coach future champions and organize the kind of sporting events that fascinated him and gave him purpose both in his formative years and during his remarkable stint as an award-winning long-distance runner.